Happy Place When most people think about the NICU, they don't think about a happy place. It can be scary and unknown. However, it is also the place where babies' lives are saved, and where families spend a great deal of time. I'll admit, when my twins were first born, I didn't even want to go to the NICU. I was so afraid of everything about it. The tubes, the wires, the … [Read more...]
When a Birth Day isn’t really a Birthday
Birth Day As you're pregnant, you dream of the day you'll have your baby. You'll see them for the first time, hold them, and tell them you love them. It's a celebration of life that we mark every year on that special day. However, sometimes that birth day isn't the birthday that you've been hoping for. I never want to sound ungrateful for my miracles, and I'm not … [Read more...]
Constant Monitoring during Pregnancy: Fighting IUGR
Constant Monitoring During Pregnancy During an uncomplicated pregnancy, while you visit the doctor often, and you may have a few ultrasounds, the remainder of the time you live a normal life. With high risks and/or complications, constant monitoring during pregnancy can be a life-saver. For me, constant monitoring during pregnancy was the thing that saved my twins' lives. … [Read more...]
NICU During Holidays: Celebrating While They Fight
NICU During Holidays Being in the NICU is hard at any time, but it is especially hard to be in the NICU during holidays. Whether you are in the NICU with your babies, or you are somewhere else with other members of your family, it feels impossible to really celebrate. There is guilt from not being able to be with everyone you love, the fear of missing something important, … [Read more...]
A Different NICU: A Different Experience
A Different NICU From layout to policies to staff, every NICU, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is different. What may happen in one hospital, may not happen in another. In each different NICU, each family can have a very unique experience. Some hospitals have private rooms, some are organized in pods of a few beds, while others are entire rooms filled with … [Read more...]