My wife and I took our twins to the NICU reunion yesterday. Just being at the hospital really brought a lot of emotions to the surface. We were so worried for so long and being there reminded us how lucky we are that our kids have done so well. The NICU staff does amazing work and we will be forever grateful for the care the kids received. It also reminded me of the promise I made myself to do some charity work once we got settled in at home. So I will be actively looking for something worthwhile to do.
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Just try it once. One beer or one cigarette or one porno movie won't hurt. - Dallin H. Oaks -
That is really cool. How old are your twins?
Every Halloween, we carve a few pumpkins and take them to the Mother's Extended Stay area of the hospital...for women with HOMs that are on bedrest. My wife was on bedrest in the hospital from Sep to Dec and she was going stircrazy. We bring the kids along with us to show the moms that what they are doing won't be for naught and that every extra day in the womb is one less day they might have to spend in the NICU. It is always an emotional experience.
We do the same thing at Christmas, except no pumpkins, of course.
Every time I go through the doors of that hospital, it brings back a wave of emotions. We spent so much time there....bedrest and NICU all told....early Sep to around late February....every single day.
My wife is still good friends with several of the nurses in extended stay...these are the nurses that tended to the medical needs of my wife for those months. One year we asked what the NICU/extended stay needed. They overwhelmingly responded with a request for microwave ovens for their break room. We went out and bought a few for them. It wasn't much, but I would pretty much do anything for that hospital.I feel like I will always be indebted to those folks. True miracle workers.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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I'm glad to see that you both had really good experiences with the staff at these places. My wife and I have a couple that we are friends with that had a premie at 21 weeks (I'm pretty sure) who is soon to turn two. He is doing great now but it was a really rough go for a while and they spent a lot of time in the NICU. They were really appreciative to the staff there though. Seems like these sort of wards get some of the best in terms of patient raport.Comment
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I have been aching to go back to the NICU where Leah was. I was particularly close to one or two nurses there and also spent a month or so on bedrest there before I gave birth. I spent many months there and I, too, feel the same emotional waves when I go into that hospital. The smells, the doors, even the same soap and Purel dispensers really take me back. I haven't been since Leah was a year old and now she is 3! Next time I go back to Oregon I have promised myself I will visit.I am a philosophical Goldilocks, always looking for something neither too big nor too small, neither too hot nor too cold, something jussssst right. I'll send you a card from purgatory. - PAC
You know how President Hinckley said he doesn't worry about those who pray? The same can be said for men who are self-aware enough to know when there's a life to be lived outside of the world of video games. - AnonymousComment
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I've had two babies there. Both for about two weeks. I consider the NICU at UVRMC one of the most sacred places on earth.Originally posted by BlueHair View PostComment
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I think that is improbable. If true it would be some sort of record, or close. I think 24 weeks is when they consider the baby viable and that is iffy at that.Originally posted by I.J. Reilly View PostComment
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Yeah, I know it's pretty improbable but I think it was somewhere close to that and definitely not after 24 weeks. Their son was either the youngest or second youngest they had seen survive in this NICU ward. He had some pretty severe complications but has turned out to be pretty healthy now.Originally posted by BigPiney View PostComment
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Wow. 21 weeks would be insane. If that baby were a 21 weeker and is doing great now, that is truly a miracle. 24 weeks gestation is sketchy as is, often associated with long-term issues (although certainly not saying that the babies can't eventually thrive).Originally posted by I.J. Reilly View Post
My wife made it to 33 weeks, which for trips is very good. Our 3 children were in the NICU for various amounts.......Baby A (girl) for 3 weeks, Baby B (girl) for 4 weeks, and Baby C (boy) for about 2.5 months. All of them born at about 3 pounds and change (again, not bad for trips).
Gidget's comment made me smile....you definitely have sensory recall when you walk back into your NICU or Extended Stay....the smell of the food, the hand sanitizer, it never changes. It is like walking back to the MTC a decade later to drop off a nephew or niece. Everything smells the same and you have this out of body ratatouille Anton Ego experience.
I like how jaysantos put it......sacred ground.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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Alright, I went and looked it up because I know that sounded a bit soon. It was actually 23 weeks gestation and not 21.Comment
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Threadjack: I love the avatar is that Don Vito?Originally posted by BlueHair View Post*Banned*Comment
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It is Don Vito. Good eye!Originally posted by cougjunkie View PostJust try it once. One beer or one cigarette or one porno movie won't hurt. - Dallin H. OaksComment
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Our twins are just over a year old. We were only there a month, be we got really attached to the nurses and the routine. It was so nice to know someone was there around the clock watching over the little ones. We brought them home on oxygen and monitors. It took me about six months before I could sleep more than a couple of minutes at a time. I've always been a guy that didn't worry about anything. It's crazy how fast kids changed that.Originally posted by TripletDaddy View PostJust try it once. One beer or one cigarette or one porno movie won't hurt. - Dallin H. OaksComment
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Congratulations on your twins. Happy to hear that everything is ok and the little ones made it home safe and sound.Originally posted by BlueHair View Post
Did you guys have those crazy apnea monitors with the sticky leads? We brought our son home on one of those. He would sweat a lot, so we were running and up and down to his room often when the leads would slip off his torso. I think I was almost happier to get rid of the apnea monitor than I was when he came home from the NICU.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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Yes. The leads would come off and set off the alarm. Its amazing how fast you can get up and into their room. The monitors were a pain, but after they took them away, I would get up every few minutes to check on them.Originally posted by TripletDaddy View PostJust try it once. One beer or one cigarette or one porno movie won't hurt. - Dallin H. OaksComment
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