- "So how what weight does he have to achieve to be allowed to go home?"
- He has to be taking his feedings orally. Right now he has a tube that goes straight to his stomach and that is how he gets my milk, he does not actually go through the whole intake, swallow, digest process we do at this point. When he can do that, he is one step closer to coming home!
- He has to be able to regulate his own body temperature. Right now the incubator (actually called an isolette) aids him greatly in regulating his body temperature. His has a temperature probe that gives the isolette information and when he stops to drop his temp too much or raise it too much the isolette adjusts to get his body temp back to where it should be. When he can do that, he is one step closer to coming home!
- He has to be able to breathe pretty much on his own. Some babies get sent home with a little bit of oxygen, but most go home being completely independently stable. Right now he is on the CPAP and is receiving a little bit of oxygen, when he no longer needs oxygen, he is one step closer to coming home.
- He has to be able to keep a steady heart rate. Currently he will drop his heart rate on occasion. Now almost 100% of the time he brings it back up on his own with no stimulation, but we want him to not be dropping it at all. When he can do this, he will be one step closer to coming home.
- He also has to show weight gain. This does not come in a specific magic goal number. Babies used to have to reach a certain weight to leave, this is no longer the case. Simply showing that he is gaining weight is enough. When he does this, he is one step closer to coming home.
2. "I didn't think I would actually get to SEE him!" - Said when visiting me at the NICU.
Yes, if you visit me at the NICU you actually get to SEE Samuel! In fact, at St. Luke's, all the NICU babies have their own private room that the parents have access to 24/7, complete with a couch, sheets and pillows. This means when you visit the NICU you actually enter into the family own personal space and where I get to spend time pumping around the clock! No, I don't have to stay at night to pump, that's why I have one at home (with the help of health insurance covering part of that cost). As this space is the private space for each family in the NICU to have with their baby, when people come to visit a call in advance is preferred.
Think about if you were to visit someone at their house, most of the time you would let that person know in advance that you want to stop by. Same idea here. In fact it is almost more important here because I have to pump around the clock. That is why if you drop by unexpectedly you will probably not be let up to the NICU, especially if I am here by myself. When a person visits, they have to stop by the front desk down stairs and let them know who they want to visit. They call up to the babies room and make sure that Mom or Dad is there with the baby. Then they get a sticker with Samuel's room number on it. Next they go into the elevator, which upon entering the lady at the front desk hits a button and you may now go upstairs to the NICU. Without her hitting that button you are can't get to the floor that has the NICU.
Other amenities for the family of a NICU baby include free wifi, a whirlpool tub, showers, washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, and 3 meals a day down on the labor and delivery floor. It is because of the 3 meals a day down there that snacks are probably more helpful to families at the St. Luke's NICU than meals.
I hope this helped clarify some misconceptions you and others might have had about the NICU. This has been quite the learning experience for Ben and myself and through reading my blog about the experience I am sure it is for you too!
next week when i have more courage
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