New here, new mom

[clary]

Hello! I was sent here by a few people in /r/beyondthebump. This message is copy/pasted from there, so you don't have to re-read if you already have.

I had my little boy Tuesday, Nov. 29th, at 1:14 in the morning. Terrance Daniel was born 2 lbs 6 oz and was 12.6 inches long. I was only able to gestate to 27 weeks after PPROMing at 17 weeks (my membranes ruptured and my waters broke). I was without anmiotic fluid for 10 whole weeks, yet my son has no complications, outside of being premature!

I'm excited to have successfully graduated! I was so scared I wouldn't be able to, but we know for sure that Terrance is most likely coming home, probably closer to his due date in February.

So hello!

Baby tax! Right after he was born.

More recent! The chin strap and the CPAP combo makes his face look funny.

Last one, I promise.

 

[1johnsmith3]

@clary May your NICU stay be boring.

 

[clary]

@1johnsmith3 Haha, oh yes, that is my hope!

 

[chuckm137]

@clary That is amazing that you made it so long. Good job momma! I hope the worst is behind you and that your little man thrives. Everyone in this sub knows the NICU is a rough place to be. I hope in a year you are as crazy busy as I am today chasing after a wild, active, happy little boy!

 

[chuckm137]

A side thought to my original. I know it will be hard, but don't allow yourself to put blame on yourself! Crappy things happen, sometimes pregnancy doesn't go according to plan, but it wasn't your fault! Your job now is to be the best mommy you can be, and part of that is getting beyond the blame game that most NICU mommies go through. Be strong!

I also recommend the book: The Littlest Peanut, available on Amazon. It is a baby milestone book for preemies. It was very comforting and it will be fun to go through when my son gets older.

 

[clary]

@chuckm137 I... actually had a huge problem this week with the guilt, but my husband helped me get through this. I know there was nothing I could do. Thank you. I'll definitely look that book up. Anything for comfort.

 

[chuckm137]

@clary It was comfort, and something to do! It has all sorts of NICU specific milestones that other babies just don't experience. It also helped normalize what we were going through and let us realized others had gone through it before and survived.

 

[clary]

@chuckm137 I told my husband about it and he thinks it is a good idea.

 

[chuckm137]

@clary Yeah, 18 on Amazon is worth it Just don't try to get it at Barnes and noble. They wanted over 50.

 

[clary]

@chuckm137 EUGH! Thanks for the warning.

 

[clary]

@chuckm137 That's my hope! I do think he'll make it out of the NICU. The doctor is optimistic. He's actually amazed, as am I!

 

[christianboy96]

@clary Congrats! Glad to hear there are no complications! Days will be long but weeks will fly by.

 

[1morey]

@clary Congratulations! Sounds like you had a much tougher go of it than my wife did, and I'm very happy that you and Terrance have successfully graduated! It sucks to be in the NICU, but our experience was as positive as it is possible for such things to be. Everyone there was super supportive, and it was kind of nice to be able to sharpen my baby feeding and diapering skills with professional supervision, as we got close to Gabriel's release date.

One piece of advice that I was very glad I eventually took: see your baby often while he's there, but, sometimes, you need to take time for you.

 

[prgriffin]

@1morey My favorite part was the perfectly established feeding schedule by the time we got home!

 

[kg63]

@prgriffin I was so looking forward to this, my son was on 4 hourly feeds in hospital with no problems. The moment we got him home, 1.5-2 hourly feeds. I was not impressed.

 

[gmck22]

@prgriffin That fell apart SO quickly for us

 

[prgriffin]

@gmck22 Oh no! I was so diligent with the breast milk rotations and extra calories. It was so nice because we could trade off night feedings, one did midnight one did 3am.

 

[gmck22]

@prgriffin The big collapse came when I started to nurse them a month after their due date. It was just so much harder for them.

 

[prgriffin]

@gmck22 I was never able to breastfeed. I think he was so used to a bottle nipple that even with a shield he just couldn't get it so I pumped for the entire time and just kept it frozen. I wish it would have worked but maybe next time!

 

[gmck22]

@prgriffin You are very strong for being able to pump for so long.

Good luck next time! I'm sure that with a healthy baby it is sooo much easier.