This is part #2 of our story about Difficult Pregnancies and Preterm Labor....
Trey finally came home on a very sunny and beautiful July 7th morning. He spent ten very long weeks in the NICU and at 6lbs 4oz's he was released to nervous parents. I have to explain that in the beginning when your baby is in the NICU you are terrified. You perfect tiny little baby is hooked up to what seems like hundreds of wires and tubes. The machines bing and ring and every single time you jump and your heart races but some where in between then and the discharge date you become oddly comfortable with it all. All of the machines and wires become a part of your experience with your child and you kind of learn to love them. You don't have to worry if they will stop breathing or if their blood pressure is too low or high because the machine will just tell you. Each alarm becomes nothing more then a set back to when you can bring your baby home. When you little baby stops breathing instead of freaking out you just pick them up and pat them on the back and then go back to doing whatever you were before. So, when Trey was being discharged I had a level of anxiety that I did not think I would have. I didn't know how was I going to know if he stopped breathing or if something was wrong? I actually asked to be sent home on an O2 monitor...crazy maybe but I had become so dependent on the system that had kept him alive for 10 week already.I had learned to not believe in my ability as a mom. We went and purchased an Angelcare Deluxe Movement And Sound Baby Monitor. The system monitors movement in the crib and the sensitivity can be adjusted. When movement is not detected for a few seconds the alarm goes off. I don't know that I would have slept without it. We only had one alarm. Trey had actually had a terrible case of reflux and had stopped breathing. I was able to stimulate him and he was fine.
For the prior 10 weeks I had pumped breast milk every 3 hours religiously. I never and I mean NEVER missed a pumping session. I had not slept much for those months but once he came home I didn't sleep at all. I would just hold him and feel him breath against my chest. This went on for at least 3 weeks. I didn't allow visitor for fear of them bringing some sickness to my tiny little preemie that he couldn't fend off. We just hibernated. The only time I would venture out of the house was for doctors appointments and there were lots of them. Trey was 6lbs 4oz and techniquely he was 3 months old. So, we had lots of catching up to do in the growth department. We also had eye appointments and appointments for his brain...and I did a ton of praying in those months that followed his discharge. We were lucky. Trey did not have any issues expect for catch up growing to do.
The only thing we had to do was get a special shot every month called Synagis. The shot helps to protect against respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. This is an illness that is not a big deal to normal healthy people but to preemies or elderly people it can be deadly.
Now that Trey is 3 we are dealing with some issues that may or may not be a result of his Grade1 brain bleed and early arrival. Trey has since been diagnosed with a tactile and auditory sensory delay. Basically, he needs his audio and tactile input to be at a level 10 for his brain to realize a sound or touch has occurred. On a scale of 1 to 10 Trey's dysfunction is at a 3. It could be much worse. This does cause him some problems with focusing and being very loud. We have recently found out about this and will be starting occupational therapy very soon...To be honest, I am looking forward to it. I knew that something was going on with him but I was not sure what it was. I was actually happy to know that it was not ADD and that medication won't fix it. This issue just requires a lot of work on his part and mine as his mom and we can do that!By the way he is still perfect to me :)
Like I said before Trey was lucky. Many little ones come home on monitors for oxygen, G tubes or J tubes, physical issues ect. I do know this..every thing Trey does is a miracle to me. No matter how loud or annoying he may be to some I thank God that he has the physical and mental ability to get on my nerves. Some moms and dads are not that lucky.
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