Amelia's first week of life was quite eventful. She arrived five and a half weeks early. We were quite worried about her since she would be underdeveloped at birth and because there was a possibility that the reason I went into labor early was because something was wrong with her.
She started screaming and wiggling all over the place as soon as she was born, which was a good sign.
In addition to the regular panel of newborn tests, they examined her extensively for signs of infection, lung problems, bilirubin level problems, erratic blood pressure, temperature disregulation and other issues commonly associated with premature infants. 
They wrapped her up, let me hold her briefly, and whisked her away to the NICU.
That evening, we pulled some strings (we knew one of the NICU nurses) so that Cami, Karen, and my mom could come into the NICU and see me and the baby (usually the don't allow that many people at one time).
Grandma Lynette was quite taken with our little one.
So was I.
And so was Tim.
It was quite alarming to see our baby attached to so many wires, tubes, and machines. They monitored her blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. The doctors and nurses encouraged us to be as involved in her care as possible.
We quickly got into a routine of coming down every three hours. Tim (or I, but usually Tim) would take her temperature, move her oxygen sensor to the opposite foot, and change her diaper.
I wanted to breastfeed Amelia, but her mouth was too little to form a proper latch, so one of the lactation specialists helped us learn SNS nursing (Supplemental Nursing System). I placed a silicon nipple shield over my nipple that was much easier for the baby to latch onto than a bare nipple. We then threaded a tube into the shield that we could syringe my pumped collastrum and later milk into. This helped Amelia practice breastfeeding without having to put a tube down her throat or give her a bottle too soon. Amelia was able to use this system really well and the doctors and nurses were all really surprised that she ate so well. The common comment was, "She doesn't know how young she is!"
The baby calmed down and seemed to really like it when we put her over our hand to burp her. She would go completely limp and often fell asleep in this position.
The doctors and nurses also encouraged us to do as much "kangaroo care" as we had time for. This is the practice of placing the baby skin-t0-skin against the parent's chest. The baby rests her head next to her mom or dad's heart. This practice has been shown to help regulate temperature and is positively associated with survival and good outcome for premature babies. It is also an awesome way to bond with the baby. Amelia and I would fall asleep like this for hours. The nurses would usually come get her when it was time to go back under the lights or in the incubator, and Amelia would cry her little squeaky-piggy cry as soon as they lifted her away from me.
Having a baby six weeks early who had to stay in the NICU was terrifying, but it was a special time for our little family to be able to spend so much time together during the first precious days and weeks of our baby's life.
Tim came down during every feeding, and helped push the milk through the syringe (it was a complicated operation). We took turns holding her after the feeding, and Tim always said things like, "You're so beautiful, little one."
Thankfully, we were able to stay in a room at the hospital for $15 dollars a night. This allowed us to spend a lot of time with our baby.
The second night in the NICU, Amelia's IV came out of her hand, so they had to put it in her forehead. They assured me that this was safe and wouldn't leave a scar.
On day 3, her bilirubin levels were quite high, so they put her in a special UV bed. 
Karen stayed in Utah for an extra week so that she could see Amelia's birth and get to know her a little before heading back to Denver. It was so great to have my sisters around during this scary and exciting time.
My mom and dad also came to visit almost every day Amelia was in the NICU.
We all just liked to sit around and talk about how cute she was.
When her bilirubin levels went down, Amelia had to be put in an isolette (incubator) because she couldn't regulate her body temperature and had a difficult time staying warm.
During this time, we had to limit the amount of time we held her, and could only take her out for feedings. It broke my heart to watch my daughter from the outside.
Tim became good at changing her diaper using the little hand holes in the isolette.
He was a natural from the beginning.
On Saturday, we got a special treat. Mike, Jill, and their kids came to visit. We fibbed and told the NICU guards that Jill was Cami (we could only pick four people to be on our visitor list, so we chose my parents and sisters since they (my sisters) would be leaving town soon). Jill kept saying, "She's seriously the most beautiful premature baby I've ever seen!" 
We agreed, of course.
She is beautiful, both in your pictures and in the real life here and now.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the temperature bed was after you'd gotten to spend so much time with her. It must have been very difficult! But it's no wonder you're always typing with one hand now. ;-)
What a difficult week, but with it's good sides too! She is so adorable!
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