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Challenge: NICU Parenting

My sweet Griffin will be six soon!

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Griffin was born a couple weeks early via C-section due to my high blood pressure and swelling. The C-section went fine. He was healthy and scored well on all the tests. After a little skin to skin and family getting to see him. I maybe held him for about 30 minutes or an hour. When we got back to the room they noticed he was a little blue so the nurse took him to check him out. The next thing I was told was that he required some oxygen and that I would get to see him soon. Soon, turned into hours and hours turned into the next day. The next day, I was told he must have aspirated on some fluids and they wheeled me down to see him but I was still unable hold him. More hours go by and then the pediatrician comes in unexpectantly and says they are having to med flight him to another hospital across town that has better equipment to help him and a full NICU. At this point, I lost it. They wheeled him in in his incubator thing all strapped down and I had barely even gotten to see him. I knew I was not going to get to be with him. I knew it was best for him but it was hard to watch. Then I was told don't worry if you don't get a call from us. We will only call you if something bad or serious happens. It wasn't an hour or so after I had switched rooms that I was told my son had been placed on a vent and was now requiring 100% oxygen. I was beside myself. Thankfully my doctor gave me pass so I could go see him but it was heartbreaking to watch him like that and to not be able to hold him and to have to leave him there. It was hard to go back to hospital with babies crying all around and your baby is across town on a vent . Then leaving the next day with no baby. I also had a four year old son at the time. A husband who is a basketball coach who was in the middle of basketball season. I went to visit Griffin as often as I could. He was on a vent, had a feeding tube, hooked up to monitors, and at one point had and an IV in his scalp. I called to check on his levels every 3 hours (because that's when they checked it and I was pumping) even through the night. We prayed and prayed and had others praying. The nurses were very sweet and kind. I have never cried so much in my life. Several days of little to no progress. A long story short a week after being on the vent he took a turn for the better and they were able to take him off. Thank God. I got to hold him. He was able to get off the feeding tube. I was even able to nurse him right away which I believe was miracle and answer to prayer. I stayed the night with him. He did well and was able to come home. I am so thankful for the NICU and all they did for our sweet boy. He will be six on November 30th. You would never know he had such a rough start in life. He's the sweetest, funniest, silliest, most full of life kid you will ever meet.

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