6 week premature daughter
Discussion
Evening all,
Currently stuck abroad and wishing I was at home. I left at 4am this morning leaving my wife tucked up in bed. I thought it pretty strange that I got a call just as I was getting on the plane at 7am ish as she`s never been an early riser and on top of that it was her day off, she wasn`t due to start maternity leave for another 10 days.
Anyhow she says she`s having some pain and had spoken to the midwife who recommended getting herself to the hospital to be checked out. In the meantime the pain is getting worse and the contractions have started so she can`t drive. Our wonderful neighbour, with a 19 month and a 3 year old in tow, was press-ganged into getting her to hospital. 45 mins later she gets to hospital (we`re pretty rural) to find out she`s already 8cm so they transfer her to the delivery suite at Great Western and 10 minutes later my little daughter is born. I CAN`T BELIEVE I`ve missed it! As title she`s just over 6 weeks premature and 5lb 1 oz.
I couldn`t get an earlier flight today so am flying tomorrow morning and will be with her by midday.
She`s in an incubator and is being given oxygen and tube fed milk while my wife is desperately trying to express some milk. I think she`s going to be in hospital for a while.
I know every case is different but does anyone have any experience with this and advice.
I still can`t believe I`m not there, it`s our first!
Currently stuck abroad and wishing I was at home. I left at 4am this morning leaving my wife tucked up in bed. I thought it pretty strange that I got a call just as I was getting on the plane at 7am ish as she`s never been an early riser and on top of that it was her day off, she wasn`t due to start maternity leave for another 10 days.
Anyhow she says she`s having some pain and had spoken to the midwife who recommended getting herself to the hospital to be checked out. In the meantime the pain is getting worse and the contractions have started so she can`t drive. Our wonderful neighbour, with a 19 month and a 3 year old in tow, was press-ganged into getting her to hospital. 45 mins later she gets to hospital (we`re pretty rural) to find out she`s already 8cm so they transfer her to the delivery suite at Great Western and 10 minutes later my little daughter is born. I CAN`T BELIEVE I`ve missed it! As title she`s just over 6 weeks premature and 5lb 1 oz.
I couldn`t get an earlier flight today so am flying tomorrow morning and will be with her by midday.
She`s in an incubator and is being given oxygen and tube fed milk while my wife is desperately trying to express some milk. I think she`s going to be in hospital for a while.
I know every case is different but does anyone have any experience with this and advice.
I still can`t believe I`m not there, it`s our first!
This is the main question I want to ask tomorrow, how long they foresee her staying in for and if she is staying in then so is my wife who is worried about bonding.
I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
WoW!
I never ceased to be amazed by people. Many many thanks for the fantastic response and information.
I'm currently at the airport and if I'm completely honest very emotional. I'm pretty old fashioned and always want to do the best for my wife and daughter. I know this couldn't have been foreseen but I wanted to be there so much. I'm will just have to make sure I'm there in mind and body when I get there.
I travel a lot with work, am meant to be in Austria next week and Spain the week after that, can't see that happening now.
Hugh that's priceless information and the info about Monkey earlier as well. Thank you.
My wife has been expressing every couple of hours since wee one arrived and is doing well, she's an incredible woman. I swear she's 27 going on 50 the head she has on her shoulders.
One of the reasons I want all the info about how my wife can bond while Darcy (we've decided on little one's name) remains in SCBU is I was without a mother for the first 2 months of my life and I still stand by the fact it affects the rest of your life.
I might also add I also have a 20 year old son from my first marriage whose side I never left for the first year or so (probably not a good thing either). He's a lovely person and is thrilled to have a little sister.
Right champagne and choccies bought from duty free and I'm ready to go.
I probably won't update until late tonight. Thanks again for your kind words
I never ceased to be amazed by people. Many many thanks for the fantastic response and information.
I'm currently at the airport and if I'm completely honest very emotional. I'm pretty old fashioned and always want to do the best for my wife and daughter. I know this couldn't have been foreseen but I wanted to be there so much. I'm will just have to make sure I'm there in mind and body when I get there.
I travel a lot with work, am meant to be in Austria next week and Spain the week after that, can't see that happening now.
Hugh that's priceless information and the info about Monkey earlier as well. Thank you.
My wife has been expressing every couple of hours since wee one arrived and is doing well, she's an incredible woman. I swear she's 27 going on 50 the head she has on her shoulders.
One of the reasons I want all the info about how my wife can bond while Darcy (we've decided on little one's name) remains in SCBU is I was without a mother for the first 2 months of my life and I still stand by the fact it affects the rest of your life.
I might also add I also have a 20 year old son from my first marriage whose side I never left for the first year or so (probably not a good thing either). He's a lovely person and is thrilled to have a little sister.
Right champagne and choccies bought from duty free and I'm ready to go.
I probably won't update until late tonight. Thanks again for your kind words
hello again all,
just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
Thank you Hugh, much appreciated.
My wife visited SCBU in the night and she was a lot calmer so they were able to turn down the oxygen a little. She's also passed F and U, possibly too much info but a good sign.
Wife is moving across the car park into nurse/doc accom for the next 3 nights.
I really can't wait to hold her, have to be careful with my bloody great sausage fingers though!
My wife visited SCBU in the night and she was a lot calmer so they were able to turn down the oxygen a little. She's also passed F and U, possibly too much info but a good sign.
Wife is moving across the car park into nurse/doc accom for the next 3 nights.
I really can't wait to hold her, have to be careful with my bloody great sausage fingers though!
hello again all. Just back from hospital after a right upper and a downer of a day. Darcey has been on Bipap after quite a few apnoea episodes since wed night but she seemed to be doing well late morning today so it was taken away. She had four hours of just a wee bit of O2 pumped into the incubator and mum even managed some skin to skin snuggling for 10 minutes. Bout half an hour later she was obviously exhausted and decided she didn`t really want to breath any more and is now back on Bipap.
Whoever said this journey would be up and down like a fiddlers elbow isn`t wrong. Good news is she took some of mother`s milk on board today. Hugh you are right again there is Jaundice and she`ll be under a lamp tomorrow I think. She`s still quite swollen although is weeing a bit so that will get better.
I know she`ll be fine, but this isn`t easy. My wife has moved into onsite nurse`s accommodation for the next 3 nights.
My wife is incredible, she is like a lioness when it comes to Darcey.
I`m going to drink a cold one and go to bed ready for tomorrow.
Whoever said this journey would be up and down like a fiddlers elbow isn`t wrong. Good news is she took some of mother`s milk on board today. Hugh you are right again there is Jaundice and she`ll be under a lamp tomorrow I think. She`s still quite swollen although is weeing a bit so that will get better.
I know she`ll be fine, but this isn`t easy. My wife has moved into onsite nurse`s accommodation for the next 3 nights.
My wife is incredible, she is like a lioness when it comes to Darcey.
I`m going to drink a cold one and go to bed ready for tomorrow.
Quick update as were in hospital canteen feeding the boobie monster! My wife's milk has come through at a pace and Darcey has been taking milk on since last night.
Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life but today is one of the best. She opened her eyes the first time and I was able to hold her head gently and talk to her. She's beautiful.
Stats have stabilised and she's on omniflow not pap but may come off tomorrow. I may even get to have a cuddle tomorrow.
My wife I must say again is amazing.
Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life but today is one of the best. She opened her eyes the first time and I was able to hold her head gently and talk to her. She's beautiful.
Stats have stabilised and she's on omniflow not pap but may come off tomorrow. I may even get to have a cuddle tomorrow.
My wife I must say again is amazing.
Obiwonkeyblokey said:
Im in the same boat. My son was born on 15th December at 30 weeks. my wife is pretty much living in the hospital at present while we establish feeding do that hopefully we can bring him home soon. Unfortunately we had other post birth issues to deal with but inas much as I know what you're going through I send you my best wishes. Sounds like your wifes doing a sterling job. best of luck.
I hope issues not too serious wonkey? Darcey is still having about 5 braddies in a 12 hr period but is feeding really well on mother`s gold top. Best of luck to you and obiwonkeywoman and obiwonkeybaby.Just got back again, took the wife out for supper at The Harrow in Wanborough as the food unfortunately at The Great Western is plentiful but not particularly nutritious. She`s a particularly fussy eater as well.
Lovely day, discovered Darcey is a bloomin gannet. 29ml every 2 hours and now 36ml every 3 hours.
Don`t want to sound soppy or owt but she`s absolutely gorgeous.
We were encouraged to leave her to fight her own battles when she had apnoea and Bradycardia and desaturated her O2 levels and fair play to her, even though it`s HORRIBLE for a parent to watch, she picked herself up every time.
She`s on caffeine to help that and I reckon she`ll be back off the jaundice "grow lamp" by early hours tomorrow.
There`s such a huge difference between when I first met how and how she is now.
My wife is at home with me as there was no accom at the hospital tonight and I know, bless her, she`s really struggling. She`s gone into superwoman mode washing and cleaning since we got home just over an hour ago.
Don`t want to sound soppy or owt but she`s absolutely gorgeous.
We were encouraged to leave her to fight her own battles when she had apnoea and Bradycardia and desaturated her O2 levels and fair play to her, even though it`s HORRIBLE for a parent to watch, she picked herself up every time.
She`s on caffeine to help that and I reckon she`ll be back off the jaundice "grow lamp" by early hours tomorrow.
There`s such a huge difference between when I first met how and how she is now.
My wife is at home with me as there was no accom at the hospital tonight and I know, bless her, she`s really struggling. She`s gone into superwoman mode washing and cleaning since we got home just over an hour ago.
Thank you Hugh. Just back again and a very happy daddy. The last 48 hrs she has come off the omniflow, and off any O2 support at all. She's out of the incubator and into a heated cot. She was on an apnoea monitor last night but doesn't need it anymore. She's started breast feeding but needs some pretty serious topping up from expressing.
My wife is exhausted but the support from the nurses in SCBU has been utterly faultless.
My wife is exhausted but the support from the nurses in SCBU has been utterly faultless.
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