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My neice was born on Saturday 13 weeks early. She is so tiny. So far she seems to be doing very well. She started to suck on her fingers a little bit on Sunday. The nurse thought that was a good sign.
My sister had preeclampsia and had a c-section. She should be able to come home from the hospital tomorrow.
Posts: 747 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Your sister should see Aerin's blog. It might give her hope. And I'm sure if she wanted to e-mail Kira (Mrs.M), Kira would be happy to talk to her.
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Oh my goodness - that's so tiny! I'm glad to hear she is doing well. She must have been early. I'm so glad she's all right.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Not to be less serious that this deserves, but did anyone else here have a Shadow of the Giant, "Gee I wonder if this baby will be 7 feet tall at age 15" thoughts?
That said, I hope the child is healthy and happy.
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Thanks everyone. I'll let my sister know about the well wishes.
She was born at 28 weeks. I have been told that babies born this early have a pretty good chance, so we are hoping for the best.
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Girls do much, much better than boys (interestingly, black girls do the best) and it's a very good sign that she's sucking on her fingers. It's also very good that she wasn't born during or near RSV season (October to May).
Aerin was 1 pound, 12 ounces when she was born and I had a Section, too (not pre-eclampsia though).
kq is absolutely correct - I would be more than happy to email or call your sister or have her call me. My email address is in my profile - let me know.
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Wow, congrats! I'm glad the signs are good and I hope that little one turns out as healthy and as beautiful as our beloved Aerin. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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The really tiny babies are called "micro-preemies," and I've seen twin littl'uns survive who were born at about 500g (one was 1 lb 1 ounce, and the other was 1 lb 2oz). The longterm outcomes of being born so tiny vary widely, but there is no doubt that micro-preemies are doing better and better these days. And there are a lot who are doing great when they grow up!
Best wishes to your sisters' family, whiskeysunrise. I'm so happy they are doing well.
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The hospital where I had my twins had broken the 1 lb barrier once - they had a baby that was 14.5 ounces who survived to discharge. don't know if she (it was a she) had any long term problems, but they were very proud that they had seen one go home that was so small. I think it's wonderful that so many tiny ones are going on to live happy, healthy lives.
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Congrats! My friend's nephew was exactly 1lb when born at 28 weeks I believe. He is now three years old, 21 pounds, but really tall, really smart, and really healthy. The weight might seem alarming, but his whole family is made up of string beans and it's pretty typical for them.
All the signs are good for your neice, and she's in my thoughts.
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There was something in the paper about the "Pepsi baby" going home. She was called that because she was the length and weight of a can of soda when she was born.
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Oh my, whiskeysunrise, I hope your neice continues to gain weight and gain strength. Congrats to your family.
Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I don't know for sure when I will talk to my sister again. She is spending most of her time at the hospital with her baby. When I do I will let her know about the websites. Thanks Mrs. M.
She is now getting 7cc of breast milk. She lost a couple of ounces, but gained one back. If I remember right she is now 1 lb 11 oz.
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quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: There was something in the paper about the "Pepsi baby" going home. She was called that because she was the length and weight of a can of soda when she was born.
Well, that's a weird name for a baby. But I suppose "Pepsi" is better than "Budweiser".
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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They named her Marzenna (that is probably spelled wrong).
My sister told me that they are going to try to get her up to 16cc of breast milk today. She has a harder time breathing when she is on her back. She does seem to be doing well.
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The back thing is not her - it's easier to breathe on your stomach or side. They rotate her to keep her head from getting malformed and some babies prefer certain positions over others. Aerin hated her left side for some reason. It's great that they're increasing her feeds. I'm assuming that's 16 cc's per day?
One thing that really helped both Aerin and me was the "blanket exchange." I would take a clean receiving blanket and wear it overnight next to my skin so that it absorbed my scent (I usually tucked it under my bra band). Then the nurses would make Aerin's bed with it so that she could smell me. They changed her bed every day and would put the blankets in a patient bag and I could smell the baby. We also let our dogs smell them and it made their transition effortless when she finally came home. It was very comforting for me to smell Aerin when I went home to sleep and it helped me to feel close to her even when I couldn't touch her.
Ask your sister if they've talked to her about kangaroo care. We did it fairly early on and it was so wonderful.
Another thing that helped me was to "decorate" Aerin's isolette and station. We put up pictures of family and friends and cards and good luck charms and stuffed animals. Beanie babies are great because the nurses can use them to hold wires, etc. Aerin lived at the hospital and I wanted her "room" to be nice. When she was transfered to the PCN (the step-up nursery), they put up her pictures and things and her new nurses told me that they felt like they knew our family already from the pictures.
IMPORTANT: Everything that touches the baby must be washed in DREFT and machine dried either without fabric softeners or with dye- and perfume-free fabric softener. This includes blankets and stuffed animals. You can't give a preemie blankets or toys or clothes out of the package - they have to be washed first.
You might be interested to know that they make clothing for micropreemies. It makes a huge difference to see your baby dressed. The best place for micropreemie clothes is the Preemie Store. That would be a great gift for people who aren't sure of what to send.
What a pretty name. What's the history/origin?
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The name was a nurses. They hadn't deceided on a name yet. They thought they still had 3 months left. So when the baby came, she was nameless for several days. They deceided to check out the nurses names and see if they found any that they liked. Other than that I don't know, I also don't know if it is the exact name or if they changed it a little. I also think it is pretty.
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What wonderful news! We pray for her every day.
They'll start to dress her at around 3 pounds (at least they did at my NICU).
BTW, I've been meaning to tell you - tell your sister not to be there for the eye exams. They'll do one every 2 weeks starting at 32 weeks gestation (to check for ROP - Retinopathy of Prematurity). It doesn't hurt the baby (they use numbing eye drops), but the doctor has to hold the eye open with this horrible contraption and shine a light in the baby's eye and dig around with this spoony-looking thing. The babies are uncomfortable and hate it and scream their heads off. I insisted on being there for Aerin's first eye exam and I wish I hadn't. She wasn't comforted by my presence and I was very traumatized.
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Mrs. M I will let her know that. Hearing about it makes me really not want to be there either. She has said that she is greatful for the information.
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My sister's baby came home from the hospital on Sunday. She is on oxygen and she has a feeding tube. When she left the hospital she weighed 4 lbs 2 oz.
I was able to hold her today for the first time. My purse weighs more than she does.
She is looking so much better than the first time I saw her.
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I'm so happy she is well enough to be HOME.
I just learned about your family's, um - i really don't know the right word, ordeal over the past few months. I'm glad things are going so far, so good. I'm thinking healthy, growing thoughts!
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