I met my baby 16 hours after birth, and it took everything that I had not to dissolve into a blubbering mess when you, NICU Nurse, wheeled me in front of the incubator. I felt too many things at the same time— exhaustion from that morning’s two-months-too-early surprise birth; gratitude that my baby is here, and I am too; longing, painful longing, to hold my baby in my arms. All these emotions made me feel weak, but I soon learned that there is no room for weakness in the NICU because strength dissipates from each bassinet where a fighting baby survives and thrives.
MMPSG: What to Expect in the NICU
No matter what the reason for a baby being admitted, being a NICU parent is not easy. It is difficult to know what to expect in the NICU. Every baby is a little different so the specifics might be different, but for most first time NICU parents, whether it be for a preemie or a full term baby, there are certain things that can be expected, and they are easily remembered by the acronym CHRISS.
A Mom’s Guide to “Premies”
Premies or preemies are the term used for babies that are born before 37 weeks of gestation. There are a number of reasons why babies may be born prematurely. Hypertension, heart or kidney problems, diabetes, an infection in the vaginal or urinary tracts, or stress are just a few of a host of reasons that lead to the statistic that approximately one out of every 10 babies will be born before their mothers can carry them to term.
Premature Labour 101
Most, approximately 90% of expecting mothers, will carry their babies to term. “To term” means 37 weeks of pregnancy onwards. Around 10% of women may go into labour before 37 weeks. This is called premature labour or preterm labour, and it is aptly defined as when your body gets ready to give birth to early or goes into labour more than three weeks before your due date.
