NICU…or the Neonatal Unit. It’s a completely different world in there. One that many of you will have had some experience of, either past or present.
No one can prepare you for life inside the Neonatal Unit, where minutes can feel like hours and hours can feel like days.
I just want you to know, no matter how daunting it feels…you are NOT alone. The support network that will be around you and your baby is phenomenal. Lean on them.
Please don’t battle through this alone, which I did for much of our own journey.
It is so very easy to be overwhelmed by the busy atmosphere, where nothing stops still for even a fraction of a second. Take time to let things sink in and don’t be scared to ask questions. That’s what the staff and their team are there for, to support not only your baby, but you and your family too.
We felt lucky that we were able to have a tour round the Neonatal Unit around a week before our daughter was born, which was suggested to us by our consultant. We could do this as we knew our daughter was going to be born early and it was pretty much guaranteed that she would have some sort of stay in there.
I know that not everyone gets that opportunity as quite often in these cases, it is a complete emergency with zero planning time. But if you are reading this and do have the opportunity to go, ahead of the birth of your baby, please speak to your consultant, doctor, midwife and try to familiarise yourself with the Neonatal Unit. We found it incredibly useful.
If you have found yourself, very suddenly pushed into this completely new world, you will most likely have been through some sort of traumatic birth, never mind having to now quickly come to terms with a new environment and new terminology.
Take time to breathe.
Looking after yourself as well as your baby is vital. This advice goes for mums, dads, grandparents etc… You can’t take all the information in and be fully there with your baby unless you rest when you can. Eat. Drink lots of water.
This might sound silly but trust me, we are so good at forgetting about ourselves when presented with a situation like this.
I was my own worst enemy.
I wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep. I’d get really dehydrated. Dizzy.
Around 5 days after our daughter arrived very suddenly in the world, one of the neonatal nurses came up to me and said:
“Go home. Get some rest. We’ll phone you if there are any changes but don’t worry, your daughter is stable”
I was almost offended at this. Go home? Rest? But I need to be here!
Seriously though, rest was the best thing for me at that moment in time. I hadn’t even noticed how exhausted I was because all the adrenaline had kept me going.
I hadn’t even taken the time to acknowledge the fact that I had just undergone major surgery.
A C-Section.
Do not underestimate how invasive the surgery is. How much your body has been through. Allow yourself recovery time. Allow yourself to rest.
First steps into the Neonatal Unit are tough, I completely understand your worry.
Raw emotion.
Just try to absorb as much information as you are given. Write it down if you can or make sure you have someone with you.
You may be given lots of leaflets, consent forms for blood testing and donor milk if required. You’ll get told what each tube means, what the beeps mean etc. But don’t be scared to ask if you forget something or are really unsure.
And try not to be put off by all the beeps and alarms. If you’re in Intensive Care, it is very hectic. Lots of consultants, doctors and nurses there supporting babies who are on the highest level of care. Take time to look around, familiarise yourself with your surroundings and listen to what each noise means. Many machines, hooked up to each baby and they can all go off at the same time sometimes. You’ll soon recognise monitoring sounds and get used to those.
Beeps for temperature checking, heart rate monitoring, de-saturisations (oygen level dips), adjustments for cannulas and more…
You’ll learn that sometimes your baby will just kick too hard and a heart rate monitor on their foot will read wrong!
If you’re experiencing your first steps into the Neonatal Unit right now, I hope you can take some comfort in knowing that we have a growing support network here for you.
If writing helps as it does for me and you want to share your own experiences both past or present; or if you are looking for support and want to chat. Please get in touch at: thepremdiaries@gmail.com
Let’s grow this network and support each other ❤
Love,
The Prem Diaries
The Prem Diaries 