Share your incubator stories. We'd love to hear them!

Uma - posted on 11/12/2009

Hi there, I am 30 year old first time mom. My son was born 14 weeks early and he weighted 1.1Kg. He stayed in NICU for 3 months almost till his actual due date and came home as full term baby and also of the same height and weight as a full term baby would have. He is 2 years and 8 months now. We have been through lots of ups and downs and number of hospital admissions in all these years. Inspite of all this he's met pretty much all his milestones and he's doing quite well. So we are happy now!! He has generally had very good summers but winter is still quite a nightmare for him due to immature lungs. We too have many experiences and information for the parents who are going through similar situations. Feel free to contact me.

Cerry - posted on 11/08/2009

i have 7 prem babiess its the most scare thing to go though but looking at them now it was all worth the stress and worry cerry

Samantha - posted on 11/04/2009

I am a 24 year old Mum to a premmie baby of 34 weeks. Previous to our princess being born I miscarried twice and that was the hardest time of our life. Last Summer (Jan 09) I was having a swim at the local swimming pool and went into labour, we went to the hospital and they told me i had a urinary tract infection >.

Adele - posted on 11/04/2009

i am a mum of 3 children my first 2 both went full term and was very healthy wieghts my 3 child was very different my waters broke at just 20 weeks doctors told me i wud go into labour and misscarry but i managed 2 keep hold of him for another 5 weeks untill my body could no longer hold him i had 2 have him in liverpool and i live in manchester they warned me he mite have been still born or very brain damaged cos he had no water for 5 weeks he was born wieghin 910 grams and very poorly but luckily he got through it all and has no side effects up 2 now hes doin everythin he shud be doin at his age just want parents 2 know that are goin through it at the mo that there is a lot of hope and all u got 2 do is give them all the love and strengh and they will pull thruogh it

April - posted on 11/02/2009

I'm writing this on behalf of my cousin. Her name is Felicia McMahon, and she gave birth to a beautiful but pre-mature baby boy named Carter Gerard-Thomas King. He was born September 5th 2009, at 29 weeks gestational age, and the hospital called him a "micro preemie" which means his chance of survival was rare. He weighed 2lbs 11oz and was 14 inches long. He was born via c-section. His mother got discharged from the hospital on September 8th 2009, and she said it was one of the hardest things she had to go through in her life. She said there is nothing like the feeling of pain when you leave the hospital without your baby. She has two other healthy girls. Both of them were preemies, not sure on their info. The doctor said Carter can go home within the next few days. He is doing well, at 6lbs. He was in the NICU and used an incubator for about a month and a half.

My daughter did not need any of this. She was a CHD baby, with whats called an Echogenic Intracardial Focus, in short, bright spots on her heart muscles which causes her heart to skip beats. They think its calcium deposits, but research is still in the making. She was born healthy, but small. She was 6lbs 5oz, and 19.5 inches long. Shes my little warrior.

Lashanda - posted on 10/31/2009

i would liek to say that i got my blessing the day i gave birth to my son johnny calvin diaz on march 14 2006.. i was in labor for 36hours they say first time moms last a long time but is was all worth the wait and the pain and i would do it all over again to see his face again. he is now a healthy 3 1/2 year old who is too smart for his own good but i love him to pieces...he was born at 36weeks and it was scary for me being a first timer and being only 21 at the time..he had breathing problems and a heart murmor and was in n.i.c.u for 9dayz only..thank god but was the scariest time in my life cause we didnt no what to exspect afterwards..he died on the table as soon as he came out..but through god working through those docs..he was revived..well thats my story and all i want to say is thank you god for giving me back my baby and thats something i will treasure dear within my heart for the rest of my life...god bless....

Seana - posted on 10/27/2009

I'm just beginning my journey as a mom of a preemie. My first two children were born @ 38 weeks, 8lbs+ each. Happy, healthy, naturally. #3 was a different story from day 1... of course, we'd find out just a week before he arrived, it was a boy! All together different! I was admitted to the hospital on Oct 11 with high blood pressure (not pre-eclampsia). After 4 days of trying to keep it in check, the decision was made that he was better off outside the womb. Evan Ryan was born on Oct 15 @ 26 weeks 2 days. And he was small at that. 1lb 3.8oz. 12.25" long. It's only been 13 days, but he has lived up to his name's meaning: little warrior. I am amazed by him - everytime I see him! I live 2 hours from the hospital and have 2 other children to care for so I do not get to see him everyday, but I do go as often as I can. I pump for him... pump like nobodies business!!! That is the most important gift I can give to him right now! And today, Day 13, HE POOPED!! Yeah! We are praising God for the little things! I'll keep you posted...

Michelle - posted on 10/26/2009

my beautiful boy was 4 wks early I was severly preclamptic.....he was a good weight for preemie...he was 5lb 2oz....went in for what i thought was gonna be my normal weekly stress test and send me on my way only to first be told i was gonna have to be put on bed rest to we have to have you deliver today.....all i could do was cry i had a whole month or so i thought.....was not prepared at all to hear that at the hospital all alone....but we all came together after 10 hrs of tryin to be forced into labor and trying to get my sky rocketing blood pressure 195/104 down before i had a seizure or heart attack....finally had a c section at 10:01 pm 9/1/09 payton was born making it 2 days on his own he was moved to another hospital to get better care because his breathing was becoming more labored.....that was the hardest 4 days of my life....me in one hospital (my blood pressure wouldnt stabilize) and him in another i didnt even get to hold him before he was taken from me.....but the nurses in my hospital pretty much held me together for those days i couldnt be with him...he spent 2 wks in the nciu and is now pushin 10lbs 2 mths later.....

Nicole - posted on 10/24/2009

My son was born 6 weeks early because of high blood pressure issues. If I did not go to the hospital when I did I could of lost him and myself. He was born 4lbs 14oz. Which is good for a preemie, but e spent two weeks in the incubator and when I left the hosptial it broke my heart. I had an emergency c=section and was in so much pain after, but I forced myself to recover for the sake of my little Ethan. I went twice a day to see him, even walking to the hospital one time when I didn't have a ride. I feel for everyone that has premature babies. My son is now 9 months and you would never be able to tell he was so early.

Kelly - posted on 10/21/2009

My little Kara spent one overnight in a NICU incubator last week after I was running a fever when she was born (emergency c after 14 hours of labor, thanks). While I was glad to see my tiny baby get such complete care, I couldn't help but crying when I came don to nurse her. She's just fine now - everything was precautionary, but I want to help make sure every baby gets the benefits of incubation when needed.

Christina - posted on 10/20/2009

Hi All!

Thank you for sharing your kind stories. I am so glad to hear that the hospitals you gave birth in had NICUs to take good care of your babies. We have been receiving a ton of stories from India, most are not as lucky.

Keep them coming & contact Tonya or I if you would like to volunteer for Embrace!

Katelyn - posted on 10/15/2009

Thankfully I didn't have to see my children in need of an icubator. But When I was almost seven, my sister was born, she was premature and had fluid in her lungs. She lived in an icubator for the first month or so of her life. I was so thankful that there was something to keep her well, and I know my parents were as well.

Today my sister is almost eighteen years old, and very strong.

Desiree - posted on 10/12/2009

my son was born at 34 weeks with really high billirubens and had to be in the incubater with billi lights and a billi blanket for a while. he was in the nicu for a total of 2 weeks. the crazy thing was i almost had him on the floor in the hospital after admitting myself 3 days prior to his birth. i came after losing my mucus plug and having contractions. i was checked and told i was leaking fluid 100% efaced and dialating. i was stuck into a room and the next day my contractions were progressing yet the nurses kept saying i didnt know what pain was and that i was not in labour. the day before i had him and the morning i had him i could barley get through my contractions but no one would listen. so the morning of his birth i pagd a nurse who didnt come for 30 minutes and when she did come all she said was do you want some gravol. my screaming finally got my docs attention and when she checked me she said oh well ur 10 cm and his head is comming. they rush me to a delivery room and he came with 5 minutes of pushing. obviously i know my body better then some nurses who barely spoke english. now im very scared to have another...want to find a place were the staff are a little more attentive... he was very lucky as his birthweight was 6 lbs 1 oz. after i took him home and took him for his 1 month checkup we found out he had not gained any weight possibly attributed to my breastmilk..he was spitting everything up and seemingly in pain after feedings. After giving formula (and little bits of EBM because i want him to atleast get a few of my white blood cells) he is finally gaining a little weight. he is still quite jaundice but otherwise healthy. I feel blessed to have such a strong child..and he still isnt supposed to be born for two more weeks! Reading these stories from these brave mothers fills my heart, you ladies are amazing and consequentially have amazing children:) thankyou for sharing your endearing stories!

Jean - posted on 10/10/2009

hi. My first born was a premature. he was 1.8kg when i gave birth to him at 6.5 months and gave birth even at home.He would even fit in inside a shoe box for his length. Never expected him to come so when my uncle brought us to the hospital (through a taxi where he was covered with a towel), it was shocking since they do not have an available incubator. they were using a lampshade and the sad part, it was along the corridor. My uncle had to transfer him to another hospital so his chances will be bigger. I was able to see my son after 3 days after discharging from the other hospital. I can't help but cry the first time i saw him since he was with all this tubes and inside an incubator. I almost lost him since he doesn't have any pulse for about 10 to 15 minutes and it was a blessing that a student doctor tried his best to revive my son whose color was purple all over, his lips so dark almost black, after several minutes, suddenly he turned pink with pulse and everybody watching, the nurses and other moms whose babies were also in the incubators were happy for me and my baby. I was able to bring home my son after 2 months . I named him RAPHAEL KRISTOFER. I'm happy that he's alive though when he was 3 years old, we found out through several test that he has a hearing impairment. My son is DEAF. I guess better that loosing him at birth. He graduated from a SPED school last year for his high school where he learned sign language as his way of communication . I learned just the basics just to understand my son. Now, i am trying to look for a college course for him. He will turn 18 years old this oct. 14. Goodluck to other moms with premature babies. Take care of your babies.

Jean - posted on 10/10/2009

hi. My first born was a premature. he was 1.8kg when i gave birth to him at 6.5 months and gave birth even at home.He would even fit in inside a shoe box for his length. Never expected him to come so when my uncle brought us to the hospital (through a taxi where he was covered with a towel), it was shocking since they do not have an available incubator. they were using a lampshade and the sad part, it was along the corridor. My uncle had to transfer him to another hospital so his chances will be bigger. I was able to see my son after 3 days after discharging from the other hospital. I can't help but cry the first time i saw him since he was with all this tubes and inside an incubator. I almost lost him since he doesn't have any pulse for about 10 to 15 minutes and it was a blessing that a student doctor tried his best to revive my son whose color was purple all over, his lips so dark almost black, after several minutes, suddenly he turned pink with pulse and everybody watching, the nurses and other moms whose babies were also in the incubators were happy for me and my baby. I was able to bring home my son after 2 months . I named him RAPHAEL KRISTOFER. I'm happy that he's alive though when he was 3 years old, we found out through several test that he has a hearing impairment. My son is DEAF. I guess better that loosing him at birth. He graduated from a SPED school last year for his high school where he learned sign language as his way of communication . I learned just the basics just to understand my son. Now, i am trying to look for a college course for him. He will turn 18 years old this oct. 14. Goodluck to other moms with premature babies. Take care of your babies.

Maria - posted on 09/26/2009

I'm a mom of two teenage boys, ages 17 & 16. My oldest son was born post-term, meaning overdue by two weeks. He was born a blue baby, jaundiced and with low bilirubin. He had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck when he came into the world, and we almost lost him. He was rushed to Respiratory to clear his airways and started his breathing. Then he was placed in an incubator with lamps lit and his eyes shaded and we can only touch him through an opening through the arms. The doctor and the nursing staff worked on getting his bilirubin count up, and keep his jaundiced color down. He's a fighter, too. But it was a tough journey for him as a toddler. He finally got over his jaundice when he was 3. Now, he's a healthy and active 17 yo, eager to graduate from high school soon!

Heather - posted on 09/26/2009

I am a 34 year old first time mom. My daughter Grace was born 14 weeks early. She weighted 1lb. 11ozs. at birth and was 13 1/2 inches long. We almost lost her several times, but she proved to be a fighter. She is now 9 months old and weighs 14lbs. and it 25 inches long. She is right on tract for her adjusted age and her only side effect of being premature is an ASD in her heart. It must be monitored closely, but by the time she is two it will either have corrected itself or she must have surgery to correct it. We have many experiences and information for anyone who is going through a long term NICU stay. Please feel free to contact me! I am certified to help other parents going through similar situations!