How did you feel being a first time mom of a baby in the hospital?

Rebecca - posted on 03/06/2010

I completely agree with you on this..I feel like I have also been robbed of a good pregnancy and the birth of my son....I lost my daughter Jessie in 2006, at 20weeks gestation (for whome I gave birth naturally and she survived for 4hrs and 20mins before passing on), due to an incompitant cervix (I had Cervical Cancer at age 16).....I Gave birth to my second baby-tristan at 27weeks gestation, I was on bed-rest primarily throughout my pregnancy and was constantly throughout the entire pregnancy sick with Morning/Day/Night sickness.... I went into labor at 26+5days.....I was originally at Liverpool Hospital-three days of Labor and then come time that my waters broke - the humidity cribs were taken up......I had to be transferred to Nepean Hospital For which I had my son through an emergency C-Section (As I had contracted an infection that was causing my son to become distressed and I couldn't dialate enough to have him naturally).....So I was wheeled off to a room where I was under anesthetic and unfortunately wasn't able to see my son being born-I was quite upset as I don't have any recollection of the birth.....no photo's-nothing......To see my baby for the first time-so little and hooked up to all of these wires and and machines....with the C-Pap, etc.......was daunting to say the least......To not be able to cradle my baby in my arms and give him a kiss.........All I could do was touch his hand......Then after4hrs or so - to walk back to my ward where all I could hear were other mothers with their babies......I was so depressed-I had other mum's asking me where my baby was.....Every night I'd lie there crying on the bed listening to them bonding with their babies.........and mine was in a humidity crib in the N.I.C.U........All I could do was produce as much milk for him as possible and stick them in the freezer...hmmmm I know how the cow's feel......
I would spend atleast 10+hrs by his side everyday....My family were very supportive-however I was running myself into the ground-as I wasn't sleeping properly and when Tristan contracted N.E.C.(which is an infection in the stomache-which can be very fatal) and spent 2weeks+ in the intensive care part of the N.I.C.U.....Blood transfusions, x-rays, poked and proded constantly -I broke down and my milk started to dry up.....After a while I got used to the machines and eventually forgot about them......Tristan's health started picking up and I started taking motilium for my milk production to increase.......
Tristan's very first breats feed was at 35weeks...........His head was the size of one of my breasts.....but he got the knack of things........
Now he is a staggering 16kg's and above average with his speech and growth....which isn't usually the case with preemie bub's.......So I am very proud of him.....
I would love to have another baby, I also lost another baby at 3months-when Tristan was 6months old........I am very scared that I won't ever be able to have a full-term baby-let-alone a normal pregnany/birth........
But as much as I complain about this......I have a beautiful boy who I am very lucky to have-so if I have another I don't care how the pregnancy/birth pans out so to speak-just as long as he/she is healthy!
I wish you and your family well! :)

Nicole - posted on 03/04/2010

My daughter was born at 36weeks6days, and has been in the NICU since day one.. she is now 9 weeks old. I am a first time parent as well. Most days I feel ok, but some days I feel extremely cheated. And I wish that she could have been born like "every other baby", and be able to have come home after having her.



My daughter was born with an abdominal wall defect that caused her intestines to grow outside of her belly. She's been through 9 surgeries to correct it, and has one more surgery planned for when she is 6 months old.



The first month was the worst, I would stay up there literally all day, from when I woke up, til I couldn't physically be there anymore and had to go home. I wish I could have done it differently but my daughter needs to be there. I found out about her gastroschsis from the very first ultrasound at 15 weeks. We had a while to take it all in and since knowing from that day that I would have to deliver preterm and knowing that she would have to have surgery right away, so c-section would probably be best, we had a while to come to terms with thats how it would be.



I feel for you, no parent should have to go through having a child away from them. I go through the days in which I feel she would think the nurses were her mom, but when she looks at me, I feel she knows I'm mom. You are a great mother to visit him whenever you could. You are a great mother to do all you could for him while he was there.



Like they all keep saying to me, Babies never remember this young in life, nobody but the parents remember all the struggles they have gone through. One day, you will look back and remember the story your child has created and how precious they really are.