I've used google translate and corrected the worst errors, I hope. Sorry about the quality but am quite tired by now..
The first few days Lucia had an IV with sugar, antibiotics and fluids. She was too exhausted to eat breast milk and sucking reflex is not fully developed yet (happens between week 35 and 37 they say). Friday she started to eat more from me - but the milk hadn't come in yet and she got what I pumped out, a little colostrum milk in a bottle. Sunday I said to a pediatrician that I was worried that the milk hadn't come yet it usually takes about 3 days - and was told that sometimes it's different and you won't feel it with baby number 3, 4 etc, and especially because I nursing Eric long-term, I should not expect to feel it. But I could see it was colostrum I was pumping out.. Monday I woke up and could compete with Dolly Parton, so the theory wasn't correct - at least not for me..
Friday the doctors thought that she had had an apnea episode based on what the monitors said. Once they've had such an episode, they will keep them for 5-7 days. I cried (would of course like to go home) and became quite angry at an arrogant, movie star like older doctor who patronized me (I'm pretty allergic to people who does that) you probably know the type..dignified; steel gray hair; 'I've worked here for 25 years yadayada .. attitude. Sigh. All the other doctors were sweet enough. The nurses were generally very sweet and accommodating, with the usual exception, an old bitter lady. Overall I would say they were significantly more customer service oriented and nicer than they would have been in Denmark.
They put some antibiotic glop on her eyes - I know they used stuff like that when I was born in Denmark, but they don't anymore - and I have no idea w hat it is for..
We got alot of comments about her nice round head 'she doesn't look like a vaginal birth' - I don't know why, but perpaps it's because they come so fast? Silke had a nice round head shape too.
Saturday night Lucia's bilirubin had risen so she had to go in a light box (they tolerate lower number of bilirubin in prematurely born, and these also have an increased risk of jaundice). It was pretty hard because she only came out to eat - I could not sit with her, for example. Silke and Eric also both had jaundice, but at a level where it didn't require treatment. They weren't exactly preemies either.. Silke was born 38 +0, 3140 g (6,14 OZ) and 48 cm (18,9 inches), Eric was born 36 +5, 3190 ( 7 oz) and 51 cm (20 inches)- he was so full term that we came home within 24 hours even though he came before week 37. Lucia born 35 +1 2,935 gr (6,7 oz) and 49 cm (19 3 inches). There is some evidence I give birth earlier and earlier - at least the kids have a good weight and length.
They explained to us quite well that Lucia is what they call 'late premature baby' (born between week 34 +0 and 36 +0), or as they also call them 'impostors'. They look like babies born at term, and they behave in general like that - but they can have some breathing problems as a center in the brain only finished by week 36 Also they often have low blood sugar and problems with eating because suckling reflex is not fully mature / developed. There are often jaundice (jaundice is also common for term-babies) but a full term child tolerates jaundice better. They will sleep more, and may for the same reason be hard to get to suckle enough, than children closer to their due dates. I have since talked to many who have given birth week 34 to 36 and common to almost all was that it had ended with a shorter or longer hospitalization in the NICU because many of the same problems Lucia had.
Silke with my nightgown
With little sister
I never understood that they told me I made a lot of milk. But then, at leaving, they brought a few days supply..
... and that was just the frozen milk.. I had a bag with around 8 bottles in their freezer, too. Lucia was discharged Wednesday, when she was 1 week old, and we could finally take our little daugther home..
PS - my best friend here is Danish NICU nurse, so the comparisons aren't that off. She came to visit and was in total shock that all the babies were hooked up on these monitors, and that Lucia was in an incubator for light.
The first few days Lucia had an IV with sugar, antibiotics and fluids. She was too exhausted to eat breast milk and sucking reflex is not fully developed yet (happens between week 35 and 37 they say). Friday she started to eat more from me - but the milk hadn't come in yet and she got what I pumped out, a little colostrum milk in a bottle. Sunday I said to a pediatrician that I was worried that the milk hadn't come yet it usually takes about 3 days - and was told that sometimes it's different and you won't feel it with baby number 3, 4 etc, and especially because I nursing Eric long-term, I should not expect to feel it. But I could see it was colostrum I was pumping out.. Monday I woke up and could compete with Dolly Parton, so the theory wasn't correct - at least not for me..
Friday the doctors thought that she had had an apnea episode based on what the monitors said. Once they've had such an episode, they will keep them for 5-7 days. I cried (would of course like to go home) and became quite angry at an arrogant, movie star like older doctor who patronized me (I'm pretty allergic to people who does that) you probably know the type..dignified; steel gray hair; 'I've worked here for 25 years yadayada .. attitude. Sigh. All the other doctors were sweet enough. The nurses were generally very sweet and accommodating, with the usual exception, an old bitter lady. Overall I would say they were significantly more customer service oriented and nicer than they would have been in Denmark.
They put some antibiotic glop on her eyes - I know they used stuff like that when I was born in Denmark, but they don't anymore - and I have no idea w hat it is for..
We got alot of comments about her nice round head 'she doesn't look like a vaginal birth' - I don't know why, but perpaps it's because they come so fast? Silke had a nice round head shape too.
Saturday night Lucia's bilirubin had risen so she had to go in a light box (they tolerate lower number of bilirubin in prematurely born, and these also have an increased risk of jaundice). It was pretty hard because she only came out to eat - I could not sit with her, for example. Silke and Eric also both had jaundice, but at a level where it didn't require treatment. They weren't exactly preemies either.. Silke was born 38 +0, 3140 g (6,14 OZ) and 48 cm (18,9 inches), Eric was born 36 +5, 3190 ( 7 oz) and 51 cm (20 inches)- he was so full term that we came home within 24 hours even though he came before week 37. Lucia born 35 +1 2,935 gr (6,7 oz) and 49 cm (19 3 inches). There is some evidence I give birth earlier and earlier - at least the kids have a good weight and length.
They explained to us quite well that Lucia is what they call 'late premature baby' (born between week 34 +0 and 36 +0), or as they also call them 'impostors'. They look like babies born at term, and they behave in general like that - but they can have some breathing problems as a center in the brain only finished by week 36 Also they often have low blood sugar and problems with eating because suckling reflex is not fully mature / developed. There are often jaundice (jaundice is also common for term-babies) but a full term child tolerates jaundice better. They will sleep more, and may for the same reason be hard to get to suckle enough, than children closer to their due dates. I have since talked to many who have given birth week 34 to 36 and common to almost all was that it had ended with a shorter or longer hospitalization in the NICU because many of the same problems Lucia had.
But they were very sweet at the NICU - they thought it was exciting that we were from Europe, and I cycled everywhere when pregnant with the others, and that we only have one car and didn't have one in Europe.
I changed Lucias' diapers - and each time she had to be changed / fed had to have her temperature taken with a thermometer under her shoulder (and we all know how reliable they are - as in 'not reliable'). They also took too many blood tests compared to what you would do in Denmark. Blood sugar every 3 hours (even after it had been stable for a long time, it was stable pretty quickly) and billirubin 2 times a day to start with. They also took electrolytes for fluid .. We thought it was too much and a sensible doctor (per my suggestion) cut it down to one sample of blood a day.
Instead of one small apnea alarm attached to the child and can be worn wile you carry the child(as is done in Denmark) was Lucia set to: 1 oxygen meter. 1 heart rate meter and 1 heart rate monitor (same same, isn't it?) And a breath meter. Regularly she pulled at one of the things of or the signal disappeared - especially when I had her up to nurse we saw often that something fell off. Then a nurse rushed in and disrupted the breastfeeding - I was pretty tired of it ...
Gazillion of wires:
Monday evening she could come out of the light box.
I breastfed and supplemented with what was milked out. I milked a lot out, they said (I have no frame of reference so a little hard for me to say anything about it). There was always sounds signalling emergencies, call for a doctor, or children screaming - so I slept poorly. I could get free food tickets to their canteen - the salad bar was good, and the coffee, everything else so-so. 10 minutes walk away was a supermarket, so I filled up a bit with some fruit, vegetables and bagels.There were also restaurants on the other side of the junction - here we took the kids regularly.
Gazillion of wires:
Monday evening she could come out of the light box.
I breastfed and supplemented with what was milked out. I milked a lot out, they said (I have no frame of reference so a little hard for me to say anything about it). There was always sounds signalling emergencies, call for a doctor, or children screaming - so I slept poorly. I could get free food tickets to their canteen - the salad bar was good, and the coffee, everything else so-so. 10 minutes walk away was a supermarket, so I filled up a bit with some fruit, vegetables and bagels.There were also restaurants on the other side of the junction - here we took the kids regularly.
Claus and the kids came to visit once a day while I stayed at Lucia's room - there was a chair that could be made into a bed, and I could borrow linens and towels, so I camped there. Claus took time off to take the kids and support me (no, men do not have paternerty leave 14 days after birth in Denmark - we are, excuse me, spoiled in Denmark). It was horrible to have the kids there - indeed wonderful to see them, but 1) Eric ran around and fiddled with everything pulled the strings, touched everything etc. Not so smart .. 2) Silke talked very loudly and cried and did not listen to us - woke Lucia and disturbed the other children. We took them usually with out to lunch / dinner so they got a little time with me. Silke began sleeping with my nightgown at home because she missed me.
Silke with my nightgown
At 5 days after birth, I took a run (jog) trip and it went fine. Had been jogging untill week 30 and had an easy delivery I had my kindle and my labtop with me which saved me during the hospital stay. So I could talk a little with people and be online. Here in the U.S. there are also different tesst, for example, metabolic diseases (we have not received a reply yet) and hearing test (passed). When the baby is born before week 36 there will be a car seat test, too - the child is strapped in the car seat with monitoring and have to sit there for an hour without oxygen / pulse dropping. It went fine - Lucia slept quite calmly through it all.
Because of what they call 'immature breathing pattern' we should give Lucia caffeine in milk every day until she is at least 40 weeks old or longer. This is done not with kids of that age in Denmark. To feel a little confident we bought a angelcare monitor at Amazon, which detects if her breathing pauses / stops.
I never understood that they told me I made a lot of milk. But then, at leaving, they brought a few days supply..
PS - my best friend here is Danish NICU nurse, so the comparisons aren't that off. She came to visit and was in total shock that all the babies were hooked up on these monitors, and that Lucia was in an incubator for light.
Pps. with rspect to the name - we had been told that int the United States one must choose a name before leaving the hospital. That's not correct - you have plenty of time to choose. But it's a good idea to do it at the hospital, because that is where you fill in all the papers you need for birth certificate and social security number. Claus had a list, I had a list (and we've talked a little in advance) and we thought she looked like a Lucia. Silke didn't agree. She wanted Rosa, Lisa, Lisa or Silke Rose. We then ended with the compromise Lucia Rose. A bit much with two names, but then she can always choose .. And they fit well together.
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