Kaitrin was born 14 weeks early due to a placental abruption. The placenta began to tear away from the uterus - causing bleeding and contraction. I was in the ICU for a week. They moved me to a medical room for an addition week and a half then home on strict bed rest. The weekend before she was born, I went back to the hospital with more bleeding. When the horrible cramping came on Friday, the decision was made to deliver by c-section. Kaitrin was 990 grams and 12 inches long. The picture above is Kaitrin at 4 and 5 weeks.
In the first week, Kaitrin was given blood for her anemia and placed under photo lights for her jaundice. She had a head ultrasound which showed no brain bleeds. Through all of the checking on her brain, heart, and blood, she remained on ventilation. Every other day the docs would take her off or step her down on the ventilation to allow her to work to breath. Even though I was given steroid shots during my 3 week hospital stay, her lungs were still not fully matured enough to breath effectively. She was given surfactant to help her lungs and eventually steroids to bring her off of the ventilator. Even after the vent went away, Kaitrin still required oxygen. Slowly, she began feeding through a nasal tube - tolerating it wonderfully. As she got bigger, we were able to given her baths and even hold her (Kangaroo Care) for a few minutes each day.
After two months in the NICU, she was transferred to the Graduate Nursery. Here, she was still in an isolette, but there were less monitors, less noise, and all around just more comfortable! Jacob was able to visit for the first time. I remember getting a call from Kelly (Kaitrin's nurse) saying that she had taken an entire feeding from a bottle. It was only an ounce and it took her 30 minutes, but boy did I cry with joy! As she gained more weight and took all of her feeds by bottle, Kaitrin was moved to an open crib. I have to state though, Kaitrin decide on her own that she was ready for just a bottle. In one day she pulled her nasal tube out 8 times. Kelly had a talk with her and explained that she would have to be a big girl and take only a bottle - Kaitrin listened.
On September 19th, 2 1/2 months after Kaitrin was born - she came home.