I have had people tell me that the condition Calum had is common. Well, common as it may be, I am pretty sure you won’t find a woman anywhere who would brush off her baby having to be in the NICU.
When I imagined the experience of having my baby, I never expected to spend two days in an empty room, with no baby to hold or show off to my friends and family. Other than the three minutes I had to hold him after he was born, it was days before I was able to hold him again.
The NICU nurses and doctors were wonderful! When we left Calum on Wednesday I wasn’t too worried because I knew he would be taken care of very well. He spent a few days in the NICU after we went home, but we visited him multiple times a day.
The main doctor that took care of Calum was Dr. Repetto. He was fabulous.
The first day we went in the NICU and were washing our hands (you wear a gown and wash for three minutes- with a timer!) I was noticing pictures on the walls. One picture in particular caught my eye. It was of Dr. Choi. Dr. Choi took care of ME when I was in the NICU 26 years ago! I was born with under-developed lungs and spent two months in the NICU at regional DCH. I could not believe my eyes- the man is in his 70s now and is still practicing! He is very passionate about helping those little babies. He was the doctor that ended up discharging Calum the day he got to go home with us. A funny fact is that I was not the only Mama (with a baby in the NICU) who had been treated by Dr. Choi. There was another mother with a little girl in the NICU who had been cared for by Dr. Choi when she was a baby too. It is amazing the impact he has had on so many generations of babies.
Calum had to wear an oxygen hood for several days after he was born. We called him our little astronaut because it looked like a space helmet. He also had an IV, various vitals monitors, and a tube down his throat, going into his stomach. Slowly, over the course of the next 6 days, these things were removed. Wednesday, we got to feed him for the first time- a very small amount. We couldn’t hold him while we fed him, but we were able to support his neck and head. A couple days later we finally were able to hold him! Early Friday morning he got to go in a well crib and Saturday morning we got to take him home! What an emotional- but exciting- day that was for me. I pretty much cried off and on all Friday night and Saturday. You just have to love those postpartum hormones!
Calum had his name on the NICU board (white helmet in the middle):
He loved his paci, and he loves his hands. He would try so hard to get his hands inside his oxygen hood. He accomplished that goal a few times.
The first time we fed him. Couldn't hold him completely, but this was huge for us!
No more oxygen hood!
This is the first time we truly were able to hold him.
What a sweet face!
In a well crib!!!
Wearing clothes for the first time:
I am in no way biased, but I think my little guy is adorable!
I can't believe he's almost a month old! Just too cute.
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