Today we start the countdown to World Prematurity Day, which will be commemorated on November 17th. As a preemie mother I want to share my story for a memoir and a very tiny little bit of education for preemie parents out there.
My daughter was born on 32 weeks, just like a size of acorn squash. Judged by her gestational age, she was born in good condition and with a great weight which is 1.9kg. I heard her crying very loud when I was still lying on the surgery table and unfortunately I can't see her face at all, because the pediatric immediately brought her to NICU for observation.
My brain can't stop thinking while my obgyn finalized her job to sew up my belly and it made me wide awake. Not because of scared but I just want to watch the doctors perform the surgery, like watching Greys Anatomy but this one is real. Also it can distract my brain from worry about my baby.One day passed-I need to recover from c-section first, such as learn to sit, walk and to make sure that the suture is in well condition. Finally I can see my baby, she is very beautiful, looks firm and strong. Tiny but mighty. They put her in an open box and wrap in plastic, they will move her to incubator if she is more steady. As far as I can see, her skin was so delicate and looks so transparent, just to cover a flesh and a very little amount of fat.
Of course I'm crying the first time I met her but it was a tears of joy. I just feel so grateful to finally meet her and I can see that she is strong and a warrior. Strong like her mama, even more.
As predicted they install CPAP ventilation on my baby, NGT, many IV and a lot of cables that I don't even know the name, all I know those things is to keep my baby alive.
Long short story, the CPAP was unplug on seventh day but I still can't hold her in my arms. I don't know why the doctor don't let me practice Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) as soon as possible, she seems steady. But yes the pediatrician know the best. So I can't make another pressure.
After a lot of screenings, blood test and phototeraphy, we decided to make a request to hospital management to transfer my baby to government hospital. Because the NICU fee at current private hospital is very expensive. The bill running down like a leak faucet and it almost reach the insurance limit and actually we need pediatrician second opinion as well.
Transfer a NICU baby to government hospital was not an easy process and fortunately we got lucky to transfer her on the same day we made a request. I call my cousin who work at that hospital, asking for help to contact the pediatrician to accept my baby on their NICU and yes it called privilege.
On the new hospital she got a new treatment, she can drank a lot of breast milk from a bottle, start from 10ml per 2 hours up to 20 ml per 2 hours. On the previous hospital she only allowed to drink 1ml per 3-4 hours because of weak digestion. They admit her to Perina room, no more NICU and of course that was a good news.
Finally the day has come, the day I can bring her home. She spent nine days in the second hospital. Now I can hug her everytime I want and actually it's such a way to caring a preemie baby, it called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC).
My baby's pediatrician ask me to do KMC 24/7 to keep her warm, to boost her weight (increase her appetite) and they believe it can increase breast milk production as well. Actually, every babies need to get a skin to skin contact, not only a preemie. Because it's their live transition from a warm and safe womb to the world that have a lof of germs and challenge 😂. Baby need to have a smooth adaptation process, don't expect them to be an independent human being in an instant.
1. Eye-Retinophaty of Prematurity (ROP)
2. Echocardiography (heart USG)
3. Head-USG to check if there are some blood on the brain, etc. It need to check since born and before the fontanelle closes.
On my baby case, she got two screening on the first hospital which is for heart and head. It was a little bit late to know that eye is very urgent and top priority to check. I did the screening on 40 week gestation age and thankfully my baby didn't have any ROP but she got a little thing on her heart and I believe she can make through it. We will continue to do quarterly screening for her heart.
She teach me how to survive in the glass box called incubator.
She teach me that there is always silver linings even on the darkest cloud.
My baby girl and any other preemie in the whole world is a true warrior.
Preemie parents is not a failure, they are the strongest and the one who really can learn from a mistake. Learn how not to blame all the things to themselves and to accept that everything happen for a reason.
This dunya is the field of tests and God promise there is a reward in the afterlife.
So, cherish every moment with your baby. It only happen in very short time. Enjoy while it last mama.