So we begin our NICU journey....

[Janie]

You sounds as if you are coping so well I'm so pleased that she is doing as well as she is. And massive YAY and WOOHOO for your first kanga cuddle!!!! You made me smile recounting that, I remember so well the first skin to skin I had with DS2, I too couldn't get my top off fast enough .

Here for you on your journey. I hope it is a smooth one, and that Heidi continues to progress well.

[Inanna]

Aaah I also smiled reading about your first kanga cuddle!

I am glad to hear your milk supply is doing well - you are amazing! Good work boobies!!!! I also took the sheet when it was changed from her isolette. Most tertiary hospitals in NICU won't let you put something of yours in there though due to cross infection. So, just a thought and what I did was when they did "cares" I took her sheet and brought it back the next day for my next Immy smell fix! Might help you. xxx

The other thing that helped me (& I like to think Imogen) was I put up positive affirmations over her isolette. I also had Quan Yin (she's special to me) and Mother Mary (my ex husbands Aunt was a nun). They protected her whilst I wasn't there! I also had a photo of her siblings up to watch over her...

All thoughts that you can take and ponder.

Big cuddles to you & special kisses to your special girl.

[Janie]

The photos are a lovely idea . We also had toys that DS1 had given DS2 tied to his IV pole. DS1 also drew him a picture that we laminated, and stuck to the isolette . I think those things helped DS1 as well, I felt he got ripped off too, of that lovely experience that most have of meeting their new sibling.

Don't be afraid to ask for kanga cuddles. You will soon enough get to know the 'routine' of things, but in the meantime, if you're not sure, just ask. Sometimes staff can be really busy, and don't realise that you're waiting to hold your baby (when you get to that point). It sounds as though your milk is coming in well, which is tremendous. Breastmilk is so so important for premmies, especially micro-prems. Those kanga cuddles will help your supply even more . If you pump soon after, you may be impressed by how much more milk there is!

Do you know yet when you'll be discharged from hospital?

[Inanna]

Aaaah we had the toys too Janie... All in plastic bags hanging on iv poles! *trip down memory lane*...

[feeb]

Aww glad to hear things are going well! I got teary reading about your first kangaroo cuddle.

Keep up the good work with expressing, take care.
xoxoxo

[~me~]

Ahhh, so nice to read *sigh*. I hope things just getting more positive for you.
Congratulations on your precious fighting little girl...what a trooper she is.
So nice you already had your first cuddles..this is such a positive premmie story, thankyou for sharing with us
I look forward to listening to all your updates..these have already bought tears and smiles.
Take care Infinity.
I hope your little man is coping ok too.

[*Infinity*]

Thank you all again. The photos are a lovely idea, it would be great to have her big brother watching over her. I'm unsure if we're allowed to put any keepsakes or toys in her cot, but the nurse did mention to me that if we want to bring an iPod or recorder of some description along with stories that we read or music she might like, they'll happily pop that in with her too.

Janie - I actually discharged myself from hossy about 12 hours after she was born. She arrived in a big hurry and I was up and about fairly quickly, so my recovery has been very swift which has helped a great deal with my state of mind and being able to keep it together. Plus hospital is not a restful place for me - we needed to come home and re-charge.

I'm trying now to stay focussed on being healthy & strong, to get my milk supply on track and to keep our heads' above water. I've already outstripped what she will need in terms of EBM for the next few weeks at least - the tiny little possum is only taking 1ml every 4 hours.

It looks like tomorrow they will remove her arterial lines and insert a central line into her arm or leg which is quite distressing for me, but we'll see how the day goes. She is teaching us so much already about strength and fighting, we need to take her lead.

Goodnight all xx

[Early Kids]

Congratulations of the arrival of your darling girl.
Sending you guys all the strength needed for the coming months.

[ladybird11]

Aaaah we had the toys too Janie... All in plastic bags hanging on iv poles! *trip down memory lane*...

I remember the toys around the humidicrib, the blankets that used to be on placed over it to stop the light coming thru, sterilising the hands upon walking into the NICU / SCBU (everytime I smell that stuff it reminds me of those times....The top to toe baths, and by gosh I was good at changing a nappy while DD was in the humidicrib...

Most of all I remember the kindness of the nurses :-)

[maz]

Another NICU mum here wanting to extend her arms and give you a huge hug.
Remember to drink plenty of water...hospitals dehydrate you so much and you need all the strength to get your supply continuing.
hon....we're all here behind you

[Jennifer13]

Well done on the fabulous milk production! I hope you get lots more kanga cuddles.

[Janie]

I'm glad you're in a place where you feel comfortable, and able to rest and recharge. Good on your for being so determined to keep going with the pumping - it's amazing that they need so little to start with (although my DS was bigger and having more, 10mls every 4 hours) but soon enough you find that their need increases, and the milk starts disappearing from the fridge and freezer so much faster! Which is why it's so important to establish a good milk supply at the start, so it's there for them when they're bigger. Do you have any literature about breastfeeding prems? If you don't have the ABA booklet 'Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby' I'd love to organise to send you a copy. My DH found it a really helpful thing to read too. If you don't have it, swing me a quick PM with your address and I'll get a copy off to you.

You're doing so well by the sounds of it, just hang in there, and keep doing what feels right for you

[*Infinity*]

Janie, you're a sweetheart. I've been meaning to track down a copy of the ABA prem booklet but haven't got my head on straight yet! I will PM you, thank you so much. I don't have the words. The nurses suggested that for the first few days I don't get myself up at night to pump to try and rest a bit which was very kind of them, but now that I've had a few good nights sleep to re-charge, I'll be getting up to pump at least once overnight. I'm so determined to keep my supply strong, I don't want it dwindling.

DD is still doing really well. She will have some big changes today though with her central line so one step at a time.

Thank you all again for your generous support xx

[Janie]

Wishing your DD well with her big changes today. Looking forward to hearing more about her progress!

You're more than welcome hun. The midwives said the same thing to me...........it is very important to recover, but night time pumping is crucial to establishing a good supply. I know as well as anyone that dragging yourself out of bed to sit with a bit of plastic is horrible, and very difficult. I never would have thought it could be so difficult. But it is so so important. Even if you can keep the pump next to your bed so you don't actually have to get up. I know it seems a very long time away, but sometime in the future you're going to bring this little girl home, and she's going to want to feed in the night . Do you have a double pump? It makes a huge difference to you if you can double pump. Can I ask, were you able to breastfeed your son?

Speaking of, how is your DS going so far? And your DH?

ETA Sorry for the million questions. Feel free to answer, or not, in your own time

[*Infinity*]

Thanks Janie for your kind words & support. Heidi is still going really well, nice & stable and doing all the right things. Still has minimal breathing assistance, but she's the most amazing little girl. She's the tiniest one in the NICU but is the most settled and calm which is lovely to see. They weren't able to get a central line in yesterday so they'll be trying again today, probably as we speak. She had an ECG just to check her heart this morning which was all perfect and she is having head scans every 2-3 days to monitor things in her brain. So far so good. Her jaundice and bruising is all resolving nicely too so her pretty little face is getting even more beautiful every time we see her.

As for the expressing, I'm doing the best I can right now. I am sensing my supply starting to dwindle a little bit, but trying not to stress too much about it. I'm just trying to pump more often and during the night. I have purchased an electric pump which should arrive tomorrow hopefully, I've been using my trusty manual pump that I had when DS was born so hopefully that will make a big difference. I've been making the most of the pumps in the NICU when we're visiting too. Breastfeeding DS was an absolute disaster - really long story. I had a great supply, he just managed to rip me to shreds early on and I never recovered. I had a series of infections, one after the other and I got very unwell. We managed to express and feed EBM for 6 weeks then I was just too weak and had to make a decision that I never wanted too and still struggle with every day. So my milk for Heid is so important on so many levels.

DP and DS are doing well. We're all tired and drained but coping ok looking after each other. DS is kind of a bit little to really understand what is happening as yet. He's just spending a bit of extra time with his Nanna's which he loves. But he does know something is up. We took him in for a quick visit this morning and he was more fascinated by the blue lights Heidi was under rather than her! It won't take long and he'll get it though, he's a smart little cookie. DP is being my rock right now. He is still stunned that he has a baby girl and she is alive and doing so well - we both are. He misses her terribly and feels a bit helpless but is supporting me in every way I need.

[HotI]

Hi Gorgeous,

Have been thinking of you, and glad to hear things are going ok. Great work with the expressing, your milk will be helping your little girl grow big and strong.

take care,

Kate

[*Beema*]

Aww hun you are doing a truely amazing job

It is such a spin when your world is turned upside down when your little girl arrived so quickly and all in such of a hurry.
I found that I went through the "baby blues" as such a few times, and it is really important to have those times to yourself to have a cry and let it all out.

If you are worried about your supply maybe looks at ways to boost your supply, as you will be short on time I wouldn't worry about the Lactation cookies atm, unless Nanna cane make some up for you, but you can go for Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Milo and Aktavite are also great boosters and will also give you some energy, along with drinking lots of water. I went onto Motilium as it is hard work expressing all the time, I completely understand that part of what you are going through, because my DD wasn't anywhere near as early as Miss Heidi, but the getting up all hours of the night to hook up to the pump can be very tiring, I had alarms on my mobile phone to wake me up to express, a double electric pump is most certainly the way to go, it is a lot quicker and easier, you will really notice the difference.

I know it is hard, but for now don't worry about the amounts you are getting with each express, you will be easily covering what Heidi needs, just keep goin every 2-3 hours during the day for 20min or so and at night try not to go more than 5 hours between expressing sessions, and at most one large gap between. I know it is going to be hard work and I really wish I had the wealth of information that I have gathered from BB and the ABA when I was going through it all.

I hope things went smoothly with her central line today, and if it didn't happen it will in time, she is doing very well, and such a clever little girl to be doing so much breathing on her own, the girls are always stronger in NICU, they are just that bit further developed than the boys

One thing that might help DS is a few pictures of the NICU, ie entry doors, washing hands, Heidi's crib etc, so that he can look at them and you can sort of tell a story as you show him the photos, a bit like reading a book, that way he can become more familiar with the NICU, without it being all new with each visit.

Definitely the photos etc laminated and put on her isolette are a lovely idea, we have all of DD's and they are also a lovely keepsake. She also had a Panda given to her by DH he search the city for 4 hours finding the right one, and the Panda is symbolic of goodluck on the birth of a new baby and he was her protector, it was nice to know that he was always there watching her

Take care hun and I have you in my thoughts daily xxoo

[Rosebud]

Hello *Infinity*

So glad you have joined us all here.

It was wonderful to read that little Heidi is doing so well breathing with minimal assistance at her gestation is amazing! She has already overcome one of the major hurdles on the NICU journey & to receive an excellent ECG result, I know, is such a huge weight off your shoulders.

I cried when I read that you had your first kangaroo cuddles. Such a special moment for so soon after her birth and it is so important for your milk production and her development. It was 18 days before DS was aloud out for our first kangaroo cuddle. It felt like a lifetime.

Expressing can be difficult task sometimes. If you feel that your supply is beginning to decrease, try to increase your fluid intake of both water & milk. If you're not a milk drinker, try adding aktavite to it (so called old wives tale). If you find you are really struggling, your GP can prescribe something to increase your supply. It was something that I really didn't want to do but it was more important for me to be able to supply DS with as much EBM as possible and for as long as possible.

Hoping the NICU journey for you, your family and your beautiful girl is a smooth one. Sending lots of healthy and growing vibes her way. Remember, staying positive is a very good thing but it is also ok to have a cry.

Take care xx