what to expect/tips/ any info appreciated....

[Early Kids]

Ok a bit more about my boys journey...
Brendan 30+1
Was ventilated at birth and moved to CPAP at around 2days old
I didn't get to cuddle him until 5 days old, he wasn't even placed on my chest at birth.
He spent 3 weeks in an isolette, for 4 days I wasn't allowed to even touch him at all.
He was tube fed for 39 days. He had an IV in for a few weeks.
His journey was very much a one step forward two steps back for the first 2-3 weeks.
He was in NICU for 6 days and SCN for 35 days and was discharged at 5wk6d (36 weeks gestation)

Tristan 34+3
Was ventilated at birth and then cpap by 8 hours old.
Was placed on my chest at birth and first real cuddle was on day 2, along with breastfeed attempt.
He spent 1-2days in an isolette.
He was tube fed for 3 days and had an IV for 3 days too.
His journey was on the up and up from day 2.
He was in NICU for just over 24 hours and SCN for 5 days then on ward with me for 2 days. discharged at 8 days old (35+4 weeks gestation)

Both my boys were discharged earlier than the Drs in SCN wanted them to be, I put up a very strong fight to get them home when I did. Trust your gut instinct, it's usually right.

Every single day/week you give bub the better, you can hang on you do have the strength and will power to do this. I believe in you.

All the best xx

[crumpet]

Hun! As you know i have worked in a NICU but never faced one as a mum! If there is practical questions you have id be happy to give it a go but i also hope that there are some mums on here that can help you too!

totally forgot about that!!!

thank you everyone all of ur stories have helped me realise what we could be in for and when with certain gestations.....

i had no idea of what would happen if she came at certain points so u have all helped grately!!

we have spoke to a NICU dr in my last preg but that was when i delivered at 22w so the focus was on 24weeker not 28plus....

im not booked into the public hospy at this point, my OB has delivery rights there so i know ill be accepted, but do i call them and explain my stituation and ask to be shown around or do i speak to my OB to help me organise it??

its not going to be a fun trip as its in the hospital i delivered G at so im kinda avoiding it at all costs atm, well until i know i HAVE to go there....

[Early Kids]

I would talk with your OB who should be able to organise a trip to the NICU for you x

[Tegam]

its not going to be a fun trip as its in the hospital i delivered G at so im kinda avoiding it at all costs atm, well until i know i HAVE to go there....

It will be hard but it would be worth having a look before hand to see whats what.

Also the hospital you ARE booked into...What gestational age will they let bub stay there??

[crumpet]

I would talk with your OB who should be able to organise a trip to the NICU for you x

thanks sally ill speak to him at my next appt...

It will be hard but it would be worth having a look before hand to see whats what.

Also the hospital you ARE booked into...What gestational age will they let bub stay there??

yep i see what u mean, im better of seeing it before she ends up there....just incase.

34weeks i have to be for them to accept us....
but if she comes at say 31 we go to the other hospital and as far as i know they wont transfer her to our private one when she can go to that level of special care coz we are close to both if that makes sense....is that even how it would work? im happy for her to stay at the hospy with the NICU and SCU if we deliver there till she comes home

[Early Kids]

Depends on the hospital and how full the NICU/SCN is at the time. Both times we were in they were virtually pushing bubs out the door to another hospital because the NICU was so full of babies. Doesn't help that's it's the only hospital in the state that takes babies less than 34 weeks gestation either (except for the Children's Hospital which generally only takes the really sick and surgery bubs). It's best to ask your private hospital of the what if, ask them what criteria they have for a transfer. For instance my local hospital will only take babies after 2kg, with no tubes or monitors, when they are ready to go home anyway.

[crumpet]

we are in melb and there is the mercy ( where we will go) the royal womens, monash medical center and the royal childrens all with NICU's so hopefully if we need it they will have room at the mercy...

is it the same with special care? being less.... well intensive as such?

ill add these to my list of Q's for my OB when i see him.....

and ill ask the middie at ante natal classes on tuesday what the criteria is for her to be transfered there if need be.....

thank you again so much for all the information

[Early Kids]

Intensive care babies have one nurse to two babies, they are generally on some sort of breathing support.
Special Care babies have one nurse to 5-6 babies.

There is also a HDU (High Dependency Unit) I'm not entirely sure on the criteria for that unit, I *thought* that it was for those who were on breathing support for ages. But a couple of my friends babies went to HDU and they were on less support than Brendan was so then I *thought* it might have been based on weight, but then a friends baby born heavier and on less breathing support went there! So Im not really sure on that at all any more!

At KEMH in Perth, all the units are together in one nursery, there's 4 rooms, one for each level of care all in one big unit. However when we were there June 09 they were doing renovations to move the SCN, I believe it is now the NICU is seperate from the SCN but I could be wrong.