I need, respectfully ask for, any of you that pray regularly to include my Daughter, Son in law and their baby. He was born 2 weeks ago, 6 weeks premature, and is still in the NICU. Overall, my grandson is fine but still having dips in O2 level or heart rate. Each time, they extend his stay 5 more days. It's really starting to beat them down and I'm praying they have the strength to withstand this and my grandson has the strength to overcome. My knees are worn out, I need help!
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Praying for you! Our family has been there: a preemie daughter born 8 1/2 weeks early and did very well except also had her stay extended a couple times for bradys (dropping O2 and heart rate), just like your grandson. The second time happened the morning we were supposed to go home, and we lived an hour from the NICU. 😭 It was very difficult at the time, but we made it and your family will too. We were told that all preemies have SOMETHING—some function that still needs to mature—and our docs said they’d much rather see it be bradys (which clear up on their own pretty quickly) than feeding issues (which can take months to overcome/correct). I’ve seen a friend go through that: much longer stay than we had and went home with feeding tube. Our babies were similar age and size at birth. The rule of thumb is to expect to go home by the due date, so they’re still looking to be well ahead of that.
The NICU days are intense and very difficult, but they will be behind you soon and it will all feel like a dream. Our daughter is almost 13, and you’d never guess she was ever a preemie. God bless you all. Please keep the GAW fam updated! 🙏
We tell ourselves he is still cooking, just in a different oven. He's perfectly healthy, but Brady's keeping him in place. I'm certain he's in route home soon, just hoping they can withstand the journey.
It really is an amazing experience to see what CAN be for preemies now, though heartwrenching at the same time. The rollercoaster is the hardest part: having a date to head home and then it gets changed, no real ability to plan ANYTHING right now, all the pins-n-needles of dealing with the medical system, plus Mama is still recovering from birth--and most likely a more difficult one than anticipated. Support her all you can, as the hormone "crash" after a preemie birth is even harder on the body than the natural hormonal shift the body experiences during full term labor/delivery, esp if a c-section was involved. A strong over-the-counter bioidentical progesterone cream (available online) several times a day can really help with postpartum emotional issues that are likely to hit her after she finally gets home and has a chance to process all that has happened. Of course, do your own research on this (progesterone for postpartum depression). Of course as much rest as possible and excellent nutrition, too. They will withstand the journey--they have to!--but I have a married daughter, too (and first grandchild on the way!), and I know exactly what you mean about praying for their strength as they face the inevitable storms of life. The Lord will be faithful to strengthen them just as He has been for us older ones, but oh how we ache as we watch them struggle when circumstances are difficult.