Bringing Home the NICU
I’m thrilled to be continuing the “Bringing Home Baby” series today! If you missed our little introduction, be sure to check it out here!
I want to mention a few pertinent thoughts before we dive into this great adventure together. First of all, just like the birth and development of even full-term babies, all preemies are unique. Their NICU experience, medical treatment, and care plans depend heavily on the time frame of their birth and subsequent individual progress. My account of preemie care cannot speak for the preemie family at large, for everyone’s experience is so very unique. All the same, I believe you will be able to appreciate some general care concerns shared among preemie families.
Furthermore, you’ll find these writings may not be limited to parents of premature babies. The NICU cares for all kinds of patients with respiratory problems, infections, congenital heart defects, jaundice, etc. There are many families who have walked the NICU life for reasons other than a baby’s prematurity, and they, too, can appreciate the challenges of caring for a little one beyond the hospital scene. In many instances, my choice phrase of “preemie family” can easily be interchanged with “NICU family.”
Lastly, my articles will conclude with a list of practical ways in which you can you can serve and edify a preemie family in need. My prayer is that you might be well equipped in the opportunity to minister to such a family, one day. The preemie experience allows you to watch the growth of a little one in such a special way. May we be a people of faith who, in turn, better understand grace and growth in Christ because of this unique example.
And without further ado, let’s take a look at what I like to call, bringing home the NICU!
When you have spent several days, weeks, and months immersed in the NICU environment, diving into home life can feel awkward, unfamiliar, and unsettling. To better appreciate a preemie’s hospital to home transition, one must first understand several facets of NICU life.
The NICU provides their tiny patients with excellent 24/7 care and the security of continuous monitors that measure heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. The first days of hearing all these alarms go off are terrifying and heart-wrenching. You don’t quite understand all the numeric figures yet, and you don’t know what else to think except the very worst. The alarms soon become familiar and comforting, as you learn their meaning and patterns and grow to rely on their signal of distress.
We faced one particularly numbing incident in the NICU where Jackson experienced a bad “breathing episode”, as they called it, while I was holding him. I won’t expound on the details, but the event was very traumatic for me as a mom. It became a significant setback for us in a many ways.
You can probably imagine the fear that tugged at me as Jackson’s monitors were removed on our discharge day. This was totally new territory to me. I remember laying my hand along Jackson’s side throughout the drive home from the hospital, just to be sure I could feel him breathing. I worried incessantly over his breathing ability at home, so much so, that I invested in a Snuza, a small, portable monitor designed to detect a baby’s movement. Using this device was honestly the only way I could comfortably sleep while Jackson did in our first 3-4 months at home. I was relieved and thankful to have it.
In addition to security, the NICU is a place of order. This order is manifested through all kinds of routines, procedures, and scheduling. We grew accustomed to precisely scheduled “care times” every 2-3 hours, where we were able to assist with Jack’s vital checks, diaper changes, and feedings. Each and every diaper was weighed to track and ensure proper output from feedings. Feedings were measured carefully by “cc’s” (a metric unit equal to a milliliter) and increased ever so gradually by the day. All of the care time details were recorded by hand in Jackson’s file.
These NICU procedures seemed to naturally creep their way into our home life. We found ourselves taking Jackson’s temperature several times a day, making careful note of diaper output, timing feeding spans precisely every 3 hours, and tracking milk volumes down to the last milliliter. We meticulously recorded temperatures, weight gains, feedings, and changed diapers in a baby journal that we kept for several months. We were convinced these were necessary baby care methods, as we had lived this way for nearly 7 weeks.
In preparing for our hospital discharge, we learned that a very common reason for a preemie’s NICU re-admittance is due to problems stemming from poor temperature regulation. Our doctors strongly encouraged us to be diligent in keeping our baby warm. We took this advice to heart, and our little Jackson was always, (and I mean, always) layered in a onesie, socks, and sleeper, wrapped snuggly in a thin swaddling blanket, bundled in one or two thick baby blankets, and topped with a knit hat. If his temperature was off by a few tenths of a degree, we’d adjust his layers to help him reach body temperature—just like we did in the NICU.
I’ll never forget our first visit to the pediatrician when a sweet nurse asked me to remove Jack’s clothes for a weight check. I just stared at her blankly. “My baby will get cold,” I thought. “He’ll get sick; I can’t do that!” (In all fairness, we’d barely been out of the NICU 24 hours, and I hadn’t yet been introduced to this common procedure.) As I expressed my concern, our nurse was kind enough to understand my hesitation and helped me wrap Jackson in two blankets as we scurried him safely to and from the scale. I’m sure she thought I was crazy, but it was a huge deal to me.
We thankfully never had to return to the NICU for any reason, but the NICU still stayed with us in many ways. I would encourage you to be sensitive to the needs of preemie families in their hospital to home transition. They are anxiously feeling out a “new normal” while trying to preserve what once was a safe, orderly, and familiar place.
Be patient and loving to them as they adjust to being home. Respect the time they need to grow into their new routines and surroundings.
Gift them some reading material or music that would minister well to them. An iTunes gift card along with a specific purchase recommendation would be just as thoughtful. (Anything that can be enjoyed while still holding a sweet baby is an added plus! I personally love audio books/devotionals and music for this purpose.)
Create some special verse cards they can post around the house. These verses can be just the encouragement a parent needs getting ready for yet another diaper change or feeding. Those of you who are especially crafty, consider making some decorative cards that might accent the baby’s room and, later on, become memory book treasures.
Remember the preemie parents have been practically living at the hospital up until the point of going home. They probably haven’t had time to fully prepare for this little one, and that is a great burden to them. So, be ready to serve! Make them a meal. Do dishes. Fold some laundry. Buy groceries and run errands. These are rich acts of kindness they will cherish far greater than any other baby gift.
Remind these dear ones of how far they’ve come. It’s so easy to forget God’s blessings, when we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the future.
Allow them to voice their insecurities. Listen to them, and respond lovingly with grace. As they share their struggles, take the opportunity to pray with them.
Most of all, be ready to encourage them in Truth, so they may combat their fears with the power that Christ alone provides. Their need is ultimately only one Christ can fulfill, but you can have such a significant part in ministering grace to them. Be faithful to point them to Jesus. Pray fervently that Christ would pour out His grace on their weary hearts and do a mighty work through it.
