NICU Tour!

Today we had our NICU meeting with a Neonatalogist, head nurse and then a tour of the NICU, Labor and Delivery and Postpartum.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous, even though I have shadowed in a unit when I was a freshman in college and on the Neonatal Nursing path, but obviously I am not a Neonatal nurse (I couldn't pass Chemistry, so social work it was for me, and that was God's plan for my life and I don't regret it one bit). But, it's just not the same when you think about your own babies in the NICU.

We met with the doctor first, which he was super nice and so knowledgeable. He and the head nurse answered all of our questions and went through everything imaginable that the girls could go through between if they were born today all the way to 35 weeks. Of course if they stay in until 34 weeks 6 days, there is a lot less that could go wrong--we hope. But of course even with a full-term baby at 40 weeks, things can go wrong, so I was glad to hear all of the things that could happen and what could be expected.

They went through all the labor and delivery things, the "teams" for each baby and that it will be a very packed delivery room. No matter what day the girls are born, they will 100% go straight to the NICU for monitoring for however long they need. Until they are breathing room air, they will not go home. The soonest they could go home would be 35 weeks, hence the reason why I wanted to have them the day before 35 weeks. I will stay in the hospital for 3-4 nights and if all goes well they very well could go home with. (keeping our fingers crossed)

We took the tour of the NICU, which was amazing. Everything was so quiet and I was so glad to see that all the girls would be placed together and we would have our own little section of the NICU, which was super private and huge. This is clearly not the first set of multiples that have been born there, so they are very well prepared.

Of course we have to leave them there and go home, we can come at any time of the day or night, spend the night, call 300 times a day if we want, bring anyone we want as long as we escort them, and so on. I was very glad to hear all of this. It made me feel very comfortable. Plus the hospital is only 20 minutes from our house.

The postpartum area was very nice too. Huge room and a private setting, each room is for only one family.

The whole thing really made my heart calm. I know we all will be in good hands and in a personal and loving setting.

I know it will seem like tomorrow when we are back, but I have a lot of confidence that I will make it to 34w6d, even with all the contractions every day. I am not one to freak out, and many of my contractions are very close together, but I HOPE I can make it all the way to my C-section date! Positive thinking!!! Still 9 weeks and 5 days away, it seems like tomorrow and I'm sure when I walk into Labor and Delivery on January 10th, it will have felt like we did this tour a week earlier!

Can't wait to meet these little girls!