She's so heavy....

Days 50, 51, and 52

Weight- 2lbs 6 oz
Oxygen- 1.75 liters nasal cannula!
Diaper preference- Pampers preemie size
Disposition- Stink bug

Prudence is doing so well.  We have increased feeds again and we are hoping and a praying that soon the doctors will let us start trying to "nipple" or try to bottle/breast feed her soon.  She is so funny to watch now.  She has definitely grown up in the past few weeks.  Prudence will now lay there wide awake looking around and taking her blurry world in.  And she LOVES LOVES LOVES her paci.  Oh my goodness.  You think the world was going to end if she doesn't get it.  Today she actually worked her nasal cannula into her mouth to try to suck on it and was horribly disappointed when it didn't satisfy her needs.

I think we are hopefully headed into the "feeding and growing" stage.  Hopefully we have the worst of it behind us.  But you never know.

Lucy is also warming up to little sister.  Today Lucy came in while I was doing kangaroo care with Prudence and she started giggling and becoming interested in "Poodence".


In the past few weeks I have been chewing over something in my mind.  Whether or not to bring it up.  At first I was angry.  Then I was upset.  Then I felt guilty.  But I am the kind of person that thinks certain things just need to be said.  So, I am gonna say it.

Not all preemies are created equal.  So stop assuming that.

There I said it.  And here is why.  People don't educate themselves.  Any baby born before 36 weeks is a preemie.  As I mentioned earlier, one of my best friends had a 35 weeker recently.  And he went home with them when they were discharged.  Did he need extra monitoring?  Yes.  Is he a preemie? Yes.  So the general public will happily box him and Prudence together and put a cute bow on it.  However, they are two very different preemies.  (And luckily my friend knows the difference but its easy to use as an example)

He will probably have no long term complications from his early arrival.  Sure he might have to work a bit harder starting out than some full term babies.  But his lungs work, he can eat, and overall he is in good health.  Babies born about 5 weeks earlier than him, well they need help with the feeding and probably a little lung help.  Babies born 10 weeks earlier than him, well they just are in no way ready to live in this world.

SO please.  Stop assuming that since you spent 2 days in the NICU, that you know.  Don't think because you spent a month in the NICU, that you know.  Really when they were born doesn't matter.  The weeks don't matter.  A full term mom can have a baby that is born sicker than a 30 week baby.  And until you have watched your baby struggle to breath, to lay there not breathing for half a minute which seems like eternity.  When you use the words "grey is not a pretty color for your skin sweet heart" because you have gotten used to her apnea episodes.  Until you have had to see and deal with some pretty unimaginable things, then you don't know.  Not all preemies just need to gain some weight and then go home.  So please stop assuming and listen when NICU mommies talk.  You might just gain some perspective.