Violet's NICU Adventure- Part 2

Following the ambulance to Tampa was incredibly hard. I basically sobbed the whole time. Even though I knew she would be okay- we were reassured that at the ER several times- knowing my brand-new baby was in an ambulance ahead of me in a scary isolette was exceptionally tough on me. Poor Jason, who had been awake as long as I had, was so tired, and I was worried about him. But he was a trooper and managed the drive safely. Occasionally, on I-75, another car would get between us and the ambulance, and I would have this instant reaction, like, "Get out of the way!! Don't you know you're separating a mother and her new baby? That's my baby in there!"

When we arrived in Tampa 90 minutes later, we had to park in the garage while the ambulance could unload elsewhere. It took us a bit to get in, then we went up to the 4th floor to the NICU. We were told to do a three-minute scrub every time we entered the ward. The NICU at Tampa General is quite big, and every baby has a private room. It's not at all like those wards you see on TV that are rows of isolettes. We were shown to Violet's room, which was in Room 4365 in the Turtle hall, (every hall is a sea creature.) She was already set up in her warmer and was attended by her nurse, Danielle, whom we could not have loved more. It was later in the day, because Danielle worked 7pm-7am, but I'm not completely sure of the time.

Danielle and the nurse practitioner were very reassuring. I kept stroking Violet's head, still covered in vernix from her birth that very morning. The warmer was beating down on her, and it was so hot to put your hands in there with her. I don't think they allowed us to hold her yet. She was sleeping peacefully- we heard she slept the whole trip there when we ran into the transport RN, Summer, in the halls later. Danielle was amazing from the start. She told us that we could rely on her for anything we needed. I had a splitting headache. Now I realize that I was probably dehydrated.

Jason and I went downstairs after a bit to get something to eat. I was so sore that the walk was quite a challenge. I had to keep reminding myself that I had just given birth that morning. Every part of me was hurting, especially my head and back. The hospital has a 24-hr McDonald's on the first floor. I inhaled a large McNugget meal hardly without thinking. I knew that I needed food, and I really wanted to be back with Violet. Jason and I parted ways after that. He had to check into the Ronald McDonald house before 9pm. He and I agreed that he would come relieve me at 3am.

I went back up to the NICU to find a freshly washed Violet. Danielle was fawning over her soft hair that stuck up in all directions. It really was adorable. She swaddled her and let me hold her. She even offered to take pictures.

Danielle had shown us earlier how to read the monitors- her heart rate, her respiration, her blood pressure, her oxygenation. I was not allowed to nurse her at all. She was on an IV with antibiotics and fluids, but they didn't want her to eat for fear that with her tachypnea (fast breathing), she would aspirate fluids. Danielle made sure that I had a hospital pump to make sure that I didn't lose any ground. I pumped (no milk yet) and at midnight I climbed into the reclining chair that Danielle had brought in. It folded all the way down, and Danielle brought me sheets and pillows. I slept for the first time in 48 hours.

My head was still hurting so badly that I awoke at 2:30am. Violet was a little fussy, so I held her some more. I asked Danielle if she thought they would let me nurse her. She looked at the monitor and said, "She's still tachypnic, so they won't let her eat." Then she looked at me pointedly, and said, "I'm just going to leave and close the door." She really wasn't letting me take a risk- I didn't have any milk yet. But she was struggling to eat because of the tube down her mouth. Because she was on oxygen through a cannula in her nose, they had a tube down her mouth to suck air out if she got bloated. So she couldn't get real suction. When Danielle checked on us, I told her how hard it was with the tube, and she said, "Well, babies accidentally pull those out all the time." Then she pulled it out. I could have kissed her! I texted Jason and asked him to get me some painkillers at Walgreens before we changed shifts. He arrived around 4am with Advil. He told me the Ronald McDonald House was pretty close, but that there were some odd people hanging around the route and that he would drive me back.

The Ronald McDonald House is an incredible thing. They were so helpful to us and we were only there two nights. What they do for these families whose babies spend months in the NICU is unreal. Jason showed me around briefly. There's a kitchen and anything that is not marked with a family's name is free to eat. I actually ate breakfast there both days. They have laundry rooms, and a different group comes in every night to make dinner for the residents. There are playrooms for the kids and a playground outside. The room is very similar to a hotel room and even has Sleep Number beds. They suggest a 10 dollar a night donation, and every day you have to do a chore. Our chore was to clean the library bathroom, which Jason took care of both mornings. It was such a blessing to not have to worry about where we would stay. I slept there from 6 to 9am while Jason kept watch over Violet.

The next morning, when I arrived on the ward, I met Sue, our nurse for the day. We were still in the hall when she said, "You just gave birth yesterday? You look amazing!" One of the other nurses yelled down the hall, "Of course she does! She went to a birthing center! Those birthing center moms always look better than those of us who have been drugged up and cut open!" That really reinforced exactly why I had made that choice.

Violet was in great shape and her breathing was settling every minute. Her oxygenation was really good, so the cannula was out. It was amazing seeing more and more things come off of her. In the afternoon, my parents, Charlotte, and Jason's mom made the ride to Tampa to see us. It was a struggle for a while, because only four visitors are allowed with Violet at a time, and Jason and I are visitors. So we did a lot of shuffling and rearranging of visitors to get everyone to see her. At Tampa General, even Charlotte was allowed to see her. She kissed her and kept saying, "Aw- she's so cute!" At 4:30, the lactation consultant came to help me out, and Jason took everyone to the Ronald McDonald House to show them around. Apparently, Charlotte fell down the front stairs and scraped her knee up, but she was brave! She even said, "I want to try to go down the stairs again so I don't fall down."

Violet had her second hearing screen. She had failed the first one for one ear, but that's normal because of leftover fluid. She passed the second screen. I was able to get her settled and meet the family in the hospital McDonald's for dinner. It was so nice to sit with Charlotte on my lap. After dinner, it was time for our visitors to go. Charlotte was so upset to leave me that she was sobbing. We made a scene; I'm not going to lie. We were standing outside the McDonald's and I was holding her and we both were crying. People were actually passing us and saying, "Awww."

My dad was able to distract her enough that they could go, but I cried all the way upstairs.

This night was similar to the night before. Jason went to sleep at the Ronald McDonald House and I slept a little in the "bed" in the room. Then I slept at the house from 6-9. I woke up with milk! It was great to finally be able to feed her. This last day was a lot of waiting around. We knew that the 48 hour cultures were due around 2pm. If they were clear, we could go. I was just happy that I was finally able to button all the buttons on her sleeper, because she had had so much stuff on her that we couldn't get it on all of her extremities until then. This was a Monday, and therefore the first time I realized that Tampa General is a teaching hospital. The interns were there, and we got to hear the doctor discussing Violet's case during rounds. It was pretty cool.

At 2, we heard that everything was good- her cultures were clear, which meant that it was definitely transient tachypnea, and not an infection. This is what we were told all along, but now it was factual. They started the discharge process. The nurse, Lolita, helped us pack up and included all the diapers, the thermometer and lots of other things. All the monitors came off and the last to go was the IV. I was indescribably happy to see that go. Jason went to get the car, and a "tech" came to wheel her down. Putting her in that car was an incredible relief. We stopped for a drive-thru dinner on the way home and later that night finally (finally!!) returned home with our sweet baby girl.

Back at the birthing center, I was thrilled that I could go home so early. I was ecstatic that I wouldn't have to spend two days in the hospital. And look what happened- we spent two days in the hospital. What is wonderful is that because I wasn't a patient at a Citrus County hospital, I was able to travel to Tampa. My poor baby (and poor Jason) would have been in Tampa without me. It really worked out the best it could in every way.

We really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers as we went through this. It was super scary, but it could have been much worse. There were babies at that NICU that had been there for months. I overheard one nurse say "Neurology called and wants an ultrasound of her head" about a little patient. Those are the little ones who really need prayers! And their poor families, who deal with terror and uncertainty everyday, I can't imagine how that feels. But it makes what the Ronald McDonald House does all the more special. Next time you visit McDonald's, drop in a few coins for Violet and all her former neighbors!