Child's Birth Year
2004

State/Province/Territory
Michigan

NICU Hospital for my journey
University of Michigan Mott’s Children Hospital

My NICU Graduate's Journey
I was diagnosed with preeclampsia during my pregnancy. I live in Jackson Mi, one day I went for my prenatal appointment and my B/P was 190/100. I was rushed to the hospital where I gradually just start swelling up, the hospital in Jackson immediately had me transferred to U of M. When I arrived they tried to induce me but baby heart rate kept dropping, so they had to do an emergency c section, my baby didn’t cry when she came out and I was so scared. They had to rush her to the Nicu, she wasn’t breathing, they put her on a ventilator thankfully she was only on the vent for one day and then put on oxygen, She was in the hospital for a month and a half. She weighed 2 pounds and 6oz at birth she was so small. The nurses told me she was the best baby in the nicu even though she was the smallest. She was on a feeding tube and had a couple desats when they would feed her with the bottle so that was discouraging but When she finally got the sick swallow breath technique down with her feedings they let me take her home at 4 pounds 2 oz. She was and is my Miracle baby. I was 31 weeks when I had her. Now she’s 19 years old, she graduated high school last year and she is a remarkable young lady, I am proud and thankful to be her Mom.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
What make me proud is that she beat the odds, their are a lot of preemie babies that don’t make it, or if they do make it they have a lot of health problems. It is truly a blessing that my baby just needed to get bigger so she could come home. She was doing so well in the nicu the nurses would tell me she’s the best baby in the unit and she’s the smallest. That made my heart smile, she was so alert as small as she was it was amazing seeing her lift her head up and turn it side to side all by her self in the incubator. I looked forward to giving her her baths when I came to visit. The day they called and told me I could bring her home was one of the Happiest days of my life. She is my Miracle.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
2lbs 6 oz

Weeks Gestation
31

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Day, Month, or Year)
2 months