Child's Birth Year
2021

State/Province/Territory
Virginia

NICU Hospital for my journey
Falls Church

My NICU Graduate's Journey
I was 28 weeks when Lil'Bit (Penelope) was born at 2 lbs. 5 oz. I had complications due to Diabetes and my age (41 at the time). We spent 3 months in NICU. My husband was unfortunately in Quarantine. We had to call the head of the hospital to get permission to temporarily change my support person to my mother so I wasn't alone during the birth. My husband kept in constant contact during my 2 week stint in the hospital prior to the c-section. But none of it was as emotional as those 3 months in NICU. We visited almost every day. We spent my husband's birthday, our first fathers day and mothers day in NICU, but all we cared was that we spent it together. We look back now and feel so lucky. Being first time parents we got an opportunity that most parents do not. We called it bootcamp parenting. The NICU nurses were amazing and were so open to answering questions and showing how to bathe, feed, etc. My advice to future Parents going through this: Take advantage of the opportunities, Ask questions, not just the how but the why. Questions about future developement. They are there and more accessible to you then most parents get. example: How to know when to start potty training? Why can't they have peanuts the first year? It's okay to not know these things. Because we are doing it for them. <3

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
I have a co-worker that also had a NICU baby and we joke, "There's just something about those NICU babies" and laugh, but when I was going through it he told me that the babies that go through NICU are just nicer. Like they started in this world in some crazy way, so it takes a lot for them to get startled, and as my girl has grown and she's 3 now, I see it. She's my tough little ninja and I love it. NICU graduates are strong and they came into this world proving it.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
2lbs 5oz

Weeks Gestation
28 weeks

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