NICU

We were still sitting on the bed when the life flight team from Murray hospital came in. Their diagnosis was that it was most likely pneumonia. Her breathing terrified me, and it was the confirmation I needed that it was necessary for us to take her to the NICU. They gave her an IV to start antibiotics right away, and put her in the emergency incubator, and pushed her out to the ambulance.

I was able to drive with her, while Chase followed. We were so unprepared for this situation. We were only expected to stay at the birthing center for no more than 4 hours, so we didn't pack anything to stay the night anywhere. 

When we got to the NICU, they all sat down in a circle and talked through what happened and what was going to happen, it was already completely different from Lillie's NICU stay. We felt comfort from the doctors and nurses. All of our questions were answered from the beginning. 

Although she was on oxygen, she still wasn't getting enough, so they put her on a CPAP not long after we got there, to force the air into her lungs. 

My parents and Chase's parents came to visit with Lillie and Jennifer. I was so grateful to be able to hold Lillie for a little bit before my parents took her back to their place. She gave me strength to push through the rest of the week. 

Edith's doctor allowed us to stay in one of the suites the first night, which relieved a lot of my stress. I couldn't leave my baby I had just given birth to the first night. I would have slept in the rocking chair if I had to.

The progress with Edith happened quickly, the next day she was off of her CPAP (which we were all grateful for, especially her I'm sure), and then put on regular oxygen. 

The next day she was able to go on room air, which allowed her feeding tube to be put through her nose instead of her mouth, so that I could finally start nursing her. 

She was then moved to a crib, and her IV was moved from her head to her hand (which didn't last long, poor girl.)

First smile.

The next day the feeding tube came out, and she was strictly nursing. After that it was simple; eat, sleep, poop, repeat. We were only waiting for her antibiotics to be done. 

We were hoping for a 5 day treatment, but if pneumonia isn't completely taken care of, it has a 50% re-occurance rate, and they didn't want to take the chance, so we ended out staying the whole 7 days. Because the life flight team started antibiotics on the night she was born, we were able to be discharged Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning, which was a blessing. 

 No more feeding tube, no more gagging, just waiting on that dang IV.

We had so many nurses and doctors rooting for us. They put as a priority, and we felt it. If I ever have another NICU baby, I hope it's at Murray. 

I know that Heavenly Fathers hand was through this entire experience now looking back. If my placenta had detached just fine, we would have gone home and they wouldn't have caught the pneumonia. We probably would have gone to sleep, and she could have passed away while we were sleeping do to the lack of oxygen getting to her lungs. That is a terrifying thought. 
If we hadn't switched to the birthing center last minute (at 38 weeks), I wouldn't have delivered her in a smaller hospital, and her NICU experience would have been similar to Lillie's, which I couldn't have handled. Instead we were sent to Murray where we had an amazing experience.