The NICU is a tough place to be after having your baby. You look forward to that moment when you hear him cry his first cry while you look through watery eyes as they lay on your chest for the first time. I knew before my boys were born I wouldn't get that moment, and I thought I was OK with it until that moment was actually here. They were taken to the NICU where they would spend the first 10 days of their lives.
The NICU and I had a love hate relationship. I knew my boys were getting the best care possible, the nurses handled the night feedings and did all the heavy lifting which was wonderful for my recovery. The nurses were nice they helped me learn to care for three babies and helped the babies and I develop a schedule, that would be our life line when we were home.
On the other hand it was so hard to walk away without my boys every night and stay in a hotel across the street. I missed my oldest son so much. I couldn't say his name without crying my eyes out. Those damn hormones. It was hard to see my boys being tube fed when they were having trouble eating, and the endless pokes they got every morning. But again I knew it was for their own good.
After a couple days of being in the NICU I got into a routine. I would be there by 8am every morning for their first morning feed and to get the 411 from the night nurse. Throughout the day I would rotate who I fed changed and did skin to skin with, while pumping in between. Then I would go back to my room across the street around 11pm to try and get some rest.
We had a pretty easy NICU stay we were considered growers and feeders. This ment once the boys could prove they could eat and gain weight continuously we were free and would graduate from the NICU.
But we didn't get off that easy, two of my boys Ian and Isaac had a couple "episodes" where they stopped breathing and had to be woken up and reminded to breath. That's one of the scariest things you will hear is the alarm to the machine going off that's hooked to your baby.
We got through 5 days without an "episode" and then the boys became jaundice, so we spent the next 4 days under the photo therapy lights.
Ten days is great for triplets it still felt like we were there for so long. I just wanted my family back together. I hadn't seen Isaiah for two weeks, Gabe was working everyday and would stay home since the hospital was too far and my three babies were across the street. Thank god for my sister staying with me or I think I would have gone crazy!
It was the greatest feeling in the world when the babies passed their car seat challenges and we walked out of the NICU with our boys for the last time. We loaded them up and we drove home. Our oldest son was there waiting for us and waiting to meet his brothers for the first time!
