Oh, the Stories NICU Parents Can Tell...
February 7, 2011 · No Comments
NorthBay Shares the Best Tales
of Babies’ First Days
Last summer, to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of NorthBay Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), parents were asked to share their birth stories. All 17 stories can be read here.
Twins Arrive Early and Need Special Care
Susan Cahoon and her husband were living in Vacaville when they got news of their first pregnancy. “My husband, who was originally from Vacaville, had just finished school to become a physician’s assistant. I am a nurse and worked in NorthBay Medical Center’s ICU/PCU. We were very excited to welcome our first child into the world. However, in December of 2004 we discovered we would not be welcoming one baby, but two!
“I was 33 and 1/2 weeks at the time of our delivery. We came to NorthBay at 10 p.m. on April 6, 2005. Alyssa was born first, to a room full of doctors, nurses, students, anesthesiologists, and the ever-important NICU nurses, to care for the girls. A team of nurses for each of my girls made me feel so much better about our early delivery. Alyssa was able to be passed to me for a short period of time before we prepared for Brianna. She was beautiful, so much more than I could imagine. She arrived vaginally weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces, with no complications at birth. After Alyssa came, the nurses were already checking on Brianna to make sure she was head down for delivery.
“The doctor ruptured my fluid for Brianna and for a brief moment I could see the outline of Brianna’s form through my skin before she was delivered. Brianna joined us exactly six minutes after Alyssa at 10:46 a.m. She was also born vaginally. Brianna weighing 5 pounds,
5 ounces, was also a beautiful baby, but was not as lucky as Alyssa and needed the tender, devoted care of her NICU nurses more. Brianna had premature lungs and ended up on CPAP for the first 24 hours and then was intubated for the second 24 hours.
“Because I am an R.N., I expected myself to respond to the situation as such. Being a first-time mom, I was not ready for the flood of emotions that came upon me as I saw my girls needing so much help to live! Each time the alarms would ring, they would remind me that I did not need to worry, that I was a mom, not a R.N. right now. They welcomed me to sit beside the girls the whole day if I wished. As the girls grew and improved, they encouraged our care of them more and more. I am certain that my husband and I would not have been as confident in our care of our twins were it not for the support of these ladies!
“Eighteen days after Alyssa and Brianna were delivered, we were able to take them home together! We have since moved back to Pennsylvania, but are so grateful to have delivered our girls at NorthBay. Today we are preparing them to start Kindergarten! They are five years old, and do not look like they were ever preemies.”
Transplant Patient Couldn’t Believe the News
Jennifer Britton of Vacaville wanted to be a mom her entire life, but health problems made that dream unlikely. She found out at a young age that she would mostly likely not ever conceive. First, her periods were erratic. Second, at age 19 she received a liver transplant.
As she tells her story: “So after several years of marriage, I really was stunned when in 2004 my friends started telling me they thought I was pregnant. My chest was growing bigger, I was losing weight because I was always feeling ill, and I could drink a gallon of milk in about five minutes, and did, often at 2 a.m.”
After undergoing routine tests related to her liver transplant, she received the startling news: Her pregnancy had already progressed five months.
“I was stunned. Really stunned,” she wrote. So was her husband. Then she saw the ultrasound of her son. “That is the day my life changed,” Jennifer says. “There is not a day that I do not look at my son and think about that day.”
Tony Britton Davis was born a month early and spent three weeks in the NICU.
First Days in an Incubator
Maria Abueg of Vallejo gave birth to her son, Justin, above, by emergency c-section at a Vallejo hospital last year. Because of complications, including meconium aspiration, he was sent to NorthBay Medical Center’s NICU for advanced care.
“It was dreamlike to go through the events so quickly,” she wrote. “Wasn’t I supposed to still be in labor? Instead I was looking at Justin lying in the transfer incubator. I hadn’t touched him yet. The nurse in charge of the transfer reassured me that he would get to the NICU safely. For two days, as I recovered, Justin gained independence from his oxygen support, and the new daddy shuttled between two cities to make sure we were both okay. He was grateful to the NorthBay NICU department and grandparents who were allowed to guard our newborn and his oxygen helmet.
“Near the end of Day 3, I finally made it to the NICU. I held my baby for the first time along with all his monitoring wires.”
A Shocking Defect Revealed
Faith Seibert of Vacaville gave birth to her son, Ruger Troy Seibert, in 2009, at only 35 weeks. “Aside from being small, Ruger was beautiful and healthy,” Faith wrote. “He didn’t cry much and took to breast feeding very quickly. NorthBay doctors in the NICU were happy and even a little surprised by how well he was doing. At eight days old they agreed to let us do the overnighter at the hospital, and if all went well, he’d be going home the next day.
“As my husband and I prepared for the stay, the NICU doctors were doing their last physical check up of Ruger. The doctor wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard a slight heart murmur. To be on the safe side, they called in the pediatric cardiologist. To everyone’s surprise, there was indeed a problem. Ruger had a heart defect, transposition of the greater vessels, and he would need open heart surgery immediately.”
Arrangements were quickly made and Ruger was picked up and transported to Children’s Hospital in Oakland by helicopter.
“It was the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through, watching our son be flown away in a tiny incubator,” she remembers. “As we gathered our son’s few belongings from the NorthBay NICU, we received hugs and sweet words of support from all the shocked nurses and doctors.
“Ruger underwent open heart surgery at just 10 days old. The operation was successful but the road to recovery was long, hard and painful. While in Oakland the NorthBay nurses and doctors checked up on our family and even helped to get Ruger back to NorthBay for the remainder of his hospital time so that he could be closer to home.”
An Early Start Doesn’t Stop Her Boy From Thriving
Michelle Bence of Vacaville gave birth to her son, Nicholas, in 1986, two months early. “I was rushed to the hospital, for unknown reasons, my water was leaking,” Michelle wrote. “It was explained that our baby would be born ‘premature’ and would need to go to the NICU after birth. Dr. David Johnson and Dr. Richard Bell soon arrived, explaining they would be caring for our baby in the NICU. When our beautiful baby boy was born on Nov. 12, my husband and I cried with tears of joy for our precious little boy.
“Dr. Bell, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Kramer and our wonderful nurses, Nancy, Mary Lou, Leslie, Sandy, Brenda and Jackie always explained what was happening and what to expect. They calmed our fears and worries with their expert mannerisms and professionalism. We had nothing but positive encouragement from these very special people.
“From the moment we came home, our little boy grew and thrived and caught up to children his age very quickly. The milestones passed: crawling, walking, talking, preschool and friendships. Kindergarten, and then grade school with all the extra-curricular activities. High school came quickly with his driver’s license, dances, friends and employment.
“Nicholas now stands six feet tall, attends Sacramento State University, has a fiancée and prepares to graduate with honors this coming May, 2011, and his wedding following in the summer. Nicholas is such a respectful, caring, loving, smart, funny young man bringing us so much love and joy. Our Nicholas is truly our miracle.”
Rachael’s Journey
By Amy Peare, Dixon, CA
It was a routine morning for me on May 8, 2007. I woke up in the morning for work. It was then that I noticed something was wrong. I rushed frantically to the emergency room at NorthBay Medical Center. Immediately, I was admitted to labor and delivery. I thought to myself, “This can not be, I am only 24 weeks pregnant!”
Nurses wheeled me down for an ultrasound; my baby had a heartbeat and was moving all around. The doctor performed an examination and told me that I was 10cm dilated and would be delivering this baby within one to seven days. He then told me about all the problems my baby could have, and that a c-section would be necessary to give the baby the best chance of survival. Shortly after, the neonatologist came in to speak with me about what type of life my baby might face, as well as survival rates.
Rachael was born later that evening via emergency c-section. She weighed 1lb 7oz, and was 11 ¾ inches long. When she was born, her cry sounded like that of a kitten. The doctor yelled “Mom, it’s a girl!” and whisked her away to stabilize her. After she was stabilized, a transport team from Oakland Children’s Hospital came to pick her up. The medical team wheeled her into my hospital room and I was able to get my first look at her before transportation.
Throughout her NICU stay, she endured many things. First off, her PDA vessel was open, but it closed after two rounds of medication. Next, when she was just a week old, her neuro-ultrasound revealed devastating news. Rachael had bi-lateral intraventricular hemorrhages. She had a “grade 3 to 4” on the right side and a grade 2 on the left, which later resulted in Hydrocephalus and PVL. Her prognosis worsened, but I never gave up on her. The plan was to shunt her when she was more stable. Rachael received over 15 blood transfusions, and was on several different ventilators for more than eight weeks. She began to use a bottle when she was 3 and a half months old, and she came off her supplemental oxygen at 4 months old. After 136 long days in the NICU, Rachael came home on vitamins and an apnea monitor! After years of therapy and appointments, Rachael is a happy and healthy pre-schooler!
Our Precious Boy is Planning His Wedding
By Michelle Bence, Vacaville, CA
On November 12, 1986, our son, Nicholas Allen Bence, was born at NorthBay Medical Center and lived for the first month of his life in the NICU. Our Nicholas was eight weeks premature, weighing 3 lbs., 13 ounces and measuring 17 inches long. November 12, 2010 will mark his 24th birthday.
On May 30, 1986, my husband and I celebrated the news of my pregnancy. Our baby was due Jan. 12, 1987. My pregnancy progressed as we prepared ourselves for the arrival of our baby. On Nov. 9, I was rushed to the hospital because, for unknown reasons, my water was “leaking.” It was explained that our baby would be born “premature” and would need to go to the NICU after birth. Dr. David Johnson and Dr. Richard Bell soon arrived, explaining they would be caring for our baby in the NICU. When our beautiful baby boy was born on November 12, my husband and I cried with tears of joy for our precious little boy as he was rushed to the NICU.
Dr. Bell, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Kramer and our wonderful nurses, Nancy, Mary Lou, Leslie, Sandy, Brenda and Jackie always explained what was happening and what to expect. They calmed our fears and worries with their expert mannerisms and professionalism. We had nothing but positive encouragement from these very special people.
From the moment we came home, our little boy grew, thrived and "caught up" to children his age very quickly. The milestones passed: Crawling, walking, talking, preschool and friendships. Kindergarten, then grade school with all the extra curricular activities like Karate, soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming and scouts. High school came quickly with his driver’s license, dances, friends and employment. As Nicholas walked down the football field to graduate from High School, tears of joy fell from my eyes, reflecting over the past years, how quickly they had gone by, memories, forever ingrained in my heart, so proud of our young man.
Nicholas now stands six feet tall, attends Sacramento State University, has a fiancée and prepares to graduate with honors this coming May, 2011, and his wedding following in the summer. Nicholas is such a respectful, caring, loving, smart, funny young man bringing us so much love and joy. Our Nicholas is truly our miracle.
Thank you North Bay Medical Center, NICU, with all our hearts,
Sarah Bailey Tells Her Own Story
Pleasant Hill, CA
When people ask me about my life, I usually jokingly tell them to listen to Reba McEntire's "I'm a Survivor," but here's the whole story.
Walking through Safeway's doors at 23 weeks, my mom's water broke. Trying to keep calm at the state she was in and the concern she felt at how early I was coming, she drove herself to NorthBay Medical Center. Soon after she was admitted and had meetings with her doctor. He warned her of the 90 percent chance of my fatality. He recommended her to keep her stress down, while they tried to hold off labor and hopefully get in a few rounds of steroids to help form my organs faster.
A downward spiral could have been the result of the news that hit my mother next. Her brother, Tom, died of a heart attack. But with the support of our close-knit family and a few sessions with grief counselors at the hospital, her stress level didn't cause any harm.
After spending around a month in the delivery ward and after three or four rounds of steroids, my life expectancy increased to a 45 percent chance of life. My family was warned that if in fact I made it through and took the breath of life, I would most likely be severely handicapped. Before the planned cesarean procedure, Dr. Bell told my mom that I wouldn't be able to cry as most new born babies do. Apparently I sounded like a kitten.
Once born, I was taken to the NICU and there I earned a name “Queen of A's and B's” from the nurses. 'A' standing for Apnea and 'B' meaning Bradycardia. Apnea is essentially when you stop breathing, while Bradycardia is the slowing of your heart beats. It's safe to say I kept the nurses busy.
My hospital stay lasted around two months after birth. The NICU has granted me not only my life, but relationships that would have otherwise never been made. Each year I have the pleasure of meeting my oldest friend within the ward, my incubator neighbor. The nurses seem like extended family – I love seeing them at every NICU reunion and hearing them speak of how I've grown and changed since our last visit.
The Worst Best Story
By Melanie Johnson-Banovitz, Suisun, VA
My name is Melanie Johnson-Banovitz and I have the worst best birth story!
I had such a hard delivery; my daughter was sunny side up and had a short umbilical cord which made pushing very hard. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced and I have had two other children.
When I thought I couldn’t push anymore, I saw four of the best nurses on top of me with elbows trying to help me push my Leah out, and it worked! She was born on Saturday, April 17, 2010. After she was born she was having fast breathing and was admitted to the NICU.
I was heartbroken, especially going home without her. But, you know what, I felt relieved because all the doctors and nurses answered my questions -- even the ones I asked over and over. She was there for eight days, then we had her home for a week and had to take her back. She was admitted for another five days. I couldn’t believe it was happening, but the same nurses comforted my family and didn’t get annoyed with me being there 24/7! I was a NICU nurse-in-training with all my questions!
I will always remember all the people who cared for my daughter and comforted me during that difficult time. They will always be a part of my heart and the “worst best” birth experience! Thank you to all the nurses who kept me strong and made me feel safe leaving my daughter in their care.
Jonathon Felciano Completes the Family
By Kathy Felciano, Vacaville, CA
Jonathon Felciano was conceived through IVF, as I had my tubes tied after the birth of my fourth child. Then I met my husband and we decided to have one more child to unite and complete our family.
On Aug 11, 1999, Jonathon was born. I had a doctor’s appointment that day and the doctor said he was going to be a big baby. I was already 2 cm dilated for the past two months. Although I had another week to go, it was decided that I go now to the hospital.
It was a long wait for the family of six who were so very excited to see him. In the delivery room, ready to take pictures of the birth, were his brother Joseph, 17, sister Jasmin, 16, brother Dalen, 14, and brother Daniel, 11, along with their father, and grandparents...all in the room waiting for Jonathon’s arrival.
After awhile before he arrived, the doctor asked that nobody make a sound when he comes out, they did not want him to take his first breath until they were able to suction his mouth, but no such luck. Jonathon had made out with a big cry and the doctor and staff tried their best to work as fast as possible. After cleaning Jonathon up and handing him to me, the nurse had noticed he was having a hard time breathing; she said she would take him and gets him checked out. He never came back.
He had swallowed some of the meconium while in the womb. The staff at NorthBay was so very good in taking care of Jonathon. They noticed something wrong right away, and without panicking the blissfully happy family members, they were able to do what they had to. Jonathon weighed in at 9 pounds, and thanks to the great staff at NorthBay he is a happy and healthy young boy.
Landon Cruz Birth Story
By Leanne Cruz, Fort Campbell, KY
My son Landon was born six weeks early at NorthBay Medical Center on Feb.8, 2008. I had started having minor contractions and the doctor gave me some medicine to stop them. That's when everything started going downhill. Landon's heart rate started going down from 160,120,100,80, then nothing. I remember the numbers because of the nurse’s face.
They did a emergency c-section and Landon was born weighing 6 lbs., 4oz. He had problems breathing and eating and had to go on a ventilator for five days. Then, a tube was inserted into his left lung because he was breathing so hard that he tore it. The tube released the extra air so he wouldn't have collapsed lung.
After all that he was finally able to come home, four days shy of being a month old. It was the longest and hardest month of my and my husband’s life. If it wasn't for the NICU staff my Landon wouldn't be here today. He’s now 2 1/2 years old and running around like a normal 2-year-old. His dad is currently deployed to Afghanistan for a year. I am so proud of my baby.
Our Miracle Baby Ann
By Kathy Montmayor, Fairfield, CA
Imagine my surprise at when at 33 ½ weeks my water broke. My husband rushed me to Labor and Delivery at NorthBay Medical Center, where Dr. Sam Santoro told us that our baby was in fetal distress. I would need to have an emergency c-section. To our surprise, Ann was born six and a half weeks early.
The first time I saw her in the NICU, Ann was hooked up to so many monitors, IVs and even a c-pap to help her clear her lungs of CO2. I was so scared, but Dr. Berkheimer explained to us that Ann had three hurdles to jump. She needed to get rid of her CO2, regulate her own temperature and be able to breastfeed. I was pumping my breast milk every three hours, day and night, until I established my milk supply. In between I was visiting Ann or sleeping. I was exhausted.
One day Dr. Berkheimer told us that Ann wasn’t gaining weight from my breast milk. I was devastated. I couldn’t carry our baby to term or provide her with enough nourishment. Dr Berkheimer told us that this wasn’t unusual and they would simply add a supplement to make my breast milk provide her more calories. As they days progressed into weeks Ann was growing and jumping her hurdles. The day before we left, I stayed with her in a vacant room and we spent our first day and night together. We charted how many wet diapers, how many times she breastfed and for how long.
After 24 hours together, I told Dr. Berkheimer I was so nervous to take her home since she had breastfed so little. He explained that it was a new room, and it was her first time exclusively breastfeeding. My husband and I talked it over. We were first-time parents who were nervous, but anxious to take our baby home. So when Ann was 3 ½ weeks old we left the security of the nurses and doctors and took our baby home.
We look at our daughter now almost 15 months old and it’s hard to believe how she came into this world. We are so thankful to all the staff and doctors at labor and delivery and the NICU for helping us bring our miracle baby into this world.
Jennifer Kieffer is Born
By Cynthia Kieffer, Vacaville, CA
My story isn’t real scary compared to some I see now, but for me 23 years ago it was. I had only been in the medical field a few years and never even held a baby. I had to have the NICU nurses teach me what to do.
My entire labor was up and down, with a kidney stone at 23 weeks causing premature labor and admission for a week, followed by two more admissions for premature labor. They had a heck of a time trying to stop my premature contractions, but they managed to keep her inside.
Then, five weeks before my due date, my water broke, I had preeclampsia, and the baby was breach. To top it off, the doctor told me he couldn’t find the baby on the ultrasound.
Luckily, they called in another doctor and he was able to find her right away. I remember them putting an oxygen mask on me for the c-section and the drape was up so I couldn’t see what they were doing. I told them, “Don’t start cutting, I’m not asleep yet!” Of course they laughed because they knew that.
The next thing I remember was waking up in the new NICU, (which is now old NICU). It was so state-of-the-art. There were all the NICU angels and my sweet angel Jennifer was so beautiful and worth all the trouble. Thank you to all of you, for all you do.
Adnan Isbeith is Her Fifth
By Samar Isbeith, Fremont, CA
Every mother’s fear is having a child that might not be healthy. It was my fifth child and I was so exited, yet nervous at the same time. I was ready to bring in a new life even though I was worried about not knowing whether this child was going to be healthy. When I finally gave birth to my beautiful son I heard him cry thinking that he was alright, but I was wrong. My son, a new life, was not doing so well.
My doctor told me that he was having trouble breathing. I wanted to hold my child, knowing that everything was going to be okay, but instead the doctors had to help him breathe. I was frightened, I mean, my job and every other mother’s, is supposed to be to protect their baby.
For a few days it was tough, but I knew we could get through it. Day by day my beautiful baby was getting better. He was soon able to breathe on his own without a machine and I was able to take him home after a few weeks. I was so relived and ready to bring him home.
Even though my family and I had to be strong for a new family member, it was worth the strength and time. It’s weird how a family feels so connected to a new life that nobody has met, how we as a family were willing to pray and stick by him through a tough situation. Every time I think about this I know it’s a miracle and one of the most beautiful experiences that can happen in life. A true connection between a newborn and his family was made.
Family Welcomes First Girl
By Heather Petersen, Vacaville, CA
After 19 ½ hours of labor, it was time to push! After three boy baby showers, our family was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first child.
Once the doctor arrived, I started pushing. The baby wasn’t cooperating and suddenly the room filled with the NICU team. You could tell by the look on everyone’s faces that something was going horribly wrong.
Finally, at 4:56 a.m., the baby was born. It was very busy, but quiet in the room. There was no crying, just a limp baby that was passed over to the NICU team who immediately went to work trying to revive her. My husband asked, “What is it?” The doctor said, “It’s a girl!” Everyone exclaimed “A girl!”
We were so happy our baby was a girl, yet scared because there was no crying baby, only a mad dash by the NICU team to save our daughter. Later we would find out that it took 14 minutes to get her breathing.
I didn’t get a chance to see my precious angel. The last thing we heard as the team hurried out of the room was that she had a heartbeat. The umbilical cord was around her neck and she was so big that she got stuck. This caused a severe brachial plexus injury, as well as phrenic nerve damage. It was explained that she may never use her left arm and she was only breathing out of one lung.
Finally, around 11 p.m., I was wheeled over to see Shelbie for the first time. She was affectionately called “Moose” by the NICU nurses due to her weight of 8 lbs., 15 ounces. She was bruised head to toe. Her face was so swollen that you could only see the tips of her eyelashes.
The following day, I held Shelbie for the first time! It was only for a short time because she was on oxygen, a feeding tube, an umbilical IV line, and had other wires to monitor her vital signs. I had to be cautious of her floppy arm. It was completely overwhelming, but by the 11th day, we became highly knowledgeable and confident enough to take our baby girl home.
We are thankful to all of the staff who helped Shelbie, especially Kathy Smith, Shelbie’s physical therapist. We appreciate all they did for us.
Shelbie will be 12 this month and we thank God for blessing us with her! Shelbie has regained movement in her arm, breathes out of both lungs and is a 4.0 student. She is also working on her brown belt in karate and is a beautiful ballerina.
Heart Surgery at 10 Days Old
By Faith Seibert, Vacaville, CA
On October 26, 2009, Ruger Troy Seibert was born at only 35 weeks. He was 4 lbs., 7 oz., and 17 inches long. He had been “evicted” when doctors noticed his heart rate was dropping for no known reason.
Aside from being small, Ruger was beautiful and healthy. He didn’t cry much and took to breast feeding very quickly. NorthBay doctors in the NICU were happy and even a little surprised by how well he was doing. At eight days old they agreed to let us do the overnighter at the hospital, and if all went well he’d be going home the next day. As my husband and I prepared for the stay, the NICU doctors were doing their last physical check up of Ruger. The doctor wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard a slight heart murmur, which might have been nothing. Just to be on the safe side, they called in the pediatric cardiologist to listen and take a closer look. To everyone’s surprise, there was indeed a problem. Ruger had a heart defect, transposition of the greater vessels, and he would need open heart surgery immediately. It was unbelievable; really, he showed no signs at all. Doctors said had he gone home as planned he probably wouldn’t have survived another couple of days.
Arrangements were quickly made and Ruger was picked up and transported to Children’s Hospital in Oakland by helicopter. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through, watching our eight-day-old son be flown away in a tiny incubator. As we gathered our son’s few belongings from the NorthBay NICU, we received hugs and sweet words of support from all the shocked nurses and doctors who had cared for Ruger. It was then that we noticed we weren’t the only ones crying and confused. The nurses and doctors had cared for Ruger as they would have if he had been their own child and the emotions were clear to see.
Ruger underwent open heart surgery at just 10 days old. The operation was successful but the road to recovery was long, hard, and painful. Our family was separated for many weeks due to new policies in the hospitals which made it so our son couldn’t see his brother or stay with us at the hospital as Ruger recovered. While in Oakland the NorthBay nurses and doctors checked up on Ruger and our family and even helped to get him back to NorthBay for the remainder of his hospital time so that he could be closer to home.
Ruger spent his first holidays, Halloween, his big brother’s birthday and Thanksgiving in a hospital. But, thanks to everyone at NorthBay’s NICU, Ruger survived a major heart defect and was home for Christmas.
Thank you, NorthBay NICU. You saved Ruger’s life and our whole family’s.
Two Sons Gain Strength in NICU
By Elmeran Casondra Stewart, Fairfield, CA
I have a birthing story that is quite a unique one. I had my sons Nathaniel and Daniel Stewart come in to this world within a year of each other. They both were born at 35 weeks of gestational age, and were in the NICU at NorthBay. They both gave me a hard time while waiting to come in to this world, and caused me continuous pre-term contractions. I guess you can say they both were determined to enter this world, and early if need be!
They both were almost the same weight. Nathaniel 6 pounds even, and Daniel 5 pounds, 16 oz. I guess Daniel will always from now on be on the chase right behind Nathaniel. Wow, we might just have some serious competitiveness going on in the future. They are both strong little boys, and I got pregnant with both of them even though I was using protection against pregnancy.
The doctors and nurses of the NICU were unlike any professional healthcare staff that I have ever had the honor to work with. Yes, they worked with me, and helped me stay in the right frame of mind in order to take care of my babies, because when your baby is in the NICU, it is scary!
Even though I was not quite ready for these babies in my life, God blessed me abundantly! With the help and compassionate care by the NorthBay NICU they are on the path of being very strong children. Nathaniel is already showing the results of the NICU’s astounding work, because you would never know by looking at him that he was ever a NICU baby.
When Nathaniel went into the NICU in April 2009 he went in as a very sick baby. He had multiple breathing problems, including a collapsed lung. Daniel was not as sick, but he had his problems. I was very worried about his breathing and withdrawals, due to a drug that I had to use during my pregnancy.
Needless to say, I thought I was going to lose it, but the NICU staff were always there helping every step of the way and reassuring me. They made every effort to not only comfort my babies, but comfort me as well. Especially the social services staff, and in particular a person named Alma. I don’t know what I would of did without her healing words with both of my babies’ stays in the NICU.
Twins Born at 25 ½ Weeks
By Le’Yona Khalife, Vacaville, CA
The day I found out I was having twins was one of the scariest days of my life. I had no idea of how much they would change my view. I already had a six-year-old son, Khalife, and things were just getting good – a full day school! I wasn’t sure I was ready to start over, but I went with it and moved my family from Southern California to Northern.
That’s when I learned this was not your normal pregnancy, and in the time it took me to understand this news and do research on monoamniotic births, I was in the hospital giving birth.
On July 7, 2005, at 25 ½ weeks, I delivered baby boys: Khaydenn, 2 lbs. 2 oz., and Khaylenn, 2 pounds. A week after their birth we were transferred from Alta Bates to NorthBay Medical Center’s NICU. I was nervous of what was to come and never thought this could happen to me. I remembered feeling all these emotions and sometimes I couldn’t control them, as well as lots of sleepless nights.
The staff in the NICU was comforting, helpful and concerned with my family’s needs. The twins lived the first 2 ½ months of their lives in the NICU. It was a roller coaster ride for me. I know at my most frustrated times I was not the best mommy to talk to. I didn’t know what the day would bring, but the staff always assured me it would be OK, doing everything in their power to make sure it was. By the end of our stay I learned so much I thought about applying for a job in the NICU. The staff provided me with so much helpful information and resources, I don’t know where we would be without them.
We left the NICU Sept. 19, 2005 and there has never been a dull moment. The boys are now five and in kindergarten. Every day is still a battle and some of what was told to me in the NICU has come to pass, but knowing what to expect helps make it easier to deal with.
My family would like to say “Thank You” to the NICU staff at NBMC all the way down to the cleaning staff. You all are forever in our hearts and we are grateful for all the hard work you provided. We just want you to know we are thankful for you all.
NICU Helps Christopher Go Home
By Mrs. Stratton, Vacaville, CA
I had a normal healthy pregnancy. Christopher was delivered naturally and even cried when he first came out. I still remember Dr. Saavedra saying “This baby is bald!” I naturally wanted to bond immediately when the nurse offered.
Rick, my mom and mother-in-law took turns holding Chris in their arms, and everyone else peeked. A nurse reminded us between peeks to “keep him covered up,” and we did. When my father-in-law lifted the blanket, he noticed blood by his nose. My friend called for someone to help. They rushed into the delivery room, and preparing to “bag breathe” him, moved Christopher immediately to the incubator placed next to the wall near the door.
I saw his tiny body turn totally dark all over in a flash before they brought back his color. He was taken straight to the NICU to be stabilized. I cried and cried and said, “Oh God, please no, please don’t let him die. Please help him.”
We were so relieved to get to see him in the NICU. They tried to extubate him after the first day, but he had to be intubated again to help him breathe. I never heard him make another sound for at least a week. It’s all a blur now.
I visited every day, pumped breast milk for them to feed him through the tube. He had a nasal gastric tube, and we were encouraged to have an g-tube placed near his belly button.
He also kept coding blue and needing suction to clear his reflux. We were scared, but he pulled the tube out of his nose daily, so we went with the doc’s recommendation. We had the surgery to place the g-tube. That was the best decision before we got to take Chris home. He quit turning blue all the time, because they also did a Nissen wrap during surgery that made the opening in his esophagus smaller to reduce the amount of reflux that could to up and choke him. We stayed the night with Chris before he was released. I remember so many doctors, nurses, and the social worker, Yolanda, who helped put services in place that are offered for families with special needs.
At the discharge meeting, they felt it might even be too late if the heart monitor went off. He needed nursing care. We brought Chris home with a heart monitor, suction machine and feeding machine. Our first night, “Thank God,” was our only real scare as he turned blue while I held him on my shoulder in the living room. Thankfully, I was able to stay home and care for Chris, and with all the services to help (Easter Seals, Child Haven, Home Health nurse checks, NorthBay Regional Center, OT, PT and speech therapy) Chris has come a long way.
A Nurse Welcomes Twin Girls
By Susan Cahoon, Pleasant Mount, PA
My husband Stephen and I moved to California from Pennsylvania in September of 2004. My husband, who was originally from Vacaville, had just finished school to become a Physician's Assistant. I am a RN who began working in NorthBay's ICU/PCU. We discovered our pregnancy and were very excited to welcome our first child into the world. However, in December of 2004 we discovered that we would not be welcoming one baby, but two! We were overwhelmed and excited all at once.
I was 33 and 1/2 weeks at the time of our delivery. We came to NorthBay at 10 p.m. on April 6, 2005. By 10 am we were on our way to the operating room to deliver my beautiful girls! Alyssa was born first at 10:40 am, to the room full of doctors, nurses, students, anesthesiologists, and the ever important NICU nurses to care for the girls! A team of nurses for each of my girls made me feel so much better about our early delivery. Alyssa was able to be passed to me for a short period of time before we prepared for Brianna. She was beautiful, so much more than I could imagine. She arrived vaginally weighing 4 pounds 5 ounces, with no complications at birth. After Alyssa came, the nurses were already checking on Brianna to make sure she was head down for delivery.
The doctor ruptured my fluid for Brianna and for a brief moment I could see the outline of Brianna's form through my skin before she was delivered. Amazing to see her there waiting to be born! Brianna joined us exactly six minutes after Alyssa at 10:46 am. She was also born vaginally. Brianna weighing 5 pounds 5 ounces, was also a beautiful baby, but was not as lucky as Alyssa and needed the tender devoted care of her NICU nurses more. Brianna had premature lungs and ended up on CPAP for the first 24 hours and then was intubated for the second 24 hours.
Because I am an RN I expected myself to respond to the situation as such. Being a first time mom I was not ready for the flood of emotions that came upon me as I saw my girls needing so much help to live! The NICU nurses were so patient as they explained to me exactly how to hold my new babies with wires and strings attached. Each time the alarms would ring they would remind me that I did not need to worry, that I was a Mom, not a RN right now. They helped to put me at ease about calling in the night when I woke up to pump breast milk for my sweet girls. They welcomed me to sit beside the girls the whole day if I wished. As the girls grew and improved they encouraged our care of them more and more. I am certain that my husband and I would not have been as confident in our care of our twins were it not for the support of these ladies!
Eighteen days after Alyssa and Brianna were delivered, we were able to take them home together! Again, the nurses were so supportive as we made this new step. We have since moved back to Pennsylvania but are so grateful to have delivered our girls at NorthBay. Today we are preparing them to start kindergarten! They are five years old, and do not look like they were ever preemies! We have been blessed to have two more boys join our family. Caelum is 3 and Deegan is 4 months. We are grateful for the prep work the nurses at the NICU did to help us care for our family! Thank you to all the staff in the NICU.
Son Tony is a Dream Come True
By Jennifer Britton, Vacaville, CA
My whole life I wanted to be a mom. Yet I found out at a young age that I would mostly likely not ever conceive. So after several years of marriage, I really was stunned when my friends started telling my they thought I was pregnant. My chest was growing bigger, I was loosing weight because I was always feeling ill, and I could drink a gallon of milk in about five minutes, and did, often at 2 a.m.
In addition to an irregular period, I had received a liver transplant at age 19. So I ignored my friends for several months. Then one day, after doing the routine lab tests required following my transplant, I got a call from Stanford saying something was wrong. I was rejecting and needed to make the trip to Stanford, in Palo Alto, for a check-up with a member of the Adult Transplant team.
When I did the check-up, the nurse coordinator was really struggling to hold back telling me I was rejecting. Luckily, my mother had gone with me. When we were both in the room, the doctor came in and told me I was rejecting my liver. To keep it short, I was showing signs of needing to be back on the donor list. The whole way home, after learning this information, I cried. I had rejected before, and staying in the hospital for up to four weeks just wasn't what I wanted to do. Rejecting was very scary. After all, rejecting meant my body was fighting off the donated liver, and I was getting sicker and sicker. If I didn't have a transplant, or stop the rejection, I would be dead.
As requested by the transplant team that day, I made an appointment to see my local doctor for monthly check-ups. The decision to put me on the donor list was still not immediate, so I had no problem with doing the check ups.
Around May, I went in to see my doctor, and was telling the medical assistant, Maggie, about the different symptoms I had been having for a few months. Nothing I thought was related to the transplant, just maybe a bug. As she listened, she started smiling. I didn't think it was too funny. I mean, after all, my breasts hurting so badly in class that I had to slip my bra off in order to keep breathing was not funny. Then she asked me the "question."
"Jen, do you think you could be pregnant?"
I thought she was hysterical because I had never had a normal period. My "cycle" consisted of massive cramps and heavy bleeding for about two or three weeks, and then nothing for another year or so. Having my period once a year, even though heavy, really wasn't that bad – I never had to worry about going anywhere.
So, Maggie did the pregnancy test, and came back in the room with the doctor behind her, smiling so hard I thought she was going to burst. The doctor told me I was pregnant. I was stunned.
I mean really stunned.
My husband was pulled into the room and told the news and he didn't believe it either.
In order for the two of us to be truly convinced, Maggie made an appointment for me at the NorthBay Center for Women's Health in Fairfield. I can't deny, I loved the idea of being pregnant, and being a mom. I had always dreamed of having kids, and that longing had never gone away.
The doctor tried to do the vaginal ultrasound, but stopped, giving me and my husband a funny look. She said, "well, you are pregnant, but you might be a little farther along that you thought you were.”
She switched to the belly ultrasound.
There is not a day that I do not look at my son and think about that day. The doctor did the ultrasound, and then looked at me and stated very calmly: "Well, you are definitely pregnant and about five months along. Do you want to know the sex of the baby?"
That was the moment my life changed, when I saw the identifiable little body part that belonged to my son, Tony. Who is now just a bit over six years old.
He was due August 14, 2004, yet was delivered by c-section on July 3, 2004 due to my really high blood pressure – 181/121 to be exact.
Tony weighed 5.8 pounds when he was born, and stayed in the NICU for three weeks. I did not miss one feeding.
My son Tony is my angel. As I have told him as a bedtime story for six years – he chose me to be his mother. Tony and I have a bond that most people don't quite understand. He and I "get" each other, far more than any normal mother-son tie I have seen. I wasn't able to have children, and now am blessed with two.
His biological father and I have divorced, shortly before Tony turned 2, so he and I were on our own for a while until we met my fiancé.
Tony turned 6 years old the day before the Fourth of July. We still watch the fireworks near the hospital, and I tell him the story of seeing them the year he was born. The fireworks show him how he makes my heart feel every time I think of how much I love him. I am so blessed to be his mother. I never thought I would be able to be a mom. My life is so amazing with both my kids. (Jennifer had another son in 2010.)
If it weren't for the NICU nurses, who taught me how to change, feed, burp, and basically do everything, I would be lost. I had a pregnancy that as I say "lasted just three months" and it’s true. I only got to enjoy being pregnant for three months.
Writing this isn't just a way to share my story with others, it’s a way to write down Tony’s story for him to read one day. I have done it on paper. But I think this way is much better. Thank you, NICU, Mary Quinn, Lindsey and all the others whose names I have forgotten.
I hope all the NICU graduates realize just how special they are, not just to their families, and I hope the NICU staff, realize just how loved, and appreciated they are, for caring for our children, including my sweet son Tony, until I was able to take him home with me, minus the cords!
Every year he hears the story of his birth. Thank you NICU!
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
By Maria Abueg, Vallejo, CA
It was a dark, stormy night – just like the opening of some stories. Except, I was in bed watching a late night show when I started contracting for my first pregnancy. The long journey to get here was longer still since my little one was a week late.
My contractions were erratic and worrisome. By 2:00 a.m. my husband checked us in at Sutter Solano Hospital. By 5:15 a.m. our son entered the world by emergency c-section after the monitors suddenly lost his heartbeat. After the meconium aspiration, it was determined that he would be transferred to the NorthBay Medical Center NICU for advanced care.
It was dreamlike to go through the events so quickly. Wasn’t I supposed to still be in labor? Instead I was looking at Baby Boy lying in the transfer incubator. I hadn’t touched him yet. The nurse in charge of the transfer reassured me that he would get to the NICU safely. Her confidence outshined all her apologies for the paperwork. For two days, I recovered, Baby gained independence from his oxygen support, and the new daddy shuttled between two cities to make sure we were both okay. He was grateful to the NorthBay NICU department and grandparents who were allowed to guard our newborn and his oxygen helmet.
Near the end of Day 3, I finally made it to the NICU. I held my baby for the first time along with all his monitoring wires. We failed an attempt at breastfeeding. I was exhausted but was encouraged by the nurse who gave me instructions, literature, a welcome gift bag, some advice and a hug. We went home late but woke early to try again. Through support from the doctor and nurses we finally got to that first successful feeding. We stayed in the hospital that night for observation. It felt like we had to pass a test to get Baby home, but it was so relieving to have our first night together with the support of the NICU department.
Day 5 was our release! We made it through “the ordeal” only because we had the full support of caring, experienced professionals who made it seem like clockwork. It’s still amazing that this great service was done for our son during his short but memorable stay. Now almost seven months old, Justin loves laughing, playing, and giving drooling kisses.
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