I was out of the loop the past couple of weeks because a major milestone happened in our lives. Last July 6, we finally get to bring home our son, Hendrix, after 3.5months of stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It was the day that we have all been waiting for and his first day at home felt like his birthday.
The first few days at home were an adjustment for all of us. We know Hendrix was adjusting to the new environment as well because he was fuzzy and cranky and can not seem to get a good sleep. I know he misses his NICU home with all the sounds of equipments, buzzers, babies crying and of course, the voices and touches of all his nurses and resident doctors. I think the one thing that helped with his transition at home is his music from his MP3 player which we played in his incubator and bassinet during his confinement in the hospital. At home, with the music being played, it soothes him because it is the one familiar thing amidst all the new things around him.
Cleanliness is a major factor now that he’s already at home. His room is like a sterile area in the house. Everyone is required t o wash their hands and sanitize with alcohol before holding him. if suspected with a cold, one is not allowed to enter his room, or if necessary, she is required to wear a mask. We still have not allowed any visitors yet to avoid exposing him to viruses or any sicknesses. We are greateful to our relatives and friends who had been very understanding of the situation. We promise that as soon as he gets really strong we will welcome visitors to see him.
As a mom, the major adjustment is on my sleeping hours. Despite being almost four months old, his corrected age (because he is a preemie) is that of a one month old baby, and therefore his sleeping patterns are still erratic and that of a newborn’s. When Hendrix is asleep, I then attend to his four year old brother, who, thank heavens is also very understanding of our situation. I would find myself having only about 2-4 hours of sleep everyday. Good thing, I’m blessed with a husband and mother-in law who are willing to take turns with me in the morning.
When he was discharged, he has a long list of medications and vitamins. It was tough to keep up at first but later I was able to get the hang of giving all his medications on time. Then there is also his massage therapy that I have to do twice a day to improve his eating habits. Eventually, I will have to teach his caregiver these before I go back to work in August.
With him being at home now, his feeding is no longer scheduled but rather given on a per demand basis. He is purely breastfed, but on certain times of the day he drinks breastmilk via his preemie feeding bottles because either I’m sleeping or a medicine needs to be mixed in his milk. But most of the time latches directly to me.
it has been three weeks now and slowly, everyone has adjusted to Hendrix’s presence at home, After months of waiting and praying, now we can finally say that our family is complete! Thank God!
