Daily Archives: September 8, 2007

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Parental Stress

I was reading the intro to Preemie magazine today (that’s all I had time for) and the woman referred to the early milestones she remembered so clearly: getting off the CPAP machines, getting off the monitors, eating orally instead of through a feeding tube… It warmed my heart to know that other parents endured those milestones too! You hope your kids won’t need all that, but then you are super grateful that it was available to them!

We have been very stressed about eating. Our kids are already tiny and Marissa is so good-natured that she forgets to listen to her little body and ask for what she needs. She would rather not be a bother and we keep saying, “Sweetheart, we want to give you what you need! Ask us! And take it when we offer!” Wow, the spiritual metaphor is jumping out at me… I imagine God often thinks the same things toward us! We thought she had been eating a certain amount at the hospital and it was freaking us out that she ate so much less here! What are we doing wrong? You can’t force a baby to eat, but she isn’t even 5 lbs. yet! She has to eat to survive! Stress stress stress!

I am grateful that this morning at our hospital discharge, I had the foresight to ask what amounts they ate for the last 2 days. Zach is more variable and eats alot at one feeding then alot less at the next, but averages out to getting plenty. And we were super-relieved to realize that Marissa was eating the same amounts at the hospital that she has been eating for us today! I wish I had worked those averages earlier today! I was ready to call the NICU in tears and get on here and ask you to pray for her… how do we plead with our tiny girl to get what she needs? Please still pray for her, but we are feeling much better about it! They released her as a growing, healthy baby and we will keep trying our best to keep her that way!

Here are some pictures:

The Olson family is discharged from the NICU!

Olson family is completely discharged!

Hoochie meets his newest family members

Hooch and Marissa Hooch and Zach

At home in their own crib

sleeping babies

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The first 8 hours

Well, we’ve been with the babies since 8am, part of that at the hospital and most of it at home. We’re all adjusting, but here are some stats:

I’m in my third outfit. I’ll let you imagine the sorts of things that keep occuring that would cause that. 🙂

The babies are eating less than we’d hope (25-40mL instead of 50-70mL per feeding), but it is a new environment and we’re all a little amped with stress right now. I know they will make up for it at future feedings, but there is now no nurse to say, “Oh yeah, they ate NINETY at the last meal with me, so they’re fine.” That 90 has to happen to us!

They look tiny in their shared full-size crib. It’s so adorable.  They look even tinier in their carseats!

Hooch seems to approve.  He sniffed them each thoroughly, guarded them while they were sleeping, and perked up for each squeak, grunt, and cry they made.

We’ve already had to toss multiple diapers per change due to a partially before the feeding/finished up during/after the feeding pee and/or poop OR due to parent error. These things go really quickly with 2 babies!

It’s so good to have them home. I’m praying for calmness and that we won’t feel this overwhelming burden for their care, but rather the joy of their care and care for each other.