https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:01:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804915 Sun, 18 Feb 2018 16:55:53 +0000 Ms. RV 2804915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Excellent advice on the personal toiletries and meds. I really should make a list. And I am definitely making sure I have a ton of post partum stuff. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804884 Sun, 18 Feb 2018 12:26:31 +0000 MrsADS 2804884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ms. rv so my situation was a little different - my LO was born at term, didn't go to the NICU, we were discharged home after 2 nights in the hospital. After 1 night at home, he was re-admitted to the hospital for a week, although it was in the pediatric unit, not the NICU (apparently they don't re-admit to NICU). </p> <p>Anyway, this may not be NICU-specific, but I was in really rough shape (rougher than I expected) after my vaginal delivery w/tearing and a huge episiotomy. There was a lot more standing or sitting in a hard chair in the hospital and I was in a lot of pain the whole time. My legs and ankles got super swollen and honestly it was just physically really painful and uncomfortable the whole time. So to the extent possible - try to rest laying down or with your feet up, which is tough with a kid in the hospital/NICU. Definitely have a pillow, donut, etc. to sit on.</p> <p>Also, since we were admitted sort of unexpectedly from the ER, I wasn't really prepared to stay and didn't have a ton of my stuff with me. So, having postpartum stuff like pads, Dermoplast spray, witch hazel, big underwear, spray bottle, extra appropriately sized clothes for a few days postpartum, extra jacket for the hospital (it's cold), toiletries (toothbrush, face wash, deodorant, lotion, makeup, contacts, glasses, etc), etc. - would have made it a lot easier. I was sending my mom and my husband home to get random stuff, they didn't know where my stuff was, it was just kind of a mess. I am sure you'll be more prepared since you know you're going to NICU. Also any postpartum meds you may need - for me this was Motrin and stool softeners. </p> <p>Also, having some snacks/drinks on hand for the room was helpful. I felt so crappy the first week with not sleeping, in pain, being in the hospital, etc. I just couldn't eat a lot and it was nice to have some water, crackers, fruit, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804868 Sun, 18 Feb 2018 09:23:54 +0000 jhd 2804868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms. RV: oh and I just saw you will be able to sleep in baby’s room that is great! Our PICU nurses we had for subsequent stays were awesome too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804867 Sun, 18 Feb 2018 09:21:44 +0000 jhd 2804867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms. RV: no not crazy at all. We live five minutes from our home hospital and I didn’t leave until they made me last time! My plan was to stay until midnight the day of discharge but then I had to leave at like 8pm because the hospital pharmacy was closing and something about getting my pain meds and once I had them I needed to leave. So I think it’s a great idea to stay as many days as insurance will allow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804861 Sun, 18 Feb 2018 08:53:29 +0000 Ms. RV 2804861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: I am so sorry you are expecting another NICU stay. Good luck and thank you for the tips. I am worried about getting into pumping right away, primarily having access to a pump if I deliver at night. I was thinking about packing a manual pump in my hospital bag to use in case I need to pump before the lactation center opens that day to get a hospital grade. Also- am I crazy for considering just staying the first few days at the hospital with DS so I don't have to worry about commuting? I remember car rides being painful the first week.</p> <p>@cabbagerose: DS will actually be in a CICU not a NICU, but I am hoping the nurses will love babies just as much. Since I can sleep in DS's room, I would only really need a hotel to shower... but the closest hotels are still a few miles away :bummed: </p> <p>@Shantuck: I agree! The donut pillow was used a lot more than the sitz bath they did me home with! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804757 Sat, 17 Feb 2018 09:41:54 +0000 Shantuck 2804757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ineebee: The donut pillow! I didn’t have a NICU stay but I think a donut pillow should be given to all moms after a vaginal birth. I ordered one from amazon last time for my hospital bag. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804739 Sat, 17 Feb 2018 00:54:59 +0000 cabbagerose 2804739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: We live too close for Ronald McDonald. </p> <p>"There is a nonprofit house that doesn't have distance restrictions, but it is $65 a night and you have to share a bathroom. I can't imagine postpartum bleeding and sharing a bathroom but it may come to that. We have a LO that will be nearly 3. We will still send her to daycare five days a week. Not sure about weekends though."<br /> You may want to check if the area hotels have discounted rates for hospital parents. I am a NICU nurse we have a list of the hotels and the rates to give to parents. It sounds better than sharing a bathroom. ( We have some nurses that live far away and use the hotels on the days they work in a row, they become members of the hotel on top of the discounted rates and earn free nights, some hotels offer free breakfast and snacks at night)<br /> Breast Feeding moms get three trays day at our hospital delivered to the floor we have a family eating area and a refrigerator to place food in for our parents / you can ask for two bottles of water per tray . ( not all hospitals provide this)<br /> As said above most hospitals provide supplies for pumping . We only supply one kit, if you need another our price is crazy expensive, our pharmacy sells them at cost. We supply all bottles, bottle brush, and soap to clean parts. We give mothers fabric to wear between pumping and then put it with the baby so they can smell mom.<br /> Even with staying just during the day I would bring a comfortable throw blanket and socks so you can be comfortable sometimes the rooms are chilly. They do have warm blankets they can give parents, but ours are not soft .<br /> If anyone wants to help, you can ask for gift cards for places to eat. Sometimes you need a break from the hospital but need to stay close.<br /> Find out where the closest Walmart or Target is. Always nice to have some fresh fruit and some snacks. And for anything you may have left at home.<br /> One thing I like to tell all parents, Take care of your self , eat, sleep and take a break. ( have some special time with your other little) Nicu life is a rollercoaster, you will cry it is ok. All NICU nurses I know love the babies we take care of we carry them in our hearts always. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804735 Fri, 16 Feb 2018 23:50:51 +0000 jhd 2804735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a seven week NICU stay with our first that included a transfer to a larger hospital for surgery 3 weeks in. We are anticipating similar health concerns for LO2 due in March so here's a few of my lessons learned that I'm hoping to do better on this time! We're planning to deliver at a hospital down the street from this larger hospital this time (as long as baby doesn't decide to come on his own before then!) to avoid a big transfer like we had last time.</p> <p>Ask for help from the LC right away with pumping and start pumping super regularly on day 1. (We had SO many interruptions those first few days from social workers, hospital billing, etc. etc. not to mention family and friends. This time I'm not going to be shy about asking them to leave or come back if I need to)</p> <p>Stay super hydrated. (This was hard for me because at NICU 1 I was allowed a drink bedside, but the closest restroom was way down the hall and required me to check in and out of the NICU. NICU 2 didn't allow any drinks at all bedside, not even water. I'm going to protest that this time if needed! I definitely thin this played a part in my low supply.)</p> <p>At our second hospital they gave me a set of Medela parts to use with the hospital grade pumps they had in the pumping room. I'm going to push harder to get more skin to skin if baby can manage and also opportunities to pump bedside.</p> <p>This hospital also provided meal tickets for nursing/pumping mamas to use in the hospital cafeteria. 2 per day. I was able to get breakfast and lunch or get lunch for both me and DH which was awesome. When LO had surgery and had a room, they would bring me a tray to the room (I could order what I wanted). So definitely ask about meals.</p> <p>Both NICUs we were at had a small number of rooms where mamas or both parents could room in with baby. They are often intended for parents to get a few nights in with baby closer to discharge time.</p> <p>I"m also going to try to adjust my schedule better to be there for rounds. I found this hard at times because the doctors don't always come at a consistent time, but there is a general window. I was never up early enough to get there for surgical rounds. They came super early. I usually saw a surgical resident in the late afternoon who would come to check on LO.</p> <p>I don't know what recovery for you was like with your first, but I had a lot of tearing and I assume I took a lot longer to heal because I was simply up and moving a lot more than a mama who was at home. Definitely have comfy layers and something to sit on. Hospital chairs aren't the most comfy.</p> <p>We brought clothes from home (sleepers with snaps are great once baby can wear clothes because the wires etc can slip out the gaps), books to read to baby, a FisherPrice soothing seahorse we were gifted (baby loved!) and bought him a travel musical mobile after a few weeks. These things made him seem more like our little baby!</p> <p>Call anytime you need an update. Funny story, they will have a code or password, most likely. My DH said one night I asked him for the password to get into bed. ;) I often woke in the night to pump, have a snack, etc. and it helped me to hear from the night nurse how he was doing.</p> <p>I'm happy to try to answer questions or be of support to you any way that I can! Ours was not a heart surgery, but a big surgery and I know how scary this is. We're preparing to do it all again, more than likely, so it's all fresh in my mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804711 Fri, 16 Feb 2018 17:39:39 +0000 Ms. RV 2804711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: Thanks!</p> <p>@ChiCalGoBee: You have a lot of good insight for only spending four days in NICU! I had no idea to even check but the hospital has lactation rooms with pumps and even has a lactation consultant on staff. </p> <p>@Madison43: The plan right now is for vaginal, I can't imagine throwing a c section into the mix. I do worry about feeling more like a visitor than a mom.</p> <p>@birdofafeather: We live too close for Ronald McDonald. There is a nonprofit house that doesn't have distance restrictions, but it is $65 a night and you have to share a bathroom. I can't imagine postpartum bleeding and sharing a bathroom but it may come to that. We have a LO that will be nearly 3. We will still send her to daycare five days a week. Not sure about weekends though.</p> <p>@gingerbebe: I actually own an RV already, but the city won't let you park them :bummed: There is at least a sleeping surface in the ICU rooms for parents.</p> <p>@sillymilly: Such good advice... especially about knowing when rounds are and having snacks.</p> <p>@ineebee: I have a donut cushion from my last vaginal delivery and I will probably spring for a second to leave in the room. I would have never have thought of that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804570 Fri, 16 Feb 2018 05:20:38 +0000 ineebee 2804570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I delivered vaginally, and I wish I’d sprung for some kind of padding to sit on while spending time with the baby in the NICU. So much sitting. </p> <p>I’ll also echo what others have said about how the hospital provided everything I needed for pumping and also lactation consultants, even social workers to make sure I had all the resources I needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804565 Fri, 16 Feb 2018 01:40:57 +0000 sillymilly 2804565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry you are facing this situation as I know it's quite stressful. We found out at birth that my DD needed surgery and she was transferred to the children's hospital. My husband went with her while I stayed at the hospital I delivered at to recover. I explained prior to delivery I wanted to breastfeed, so they made sure to have a hospital grade pump and supplies at my bedside. The LC's refrigerated all my breastmilk so my husband could pick it up and take it to the NICU (don't freeze it, as it could potentially defrost in transport and then would only be good for 24 hours). They also arranged for me to rent a pump when I was discharged. </p> <p>At the NICU, they had a pump available by my DD's bedside as well as multiple lactation rooms available. They provided sterilized bottles to pump into which were the only way they'd accepted milk. </p> <p>Day to day, I found I did best with a schedule. I'd ask if you can get a rough idea for when the doctor's round. In our case, surgery usually rounded about 5 or 6 am, and the general doctors rounded around 9. I liked to be there for both pre op, but once we were a few days post op and out of the woods, we stopped getting there for surgical rounds. There was a 24 hour nurse line, so I'd tend to call in the middle of the night when I was pumping to check on my DD - it made the time pass faster. </p> <p>Brings lots of snacks and a large water bottle. Buy a thick hand cream as you will do lots of hand washing and sanitizing. Buy an extra long charging cable for your phone to leave at the hospital. I had a c section and found a belly binder super helpful to make my daily commute and time spent sitting in the hospital comfortable. I brought a stack of books to the hospital to read as it made me feel like I was "doing" something with DD, especially when I couldn't hold her. Don't beat yourself up if you can't spend a ton of time at the hospital at first. You are recovering from birth, and add on top pumping every 3 hours while spending the day awake at the hospital, it's exhausting. Hang in there! </p> <p>Sorry if this is a novel and echos what previous posters said. Feel free to wall me if you have any questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804564 Fri, 16 Feb 2018 01:02:58 +0000 gingerbebe 2804564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would inquire about RVs. The hospital I delivered both my kids at has a level 3 or 4 NICU and because it’s the major one for the region, people travel from far away to get treatment there. They allow NICU parents to keep RVs parked in the lot so it’s easier to go back and forth or trade off with a spouse. You might be able to find someone in the community who has one sitting in storage they might let you borrow or even ask a local RV rental place if they can give you a deal based on the circumstances. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804559 Thu, 15 Feb 2018 23:54:39 +0000 birdofafeather 2804559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>sending love. we only had a few day nicu stay for a minor thing, but one thing i would try to see if there is a ronald mcdonald house or something similar where you can stay close by, at least while you/yourself are also recovering so as not to have to do that drive too much. forgive me fo not remembering, but do you have any other kiddos at home? if so, i would also see if you can get help so you and your partner can be with the newest babe together as well as switching off with shifts in the NICU and shifts at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804556 Thu, 15 Feb 2018 22:51:35 +0000 Madison43 2804556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We spent a month in the NICU with LO2 who was 6 weeks early. Echoing what the previous poster said, out NICU had a pumping room, with hospital grade pumps. Each mom got a sterile kit of pump parts and labels - we were just responsible for supplying milk bags. We were permitted to store milk (up to a certain quantity) in their fridge and freezer and they would pull from that supply to feed the baby as needed - whether through a feeding tube or bottle. It wasn’t ideal recovering from a csection sitting bedside in the NICU but it honestly wasn’t terrible. If you’re having a c section, my advice would be to stay hydrated, take your pain meds consistently and on schedule (even if you feel ok, sitting all day catches up with you), and wear an abdominal binder. Get to know your nurses and the routine of your NICU. Don’t be afraid to speak up, ask a million questions and challenge the team if you think something should be done differently. We didn’t go through anything as serious as what you’re facing, but I found the feeling that I lacked control over my newborn’s care - at a time when I was supposed to be taking care of her 24/7 - enormously distressing. Becoming confident enough to voice my opinion, not be passive in her care and be as hands on as possible, made me feel more like her mom, as opposed to be visitor, if that makes sense? Most of all, show yourself some grace. It’s hard. Doable, but hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804550 Thu, 15 Feb 2018 21:51:38 +0000 ChiCalGoBee 2804550@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms. RV: Sending love and support your way. I feel a little silly commenting as we were only in 4 days, but hope something I might share could be helpful?</p> <p>1) Try and learn the doctors' schedules for rounds. Ours only came by once a day (if I recall) and I missed it the first day because I had such a rough delivery that I wasn't out of bed yet. 2) In our NICU they had hospital-grade pumps at the ready. I pumped a ton to get my supply up, and to make sure they had plenty to feed my son. They also had tons of labels and bottles there so that all of my milk was easily designated for him from the other babies in there. 3) Relatedly, they set up appointments with Lactation Consultants twice a day for me. This was so helpful as I was a new mom and had a rough recovery myself, so to know twice a day I'd get nursing help that came right in the NICU to see me was awesome. They also had nipple shields and all other sorts of BF supplies on hand for us (bring your nursing pillow if you have one and they'll likely let you keep it there). Final tip: The nurses were absolutely incredible. It was intimidating for me to know how to pick him up and hold him with all the wires and monitors, and they were awesome at helping me interact with my baby as much as I could.</p> <p>** Again, we were in there for a way more minor thing and for such a shorter period of time so I don't pretend to know what you're going through. I am so hopeful for a speedy recovery for your son. :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804537 Thu, 15 Feb 2018 20:23:59 +0000 erinbaderin 2804537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice, just support - this sounds very stressful. I hope you’re holding up ok. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-a-nicu-stay#post-2804531 Thu, 15 Feb 2018 20:04:04 +0000 Ms. RV 2804531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right now, DS is pretty much guaranteed a several week stay in the cardiac ICU of a children's hospital immediately following birth. He will only be at the woman's hospital for a few hours after delivery before he is transferred. What's it like to recover from a birth while your LO is still in the hospital? It is a 45-60 minute drive from home.</p> <p>I go for a third fetal echo in eight weeks to make sure nothing has changed and that DS still exhibits the need for heart surgery in the first few weeks of life. I will be meeting the surgeons plus care staff after that. Any questions to ask them? I already am planning to ask about pumping. </p>