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Parenting: Preemies Community

Premature babies get special love and come with special concerns. Gather here ... more

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My tiny miracle.

Hello. My name is Erin. I just wanted to share my story with ya'll and maybe get some support and...

Posted by eamabia

Hello. My name is Erin. I just wanted to share my story with ya'll and maybe get some support and encouragement. I use to frequent to pregnancy forums, so some of you may remember me. idk, anyways....

So i was due to have my first child in on Novemeber 22nd 2009. Everything seemed okay, despite some health issues of my own, my doctor was telling my eveything was okay. i had ultrasounds at 8, 10, 17 and 21 weeks and eveything looked good but i did start to swell in my my face a feet somewhat early and my swelling got pregressively worse. I was put on blood pressure meds and bed rest at 26 weeks because my swelling had gotten so bad my skin started kinda splitting open. On sept 14 2009 i went in for my 30 week u/s. My doctor was concerned that my baby girl was very small for her gestation and my blood pressure was too high, so he admitted me to the hosp for overnight observation. the next morning he advised that i needed be moved to another hosp (bigger and better) and will be seen by a high risk OB. After this point is somewhat blurry b/c of the blood pressure meds i was on. on the morning of sept 16th 2009 my new OB came in a introduced himself (only saw his residents until this point) and told me my baby needed to be delivered asap by emergency c section. a hour later i was in the OR, they put me compeletly under for the surgery and 3 hours later i finally came to in the recovery room.

My sweet baby girl was born at 10:11 am on 09/16/09 weighing 1lb 10oz and 13 in long. I named her Makenna Riley. I saw her for the first time on the 17th (Daddy was waiting outside and walked with them to the NNICU). Her premature birth was due to my pre-eclampsia and my health concerns had caused clots in my placenta. Her malnutrion from the clotting caused her to be underweight even for a preemie; she weighed in the equivalent to a 26 week old fetus.

She stayed in the NNICU for 3 months. She passed all her eye and brain scans, and was only on a respirator when she got sick due to stomache/digestive issues. Makenna finally came home December 29th weighing 4lb 11oz. She is doing well and adjusted to being home. My main concern now is her development. Her Ped said she would be abt 6 weeks behind. she still hasn't started reaching out for or grabbing things or really smiling and she hasn't learned how to keep her passy in her mouth. Sometimes i think she smiles but it could just be wincing/crying or some kinda face. i know i need to be petient and let my little fighter develop on her own but i am just so worried something maybe or could be wrong. Am i a bad mother to think that?View Thread

Posted byeamabia

(FromPreemies: Family Support)

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:My tiny miracle. Hello. My name is Erin. I just wanted to share my story with ya'll and maybe get some support and...

when did your baby go home?

I just had my baby last week at 34 weeks pregnant, she was 3lbs 14 oz she has been breathing room air...

Posted by krystel_gotti

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:when did your baby go home? I just had my baby last week at 34 weeks pregnant, she was 3lbs 14 oz she has been breathing room air...

New Name for Community!

Dear WebMD Members, We’ve been providing you with tidbits about the new features that are coming, and we’re...

Posted by unknown

Dear WebMD Members,

We’ve been providing you with tidbits about the new features that are coming, and we’re excited to finally announce the name of our new community service – The WebMD Health Exchange!

The WebMD Health Exchange will offer you a highly interactive and enhanced community experience that will help bring you closer to more health and wellness experts as well as others like you. In addition, The WebMD Health Exchange uses structured Discussions, Tips & Resources to gain valuable insights from the community and surfaces the conversations members find “most valuable” by measuring activity within those conversations. We’re putting the finishing touches on WebMD Health Exchange now, and we’ll be ready to debut in a few weeks.

Here are some of the new features you‘ll find:

Ability to create your own public or invitation-only spaces to connect with others Easily bookmark Discussions that interest you, with optional email alerts to keep you up to date Create your own polls to see how others feel about issues that are important to you Share Tips and Resources, rate the most helpful, and find them at your fingertips. Create a specific profile for each Exchange you join so others can learn more about you and you can learn more about others Get feedback and read Tips from more experts than ever before

Expanded Expert Guidance

WebMD message boards already feature a group of outstanding professionals who provide insights and support. When we roll out the new Exchange you’ll still see those familiar faces – as well as a host of new experts joining our Exchanges to provide feedback on topics like arthritis, skin care, patient advocacy, and beyond.

More Than a Message Board In Exchanges you’ll be able to do more than post a Discussion. You’ll also be able to post Tips and share helpful Resources links that you’ve found around the Web. You also can create your own polls and view the results as others chime in!

What about your current board posts? Don’t worry. The information posted in the last year on our boards will not be lost. In the coming days we’ll share how to find the content of your favorite message boards in the new WebMD Health Exchange.

Not only will you find the topics you enjoy on our boards today, but you’ll also be able to create your own unique groups on the topics of your choice! The Exchanges you create can either be public or private enabling you the control you’ve requested.

Save Your Persona! You’ll want to save your My Persona/Profile information to a document on your own computer system. This information won’t be saved by WebMD, and won’t be accessible after the new platform launches. By storing your persona, you can use it to populate your NEW Exchange Member Profiles.

Also, any images that you upload to your current Persona page will not follow you to Exchanges. Be sure to upload an image to your Registration Profile (see more below) page so you will have your chosen image in place when the new WebMD Health Exchange launches.

WebMD Profile Photo Upload Sweepstakes You will now visit your Member Account Page (find it by clicking on the My Account link on the upper right) to upload and change your Profile Photo. This photo or image will follow you wherever you post within the WebMD Health Exchange, enabling you to be a highly visible Exchange member.

Uploading your profile image will also enter you in WebMD’s monthly Profile Photo Upload Sweepstakes, where the grand prize each month is $1000 cash! You can change your photo out each month to re-enter the sweepstakes. If you enter or change your profile photo or image before Feb. 28, 2010 you will be entered into the February sweepstakes. Visit the new Registration Profile page to upload your photo and enter today!

The WebMD Health Exchange has all of the features to set it apart as the place where you, your friends, family and others come for information and support. We can’t wait to share this experience with all of you! Be on the lookout for more details soon.

While many things in community will soon be new, our staff will still be here to offer you the help and support you need. Be sure to direct any questions, comments, or concerns to us at webmdcommunity@webmd.net.

Yours in Health, The WebMD Community StaffView Thread

Posted byunknown

(FromPreemies: Family Support)

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:New Name for Community! Dear WebMD Members, We’ve been providing you with tidbits about the new features that are coming, and we’re...

Update on Josephine

Josephine is doing amazingly well! She's been off oxygen for a little over a week, and out of the incubator...

Posted by skerina

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Update on Josephine Josephine is doing amazingly well! She's been off oxygen for a little over a week, and out of the incubator...

Preemie hitting general milestones?

Hi - My son was born at 30 weeks last October, his due date was 12/30 so he was 10 weeks early. He's been...

Posted by JennNThom

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Preemie hitting general milestones? Hi - My son was born at 30 weeks last October, his due date was 12/30 so he was 10 weeks early. He's been...

MMR Vaccine Study

Dear Parents, We have a new, very timely post from Dr. Ari Brown on Child Health 411: MMR...

Posted by Byroney_WebMD_Staff

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:MMR Vaccine Study Dear Parents, We have a new, very timely post from Dr. Ari Brown on Child Health 411: MMR...

development assessement

my preemie baby has her develpmental assessment tomorrow morning and I'm wondering what exactly goes on it. Any...

Posted by ali110

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:development assessement my preemie baby has her develpmental assessment tomorrow morning and I'm wondering what exactly goes on it. Any...

Coming Soon From WebMD!

Dear Members, Within the next month your WebMD Community will be expanding to offer you all some...

Posted by Byroney_WebMD_Staff

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Coming Soon From WebMD! Dear Members, Within the next month your WebMD Community will be expanding to offer you all some...

New to being a Preemie Mama

Baby girl (Josephine Holly) made her appearance on 1-19-2010. She is 32 weeks, 5 days. Weight just a hair under...

Posted by skerina

Baby girl (Josephine Holly) made her appearance on 1-19-2010. She is 32 weeks, 5 days. Weight just a hair under 4 lbs, length just a touch over 16 inches. She's in the NICU, but doing as well as can be hoped for at the early age. I'm trying to heal up from a 2nd c-section and wrap my brain around having a preemie.

I was woken up around 3:30 am by DD#1, as she wanted a drink. I noticed I felt a little wet, stuck a handy burp cloth/cloth diaper under myself and checked it a few minutes later...I was bleeding. So, I called my mom to come get me, as DH was out of town on a business trip. Stuck a new cloth diaper in my undies and pulled on sweats, etc. Arrived at L&D around 5:30 am. They took me back to triage (mom and DD had to stay in the lobby, due to no under 18 allowed back), got me gowned and stuck monitors on me....I wasn't too worried yet, as baby was moving around, although I was feeling some light contractions. Ultra-sound didn't show anything out of the ordinary, so they took me to a room and had the on call doc (happened to be my OB) come check...I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced, big shock to me! They put me on magnesium to try to stop the labor and gave me a steroid shot to help baby's lungs speed up. Mom and DD came back to see me, and DH had made arrangements to fly back early. The magnesium seemed to be working, for a while, then the contractions picked back up and the bleeding started again. A second internal revealed I was to 4 cm and 100%, so obviously baby was not going to stay put. Due to the breech position, we started getting me prepped for c-section. Before long, all we were waiting for was DH to get here from the airport, which he did in very nice time. Got him gowned up and we went back for surgery. I highly recommend spinal over general anesthesia, having tried both now. I feel better about this birth, having been able to be awake for it, although the sensation of lacking sensation (does that make sense?) is very strange. Turned out that my placenta had started to separate, and there was a fairly sizeable blood clot, so she definitely needed to come out!

Once I was able to move my legs a bit (enough to shift from the OR bed to the room bed), I got to go see my baby girl briefly before getting settled for the night. I had some difficulty over the first night with throwing up anything solid or stronger to eat than ice chips, so I still have the IV start in, just in case. Hopefully that'll come out later today, as I haven't even felt nausea for about 24 hours now. Probably just a side effect of the anesthesia, although it might be stress combined with no food for a bit over 24 hours. Hard to say for sure.

I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea that she's really here, not in my belly anymore. I think it will take weeks, if not months, to make the adjustment.

My milk has started to come in, so there is enough to cover Josephine's feedings, assuming it matches her needs and can get enough calories, vitamins, minerals, etc. into her.

If anyone has thoughts/advice on the ways to get through these first days at home w/out my little girl, I'm open to learning from those who have been there before me! I know I need to go home, for my DH and DD#1, but it's hard to even think of leaving without Josephine.

-AmberView Thread

Posted byskerina

(FromPreemies: Family Support)

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:New to being a Preemie Mama Baby girl (Josephine Holly) made her appearance on 1-19-2010. She is 32 weeks, 5 days. Weight just a hair under...

New here!!

Hi my name is Heather. I had my DS on 7/14/09. He was originally due on 8/25 so he was 6 weeks early. He...

Posted by EvettsMommy

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:New here!! Hi my name is Heather. I had my DS on 7/14/09. He was originally due on 8/25 so he was 6 weeks early. He...

THICK IT

Hello ladies, luking form 3-6 months see some of you ladies have your Lo on simply thick. well i did...

Posted by loganmross

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:THICK IT Hello ladies, luking form 3-6 months see some of you ladies have your Lo on simply thick. well i did...

Major Tylenol Product Recall

Due to a sickening smell of many Tylenol products Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Health Care has...

Posted by unknown

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Major Tylenol Product Recall Due to a sickening smell of many Tylenol products Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Health Care has...

feeding problems

hey i have 9 month old twin girls that were preemies 6 and a hlf weeks early im having a problem feeding...

Posted by momtwins329

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:feeding problems hey i have 9 month old twin girls that were preemies 6 and a hlf weeks early im having a problem feeding...

1 year check-up

Barrett had a great check-up. He has grown 3 inches since his 9 month appointment...he's now 29 inches and...

Posted by ReptileGirl

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:1 year check-up Barrett had a great check-up. He has grown 3 inches since his 9 month appointment...he's now 29 inches and...

PREEMIE AND NOT ENOUGH BREASTMILK

I am 20 years old and this is my first child. I had her at 27 weeks. Her neonatal doctor say use breast...

Posted by kimorasmommy20

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:PREEMIE AND NOT ENOUGH BREASTMILK I am 20 years old and this is my first child. I had her at 27 weeks. Her neonatal doctor say use breast...

New here!!

Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself!! I had a c-section on Christmas eve because of severe...

Posted by Kristin888

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:New here!! Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself!! I had a c-section on Christmas eve because of severe...

he is finally coming home

Well my son born at 29 weeks due to my high blood pressure. He has been in the nicu for almost 3months now...

Posted by emykitten

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:he is finally coming home Well my son born at 29 weeks due to my high blood pressure. He has been in the nicu for almost 3months now...

WebMD Photo Sweepstakes!

Dear Members, Just in time for the holidays: In anticipation of our soon to launch new...

Posted by Caprice_WebMD_Staff

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:WebMD Photo Sweepstakes! Dear Members, Just in time for the holidays: In anticipation of our soon to launch new...

Labetalol while pregnant

I'm 22 weeks pregnant and have been having some issues, I've asked this same question in many of the...

Posted by MichelleTripp

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Labetalol while pregnant I'm 22 weeks pregnant and have been having some issues, I've asked this same question in many of the...

Enfacare?

Im thinking about putting Natalie on Enfacare for a little bit to help her gain some more weight. Shes only...

Posted by sheekstarr

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Enfacare? Im thinking about putting Natalie on Enfacare for a little bit to help her gain some more weight. Shes only...

Email Digests

Dear Members, Our engineering staff will be taking the Email Digests down at 2 p.m. ET today...

Posted by Emma_WebMD_Staff

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Email Digests Dear Members, Our engineering staff will be taking the Email Digests down at 2 p.m. ET today...

breathing issue

hello mommies, had my little girl at 36 weeks. we are at home and its been about a week. my concern is...

Posted by peewee0603

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:breathing issue hello mommies, had my little girl at 36 weeks. we are at home and its been about a week. my concern is...

Update On My 10MO Preemie

I just wanted to let you all know... My DD is nearly 10 1/2 month old now. She is a little...

Posted by princessbootzz

I just wanted to let you all know...

My DD is nearly 10 1/2 month old now. She is a little developmentally delayed, but has just started pulling herself up while in the playpen and can "kinda" shimmy-crawl. She began sitting up about a month ago. She can do that shimmy-crawl enough that she can get where she wants to go fast when she wants to get somewhere.

She is able to eat (broken up) crackers, but tends to have a bad choke reflex when it comes to anything above stage 2 foods.

She is still fully quarantined to the house...at least until her first birthday and it's looking like that's going to be a while beyond that. The doctors say that even a cold could be serious and put her back in the NICU. She coughs a lot and still wheezes sometimes. But that has improved dramatically over time. She is not on any medications. We believe she may be showing signs of asthma, but with the changes in the weather, the doctor sees a lot more respiratory issues this time of year, so we're just watching.

She will never be able to be vaccinated (we opted out due to religious reasons anyway) because she is Drug Hypersensitive and they could kill her. I'm told that this hypersensitivity is very common in preemies, but apparently most doctor either don't know about it or don't tell parents about it. We will always have to be extremely cautious about any medications (even over-the-counter) because of the hypersensitivity.

She seems to be very intelligent. The other day, she got her first baby doll. I showed her a couple of times what the dolls features were. Then I stated asking her to show me BabyDoll's nose, eyes, cheek, etc. And she pointed to the correct spots 90% of the time! I thought babies were much older for that. It seems like she's mentally there, perhaps moreso than normal, but physically has delays.

I just wanted to update everyone.

~KatrinaView Thread

Posted byprincessbootzz

(FromPreemies: Family Support)

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Update On My 10MO Preemie I just wanted to let you all know... My DD is nearly 10 1/2 month old now. She is a little...

need advice: lump on spine?

hi there... i just had my baby girl on october 6, and she was delivered at 35+1... i am a first time mom and...

Posted by ayameymami

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:need advice: lump on spine? hi there... i just had my baby girl on october 6, and she was delivered at 35+1... i am a first time mom and...

Not eating-Worried

I went to her first appt today and she was 4lbs3oz. 'She was 4lbs6oz when we left the hossy. Im worried that...

Posted by sheekstarr

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Not eating-Worried I went to her first appt today and she was 4lbs3oz. 'She was 4lbs6oz when we left the hossy. Im worried that...

I feel like...

I won't know my son when he comes home. I'm reading the parenting newborn post and I've started to feel...

Posted by newmommy1209

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:I feel like... I won't know my son when he comes home. I'm reading the parenting newborn post and I've started to feel...

Intro

I had no idea there was a premmie board lol and Ive been around webmd since 2005! Anyway My name is Debbie....

Posted by sheekstarr

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Intro I had no idea there was a premmie board lol and Ive been around webmd since 2005! Anyway My name is Debbie....

Truly Grateful

My son is still in NICU because of the stress all his organs have been through since he wasn't getting...

Posted by newmommy1209

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Truly Grateful My son is still in NICU because of the stress all his organs have been through since he wasn't getting...

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