Category Archives: premature birth

What’s in a name?

Posted on July 24, 2013 by

The minute the doctor told us I was expecting a girl I knew I wanted her to be named Sophie. To me, it was the most beautiful name in the world. It was feminine and timeless. I liked the way … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, death of child, NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Going Home

Posted on January 7, 2013 by

Zoe´s convulsions led the doctors to believe she might suffer from seizures, but after two days of EEG exam, where the brain activity was monitored 24 hours a day, the results came back normal.  The doctors concluded that the convulsions … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Been There, Done That

Posted on January 2, 2013 by

“Zoe’s doing well but doctor Diaz wants to speak to you,” said the nurse one morning when we called to check in. “What’s going on?”  One thing was for sure: the doctors did not want to talk to you if … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

About Eye Surgery and New Friends

Posted on December 28, 2012 by

Zoe’s intestine surgery was a success and weeks later she was stable and improving.  We went over the list of things that could go wrong with preemies and checked the ones that we had already experienced: brain bleeds (check), PDA … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The NICU, An Emotional Roller Coaster

Posted on December 22, 2012 by

From one day to the other, Zoe became very swollen.  It was a shock to see her looking like a little balloon, with an IV in her scalp plus three others in her extremities.  We were reminded that this was … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Holding Zoe

Posted on December 17, 2012 by

I will never forget the first time I held Zoe.  It was February 19, 2009.  She was a month and a half old. Most NICUs encourage parents to hold their babies as much as they can, using a technique called … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Zoe Movement: Blood Transfusions in Preemies

Posted on December 15, 2012 by

Two days after she was born, Zoe needed a blood transfusion.  Transfusions for preemies are common because blood tests are required several times a day, and although the amount of blood taken is small, the babies do not have the … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Zoe’s Pulmonary Emphysema

Posted on December 4, 2012 by

Lung complications are almost a given in preemies, because the lungs are the last organ to develop in the womb.  During their stay in the NICU, babies receive different kinds of support to breathe: the first step is typically the … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

NICU: One Day at a Time

Posted on November 22, 2012 by

Zoe was smaller than I imagined.  She had weighed 1 pound 9 ounces at birth (720 grams) but had now lost around 15 percent of her weight. She looked like the babies in the “How your baby grows” brochure, except … Continue reading →

Posted in NICU, premature birth | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Miracle of Life

Posted on November 20, 2012 by

“You have two beautiful babies,” Jean-Marc said when I woke up from the anestaesia.  I wanted to ask how they were doing, how big they were, if our little boy was all right, but my throat was so sore that … Continue reading →

Posted in death of child, premature birth, twins | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments