Heidi's First Days

My little Heidi had to spend 2 days in the NICU after she was born. They were concerned about a possible infection because I started running a fever during labor. They gave us an hour with her after she was born and then the NICU whisked her away... very sad moment for me. My instincts told me she was fine, there was no infection, because my fever went away as soon as I started pushing. I'm no doctor, but my opinion is that my body was overworked and tired and ready to push her out. I endured 52 hours of labor before I started pushing - I think that's enough to make anyone start running a fever. Seriously! But according to the NICU, the CDC requires them to care for a baby who's mother had a fever during labor. It was black and white to them and we really didn't have a choice. Even our pediatrician and my OB/GYN agreed with me, but the NICU apparently has the final say? I don't know. All I know is they took my baby.

So for two days, I had to haul my booty (my very sore and tired booty, might I add) down a floor to the NICU to feed her every two hours. I love my babies and I love feeding my babies, but I'm a firm believer in letting them sleep. If she's sleeping, I'm not going to wake her up to feed her even if it has been 2 hours since she last ate. Period. By the time you get her woken up, and coaxed into eating, you've spent so much time and energy it's just not worth it in my opinion. But the NICU nurses force you to do it their way and wake the poor peaceful child up to feed her. I swear, it would take an HOUR just to get her latched on and sucking. Waste of my time! I would so much rather hold her and love her for an hour instead of wrestling with her and trying to force her to eat! Besides the fact that the nurses treat you like you have no idea what you're doing, which might be great for first time moms, but I felt it was very annoying. They would stand over me while I'm trying to feed her and ask "is she eating? is she sucking?" and when they didn't have the answer they wanted they would push sugar water on me and a plastic nipple thing... it's so unnatural!

Sorry for the rant. But I really didn't enjoy the experience at all. Especially because after spending her first two days being tortured in the NICU, they found out she didn't have an infection! It makes me a little crazy. I know they were just doing their jobs but sometimes I wish they would back off and let a mother be a mother.

Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now right?

Here are some pictures from her first photoshoot. Isn't the IV in her head the saddest thing you've ever seen? Don't even get me started on that... :)