Child's Birth Year
2020

State/Province/Territory
Texas

NICU Hospital for my journey
Medical City of Arlington

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Milani was born at 30.4 weeks because my umbilical cord detached from my placenta. Upon arriving at the hospital due to pain the nurses nor the NICU doctor could find a heartbeat. They called my doctor Kimberly Udell and rushed me into emergency cesarean surgery. Milani lost a lot of oxygen to her brain and I had no clue if my baby girl was here with us or in heaven until 3 hours later. Milani was in incubator with a blue light, goggles and a bubble oxygen mask. I cried the first time I saw her because she was so tiny and was connected to many things. The first week her oxygen levels would fluctuate and it was hard. Her father and I couldn’t go see her at the same time due to it being 2020 and the pandemic. I would be so upset sometimes because I couldn’t see her every day because I would sneeze or have a slight temperature and get turned away. But through it all my baby absolutely thrived and graduated NICU a month early. Thank you

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
Milani was determined to grow and do things on her own. She started bottle feeding a week before she was supposed to in NICU. She kept ripping out her oxygen tube because she was determined to breathe on her own! Despite the doctors warning that she would be developmentally delayed because of the time she went without oxygen in the womb she still is a fierce little princess! She loves to recite her planets to anyone who will listen. She loves singing dancing and playing. As Milani is heading to kindergarten I an amazed at how she has grown and come to be the spark she is!


Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
3lbs

Weeks Gestation
30.4 Weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
32 out of 50 days