Child's Birth Year
2024

State/Province/Territory
Ohio

NICU Hospital for my journey
Rainbow Babies University Hospitals Cleveland

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Rowan was admitted into the Nicu for two weeks, he had pulmonary hypertension born at 37 weeks and 3 days via C-section. He was put on a cpap, ventilator, and cannula. He was on a ng tube while admitted and needed lots of blood work. He had his umbilical cord cut to put his iv through his belly button. It was very hard having to leave him to go to the Ronald McDonald house without him, he room shared with another nicu baby so we weren’t allowed to stay with him at the hospital. Rowan was very strong through all of this and loved when I sang him “You are my Sunshine”. This was a very hard experience for our family. Two weeks may not seem like a long time to others but I was terrified not knowing when he’d leave, I would ask everyday but with pulmonary hypertension they are not sure if it would be weeks or months. It was heartbreaking watching him try to pull out his vent and cannula because he was so uncomfortable. It was so hard not being able to hold him, seeing him with a towel over his eyes, and having to stay quiet in his room to make sure we didn’t overstimulate him so that he wouldn’t have another episode. We had to do rounds outside of his room to make sure his spo2/heart rate wouldn’t drop. As a mother, you never want your child to go through this.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
I am so proud of Rowan for graduating from the nicu, when bringing him home it was very difficult at bedtime because he had his nights and days mixed up. He now has his own bedtime routine and goes to bed at exactly 11:00 every night and sleeps til 9:00/10:00. He gets himself to sleep in his crib. He is now 17 pounds and 27 inches long, born at 7 pounds 1oz and 21 inches long. He has accomplished so many milestones such as starting solids, sitting up on his own, laughing, saying mama, and rolling over front to back. He is now 6 months old and I can’t be more proud of my baby. He is thriving and doing so well, he has an amazing little personality now and is so funny and sweet. After all he went through at birth, I am so glad he’s doing so well.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
7 pounds 1oz

Weeks Gestation
37 weeks 3 days

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
2 weeks