Our Hospital Adventure, Part 2

Mike did such a great job narrating our first couple of days in the hospital that this post is going to seem pretty boring by comparison.  My memories are pretty hazy, but this should provide an idea of what our hospital stay was like once Michaela was born.

After I gave birth, we spent several hours in our Labor & Delivery room, then were transported to a recovery room. There was a constant flow of people in and out of our recovery room. Nurses checking my vitals and my blood pressure, nurses checking the baby. Doctors checking me, doctors checking the baby. People to collect linens, people to drop off and pick up food trays. Especially on our first day in that room, it felt like Grand Central Station!

The medical team had run some tests on Michaela and eventually it came out that she was jaundiced, which happens when you have too high a level of a substance called bilirubin. Jaundice is common in kids, especially preemies, whose livers haven’t developed sufficiently by the time they come out. After one night in our room with us, Michaela had to go to the nursery to be under “bili lights,” which are lights that break down the bilirubin. In the scheme of things, being jaundiced isn’t a big deal. And considering all the problems preemies can have, it’s really wonderful that was all she was dealing with. Further, we were in a hospital, surrounded by caring nurses who really went out of their way to be good to me and to Michaela. But it was still pretty stressful (to say the least).

Michaela went under the bili lights on Sunday night at about 11 p.m. (I think; it’s all a blur), and they left her under the lights until about 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Even though I had been cleared for release, my doctors kept me admitted so I could tend to Michaela; every two-to-three hours, Mike and/or I would go down to the nursery to feed her, or bring her to the room to feed her.

Tuesday morning, Michaela’s bilirubin level was down enough that we could take her off the bili lights, with the knowledge that we’d have to go back to the doctor in a day and a half to have her tested again. We got to spend some time with her on Tuesday, which was the nicest thing in the world after her being so far away from us for so long. Mike went home and cleaned up a bit, brought me a change of clothes. Michaela and I took a nap together and hung out. It was a good day. That night, at about 9 p.m., we were released and got to bring our baby home. FINALLY!

All told, Mike and I were in the hospital for six days. That’s a long time, and I can’t express enough how strange it was to be there “spur of the moment.” But it was definitely worth it, as we ended up with a gorgeous, sweet, healthy baby– just in time for Christmas.