In the Hall (More NICU Thoughts)

[ricevermicelli]

The hallway leading to the NICU is decorated with pictures of former NICU babies, now in the very pink of health. They are listed by name, gestational age at birth, and birth weight. They are depicted swinging from playground equipment, riding ponies, having Bar Mitzvahs, playing lacrosse. There are little biographies with each picture.

The purpose of these pictures, and the associated text, is to make parents cry.

All of these children were born sooner and smaller than mine. All of them suffered from terrible health problems. They needed multiple surgeries, some of them. One little girl was tube fed for nearly nine years.

Today, all of these children are fine. Many of the children express desires to be neonatalogists when they grow up. Terms like "strong-willed" and "indomitable spirit" make frequent appearances. These kids can move mountains, apparently.

Before I read the posters, my question was "how long will my baby be in here?"

Afterwards, aside from being teary, I wonder if she will have enough NICU exposure to activate her latent superpowers.

Comments

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

Have you been introduced online to kirkcudbright and wereterrier? They went thru this 14 years ago, their daughter born 1#5oz. They were in the NICU for a long time. They might be people to talk to who have actually been thru this, and you know many of the same people

[asciikitty.livejournal.com]

for that matter, I don't remember it but I was in the NICU at... BI and then Children's and then BI again I think for about a month, because I was 8ish weeks premature.

I'm still waiting for my superpowers though.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

I'm still waiting for my superpowers though.

You're too modest.

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I bet DL! will step up to indoctrinate her into the ways of superheros if needed ;)

[bookdivalia.livejournal.com]

I was in the NICU for awhile, but because it was my mother's fault I didn't get any superpowers. Bitches.

[kitmf.livejournal.com]

I was a premie, though not quite as small as your little girl. Superpowers would have been nice.