Sunday, May 11, 2008

NICU Tour

Yesterday we took a tour of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Clarian North, where the three little beans will be delivered. Even if they are big and healthy, they'll go to the NICU for a thorough evaluation. We just hope and pray they don't have to spend much time there.

If they do, we know they will be in very good hands. The staff we met were very knowledgeable and friendly. The nurse who showed us around explained how they would handle triplets, the kind of care they might receive and how we are welcome to be in the NICU at all times with our babies. Clarian North has one of few NICUs in the country that has private rooms for the babies, making it much easier for mom and dad to stay with their little ones. They even have showers and washers and dryers there so family can stay round the clock if they like.

Clarian's NICU also has a family gathering room with TV, videos, games, and a special children's area so extended family and friends can be close by if they'd like. The NICU staff will be involved with the triplets from the minute they are delivered. We will have one NICU nurse, one respiratory therapist and one neonatologist per baby in the delivery room. That's nine people in addition to my doctors and anaesthesiologist. I hope there's enough room for Jeff! We've already joked that with a crowd like that we may as well pop popcorn and sell tickets.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I surfed in after googling NICU tour.
My former preemie now 6 is curious about the NICU. He also wants to meet an adult who was a preemie. There is a local fire fighter who was a preemie and since he has great character I believe h would be a good role model for Tyler.
Congrats on the great facility where your babies will be. We spent 8 weeks in the old NICU (The new one will be better) where we live and had no privacy and 100 nurses. It will greatly bless your visit to have such a nice place.
Best wishes and happy baby growing.

Cheryl
Mom to a really great group and Mom to Tyler former PPROM preemie.

Anonymous said...

Oh, my goodness. I can't go back and edit that! "were" a preemie!
I really need to remember to proof read!

Cheryl