Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Home Away From Home

People have asked what the NICU looks like and what Shasta's bed looks like so I thought I'd post some pictures since only a select few are allowed to actually go see her. First is just a picture of her room number and the cute name tag one of the nurses made for her. Not all the babies have one (yet) so we feel pretty special!
This next picture is a view of the whole room. Three walls with a curtain to close off the entrance for some privacy. They typically keep the lights off in the room and the hallway lights dim.This is her bed all covered up. If I understood right, the reason they keep the lights dim and her incubator covered is to help her feel like she's still in the womb.Her incubator with one of the sides uncovered. You can see two little doors that open for you to reach your arms in, but also the whole side drops down to be able to get her in and out.Last is the screen that shows what all her wires are monitoring. The top line is her heart rate, the middle line is her breathing rate, and the bottom line is her oxygen level.
The incubator is to help maintain her body temperature, but they turned it down really low because she's been getting too hot. Her doctor said they could put her in an open bed probably by the end of the week, but it's nice to leave her in it because it blocks out sound and allows her to grow. It's kind of a pain to get her in and out of, but I don't think it's a big deal if she remains in it.

Her room is nice and cozy and her nurses are very friendly. The circumstances are rough, but we really couldn't have asked for a better outcome. Everyone makes us feel so welcome and keeps us informed on everything. They do their best to let us feel like we're in control in a situation where it's easy to feel like we have no control at all. She has an amazing doctor who is committed to making sure she gets the best care she needs. He checks in on her every day of the week and calls to update us on what's going on. He's even willing to take calls from home day and night to answer any questions we might have.

To sum things up, the day after I had Shasta while I was still in the hospital I had a dove chocolate with a message inside that read, "Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstance". Couldn't have said it better myself!

4 comments:

Bethany said...

That's really cool. It really proves how well they are set up for this. Her world is catered to her needs! I'm sure it's hard to not have her at home though. You guys are amazing.

Shantel said...

Reading your posts always bring back floods of memories! Katelyn had the same incubator, monitor etc. I am so glad that Shasta is doing so well, she is a little fighter! We continue to pray for your family and hope you can start the next phase of parenthood soon!

Kelsey Fairbanks said...

Awww... it's so cute! I love the flooring! It's way more cozy than I thought.

Tannie Datwyler said...

Oh how familiar that room looks. I'm so glad to hear her progess Sara!!