[kedougou]

I got a call about a little boy just two weeks old. Little angel is a premie and was born with cocaine in his system. The worker said he was on a feeding tube, but that has been removed and he is eating well on his own.
I will pick him up from the hospital tonight!!!!
I feel like I am in shock. This is my first child and I feel like I am running around in circles. I am at work, but I can't consentrate. All I can think about is that tiny baby in the hospital with no one but the nurses to care for him.
I just want to shout Momma's coming for you!
He is a foster placement and we will attempt reunification, but with the cocaine I don't know how realisitc that will be.
I don't have that much information. I don't know what forumla his is on or even his hight/weight. My worker is trying to get more info and should call me back later today.
Sorry if I am rambling, It is hard to think straight.
Can I put a birth announcement in my local paper?

jess

P.S. I am not sure how much info we are allowed to post, so if I am posting to much medical detail I am sorry.

[JessicaBaker]

That's awesome! I remember when we got the call about our daughter who had a lot of similarities with your situation. I can relate to how you're feeling.
The hospital will probably give you everything you'll need to care for him for the first bit (other than clothes).

Good luck! And keep us posted.

Oh and about the announcement - you do have to be careful about privacy and confidentiality. We put an announcement in our church newsletter with just her first name and that she was our foster daughter (NO pictures)! I probably wouldn't have put anything in a local paper, but you can check with your social worker.

[sparkle1908]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I'd probably try to leave work early to get ready if it were me...I would be no good to my job at this point..lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mom2fabtwins]

Wonderful!!! I remember when I got the call for the twins. Finishing the day at work was TORCHER, but my boss was not so accommodating. The hospital will give you a bag of "stuff" - glass bottles, formula, a few diapers.

A couple of unsolicited suggestions. Get some preemie diapers and preemie cloths - unless he is 8 lbs he will need them for a while. And take pictures before you leave the hospital. In the car seat out of the carseat - etc. That is what i didn't do and wish I would have....
ENJOY!!!!

PS I would skip the announcement in the paper. I don't know if your state/county allows it. IMHO it would be tempting fate to consider him mine to announce.

[thelowlanders]

Have fun

[crystalp]

Yay! Love that little guy for as long as he is with you!

PS - In my experience, the preemie diapers were cr@p. Everything just ran right out of them. So I went to newborn diapers and just folded the front over so they fit. This worked much better for us.

[SarahBethsMommy]

Congratulations! I had a preemie (my bio DD) and I used the Pampers preemie diapers. The Huggies never fit her right and none of the others seemed to work at all. She wore those until she was 7 lbs or so (she was around 7 months old then). Don't buy anything until you know how big he is. You don't want to get a bunch of stuff and not be able to use it. If he weighs less than 7 or 8lbs, you will the preemie stuff.

The hospital will probably give you some diapers and stuff if you ask for it. They might even have some clothes they can give you as people often donate preemie clothes to NICUs.

And do take a lot of pictures. If there is a nurse there who seems particularly attached to him, ask if you can take his picture with her/him. Then make sure to write down their name. I think stuff like that is special for them later. Plus you might want to send a thank you and an update later to the NICU. If RU does happen, mom or dad might enjoy those pictures too.

Ask the nurses for extra of whatever they can give you. That way you won't have to worry about running out to get more formula or whatnot for a few days. And if he is on medications, get extra syringes and stuff for that.

[Mkap]

First of all congratulations! We picked up our fd from the hospital at 3 days old, she too was born positive for cocain and had a low birth weight. I would recommend getting the premie diapers and clothes. Also, be prepared, the baby may have a very senstive tummy to the formula. After many weeks we finally settled with alimentum. We also use the playtex nurseres which are good to lessen gas for colicy babies. Also, invest in the DVD Happiest Baby on the Block, it has helped us so much. Swaddling was like a miracle worker for our fd. Enjoy this time and good luck!

[luvmykids4]

Congratulations. I was already a mother of four when we got our newborn baby, and I was just as nervous and excited. Enjoy him, love him, and don't forget to breathe! I'm serious. You start running around so much, you may forget to 'pace' yourself. I think when you haven't given birth to the baby, you and even others forget that you are still caring for a newborn. It can be overwhelming, so try your best to take care of yourself in the process!! Best wishes.

[bethy724]

Congrats!!! Use the rest of the day at work to make MD appt & WIC appt. You'll need his medicaid card to qualify for WIC (WIC could take a few weeks to get in & you'll want/need the formula). Take as many pics as possible - I was so overwhelmed when my son 1st came to me - I wish I had some.

Good luck & enjoy!!!

[karla-k]

congratulations! I agree to take lots and lots of pictures. they grow really fast and it will be hard to believe that he was ever that tiny!

Walmart carries preemie clothes that are pretty cheap. the little footed sleepers are great. if he is over 5 pounds, I would go straight to the newborn diapers. My DD was 4.6 pounds when we left the hospital and I don't think she wore the preemie diapers even then ??? See what I mean, you forget! Take lots of pictures!

[Boulderbabe]

How fun! A little tiny guy! I love little babies, they smell so incredibly delicious!

If he's cocaine exposed, he may be kind of jittery and hard to soothe. After two weeks, he should be past the worst of it, but with the prematurity, it's hard to say if his neurological system will be mature enough to start reorganizing itself already. I've found that kangaroo care can really help drug exposed kids---Just take your shirt off (you can wear a bra), turn the lights way, way down (or sit in the dark, even), and rock the baby close to your chest with a light blanket over both of you. I make the "shh..shhh...shhh" sound and they seem to find that soothing, too. It's pretty soothing to Mom, too!

The birth announcement is probably not a good thing right now. He's not your legal son yet, and since there's almost inevitably going to be a reunification plan, an announcement would definitely be jumping the gun. I'd save it for a big, splashy adoption announcement. :-)

[Pursuingmydream]

I am happy for you. Enjoy it and take alot of pictures

[EandDmom]

ahhh congrats to you I love babies!!!

[devildogwife]

Congrats! My son was tiny at birth and was in the PICU for 5 week when he was born and dealt with many problems. He was about 5 pounds when we went home and he was in newborn diapers for quite a while. Just fold under the fronts if need be. Do buy preemie clothes. My son wasn't a preemie but fit in them. Definitely get pics with the nurses who have taken care of him the most (hopefully he got consistant care). He also has many intolerances (MSPI + corn) and still gets RTF alimentum.