I am the mother of quintuplets born at 24 weeks and 3 days weighing between 1lb 9oz - 1lb 15oz. Each day was full of blessings and challenges while we were in the NICU. Our preemies faced many obstacles, which included each requiring surgery to repair their PDA (patent ductus arteriosus), infections, a grade III and a grade IV- IVH (brain bleeds), and retinopathy of prematurity, to name just a few.
My NICU days were full of kangaroo care, pumping breast milk and spending as many precious moments with our babies as I could while still caring for our 2 older children at home.
When the time finally came for our babies to come home, 3 of them required oxygen and all 5 were on apnea monitors for a few months. We followed up with pulmonology for BPD and the neurology department for the NICU follow-up clinic. We were also linked with Help Me Grow, which connected us to wonderful early intervention services such as PT, OT, and speech to help our children reach their milestones.
One of our daughters was diagnosed with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) while in the NICU and she continues to see a cardiologist on a yearly basis to monitor this. We were also patients at the ear, nose and throat department when our son required tubes in his ears and one of our girls had her tonsils removed.
Words cannot describe the appreciation we feel towards Akron Children's Hospital's NICU and the care they provided our babies during our 4 month NICU stay. Today, our children are growing and thriving.
Amie is a parent mentor for these conditions: Brain bleed, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Retinopathy of Prematurity, Supraventricular Tachycardia.
Amie is a mentor for these care services: Cardiology, Ear Nose Throat (ENT), Eye, NICU, Pulmonary, Surgery
