Grace
No one plans or prepares to have a premature baby, though many find themselves in this situation. This was the case for my husband and I in December 2012. We were excited to be having a girl and slowly, very slowly, had started getting ready for her. At 31 weeks and 4 days I was admitted to Centerpoint Medical Center for Preeclampsia. I had no idea what this was or the impact it could have on myself and my unborn daughter. The staff explained, in full detail, the seriousness of Preeclampsia and what we should expect over the coming days. I listened, still not quite believing we could have a baby at any point from the time of admittance to her due date of February 10th. As the weekend came and went it was clear the situation had gotten serious and by Monday morning an emergency c-section was scheduled. While no one wants invasive surgery, the process was made as smooth as possible by the hospital staff for myself, my husband and our little girl.
Wyatt and Carson
Our twin boys Wyatt and Carson were born February 20, 2013. They were admitted to the NICU at Centerpoint Medical Center, where they ultimately spent four weeks. After problems with preterm labor at 28 weeks, we were very blessed that they were born at 35 weeks gestation, but needed the NICU nonetheless. Although my husband and I have experience in the medical field, no parent will ever be prepared to have a baby in the NICU, let alone two in our case. The only thing that made the boys' stay in the NICU manageable was the loving, caring staff of nurses, practitioners, and doctors.
Colton and Grayson
When our two sons, Colton and Grayson, were born on January 25th, 2013, they were 36 weeks gestation and we were thrilled with that progress. After their birth – they were placed in the NICU at Overland Park Regional Medical Center for observation. Having the boys in the NICU was something we had never experienced before and were feeling many different kinds of emotions and had many questions.
Anna
Having your first child is an exciting time but when I unexpectedly ended up on bed rest, things turned scary. Laying in the hospital bed, praying our baby girl would stay inside my womb just a few more weeks, I was encouraged when one of the neonatologists from Sunflower came to visit my husband and I. She explained what would happen when I delivered our baby girl, that she would be taken to the NICU where I would be taken to visit with her as soon as possible. The doctors were very caring and took the time to explain what to expect with a premature birth and how long our daughter would likely stay in the NICU. At 30 ½ weeks, I went into labor and had an emergency c-section. I was able to visit with our daughter for a few minutes prior to the doctors and nurses taking her to the NICU, with my husband accompanying her.
Maiya
I was ecstatic when I found out we were pregnant with our first child! I immediately started making plans, daydreaming of the time soon we would hold our little one, and began preparations. But at 23 weeks, I was nowhere near prepared to have a baby. I woke up one morning in preterm labor with no warnings whatsoever and 12 hours later Maiya was born at 23 weeks and 2 days. She weighed 1 lb. 9 oz. and was 12 inches long.
Before this experience I didn’t even know it was possible to have a baby born at that age, let alone have them live. I had no real idea what a NICU even was. I was terrified and had no idea what was happening all around me as doctors rushed around me to do an emergency C-Section. When Maiya was born, there were no cries….just sounds of doctors getting right to work.
M. W.
Our son was born ten weeks premature. It was a bewildering experience because of all the questions and concerns we had and because of all the immediate decisions we were facing in the NICU regarding our son's care. In those first few hours and days of uncertainty and difficulty, we discovered a team of sensitive, thoughtful, dedicated and professional doctors from Sunflower Neonatology Associates.
On a hourly and daily basis, they were an amazing and calming presence in our lives. These doctors made sure to explain every medical procedure in ways that we could understand. They regarded each question we had as important and provided us with as much information as we required regarding our son's treatment. They worked well and cohesively with all the staff at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
Matthew
Our precious son, Matthew, was born prematurely on May 26, 2008. He weighed only 1 pound 1 ounce and was 11 inches long. We had hoped and prayed for him for a very long time, and needless to say, we were beyond frightened when he was born at only 25 weeks gestation. He was so tiny…his skin was translucent, his eyes were sealed shut, and his arms and legs were the size of sticks. It was a roller coaster ride from the beginning, as we were told it would be…it was the life of a preemie trying to survive.