A younger sorority sister who also had and NICU experience (and i had reached out to and supported during their baby's stay I. The hospital) asked "was this time around less stressful?! I have been thinking about you guys!!"
My response:
Thank for your note, Katie: it IS SUCH a different experience. It's kinda feels like this: we ran a marathon, signed up for another marathon, trained for it, showed up on race day... and it was 2K Fun Run. We got a precious medal at the end of each, but boy is this a cake walk- even with the toddler to manage on top of the 'standard' newborn regimen.
I was so grateful to get to go from L&D to recovery with her right beside me, to get to have her in my room, to hold her without cords,wires, and tubes, to get to have visitors and introduce her to others, to NOT have to show an ID and scrub-in to 'visit' her, to never have her leave my presence the whole hospital stay (except two short trips to the nursery for check-ups), to NOT have to hear/worry about scary possible medical outcomes or have discussions with specialists, all of it was a wonderful, delightful, cherished opportunity. I even enjoyed the warning to "stay away from crowds for the first two months and make sure visitors wash their hands" because it was was so casual compared to the severe critical nature of the same warning for our preemie during flu/RSV season. I was thinking... "um yeah, sure thing- duly noted... That's it?! That's all you got?!"
So yes, it was not only less stressful but at times even comical; because it was so easy compared to what we know from our last experience.
*grateful hearts here*
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