Becca's story actually begins with me. When I was 24 weeks pregnant, I noticed that my feet ankles and legs were very swollen. The next morning I went to see my doctor and found out that my blood pressure was through the roof. I was sent to Hartford Hospital to be monitored and was admitted. The next 4 days I spent in the Hospital on strict bed rest. The morning of the 5th day I was given an emergency c-section. I had HELPP syndrome a rare form of preaclamsia. My kidneys and liver had actually started shutting down. Sadly the only way that HELPP can be cured is to have the baby.
Rebecca Morgan Redman was born on July 30, 2003 weighing only 1 lb. and was 11 1/2 inches long. An average baby is between 7-8 lbs and 18-22 inches long.
When Becca was born, I was told to open my eyes and I saw a flash of the tenniest, tinniest leg i have ever seen. Becca had a team of Doctors and Nurses from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the OR. within seconds she was evaluated and brought down to the NICU so that her treatments could begin. She was immediately put on an oscillator respirator . Her bed in the incubator actually moved back and fourth to help her breath better. Because Becca was born at 24 weeks her lungs were not 100% developed, she needed a lot of extra help to breath.
i can not say enough about the NICU staff, they were all amazing and supportive. I was not able to see Becca until the day after she was born. Becca's Head Nurse Kathy met us at the door and taught me how to scrub up and then walked us to Becca's room and explained all of the wires and machines that Becca was hooked up to. She answered all of our questions. Then for the first time I was able to cuddle my daughter. Not hold. Cuddling is when you cu your hands around your tiny baby and let her know you are there. I have to admit, It was very surreal to watch my tiny baby hooked up to all the machines and watch her fight every second for her life, Gosh did she fight!
Becca was finally able to be held when she was 21 days old. That day she also got her first kisses, one from Daddy and one from Mommy. She gained her first pound a month after she was born. There was quite a celebration that day! we walked in her room to find it decorated with signs and pictures that her nurses made for her. Who thought that gaining a pound could be such a good thing? Which each pound Becca gained we found even more reason to celebrate. Before Becca was discharged from the hospital she had two life threatening infections and a total of 6 blood transfusions.
On November 7, 2003, one week before my due date, I walked by the nurses station to hear whispers saying.... who's going to tell her. I thought nothing of it and went to Becca's room. The winning nurse, Alyssia came running over to me and asked it i wanted to take my daughter home. Of course the answer was yes! As I took the leads and wires off Becca's little body i sang, "I got no strings to tie me down." ..... from Pinocchio. I looked down at My baby girl and for the first time in her time she had no strings and hasn't been tied down since. We went to the phone and called Gary and told him the best news a parent could hear. That day Gary and I took our tiny baby home. She weighed only 4lbs. 4oz when we left the NICU.
While Becca was in the NICU Gary and I were encouraged to change her diapers, give her baths, take her temperature, mix her formula and breast milk, feed her bottles and even give her meds. When we were there we truly felt like we were parents. There is even a room where parents can sleep over and the babies are brought in to sleep with you. It was great practice to get ready for Becca's homecoming!
The NICU Doctors and Nurses were incredible. In the 101 days that Becca spent in the NICU the staff became an extended part of our family. We send Christmas cards every year and visit the NICU every chance we get. We will forever be grateful to the NICU, because of them We have our daughter.
