Auckland Hospital NICU

I know a few ladies here had their babies in the NICU at Auckland Hospital (yummymummy?).

Someone very dear to me is going to be delivering her babe in a few weeks (at 28ish weeks pregnant). I'm looking for experiences to share with her. Tips? Advice?

She's been a patient in the maternity ward for 3 weeks and will be for at least another 3 until baby arrives, so she's familiar with the hospital and the staff. But, of course, the NICU is a complete unknown, so anything I could pass on to her would be of immense help and completely appreciated

This isn't just limited to AKL NICU, any NICU graduates apply here

*note: Baby is completely healthy. It's Mum that is the reason behind the early arrival. Steroids have been administered weekly for the last fortnight and she's measuring 2 weeks ahead, so baby will have an awesome head start

No experience here, other than being in the maternnity ward - but all the best for her and the baby!!

We have a NICU nurse here. She is also on FB and you may be friends with her. If you want her name I can let you know that.

My baby was in NICU however I never got to visit her there as I was in HDU as quite sick. She was born at 4am in the morning, I had a quick look at her before she was taken away and a NICU nurse brought her up to see me about 1pm that day for about 20 minutes.
Will your friend be able to go see her in NICU or will she be bed bound like I was? Get her to find that out as I didn't get to really see my girl til the following day when I was transferred to a maternity ward which was quite weird really.

Awesome, thank you for your feedback

mum2alana, you poor thing!
Yes, she should be able to visit baby soon after. She has to have surgery straight after the birth, so it'll be a while before she can get in there to see the baby, but her partner will be with the baby (she has another support person to stay with her while she recovers).

I had a NICU baby but in Wellington and it was very scary and daunting at first but I also had the best experience because the nurses and doctors are so nice and friendly (well they were down there anyway)!! I just wanted to wish your friend and her little baby all the best

We were in Nicu (Waikato) for 3 weeks with DS2 (born with a congenital virus), My biggest advice would be to take it one day at a time have PATIENCE and rejoice in tiny steps forwards, while being aware that you may have to go backwards in order to go forwards. The staff are so great and so capable and so wonderful.
And also take time out for you and your partner, my husband and I were able to go out for a dinner or 2 while my parents looked after DS1 which was so good.
Wish her all the best

MamaPickle wrote: her partner will be with the baby (she has another support person to stay with her while she recovers).

This is what I was going to suggest. DH went with the girls while I had my aunt stay with me. Once they were settled he came back with a camera loaded with photos and videos. And then let left again to make the necessary phonecalls and go back to NICU again ( I think he secretly enjoyed running around the hospital with scrubs on )

My midwife was in the theatre as well which I really appreciated for DHs sake.

When I left recovery they detoured to NICU. Unfortunately I only got to cuddle one (same one I got to cuddle in theatre) as the Eimear needed breathing assistance so couldn't leave the incubator.
When I got back to the room my highest priority was to visit the girls. As soon as the midwife let me, I got DH to wheel me back in a wheelchair. I had to touch both babies before I could accept they were both mine

While I was in hospital, my primary objective was to express as much milk as possible this made me feel like I was doing something.
DH felt completely helpless, he felt like he could only stand by and watch while at least I was able to express. He made his primary objective to change the girls nappies (NICU staff like the parents to be as hands on as possible) and to take care of me. For the first 3 days he insisted I use the wheelchair to visit NICU (ward and NICU were on different floors) and made sure I ate and had naps.
Instead of taking parental leave when the girls were born he would go into work and come to the hospital for the morning and evening cares. While it was hard work for him emotionally he it was more beneficial to have him at home when we came home.

Your sister is lucky in the sense that she has had a lot of notice about her NICU stay. The mental preparation is important and because of it I look back on our NICU stay with fond memories.
I loved the staff in NICU, I loved the 3 hourly routine that my DDs came home with , I loved the support that the NICU team gave us when we came home.

Bit of a ramble.. sorry

Thank you all so much for your replies.
I have passed all that info on, as well as your good wishes, thanks