better late than never - callum aodhan

callum arrived 6wks early on easter sunday of 2007 - 8 april

there was no forewarning

there were no complications that would have indicated i'd have him early

there were no red flags, warning signs, premonitions

and there were no answers


he just came early


so at 48cm and 2502g, callum arrived at the general - and obviously my planned home birth did not occur

after a week in the nicu he came home

so now for a first few pics -

birth is easy for no one - this is not a home birth

callum didn't really like the monitors and squirmed a lot, here his heart monitor is flinging off - the tube is a gauvage tube - a feeding tube - callum was born before he had a sucking reflex, and used too much energy trying to eat. pumped breastmilk was fed through the tube in his nose.

callum was born unable to properly regulate his body temperature. here he is in an isolette, set at 35 degrees celsius. once they were finally able to drop it to 29 degrees, and he was able to maintain his temperature he was moved out of the incubator into a normal hospital crib.

this was the day we were told that callum would leave the nicu, no more monitors or tests or invasive tubes and bloodwork. he is a little champ. instead of the predicted 3wks in the nicu, he was out in 1wk - already impressing his parents...