There’s a special place in our hearts for moms whose babies are admitted to the NICU. Shakira is one such mom, and we’re honored to share her story here.
“My husband and I were truly excited when we found out we were having twins. I was filled with mixed emotions because I thought to myself, handling two little people at one time: oh my goodness. I was 17 weeks along when we found out that we were having twin boys. I also faced some complications. I was bleeding, and no one knew why. I had to take medication to prevent me from having the boys too early.
I delivered the twins at 35 weeks, which is great for multiples. I had to have an emergency C-section because Qadash was breech. Yashar and Qadash were only 12 hours old when I noticed Yashar’s stomach was enlarged. He screamed for hours, and the nurses and my doctor could not understand why. My son was born with a perforated intestine and had to be transported via an air helicopter to Scott and White for emergency operation.
Yashar had to stay in the NICU for over a month. I was home with Qadash trying to pump because I knew it was the best thing for the boys. I was unable to produce any milk for my sons and that took a toll on me.
While Qadash fared better than his brother, he still suffered from reflux and was unable to tolerate multiple formulas. Yashar’s medical team also stated the only thing he could tolerate was donor breast milk, so I had to find a way to get milk for my babies. I began to research our options once I knew Yashar would be discharged from the hospital. I found a website called Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin, and I received information as far as what to do to get help.
Yashar’s first day home from the NICU was exciting; however, there were very specific instructions on how to feed him. He had to be positioned at an angle to help with digestion. So for many days, we had to clean him up after eating and do what seemed like endless loads of laundry, but it was worth it. Yashar finally started gaining weight and holding down the breast milk. Fast forward a few months and Yashar was walking at nine months and Qadash was right behind him. I am extremely grateful to the Milk Bank for being able to help our family in our time of need.”
Thank you, Shakira, for sharing your story with us.