Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
My husband and I got our foster license last month, after 3 years of hard work (we had to start over multiple times due to family dramas and Mom's open heart surgery). We spent a year preparing the whole house, guest rooms, and children's bathroom for older kids of 7 yr old and up.
Then we got a call that we have been approved to receive twin newborn premies. What, what?!! Babies!? Premies?! TWINS!!! Omg!!!!!!
We don't have a nursery so we have been scrambling to invent one out of this air. Friends and neighbors have volunteered to help. I am so humbled by people's love and care..... And for babies they never even met! The twins are in NICU and the hospital is expecting to discharge them some time next week. I have little experience with babies....and ZERO experience with premies! I also have chronic pain and some chronic illness. I am afraid of failure. What if I am not good enough for these babie? I have to push my fears aside and push forward.
All the help and love we are getting from friends and neighbors is really amazing, though. It does make me think that these babies will be well cared for. Thst we have a good support system-Thank God! Hubby and I are over the moon!! Still, the anxiety is there and sometimes I can see my hands shaking. We have visited the babies in NICU twice now...and we can't help but love them.
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Hey All...I hope that you have a lovely, peaceful beginning of your weekI have a bunch of chores that need doing but may put them off til tomorrow and just hang out with my landlord/roomie todayWhat about you?...Anything special going on?Have a great day and take good care of you!!..Xo
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Once again I've had a fever today. I'm not going to the hospital because that's a huge waste of time but I did schedule a dr appointment for Wednesday afternoon.
I used to work for WIC helping mothers breastfeed and pump for their premies. I helped a lot of new moms with premies.
What you might need to know is each baby will feed differently but they typically are on a schedule from the hospital NICU putting them on a schedule. You will need to get lots of formula and diapers.
Baby clothes are found cheaply at thrift stores or maybe friends have donations.
Taking two babies outside at once is difficult but will be manageable as time goes on. These babies may not be able to go out in public except to the doctor for germ reasons.
You can put two premies in one bed, actually twins like to be together in one bed.
They feed something like every 3 hours around the clock, in the nighttime. Once one starts crying the other likely will wake up. So if you have never had a baby, having friends and relatives help you and be there all night will be a blessing to you and the babies.
You will get the hang of it. I used to teach "paced feeding" and go ahead and google this. Paced feeding slows down the bottle milk flow so they don't choke and so they have a more comforting feeding instead of it being short, fast flow of formula, choking, burping a ton, etc.
It will all become easier day by day. Two at once is harder but if you get frustrated, call the social worker.
I am excited for you that things are moving forward in your goals for life. This is great!
Hasty, thank you so much for your cache of knowledge. Will take any advice you got for me. Thank you, thank you! Yes, friends and a neighbor are helping us. My relatives are too busy and my Mom is too frail. In fact, I am keeping the news secret from her till she recovers from her upcoming heart surgery.
Anyway, a little lady across the street from us (the neighborhood Nana) volunteered to come over as much as we need her to help around the house and with the babies. I am truly blessed to have such caring people in my life.
Remember to take good care of you!!! When the babies sleep You Sleep/Rest...make that a survival rule.
As a single mom a week before I turned 43, I was Scared To Death to bring my son home, he was only just over 5lbs, had been in nicu for 10 days, on oxygen. It's been a long and winding road, the days will feel eternal, and the years will fly by.
Instead of a play pen or crib/rocker I used a stroller to wheel him from room to room, that way I could interact with him while doing what I needed to get done. Hasty had some great info...ask the hospital what the babies schedules are...might help to keep consistent.
As for the legal aspect, find out what you can about the parents and visitation if there will be interactions??? Be Prepared...since you are fostering I'd look into ALL the services that your state provides for foster parents...depending on your income as babies Are Very Expensive!
Wishing You All Peace Healing and Strength <3
The babies will be stable though or they wouldn't be leaving the hospital
? Maybe every 3 hours but you will be given instfuctions
Your sleep will probably be the biggest interuption you notice and hopefully you can rest and nap when people are helping you
Congratulations!!
I'm sure you'll do great...xo
i took on my 3 foster kids in 2019, then ages 6, 3 and 8 months. i can scarcely believe they are now 13, 10 and 7. the shock of the early transition was far beyond anything i could have imagined. it shook every branch on my tree. covid cut the tree down. virtual social work sucks, especially for little ones that can't tell the diff between virtual reality and the world's most boring cartoon. all that passed and i now feel like the gain was well worth the pain. i love my munchkins. the small steps, big faith and lots of prayer have paid off nicely.
as i begin my prayer campaign for your smooth transition, i find myself hoping you will invite that neighborhood nana in for the good stuff, too. maybe even for welcoming day? such a neighbor could be a priceless ally.
HUGS
We visited the preemies again yesterday. The baby girl is growing and we were able to bottle feed her, and fed her brother as well. There is a good chance the baby girl will go home this weekend, and the brother a few days later. Hubby (aka. BlueWave)'s job doesn't provide paternal leave, so he put in a request for tele-work....for at least for several weeks. If they do not approve, I think he might have to quit. :(
I am really upset with his job right now.... they're just adding to the anxiety.
Arfie, you took in 3 foster kids?! That is so awesome!!
GreenEyes, idk if I have any time to shop around garage sales. I am running ragged getting the nursery set up, looking up / researching preemie items and info, visiting the NICU, etc., between my own medical appointments.