Congratulations on your new baby!
My eldest was a 42 weaker that ended up in NICU. She was bringing up all of her feeds, but her issue was identified as a possibility antenatally, so it was tests run at and in the hours after birth that got her admitted. She started off in the same hospital it was in, but was transferred to a more specialist one without me (I was recovering from my caesarean too).
Find out from your current ward what you need to do to get out of there, and work on that. Your baby is being cared for, so take a couple of hours to work on you. Walking might not be a must - my first visit was in a wheelchair, I think with a catheter still attached!
The NICU staff are wonderful. Your baby will be very well looked after, and is in the best place for them to figure out what’s going on. When you get up there this afternoon they’ll talk you through everything - how to access the unit, hand hygiene, what they’re doing with baby, and also how you can help.
Write down any questions you have now. Ask later. General things I asked: since baby can’t tolerate feeds now, should I pump? How do I store my milk? Can I change baby’s nappy? Can I hold baby? Can I stay with baby? Visiting hours. (I was a hormonal mess, so most of it came out as tears ðŸ˜) .
There will be a member of staff assigned to your baby all the time. So if you think of anything you can ask them.
It is tough, but you’ve done so well to get this far. Look after yourself right now, and I really hope this afternoon goes well and brings answers 💜