Feeling so anxious

[moita]

We got to take our daughter home yesterday after a week in hospital. Orginally she was tube fed but is now on expressed milk (still trying to get her to latch but it exhausts her).

I just can't stop worrying. I'm obessing with how much milk she's had. She was sick earlier and I went in to a panic. She has health problems and I'm terrified of what's to come for her (likely operations).

Can anyone offer advice? I was delighted to leave hospital but at least there they can help if anything went wrong.

DH is supportive but is helping more with our toddler. The responsibility of looking after a premature baby with health problems seems overwhelming.

I understand how you feel; I was so excited to take DD home but then felt quite scared that we didn’t have all the monitoring that we had at hospital and people on hand to ask questions.
Do you have an outreach worker from the hospital and are you able to call the unit whenever? We were told to call the unit with any problems for the first few weeks day or night and we had visits every other day for the first week then every week where they would weigh her.
I breastfed so I couldn’t know how much milk she had but i did obsess about other things that I can now see I didn’t worry so much about.
Every new parent worries about their newborn but with premature babies that worry is amplified. I’d say try to take each day as it comes and ask for help and ask questions as much as you want.

Does your nicu do appointments after with a nicu nurse? We had them in addition to the health visitor initially and with DC1 I found it very reassuring as the health visitor didn't seem very clued up with prem babies. You could ask if they do this if they haven't already arranged it.
Try not to focus on what's to come, they have to tell you the worst case sinario, if the operation isn't a definite that's positive. We were told DD might need operations for 2 conditions but one is now completely resolved and the other is being monitored but shes 2 and still hasn't needed it yet.

With feeds and weight, shell be fine as long as shes not dehydrated. Do you know about feeling her soft spot on her head? Get used to what it feels like and if shes dehydrated it should show by dipping in more. One vomit is not unusual, even a couple isn't and she should make up for it with the following few feeds.

My DD had 2 readmissions after leaving nicu, all up Id estimate she had 3-4 weeks after she built up to full feeds where she was either nil by mouth on a drip or on reduced feeds. She was slow to gain weight but once she got to 8 months she piled on weight and shot up the percentiles.

It's scary at first but they quickly become less fragile and it will get easier for you as that happens.

Thank you so much It's so reassuring to read your comments - although I hate that other people are going/have been through the same thing.

I was honest with the midwife who came yesterday and she's suggested making a GO appointment if the anxiety doesn't lessen.

Pleased to say baby is feeding well with plenty of wet/dirty nappies so I'm feeling a bit more relaxed.