Welcome to the NICU West, Bed 30

Our precious baby girl, Elyse, was born at 6:05 PM. I caught a glimpse of her before they whisked her away to the OR, but my husband hadn't seen her yet. After receiving a phone call that Elyse was ready to meet us, Rob kissed me and headed out the door. He rode the elevator from the Special Delivery Unit on the sixth floor down to the NICU on the second floor. Even though we were all in the same hospital, it felt like we were miles apart. The emotional separation from our baby was a heartache we had never experienced. We had never been apart from one of our babies before. Now, we were about to enter a whole new world.

Entrance to the NICU Unit

Rob's First Moments with Elyse

Rob walked through the double doors, where a security guard checked him in and directed him to bed 30 on the west side of the NICU. He passed through another set of locked doors, just moments away from meeting our little girl.

As he entered her NICU bay, he approached her isolette and met Elyse’s nurse, Ashley K. Overwhelmed with emotion, fear, and anxiety flooded his mind. He went from not seeing her being born to seeing her intubated and connected to machines—a sight that was quite a shock.

But God provided even before we knew we needed it. Our initial nurse, Ashley (such a great name, haha), recognized the shock on Rob’s face and welcomed him warmly. She shared that she had been in the OR when Elyse was born. She recalled how the doctors had difficulty intubating Elyse, but miraculously, she was breathing well on her own. Everyone was amazed by how strong she was.

Ashley then began explaining all the machines connected to Elyse and their purposes. It was a lot to take in—seeing Elyse in that condition and processing so much information simultaneously. After gathering himself, Rob returned to my recovery room to see if I felt well enough to visit Elyse. I definitely was. I couldn’t wait to meet my baby.

Happy Birthfay Elyse

Meeting Elyse for the First Time

By this time, it was 10:00 PM. My nurse helped me out of bed and into a wheelchair, and we made our way to the NICU. I felt mixed emotions—excitement to meet our daughter and fear of seeing her connected to so many machines. We rolled through security, past the double doors, down the hall, and into her NICU bay. As I looked around, I noticed a whiteboard on the wall that said, "Happy Birthday, Elyse," decorated with balloons. Nurse Ashley welcomed me and positioned me close to the isolette.

There she was—our eighth baby, Elyse Noelle. I couldn’t believe she was finally here. But this was different from my previous births. She was motionless, sedated, intubated, and surrounded by machines. The moment was overwhelming, both visually and emotionally. It is a moment and feeling that neither one of us will forget.

Rob spoke softly to Elyse, assuring her that she was strong and would be okay. He also encouraged me to talk to her and let her know I was there.

I leaned in and whispered, "Mommy is here, and I love you so much." As soon as I spoke, Elyse stirred. She began wiggling slightly, and suddenly, her monitors started beeping. Fear overtook me. It was as if my voice was causing her distress, or I was hurting her just by speaking. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The thought that my presence could cause her discomfort shattered me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at my fragile baby girl. Rob wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. He assured me that Elyse needed me and I wasn't hurting her.

Our New Reality...

Sitting by Elyse in her isolette was a bit surreal. We had looked forward to this day for months, and now she is here. While she was in my womb, I felt like she was safe and there was nothing to worry about. Now that she was here, in the NICU, under the care of her care team, I felt a tiny bit of relief from the worry that weighed on me. The tender care of the nurses eased our minds and gave us some comfort knowing Elyse was cared for. Leaving was not easy, but being in the same hospital made it a tiny bit easier. Thankfully, Rob and I were allowed to visit Elyse at any time of day and could stay as long as we wanted.

And so began Elyse’s CDH journey. We now wait patiently as we wait for her repair and recovery. We didn’t know what lay ahead, but we held onto one unshakable truth: God goes before us and walks with us through it all.

Part 5 to continue...

Remember to sign up for my emails to stay updated on Elyse's birth story!

You can sign up here.

Also, upon joining the email list, you will receive free scripture cards to assist you in your quiet time with God.