Managing time?

Question

How do some of you manage your time between the nicu/home/family/other kids? We are 6 weeks in to our nicu stay and live an hour away I’m starting to feel drained and not sure how I can better manage my time between all of the above and pumping every 2-3 hours 😭🤦🏻‍♀️ any and all advice is welcome

Answer

The hospital was an hour away and the parking garage charged the max amount at 8hrs. So I just parked my car there and lived out of my car for a week at a time. My baby was born during the holidays so my mother was in town and watched my older 3 kids, and then my SO’s parents drove 7 hours from out of town to stay with my kids for two weeks, then after they left my mother drove back. My SO would come visit us at the hospital for lunch almost every day.  
My NICU allowed me to visit as much as I wanted, but only had a chair and I wasn’t allowed to sleep there. So I’d go out to my car and nap between two night feedings. I would pump right before care time and hold him during feeding which was every 3hrs so I didn’t get much sleep - just like having a newborn at home but a lot more inconvenient. I wanted to be there for every care time. The hospital had a cafeteria and because I was pumping they supplied me with a meal card.  They also gave me pumping supplies and a pump to use, so I just pumped there next to my baby.
For our final week they moved us to picu, and I got a private room and a bed so I could stay with him.

Answer

It’s so hard. When my youngest was born, I stayed home with my girls and would go to the NICU at night after they went to bed. I was lucky to live 12 mins from the hospital. I pumped at least once at the hospital and was able to do skin to skin with my son while I pumped which was wonderful! NICU life is very draining and you are pulled in a bunch of different directions. If anyone offers help, take it. I would always tell people we were “fine” and thank them for offering to help. Well, take the help. Take the meal, ask for them to play with your other kids so you can shower/pump/eat, I used to ask my mom to go grocery shopping for me (I reimbursed her) because I simply didn’t have time. I also moved 3 days after my youngest came home so I asked family to help pack as I was recovering from a c-section and couldn’t lift anything. I would also try to multi task when pumping. I’d pay bills, plan meals, read books or color with my girls. Hopefully your stay isn’t too much longer. I’ve lived through 3 NICU stays. 150 days, 6 days and 58 days. They were all challenging in their own ways but eventually your baby will come home!

Answer

I'm so sorry for what you are going through. That is a lot to manage. I'm sending a prayer out for you ❤️

Managing time?

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