Mother of twins chooses MeritCare NICU
When Pam Bjorkland's water broke one Saturday morning in September 2001, she knew something was terribly wrong. She was only six months pregnant. "Doug was on his way to a cattle sale and I was home with our 16-month-old son when it happened," she says. "I called my mom and we hightailed it to the hospital in Alexandria, Minn." The Bjorklands live in the Henning, Minn. area.
Even before they arrived in Alexandria, Pam set her sights on Fargo. "This was so odd, but about a month before, out of the blue I asked my cousin, who's a volunteer baby rocker in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at MeritCare, what would happen if I went into preterm labor. I had no idea this would happen to me because it didn't happen with our other two kids, but for some strange reason, I just wanted to hear what he'd say. He was pretty insistent in his answer. He said, 'You come to MeritCare if that ever happens.' So that's what I requested. I received good initial care in Alexandria, then the MeritCare LifeFlight helicopter arrived and I was airlifted to Fargo."
Scared – but confident
Pam knew the seriousness of her situation. "My knees were pretty much shaking during the flight to Fargo," she says. "I was scared, but at the same time, I just kept remembering what my cousin had said and that gave me confidence. I wanted to get in good hands where I knew they had the high-tech equipment and the specialized medical team that would be needed."
As soon as she arrived at MeritCare, steps were taken to try to stop the labor, but they were unsuccessful. "Within three minutes there was a room-full of nurses, doctors and special equipment," she says. "It was like boom, and they were there. Pretty amazing."
A short time later, identical twins Lee (3 pounds) and Luke (3 pounds, 3 ounces) were born. "Even though they were small, they had good color and strong cries. We were thankful for that, but they were just so tiny – each like 3 pounds of butter," says Pam. She got to hold them briefly, then they were taken to the nearby Level III NICU, a 24-bed highly specialized nursery for premature and ill babies. It's located within MeritCare Children's Hospital.
"Can they pull through?"
Like most people, Pam and Doug had never seen the NICU. "We'll always remember the first time we walked in there and saw the boys – so small – and wires everywhere," says Doug. Pam, too, remembers that first visit to the boys in the NICU. "There were lots of tears," she says. "It was hard to look at Lee and Luke without wondering – can they pull through?" Pam and Doug drew strength from their faith and the strong support of friends and relatives, including some in Fargo.
"The first couple days were rocky, but my compliments to go the staff for their reassuring words and support. We knew this was the best, safest place for the boys," says Doug. As expected, Lee and Luke did not yet have fully-developed respiratory systems, so initially both needed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), one of many types of advanced equipment available in the NICU. The pressure from the CPAP machine helped keep the boys' lungs open so they could breathe more easily. In addition, they benefited from constant monitoring, 24-hour supervision and various medical tests to check for problems. They received frequent feedings, first through a syringe, then as they got bigger, through a feeding tube, then a bottle.
Holding the twins
"One of the toughest parts for us as parents was not being able to hold them," says Doug. "At first all we could do was touch them through the little opening in each of their isolettes." Gradually "kangaroo care" entered the picture. Doug or Pam could sit in a rocking chair in the NICU and hold one of the tiny babies next to his or her heart – skin to skin. Important developmentally, kangaroo care also encourages parent/infant bonding. Pam distinctly remembers "day 20" of the twins' stay, when she could finally hold both babies together. "I looked pretty nervous in the picture, but I remember the boys were very quiet, very content. They'd make their little noises, and they were pretty comfy. So was I," she says.
Except for an episode of serious illness two weeks into their stay, the boys made steady progress. The correct course of antibiotics treated the illness, plus Luke needed the help of a high-frequency ventilator for breathing. (Specially suited for infants, a high-frequency ventilator is a valuable piece of technology in the NICU.) On Oct. 30, 2001, the twins were able to go home. "It was a mixture of emotions when we found out we could go home – relief to be a family under one roof, yet scared to bring home 5-pound babies without a nurse or doctor close-by," says Pam. "We'd gotten used to the 24-hour care the boys received in the NICU – care provided by an entire team of people, including neonatologists, nurses, therapists, nutritionlists and others. They covered it all."
Healthy, happy 3-year-olds
Today, Lee and Luke live the full lives of 3-year-olds, including their current favorite activity of dribbling a basketball – together, of course. "It's funny, but it seems no matter what they're doing, whether it's playing or watching a video or going to Sunday School, they want to be doing it together," says Pam. Adds Doug: "We look at them now and think wow, 3 pounds at birth and now they're running around the house healthy, happy 3-year-olds."
What to ask when choosing a NICU
Learn more about MeritCare's NICU or call (701) 234-2000 or (800) 437-4010.
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