Maura Fern: A NICU Infant's Development (Feed Her, Grow Her)

I thought Maura would never grow. Two months in the NICU and she hadn't gained as much as an inch or a pound in all that time; her entry weight was nearly the same size upon departure. She was our perma-infant, to live out her life in some nightmarish, never-ending NICU loop.

By the time she came home, her weight percentile was only in the single digits. Two months old and she still fit into newborn clothing with plenty of wiggle room. We had one immediate goal: feed her, grow her. And yes, within a matter of weeks our dear little Miss Maura wasn't so little after all: she had jumped to 70% in her weight class!

My daughter's skinny chicken legs had butterballed into some massive thunder thighs! Even her ankles and knees were draped in rolling flabs of baby fat. Can't say that I would ever have another opportunity in my entire lifetime to compliment anyone of the opposite gender on exponential weight gain.

There's no question Maura's physical growth was a blessing, though it also caused significant complications. Two month of laying prone in a hospital bed had not only delayed her gross motor skills, but had actually atrophied whatever muscles she was born with. Now add to that the added healthy girth of a breastfed baby.

Thankfully Maura qualified for Early Intervention. Having worked for 10 years in the mainstream model of special education, it was odd to be on the opposite side of evaluations and the crafting of an intervention plan. We were to work alongside a physical therapist on tummy time exercises to enhance her core muscle groups.

It was more than obvious that a task as simple as holding her head up was not physically possible… at first. It took another two months just to gain enough neck control for her noggin to teeter back and forth like a bobble head. Needless to say, I'm simply astounded by how much strength Maura has gained in just the past two weeks alone.

We noticed her getting antsy when placed in an incline position. She'd strain every last abdominal muscle to bend herself forward. It was then we got the idea to try placing her in an exercise saucer. She took to it right away. Although she doesn't quite have enough strength to balance her torso, she appears quite content to stand supported in an upright position.


Five months in the making, this milestone feels like a major breakthrough and a Win for the little lady.