As Henry mentioned, our fifth foster child weighed slightly less than 5 pounds when I brought her home from the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Today, the baby was moved to a foster home that specialized in premature infant care.
We've had foster children leave before, so I was surprised at how upset I've been at the departure of this little girl. I've cried on and off the entire day. I feel postpartum even though I didn't actually give birth to a child.
Some of it is lack of sleep. The baby ate every hour to 3 hours. But there is something more than that going on.
Even if this baby was open for adoption, which she is not, I don't know what we would have chosen. Yet, I'm devastated by her absence from our home after only 5 days. I can't even imagine how hard it would have been to send her away after a few months or more.
I will have to think long and hard about foster caring for another newborn.
2 comments:
That is one of the hardest things about foster care. That and when you start shutting some of it out for sanity's sake. God bless you and thank you for all you are doing for these kids.
Thanks for your kind words. Intellectually, I can put it into perspective. However, I still feel sad when I see baby clothes when I'm out shopping or a stray baby sock in our house.
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