"Little Man" - Showtime documentary

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Specializes in NICU.

Has anyone else caught this new documentary on Showtime? It's on pretty often, plus it's a choice in the On-Demand menu if you have the channel.

The film was made by a woman who had a premature son born from a surrogate mother. He was born around 25-ish weeks at 500-ish grams. It's a very graphic film that actually shows him, sick as a dog, in he NICU. The first hour is his NICU struggle, which included prolonged mechanical ventilation, NEC, surgery with an ostomy, and a 10-15 minute cardiac arrest. The second hour is the first year or two of his life, during which time he has just about all the problems a preemie can have - reflux, G-tube, home oxygen, near respiratory arrest at home, severe vision and hearing problems, home care nursing shortage issues, etc.

It's basically the worst case scenario for a surviving preemie.

The filmmaker says that she made the documentary to show people out there the ramifications of saving micropreemies. She loves her son with all her heart, and this is fiercely proven throughout the movie. But his mere existance turns her life into something unrecognizable.

It's a very realisic view of NICU life, with some extremely frank commentary from the baby's doctors and nurses. I recommend this film to any NICU nurse or NICU nurse hopeful, just to see the kinds of ethical dilemmas we deal with on a daily basis in our field. It was heartbreaing and hopeful at the same time. But the best thing about it is that it is REAL. There is absolutely no sugar coating on this documentary.

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I'd really like to watch that, but I don't have that channel... I'll have to ask around and see if anyone I know gets Showtime and can record it for me. Sounds like a must-see.

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This sounds great. So many times when people see that a micro-preemie survived, they think "happily ever after." This show sounds like it shows the reality, which is not necessarily happy. I haven't seen it, but I will check it out.

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Specializes in NICU.
I'd really like to watch that, but I don't have that channel... I'll have to ask around and see if anyone I know gets Showtime and can record it for me. Sounds like a must-see.

It may very well be available to rent in the documentary section of the video store. It premiered at several film festivals, and Showtime is the channel to premiere it. I don't think it was made specifically sfor the channel, though.

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I am interested in seeing the part about the first couple years. They leave us and we can only hope they have some sort of a life outside of the NICU.

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Specializes in NICU.

Actually I just checked their website and the movie is not yet on DVD. It will be, but right now Showtime seems to have bought it.

http://www.littlemanthemovie.com/

One notable quote from that website, under the NICU section:

"And who are these insane and gracious creatures called nurse? These women and men who are primary care-givers, who become your best friend, your therapist and partner? They tend to these splayed out fetuses, triage the preemie’s tendency toward chronic lung disease, IVH (brain bleeds), NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) and still see the humanity beneath the gelatinous glaze of their skin. These people, like no others, feel my son, immediately accept and embrace him."

I know a lot of people will watch this film and think, "MY GOD! Why do they save ANY preemies?" but that's not what the filmmakers wanted to say. It's just that we hear about all the miracle babies out there who are born prematurely and go on to become perfect little children. They're on the news, in the magazines, etc. What they wanted to show with this documentary is that it's not always going to turn out well, and that people need to know that. You know how we're often saying, "I don't think these parents get it at all," when we've got a baby with severe problems and the parents keep talking about him playing football for Notre Dame one day? This is to educate people so they know that while some babies do well, others have a life that is nothing like the parents planned on.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I watched it OnDemand, I believe it was a week and a half ago. I was intrigued by it because for a while I thought I was going to be a NICU mommy. Thank you, Jesus, that hasn't happened. I found it to be very heart wrenching. I felt bad for the partner who was there with the baby all the time, but I felt especially bad for the other woman and the toddler girl. I can only imagine what they must have been going through as well. I may watch it again this evening, just because it was such a personal portrayal. And the surrogate mother that LIED about her medical hx...how abominable!

[Edited to add: I'm actually watching it now!]

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

I can't wait until it comes out on dvd. I don't have showtime, but I would love to see it.

I see it just on parenting boards even, people who want to induce labor too early or have a pollyanna attitude about preemies. Yes, sometimes 24 weekers survive. And even more rarely, they survive intact. But they are definitely the exception, not the rule. :( Or even the girls I'm in school with - they have one day in the NICU for observation and think they want to go there. But, they haven't even though about the baby they were primary with for over 5 months and dies, or other horrible event. :(

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All I can say is WOW what a powerful documentary. I just got done watching it. I don't have showtime so I ordered the DVD.

I thought it was very well done and made it's point well. I think it should be required by new NICU nurses to watch it.

Sometimes we forget what the family is going through and this documentary reminds us of just how tough it is on the family to have a micropreemie.

I have mainly worked NICU, but I have experience working with special needs kids and some of them were ex-preemies so I have seen both sides of the struggle and Little Man did a wonderful job in portraying it in a very realistic, raw way.

Little Man is highly recommended!

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I went through the website over a month ago and tried to order it, but it just took my name and a comment.....where did you go to order it???

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.
I went through the website over a month ago and tried to order it, but it just took my name and a comment.....where did you go to order it???

I went to the website today and was able to order it. I can't wait to see it.

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Just go to http://littlemanthemovie.com/ and you should be able to order it from there.

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