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.
I wonder when it will be in video stores? I called Blockbuster last night and they said that they didn't have it.
I would like to rent it but if it's not coming out to Blockbuster, then I'll have to order the DVD.
Thanks for posting about this. I'm sure that this will weigh heavily into the decision whether to work in NICU or not.
Right now I'm trying to get into the volunteer NICU cuddlers at one of our hospitals. So far no one has called me back. I'm currently a doula in L&D, but I'd like to see what's out there. I'd like to have the chance to work in NICU so that I can see what I'm going to get into.
Since I haven't been able to find this video through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or Blockbuster, I have decided to order the DVD through the website. I'm really looking forward to seeing this documentary.
Maybe someone can answer this, how long did it take for the DVD to arrive using the First Class USPS rate? I'm really excited about seeing this movie and would like to get an idea about when it will arrive.
After I view it, I'll post what I thought about it.
I've watched this video, and it was amazing. I'd say it was "true to life", however, it WAS life. Nicole Conn didn't spare anyone her feelings about what it was like to live with her life in limbo, between the hospital and home.
I was also extremely angered by the surrogate. She only had one kidney and was preemclamptic with her other baby. Why did she lie? There's no telling her motivation about that.
Did anyone else get the feeling that Gwen didn't truly bond with Nicolas? Even after he came home, she seemed to distance herself from Nicolas. I can tell that there were many fights off camera after he came home. When Nicolas got his glasses, and Gwen walks through the door, makes two comments, one of them being "He looks like a cartoon character!" And Nicole says, "Don't make any negative comments Gwen." I know that Gwen loves Nicolas, but not with the fury that Nicole has for him.
Did anyone else feel that way?
Great, great movie. I'd suggest for anyone who can see it, do so.
I was also extremely angered by the surrogate. She only had one kidney and was preemclamptic with her other baby. Why did she lie? There's no telling her motivation about that.
Usually surrogates get a nice chunk of change besides having all their medical care paid for. That's a pretty big motivation right here.
I'm glad you liked it. Yes, the partners definitely had a different experience bonding with the baby. We see this sometimes in the NICU - one of the parents will be there every single day, and the other is a bit more distant. Sometimes it's because they don't want to bond with a baby that might not survive. Other times it's because they didn't want "everything done" because they knew it would be a difficult situation, and I think that's what the big thing was with this couple. She knew that "doing everything" would mean that their lives would never be the same, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. She liked their lives as they were.
MA Nurse
676 Posts
Thanks for posting info about this story. I just bought the DVD, too.
Kim