Seeing is Believing: HOCC NicView Cameras Put Parents at Ease
Rebecca and Joe Jalowiecki trusted the nurses at The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) to take great care of their premature newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while mom recuperated from a pregnancy complication elsewhere in the hospital.
But being able to watch their tiny boy, Paxton, in his bassinette from a bedside video monitor made the separation much easier.
Rebecca Jalowiecki’s pregnancy was going well until a routine stress test two months before her due date revealed that she had pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by dangerously high blood pressure.
“When we first found out, it was a lot to take in and then it ended up being a crazy stressful delivery,” said Rebecca.
Paxton was delivered two months early and whisked off to the NICU. “As soon as they took him, I told Joe to go and be with the baby. I’ll be fine, but I just wanted him to be there for our baby,” said Rebecca.
Immediately after the delivery, Rebecca was heavily medicated to restore her blood pressure to normal. When she woke up, her husband showed her the bedside monitor that was hooked up to a camera focused on Paxton in the NICU. While it would be a little while until she could hold her first child, she was able to see that he was doing fine.
“Being able to see my son was a huge positive moment, because all I wanted to do was see him,” said Rebecca. “Even though I couldn’t hold him, it was very uplifting to see him at least. He was my motivation to get better as soon as possible and I would look at that camera multiple times every day.”
The camera system, known as NicView, was made possible by a generous donation from the HOCC Auxiliary at New Britain General. The system allows parents, family and friends to view their infant in real-time, 24/7, through a secure online portal. Parents receive a link and password they can easily access on phones, laptops and tablets, allowing them to keep tabs on their babies, even when they cannot be present in the NICU.
The Jalowieckis say they will always be grateful that the NicView camera allowed them to remain connected to their child in the first days of his life.
“It’s one thing to hear that he is doing well or that a nurse is feeding and caring for him. It’s another thing to be able to see him doing well and it really does take all your worries away,” Rebecca said.