Over the past one week, there has been a lot of speculation about a fallout between close friends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and director-producer Karan Johar. The rumours started when Johar was nowhere to be seen after Aishwarya lost her father.
In fact, people expected him to attend Shri Krishnaraj Rai's chautha, but even that did not happen. So why was Johar conspicuous with his absence?
Well, it has something to do with his twins, Roohi and Yash. Yes, you read that right.
Johar babies still recuperating!
Johar, who became a single father with the birth of his twins via surrogacy, shared the good news earlier in the month.
He released a statement on Twitter, where he added "My work, travels and social commitments would have to take a back seat and I am prepared for that. By the grace of God, I have the most caring and supportive mother who will be an integral part in the upbringing of her grandchildren and of course, friends who are family."
But it seems there were a few details he did not want to share with the public.
It has now been reported that Roohi and Yash are premature babies and are still reportedly recuperating in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The twins were born prematurely on February 7, at Masrani Hospital in Mumbai, and it seems they are still very much in the hospital.
The doting father, therefore, has been caring for his babies and was thus, unable to attend Rai's funeral or chautha.
"My children were born two months premature"
A source told India Today, "Both the kids have been in the NICU ever since they were born. They are supposed to come home any day now. Karan has been spending most of his free time at the hospital or making arrangements for the kids at home."
Johar who has always been vocal about his desire to become a parent is clearly leaving no stone unturned to care for his babies. In fact, he recently shared a note about his premies and stated, "My children were born two months premature and worryingly underweight. Like any person in this situation and on the brink of fatherhood, my heart sank."
The director added, "Knowing that there were complications with my babies' birth owing to how soon it was, I was terrified. All I wanted to do was hold them and protect them but they needed to be in the NICU. It was painful to see how tiny they were... Thankfully, I had a great support system. Roohi and Yash were in the hands of the most competent and patient doctors. Something that had its roots in an ordeal, soon turned into an experience that I will never forget."
"Having a premature baby is something you don't expect to happen to you. The whole experience has ignited a passion in me to help premature babies get the best chance they can... to help those in anguish who want the best chance of survival for their early born babies.
"Premature babies, when provided with the right kind of care, have just as good of a shot of making it, as babies born on time. If your baby is a preemie, don't be discouraged. Seek help.
"If your baby is born premature, don't lose faith, don't lose heart. I can only share my own experience and hope someone takes heart from it. I feel blessed to have had the care my children received while at the NICU and for all the prayers and support I had - but I urge anyone in the same situation to remember that your baby has the best chance of a long, happy life, too. Don't lose hope," he added.
He also recently revealed that he will share an actual visual of his kids quite soon.
"I am very excited to share the wonderful visual of my children with everyone but at the right time. I hope I can share with everyone soon," he shared.
But meanwhile his priority is to care for his premature babies. However, there is no need to worry. As any other premature baby, Roohi and Yash were also housed at an NICU and that's where all the magic happens!
5 things to know if your baby is in the NICU
The neonatal intensive care unit or NICU is meant for premature babies. And while at first the place might scare new parents with its tubes and high-tech nursery, rest assured your baby will come out healthy and stronger once through there.
But here are a few things you must know about an NICU.
- Why opt for NICU? If your baby is born prematurely or suffered complications during delivery or is showing any signs of health issues during the first few days of birth, they will be kept in NICU based on the doctor's recommendations.
- What equipment will they attach to my baby? This depends on the health problem your baby may have. However, there are five primary equipments used in an NICU such as monitors and alarms to respond to the baby's needs immediately, isolettes and warmers to monitor the baby's body temperature, phototherapy machines to treat jaundice and respiratory equipments as well as machines and tubes to be used as IVs.
- Who will take care of my baby? There are specialised personnels who care for the babies in the NICU and these include neonatal nurse practitioner, nurses on shifts, a neonatologist, a respiratory therapist and a nutritionist among others. Basically, there are a lot of specialists who are responsible for your baby in the NICU.
- What questions to ask the specialists? As concerned parents you would certainly have a lot of questions, but what you need to know on an immediate basis is- what is the problem, when can you take your baby home, types of tests done on your baby, who will help your baby, when can you help the baby and most importantly, who will take you through the entire process.
- What should I expect at the NICU? It may look scary at first, but once your baby is settled, it is in this place that he/she will receive tailor-made care and will recuperate towards better health and a stronger body.
Read: All you should know about taking care of your premature baby
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[All images courtesy: Instagram]