Now that I'm home, I'll mostly be getting details through my update phone call sometime in the morning. Today, Dr. Lizzazi called this morning with our update. Baby Girl continues to do well with just the CPAP and room air, for the most part. She's had 2 Brady incidents in the last 24 hours, but she's recovered from them on her own. Her Bilirubin is back up to 4, so she's back on photo therapy, probably for a couple of days. Her aciditiy is still higher, so they are adding additional buffers into her TPN to assist with that. She lost some more weight overnight, so they are adjusting fluids for that as well. They are going to bump her feeds up to 2ml every 3 hours instead of 2ml every 6 hours.
I'm almost positive Husband has a cold, in addition to C . I slept on the couch last night, and I'm hoping to ward it off. Just in case, I brought up the 14 - 16 half ounce bottles of milk I have today. I pre-portioned them into half ounce sizes so we'll have less risk of waste with them.
I wore a mask when I went to NICU, just in case. I bought some for home as well, so that we can wear them while working with the pump parts or if I want to be around Charlie while he's sick.
Evening Report from Heather:
Height: 12 3/4 inches (32.385)
Weight: will be double checked later tonight, it seemed high
Pump Total: 325 ml, 10.91 oz
Increasing feedings to 2ml every 3 hours
Back on phototherapy for a couple of days
CPAP 5, Back down on room air (21% O2)
PICC Line In
Peripheral IV Out and Umbilicus Art Line Out
Night: Heather
Day: Rachel B
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
NICU Day 3
Baby girl continues to hold her own. She had an hour today where she needed 29% oxygen support. Otherwise, this was a very quiet night and day for her. Her Bilirubin dropped enough that they took her back off phototherapy for a bit and she seemed to enjoy resting in the dark and quiet.
Things were a bit rougher for me. I was discharged around 2 and had to leave the hospital without my baby. Leaving was very tough. I've been on an emotional roller coaster ever since. There was a slightly surreal moment as we were getting ready to leave. We were standing in her room talking to the nurse and someone just outside the door came to an abrupt stop. I looked up and there stood our son's cardiologist. I think we gave him a moment of severe cognitive dissonance. He just couldn't place why we were there, it was outside his expectations. He recovered quickly and we exchanged pleasantries, but it was strange for both of us.
We left late enough that we had just enough time to stop by Whole Foods to lay in my supply of oatmeal (galactagogue!) before going to pick up C. C got into the car and was already talking about how he had to sleep at the hospital the other night and now the baby is out. He asked where the baby is and I explained that she's sick and has to stay with the doctors. He seemed OK with this, it does make sense in his world, we see a lot of doctors. He then asked what her name was, we told him again and he had a little melt down over thinking it should change to a different name, I don't know why and he couldn't explain it, but eventually he settled down.
The Husband and C both seem to have a cold. This has given me something new to obsess over. Husband didn't touch baby girl and he wore a mask when he was in the room last time. The symptoms really just started this afternoon. But I'm still VERY concerned, desperately hoping not to get sick and planning to sleep on the couch.
Spoke with Darrin at about 1am and Baby girl is doing fine. She'll desat and they bump her O2 up to 24-25% then they wean her back down onto room air again.
Day Nurse: Cassie
Night Nurse: Darrin
Height: 12 3/4 inches (32.385)
Weight: 1.47 lbs (670 Grams - down 20)
Pump Total: 148.5 ml in 8 pumps - 4.95 oz
Feeding rate: 2 milliliters every 6 hours.
Things were a bit rougher for me. I was discharged around 2 and had to leave the hospital without my baby. Leaving was very tough. I've been on an emotional roller coaster ever since. There was a slightly surreal moment as we were getting ready to leave. We were standing in her room talking to the nurse and someone just outside the door came to an abrupt stop. I looked up and there stood our son's cardiologist. I think we gave him a moment of severe cognitive dissonance. He just couldn't place why we were there, it was outside his expectations. He recovered quickly and we exchanged pleasantries, but it was strange for both of us.
We left late enough that we had just enough time to stop by Whole Foods to lay in my supply of oatmeal (galactagogue!) before going to pick up C. C got into the car and was already talking about how he had to sleep at the hospital the other night and now the baby is out. He asked where the baby is and I explained that she's sick and has to stay with the doctors. He seemed OK with this, it does make sense in his world, we see a lot of doctors. He then asked what her name was, we told him again and he had a little melt down over thinking it should change to a different name, I don't know why and he couldn't explain it, but eventually he settled down.
The Husband and C both seem to have a cold. This has given me something new to obsess over. Husband didn't touch baby girl and he wore a mask when he was in the room last time. The symptoms really just started this afternoon. But I'm still VERY concerned, desperately hoping not to get sick and planning to sleep on the couch.
Spoke with Darrin at about 1am and Baby girl is doing fine. She'll desat and they bump her O2 up to 24-25% then they wean her back down onto room air again.
Day Nurse: Cassie
Night Nurse: Darrin
Height: 12 3/4 inches (32.385)
Weight: 1.47 lbs (670 Grams - down 20)
Pump Total: 148.5 ml in 8 pumps - 4.95 oz
Feeding rate: 2 milliliters every 6 hours.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
NICU day 2
I am more comfortable today in that very scary and highly medical NICU. I'm able to ask to enter without sobbing as I did on day 1. I attended morning rounds today. The NP who was giving the information said "In this room we have a little rock star". My girl is a respiratory rock star. She's spent today on CPAP. I talked to the doctor who saw her today, she told me that this may not last, sometimes these kids just get too tired and go back to needing more help. She desats a couple of times an hour right now. Mostly, she realizes it herself and starts back up, sometimes they have to stimulate her to get her breathing again.
I am able to bring more milk today, my production is almost to 1.5 ml per pump. She's eaten twice, all my milk that I gave. She pooped too. I'm back to a world where eating and pooping are VERY exciting. I'm thrilled I can provide her milk. I'm even more thrilled she can take what I give.
The doctor tells me there will be good days and bad, I know it. I spend my time trying not to imagine which bad days we will get, My husband reminds me often that when the bad days hit, we'll have to worry about them, this is a good day and we should enjoy it. I try not to be choked with fear of the future.
I'm grateful for all the people thinking of us, praying for us and sending all the positive vibes they can. This will be a long road.
I decided to go back to work next Monday. I'm saving up all the time I possibly can for when we can room in and when she comes home. I may have to reassess if the hormones get the better of me, but really, physically, I'm feeling amazing. I may not grow them right or cook them right, but I apparently can recover quickly.
I made a trip to see her every time I pumped, so far I've seen her 7 times. I got to use hand containment twice to help calm her down. We try not to touch her very much, it is very hard on her to have that stimulation, they call this therapeutic neglect. It is very hard. She's very awake for her age.
I imagined a work week schedule that had me coming to the NICU before morning rush hour and staying until 9:30 when rounds ended in the hopes of doing kangaroo care. Then, I'd go to work until about 11:30 and come to the NICU for lunch and do another round. Finally, I'd come after work for a last time, then go home to see the rest of the family. All the while, I imagined pumping at 3,6,9 and 12 (am and pm). The NICU nurse told me I wasn't being realistic, she described how most people handled it. She assures me I'll find the balance that works for me.
I keep hearing T's voice repeating what he learned at Pre-K - You get what you get, don't throw a fit.
Height: 12 3/4 inches (32.385)
Weight: 1 lb 8 oz (5216.31)
Pump Total: 11.5 ml (9 pumps)
First breast milk by OG tube, 2 millileters at noon. She pooped!
I am able to bring more milk today, my production is almost to 1.5 ml per pump. She's eaten twice, all my milk that I gave. She pooped too. I'm back to a world where eating and pooping are VERY exciting. I'm thrilled I can provide her milk. I'm even more thrilled she can take what I give.
The doctor tells me there will be good days and bad, I know it. I spend my time trying not to imagine which bad days we will get, My husband reminds me often that when the bad days hit, we'll have to worry about them, this is a good day and we should enjoy it. I try not to be choked with fear of the future.
I'm grateful for all the people thinking of us, praying for us and sending all the positive vibes they can. This will be a long road.
I decided to go back to work next Monday. I'm saving up all the time I possibly can for when we can room in and when she comes home. I may have to reassess if the hormones get the better of me, but really, physically, I'm feeling amazing. I may not grow them right or cook them right, but I apparently can recover quickly.
I made a trip to see her every time I pumped, so far I've seen her 7 times. I got to use hand containment twice to help calm her down. We try not to touch her very much, it is very hard on her to have that stimulation, they call this therapeutic neglect. It is very hard. She's very awake for her age.
I imagined a work week schedule that had me coming to the NICU before morning rush hour and staying until 9:30 when rounds ended in the hopes of doing kangaroo care. Then, I'd go to work until about 11:30 and come to the NICU for lunch and do another round. Finally, I'd come after work for a last time, then go home to see the rest of the family. All the while, I imagined pumping at 3,6,9 and 12 (am and pm). The NICU nurse told me I wasn't being realistic, she described how most people handled it. She assures me I'll find the balance that works for me.
I keep hearing T's voice repeating what he learned at Pre-K - You get what you get, don't throw a fit.
Height: 12 3/4 inches (32.385)
Weight: 1 lb 8 oz (5216.31)
Pump Total: 11.5 ml (9 pumps)
First breast milk by OG tube, 2 millileters at noon. She pooped!
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