August 30th, 2007
Well, we have had a busy few days!
Megan's nursing / bottlefeeding is going so much better! We have been nursing for the 10am feeding and the 4pm feeding. The nurses then give her the bottle overnight. She has been doing great with her bottlefeedings and taking the entire bottle (32 cc). Yesterday and today she nursed for 25 minutes each time! The nurse said she is advanced in her nursing! Bob and I go back when he gets home from work for her bath and so Bob can hold her. The nurse said that she holds her numbers very well when he holds her, so she must be a Daddy's girl :)
She just made it to the 4 lb club today at 4 lbs, 1.2 oz!!! She is getting so big! They have started thermal weaning. They dress her in additional clothes and start turning the temp in the bed down. She only has 1.5 degrees to go :) After that, she will be in an open crib.
Tomorrow we are going to start bottle or breastfeeding every other feeding. She is getting so close to coming home! She will definitely be coming home on a monitor. That will just strap around her chest and monitor her breathing and heartrate. She will wear it all the time and it will alarm if she has an apnea.
I have some new pictures that I'm trying to post, but having trouble. I'll try to post them tomorrow.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
August 27th, 2007
Well, bottle feeding is still an up-hill battle. Yesterday, she didn't nurse well in the morning. She nursed for about one minute and then had no interest. I just put her back in the isolette and gave her a break. When I later looked at her chart, I saw that right after that session, she had a poopy diaper.
Last night, she did 15 cc of her bottle which was pretty good. After that, she seemed pretty tired. She still didn't need any oxygen and was holding her own.
This morning I did a bottle with her and she only had 3cc of the bottle. Seconds into the feeding I recognized that dreaded poop face. Of course, right after our feeding attempt, we checked her diaper -- poopy. Megan has a great ability to hold her poops until I'm trying to feed her. Then, she lets it loose and is too tired for bottle feeding. Right now, it takes her so much of her energy for fairly simple tasks such as feeding, bathing and, yes, pooping. The nurses reassure me that feeding will get so much easier after the next couple of weeks and she is still young. Then I wonder, well, if she is still young for feeding, why am I trying to shove a bottle in her mouth? Aye.
They are also starting to turn down the temperature in her bed. She is down to 30 degrees and holding her temp which is great. They are turning down her bed very gradually. At least we can do her bath outside of her isolette now, which I still have yet to do.
With the feeding, I can't kangaroo with her anymore. She needs to go back in the isolette shortly afterwards to conserve her energy. I really miss that time we spent together and now I feel like I'm not there enough. I may just start taking a book and sitting with her for most of the day.
She is now up to 3 lbs, 13 oz. I can't believe how big she is getting! I don't know what I'll do when she gets over 4 lbs - that seems so big to me!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
August 25th, 2007
First - Happy 20th Birthday, Rob!
Bottle feeding when MUCH better today. The nurse showed me a different way to hold Megan for feeding. I lay her on my lap, perpendicular to me, supporting her head and neck in my left hand and feeding with my right. That seemed to help a lot! Megan took her entire feeding by bottle - 30 ccs! We took it slow and gave her breaks in between, but she eventually got it all down! She didn't even need any help from the oxygen. After eating, she slept on her Daddy for a while and it was adorable!
The doctor wants me to start doing two feedings - one nursing and one by bottle. Yesterday, I decided to just do the bottle feeding since she ate so much. I didn't want her to be overwhelmed. Tomorrow we will do both. The nurse said it helps to put her back in her isolette shortly after the feedings if I'm going to do both in one day so that she has some resting time. We don't want her to be overstimulated.
I did overhear the nurse giving someone discharge instructions. They are very thorough and encourage any questions. We will probably be asking questions for hours :) She was saying that RSV season is the biggest risk for preemies when they are young which lasts from about October to May. During that time, they recommend that we don't go out in public with Megan. She can go outside in her stroller for a walk if it's not too cold, we just need to avoid busy places full of germs like malls, restaurants, etc. She will probably qualify for an injection that doesn't prevent RSV, but will give her a boost in case she gets it to help her fight it. Either way, if she would get RSV, she would be back in the hospital. I guess the worrying doesn't stop once she comes home!
They did move Megan's isolette again. She is now in the "annex" which is across the hall from the NICU. They have so many small babies in the NICU right now, that a few of the stable babies are in the annex. She now weighs 3 lbs 12.4 oz, so she is gaining quickly! I can't believe how fast she will be up to 4 lbs! When holding her, Bob and I can definitely tell she is getting bigger and heavier :) That is what we want!
This week I am sure we will continue to work on her feedings. Once she is settled with feeding, we will start to turn down the temperature in her isolette and she will soon be home! Bob and I put her swing together and it really started to sink in that she will be coming home. We are soooo excited!! (and extremely nervous) We are just hoping that they give us plenty of notice when she is coming home. I have been in the room when they surprise couples and tell them they can take their baby home. Bob and I would need time to mentally prepare ourselved since we are both "planners". I guess it doesn't matter because our plan is already a little off since Miss Megan decided to come 15 weeks early!
First - Happy 20th Birthday, Rob!
Bottle feeding when MUCH better today. The nurse showed me a different way to hold Megan for feeding. I lay her on my lap, perpendicular to me, supporting her head and neck in my left hand and feeding with my right. That seemed to help a lot! Megan took her entire feeding by bottle - 30 ccs! We took it slow and gave her breaks in between, but she eventually got it all down! She didn't even need any help from the oxygen. After eating, she slept on her Daddy for a while and it was adorable!
The doctor wants me to start doing two feedings - one nursing and one by bottle. Yesterday, I decided to just do the bottle feeding since she ate so much. I didn't want her to be overwhelmed. Tomorrow we will do both. The nurse said it helps to put her back in her isolette shortly after the feedings if I'm going to do both in one day so that she has some resting time. We don't want her to be overstimulated.
I did overhear the nurse giving someone discharge instructions. They are very thorough and encourage any questions. We will probably be asking questions for hours :) She was saying that RSV season is the biggest risk for preemies when they are young which lasts from about October to May. During that time, they recommend that we don't go out in public with Megan. She can go outside in her stroller for a walk if it's not too cold, we just need to avoid busy places full of germs like malls, restaurants, etc. She will probably qualify for an injection that doesn't prevent RSV, but will give her a boost in case she gets it to help her fight it. Either way, if she would get RSV, she would be back in the hospital. I guess the worrying doesn't stop once she comes home!
They did move Megan's isolette again. She is now in the "annex" which is across the hall from the NICU. They have so many small babies in the NICU right now, that a few of the stable babies are in the annex. She now weighs 3 lbs 12.4 oz, so she is gaining quickly! I can't believe how fast she will be up to 4 lbs! When holding her, Bob and I can definitely tell she is getting bigger and heavier :) That is what we want!
This week I am sure we will continue to work on her feedings. Once she is settled with feeding, we will start to turn down the temperature in her isolette and she will soon be home! Bob and I put her swing together and it really started to sink in that she will be coming home. We are soooo excited!! (and extremely nervous) We are just hoping that they give us plenty of notice when she is coming home. I have been in the room when they surprise couples and tell them they can take their baby home. Bob and I would need time to mentally prepare ourselved since we are both "planners". I guess it doesn't matter because our plan is already a little off since Miss Megan decided to come 15 weeks early!
Friday, August 24, 2007
August 24th, 2007
Well, bottle feeding is turning out to be a lot tougher than I anticipated. Swallowing is another great wonder you can add to the list that full term babies can do at birth.
This morning we started with nursing. I had to use a nursing shield to help Megan to latch on. She did pretty well and had about 7 good minutes of sucking. She did need a little oxygen help afterwards. The nurse just sits with me with a little tube that is hooked up to oxygen. She can then just put the tube up by Megan's nose to give her a little boost of oxygen.
This evening we went back to do the bottle feed. That has been a tough road. She started off pretty good. We would give her about 4 good sucks before pulling the bottle away and giving her a break. After the 3rd time, she needed some oxygen help and started to turn blue. I sat her up to make sure she wasn't choking. She had a burp and that just made everything worse. The nurse said that the burp probably just gave her a little reflux. Her stats went pretty low and she wasn't breathing very well. It was very scary and makes me very hesitant to try bottle feeding again. The nurse said that we have to start somewhere and she is just learning. It is just so difficult to see her go through that.
She was so tired after that and fell right asleep on my chest. We are really hoping that it goes a little better tomorrow.
Well, bottle feeding is turning out to be a lot tougher than I anticipated. Swallowing is another great wonder you can add to the list that full term babies can do at birth.
This morning we started with nursing. I had to use a nursing shield to help Megan to latch on. She did pretty well and had about 7 good minutes of sucking. She did need a little oxygen help afterwards. The nurse just sits with me with a little tube that is hooked up to oxygen. She can then just put the tube up by Megan's nose to give her a little boost of oxygen.
This evening we went back to do the bottle feed. That has been a tough road. She started off pretty good. We would give her about 4 good sucks before pulling the bottle away and giving her a break. After the 3rd time, she needed some oxygen help and started to turn blue. I sat her up to make sure she wasn't choking. She had a burp and that just made everything worse. The nurse said that the burp probably just gave her a little reflux. Her stats went pretty low and she wasn't breathing very well. It was very scary and makes me very hesitant to try bottle feeding again. The nurse said that we have to start somewhere and she is just learning. It is just so difficult to see her go through that.
She was so tired after that and fell right asleep on my chest. We are really hoping that it goes a little better tomorrow.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
August 23rd, 2007
Here is a picture I took of Megan today. However, she wasn't cooperating with the camera and I had to take 5 pictures before I got one where she was staying relatively still!
She did well with the bottle today and took 3 cc. She was concentrating on creating a dirty diaper at the same time, she she wasn't too interested in eating! I'm looking forward to our feeding tomorrow. I just want to see her get better and better!
A therapist met with Megan today to check her motor skills / development. She said that Meg is right on track and doing great. She is going to watch her suck / swallow functions while we progress with feedings to see how she is doing.
She is up to 3 lbs 10 oz which is AWESOME! She is now growing so fast! I think we will soon be members of the 4 lb club :)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
August 22nd, 2007
Megan took her first bottle today! She ate about 8 cc of her 30 cc feeding which was great! We got her all swaddled in a blanket and the nurse put her in my arms. I put the bottle in her mouth and she went to town! She at the first little bit and then took a break for a few seconds. We then gave her some more. Once we could see that she was working hard to breathe and eat at the same time, we figured that was enough for her first time. Her stats stayed great while she was eating which is a great sign!! She then just takes the rest of her feeding through the tube so she doesn't get stressed out.
I am getting used to changing her diaper. While I do that, she just looks up at me and looks around, checking things out. I feel as if she can recognize my voice and Bob's voice which is an awesome feeling!
Dr. Omar came back today from a 3 week vacation in Egypt (where he is from). He was pleased to see how far Megan has come since he left! He was especially happy to see her breathing on her own and getting so big! She is now 3 lbs 8.6 oz - 3 1/2 pounds!! That seems so big to me :)
Lately, when I get home, I let our dog, Molly, smell my shirt. I want her to get used to Megan's smell. The other day, the neighbor's 4 year old and 1 year old were outside when Molly and I went out. They came over with their parents to pet Molly. She was so good and calmed down as soon as the kids went to pet her. She just sat and let them pet her - it was so cute! I'm sure she will be a great companion for Megan!
Megan took her first bottle today! She ate about 8 cc of her 30 cc feeding which was great! We got her all swaddled in a blanket and the nurse put her in my arms. I put the bottle in her mouth and she went to town! She at the first little bit and then took a break for a few seconds. We then gave her some more. Once we could see that she was working hard to breathe and eat at the same time, we figured that was enough for her first time. Her stats stayed great while she was eating which is a great sign!! She then just takes the rest of her feeding through the tube so she doesn't get stressed out.
I am getting used to changing her diaper. While I do that, she just looks up at me and looks around, checking things out. I feel as if she can recognize my voice and Bob's voice which is an awesome feeling!
Dr. Omar came back today from a 3 week vacation in Egypt (where he is from). He was pleased to see how far Megan has come since he left! He was especially happy to see her breathing on her own and getting so big! She is now 3 lbs 8.6 oz - 3 1/2 pounds!! That seems so big to me :)
Lately, when I get home, I let our dog, Molly, smell my shirt. I want her to get used to Megan's smell. The other day, the neighbor's 4 year old and 1 year old were outside when Molly and I went out. They came over with their parents to pet Molly. She was so good and calmed down as soon as the kids went to pet her. She just sat and let them pet her - it was so cute! I'm sure she will be a great companion for Megan!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
August 21st, 2007
I had a surprise when I went in to see Megan - she was off the nasal cannula and breathing on her own! It was great and scary at the same time. I was a little worried if she would be okay, but she did great while I was there.
She also had on one of her larger preemie outfits - up to 5 lbs. She had on a onesie and pants. They were so big on her! :) She still looked adorable, though! She also had these adorable socks on. The nurse had to stuff one of her socks with tissue to keep it on her foot.
We were discussing the possibility of Megan coming home on an apnea monitor. They think it is probable since she was born so young. It would just be a easy to use monitor that she would wear when sleeping. It would beep when she is having an apnea or pause in breathing. The doctor would want to monitor how many she had and for how long. Knock on wood, she hasn't had one since the 11th. If she continues until this weekend without one, they can stop the caffeine.
When nuzzling today, she did great and actually got some breastmilk! I was afraid that she would choke, but she didn't have a problem. We will keep working on it every day.
I got a bunch of scrapbook stuff last night and I'm all ready to get started. The scrapbook club is meeting tomorrow night, so I am pumped to get started. I did find at least one picture of me when I was pregnant...I didn't have time to take too many!! :)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
August 19th, 2007
We are in the process of weaning Megan off the nasal cannula. They had her down to 3/4 liters, so not much to go! She seems to be doing well with it, so I'm hopeful that she will be breathing on her own by the end of this week!
Now that she is over 1500 grams, they have started "thermal" weaning. In a few days they will start turning down the temperature in her bed. I am still waiting for that first bottle feed...shouldn't be long!
I changed two diapers today. The first one went well and the second one she decided to pee on me:) The nurse had me just put her on a pillow on my lap to change her. She decided to pee on the blanket and my hand. Ha! I held her for about 2 hours and she did great!
Her isolette has moved. She is no longer right by the door, but is now in the back room behind where she used to be.
Well, I guess there isn't too much to report - she is doing great!
We are in the process of weaning Megan off the nasal cannula. They had her down to 3/4 liters, so not much to go! She seems to be doing well with it, so I'm hopeful that she will be breathing on her own by the end of this week!
Now that she is over 1500 grams, they have started "thermal" weaning. In a few days they will start turning down the temperature in her bed. I am still waiting for that first bottle feed...shouldn't be long!
I changed two diapers today. The first one went well and the second one she decided to pee on me:) The nurse had me just put her on a pillow on my lap to change her. She decided to pee on the blanket and my hand. Ha! I held her for about 2 hours and she did great!
Her isolette has moved. She is no longer right by the door, but is now in the back room behind where she used to be.
Well, I guess there isn't too much to report - she is doing great!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
August 18th, 2007
Today was a busy day!
Bob and I went in this morning to see Megan. Bob changed his first diaper :) He said that he was a little nervous at first because she is still small, but quickly felt comfortable. He did a great job! Bob then held Megan for about 2 hours! She did great the entire time and slept comfortably on her Daddy!
We went back at night so we could observe the nurse giving her a bath. We would like to start doing that as well. After watching the nurse give her a bath, we decided that we need to observe at least one more time :) She still needs to stay in the isolette for her sponge bath, so it's tought to do! The nurse said that in about a week or so she should be able to get her bath outside the isolette.
Megan was so adorable when her bath was all done. She was all clean and in a new outfit. She was wide awake and looking around. It was funny to see her hair sticking up all over the place.
She did gain some weight and is about 3 lbs 5.5 oz! She just keeps growing :) Some of that weight gain is due to some fluid retention. She went off the diuretic about a week ago or so. Now her kidneys are working on catching up to get rid of that extra fluid. Her pooping is going great and hasn't needed a suppository in about a week which is awesome!
She is slowly being weaned off the nasal cannula and then she will do all her breathing on her own!
Breastmilk bottles update - our chest freezer is now about full. We have 700 bottles in stock!!
Today was a busy day!
Bob and I went in this morning to see Megan. Bob changed his first diaper :) He said that he was a little nervous at first because she is still small, but quickly felt comfortable. He did a great job! Bob then held Megan for about 2 hours! She did great the entire time and slept comfortably on her Daddy!
We went back at night so we could observe the nurse giving her a bath. We would like to start doing that as well. After watching the nurse give her a bath, we decided that we need to observe at least one more time :) She still needs to stay in the isolette for her sponge bath, so it's tought to do! The nurse said that in about a week or so she should be able to get her bath outside the isolette.
Megan was so adorable when her bath was all done. She was all clean and in a new outfit. She was wide awake and looking around. It was funny to see her hair sticking up all over the place.
She did gain some weight and is about 3 lbs 5.5 oz! She just keeps growing :) Some of that weight gain is due to some fluid retention. She went off the diuretic about a week ago or so. Now her kidneys are working on catching up to get rid of that extra fluid. Her pooping is going great and hasn't needed a suppository in about a week which is awesome!
She is slowly being weaned off the nasal cannula and then she will do all her breathing on her own!
Breastmilk bottles update - our chest freezer is now about full. We have 700 bottles in stock!!
Friday, August 17, 2007
August 17th, 2007
I went in a little earlier for my visit so I could change her diaper twice. Yesterday she let me know that I needed more practice by peeing the bed! :) She did great nuzzling this morning! However, she did pull out her feeding tube during her feeding. No big deal, the nurse just put a new one in.
The nurse estimated she probably has about one month until she can come home :) That's about what we calculated. She is going to be a busy girl over the next month. She has to breath on her own, breastfeed and maintain her body temperature.
Tomorrow night I am planning on going in later in the evening so I can do her bath :) It is nice that we can learn all this stuff and practice before she comes home. The nurse did say that she will most likely still be under 5 lbs when she comes home. Bob and I tried to find a bubble we could put our baby in for the first year, but they don't seem to sell any! :)
All the nurses comment on how big Megan is getting and how cute she is. Look at our little snuggle bunny!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
August 16th, 2007
I guess every day I will experience a "first" for a while. Today I was changing Megan's diaper (poopy diaper, I must add). I had her old diaper off and was going to grab a new diaper. Before I could, she peed! She peed all over her outfit and bed! Ha! That will teach me to get that new diaper on ASAP!! :)
She is up to 3 lbs 3.5 oz! She was doing great today and looked so cute in a little pink outfit. I did a load of her laundry last night and took in some outfits for her to wear. She was just hanging out and resting pretty comfortably.
Not much else to report - just watching our feeder-grower :)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
August 15th, 2007
Two special birthdays to celebrate today...Megan is 6 weeks old and her Aunt Karen is 22 years old!! Happy Birthday!
Megan hit another milestone today and is now in the 3 lb club! She was 3 lbs 1.7 oz last night! Of course, that was before she had two large poops (on her own - no suppository!)
She is also starting to wear clothes. They had a cute shirt on her today. I did my first load of baby clothes and washed a few outfits for Megan and also the preemie outfits from Grandma Klinger. I'm going to take those in for Meggers. Right now she has to wear clothes that button in the front to make it easy to take off and put on.
We had a great day today. I changed another diaper on my own with Dad taking her temperature. They are currently weaning her off the nasal cannula so she can just breath on her own. Then she will start bottle feeding and nursing. They will also gradually decrease the temperature in her bed so she can learn to keep herself warm. Right now her bed is at 31 degrees and it will need to get to 26 degrees before she can try the "open crib" test. She has to be able to maintain her body temperature in a regular nursery crib for 24 hours before going home.
In case you are wondering, her face is wrinkly in the picture because they us special tape to keep the nasal cannula and feeding tube in place. They take it off very gently and it doesn't hurt her at all - nothing like if we would put clear mailing tape on our face!
Two special birthdays to celebrate today...Megan is 6 weeks old and her Aunt Karen is 22 years old!! Happy Birthday!
Megan hit another milestone today and is now in the 3 lb club! She was 3 lbs 1.7 oz last night! Of course, that was before she had two large poops (on her own - no suppository!)
She is also starting to wear clothes. They had a cute shirt on her today. I did my first load of baby clothes and washed a few outfits for Megan and also the preemie outfits from Grandma Klinger. I'm going to take those in for Meggers. Right now she has to wear clothes that button in the front to make it easy to take off and put on.
We had a great day today. I changed another diaper on my own with Dad taking her temperature. They are currently weaning her off the nasal cannula so she can just breath on her own. Then she will start bottle feeding and nursing. They will also gradually decrease the temperature in her bed so she can learn to keep herself warm. Right now her bed is at 31 degrees and it will need to get to 26 degrees before she can try the "open crib" test. She has to be able to maintain her body temperature in a regular nursery crib for 24 hours before going home.
In case you are wondering, her face is wrinkly in the picture because they us special tape to keep the nasal cannula and feeding tube in place. They take it off very gently and it doesn't hurt her at all - nothing like if we would put clear mailing tape on our face!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
August 14th, 2007
I had another great day with Megan today!
The doctors did not make many changes. She is no longer receiving potassium and is down to 2 doses of sodium a day instead of 4. She is up to 2 lbs 14 oz and 37 cm long.
I changed her diaper today. It was easy - just a #1. I was holding her and the nurse had me lay her on a pillow on my lap. She was wide awake and looking at me while I removed the dirty diaper, wiped her butt (something I understand is my duty to remind her of later in life) and put on a new diaper. I think we did pretty well considering I was very nervous to change the diaper of a 3 lb baby! She's a lot stronger than she looks! I also took her temp. I then played with her for a short time before putting her back on my chest to sleep.
I held her for about 3 hours today. We discovered that they did not change her gestational age, but just accidentally skipped a week. So, she is actually 31 weeks tomorrow. (On Mommy count, she is 32 weeks Saturday :) ) Our bottle feeding won't happen until at least next week. However, she is doing great with nuzzling and actually got some milk in her mouth. Of course, I then leaked all over her arm...I am obviously new at this whole nursing thing.
There are many new babies in the NICU. I think Megan still has seniority, though. I am hoping that by the time my monthly parking pass expires, Meggers will be coming home! I am REALLY looking forward to the three of us having a chance to bond outside of the NICU. Bob and I are even just excited to have her with us in the nest-in room before we leave the hospital, just the 3 of us :) That is when it will really sink in that this is our little girl!
I had another great day with Megan today!
The doctors did not make many changes. She is no longer receiving potassium and is down to 2 doses of sodium a day instead of 4. She is up to 2 lbs 14 oz and 37 cm long.
I changed her diaper today. It was easy - just a #1. I was holding her and the nurse had me lay her on a pillow on my lap. She was wide awake and looking at me while I removed the dirty diaper, wiped her butt (something I understand is my duty to remind her of later in life) and put on a new diaper. I think we did pretty well considering I was very nervous to change the diaper of a 3 lb baby! She's a lot stronger than she looks! I also took her temp. I then played with her for a short time before putting her back on my chest to sleep.
I held her for about 3 hours today. We discovered that they did not change her gestational age, but just accidentally skipped a week. So, she is actually 31 weeks tomorrow. (On Mommy count, she is 32 weeks Saturday :) ) Our bottle feeding won't happen until at least next week. However, she is doing great with nuzzling and actually got some milk in her mouth. Of course, I then leaked all over her arm...I am obviously new at this whole nursing thing.
There are many new babies in the NICU. I think Megan still has seniority, though. I am hoping that by the time my monthly parking pass expires, Meggers will be coming home! I am REALLY looking forward to the three of us having a chance to bond outside of the NICU. Bob and I are even just excited to have her with us in the nest-in room before we leave the hospital, just the 3 of us :) That is when it will really sink in that this is our little girl!
Monday, August 13, 2007
August 13th, 2007
No more CPAP for Megan! She has been doing great on her O2 saturation, so she is only on the nasal cannula. Basically now, she doesn't get any extra ventilator help, just some air to help keep her lungs open.She got her first eye exam today. While I was holding her, the nurse gave her eye drops (which she didn't like at all ). She then slept with me for about an hour before the eye doctor came. They are looking for ROP or Retinopathy of Prematurity. He said her eyes look good. Her right eye looked clear and the left had only minimum stage 1 ROP which does not require treatment. He will follow up in 2 weeks, but so far so good! Mild cases such as stage 1 or stage 2 typically clear up without treatment.
I did also convince Bob to let me put up a pic of him with Megan...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
August 12th, 2007
Megan is no longer the only girl...she now has a partner in crime. I don't know her name, yet, but I heard the nurses referring to another girl. I did have another nurse tell me that Megan has "quite the temper" and that I should have fun when she comes home. Hmmm...
Megan is up to 2 lbs 13 oz! I could tell she was a little bigger when I held her today :) We hung out for about 1 1/2 hours and she did great! She rested comfortably on top of my newly acquired sunburn. ( I just wanted to make sure she kept warm...right.)
They did make a few changes today. They have stopped the diuretic. Both the steriods and the diuretic had been making it easier for Megan to breathe, so we'll see how she does. Her last dose for both was yesterday and she is still doing well. She is still on room air (21%) and keeping her O2 saturation stable. If she continues to keep her saturation stable over the next 48 hours, she will no longer go on the CPAP. Instead, she will only be on a nasal cannula. From what I understand, the CPAP delivers pressure to her lungs and gives her more assistance where the nasal cannula just delivers a stream of air to her lungs. Being done with the CPAP would be a step in the right direction!
Because they are stopping the diuretic, she will no longer need extra potassium, so that is being stopped as well.
She is doing great, we are now just waiting for her to grow. This week, she will start bottle feeding and we will work more towards nursing. The one thing she is having some trouble with is having regular stools without a suppository. That is one thing she will have to do before being discharged. The nurse said that constipation is very common among preemies as their digestive system matures. Bob and I are hoping that getting rid of some of these medications may help.
Today, Megan visited with Grandma and Grandpa Foster. Grandpa Foster had not seen Megan for a few weeks and was shocked at how big she was (relatively speaking, of course :) )
Everyday, I feel more and more like a Mom. I still feel pangs of jealousy when I see parents with their babies. I just want to scream out that I am a Mom and I have a beautiful little girl. My pregnant belly should have been immediately replaced with a stroller to show off my baby. I compensate by telling as many people as possible about Megan - cashiers, other shoppers, mailman, etc. I also thoroughly enjoy shopping for her at Babies R Us. It was so satisfying to grab a pack of sleep and plays on clearance because I know my daughter will need them eventually and not for someone else's baby shower.
Megan is no longer the only girl...she now has a partner in crime. I don't know her name, yet, but I heard the nurses referring to another girl. I did have another nurse tell me that Megan has "quite the temper" and that I should have fun when she comes home. Hmmm...
Megan is up to 2 lbs 13 oz! I could tell she was a little bigger when I held her today :) We hung out for about 1 1/2 hours and she did great! She rested comfortably on top of my newly acquired sunburn. ( I just wanted to make sure she kept warm...right.)
They did make a few changes today. They have stopped the diuretic. Both the steriods and the diuretic had been making it easier for Megan to breathe, so we'll see how she does. Her last dose for both was yesterday and she is still doing well. She is still on room air (21%) and keeping her O2 saturation stable. If she continues to keep her saturation stable over the next 48 hours, she will no longer go on the CPAP. Instead, she will only be on a nasal cannula. From what I understand, the CPAP delivers pressure to her lungs and gives her more assistance where the nasal cannula just delivers a stream of air to her lungs. Being done with the CPAP would be a step in the right direction!
Because they are stopping the diuretic, she will no longer need extra potassium, so that is being stopped as well.
She is doing great, we are now just waiting for her to grow. This week, she will start bottle feeding and we will work more towards nursing. The one thing she is having some trouble with is having regular stools without a suppository. That is one thing she will have to do before being discharged. The nurse said that constipation is very common among preemies as their digestive system matures. Bob and I are hoping that getting rid of some of these medications may help.
Today, Megan visited with Grandma and Grandpa Foster. Grandpa Foster had not seen Megan for a few weeks and was shocked at how big she was (relatively speaking, of course :) )
Everyday, I feel more and more like a Mom. I still feel pangs of jealousy when I see parents with their babies. I just want to scream out that I am a Mom and I have a beautiful little girl. My pregnant belly should have been immediately replaced with a stroller to show off my baby. I compensate by telling as many people as possible about Megan - cashiers, other shoppers, mailman, etc. I also thoroughly enjoy shopping for her at Babies R Us. It was so satisfying to grab a pack of sleep and plays on clearance because I know my daughter will need them eventually and not for someone else's baby shower.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
August 11th, 2007
Bob and I had a great visit with Megan today!
First, Megan and I tried nuzzling again and she did very well! She even did a little non-nutritive sucking which is great! I look forward to nursing with her and think she will do very well.
I then held her for about 1 1/2 hours. She was so peaceful the entire time and slept comfortably. Then, Bob held her for a while. He said he was much less nervous this time. She fussed while we switched from me to Bob. Bob then calmed her down until she fell asleep on him. It was a priceless moment!
They have increased her feedings just a little to 25 cc every 3 hours. They are decreasing the time it takes her to eat from one hour to 45 minutes. They will decrease that gradually because she is still learning to eat / digest while breathing.
There have been a few new babies coming into the NICU, but we found out today that Megan is the only girl! Bob will go around the NICU and have a talk with all these boys... With her being the only girl, the nurses come over frequently and comment on how cute she is :)
We purchased her crib and dresser last night. They look great! However, the dresser does have a little damage on it, so they ordered us a replacement. We should be able to pick it up in a few days.
Bob and I had a great visit with Megan today!
First, Megan and I tried nuzzling again and she did very well! She even did a little non-nutritive sucking which is great! I look forward to nursing with her and think she will do very well.
I then held her for about 1 1/2 hours. She was so peaceful the entire time and slept comfortably. Then, Bob held her for a while. He said he was much less nervous this time. She fussed while we switched from me to Bob. Bob then calmed her down until she fell asleep on him. It was a priceless moment!
They have increased her feedings just a little to 25 cc every 3 hours. They are decreasing the time it takes her to eat from one hour to 45 minutes. They will decrease that gradually because she is still learning to eat / digest while breathing.
There have been a few new babies coming into the NICU, but we found out today that Megan is the only girl! Bob will go around the NICU and have a talk with all these boys... With her being the only girl, the nurses come over frequently and comment on how cute she is :)
We purchased her crib and dresser last night. They look great! However, the dresser does have a little damage on it, so they ordered us a replacement. We should be able to pick it up in a few days.
Friday, August 10, 2007
August 10th, 2007
Well, it's about that time to purchase a monthly parking pass for the hospital!
Megan and I spent about 3 hours together today. She slept very well despite all the commotion in the NICU today. Today was the first day that she could nuzzle to prepare for breastfeeding. We are trying to stimulate her sucking reflex but putting her into position for nursing. Although, today she didn't do much of anything and probably just wondered what the heck I was trying to do to her :)
She really is doing well and I hope it is not a big "steriods curtain". Tomorrow is her last dose of steriods and I just hope she can keep up her excellent breathing on her own.
I spotted her old giraffe bed in the NICU which means there must be a little baby in there. I wish all the best to those parents and hope things will go well. I would certainly love to support any other NICU parents, especially for micro-preemies. I now know how it feels when your preemie is first born!
This weekend I am hoping to get started on Megan's scrapbook. There is so much to scrap already!!
Well, it's about that time to purchase a monthly parking pass for the hospital!
Megan and I spent about 3 hours together today. She slept very well despite all the commotion in the NICU today. Today was the first day that she could nuzzle to prepare for breastfeeding. We are trying to stimulate her sucking reflex but putting her into position for nursing. Although, today she didn't do much of anything and probably just wondered what the heck I was trying to do to her :)
She really is doing well and I hope it is not a big "steriods curtain". Tomorrow is her last dose of steriods and I just hope she can keep up her excellent breathing on her own.
I spotted her old giraffe bed in the NICU which means there must be a little baby in there. I wish all the best to those parents and hope things will go well. I would certainly love to support any other NICU parents, especially for micro-preemies. I now know how it feels when your preemie is first born!
This weekend I am hoping to get started on Megan's scrapbook. There is so much to scrap already!!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
August 9th, 2007
Today I got to hold Megan for 4 hours! The nurse was so nice and he made me a chicken salad sandwich and cut it into quarters so I could eat lunch while holding her. He also put some juice in a cup with a straw :) She did so well that entire time and just snoozed with me. About 2 hours into it, he had to change her diaper, take her vitals, etc. She got so mad and was crying. She also lifted her head up off my chest and moved it around to the other side. She is so strong!
He said she was having a great day. Even when she did push her nasal piece out, her numbers were still great. Dr. Farrag also thought she was doing very well and gaining weight! Today she was 2 lbs 11.5 oz - a small gain on yesterday's weight. They haven't really changed any of her medications. She will have the steriods for two more days. Then we'll see how that affects her breathing.
Bob and I went back after dinner so that Bob could visit with her. The nurse had just gotten finished bathing her. She smelled soo good and was all clean :) We got to see her pretty face before the nurse put her nasal piece back on. About 4 nurses were standing around Megan when we came in to see how cute she is :) She also had a HUGE poo! Yay Megan!
Today we got new blinds for her nursery. I also got her froggy tales curtains and light switch to put in her room. It looks awesome!
Today I got to hold Megan for 4 hours! The nurse was so nice and he made me a chicken salad sandwich and cut it into quarters so I could eat lunch while holding her. He also put some juice in a cup with a straw :) She did so well that entire time and just snoozed with me. About 2 hours into it, he had to change her diaper, take her vitals, etc. She got so mad and was crying. She also lifted her head up off my chest and moved it around to the other side. She is so strong!
He said she was having a great day. Even when she did push her nasal piece out, her numbers were still great. Dr. Farrag also thought she was doing very well and gaining weight! Today she was 2 lbs 11.5 oz - a small gain on yesterday's weight. They haven't really changed any of her medications. She will have the steriods for two more days. Then we'll see how that affects her breathing.
Bob and I went back after dinner so that Bob could visit with her. The nurse had just gotten finished bathing her. She smelled soo good and was all clean :) We got to see her pretty face before the nurse put her nasal piece back on. About 4 nurses were standing around Megan when we came in to see how cute she is :) She also had a HUGE poo! Yay Megan!
Today we got new blinds for her nursery. I also got her froggy tales curtains and light switch to put in her room. It looks awesome!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
August 8th, 2007
Guess who is 5 weeks old... :)
She is doing great on her nasal cannula. The nurse said this morning that the nasal piece is everywhere expect where it is supposed to be. As soon as they put the piece in her nose, she takes it out.
Her weight last night was 2 lbs 11.2 oz. I remember the nurses telling the parents of the baby next to Megan a few weeks ago that he was 2 lbs 11 oz and that sounded so big to me! I can't believe that now she is that big :)
They are doing a culture to check the bacteria this afternoon. If that culture comes back negative, they are going to stop the antibiotic. We'll see how that goes!
It is true that having a baby in the NICU is a waiting game. Unfortunately, I am not the type of person that likes to wait! We are done painting Megan's room and are planning on buying her furniture. I have this nagging spot in my brain of cautious thoughts that are wondering if I should wait to buy her furniture. I am 95% sure that Megan will come home, but there is still that 5% that worries. I think part of it is because of the two losses we have experienced. I am afraid of having a nursery without a baby. However, the postive thoughts are winning!
My visit went great with Megan! I took in the preemie clothes that Grandma and Grandpa Klinger got for Megan and the nurses loved them! The clothes are made for babies up to 3 lbs, so Meggers may grow out of them soon! I left them in her "dresser" at the NICU.
Her culture came back negative for bacteria, so she is done with the antibiotics. However, since they didn't do a full 7-10 days, that antibiotic would still be effective against that particular bacteria. Now she doesn't have that IV in her arm anymore!
Great news...Bob is going to hold Megan tonight. They said that now we can do kangaroo care every day! She is now off the vent and holding her temp well, so Dad is going to hold her. I know he is pretty nervous, but he will relax as soon as she is in his arms. I remember being surprised how sturdy and strong she felt for being so small! I will take my camera, but so far Bob is insisting on no "public" pictures. You know how men are.... :) I just got him some button down shirts, so he is all set! Also, everyone think encouraging thoughts for Bob because he is quitting smoking today. He knows how much this would mean not only for himself, but also for his little girl. It will be a tough road for him, but I know he can do it! I hope he knows how proud I am of him, even for just taking the first step!!!
All in all, Megan is doing great! I spoke with Dr. Farrag and he said she is doing very well. They did adjust her gestational age to 26 weeks at birth. So, today she is 31 weeks!
Guess who is 5 weeks old... :)
She is doing great on her nasal cannula. The nurse said this morning that the nasal piece is everywhere expect where it is supposed to be. As soon as they put the piece in her nose, she takes it out.
Her weight last night was 2 lbs 11.2 oz. I remember the nurses telling the parents of the baby next to Megan a few weeks ago that he was 2 lbs 11 oz and that sounded so big to me! I can't believe that now she is that big :)
They are doing a culture to check the bacteria this afternoon. If that culture comes back negative, they are going to stop the antibiotic. We'll see how that goes!
It is true that having a baby in the NICU is a waiting game. Unfortunately, I am not the type of person that likes to wait! We are done painting Megan's room and are planning on buying her furniture. I have this nagging spot in my brain of cautious thoughts that are wondering if I should wait to buy her furniture. I am 95% sure that Megan will come home, but there is still that 5% that worries. I think part of it is because of the two losses we have experienced. I am afraid of having a nursery without a baby. However, the postive thoughts are winning!
My visit went great with Megan! I took in the preemie clothes that Grandma and Grandpa Klinger got for Megan and the nurses loved them! The clothes are made for babies up to 3 lbs, so Meggers may grow out of them soon! I left them in her "dresser" at the NICU.
Her culture came back negative for bacteria, so she is done with the antibiotics. However, since they didn't do a full 7-10 days, that antibiotic would still be effective against that particular bacteria. Now she doesn't have that IV in her arm anymore!
Great news...Bob is going to hold Megan tonight. They said that now we can do kangaroo care every day! She is now off the vent and holding her temp well, so Dad is going to hold her. I know he is pretty nervous, but he will relax as soon as she is in his arms. I remember being surprised how sturdy and strong she felt for being so small! I will take my camera, but so far Bob is insisting on no "public" pictures. You know how men are.... :) I just got him some button down shirts, so he is all set! Also, everyone think encouraging thoughts for Bob because he is quitting smoking today. He knows how much this would mean not only for himself, but also for his little girl. It will be a tough road for him, but I know he can do it! I hope he knows how proud I am of him, even for just taking the first step!!!
All in all, Megan is doing great! I spoke with Dr. Farrag and he said she is doing very well. They did adjust her gestational age to 26 weeks at birth. So, today she is 31 weeks!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
August 7th, 2007
Megan is getting quite the reputation in the NICU. Every nurse tells us that she is a wild woman, pistol and a little firecracker. Her nurse overnight said she heard a *ping* against the isolette. Here, Megan had pulled her nasal piece out and threw it against the side of the isolette. Hmmm, she must not like it too much!
She is doing great with her breathing. A lot of that is from the steroids, but Megan is working as well. They will stop the steriods on Sunday, so we'll she how she does after that. For right now, she is breathing room air and not using any oxygen. She is doing great!
We talked to Dr. Farrag more about her bacteria. It is leftover from the infection she had before, but is now resistant to the antibiotic that they had used orignally. Now they are fighting it with two different anitbiotics. However, they are going to stop the antibiotics after 2 more days. The dr. explained that will kill most of the bacteria, but will not make the remaining bacteria immune to the antibiotic. Now that her vent tube is out, the bacteria won't have somewhere to thrive anymore. I still don't quite understand how it works, but he is optimistic. He said it is a great sign that she is clinically healthy and is not currently affected by the bacteria.
We got to hear her cry for the first time today :) It is still pretty raspy, but cute! She also sneeezes quite a bit since that piece is in her nose.
I got to hold her again today. She was crying when we first got there and then fell asleep as soon as I held her. I loved it :) She was holding Daddy's hand while I held her and holding my shirt. Her stats were great while I was holding her which means she liked it! She then cried as soon as they went to put her back in her bed :)
At first, I was very scared when they described her bacteria, but I feel much better after Dr. Farrag's explanation today. I just need a nurse or doctor to tell me that my baby is going to be okay!
Well, I will close with this goofy (but cute) picture of Miss Megan - apparatus free! We are putting the last coat of paint in Megan's room tonight :)
Megan is getting quite the reputation in the NICU. Every nurse tells us that she is a wild woman, pistol and a little firecracker. Her nurse overnight said she heard a *ping* against the isolette. Here, Megan had pulled her nasal piece out and threw it against the side of the isolette. Hmmm, she must not like it too much!
She is doing great with her breathing. A lot of that is from the steroids, but Megan is working as well. They will stop the steriods on Sunday, so we'll she how she does after that. For right now, she is breathing room air and not using any oxygen. She is doing great!
We talked to Dr. Farrag more about her bacteria. It is leftover from the infection she had before, but is now resistant to the antibiotic that they had used orignally. Now they are fighting it with two different anitbiotics. However, they are going to stop the antibiotics after 2 more days. The dr. explained that will kill most of the bacteria, but will not make the remaining bacteria immune to the antibiotic. Now that her vent tube is out, the bacteria won't have somewhere to thrive anymore. I still don't quite understand how it works, but he is optimistic. He said it is a great sign that she is clinically healthy and is not currently affected by the bacteria.
We got to hear her cry for the first time today :) It is still pretty raspy, but cute! She also sneeezes quite a bit since that piece is in her nose.
I got to hold her again today. She was crying when we first got there and then fell asleep as soon as I held her. I loved it :) She was holding Daddy's hand while I held her and holding my shirt. Her stats were great while I was holding her which means she liked it! She then cried as soon as they went to put her back in her bed :)
At first, I was very scared when they described her bacteria, but I feel much better after Dr. Farrag's explanation today. I just need a nurse or doctor to tell me that my baby is going to be okay!
Well, I will close with this goofy (but cute) picture of Miss Megan - apparatus free! We are putting the last coat of paint in Megan's room tonight :)
Monday, August 6, 2007
August 6th, 2007
Megan is going to be famous! Dr. Farrag, the physican filling in for Dr. Omar, would like to take a picture of Megan with her neo bar for his hospital. The neo bar is the white plastic bar across her mouth that holds her tubes in place. Dr. Farrag's hospital does not use them and he would like to get his hospital to order them. He wants to take a picture of Meggers to show one in use. 4 1/2 weeks old and a star already!
She is back up to 2 lbs 10 oz. Her breathing is showing definite improvements. She started the day at 25% oxygen when she usually starts off at 30-32%. Great! She is keeping her saturation stable which is also good news.
Her feedings are going well (now that Mom stopped eating chocolate!). In less than 2 weeks she will start taking one feeding a day from the bottle. That will be so exciting! She is expected to be off the ventilator today or tomorrow - then we can see her cute face!
Megan is going to be famous! Dr. Farrag, the physican filling in for Dr. Omar, would like to take a picture of Megan with her neo bar for his hospital. The neo bar is the white plastic bar across her mouth that holds her tubes in place. Dr. Farrag's hospital does not use them and he would like to get his hospital to order them. He wants to take a picture of Meggers to show one in use. 4 1/2 weeks old and a star already!
She is back up to 2 lbs 10 oz. Her breathing is showing definite improvements. She started the day at 25% oxygen when she usually starts off at 30-32%. Great! She is keeping her saturation stable which is also good news.
Her feedings are going well (now that Mom stopped eating chocolate!). In less than 2 weeks she will start taking one feeding a day from the bottle. That will be so exciting! She is expected to be off the ventilator today or tomorrow - then we can see her cute face!
Well, guess who is now off the ventilator.... :) The nurse took Megan off the vent at 10am and put her on a CPAP which is a piece that goes in her nose. We got to see her face and we heard her sneeze! The nurse said that now she can cry. She has been crying a bit, but her voice will be raspy / hoarse for a little bit from the vent tube.
They did do a culture before starting the steroids and she does still have some bacteria leftover from her infection. Dr. Farrag said they normally wouldn't treat it until after the steroids, but it is a bad strain that is resistant to many antibiotics and there is a lot of it. So, he started her on two antibiotics to treat it aggresively. With her being on steriods, it is harder for her to fight infections, so he is going to attack this bacteria before it affects her. Right now, she is still acting very healthy, so I'm glad we caught this early! He said that today was her best check up and her lungs sounded great.
She also got a small blood transfusion this morning. Bob's blood was about to expire and they decided to give her a little since they had the IV in for the antibiotics.
She looked great at our visit! She is even doing better than they expected on the CPAP, so we hope that she keeps u the good work!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
August 5th, 2007
Last night Megan had some more gas problems. The good news is that she was fine by this morning. The bad news is that they suspect it may have been something in my breastmilk. I can no longer eat chocolate :( I also have to avoid beans, cauliflower, broccoli and spicy foods. It's very difficult to know what I can and can not eat since I am not feeding her. Even if the nurse would tell me what day breastmilk she is eating, I still don't know what I ate that day.
She gained 21 grams and is back to 2 lbs 9.3 oz. Dr. Farrag saw Megan this morning. He said she looked great! He was talking to Megan and told her that he wants her off the ventilator in 2 days :) Let's hope that she listened! I talked to the nurse while we were visiting Megan. She said that we can see tomorrow if the quality of her breaths has improved. Fortunately, they can still provide oxygen through the nasal cannula. That way, if she needs extra oxygen throughout this process, they can turn it up.
She looked great on our visit! Her color is fantastic and she was resting peacefully on her tummy. She has really filled out and even has chubby cheeks! Her progress has been great - we just need to get her off the ventilator!
Today we bought the paint for Megan's room! Bob is now taping off the room so that we can start painting tomorrow night. We are hoping to have it done by the end of the week! Her room will be pale yellow and the color is called "cuddle". I think it's perfect :)
Last night Megan had some more gas problems. The good news is that she was fine by this morning. The bad news is that they suspect it may have been something in my breastmilk. I can no longer eat chocolate :( I also have to avoid beans, cauliflower, broccoli and spicy foods. It's very difficult to know what I can and can not eat since I am not feeding her. Even if the nurse would tell me what day breastmilk she is eating, I still don't know what I ate that day.
She gained 21 grams and is back to 2 lbs 9.3 oz. Dr. Farrag saw Megan this morning. He said she looked great! He was talking to Megan and told her that he wants her off the ventilator in 2 days :) Let's hope that she listened! I talked to the nurse while we were visiting Megan. She said that we can see tomorrow if the quality of her breaths has improved. Fortunately, they can still provide oxygen through the nasal cannula. That way, if she needs extra oxygen throughout this process, they can turn it up.
She looked great on our visit! Her color is fantastic and she was resting peacefully on her tummy. She has really filled out and even has chubby cheeks! Her progress has been great - we just need to get her off the ventilator!
Today we bought the paint for Megan's room! Bob is now taping off the room so that we can start painting tomorrow night. We are hoping to have it done by the end of the week! Her room will be pale yellow and the color is called "cuddle". I think it's perfect :)
Saturday, August 4, 2007
August 4th, 2007
Happy one month birthday Megan and Happy 27th Birthday Mommy! :)
Megan had a good night. Her feedings have been going well and she was at 24% oxygen this morning. They also increased her dose of caffeine yesterday because she has gotten bigger. She basically grew out of the previous dosage.
The doctor called this morning. Dr. Omar, her regular doctor, is on vacation for 3 weeks and Dr. Farag is filling in for him. They are both fantastic neonatalogists from Egypt and have been great to Megan!
He went over the changes with me from yesterday. He spoke with the nurses today and they feel that Megan is still only taking very shallow breaths. In order to wean her off the ventilator, they are going to start her on a hopefully brief treatment of steriods. The steriods will help to reduce inflammation in her lungs and speed up the process of getting rid of the ventilator. The Dr. said we should see some results from today's treatment in about 36-48 hours.
There are risks involved with steriods. It will typically cause an increase in her blood sugar and blood pressure. It will also dampen her immune system which puts her at higher risk for infection (the part I really don't like!!). Obviously, the doctors and nurses will be monitoring her very closely to watch for these risks. We really had to weigh the benefits and the risks of steroids and feel it's the best thing for her right now. They will keep the doses small and the treatment brief to lessen the risks.
He did say that she was doing well. They just like to see babies come off the vent after about a month and she just needs an extra boost. They want to at least get her on a CPAP within a few days to lesser her risk for lung damage from the vent.
After all this, it is amazing to me that full term babies come out able to breath!
Happy one month birthday Megan and Happy 27th Birthday Mommy! :)
Megan had a good night. Her feedings have been going well and she was at 24% oxygen this morning. They also increased her dose of caffeine yesterday because she has gotten bigger. She basically grew out of the previous dosage.
The doctor called this morning. Dr. Omar, her regular doctor, is on vacation for 3 weeks and Dr. Farag is filling in for him. They are both fantastic neonatalogists from Egypt and have been great to Megan!
He went over the changes with me from yesterday. He spoke with the nurses today and they feel that Megan is still only taking very shallow breaths. In order to wean her off the ventilator, they are going to start her on a hopefully brief treatment of steriods. The steriods will help to reduce inflammation in her lungs and speed up the process of getting rid of the ventilator. The Dr. said we should see some results from today's treatment in about 36-48 hours.
There are risks involved with steriods. It will typically cause an increase in her blood sugar and blood pressure. It will also dampen her immune system which puts her at higher risk for infection (the part I really don't like!!). Obviously, the doctors and nurses will be monitoring her very closely to watch for these risks. We really had to weigh the benefits and the risks of steroids and feel it's the best thing for her right now. They will keep the doses small and the treatment brief to lessen the risks.
He did say that she was doing well. They just like to see babies come off the vent after about a month and she just needs an extra boost. They want to at least get her on a CPAP within a few days to lesser her risk for lung damage from the vent.
After all this, it is amazing to me that full term babies come out able to breath!
Friday, August 3, 2007
August 3rd, 2007
Megan had an okay night last night. She gave Mommy a few more gray hairs by raising her temperature last night to 37.7.
The nurses did say that it was probably caused by her isolette which was turned up the day before. She had the humidity turned off in her isolette. Sometimes the humidity can cool the baby down, even though it is supposed to be heated.
When I checked this morning, her temp was back to normal and all was well. Her feedings are still going well. She is at 15 cc every 2 hours which is 180 cc a day! She kept her oxygen saturation pretty stable overnight and was only set at 23% oxygen which is grrreat!
Bob and I are heading to the hospital, so I will report back if the dr. has made any changes!
They have made quite a few changes for Megan.
Her feedings have been changed from every 2 hours to 23cc every 3 hours. They have it set up to give her one hour to eat. They would like to eventually get that down to 30 minutes for her to eat.
Because she is on a diuretic to get rid of fluids, that sometimes will decrease the potassium and sodium levels. They are now giving her sodium and potassium supplements in the breastmilk as a precaution.
On our visit with Megan, she was sucking her thumb the entire time - it was the cutest thing in the world! She is up to 2 lbs 10 oz.
Megan had an okay night last night. She gave Mommy a few more gray hairs by raising her temperature last night to 37.7.
The nurses did say that it was probably caused by her isolette which was turned up the day before. She had the humidity turned off in her isolette. Sometimes the humidity can cool the baby down, even though it is supposed to be heated.
When I checked this morning, her temp was back to normal and all was well. Her feedings are still going well. She is at 15 cc every 2 hours which is 180 cc a day! She kept her oxygen saturation pretty stable overnight and was only set at 23% oxygen which is grrreat!
Bob and I are heading to the hospital, so I will report back if the dr. has made any changes!
They have made quite a few changes for Megan.
Her feedings have been changed from every 2 hours to 23cc every 3 hours. They have it set up to give her one hour to eat. They would like to eventually get that down to 30 minutes for her to eat.
Because she is on a diuretic to get rid of fluids, that sometimes will decrease the potassium and sodium levels. They are now giving her sodium and potassium supplements in the breastmilk as a precaution.
On our visit with Megan, she was sucking her thumb the entire time - it was the cutest thing in the world! She is up to 2 lbs 10 oz.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
August 2nd, 2007
Megan had a great night last night! She is up to 2 lbs 9.3 oz!
Today she got to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Klinger. Because I have to pump now, I would like to introduce a guest author for the first post - Grandma Klinger.
**Clap Clap**
Susie says that I had better type this blog because some fans are getting pretty impatient to see today's news.
Megan looks very good today. It's hard to believe how much she has changed in one month's time. Her color is great and it is obvious that she has really grown. She was kicking and stretching this morning and looked so comfy in her bed. The nurses made tiny little body pillows for her that she can hold. She was hugging one for quite a while until she pushed it out of the way. She is wearing a much bigger diaper (preemie size) now and it goes up to her shoulders in the back. While we were visiting this morning, she opened her eyes and looked right at her mommy. One of the tubes was laying right on her face so Susie reached in and moved it for her. She rubbed Megan's head lightly which seemed soothing to Megan. Susie showed us Megan's awards posted on her isolette. She has an award for being 2 lbs and another one for being one month old. It is so cute how the NICU gives Megan and her family colorful benchmarks so everyone can see her progress. I think Megan will be just like her mommy, getting awards right and left.
We were excited today to bring a donation of three whole bags of preemie hats, made lovingly by a group from the Christ Lutheran Church in Elizabethtown, PA. and given to Grandpa Klinger from Pam at work. The NICU at St. Vincent's was thrilled to receive the hats and said that the many sizes included would fit all sizes of babies at the St. Vincent's NICU. Megan's friends will all love to have a new comfy hat.
I'm sure Susie will add more to the blog later. We are still on a mission to find some button down shirts that Susie can wear when she holds Megan.
Susie, signing in.
I now have two button down shirts for kangaroo care! I'm sure Megan will think I'm pretty stylish.
As Mom said, the visit went great. Megan is now on a diuretic that will help drain some fluids to help her get off the vent. She is right where she should be for her age and we are hoping everything will just get better!
Megan had a great night last night! She is up to 2 lbs 9.3 oz!
Today she got to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Klinger. Because I have to pump now, I would like to introduce a guest author for the first post - Grandma Klinger.
**Clap Clap**
Susie says that I had better type this blog because some fans are getting pretty impatient to see today's news.
Megan looks very good today. It's hard to believe how much she has changed in one month's time. Her color is great and it is obvious that she has really grown. She was kicking and stretching this morning and looked so comfy in her bed. The nurses made tiny little body pillows for her that she can hold. She was hugging one for quite a while until she pushed it out of the way. She is wearing a much bigger diaper (preemie size) now and it goes up to her shoulders in the back. While we were visiting this morning, she opened her eyes and looked right at her mommy. One of the tubes was laying right on her face so Susie reached in and moved it for her. She rubbed Megan's head lightly which seemed soothing to Megan. Susie showed us Megan's awards posted on her isolette. She has an award for being 2 lbs and another one for being one month old. It is so cute how the NICU gives Megan and her family colorful benchmarks so everyone can see her progress. I think Megan will be just like her mommy, getting awards right and left.
We were excited today to bring a donation of three whole bags of preemie hats, made lovingly by a group from the Christ Lutheran Church in Elizabethtown, PA. and given to Grandpa Klinger from Pam at work. The NICU at St. Vincent's was thrilled to receive the hats and said that the many sizes included would fit all sizes of babies at the St. Vincent's NICU. Megan's friends will all love to have a new comfy hat.
I'm sure Susie will add more to the blog later. We are still on a mission to find some button down shirts that Susie can wear when she holds Megan.
Susie, signing in.
I now have two button down shirts for kangaroo care! I'm sure Megan will think I'm pretty stylish.
As Mom said, the visit went great. Megan is now on a diuretic that will help drain some fluids to help her get off the vent. She is right where she should be for her age and we are hoping everything will just get better!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
August 1st, 2007
Well, not only is it the start of the best month of the year, but it is also Megan's 4 week birthday!! Today she is getting a little toy that hangs off the car seat / stroller :)
Good check in today - she is taking her feedings well and just hanging out. She is pretty stable on her oxygen, depending on if they are doing anything with her.
I am going to head in early today to see if I can catch the doctor. I am still waiting to hear about the head scan. However, I'm sure they would have called last night if there was anything we should be concerned about.
I'll have my hands full today because my other girl, Molly, is sick today. I think she ate one too many rocks while we were outside yesterday. Why dogs believe they have indestructible stomachs is beyond me!
I just got back from visiting Megan. I spoke with Dr. Voora. He is happy with Megan's progress! They have decreased her ventilator settings and increased the calories on her feeds.
Her head scan came back negative for any bleeding or hemmoraging. The cyst she had originally has significantly decreased and will soon be gone. Whew!
He said that if she would pull her tube out again, try to just use the nasal CPAP. Of course, that worries me that she may not be ready yet, but we'll see. The best news is that I am going to hold her again today! I am going over at 2:30p and hold her as long as she tolerates it. They would like me to hold her or do Kangaroo Care two times a week for now. That is awesome! It is the most incredible feeling to finally hold my little girl!!
Well, not only is it the start of the best month of the year, but it is also Megan's 4 week birthday!! Today she is getting a little toy that hangs off the car seat / stroller :)
Good check in today - she is taking her feedings well and just hanging out. She is pretty stable on her oxygen, depending on if they are doing anything with her.
I am going to head in early today to see if I can catch the doctor. I am still waiting to hear about the head scan. However, I'm sure they would have called last night if there was anything we should be concerned about.
I'll have my hands full today because my other girl, Molly, is sick today. I think she ate one too many rocks while we were outside yesterday. Why dogs believe they have indestructible stomachs is beyond me!
I just got back from visiting Megan. I spoke with Dr. Voora. He is happy with Megan's progress! They have decreased her ventilator settings and increased the calories on her feeds.
Her head scan came back negative for any bleeding or hemmoraging. The cyst she had originally has significantly decreased and will soon be gone. Whew!
He said that if she would pull her tube out again, try to just use the nasal CPAP. Of course, that worries me that she may not be ready yet, but we'll see. The best news is that I am going to hold her again today! I am going over at 2:30p and hold her as long as she tolerates it. They would like me to hold her or do Kangaroo Care two times a week for now. That is awesome! It is the most incredible feeling to finally hold my little girl!!
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