We're home! We left the hospital around 3:30 PM. So far, so good! He is now 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches long...quite a bit bigger than the 2 pounds, 10 ounces and 14 inches he started out with! We're so excited! For a little bit, it was looking like we would have to stay longer. He started breathing fast and retracting but a chest x-ray didn't show anything except that he's full of poop so they gave him a glycerine, which we're to continue doing and decided to proceed with discharging him!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Almost There
Well, we're all trained up on how to take care of Liam - apnea monitor training, oxygen tank training, medication preparation and administration training, CPR training, formula thickening training...I'm sure I forgot some. We do care by parent the next 2 nights - they usually only make you do it one night but Liam has a few extra needs than most of the patients being discharged so we'll be there 2 nights....then home on Friday! FINALLY!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Liam took 4 whole feedings by mouth today. He took about half of the other two and the rest had to be tubed. 4 is impressive when he's only taken a full feed by mouth one other time! We did move his feedings from every 3 hours to every 4 hours. This means he has to take more volume at each feed but they're spaced further apart so he wakes up. We tried this a few weeks ago when he first started PO feedings and it didn't work, but it seems to be working today! He's only needed oxygen during feedings today (and only because it was ordered by the OT - we forgot to put it on until halfway through the last feeding and he did fine so the nurse is going to make a note of it for the OT). Liam will have a minor procedure tomorrow (something many little boys have done within a few days of birth, if you catch the drift) so feedings may not go as well after that happens.
The nurse tonight informed us that they have a projected discharge date of 2 weeks from today, so there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel!!
Liam was taken off oxygen at 4:00 PM on Monday after he finished his blood transfusion. He made it to 4:00 PM yesterday without it with no issues (23 hours longer than he's ever made it). He had his 2 month vaccinations yesterday and started running a fever which caused him to start breathing too fast and dropping his sats so they had to put him back on the oxygen for a few hours last night but he is again off of it. For now, though, he has to have it during feedings - hoping that's something we can wean soon but if it's not, it's not. At 2:00 AM today, he took his entire feeding from the bottle for the 2nd time ever. And, at 8:00 AM, he took another entire feeding by mouth FOR ME! Loving the improvements!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Steps Forward
Liam has been off oxygen since 4:00 PM today! He has (by far) shattered his old record of 1 hour off it, now! He had low red blood cell counts again today, so he got yet another blood transfusion - I've lost count of how many he's had, now, but he is so pink again - not so pale like he was. I think this has helped him feel well enough to not need to cling to the oxygen. He saw the eye doctor - no improvements in the ROP, so they'll continue to monitor it - it hasn't gotten worse, so that's good, and now that he's off oxygen, I'm hoping it'll help. He also got his 2 month vaccinations today! Still waiting on feedings to get out of there!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Feedings
Liam is 6 pounds, 4 ounces, now...the size of a regular newborn. He is up and down with feedings. Yesterday, he did incredible - took a 47 cc bottle at one feeding followed by a 42 cc one at the next feeding. Today, we barely got 10 cc down him all day (except through the tube, of course). He was bradying and dropping sats before we ever even tried to put the bottle in his mouth during 2 feeds, which resulted in us tubing the entire feeds. So, that's where we are.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Sorry no update in awhile - haven't had much time. Things are going well with Liam. He is still clinging to the last little whiff of oxygen they're giving him and has failed several trial runs without it. He is up to 5 pounds, 9 ounces - still no weight gain issues. The only thing standing between us and the door out of the NICU is feedings. He is being excessively slow with this. It is somewhat expected, though...but they're wanting him to have made more progress by now. He absolutely will not wake up to eat. They've checked a head ultrasound, thyroid levels, and phenobarb levels which were all normal. He just sleeps right through feedings. He did take 23 cc for me today (which is a little over half what he should be taking). At one feeding, he was so conked out - we tried tickling his feet, belly, and face, sitting him upright, moving him, changing his diaper, taking his temperature, and wiping his face and head with a cool wet rag - to no avail. He ended up having all but 5 cc gavage fed to him. So, that's where we are! I think we'll be home in the next week or two, provided nothing happens between now and then! Exciting and scary!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
New Member to the 5-Pound Club
Our little man hit the 5-pound mark today! He is growing so fast! Today, he also got his first shot at a bottle! He didn't hate it, but didn't know what to do, either. He didn't de-sat or lower his heart rate, but just pooped out after only 2 cc's. So, now we just have to conquer the whole eating thing then we'll be on our way home! Monday will be our 50-day mark in the NICU and it's kind of sad seeing a lot of the babies that came to the NICU at the same time as Liam getting ready to go home...he will get there, though, and is well on his way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
