Saturday & Sunday March 31, 2008

I’m having some internet connection issues so I’m posting two days at once while I seem to be connected … Yesterday we happily celebrated Easter a second time with Tad’s side of the family. Because of that, I went to see Kalyssa at her 6 PM feeding instead of the usual 3 PM time. I found out that she had been having difficulty keeping her food down for several feedings in a row so they had done some sort of x-ray/ultrasound and determined that she does indeed have reflux. I guess she’s taking after daddy already because Tad was diagnosed with acid reflux a few years ago. The nurse did say that she may grow out of it, but that is something I will have to ask about with the doctor or whenever she is discharged to come home. They are now giving her reflux medicine 3 times a day as well as adding a percentage of rice cereal to her formula for every feeding to help her keep food down. That was Saturday, and she weighed 4 lbs 5.8 ozs

———–

Sunday, today, she is doing much better at keeping her food down per the new nurse. I did go in and held her during her 3 PM feeding. They feed her two gavage feedings and then one bottle or ‘nipple’ feeding as they call it. There is nothing new to report other than that she weighed in Saturday night at 4 lbs 6.1 ozs.

Bottle Success and Kangaroo Care March 20, 2008

Today, an occupational therapist was working with Kalyssa when I arrived at the NICU. She showed me three little massages to perform on Kalyssa both while she is in the NICU and later when she gets to go home. I will likely see her again next Thursday when I am there again. Today’s bottle feeding from mom went much better :0) In fact, she took down almost 30 ccs instead of the 24 she usually got through the nose! She did have to stop a couple of times to get the breathing right while eating, but she’s quite the trooper and seems to like this bottle thing rather well.

After the bottle, I attempted for the first time what the NICU calls Kangaroo care. Basically, for kangaroo care they strip baby down to a diaper and all her monitored wires etc. and lay her skin against mine. I have to wear a top that I can open easily and lay her in a position where I can watch her closely. Then we put her receiving blankets over both of us. It has been well documented that this care results in the baby’s doing better, gaining weight faster and possibly going home sooner.

All I know is that she fell asleep almost immediately. They say that – especially when it is done with the mommy – they are familiar with your heartbeat. After all, they heard it for several months non-stop. She made quite a cozy heater while I rocked in that chair too … I could have napped myself! I will continue to do this when I go and visit whenever I can.

Last night Kalyssa weighed in at 3 lbs 10.6 ozs (Up a full ounce + .1 !!)

March 18th March 18, 2008

Witnessed another bottle feeding today at 3 PM. She did have to come up for air a few times today … but she took down 26 ccs instead of 24 and likely would have finished it off if we hadn’t stopped her. I asked what her weight was last night and it was 3 lbs 9.6 ozs – so, we have passed the half-way point on our way to 4 pounds :0)

One of the nurses had played hair stylist with her fuzzy short hair last night and had made a little pink bow that they had sort of ’stuck’ to her hair somehow? Looked like maybe they used her moisturizing lotion or something to stick it in? I took a photo for my mom on her camera, but I forgot to get it off of there for her before she left for today. I’ll post it here whenever I get the digital file from her.

The nurse told me that they are trying to make her one bottle feeding a day to be her 3 PM feeding. Likely I will get to try and feed it to her myself tomorrow. I’m a little nervous and excited about that at the same time … I know the nurses will be close by so it should go OK. It’s a hard job to learn to suck, swallow and breath all at the same time. She’ll get there though!