I got to hold both of my babies today for over an hour each. Oh, so nice. Granted, I was gowned, gloved, and masked holding typhoid Nora and roasting hot, but it was worth every one of those 75 minutes. I would have told them I would stand on my head and twirled if I thought it would have helped, but let's face it.... I would for sure have injured myself attempting such a feat and likely taken someone else out with me. Good thing it didn't come to that.
I was there when the doc did rounds and, why yes, I did have questions for him. I started to say, "I have a few questions. And, if ever the day comes when I don't..." and he finished "then I'll be worried about you and wondering what's wrong". I'm sure that's a good thing. :) Anyway, he wrote orders to begin one nipple feed (bottle) with Ray per day to see how he does and if Ray maintains his body temperature over night he will be moved out of the isolette and into a regular bassinet. He had a little outfit on for the first time today. Maybe I should look to see what I have for him and take something in for picture Wednesday.
It just so happened that Ray was about to get fed in a few minutes from when the doc wrote the orders and I asked the nurse if we could do the nipple feed then and if I could do it. YES! YES! and YES! Ray did great with it. The doc was still in the room and very impressed with how well Ray did. He drank it all (30 ml) within 15 - 20 minutes, he burped well, didn't spit up at all, didn't gag or have trouble sucking, swallowing, or breathing at the same time (which is a requirement to go home), had zero residual (they check the contents of the stomach by sucking out what ever is in there with the feeding tube to make sure food is getting digested), and it just went great. Since this tires out a babe so young, I'm sure we will only do one per day for awhile, but it is a start...another step in the right direction. Of course, I asked Ray's nurse to put a note in his chart to wait until I was there tomorrow for his one nipple feed so I could do it again and I will ask the night nurse to make sure that tomorrow's day nurse knows that in hopes that when I do get there it hasn't already been done. Let's see, he's on a 12, 3, 6, 9 schedule so as long as the nurse doesn't do it at 9 am I should be good for the nooner.
Yes, it is the little things that can make or break my day in this roller coaster NICU ride. Today was a good day. May I have more and more of them to come.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Oh, Debbie. Ray is doing fantastically! I would suspect that they will increase feedings in a few days if he continues like that...no residual! no breathing problems! drinking an ounce in 15 minutes! those are amazing accomplishments..those are the things that kept Jacob in the NICU for so darn long...Your little guy is doing amazing!
Yay for Ray the Wonder Boy! And yay that you got to hold Miss Nora for so long! So great to hear. :):)
Love, Laura
Wonderful, Deb!!! So glad to hear you had such a good day all around! And WTG, Ray! He really is quite young to be able to suck/swallow/breathe for any length of time (as in 15-12min) so that is great!
And yes... take clothes in. I gotta tell you we NICU nurses like to see babies dressed in their own clothes... it just makes them so much more ... personal?? Not sure the word I am looking for here but you know what I mean.
Hope to keep hearing of more great days!!
Kimnlogan
That just proves to me that you are the best treatment those babies could ever get. I think both babies were just so happy to have you, that I"m sure that they made great progress just from being held. How long do they expect Nora to have the MRSA? I can't wait until you can kangaroo hold her too. HeidN
Post a Comment