Miss Olivia has been having an amazing week. She has finally hit the 3lb mark actually she is now 3lbs 2oz. Happy to announce she finally has cute little chub roles on her legs I love it. This momma loves chubby babies and cant wait for all those roles.
Today was a very big day. I arrived at the hospital today at 8:30am and didnt leave until 6pm. I was teasing the nurse saying it felt like a worked a whole shift lol, not quite but pretty dang close and Im exhausted but loved every minute of it.
I got the opportunity to give Olivia her first sponge bath and she totally loved it. She was so relaxed, especially when we were washing her hair. Her eyes were rolling back and she was just soaking it all in. It was such a sweet moment. Im so grateful I was there to share it.
Later this afternoon I got the go ahead from the Nurse Practitioner to start non-nutritional breast feeding. Exactly as it sounds I pump first emptying the breasts completely and just let her practice latching on. She is still to small to try true breast feeding. This should happen in 2 more weeks or so. They worry about her aspirating at this point. Sucking, swallowing, and breathing is a lot to remember when your a micro preemie.
She did so good today it was as if she knew exactly what to do. She latched on and immediately began sucking. All of the nurses and the lactation specialist were very impressed. They all warned me before hand that she would probably just lick and not be interested, but again Olivia impressed and surprised us all. After a day of so many first and her handling it all so well I am one proud Momma, and so excited for all of the firsts that are still ahead of us.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Moving Again
So I know this blog is about my baby girl and not about myself and I plan to keep it this way but let me explain why it has been so long since the last update. Most of you that know me know that we are in the process of building a new home. Anyone that has ventured down this path knows how incredibly stressful it can be. We started working on this home before I was pregnant with miss Olivia and had planned to have the home complete and ready for her arrival. Of course my baby girl had plans all her own and came 3 1/2 months early so needless to say her Daddy and I are sorely unprepared and a bit of a mess at the moment. Long story short we have been living in a hotel for the last month. This was becoming increasingly expensive and quite depressing. A hotel room is so impersonal and trying to pump in a dark corner of a hotel room was becoming near impossible. There have been so many times I wanted to throw that damn machine out the window. I cant wait until I can really feed her, I'm really looking forward to that day. My sister was kind enough to offer her spare bedroom to us, and wow what a difference this has made it is so great to have a kitchen and a touch of home. Not to mention I get to see my sis and spend more quality time with her than I have in a long time.
Now on to baby girl I'm sure everyone is anxious to hear all the news. Again this post may be a bit all over the place there is so much information.
This extra volume in her feedings is really helping she is 2lbs 10oz .. woo hoo we are more then half way to 3lbs. She is looking so much bigger to me and it appears she is starting to get chubby cheeks. Nothing cuter then a chubby baby I cant wait for her to have rolls all over. Because of all of this wonderful weight gain Olivia is now in big girl clothes and is doing a fabulous job of maintaining her body temp. She is still in the incubator and will remain there for a while. Even though the bed is set to room temp unless of course her body temp drops then the bed automatically kicks on. The fact that it is enclosed helps keep her body temp up. They dont want her to burn any calories trying to keep herself warm.
Her oxygen needs are gradually becoming less and less. She is still at 21% (room air) with a flow of 1 1/2 liters of pressure. They have tried a few times to turn the flow down to 1 but she was not tolerating this very well. Again the doctors assure me that as she grows bigger and stronger she will be able to tolerate this and eventually be off any kind of pressure. I have had multiple people in the NICU tell me that Olivia is about 5 weeks ahead of her gestational age which is music to my ears, but she is still on the small side. So again a complete celebration with every ounce that is gained. Her appenic spells (where she quits breathing) are becoming less and less she has gone 24hrs without any episodes so crossing my fingers this continues.
Yesterday they performed an eye exam on her. The poor things eyes were so sensitive when I was with her. They had dilated her eyes and were waiting for the doctor to arrive. So the light was really bothering her. In spite of all of this discomfort I got 3 big smiles from her, and I know that nobody is going to believe me and say that it is involuntary or just gas smiles but Im telling you I got 4 smiles real conscious smiles after I was chatting to her. Her daddy got 2 of these precious grins today. We are determined to catch this on film to share with all you doubters lol. Her eye exam came back and nothing alarming. The blood vessels are immature and still have a ways to go but this is to be expected considering how premature she is.
Now on to baby girl I'm sure everyone is anxious to hear all the news. Again this post may be a bit all over the place there is so much information.
This extra volume in her feedings is really helping she is 2lbs 10oz .. woo hoo we are more then half way to 3lbs. She is looking so much bigger to me and it appears she is starting to get chubby cheeks. Nothing cuter then a chubby baby I cant wait for her to have rolls all over. Because of all of this wonderful weight gain Olivia is now in big girl clothes and is doing a fabulous job of maintaining her body temp. She is still in the incubator and will remain there for a while. Even though the bed is set to room temp unless of course her body temp drops then the bed automatically kicks on. The fact that it is enclosed helps keep her body temp up. They dont want her to burn any calories trying to keep herself warm.
Her oxygen needs are gradually becoming less and less. She is still at 21% (room air) with a flow of 1 1/2 liters of pressure. They have tried a few times to turn the flow down to 1 but she was not tolerating this very well. Again the doctors assure me that as she grows bigger and stronger she will be able to tolerate this and eventually be off any kind of pressure. I have had multiple people in the NICU tell me that Olivia is about 5 weeks ahead of her gestational age which is music to my ears, but she is still on the small side. So again a complete celebration with every ounce that is gained. Her appenic spells (where she quits breathing) are becoming less and less she has gone 24hrs without any episodes so crossing my fingers this continues.
Yesterday they performed an eye exam on her. The poor things eyes were so sensitive when I was with her. They had dilated her eyes and were waiting for the doctor to arrive. So the light was really bothering her. In spite of all of this discomfort I got 3 big smiles from her, and I know that nobody is going to believe me and say that it is involuntary or just gas smiles but Im telling you I got 4 smiles real conscious smiles after I was chatting to her. Her daddy got 2 of these precious grins today. We are determined to catch this on film to share with all you doubters lol. Her eye exam came back and nothing alarming. The blood vessels are immature and still have a ways to go but this is to be expected considering how premature she is.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
22 Days Old
So baby girl is three weeks and 1 day old .. I must apologize for such a long time since the last update. Its really difficult to keep you guys up to date. She will have a wonderful day and just as Im ready to write a post we will have a bit of a set back. With Nicu babies and any human for that matter there is no perfect formula that will work for everyone. This is a very true statement in Olivia's case, but let me start with all the wonderful progress that she has made. I am very pleased to announce that she is now 2lbs 4oz. It has taken a lot of discomfort and work on her part getting to this number so Im very proud of her. You should see her Daddy and I when they are weighing her (this is a very unique process they actually leave her in her incubator, technology really is amazing). We are both holding our breath and loud cheers errupt even if she only gains a few grams lol. They are literally force feeding her one nurse explained it to us, she said "imagine having Thanksgiving every meal". Her Daddy described her as looking like an African Bushmen. Oh her arms and legs are so skinny and her poor belly is so big. She really looks so uncomfortable. I have questioned every single doctor and nurse asking them if it just might be too much food. Dont worry I never over step my boundaries and I totally respect every person that works with her its just difficult to see her to uncomfortable. The theory behind this force feeding is the importance of the nutrition for brain and bone development. This obviously takes higher priority over discomfort which is understandable. It doesnt make it any easier to water her gagging and spitting up all the time.
She is now breathing 20-21% oxygen which is room air just like what you and I breath. Amazing progress for only being 30 weeks gestational age. Her lungs are clear and completely open which I am so very thankful for this is not usually the case in babies of her age and size. She is still wearing what they call a high flow nasal cannula. This machine creates pressure and pushes the air into her lungs it on 3 1/2 Liters per Min. All this being said she is breathing very well most of the time, but she is still having the appenic spells. They have now decided that these spells are directly related to her feedings. She becomes so full and begins having reflux. She intentionally closes her air way to protect it as this is happening. Unfortunately some times she forgets to start breathing again. She has had many incidents where she self recovers but there are a few times that the nurse or myself have to get in there and stimulate her reminding her to take a deep breath. While we were there the other day she started having an incident alarms are going off like crazy I went to reach in to wake her and the nurse said "No no let her try to recover on her own" honestly the longest 12 seconds of my life. Looking at her not seeing that little chest heave up and down with breath and watching the numbers drop was terrifying but again I must put trust in the professionals taking care of her and I did what I was told. She did self recover and was fine after that. As of yesterday they started spreading her feedings out over 2 1/2 hours in hopes that she will have less appenic spells. Now keep in mind she gets fed every 3 hours so there is only a short 30 min window that my poor girl isnt getting stuffed with food. Again all of this stuff is trial and error and its just a matter of trying different things until we find what works for her. A very frustrating and emotionally draining process but the doctors have told us that she should out grow this and in 4 weeks will be a lot more comfortable. Until then I am really trying to stay focused on the positive and not dwell on what we cant change. Yesterday a friend of mine said "Aleesha I honestly dont know how you are holding it together and havent completely fallen apart" "Falling apart is not an option Olivia needs a Mom and not just any Mom she needs one that is strong and believes in her and believes in the process that we are going threw, that envisions the future that lies ahead of all of us, and most of all that loves her unconditionally and will never give up...."
She is now breathing 20-21% oxygen which is room air just like what you and I breath. Amazing progress for only being 30 weeks gestational age. Her lungs are clear and completely open which I am so very thankful for this is not usually the case in babies of her age and size. She is still wearing what they call a high flow nasal cannula. This machine creates pressure and pushes the air into her lungs it on 3 1/2 Liters per Min. All this being said she is breathing very well most of the time, but she is still having the appenic spells. They have now decided that these spells are directly related to her feedings. She becomes so full and begins having reflux. She intentionally closes her air way to protect it as this is happening. Unfortunately some times she forgets to start breathing again. She has had many incidents where she self recovers but there are a few times that the nurse or myself have to get in there and stimulate her reminding her to take a deep breath. While we were there the other day she started having an incident alarms are going off like crazy I went to reach in to wake her and the nurse said "No no let her try to recover on her own" honestly the longest 12 seconds of my life. Looking at her not seeing that little chest heave up and down with breath and watching the numbers drop was terrifying but again I must put trust in the professionals taking care of her and I did what I was told. She did self recover and was fine after that. As of yesterday they started spreading her feedings out over 2 1/2 hours in hopes that she will have less appenic spells. Now keep in mind she gets fed every 3 hours so there is only a short 30 min window that my poor girl isnt getting stuffed with food. Again all of this stuff is trial and error and its just a matter of trying different things until we find what works for her. A very frustrating and emotionally draining process but the doctors have told us that she should out grow this and in 4 weeks will be a lot more comfortable. Until then I am really trying to stay focused on the positive and not dwell on what we cant change. Yesterday a friend of mine said "Aleesha I honestly dont know how you are holding it together and havent completely fallen apart" "Falling apart is not an option Olivia needs a Mom and not just any Mom she needs one that is strong and believes in her and believes in the process that we are going threw, that envisions the future that lies ahead of all of us, and most of all that loves her unconditionally and will never give up...."
Friday, November 9, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Overdue
Let me apologize this post is way overdue. The truth is it has been such a roller coaster with some good news and some bad then the next day just the exact opposite I wasn't quite sure where to start or what to write, but let me try and feel you all in on my sweet angel.
Lets start with the definite good news. We received the results of her follow up brain scan and it was pretty promising news. The right side which is a grade 1 remained the same and the left side of her brain which we were most concerned about ended up being a grade 2 this week. This is great news and is a pretty good indication that the spinal fluid is beginning to remove the blood clot. This of course will take time and there is no way to know if there was any damage until she is much older. I am very hopeful and confident that Olivia will continue to exceed expectations.
Now for the roller coaster ride of having a baby in the NICU. They upped her feedings to 12cc after the first feeding of this increased volume they were very quick to remove her pic line. Not to sound pessimistic but I thought they prematurely removed this. After all this line provides the nutrients she needed until she was up to "full feedings". Call it Mothers intuition but as soon as they removed this supplemental line she was not tolerating her feedings at all. Her belly was descended and she was spitting up. They were forced to drop her feedings back down to 3cc and in turn forced to put 3 IV's in her. One in her foot one in her hand and one in her forehead. I honestly had a hard time looking at her that day. I know how uncomfortable IV's are and they just looked so sore I couldnt bear seeing her so uncomfortable. I must say that has to be the hardest part of this whole process seeing her so uncomfortable and there is nothing I can do for her.
Now Olivia's latest trick is stopping breathing. Also known as de-sat's. Now let me feel you in on a little tid bit of information. My daughter has a thing about 4 AM. Let me explain. My water broke at exactly 4 AM, I went into labor at 4 AM, the last time she had a major increase in her heart rate it was 4 AM, and not unusual her first episode of holding her breath was at 4 am this week. Shocking lol ... Now the doctors have explained these de-sat's to me like this. Towards the end of her feedings which are now up to 16cc she seems to have some moderate to severe refulx. Her body then covers her airway in an attempt to protect herself from an aspiration. This would be a good thing except for the fact that then there is a period of time that goes by with no oxygen. All the nurses have told me that she self recovers with just a little stimulation, and her heart rate does not drop during these episodes which is a good sign that these episodes are self induced and not a true sign of preemie apnea. All this being said it is very concerning news to hear that your baby stopped breathing for any period of time. They have assured me that this is fairly common and they will continue to monitor her very closely.
Lets start with the definite good news. We received the results of her follow up brain scan and it was pretty promising news. The right side which is a grade 1 remained the same and the left side of her brain which we were most concerned about ended up being a grade 2 this week. This is great news and is a pretty good indication that the spinal fluid is beginning to remove the blood clot. This of course will take time and there is no way to know if there was any damage until she is much older. I am very hopeful and confident that Olivia will continue to exceed expectations.
Now for the roller coaster ride of having a baby in the NICU. They upped her feedings to 12cc after the first feeding of this increased volume they were very quick to remove her pic line. Not to sound pessimistic but I thought they prematurely removed this. After all this line provides the nutrients she needed until she was up to "full feedings". Call it Mothers intuition but as soon as they removed this supplemental line she was not tolerating her feedings at all. Her belly was descended and she was spitting up. They were forced to drop her feedings back down to 3cc and in turn forced to put 3 IV's in her. One in her foot one in her hand and one in her forehead. I honestly had a hard time looking at her that day. I know how uncomfortable IV's are and they just looked so sore I couldnt bear seeing her so uncomfortable. I must say that has to be the hardest part of this whole process seeing her so uncomfortable and there is nothing I can do for her.
Now Olivia's latest trick is stopping breathing. Also known as de-sat's. Now let me feel you in on a little tid bit of information. My daughter has a thing about 4 AM. Let me explain. My water broke at exactly 4 AM, I went into labor at 4 AM, the last time she had a major increase in her heart rate it was 4 AM, and not unusual her first episode of holding her breath was at 4 am this week. Shocking lol ... Now the doctors have explained these de-sat's to me like this. Towards the end of her feedings which are now up to 16cc she seems to have some moderate to severe refulx. Her body then covers her airway in an attempt to protect herself from an aspiration. This would be a good thing except for the fact that then there is a period of time that goes by with no oxygen. All the nurses have told me that she self recovers with just a little stimulation, and her heart rate does not drop during these episodes which is a good sign that these episodes are self induced and not a true sign of preemie apnea. All this being said it is very concerning news to hear that your baby stopped breathing for any period of time. They have assured me that this is fairly common and they will continue to monitor her very closely.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
A Special Day
Yesterday was such an amazing and emotional day. I was able to hold Olivia for the first time. Its extremely hard for me to put into words what it felt like to have her little chest skin to skin on mine and be able to feel her strong heart beat and lungs working oh so hard to carry oxygen to her little body. She was a bit fussy when the nurse was getting all of her cables out of the incubator but as soon as she was snuggled in on my chest she was so peaceful for over an hour. I could have sat staring at her in this position for hours. When me or Daddy would talk to her she would look up at us with those intense and curious eyes. I may be a bit bias but she is so alert and so aware of her surroundings. She knows who her mommy and daddy are without a doubt. Its amazing to me how small she is yet how aware she is of what is going on. She deff has an opinion and will let you know about it. It seems to me that we have a very strong willed opinionated little girl on our hands and I cant wait to take her home and embrace and learn everything about her. In a nut shell yesterday was such a rewarding day and a step in the right direction for me and baby girl. Looking forward to many more days like this ....
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