Current NICU Mamas

[mrspotatohead91]

Me, me, me!!

[mrspotatohead91]

Nov 18, 2015 12:55:47 GMT -5 DoesItComeInPink said:

Nov 18, 2015 8:34:01 GMT -5 mrspotatohead91 said:

Me, me, me!!

How are you doing? How is baby?

I'm doing ok just exhausted. I've been pumping every three hours and only getting sleep overnight in 2 hour stretches. Napping is not happening since I am shuffling back and forth between the hospital and getting things done around the house/letting the dog out. I'd rather spend all my time at the NICU. The nurse told me to skip my 3 am pump so I can get some rest tonight and I think that is exactly what I need! Baby boy is doing well but needs to increase his endurance with eating. He is taking more each day but the volume he is supposed to be eating has increased each day as well so that he will gain and he just can't keep up. He is finally starting to gain some weight back at day 6. He lost a good bit. Overall, he is doing great. I have to remind myself that he is 6 days old and 6 weeks early and will get the hang of it soon!

[mrspotatohead91]

Nov 18, 2015 23:55:53 GMT -5 DoesItComeInPink said:

mrspotatohead91, I'm pumping too so I hear you. it's hard to balance! With DS I would got for 1 care time and pump and stay through the first bit of the next care time, then often skip a care time so I could get a break.

With both mine, it was like a switch flipped and bam they started eating like crazy, so hopefully that happens and soon for you guys!

The doctors tell me the same, that he will just get it one day. He was moved to the feeders and growers section this morning and gained more weight last night. He's doing great overall. He is one week old (35 weeks) today!

[RoLoMa]

Hi ladies
mrspotatohead91, our stories are so close to the same it is almost crazy...down to the same birth weight. My little guy was also moved to feeders/growers at 1 week and we were out of the NICU on day 16. It is true what everyone says about them just getting the feeding thing one day. We were weighing in and out of feedings and he was getting 10-20mls and then all of a sudden one day he got 50ml. After that he still had some lower (20-30ml) feedings but he was averaging really well and gaining consistently. He even had a 90ml feeding one time! Your little man will get it!
I know the NICU is hard and so is constantly pumping but it sounds like you are taking time for yourself too which is key. I would leave over the lunch hour and go home to let the dog out, do some laundry, whatever I could do to feel somewhat normal. We also slept at home every night. I think making sure we took care of ourselves helped us to be able to take better care of him. We just hit 3 weeks and he is doing great, you'd barely know he was a preemie. I've got my fingers crossed for your little one! Let me know if you need anything! D15 mamas with 34 weekers gotta stick together

[mrspotatohead91]

Nov 20, 2015 6:16:44 GMT -5 RoLoMa said:

Hi ladies
mrspotatohead91, our stories are so close to the same it is almost crazy...down to the same birth weight. My little guy was also moved to feeders/growers at 1 week and we were out of the NICU on day 16. It is true what everyone says about them just getting the feeding thing one day. We were weighing in and out of feedings and he was getting 10-20mls and then all of a sudden one day he got 50ml. After that he still had some lower (20-30ml) feedings but he was averaging really well and gaining consistently. He even had a 90ml feeding one time! Your little man will get it!
I know the NICU is hard and so is constantly pumping but it sounds like you are taking time for yourself too which is key. I would leave over the lunch hour and go home to let the dog out, do some laundry, whatever I could do to feel somewhat normal. We also slept at home every night. I think making sure we took care of ourselves helped us to be able to take better care of him. We just hit 3 weeks and he is doing great, you'd barely know he was a preemie. I've got my fingers crossed for your little one! Let me know if you need anything! D15 mamas with 34 weekers gotta stick together

Thank you for your encouragement and support! Going in a little later this morning. Mama needed an extra hour of sleep ? how much does your baby weigh now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RoLoMa]

snip
[/quote]Thank you for your encouragement and support! Going in a little later this morning. Mama needed an extra hour of sleep ? how much does your baby weigh now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]
I totally understand what you mean about the sleep. I hated it when people said it to me but it is so true, get it while you can! My man is a little fatty now. The Thursday night before we were discharged he weighed 6lbs 2oz. When he had his first pediatrician visit this Tuesday he was at 6lbs 10oz. He gained a ridiculous amount in the NICU (that fortifier is for real) but has continued to gain well. I am super paranoid about him gaining so the pediatrician scheduled a weight check appointment for me in another two weeks to ease my mind.

Eta: sorry about the funky format, I am mobile and have a sleeping baby on my arm

[motownthrowdown]

sweetcali how are you doing? How is baby?

[sweetcali]

Dec 3, 2015 11:23:30 GMT -5 motownthrowdown said:

sweetcali how are you doing? How is baby?

I'm ok.

L is better than when she was born but she still has hurdles to overcome. I don't know if I ever officially intro'd over here after she was born so I'll give a rundown.

Born via emergency cs at 30+3 due to my severe pre-e. She was intubated on day 1 and put on the high frequency jet ventilator. I held her for the first time at 2.5 weeks due to her not having ever pooped and the concern that she was not going to make it if something didn't happen soon. She pooped while on my chest. A week later, with no other options she was given steroids. Drs were unable to wean her jet settings but eventually said "let's just take her off and see what happens, we are out of options". They did and L shocked the hell out of us all. She went from jet to conventional to cpap to high flow in 3 days. After getting to 2L on high flow everything stalled. We tried BF and bottling for 4 weeks with not a smudge of progress. One weekend she was inconsolable and was working harder to breathe. She had a kidney stone. After demanding an US, X-ray, and echo, we found she had pulmonary hypertension and calcium buildup in her kidneys from the Lasix. She was transferred to a higher level NICU where she had a cardiac catheterization and perfusion scan that showed basically no function in her right lung. She was given meds and put on RAM cannula. We were just transferred back to our first NICU and are being transferred to a NICU closer to home for her to grow. I'm pushing for additional steroid treatment for the inflammation from her CLD. I'm ready to just take all the equipment home with me. It's anticipated that she needs another 1 to 2 months in the nicu. She 42+5 today.

Hopefully she surprises us all again.

[motownthrowdown]

sweetcali, I'm so sorry your stay has been extended. But WOW on her respiration progress in those 3 days! She'll be keeping you on your toes for sure. Fx she continues to surprise in the best possible way.