We are having quite a progressive week already. Only Wednesday and Baby GL has accomplished so much. Off his tube last Friday, off CPAP on Tuesday, so now we are on high flow nasal cannula. I asked last night when we could start bottle feeds. Typically it's a 34 week milestone, which he'll be 34 weeks on Friday. We are still going by gestational age. Real age he'll be 8 weeks. His weight has fluctuated a bit. After his tube was pulled out he dropped down to 950 grams. I guess the tube itself weighs quite a bit which is the reason for a 105 gram loss. Over the weekend he came back over a kilo, about 2 lbs 3-4 oz. As of last yesterday he was down to 1000 grams which is just one kilo.
An Occupational Therapist has been working with Baby GL already for the last few weeks. She's been working with his feet and hips and having the nurses prop his hips together when he sleeps. Because of his hernia it's difficult to get his hips close together but they do what they can. We will have to do more after he has the surgery to take care of the hernia, which probably won't be until right before he comes home. His other issues is his muscle tone is more developed than normal, so I understand it. He does have occasional muscular tremors due to that muscle tone. We will be having therapy with him after he goes home so all of these issues should resolve themselves with time and work.
Now that Baby GL is on the cannula we are able to hold him easier. No extra large tubes to get in the way and pull on him. We can swaddle him and rock him which is so wonderful for us. Kangaroo time with the tubing is stressful because you have to sit still and calm so not to more the tube out. Now the cannula sits in his nose and he needs to breath more on his own. He does have a tendency to pull the tubes out of his nose with his hands so the nurses have to tape the cannula to his nose. He continues to be a very feisty child.
This morning was another milestone for Baby GL. Going back to the idea of bottle feeds, the doctor decided to test Baby GL and see how he did. He oxygen was down to a point where he should be able to tolerate the feedings. The OT is the one who starts feedings with the preemies. That way they can see his motor skills to see how he'll progress. Over a 30 minute period Baby GL drank 5cc's of his 19cc's which is great progress. His tongue is all over the place and he needs better sucking control, all normal control issues I assume. Typically these preemies need a little extra oxygen since it's a lot of work to suckle. But it was great to hear that his heart rate remained normal throughout his feeding. These milestones are coming so fast now that my husband and I get a little frustrated and the sadness creeps in. It begins to sink in that we aren't able to be there for everything. His first times opening his eyes, his first big dirty diaper, his first time with a pacifier, his first breaths without a breathing tube, and now his first time with a bottle. It's the things we have to deal with when a preemie arrives in our lives. The NICU staff will be the first to witness many of his milestones before us. I envy the parents that get to take their children home right after birth.
On the flip side, we know that he is being taken care of by some of the best people. The nursing staff is great about taking pictures of his special moments so that we can at least share in what they saw. We have a long journey ahead of us so it's comforting to know there will still be many more firsts in his life.
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