Our sweet Owen is doing so much better! And so is Mommy, thanks to the troops that rallied to help us sleep last night. My sister Heidi took the first shift and we sleep from 9pm-12. Then my mom took the second shift and I slept until 6am. I was so exhausted I slept through staff coming in frequently and Owen's feeds. I feel like a human being again. Okay okay... enough about me.
The pediatrician said he was pleased with Owen's progress as usual. Today was a very short visit from him. He came in, listened to his lungs, looked at the monitor, said keep up the good work, and left. He chose to keep the IV fluid running for 1 more day just to be safe but otherwise didn't make any big changes to the plan. I predict the respiratory therapist will attempt to wean him off his oxygen support slowly over the next day or two. Right now we are in the "two steps forward one step back" phase. He ranges from 2-4 Liters flow with 30-40% oxygen depending on if he's in a deep sleep, tired from eating, over-stimulated, calm, or fussy. And he's been a little bit more fussy today as we suspect he's gassy and constipated. He hasn't pooped in 2 days compared to his home routine which is about 6 times per day. If his gas pain becomes worse or his belly gets noticeably more full (distended) they may place a tube into his belly to suck out the air (nasogastric tube).
Owen is now able to eat up to 60ml when he appears hungry as long as his oxygen flow is less than 4 Liters and his respiratory rate is less than 80. We started out slowly with 15ml at a time about every hour. Needless to say he thought it was amazing. We first used a bottle so we could control the rate and keep him in bed in the optimal upright position. We slowly increased the amount of each feeding and today he went back to the breast for the first time. He didn't skip a beat and did perfectly until it was time to burp. He has some reflux that he coughs on which sends him into a little bit of distress. We decided it would be best to stick with the bottle with less volume for frequently until he's a little better. While I wasn't been able to feed him I built up quite the stockpile in the fridge. The nurses joke that I should stand on the corner of the Mother Baby floor and make some money selling my liquid gold. With the prices in this damn cafeteria that might be necessary ;)
Our days are spent watching Owen sleep, keeping him happy when he spits his binki out, browsing the internet, and watching TV. Oh... and maybe Jesse and I spend a fair amount of time making fun of the nurses. It's very interesting to be on the other side of things. We are pretty even keeled, aren't easily scared, and prefer to be left alone. When we get a nervous Nelly nurse we both go a bit crazy until shift change. If we could have it our way we'd do all his care and lock the door. Can you tell I've been stuck in this place for too long? They keep him on camera so the nurses can watch him from the nurses station... I sure hope it doesn't have sound!
Our typical routine is for Jesse to be home with the kids overnight. In the morning he feeds them breakfast, gets ready for the day, and heads in to see us. The kids visit with Owen and I for a short while and then someone else (usually a grandma) takes them home for lunchtime and naps. Jesse then stays with us in the hospital for the afternoon. He heads home around dinner time and resumes kid duty. After dinner someone comes back to the hospital to help me overnight. I think tonight it'll be another split shift between my sisters and mom.
We are hoping to stay on the path of improvement but also expect ups and downs. We are predicting to be here until Monday. And if he has to stay longer then someone bring me a loaded gun. Okay, that might be a little extreme.
The pediatrician said he was pleased with Owen's progress as usual. Today was a very short visit from him. He came in, listened to his lungs, looked at the monitor, said keep up the good work, and left. He chose to keep the IV fluid running for 1 more day just to be safe but otherwise didn't make any big changes to the plan. I predict the respiratory therapist will attempt to wean him off his oxygen support slowly over the next day or two. Right now we are in the "two steps forward one step back" phase. He ranges from 2-4 Liters flow with 30-40% oxygen depending on if he's in a deep sleep, tired from eating, over-stimulated, calm, or fussy. And he's been a little bit more fussy today as we suspect he's gassy and constipated. He hasn't pooped in 2 days compared to his home routine which is about 6 times per day. If his gas pain becomes worse or his belly gets noticeably more full (distended) they may place a tube into his belly to suck out the air (nasogastric tube).
Owen is now able to eat up to 60ml when he appears hungry as long as his oxygen flow is less than 4 Liters and his respiratory rate is less than 80. We started out slowly with 15ml at a time about every hour. Needless to say he thought it was amazing. We first used a bottle so we could control the rate and keep him in bed in the optimal upright position. We slowly increased the amount of each feeding and today he went back to the breast for the first time. He didn't skip a beat and did perfectly until it was time to burp. He has some reflux that he coughs on which sends him into a little bit of distress. We decided it would be best to stick with the bottle with less volume for frequently until he's a little better. While I wasn't been able to feed him I built up quite the stockpile in the fridge. The nurses joke that I should stand on the corner of the Mother Baby floor and make some money selling my liquid gold. With the prices in this damn cafeteria that might be necessary ;)
Our days are spent watching Owen sleep, keeping him happy when he spits his binki out, browsing the internet, and watching TV. Oh... and maybe Jesse and I spend a fair amount of time making fun of the nurses. It's very interesting to be on the other side of things. We are pretty even keeled, aren't easily scared, and prefer to be left alone. When we get a nervous Nelly nurse we both go a bit crazy until shift change. If we could have it our way we'd do all his care and lock the door. Can you tell I've been stuck in this place for too long? They keep him on camera so the nurses can watch him from the nurses station... I sure hope it doesn't have sound!
Our typical routine is for Jesse to be home with the kids overnight. In the morning he feeds them breakfast, gets ready for the day, and heads in to see us. The kids visit with Owen and I for a short while and then someone else (usually a grandma) takes them home for lunchtime and naps. Jesse then stays with us in the hospital for the afternoon. He heads home around dinner time and resumes kid duty. After dinner someone comes back to the hospital to help me overnight. I think tonight it'll be another split shift between my sisters and mom.
We are hoping to stay on the path of improvement but also expect ups and downs. We are predicting to be here until Monday. And if he has to stay longer then someone bring me a loaded gun. Okay, that might be a little extreme.
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"That was delicious Mommy" |
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I decided to share his crib for a bit |
When he gets overstimulated he needs his eyes covered to fall asleep. And El bought him his bunny that now creepily watches him sleep. |
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