Has it been one whole week already that Ava was born? I would have thought time would stand still but actually it's gone by so fast. Ava is an absolute Super Star in the NICU. I'll spare all the terminology used in there, I think they even have a term for all the NICU terminology, but drawing a blank for that word. Anyway, she's doing really well. I hate to admit it because I just don't want to jinx anything.
She's on very little oxygen now, still with the tiny tube in her nostrils. Her umbilical lines got swapped out with a PICC line in her leg (a deep IV that they can also use to draw blood from, as well as administer meds). They took her off the humidity. She's been on and off the light therapy, basically the tanning bed that helps her jaundice. Her skin is looking less "pumpkin" and more flesh-toned. And wow, you would not believe the size of her poop. She does her daddy proud there. They just increased her feedings to 4 feedings a day, 3 mL each feeding. It's slow progress, but she's maintaining her weight at 2 pounds, 13 ounces. The goal for this week and obviously from here on out is to get some fat on her.
Today when I went to visit, I met the Neonatologist taking over for another Neonatologist while she's on vacation. He gave me her stats and then he told me about increasing her food intake. He says, "I was told your milk supply is dismal and we'd really like to make sure she gets breast milk but we may have to supplement." Um, WHAAA??!? I have a full stock pile in my freezer that I've been told to keep until they can get rid of some of the current supply, buddy. Who's supply are you calling dismal? So apparently the on call nurse didn't look in the right place because I told her to look harder. Wouldn't you know she found it and told me they have enough to feed her for at least 3 weeks. I get raised hackles when telling me any food
I supply is dismal, I take that as a personal insult. I'll try to let it go. But just in case they were unsure, I pumped right then and there and waved the 4 ounces of fresh milk in front of them to ask that they include it in their storage just in case. Ha. OK, moving on.
I've been able to hold Ava for an hour a day,
kangaroo care style. She's still hooked up to all her wires during that time for heart rate, oxygen level, respiratory level, temperature, etc. and it's rewarding to see how stable she becomes on the monitor when I hold her. Today when the nurse handed her off to my chest, I could tell her head was in an uncomfortable position. I wondered if I should try to shift her, but with all those wires and things, it's pretty difficult to see if I've knocked anything out of place. But Ava took care if it. She lifted her head and repositioned herself. That's my strong girl.
I've been told she may be moved out of her little room inside a room inside a room to hang among the "common folk" soon. While we won't have as much privacy, it will be nice to have her graduate to less critical status.
So one week down, 10 or so weeks to go until we can think about bringing our little girl home.
It's been one month since Ava was born. She now weighs 4 pounds and 2 ounces. I helped the nurse move her from her incubator to a bassinet on Thanksgiving, so she's now in a big girl bed. It's exciting to think that the next bed she moves to will be her own at home.
