My little girl was born last Monday night, and since birth she has gone forward in leaps and bounds, she has started to put on weight, then last night lost is again, plus a little more, we did however switch her from 3 hourly to 4 hourly feeds yesterday, which explains the loss as she adjusts.
Yesterday her feeds were all Boob/Bottle (EMB), with some formula for top up if needed, she is latching on real well, and love the boob or bottle, no problems for he, for me her mouth is a little small, so BF'ing is a little painful, but it will get better in a few weeks as she gows.
The pediatrician came in the morning and said we could go home, we removed the gavage tube as we don't need it anymore.
Have anyone taken their premmie home this early, she will be 35 weeks Thursday 10th July, I am thinking either Friday or Saturday. I am bording with her and can stay as long as I need to. I have been doing all of her feeds, top ups etc, filling in her charts the MW's are just amazed to my competency and have mentioned it numerous times. But now I am terrified!!
We thought the journey home was going to take a lot longer, now that we can go home, I am pretty scared, and am looking for advice support from anyone who has been through the same.
Oh sweety I don't have any advice on prems but just wanted to pop in and say that it is terrific Nakita is doing so well and you will have her home so soon! I am sure you will be great and will have lots of support - here and elsewhere, but you will soon get into a great routine of feeding and sleeping and I'm sure she will settle in quickly! She sounds like a strong little champ! and you are a terrific mummy!
i just wanted to say congratulations on how well you are both doing. Thats great news that she is ready to come home this soon. I think that i t is understandable to be nervous, every new mum is when they take home thier newborn. I have not had a premmie baby so i can not offer you any advice but just good luck and i am sure that you will be just fine.
Okay, I took my DS1 home at 10 days old, he was 34w born, so 35+4 when I took him home. He was 1900gms born, and 2020gms when I took him home. He was born in May and I took him home to Shepparton which is in country Victoria.
The most important thing for me was the SUPPORT network that was put in place. I had a midwife/MCHN come and visit me every day for the first week (XH was back at work) and we did weighins every second day. In terms of feeding, I BF him, even though I had 20GG boobs and he was so tiny. I ended up expressing a lot and feeding via bottle as he had difficulty latching on.
I loved it that he was on 4 hourly feeds - I kept to it overnight but fed more often during the day. I usually expressed 2 hours after feeds during the day to try and increase my supply.
He was my first, and my Xh wasn't very helpful, so I was doing all the work.
The most important thing for the MCHN was for him to put on weight, so I fed him LOTS and most importantly, kept him WARM! Keep the house warm. Also dress her warmly - little beanies are the greatest thing invented, I used woollen ones that my grandmother knitted for me from a dolls pattern, otherwise they were too big. I wasn't scared of topping him up with formula either, as it was more important to build him up weight wise, so that if he DID get sick then he had some reserves. I only bathed him every 2-3 days, otherwise I did a top-and-tail.
I had a c/s so didn't get out very much, staying at home and SLEEPING whenever he did, it was marvellous.
Also if you have ANY fears or insecurities about Nakita's health, take her straight back to hospital/doctor - these tiny premmies need medication ASAP if they get sick.
Also remember - YOU are Mummy, you're a WONDERFUL woman and you are the BEST mummy your daughter can ever have.
Congrats on your bubba coming home soon
my twins were born nearly 10 weeks early and came home at 36 weeks weighing 1792g and 2640g. The MCHN had to weigh them everyday to ensure weight gain was happening as well.
I second everything Divvy said!!!
esp keeping bubba warm esp their head as they loose so much temp from the top of their heads!
take care and good luck it is so liberating to bring your bubba home and be responsible for them all by yourself!!
take care and good luck
odette
It sounds like Nikita is doing so well and thats such fantastic news.
my son was born at 33 + 3 also and went home at 37 + 3weeks weighing 2650g and i was still nervous.
My only input may be that for the next 4-5weeks she might sleep a lot (i know newborns sleep alot anyway) but i remember thinking in hospital that i had a baby that never cried, it wasnt until around his due date he started to act like a "real" baby so to speak.....
ask a thousand questions before you leave if you have to, the nurses wont mind, anything you think of even if you think its silly just ask them, they are there to help. they helped show me how to wrap, etc i dont think i would have had a clue otherwise.
good luck with her home coming its so exciting take heaps of pics!!
I had a bit of a break down-freak out yesterday, very teary morning, but after having another chat with one of the midwives here at the hospital, and my OB's midwife popped back in again last night, I feel a lot better and know that even though we are leaving the hospital we will still have lots if support.
My OB and MW want me to come into their clinic regularly, so that can keep an eye on me and bubs, and I will also be coming into the hospital clinic so the pediatrician can keep and an on Nakita.
We are organising a heater today as her room will be quite cool, and her temp does fluctuate if we don't get the wrapping right, atm she has a muslin wrap, then a flannelette wrap, then a fleecy wrap and a hospital blanket overe the top, plus a beanie and full length bodysuit and singlet.
Over night she put back on the 40grams she had lost the night before she she is up to 2200grams or 4lb 14oz. her bith weight was 2350grams, how long did it take for your bubs to get up to their birth weight, she is 10 days old now.
Divvy I have to agree with the four hourly feeds!! OMG the 3 hourly ones were so tough, especially when we were in Women's and Children's, and I didn't want her to get much formula, but it is okay. Last night her 7pm feed she didn't want the top up of EBM from the bottle, and I had warmed it up, then at 9:30pm she was hungry so I gave her a 30ml top up of EMB. Then her 11pm feed she had the boob and the and I didn't have any spare EBM cos I had to throw out the 30ml I had heated up for the 7pm feed, so I gave her 30ml of formula via the bottle, which she guzzled and settled straight away. She went through right to 3am for the next feed. Which was all Boobie or EBM.
I feel really good that she put on the weight, I feel like I can support her now.
I have to find some more beanies, we have two that fit her, all the premie ones we have are just too big, and don't stay on her head, so I will be going hunting for some more.
I also took your advice on the sleeping, I had a hour nap before her 11pm feed and also one this morning after her 7am feed and after easting breaky.
I am also writing a list of questions!!
My OB and MW are popping back in tomorrow morning before we go home.
So I am guessing I might get a big shock in about 4-6 weeks, when she really wakes up!!
It is just such a relief to her from other great mummies who have taken their premmie bubs home early and that it is okay, that we aren't being rushed and I have another source to ask questions, who understand and have been there before!
*HELP* Taking home a 35 weeker, born @ 33 + 3
the MW's are just amazed to my competency and have mentioned it numerous times. But now I am terrified!!
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and you are a terrific mummy!
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