Wonderful news on the weight gain, such a positive thing for such a tiny little bub. WTG Heidi.
DS was always weighed at midnight so I was never there at the time but on the day he reached 1kg, the nurses made a wonderful certificate for him and attached it to the foot of his isolette. That day there were many happy tears.
Long cuddles are the best. It's like there is no one or nothing that can come between you and bub. Like a dark cold shadow has been lifted and blanket of warmth and peace surrounds you both. At the time DS was in hospital, there was only 3 recliners to a 34 bed unit so it was always a fight for a comfy cuddle chair. The nurses were great, they knew cuddles with DS had been very limited so on the days he was well enough, I would arrive and there would be a recliner by his isolette with a big note on it "do not remove - Mother & bub will be having cuddles". Like you, some days we would sit there for hours...just so special.
It takes time for these little ones to adjust to receiving EBM, but they do get there in time. I always dreaded the days that DS's feeds were increased as it always caused huge problems with his apnoea. In the end, they would pump feed over 1 hour every 2 hours, it was almost as if he was being fed constantly.
Well done on the increased BM production. Cuddles do have a lot to do with it and the fact that you sound less stressed after your big cry the other day. you are doing a brilliant job.
Take care & hope you get more cuddles really soon xx
Wow Infinity what a fabulous weight gain Little Miss Heidi has done, it is an amazing feeling to see them surpass their birth weight, and celebrate each milestone no matter how small, because it is those wonderful positive moments that just makes it a tiny bit easier to get through the day
I am so glad that you and DH are going in together this evening, it is really important for you to take a bit of time out as a couple as well, next trip try and grab a little bit of time for a nice coffee or hot chocolate, with just the two of you, a little bit of normality as such.
Evening all. We've had a great few days with Heidi progressing really well. She is continuing to gain weight....latest weigh she was up to 830g! WOOT! And she'll be weighed tonight so I'm hoping for another increase. She is now on 2ml of EBM every three hours and seems to be tolerating that ok so far, but they're constantly monitoring. Other than that, no major changes. She received a blood transfusion during the week which was expected and was fine. Its so hard seeing our tiny girl with a canula in her hand though, it was almost bigger than her.
We've shared a cuddle each day this whole week, I even got two yesterday - one in the morning and another when I went in to be with her again at night. She is so settled when she's on my skin, its really lovely time together.
I'm getting tired but trying to maintain the juggling act. Poor DP & DS have had hand, foot & mouth disease so they've been a bit miserable and DP isn't visiting at the hossy for that reason. Thankfully I'm fine. I keep figuring that my body just knows that Heidi needs me with her, so I'm not going to succumb. But I'm watching for all the signs.
My supply seems to be stabilising nicely - I'm probably expressing between 400-450ml each 24 hours for her. The milk room at the hospital have told me to start freezing some at home rather than taking it all to the hossy right now. They've got plenty there for her needs right now. I cannot wait until she is old enough and ready to start having a go at proper breast feeds. I know it will be some time and a slow journey but instinctively I can't wait to share that with her.
The photos sound gorgeous, Infinity. I hope you are able to share them with us when you get them back. What a lovely idea! for today, it sounds like you're having a tough week.
I am so happy you will have some amazing photos of Heidi and your whole family of her early days in NICU and I would love to see them when you feel ready to share, the photographers are just beautiful, compassionate and caring people and their work is just amazing
900grams is a pretty amazing weight and she is doing really well, especially being stable after her big gain a few days earlier.
I hope you have had a chance to get in a little R and R and timeout, I second the laptop when expressing, I used to fall asleep infront of the tv and then spill milk
Take care xxoo
Wonderful news hun! So so happy for you that Heidi is doing well, and that you're doing so well with your expressing! I know it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but it sounds as though you're doing a wonderful job of enjoying the special times you are given. Keep on hanging in there, thinking of you lots
Wow I am so happy you have been able to have so many cuddles it is amazing to watch their sats settle when they are getting cuddles such special moments awwwwwwww.....
Oh no Poor DH and DS How long does it last for? I wish them a smooth and quick recovery, they had a breakout at our Daycare centre a week or two ago, lucky DD didn't get it.
Is the hospital giving you the containers to store your milk? If not the avent one's with the blue lids are great, I have some of the bags too, but cheaper to buy them on EBAY.
Wow, you're doing so great! The both of you I mean.
Sorry to hear about your DH & DS - hope they're better soon.
You must be exhausted - I hope you are able to take a little time out each day to just breathe
Well I'm pleased to say that DP and DS are all better, DP is down at the hossy tonight seeing Heidi for the first time in about a week. Beema - apparently they're infectious for 3-5 days or until the blisters heal up. Its been really tearing him up not being able to see her but he was so paranoid about going in sick. I *thought* I was coming down with something too but appear to have fought it off with a bit more rest. Marcellus, you're spot on, I am exhausted but I'm too scared to stop right now in case I don't get going again LOL! This week is going to be tough as DP is back at work 4 full days so it will be a juggling act with DS and I just have to accept I can't be at the hospital quite as much each day. Very hard. Thankfully DS has been his cheery happy self this last week after getting over teeth, constipation and HF&M. He also started walking during the week so do you think he's proud of himself much! Its so much easier for me emotionally now that he's back to his resilient self.
Beema the hossy supply us with little Medela containers that are compatible with their pumps as well as mine at home. So its really easy. I just take the milk in each day and pop it into their fridges and the milk room nurses take care of freezing and storing it and preparing the feeds for all the bubs each day. I'm really impressed with their set up, it would be so much more stressful if I was having to manage all that myself here at home. One less thing to worry about. And I'm also really happy that they're so supportive of the importance of breast milk and breast feeding, as they should be of course.
DD continues to do well, she's been shifted into a new cot, still enclosed in heat but a little step forward. I got there a few days ago after they'd changed her over and had to take 5 minutes to adjust - you get so used to their set-up and something changes and it messes with you a bit! More impressive weight gains too - they weigh every 48 hours - so 2 days ago she went from 830gms to 815gms but she was weighed on different scales so a bit hard to know if it was a true loss. Then last night she went from 815gms to 905gms! A huge 80g gain which is amazing. I think we'll have a party when she hits the 1kg mark LOL! She is tolerating a tiny bit more milk now and her poos have changed so we think her gut might be responding a bit better.
Every day is full of new information and challenges. Today she had her heart ECG done again. The docs and nurses keep thinking they can hear a little heart murmur, but it appears one day and then it will be gone the next. So they repeated the ECG and confirmed that her heart is fine. They're concerned that the little ducts in her heart haven't closed over (which they normally do at birth when a baby takes its first breath). Often in premmies that same process doesn't occur. So far so good with that. At 6 weeks she'll have an eye exam to see if her eyes are developing normally - sometimes if the little vessels around the eye start to deviate as they grow they need some laser surgery but its highly unlikely that will be the case. There is truly so much along the way we'll learn that we never even would have considered before.
The poor little chicken still has one little eye that the bruising hasn't resolved. She was so swollen and bruised at birth, but almost all of that has resolved apart from her left eye. She looks like she's been in a fight! Hopefully another week or so and that will be gone. Its kind of like her birth battle wounds in a way! We have also brought some visitors in during the week to meet her. My sister came through one night and then Heidi got to meet both her nanna's last night. We weren't ready for visitors early on, even family, and they've been very understanding about that. But boy were they chuffed to see her. She's got so many people that love her and are cheering her on, its really heartening for us.
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you are doing a brilliant job.
it is amazing to watch their sats settle when they are getting cuddles
How long does it last for? I wish them a smooth and quick recovery, they had a breakout at our Daycare centre a week or two ago, lucky DD didn't get it.
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