The girls are having another good day. They continue to have their feedings increased daily or twice daily. They are both up to 10ml of breastmilk through their feeding tubes every 3 hours.
They are fed through tubes that go through their mouths into their stomachs. They will continue to be fed this way until they are old enough for their suck/swallow/breathe reflexes to be developed which is usually around 34 weeks gestation. Once they hit 32 or 33 weeks and are off of the CPAP they will be able to start to practice breast feeding.
They are currently receiving additional nutrition through their PICC lines called TPN and lipids. This is currently being decreased as their breastmilk feedings are increased, and eventually they will be off of it completely.
They are doing well with breathing, just having the normal decreases in heart rate and oxygenation and breathing rate that happen in preemies. It is nothing to be concerned about, they just need time for their lungs to mature, and that is happening every day!
Today Mary had the pressure on her CPAP increased to 8 instead of 7 because she was having a little bit more labored breathing. Vivian's CPAP pressure is still at a 7.
We get to hold each of them once a day for a couple of hours. It is quite the project getting them in and out of their isolettes with all the wires and tubes! As they lose those slowly we will be able to hold them more often and it will be easier.
I have had a scratchy throat the past couple days so just to be on the safe side I haven't held them the past couple of days which is sad :( But I will hopefully be feeling better tomorrow and will be able to hold them then.
I am excited for the first time we get to hold them at the same time. I am sure that they miss each other:( It isn't possible right now with everything that they are hooked up to, but in a couple weeks I think it could happen!
Our nurse today told me that we will be so surprised how much they change even in just the 4 days before they turn 30 weeks. She said that a lot happens with their lungs and their skin and they will seem a lot older and bigger.
Its definitely a very difficult thing having babies in the NICU. Its hard as a mom not being able to pick them up and comfort them when they are sad or fussy. I also have to balance recovering and healing from my c section with spending time with them and with Norah. Its not an easy thing! But I know that this really is just temporary, and soon they will be at home with us and we will not be getting any sleep at all!
Thanks for your continued support and prayers!
No comments:
Post a Comment