We're praying that everything goes smoothly this time around...
I spoke with Asher's doctor today, and the plan is for him to come home on Friday! He passed his carseat test and I was given prescriptions for the reflux medications he's been taking, so everything's falling into place. Rob will be sleeping at the hospital with me on Thursday night, and we'll have Asher with us in one of their Care-by-Parent rooms. As long as all goes well that night, he'll be able to be discharged when the medical team does their rounds on Friday!
We are so excited! Praise the Lord!!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
another update
The results of Asher's CBC came back, and his neutrophils levels are higher than they were on Sunday, so it looks like they are headed in the right direction. Praise the Lord!
update
I just wanted to give an update on how Asher is doing since his scary episodes this weekend. On Sunday, they did a CBC (complete blood count) to check for an infection. His white blood cell count came back normal, but his neutrophils, which help protect against infection, were low. They did a second CBC, and it was the same. They also noticed that his platelets were high, which could be an indication of a viral infection (in which case it just has to runs its course).
To protect Asher, since he is so susceptible right now, they have put him in reverse isolation. He has his own little room, and we have to wear a gown and mask every time we enter. He has looked a little pale over the past two days, but he's acting himself and nursing just fine again, so that's a good sign. They will repeat the CBC today, in hopes that his neutrophil levels are back up to normal. He has also started to gain weight again, and at last weight was up to 4 lbs 15 oz.
In other news, it looks like Asher's homecoming could be as early as Friday or Saturday! His doctor is not concerned about his episodes on the weekend, because she feels they were related to feeding. So as long as he continues to gain weight and his neutrophil levels return to normal (and of course remains apnea- and brady-free!!), he should be ready to come home. We don't want to get our hopes too high again, but we would appreciate your prayers that all goes as planned and that we can bring our baby home this weekend!
To protect Asher, since he is so susceptible right now, they have put him in reverse isolation. He has his own little room, and we have to wear a gown and mask every time we enter. He has looked a little pale over the past two days, but he's acting himself and nursing just fine again, so that's a good sign. They will repeat the CBC today, in hopes that his neutrophil levels are back up to normal. He has also started to gain weight again, and at last weight was up to 4 lbs 15 oz.
In other news, it looks like Asher's homecoming could be as early as Friday or Saturday! His doctor is not concerned about his episodes on the weekend, because she feels they were related to feeding. So as long as he continues to gain weight and his neutrophil levels return to normal (and of course remains apnea- and brady-free!!), he should be ready to come home. We don't want to get our hopes too high again, but we would appreciate your prayers that all goes as planned and that we can bring our baby home this weekend!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
misbehaving!
well, not really...i'm using nurse jargon. the nurses tell the babies that they are misbehaving when they have episodes of apnea or bradycardia......
the roller coaster continues. yesterday while i was feeding Asher, his heart rate and oxygen saturation dropped quite low. i took him off the breast, and we noticed a rather large booger in one nostril. the nurse suctioned his nose, and he nursed well with no problems after that. the nurse recorded the episode as a bradycardia, since both levels were so low, but made a note about his nasal blockage, thinking that was likely the culprit and that it wasn't a true brady.
then, this morning, the same thing happened, again while i was nursing. there was no booger this time, just a LOT of spit up, and his levels dropped a couple of times in a row right after that. it was very scary. the nurses who were there don't know what to think. it seemed like a true bradycardia, but it was while he was eating and he spit up and coughed several times, so it could also be that he is getting too much milk. they are also considering the possibility of it being an infection, as his reflux has been a lot worse over the past day or two, and he looks a bit pale.
obviously, the best scenario is that he is nursing much more effectively than we think and is getting too much milk. i have a feeling that they will keep him there a bit longer because of the episodes regardless of whether they think they were true bradys or not. we are really praying that he doesn't have an infection. it would be such a shame for him to get sick after progressing well for so long.
his weight gain is still less than desirable. he was 2215 grams (JUST over 4 lbs 14 oz) last night, up only 5 from the night before. but at least he's not losing. he is doing well at breastfeeding every feed, but his body needs to adapt to the extra calories it takes to do so.
please pray for our little one. we really want to take him home so that we can be together as a family. please pray for Judah to have some sort of peace and understanding during this time - it is very difficult with me living at the hospital.
the roller coaster continues. yesterday while i was feeding Asher, his heart rate and oxygen saturation dropped quite low. i took him off the breast, and we noticed a rather large booger in one nostril. the nurse suctioned his nose, and he nursed well with no problems after that. the nurse recorded the episode as a bradycardia, since both levels were so low, but made a note about his nasal blockage, thinking that was likely the culprit and that it wasn't a true brady.
then, this morning, the same thing happened, again while i was nursing. there was no booger this time, just a LOT of spit up, and his levels dropped a couple of times in a row right after that. it was very scary. the nurses who were there don't know what to think. it seemed like a true bradycardia, but it was while he was eating and he spit up and coughed several times, so it could also be that he is getting too much milk. they are also considering the possibility of it being an infection, as his reflux has been a lot worse over the past day or two, and he looks a bit pale.
obviously, the best scenario is that he is nursing much more effectively than we think and is getting too much milk. i have a feeling that they will keep him there a bit longer because of the episodes regardless of whether they think they were true bradys or not. we are really praying that he doesn't have an infection. it would be such a shame for him to get sick after progressing well for so long.
his weight gain is still less than desirable. he was 2215 grams (JUST over 4 lbs 14 oz) last night, up only 5 from the night before. but at least he's not losing. he is doing well at breastfeeding every feed, but his body needs to adapt to the extra calories it takes to do so.
please pray for our little one. we really want to take him home so that we can be together as a family. please pray for Judah to have some sort of peace and understanding during this time - it is very difficult with me living at the hospital.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
six weeks old (January 25, 2007)
Six weeks already?!
Asher is still doing great, though we had a bit of a disappointment this week. It was looking like he was going to be able to come home this weekend, as he had been doing great having no bradycardia spells (he has stopped having apneas for quite a while now) since they stopped his caffeine on Thursday, the 18th. Unfortunately, he had an episode early on Wednesday morning, and it was significant enough that the doctor could not overlook it. So our stay here will be a little longer. Asher will let us know when he's ready! To go home at 36 weeks would have been quite amazing; he's still young and just needs a little more time!
Breastfeeding is still going well; as of today, I have started nursing him around the clock. His weight gain has slowed down a bit, which is likely a combination of the energy exerted to breastfeed more frequently and his body plateauing a little after a couple of weeks of significant gains each day. His weight has been hovering at about 4 lbs 14 oz for the past several days.
Asher is still doing great, though we had a bit of a disappointment this week. It was looking like he was going to be able to come home this weekend, as he had been doing great having no bradycardia spells (he has stopped having apneas for quite a while now) since they stopped his caffeine on Thursday, the 18th. Unfortunately, he had an episode early on Wednesday morning, and it was significant enough that the doctor could not overlook it. So our stay here will be a little longer. Asher will let us know when he's ready! To go home at 36 weeks would have been quite amazing; he's still young and just needs a little more time!
Breastfeeding is still going well; as of today, I have started nursing him around the clock. His weight gain has slowed down a bit, which is likely a combination of the energy exerted to breastfeed more frequently and his body plateauing a little after a couple of weeks of significant gains each day. His weight has been hovering at about 4 lbs 14 oz for the past several days.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
five weeks old (January 18, 2007)
today was another big day for Asher! He is progressing by leaps and bounds!
First off, breastfeeding is going far better than I could have hoped. The nurses and lactation consultants are amazed at how well Asher is doing for his age! Over the past week and a half, we have gradually been increasing the ratio of breastfeed feeds to NG feeds. Today I did four breastfeeds, and Asher still gained weight! He is now just shy of 4 lbs 12 oz. So it looks like starting tomorrow, I'll be bunking in at the hospital for the next little while, as we are trying to get him to exclusively breastfeed! The support for breastfeeding at this hospital is absolutely incredible!
The second big thing today was a move from an isolette to an an open-air cot, since he is now big enough to be able to regulate his own temperature. It was so strange when we came in to see him in a tiny little cot instead of his big isolette!
First off, breastfeeding is going far better than I could have hoped. The nurses and lactation consultants are amazed at how well Asher is doing for his age! Over the past week and a half, we have gradually been increasing the ratio of breastfeed feeds to NG feeds. Today I did four breastfeeds, and Asher still gained weight! He is now just shy of 4 lbs 12 oz. So it looks like starting tomorrow, I'll be bunking in at the hospital for the next little while, as we are trying to get him to exclusively breastfeed! The support for breastfeeding at this hospital is absolutely incredible!
The second big thing today was a move from an isolette to an an open-air cot, since he is now big enough to be able to regulate his own temperature. It was so strange when we came in to see him in a tiny little cot instead of his big isolette!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
one month old already!
Asher is one month old today. It's hard to believe, since I should really be pregnant for another six weeks! The past month has flown by, with all the back and forth to the hospital and everything else in between (pumping, sleeping, and taking care of Judah!). We are really looking forward to having Asher home with us and life returning to some state of normalcy. We don't know when his homecoming will be, but he is doing well and the end is in sight. He is gaining weight on a consistent basis and is starting to nurse more. He is nursing extremely well for his age, and I am so thankful for that, since I had such a hard time nursing Judah at the beginning.
Since Asher is now over 2 kilograms (he weighed 2030 grams tonight, which is about 4 lbs 7 1/2 oz), they will be moving him to an open-air cot as soon as he gets his first Synagis shot, which is a medication that helps prevent RSV. RSV causes cold-like symptoms in adults and children, but for premature babies, it can be very serious. Babies in Ontario born before 32 weeks automatically qualify for monthly doses of Synagis during RSV season. We are thankful that this is covered, because the shots are VERY expensive. I've heard they cost the government over $1000 per shot.
I've finally posted some updates that I had written but never had the time to post. They're up now, if you're interested in going back and reading about Asher's progress in the NICU.
Since Asher is now over 2 kilograms (he weighed 2030 grams tonight, which is about 4 lbs 7 1/2 oz), they will be moving him to an open-air cot as soon as he gets his first Synagis shot, which is a medication that helps prevent RSV. RSV causes cold-like symptoms in adults and children, but for premature babies, it can be very serious. Babies in Ontario born before 32 weeks automatically qualify for monthly doses of Synagis during RSV season. We are thankful that this is covered, because the shots are VERY expensive. I've heard they cost the government over $1000 per shot.
I've finally posted some updates that I had written but never had the time to post. They're up now, if you're interested in going back and reading about Asher's progress in the NICU.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
pics of the week: 98 weeks
my gorgeous little man (who doesn't seem quite so little these days!)
a bonus pic with a very tired-looking mamaSaturday, January 6, 2007
day 24 (January 6, 2007)
Today was an exciting day!
When we arrived at the hospital for a visit this afternoon, we were a little worried, because the nurse said she and the doctor had been concerned about Asher this morning. After over 60 hours without any spells of apnea or bradycardia, he had several quite close together, and also had a slightly high temperature. However, they did a CBC and it came back negative, which means he doesn't have an infection. Thank goodness!
After the nurse told us this, she had some positive news - the doctor said that I could try putting baby to the breast! I've been looking forward to this, but wasn't expecting it today. We came back about half an hour before his 6:00 feed so we could try him at the breast. He did very well for the first time! It will still take him a little bit to learn to latch properly, but he was definitely trying and was awake and alert the whole time! I will now be trying to nurse him one feed per day! What exciting progress!
When we arrived at the hospital for a visit this afternoon, we were a little worried, because the nurse said she and the doctor had been concerned about Asher this morning. After over 60 hours without any spells of apnea or bradycardia, he had several quite close together, and also had a slightly high temperature. However, they did a CBC and it came back negative, which means he doesn't have an infection. Thank goodness!
After the nurse told us this, she had some positive news - the doctor said that I could try putting baby to the breast! I've been looking forward to this, but wasn't expecting it today. We came back about half an hour before his 6:00 feed so we could try him at the breast. He did very well for the first time! It will still take him a little bit to learn to latch properly, but he was definitely trying and was awake and alert the whole time! I will now be trying to nurse him one feed per day! What exciting progress!
Another exciting tidbit from today is his weight gain. Tonight he weighed in at 1815 grams, an amazing 60 gram jump from yesterday! Our little man is now 4 lbs!
definitely getting bigger!
enough pictures, daddy...i'm hungry!
tired out after a feed
definitely getting bigger!
enough pictures, daddy...i'm hungry!
tired out after a feedpics of the week: 97 weeks
Judah loves to colour, especially when it's a picture of Winnie the Pooh!Thursday, January 4, 2007
three weeks (January 4, 2007)
It has been a good week. Asher is still gaining weight well and has had long stretches without any apneas or bradys. Tonight he weighed 1745 grams (3 lbs 13 1/2 oz).
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