Cindy (my mother in law) went with me on Thursday to see Lorena. Deb told me she would be in a crib this week most likely, and when we walked in on Thursday, she was in a big girl crib! The incubator still was in the room just in case she wasn't able to keep her body temperature steady. She is bundled up in 2 outfits and is in a fleece snuggler. Mary Jo (Thursday's nurse) also started feeding her with a bottle. She didn't have much interest at first. Lorena is being fed approximately 34 milliliters each feeding and may take half from a bottle and the other half through her tube. Sucking on the bottle tires preemie babies very easily. Therefore, the nurses let them ease into it. Lorena has been very sleepy since being in the crib and working hard to keep warm, so they usually don't wake her up to bottle feed at night...but just go ahead and feed her through her tube.
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| with Mommy |
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| with "Crazy" Grandma Cindy :-) |
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| Big Girl Bed |
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| Baby cap from cousin Sue Scott |
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| Mary Jo burping Lorena |
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| Big Girl Bottle |
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| Stretching in her big girl bed |
Friday I attended a baby care class to learn how to bottle feed a preemie, bathe Lorena, and other safety tips. The nurse said she scare us with all the information and she definitely was right! SIDS, RSV, flu, period of purple crying....all very scary for a new mom like me, especially having precious preemie baby cargo. Basically Lorena can't be around anyone who is sick (or anyone who has been in contact with a sick person). Her immunities are premature and she will have to be treated like she was born on her due date. Therefore, on December 1 she will need to be treated as a one day old baby, not a 3 month old baby. I understand she can't be kept in a bubble but we will have to be extra careful for the first few months she is home...especially since it is the cold and flu season.
Lorena has had drainage from her eyes for weeks. They have been wiping them each feeding but they haven't gotten any better. Deb (our NP) did a swab to see if she had infection. Tests came back that Lorena has a staph and strep bacterial infection in her eyes. Her eyes will be treated with antibiotic ointment for 6 days which hopefully will clear up the infections. This happens in preemies babies. She also had a hearing test on Friday. Her right ear "didn't pass," but the nurse said not to be concerned. She spit up and burped during the test which can affect the results. They will test her again next week. The nurse said that a lot of babies don't pass the first test (for multiple reasons) and then will pass the next time around. Prayers for a successful test next week. Lorena was in her crib and getting an occasional bottle feeding on Friday. The incubator is out of her room for good! Dan also got her crib together this week. We are slowly but surely getting ready for Lorena's arrival.
Lorena did have over 50 desaturations (decreases in oxygen level) on Thursday night/Friday morning. The nurse thought it may just be a fluke deal, but they are keeping an eye on it. She has fewer desaturations on Friday morning and her heart rate has been good in the crib. We are hoping that her desaturations decrease and she won't need to go back on the nasal cannula for oxygen. The crib is just a huge change for their little bodies but she seems to be handling it well. Thursday she weighed 3 pounds 15 3/4 ounces and Friday she weighed just over 4 pounds. We are so proud of her.
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