NICU Diaries: Week 7
Baby is 34 weeks adjusted gestational age.
Read about last week: Week 6!
Day 43: Roasty Toasty
Dr is upping Baby’s potassium, sodium chloride, and chloride to counteract the loss of electrolytes from his maintenance diuretic.
Henry’s Nurse Hailey said he was “roasty and toasty” so she swaddled him loosely to let him vent a bit. He had been fussy all morning going from peaceful rest to a 212 heart rate in 20 seconds. When I got there, he was so tired which was unlike him, but I guess that’s what happens when all morning you’re awake and using all your energy. I got a taste of that towards the end of our 2 hour skin-to-skin session when I’m sure he was sweaty and too warm just wanting to be comfortable.
2050g.
Day 44: Open Crib
He is in a Big Boy Bed (open crib)! And apparently he ripped his feeding tube out and had to be retaped twice on Nurse Brenda’s shift, and once right before she came on. It’s the same nurse who gave me predictions the other day 😆 Today says he has a “determined air”, and she wants me to come back in 2 years to update her on how he grows up.
Baby is back to CPAP for breathing; they weaned him off the NIPPV.
The therapy team taught me how to give him a baby massage on the back with oil and everything while doing skin-to-skin, and he LOVED it so much he slept deeply on me.
Nurse Eliza says that tonight he gained 26g and weighs 4lbs 9oz.
Day 45: Eye Exam
He ripped his feeding tube out all the way again before I arrived. A nurse put it back in his mouth, 10 minutes later his nurse had to re-tape his face. He was super warm so we let him air out while doing cares. I was in the middle of getting a massage lesson when they found out the eye doctor is coming and Henry is having an eye exam, so they needed to get him ready by dilating his eyes with those eye drops that sting. They couldn’t reach his eyes because they’re really swollen while the CPAP mask is on, so had to take off all of the stuff on his face first. And they had to do two sets of those eye drops five minutes apart. I wasn’t going to hold him because we will just have to put him back as soon as the eye doctor comes. I didn’t realize how not fun. The eye exam is, involving metal clamps that keep his eye open and metal things they put in his eye… Dr. Jen told me it’s kind of distressing for parents to watch. But she encouraged me to hold him because we don’t really know if the eye doctor is going to be here in five minutes or 2 1/2 hours and I might as well hold him because Henry is gonna be upset once the doctor gets here anyway.
They said baby is doing fantastic! He is still in zone 2, almost zone 3 for his eyes. His next eye exam is in a couple of weeks instead of next week so that’s good!
Day 46: Rollercoaster
On the way to the hospital I got pulled over for speeding 46mph on a 35mph road. I didn’t even realize I was speeding. He gave me a Warning and told me to be careful in the “suicide lane” where many accidents occur from other lanes trying to cross. It shook me up a bit. I’m glad there was no accident, I didn’t receive a ticket, the therapist I was trying to meet on time moved our appt later anyway, and I found a rare parking spot at the front!
Baby Henry got moved to the B side of the NICU! The grow and feed side. With his high temperatures, they changed to lighter cotton sheets and swaddles so it’s not too hot. The Physical Therapist taught me how to massage his arms and legs. As I massaged him, his heart rate was the calmest I’ve ever seen (150s)- he gave smiles and even fell asleep during it.
After skin-to-skin his temperature was fever high. Doctor talked with me about ruling out possible infection. That means getting blood from him through an IV, collecting a sterile urine sample via a catheter, doing a nasal swab for a respiratory test, and performing a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to test for meningitis and which I needed to sign a consent form for. He’ll be put on a couple of antibiotics to cover any major infections while waiting for the test results.
As Dr talked with me, she already had everything ordered, and the nurses were getting things ready. She said it was urgent because he’s already had a fever for 2 consecutive days, and the antibiotics need time to work and counteract an infection. If we wait and it does turn out to be an infection, it would be able to do damage and wreak havoc on his body first. He has very little to no immunity against everything.
Best case scenario he gets tested, everything comes back clear, they wean him from the antibiotics, and he just runs hot so they put more fans on him. They need to make sure because “‘tis the season”.
Dr tried to make me feel better by saying that every baby in the NICU has these infection tests before graduating, and it is just our turn. So far Baby has been able to avoid any major or serious issues here, but things can change quickly. We are praying, I’m just an emotional mess.
Jer wanted to see Henry as soon as I updated him. I came home just to pump and take him with me back to the hospital. Nurse Ashli said his temperature was more normal for her. He has a scalp IV, I think the one they started in his arm might have failed. Baby looked comfortable and was sleeping after a failed Lumbar Puncture and they will let him rest before trying again. He was just so exhausted!
Day 47
Day 48
Day 49
Check out more weeks from our NICU journey here.
