NICU Diaries: Week 3
I’m putting updates here as we progress in the hospital.
Day 15: Upsize + CPAP Wean
Baby Henry moved up in diaper size from Micropreemie to Preemie! His nurses say he is constantly pooping and it was going up his back so the change was needed. They have also weaned him from a CPAP of 7 to 6, and he’s doing great with it. He’s tolerating his feedings well and has gained weight to 1250 grams (2 pounds 12 ounces)!
Daddy held Henry for the first time! ❤️❤️❤️ He also changed a very full diaper and tried out the new size on Henry.
While the prongs were in Baby’s nose, he was NOT having it being face down on my chest for skin-to-skin. He squirmed and screamed and got so mad and hard to calm him once he got worked up! I tried not to laugh but it was too adorable and amusing seeing him so feisty. I agree with his nurse who said he likes what he likes and nothing else will do, haha! The skin-to-skin wasn’t going to work today, so it was my first time holding him in my arms and able to see his beautiful face close up.
Day 16: Calories + Mama Struggles
Henry got X-rays yesterday and it looked really good like he’s expanding normally; they have every reason to believe his lungs are growing well, so that’s why they weaned him to CPAP 6 yesterday. Today they upped his calories and also are feeding him 2mL more in volume, to fatten him up and help him grow more. His nose is all healed, he’s doing so great!
I had some setbacks today, including throwing breast milk away. I’m never prepared for how much it hurts. I fell asleep and missed putting the milk in the fridge by THREE MINUTES. It was devastating after all that work pumping during the 2-5AM shift. Jer discarded it for me. He felt so bad that he hadn’t helped me at those hours, but he’s also running on fumes. My solution: a mini fridge right where I pump during those difficult hours.
Then on my way to see our baby this morning the car made loud scary noises, so I turned back as soon as I got on the freeway. Thankfully nothing major; a giant bolt with a washer had punctured our tire. The car shop that found it and the tire place that fixed it were super nice and took care of it without charging me, plus I didn’t end up stranded on the freeway with a popped tire—so those were big blessings! I just wasn’t able to get to Henry until after dinner.
When I finally did see him, all the cares of the day melted away, all was right in the world again. I’m not sure how that happens, but I needed that.
I was a newbie and didn’t cover him up while I reached for the diaper cream, so Baby peed on me and his bed while I changed him- a first! It also took 2 diapers since he went again while I put the new diaper on him. The nurse said he’s just showing us he’s a boy, haha! He slept soundly and happily on me for 2 hours while we cuddled and I read to him from Wonder. I pumped at the bedside and somehow it was more milk than I normally get (it always is when I’m with him). Maybe there’s some science behind that.
It’s getting harder to leave Baby every day; I feel like I’m leaving half of my heart at his bedside. This is basically a double life, one part escaping for stolen hours in the hospital and the other caring for our daily life at home. Each incomplete until our Little Fighter joins us. I have to remind myself to take it one day at a time in order to not get caught up in the idea of baby coming home. One foot in front of the other. I’ll see you tomorrow my little love.
Day 17: Private Room
I’m in love with this little Nugget, especially his side eye.
That is all.
Oh, and he got moved to a new private room which is awesome and I love the darkness… It’s just for staffing reasons, but I very much enjoyed having lots of room and not needing a gown because no one comes around to our dark corner and we have a door that was mostly shut.
He’s been in an open isolette for at least a couple of days now because he gets so hot in there.
Also tonight he gained 50 grams and now weighs 2lbs 14oz. At this rate we will be at 3 pounds in no time!
Day 18: Spicy Baby + Jer Date
Our perfect feisty angel. They changed out his breathing thingy because he was SO MAD with the prongs 🤣 Baby hates the nasal prong CPAP mask (prongs) being in his nostrils.
We had 2.5hrs of skin to skin ❤️❤️❤️ and then I held him in my arms like a little baby bundle for another half hour. 3 hours of heaven with my little love. I soaked through my breast pad and still had milk left over to pump.
Dr says, “Open lungs are growing lungs,” so CPAP will help keep his lungs open. They probably won’t wean him from CPAP to Hi-Flow until 32 weeks because we want time for those lungs to grow. She also called him “spicy” because his heart rate goes up high when he’s mad with the prongs (at least he’s consistent!) and when he’s mad at being too hot. 🤣 She said that’s ok because his heart rate goes back down when his concerns are taken care of, and what we don’t want is for the heart rate to stay high. What I’ve learned from this is he’s got quite a personality already!
I locked my keys in the car at the hospital (I’m apparently running on only 5 brain cells), so Jer came to my rescue during 5th period. We ate lunch at the cafeteria and laughed together so much, admired our Henry baby in the NICU, and he gave me the spare key in time to beat traffic. What a nice impromptu date!
Day 19: Surprise Shower
Our private room is gone, but Henry got moved to a nice sunny spot near windows. He is weaning down to level 5 on CPAP today! His day nurse was also a charge nurse and described him as “having a little temper” 😆 It took a while to calm him down since his pet peeves were both happening (prongs and too hot), but once he was comfy I got to snuggle with him for 2 hours! We cleaned the dirt from behind his neck folds so he smells a lot less like cheese. Today I noticed that he has a little peach fuzz all over his arms and legs, and also the cutest little hairy back! I think because he was wrapped in a very dark blanket, the peach fuzz was actually noticeable.
Lizadel and Danyelle planned a special baby shower that had to be canceled after my hospitalization, and today they surprised me with a relaxing outdoor lunch and opening baby shower gifts! Fresh air, laughing with friends in Lizadel’s garden, eating Super Nachos together, sitting on the couch and just talking helped me feel more like myself instead of all the things I’m doing. I have the best people in my life! It meant so much to me that friends dropped off such thoughtful and heartfelt gifts, and to read their notes of support and prayers for us.
Baby received a handmade quilt, specially chosen nursery print, the cutest little outfits, hats for every occasion including hiking, the softest stuffies (one even has magnetic arms to wrap around the baby stuffy), a lovely crafted mobile, Grandma Enid’s handmade blanket and matching burp cloths, and such helpful things like a diaper caddy and changing pad and wipes and a baby monitor, etc. A unique gift for preemie parents like us was a box of NICU Milestone Cards that I can’t wait to use for when Henry reaches 3 pounds or other celebrations during his NICU stay! We are so loved and blessed, and I’m brimming with gratitude.
Day 20: First Bath
Threw away more breast milk because when I checked the mini fridge I bought, the inside never got to a safe temperature. In the mean time, I’ve been going up and down stairs (or asking the kids) to put each milk bottle in the real fridge.
It’s the weekend, so I rested most of the day and saw Henry for his 4pm Cares. The nurse said he was happily asleep for 5 hours on his tummy. Baby and I did skin-to-skin for 1.5 hours and I enjoyed squeezing the part of the blanket that covered his little feet and feeling his hand reach for my neck ❤️ I pumped before and after, and as I was about to leave his nurse got a bathtub ready so I stayed to help with his first bath!
Now that he’s over 1000 g, over 30 weeks, and has no IVs he’s able to be bathed in a tub! We do what is called a Swaddle Bath so he stays warm, and only uncover one body part at a time to gently clean before quickly swaddling him up again and keeping the warm water coming. He kept making these unsure grunting noises during his bath, and the respiratory therapist goes, “Ehh, better than I thought but not great… I give it 2 stars.” It made me laugh so hard! I don’t know if he really is so hard to please 😆
Henry is doing well overall, his heart rate goes up in his sleep sometimes and they think that’s a side effect of the caffeine. They give caffeine as a stimulant for his lungs so that they remember to breathe and can grow. Some babies are more sensitive to it than others and so they skipped his 10 AM caffeine and are watching him for the next 12 hours. He is on the low end of where he needs to be for his electrolytes, so they want to up his sodium. He gained 10 g and is now 2lbs 15oz but his growth is slow in comparison, so they are hoping that the increased sodium will help him. If not, they can increase his feeds and or add calories.
Day 21: Three Pounds!
Baby is 31 weeks adjusted gestational today! He gained weight and is now 3lbs 1oz!
Baby has been waking up ready to be changed and fed a few minutes earlier than Care times. I skipped pumping when I got there because Baby was not going to wait haha. I listened to Stake Conference while doing skin-to-skin with him ❤️, and the top I chose was a slouchy sweater so he was literally in a pouch much like the name “Kangaroo Care”.
After lunch Jer and the kids visited. Since Baby woke up early and wanted to have Cares done, they missed being able to change him and switch his monitors etc. but they were able to hold his hand with the top up. They all commented on how chubby Baby has gotten compared to last visit, and how he’s not as pink.
The night nurse called to update us that Baby is “growing like a beanstalk” and now weighs 3lbs 3oz.
Read about next week: Week 4!
Check out more weeks from our NICU journey here.
