Test Results

In an effort to rule out the possibility of another infection or some such nasty thing, the team ran some tests on Emma today.

While the docs were happy with her chest xray (which showed that her lungs have grown nicely since the last xray), it did show evidence of fluid build-up on her lungs. They've given her some medication that should help and may lessen her need for supplemental oxygen (Emma needed some O2 for two of her feeds overnight, and then again this evening). Emma's prelimary blood work results look very good, with no evidence of infection (Yay!!) We have to wait for the rest of the more detailed analysis, but her nurses feel that Emma is simply tired and that nothing more serious is looming. The team has been gently "pushing" Emma the past few days: they've slightly increased the volume of her feeds and have asked her to take all of her feeds orally (rather than through an NG tube). She's also been trying breastfeeding twice a day, which is tiring for her.

As of late this evening, Emma was doing well on just a tiny bit of oxygen. We hope that these little setbacks won't significantly delay her discharge date.....

Two steps forward, one step back...

Emma had a more difficult evening. She wasn't very alert for her 9pm feed and her O2 sats were dropping to the point that she needed supplemental oxygen even after settling to sleep. At this point it's hard to tell if she's just tired and having an off day, or if something else is wrong. The nurses will be keeping a close eye on her tonight.

New Pictures

Emma had another good day... nothing much to report, so how 'bout a few pics from today, including Michaela giving "My Baby Emma" a kiss :)

CuddleFest

Emma and I had an amazing evening tonight. She was wide awake when I arrived, having recently been changed and weighed. We cuddled for a while, then Emma made it quite clear that she wanted dinner. She hoovered it down in a record 12 minutes and capped it off with a double belch that would any dad proud. Unlike last night she didn't require any supplemental oxygen and she's getting much better at remembering to periodically stop drinking and breathe. After eating she drifted off to sleep and hung out in my lap for almost two more hours (and remained a pleasant pink colour throughout).

A Visit from Big Sister

Since Michaela started school in September she's had a near-constant cold and so hasn't been able to see Emma in more than 6 weeks. As she is now symptom-free, the whole family was able to visit Emma again... Today was a Very Good Day!!! :)

Twelve Weeks

Emma spent her 84th day in the NICU/SCN sleeping and cuddling with both Mom & Dad.



She did better with her feeds today and only needed a bit of oxygen each time. We also keep trying breastfeeding, although it is a slow process (harder for her as she gets tired more easily than bottlefeeding). Happily, she's slowly learning to coordinate her breathing and swallowing and hasn't had a Big Ugly Spell while eating for several days. Keeping in mind that she wasn't supposed to have been born for another 4 weeks (she's 36 weeks gestational age today), the team assures us she is doing well.

By the way, she's up to a whopping 3 lbs., 12 oz today, having gained an ounce and a half (an astounding accomplishment for a preemie) overnight. Way to go, Emma!!!

Ups and Downs

After progressing by leaps and bounds over the past several days, Emma seems to be having a bit more trouble today. She's needed extra oxygen during her feeds as she's had more frequent/notable desaturations and did not tolerate her iron medication (she had a Big Ugly spell afterwards). After much discussion, the team has decided to stop the iron supplementation for a while and will check her hemoglobin levels next week to make sure she isn't becoming anemic again.

Emma also had another eye exam and it would appear that the retinopathy has not progressed since last week. The specialist will come back again next week to monitor the situation. While the lack of progression is definitely good news, we can't yet tell whether or not she will have significant vision impairment in the future...it is just too early to say (though he did predict that she will likely be myopic and need glasses).

The other not-so-good news is that Emma did not receive a "pass" on her hearing test today. This was a second-level screening assessment that is a bit more detailed than the standard hearing test given to all babies before they leave hospital. The test can't discern the extent of her hearing impairment, only that she did not adequately hear the frequency/tone used in today's test, so we will have another more detailed assessment at CHEO in a month or so.

The nurses tried to reassure me that what Emma is experiencing today is completely "normal" for a 24-weeker, but it is still hard not to see these events as setbacks. I guess it is another example of the "one step forward, two steps back" reality that we've come to expect in the NICU.

A New House

Emma said goodbye to her incubator today ....


and moved into her new (temporary) house.

She's just renting the space and may possibly be moving out for good by the end of next week :)

All Tuckered Out

Emma had another busy day and by mid-afternoon she was a very sleepy girl:



She had one more (and hopefully last!) head ultrasound and it was, as the others have been, completely clear with no evidence of any intracranial bleeding. I must say the possibility of brain bleeds is one of the things I've feared most, so it was reassuring to hear today that everything looks good (with the added caveat that they won't know for sure about her development for months/years to come).

Emma did better at bottlefeeding today and is gradually getting the hang of the "suck-swallow-BREATHE" thing. We actually had her completely off the monitors (until now she's been attached to various leads which record/monitor her heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation rate 24 hours daily) while she was eating. Partly this is because she's doing better, and partly it is so that we get used to "reading her signals" and don't rely so much on the monitors to tell us how she's doing.

Emma also had another bath care of Mom (under the watchful eyes of the nurses), and we appear to have passed that test, too :)

I had a long chat with one of the neonatologists and he is very pleased with how Emma is doing, especially over the past few days. The blood transfusion seems to have made a huge difference... He'd like to see her gain more weight, but he confirmed that (barring any unforeseen occurences) she'll likely be able to go home within the next 2 weeks (Yay!! and Yikes!!!)

So, there are a few more tests that Emma must pass before discharge (another eye exam and a hearing test will be done later this week) but it looks like we can start to see a bit of light at the end of this long tunnel.

(P.S., thanks for the preemie clothes Nancy.... we think Emma makes a lovely model ;~)

Whispers of a Homecoming*

As Eric reported earlier, Emma's nasogastric tube was removed today. She's been doing really well with her feeds (bottling all of them in the past 24 hours), so she's officially tube-free!! (Her oxygen nasal prongs were removed last Friday).

She still has rather significant desaturations while she's feeding as she tends to WANT TO EAT RIGHT NOW!!! and sucks so hard she forgets to breathe. We have to watch her carefully and pace her feedings over about 20 minutes (she's getting 26 cc every 3 hours) to give her a chance to breathe between gulps. We've been assured that Emma just needs to get a bit bigger before she gets this whole "suck-swallow-breathe" thing down.

The bestest news, though, is that Emma might be able to come home sooner than we thought!! Her nurse said today that Emma will likely move out of her incubator in a day or two. As she is now 35+ weeks, is off oxygen and the feeding tube, is maintaining her temperature well, and is gaining weight, the only other discharge criterion she needs to meet is 7 days without having a spell. She hasn't had one since Saturday, so she is well on her way to meeting that goal, too.

* We say "whispers of a Homecoming" because we haven't officially been given a discharge date and we're being very optimistic. We also have to beware of what is known as "The curse of the NICU." This happens when you let micropreemies know they'll be going home soon and they find a way to prove you wrong. As one of her nurses said, "don't tell her until she's strapped into the car seat." So, keep your fingers crossed, and don't tell Emma, but our little girl might be able to come home in a couple of weeks!!! :)

Goodbye NG tube!

Emma is doing so well on the bottle that they have removed her NG tube! Laurie is with her now, and she'll have more good news to share later. (Like the suspense?)

A Lovely Shade of Pink

That describes Emma's skin tone today...much rosier than the past couple of weeks! Amazing what a little bit of blood will do :)
She's obviously feeling a bit stronger, too. She was able to bottle more than half of her feedings today and hasn't needed any additional oxygen since last Thursday. That means she is a few steps closer to coming home!

Ahhhh, Blood!

I just spoke with Emma's nurse: The transfusion went well, she's feeling better, and she had her last two feeds by bottle. Sounds like she's back to her new self!

Emma also hasn't required any supplemental oxygen in almost two days, which is a very encouraging!

It's here!

Emma and I had a good cuddle tonight, and she remained on room air throughout the evening. She's still looking pale and didn't really wake up while I was there - definitely not the active little baby of a few days ago. Of course if my hemoglobin was at 82 I wouldn't feel too energetic either. The blood finally did show up around 11pm, but unfortunately the IV they put in on Friday in anticipation of the blood's arrival is blown, so the nurse will have to poke her again to transfuse the blood. I bowed out to let the nurse work without me looking over her shoulder. I imagine that starting an IV on such a little one is hard enough without an audience. They have Emma down for a "double" transfusion (30cc), so I expect that Laurie will arrive tomorrow to find a pink, wide awake little girl.

Where's my blood, damit!

It would appear that Canadian Blood Services have some logistical challenges and the blood that was supposed to arrive yesterday hasn't. Kinda scary that FedEx can get an envelope anywhere in the country overnight, but CBS apparently can't move blood around town on schedule. We're told that it should be delivered sometime tonight.

Emma is doing well on room air, but she's a bit pale -- hopefully she'll perk up when her blood finally arrives.

Eleven Weeks

11 weeks. 77 days. 1854 hours. That's how long Emma has been in hospital.

Can you tell how eager we are to have her home with us??

As she is now 35 weeks gestational age, Emma has reached the minimum required age for discharge from the NICU/SCN. However, while she is gaining weight (up to 1490 g today - approx. 3 pounds, 4.5 ounces), she is still very small and in an incubator, is not yet off a feeding tube, and is having occasional spells (periods of apnea and/or bradycardia). Emma must be spell-free for 7 days before she can come home, so she will remain in hospital for at least a few more weeks.

Emma was more alert today (staying awake for a while after each feed, kicking and wriggling around her isolette) but is still sleeping more than usual. The team is hoping that once she receives her transfusion (we're still waiting for the blood to arrive) she'll perk up a bit. She was able to bottle part of one feed today and hasn't required any supplemental oxygen in 24 hours, so she is already showing signs of improvement.

Another Quiet Day

Emma remained pretty sleepy today, but she seemed better (and was more active) than yesterday. The team decided not to test her too much (in an effort to let her rest), so she received all of her feeds by NG tube. They also decided to order some blood tests. The results came back fine, indicating she is NOT developing an infection (Yay!!!!). However, her hemoglobin has dropped considerably over the past week, so Emma will receive a blood transfusion as soon as Eric's donated blood is available, likely Friday evening or Saturday morning.

Emma also had another eye examination today. The ophthalmologist feels that her retinopathy has progressed from Stage 1 to Stage 2 (indicating moderately abnormal blood vessel growth). While many babies who develop Stage 2 improve with no treatment and eventually develop normal vision, if the disease progresses, Emma may need laser surgery before she comes home. The doc from CHEO will come back to see her next week to assess her again.

Otherwise, Emma did well from a respiratory viewpoint today. She was able to remain on room air (with no supplemental oxygen) for a good part of the day and only had one tiny little spell.

Let's hope Miss Emma is back to her fiesty self tomorrow :)

Sleepy Baby

Not much to report today as Emma spent much of it sleeping.

Her hemoglobin remains low, so Eric will be making another blood donation tomorrow (he and Emma share the same blood type and he is able to directly donate blood for her) in the event that she needs another blood transfusion. There is still some concern that Emma may be developing an infection, but, for now, the team is just watching her closely as she doesn't show any other signs of being sick (apart from being more lethargic). The general consensus today was that Emma is simply exhausted from her Herculian efforts at bottle-feeding yesterday. She likely just did too much, too soon and now needs time to recuperate. Today, she took only part of one of her feeds by bottle (the rest through her NG tube). We hope that by letting her rest and recover today, she'll feel better tomorrow.

Rest well and grow strong, little one....

A Busy Day

Emma continues to do really well with her feeds... she was able to take 3/4 of her milk by bottle today (1/4 by gavage) and had another good try at breastfeeding. She's shown some interest in nursing, but like most preemies, Emma tends to fall asleep and doesn't have enough sucking power to really get any milk on her own. She'll likely need another week or two (she's currently 34 weeks) before she can really start breast feeding--but even then, it will have to be supplemented with bottles or the NG tube.

The team is also trying to slowly wean her off oxygen, so she was "tested" a few times today by removing the nasal prongs entirely. Her nurse also changed her NG tube this afternoon, so I took the opportunity to snap a photo of her beautiful face, completely tube-free:


Emma also had her first Mom-assisted bath today.... until now, the night nurse has always been bathing her (mostly because it tends to be a bit less hectic in the NICU/SCN overnight), but today, Mom was able to join in the fun :)

Eric reports that Emma was more sleepy and lethargic this evening (she also had a couple of spells while he was there). Hopefully, this was just because she had such a busy day, and is not the first indication of an infection, something we still have to be concerned about.

Just Call Her "Hoover"

Well, we thought Emma was doing well yesterday when she was able to take 5 ml. from her bottle.

Apparently, we ain't seen nothin' yet!

Overnight, she took 10 and 17 mls. by bottle. This afternoon, after a trial of breastfeeding, Emma took another 14 mls. by bottle. Then, her nurse called after her 6:00 p.m. feed, just to let me know that Emma had taken her entire feed (24 ml.) by bottle. Eric was in to visit Emma tonight, and he just called to say that she had taken another full bottle! She's just doing amazingly well and the team is astounded by her progress... Let's hope the trend continues!

Making a dad proud!

Nothing like good burp!

Emma's First Bottle

While Emma has been nuzzling on Mom for the past few days, she hasn't yet started breastfeeding. We've met with the lactation consultant but given Emma's very preemie size, the team doesn't expect her to be able to properly feed for a while yet (it often takes a long time for preemies to coordinate the "suck, swallow, and breathe" sequence necessary for non-gavage feeding). Emma has "played" and sucked a few times, but it is quite effortful for her and she usually falls asleep pretty quickly.

As it won't be possible for Emma to be 100% breastfed while in hospital, she will receive some of her feeds by bottle. Today was the first day she tried bottle feeding.

As the photos show, she wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but managed a few good swallows (followed by a very un-ladylike burp afterwards) and was able to take about 5 mls (it doesn't sound like much, but it was quite an achievement for her!) before falling asleep. We'll keep trying, and as she gets bigger/stronger, she'll be able to take more each time.

Emma is a Big Girl Now!

Emma finally broke through the three pound barrier today and weighs in at 3 lbs, 1 oz (1364 grams). She has officially doubled her birthweight! She now measures just shy of 40 cm (15.5 inches) long and has grown almost 10 cm in the past 10 weeks.

Her nurse said today that Emma will likely remain in her isolette for at least a few more days. She's had a couple of spells since her transfer to the Civic and her oxygen sats. have been all over the place. Until the staff at the SCN get to know her better, they'd prefer her to remain in the warm confines of her incubator (Emma is dressed only in a diaper in the isolette, so it is easier for the nurses to see her chest/count her respirations and monitor her skin tone/colouring). We're able to hold her and take her out for her feeds (still through the NG tube) several times a day, but it will be nice when she is officially stable enough to give up the incubator for good.

10 weeks & settling in

Emma seems to be adjusting to her new home away from home at the SCN. Sometimes the stress of a big move can take a lot out of such a small preemie, so the team at the Civic is watching her carefully and "getting to know" her. She seemed a little quietier and less alert today than she has been, so maybe she's just tuckered out. She's back in an isolette (standard precaution after a transfer, to help maintain her temperature and to make sure she doesn't have any "bugs" that could be shared with other babies), but will hopefully graduate to a regular cot again within a day or two.

The docs ordered a few tests today to check on Emma's progress. An xray showed that her lungs were a bit "wet" again, so she's been given medication to take care of some excess fluid. She may need to go back on Ventolin for a while (she hadn't needed any since last weekend). She'll also have another eye exam next week to monitor the ROP situation. Otherwise, the docs are a bit concerned about her slow weight gain (she's still beneath the 10th percentile), so they may consider increasing the fortification of her feeds (it's a fine balance as they can't increase the volume too much because even just a bit more fluid tends to affect her breathing).

All in all Emma is doing well... if everything goes as planned, she should be able to come home in about 6 weeks. Keep your fingers crossed! :)

Real Clothes and a New Home

I was treated to a wonderful surprise when I arrived at the NICU today:





Emma had been moved out of her isolette and was in a regular cot. She was also all dressed up! For the very first time, she was wearing clothes -- though they were waaayyy too big for her:) She was bundled up like the Michelin Man but she was able to maintain her temperature outside of the warm atmosphere of her incubator (a very good sign!)

The not-so-wonderful surprise was the news that she was going to be transferred from the NICU at the General to the Special Care Nursery at the Civic Hospital. We had been told several weeks ago that there was a possibility she'd be moved, but we were caught off-guard by the suddeness of the transfer (we found out just after noon today that she was to be transferred this afternoon). While we had hoped she'd be able to stay at the General until her discharge home (partly because it is much closer/more convenient for us, and because we've come to love the nurses at the General), the transfer is a positive sign of Emma's progress (as she no longer requires the level of critical care provided by the NICU at the General and there were sicker babies who needed her space there).

So we're feeling very mixed emotions today. We were very sad to leave the General, our "home away from home" for the past 10 weeks, and didn't have a chance to say goodbye to all of the wonderful nurses there.* At the same time, we have to look at the bright side and know that Emma is no longer the very sick little girl she was 2 months ago in need of the critical care NICU.

This evening, Emma is sleeping comfortably in her new 'home' at the Civic. She's one step closer to coming home!

* Wouldn't you know it, my camera's battery died and I wasn't able to get any photos of Emma's last day at the General.... Many thanks to nurse Paulette who snapped a few pictures for us:)

Blat!

You know it's been a good day when the most noteworthy event was a wet burp. While Emma still requires supplemental oxygen from time to time and has occasional spells, she's doing well!

So Long CPAP!

Emma achieved another milestone today... she's officially given up CPAP!

She was able to go more than 24 hours without needing to be put back on the machine yesterday, so the nurses removed it from the room! She cruised along on room air for most of the day, but had a few big spells (in which she held her breath/stopped breathing and her heart rate dropped). While she easily came out of most of these dips on her own, she occasionally needed a bit of oxygen (though the nasal prongs) and at one point this morning she needed more vigorous stimulation (rubbing her back, arms, or legs) and "bagging" (given breaths with an oxygen-filled bag) to help her start breathing again. The nurses reassured us that this is "normal" behaviour for a micropreemie and that she will likely outgrow of these periods of apnea by 36 weeks (Emma is now 33 weeks, 4 days gestational age).

We were going to try actual nursing for the first time today, but the lactation consultant felt we should hold off on this for a bit given Emma's breathing problems today... If she's stable, we'll try again tomorrow.

Thanksgiving

In spite of everything we've been through in the past 3 months, the loss of Emma's twin sister, the emotional roller coaster that is the NICU, and the unknown challenges Emma may face in the future, we have a lot to be thankful for today.

We're thankful for the outstanding team of docs and specialists at both the Children's and General Hospital NICUs. They have undoubtedly saved our baby's life.

We're thankful for the many, many nurses who have so tenderly cared for Emma these past nine weeks. They have patiently answered our questions, helped us understand the myriad of complications she's had, worried with us when she's had setbacks, and cheered her progress as she's improved. These wonderful men and women have shown Emma nothing but gentle, loving care when we've been unable to give that to her ourselves. We will be forever grateful to them. Their thoughtfulness is apparent in the little gift that was waiting for us when we arrived at the NICU today -- yes, the turkey is made from Emma's handprint :)



We're thankful for our friends, family, and colleagues who have helped us in so many ways. To everyone who has sent their good wishes, prayers, cards, gifts, emails, meals, thoughts, and time, Thank You. You will never know how much your support has meant to us.

Most of all, we're thankful for our two amazing girls:


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Steady as she goes!

I just spoke with the NICU and Emma continues to do well. She was on room air for 18 hours yesterday, is on full feeds (25cc every 3 hours fortififed with an extra 24 calories) . She is only on CPAP at night (6 hours).

Post #100

Wow, it's hard to believe but, as the title says, this is post #100 to Emma's blog. She's had so many ups and downs in the past nine weeks since her birth... Hopefully the rest of her stay in the NICU will be much more uneventful!

Both yesterday and today, Emma was able to go 16 consecutive hours off both CPAP and nasal canula. As you can see from the recent photos, the nurses leave the nasal prongs on Emma during the day, even though she's not receiving any oxygen through them. Partly, this is because they are taped to her bonnet in order to keep them in place. They're then properly positioned so that Emma can get a "whiff" of oxygen if she needs it. The other reason is that Emma tends to desat when the prongs/tubes are removed entirely. So, as the nurse says, they simply don't tell Emma what they're doing :), then they turn off the oxygen (when it's clear that she doesn't need any) and let her cruise along on room air. I guess in this case the old adage is true: what she doesn't know, won't hurt her :)

Goodbye I.V.

Emma has done so well on her feeds that the team was able to increase the amount of milk she was getting more quickly than first predicted and she is almost at "full feeds" (getting all the nutrients she requires solely from milk). Her IV line became occluded today, so rather than inserting another one (which brings a risk of infection), the docs decided she didn't need one any more (as she will no longer need the TPN intravenous mixture of sugar, minerals, vitamins, fat and proteins).

So, for the first time in over two weeks, Emma is I.V. tube free!!

Nine Weeks

Emma had another good day (well, apart from a big spell following her afternoon feed).

She's now 33 weeks gestational age and has been in the NICU for 9 weeks (63 days, 5 hours, and 24 minutes, but who's counting), longer than many of the babies there.


She was able to go for more than 10 consecutive hours off CPAP and nasal canula today. She's up to about 16 hours on the nasal prongs (most of that time in room air/requiring no additional oxygen) and 8 hours on CPAP each day now. Her next goal is to be weaned off CPAP entirely, which will hopefully happen in the next couple of weeks.



As the pictures show, Emma was very alert this afternoon and was awake for more than 15 minutes after her 3:00 p.m. care/feed. That was a first time I've seen her stay awake that long and we were able to capture the event.... Another photo for Miss Emma's Book of Love (Thank you for the beautiful scrapbook, Pepper!)

No news is good news...

Not much new to report around here :)

Emma now weighs in at a whopping 2lbs 12oz. Whoo Hoo!! Maybe she'll break the 3 pound barrier next week!

She had another eye exam to monitor for ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) today. She didn't like getting the eye drops beforehand (who does?), nor the actual exam, and promptly had a "spell" in protest. Emma also barfed up some of her feed afterwards (which is very unusual for her), but her nurse decided it was simply because she was righteously annoyed and so wasn't too worried by it. While there was no significant evidence of ROP on today's exam, we've been told it can progress very rapidly and so the neonatal ophthalmologist will see Emma again next week.

Otherwise, apart from a few big desats today, Emma is doing well...

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Baby!

Emma is officially 2 months old today. Some days, it is hard to believe she's been in the NICU for two months, already. Other days, it seems like it has been two years.

Emma "celebrated" by getting her 2 month immunizations today. She handled the needles well (even without pain medication, which "they" no longer give preemies before the shots) and didn't seem at all affected by them. She successfully did 2 long trials off CPAP again today and is handling her gradually-increasing feedings well.

The best news is that she was her fiesty self again! She was much more active and alert today, stayed wide awake during her nursing care and feeds, and was squirming and wriggling around her isolette. It was great to see our "wild woman" back again :)

By Popular Demand, More of the Same

Emma continues to do very well :)

She was off both CPAP and nasal canula for 8 hours early today, breathing room air entirely on her own. It was such a nice surprise to walk into the NICU and see her beautiful face completely tube and tape free! She started to desat by mid-afternoon so they put her back on CPAP for a few hours, but this evening she was back to breathing on her own again.

In spite of how well Emma is doing, I've noticed that she isn't as feisty and active as she was late last week. I mentioned this to her nurse this afternoon and she conceded that she too was a bit concerned as Emma seemed pale and listless to her as well. Emma perked up abit after her noon feeding, so the nurses think she is just getting very tired due to a combination of her efforts to breathe unassisted and her low hemoglobin. As she gains weight, she'll get stronger and this should improve.

More of the Same

I don't think we'll ever get bored by saying that Emma had another quiet day, but there's not much new to report :)

She had a couple of spells over the last 24 hours but these "desats" (lowering of the percentage of oxygen in her blood, which is associated with bradycardia and apnea) generally happened just after she had been fed (she's up to 7 cc every 3 hours). She was able to pull out of them all by herself (without needing more oxygen), so the team isn't concerned by them.

Emma's hemoglobin is quite low, but for now the docs aren't going to do anything about it as they want her bone marrow to "kick in" and start making red blood cells. If her levels continue to drop, though, she may need yet another blood transfusion.

Just Cruisin' Along

Emma had another uneventful day :)

She was off CPAP, breathing on her own, for 10 hours again today and required very little supplemental oxygen.

Emma also seems to be tolerating the re-introduction of breast milk well. Although she (not surprisingly) didn't gain weight while her feeds were being withheld last week, she's been gaining well over the weekend and is up to 1192 grams (2 pounds, 10 ounces). Her nurses will be increasing her intake by 1 cc every 24 hours so it will take a while before she is at "full feeds." As of tomorrow she'll be getting 5 cc every 3 hours and she'll need to be taking approx. 24 cc every 3 hours before she's off the intravenous drip entirely. The docs are being very conservative with her intake because they don't want to over-stress her tummy after the problems Emma had last week. At the same time, getting off of the IV fluids sooner is better because the IV line is a great entry point for all manner of infections that we'd like to keep far, far away from Emma.

Emma is going to have her first 'round of immunizations this week as it is recommended that preemies receive their shots at the same schedule as full-term babies (i.e., they're given according to chronological age rather than corrected age)* So, even though she is still 8 weeks away from her "due date", in this case, Emma is considered to be 2 months old).

She's also going to have her second eye examination this week. The docs are monitoring Emma carefully for any indication of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity)-- see: http://retinopathy of prematurity for more information. Our hope is that if the docs see any evidence of problems, they'll be able to start treatment early.

*An 'adjusted or corrected age' for a premature baby is the amount of time since the baby was supposed to be born (the due date). This is different from the baby's 'chronological age' -- the amount of time since the baby was actually born). For example: If baby was born 10 months ago, but was 4 months premature, her 'adjusted or corrected age' would be 6 months.

Better and Better

That's how Emma is doing! :)

I wasn't able to speak with the neonatologists today about her xray (because they were busy with some very sick babies who just arrived in the NICU), but it must have looked good because her antibiotics have been discontinued and she's been restarted on breastmilk (a tiny amount - 3 cc every 3 hours, but it's a start). The docs will reassess her tomorrow and may gradually start increasing the amount she receives then.

Emma was off CPAP and on nasal canula (with only a very tiny bit of oxygen) for 10 hours today. The team is very impressed with how well she is doing, and we couldn't be happier with her progress.