Feeding Tube Out

Keep your shirt on, though.  This is just a trial run.  If he can't take all his feeds without becoming overly exhausted then the tube will have to go back in.  I am optimistic, however, knowing that he would have to perform very poorly for that to be the case.  Once the tube came out today he was able to nurse well beyond our target volume, gaining 72 ml out of 57. (Honestly, I think it is easier to nurse without something sticking up your nose and down your esophagus.  Ya think?)

Doesn't he look fantastic??

 I admit to being a little misguided last time I posted about how close we were to coming home. Michael's discharge date has been rather a moving target in my own estimation, which wouldn't matter except that I am asked several times a day when he will be released and feel like I have to have some sort of answer.  Of course, in the NICU we have never been told anything but to plan on taking him home around his due date of January 8. It is also true that statistically speaking, white male preemies don't usually become capable of nursing well until they are about 38 weeks. (For us that marker will be Christmas Day)

Since last time we had a baby in the NICU, I suppose I rather forgot what a long waiting game this is, waiting for the baby to have the coordination and stamina to take all his feeds by mouth.  And, believe it or not, it is more of a roller coaster on the old emotions than one might think. Once he finally gets the action of suck-swallow-breathe to work in harmony, then we have to start with test weights, weighing the baby before and after every nursing attempt.  Sometimes the resultant weight is good, sometimes it isn't.  Sometimes we celebrate, sometimes we hang our heads in despair.  Sometimes we doubt what the scale said, be it good or bad, because we know he nursed much better than what the scale said, or much worse. Regardless, we have to roll with it and give him the rest of his feed via tube if he didn't get the full volume. Suffice it to say that he is capable of nursing but it does wipe him out pretty quickly.  Now with the feeding tube out he has to reach a certain volume of milk via breast or bottle during every 12-hour shift.

I won't say if I think he will be home in time for Christmas, since I know that's what you really want to know.  If he is, great.  If not, that's ok, too. 

Good Progress

The last two days have brought some significant milestones, indicating that the time for Michael to come home is quickly approaching. The first big change happened yesterday when I walked into the NICU and found he had been moved from his isolette....

 ...to an open crib.  Ta-da! 

 This means he is big enough to sustain his own body temperature. His last weight was 5lb 8oz.

And for his next trick, Baby Michael will show you that he is off all oxygen support.

Hallelujah!

Not only does this mean he is getting closer to going home, it is going to make nursing attempts easier, and it means he won't have to go home with an oxygen tank like we did last time. This is huge for me.

So basically, all we have left to do now is teach him how to take all his feedings by mouth. We are working on this every day, through what the NICU staff calls "non-nutritive breast-feeding." Basically it's like trying to breastfeed without expecting him to get any milk.  Although, today I was told that after my visit his diaper was twice as full so that means he actually did get something and we will probably switch to nutritive breastfeeding pretty soon. 

I'm thrilled that Michael's progress is so positive and that he seems to be thriving.  My recovery hasn't gone as smoothly as hoped, but I guess for c-section #5 that is to be expected.  I am hopeful that by the time he comes home I will be recovered well enough to keep up with everyone, including him.