25-6-2008 - UPDATE on my baby girl

My mood while writing this blog: Optimistic

Just a quick update on my beautiful little baby girl. My husband and I are now staying in the Hospital with her. They have given us a very nice room and Coupons for Free Meal in the Cafeteria while we are here. Our room is a private room and it has a Computer in it so we can be online as we have time.

Her progress has been good. Her blood gasses have all come back really good. She was able to breathe on her own they thought so they removed the respirator from her this afternoon. She has been breathing on her own since around 2 this afternoon. In a couple days they are going to introduce my Breast Milk to her via a syringe, they have me pumping every 3 hours around the clock, not getting much yet, just a few drops, Im guessing my milk has not come in yet. Anyhow they say it will only take a few drops to feed her and see if she tolerates it. Just please help me pray that she will tolerate the feedings as Mothers milk is best for her. Also, in a couple days as soon as they can remove he Arterial Cathether from her belly button they are going to start letting me Kangaroo Hold her. They say she will thrive from the skin to skin contact. I held her tiny little hand today and she gripped my finger so hard. They told us not to stroke her skin as it was too sensitive, so its kinda hard to remember that. The monitors keep me worried because when she sleeps sometimes her respiratory rate falls down to about 15, they say 21 is normal. But she has even gotten her breathing up into the 40`s on her own. Id hate to see how bad she was had she not gotten those 4 shorts of steroids at 25wks. Right now its touch and go, but she is doing really well at this point. Her head is purple and blue, she has a lot of brusing from the birth. They were throwing a lot of paperwork at us today and talking about Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy and First Steps Program and Home Health Nursing and all that jazz, even making us take an Infant CPR course while there. Its all so scary to even comprehend, it just seems sureal at this point. My mother held it together until right before she left and she broke down while telling Lilly goodbye. Ill try and update some more as soon as I can.

Brittany