Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Spencer - Going Home Day!
Hi Everyone,
So, yesterday (Oct 30), we got an early Happy Halloween present ... 4 days before his due date, Spencer got the go-ahead to come home!!!!!! Weighing 8lbs exactly and able to do all that was required of him - take "full feeds" eight times per day, sit in his car seat for an hour after eating, not have any apnea spells for 7+ days (Spencer hasn't had one in weeks) .. he was ready. So, 12 weeks exactly (to the day!) of going back and forth from home to the hospital and the "last time" of doing so finally came. It was a surreal feeling walking out that door - all that time spent thinking the day would never arrive DID in fact finally arrive. A permasmile planted on my face and a spring in my step, Drew and I strapped Spencer in his car seat and made our way home. As we were watching the news together that night, fireplace on, rain coming down, Spencer lying on my chest, I had such a feeling of contentedness. That this was exactly as it should be.
So now starts the life we'd been waiting for - the life as parents of a newborn. It'll be busy, but it'll be wonderful. We are so, so excited. Thank you everyone, for keeping up with our blog all this time. We hope you've enjoyed reading our story!!!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew and Spencer xoxo
So, yesterday (Oct 30), we got an early Happy Halloween present ... 4 days before his due date, Spencer got the go-ahead to come home!!!!!! Weighing 8lbs exactly and able to do all that was required of him - take "full feeds" eight times per day, sit in his car seat for an hour after eating, not have any apnea spells for 7+ days (Spencer hasn't had one in weeks) .. he was ready. So, 12 weeks exactly (to the day!) of going back and forth from home to the hospital and the "last time" of doing so finally came. It was a surreal feeling walking out that door - all that time spent thinking the day would never arrive DID in fact finally arrive. A permasmile planted on my face and a spring in my step, Drew and I strapped Spencer in his car seat and made our way home. As we were watching the news together that night, fireplace on, rain coming down, Spencer lying on my chest, I had such a feeling of contentedness. That this was exactly as it should be.
So now starts the life we'd been waiting for - the life as parents of a newborn. It'll be busy, but it'll be wonderful. We are so, so excited. Thank you everyone, for keeping up with our blog all this time. We hope you've enjoyed reading our story!!!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew and Spencer xoxo
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Spencer - Week 38
Hello again,
Well, some good news happened on Saturday morning - we got a call from the NICU to say they were sending Spencer out of the NICU and up to the 3rd floor, the maternity ward's pediatrics unit!! He is no longer a "medical concern" and now just needs to work on taking his full feeds in order to go home. Apnea and bradycardias are a thing of the past - he has officially outgrown them, thank goodness. He's made his "7 days without" quota, as part of the criteria for going home. Now just for the feeding ...
Spencer is still at the point where he falls asleep part way through a feed. His "full feed" is 61 cc now and I was thrilled when he polished off 41 cc today ... before conking out. I'm hoping that in the next day or two, he will be able to "last" through an entire meal. It's frustrating because this is the final step to going home (48 hours of full feeds) and if he only knew that all he had to do was finish up ... aahhh, come on little buddy! I suppose I should remember this when he's 15 years old and eating us out of house and home as an always-starving teenager, that there was actually a time when he wouldn't finish.
Weight-wise, he's at 7lbs 3oz now, which they're very happy with. The only thing left now is the feeding!!!!
Ok, I'll end there 'cause that's really all there is to say ... please send "staying awake and eating" vibes our way 'cause we are so incredibly close now to saying sayonara to hospital beds!!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Well, some good news happened on Saturday morning - we got a call from the NICU to say they were sending Spencer out of the NICU and up to the 3rd floor, the maternity ward's pediatrics unit!! He is no longer a "medical concern" and now just needs to work on taking his full feeds in order to go home. Apnea and bradycardias are a thing of the past - he has officially outgrown them, thank goodness. He's made his "7 days without" quota, as part of the criteria for going home. Now just for the feeding ...
Spencer is still at the point where he falls asleep part way through a feed. His "full feed" is 61 cc now and I was thrilled when he polished off 41 cc today ... before conking out. I'm hoping that in the next day or two, he will be able to "last" through an entire meal. It's frustrating because this is the final step to going home (48 hours of full feeds) and if he only knew that all he had to do was finish up ... aahhh, come on little buddy! I suppose I should remember this when he's 15 years old and eating us out of house and home as an always-starving teenager, that there was actually a time when he wouldn't finish.
Weight-wise, he's at 7lbs 3oz now, which they're very happy with. The only thing left now is the feeding!!!!
Ok, I'll end there 'cause that's really all there is to say ... please send "staying awake and eating" vibes our way 'cause we are so incredibly close now to saying sayonara to hospital beds!!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Spencer - Week 37
Hi Folks,
Another productive week for our wee one. He continues to stay healthy, continuing on now for another week not to have a single infection or illness throughout his ride in the NICU. Again, knock on wood! There was another MRSA scare in the row right next to ours, the 2nd time since we've been there. They tested all the babies just to make sure it hadn't spread and Spencer came back negative for it, phew! MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and is an infection that gets into the blood. It's transfered through human contact when those touching the babies haven't washed thoroughly. When they have it, the babies have to go in an isolation room and anyone going in to see them (parents, nurses, doctors) have to wear a gown and surgical gloves. Not sure how long it stays in them for before they get better .. and I have to say, I'm glad I don't know and hope I won't have to either!
Spencer's been gaining some serious weight the last 4 nights and somehow has ballooned out to a whopping 6lbs 14oz! The weight gain is fantastic of course, but now his stamina for eating just needs to catch up! He still gets tired when feeding and will conk out part way through the feed. Having said that though, the goal from last week was to take more than 15 cc of milk and .. I'm pleased to report that at last night's 3am feeding, the nurse got him to take 20 cc! "Full feed" at the moment is 59 cc so he's still a little ways away, but it's forward progress! From what I'm told too, once they figure it out, it's full speed ahead - they're off to the races and never look back. So, I'm hoping that'll happen for him in the next little bit here, maybe even by the next blog post? Keep your fingers crossed! Remember, one of the criteria for going home is taking full feeds at every meal (he gets fed every 3 hours) for a total of 48 hours.
Speaking of criteria, another one to go home is not having a single apnea or bradycardia for 7 days in a row while being off caffeine. Yesterday was Spencer's last dose of caffeine (the doctors did end up "weaning" him this time - he's been getting only half a dose for the past 3 days), so this marks day one of that countdown! So, having said that, provided he starts taking full feeds sometime this week (it's anyone's guess if he will), the soonest we can have him home is October 20th! Wouldn't that be nice, that'd be 2 weeks before his due date. We'll see how he does. Either way, he's not too much longer for the place now - we're definitely on the downward slide, for which I can't even begin to express how excited I am!!
It's funny, as of yesterday, I actually feel like I've gotten a second wind. On Thanksgiving Day (Sunday), I had the biggest crying fit breakdown because I was so upset that there it was Thanksgiving and our sweet little baby was stuck in a hospital cot. I was actually sobbing uncontrollably to Drew - he was having to tell me to slow down and breathe ... I think he was afraid I was going to hyperventilate or something! Anyway, it lasted a few hours - lie on the couch and cry was all I could do. I felt a little better by the time we left to go to family dinner at my parents' that night, and then the next day (Monday), I actually felt fantastic! The anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach that's been there a while now was gone and I felt refreshed and relaxed and that I was going to get through this last little bit just fine. Such a roller coaster of emotion this baby-in-the-NICU is. Honestly though, I now feel like I can ease my way out. I don't feel all wound up like a corkscrew anymore. Spencer is fine, doesn't need much longer now and it will be soon enough before he's home in our arms!
On that note, I will end off here and post some new pictures. Have a good week!
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Another productive week for our wee one. He continues to stay healthy, continuing on now for another week not to have a single infection or illness throughout his ride in the NICU. Again, knock on wood! There was another MRSA scare in the row right next to ours, the 2nd time since we've been there. They tested all the babies just to make sure it hadn't spread and Spencer came back negative for it, phew! MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and is an infection that gets into the blood. It's transfered through human contact when those touching the babies haven't washed thoroughly. When they have it, the babies have to go in an isolation room and anyone going in to see them (parents, nurses, doctors) have to wear a gown and surgical gloves. Not sure how long it stays in them for before they get better .. and I have to say, I'm glad I don't know and hope I won't have to either!
Spencer's been gaining some serious weight the last 4 nights and somehow has ballooned out to a whopping 6lbs 14oz! The weight gain is fantastic of course, but now his stamina for eating just needs to catch up! He still gets tired when feeding and will conk out part way through the feed. Having said that though, the goal from last week was to take more than 15 cc of milk and .. I'm pleased to report that at last night's 3am feeding, the nurse got him to take 20 cc! "Full feed" at the moment is 59 cc so he's still a little ways away, but it's forward progress! From what I'm told too, once they figure it out, it's full speed ahead - they're off to the races and never look back. So, I'm hoping that'll happen for him in the next little bit here, maybe even by the next blog post? Keep your fingers crossed! Remember, one of the criteria for going home is taking full feeds at every meal (he gets fed every 3 hours) for a total of 48 hours.
Speaking of criteria, another one to go home is not having a single apnea or bradycardia for 7 days in a row while being off caffeine. Yesterday was Spencer's last dose of caffeine (the doctors did end up "weaning" him this time - he's been getting only half a dose for the past 3 days), so this marks day one of that countdown! So, having said that, provided he starts taking full feeds sometime this week (it's anyone's guess if he will), the soonest we can have him home is October 20th! Wouldn't that be nice, that'd be 2 weeks before his due date. We'll see how he does. Either way, he's not too much longer for the place now - we're definitely on the downward slide, for which I can't even begin to express how excited I am!!
It's funny, as of yesterday, I actually feel like I've gotten a second wind. On Thanksgiving Day (Sunday), I had the biggest crying fit breakdown because I was so upset that there it was Thanksgiving and our sweet little baby was stuck in a hospital cot. I was actually sobbing uncontrollably to Drew - he was having to tell me to slow down and breathe ... I think he was afraid I was going to hyperventilate or something! Anyway, it lasted a few hours - lie on the couch and cry was all I could do. I felt a little better by the time we left to go to family dinner at my parents' that night, and then the next day (Monday), I actually felt fantastic! The anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach that's been there a while now was gone and I felt refreshed and relaxed and that I was going to get through this last little bit just fine. Such a roller coaster of emotion this baby-in-the-NICU is. Honestly though, I now feel like I can ease my way out. I don't feel all wound up like a corkscrew anymore. Spencer is fine, doesn't need much longer now and it will be soon enough before he's home in our arms!
On that note, I will end off here and post some new pictures. Have a good week!
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Spencer - 36 Weeks Gestation
Hi there,
Well, the first bit of good news is that they found the reason for the increase in apneas. For the first little while, most of the babies are put on caffeine, as it stimulates breathing in little lungs that aren't yet fully developed. Seems funny, as pregnant women aren't supposed to have too much caffeine, but it works for these preemies, so that is what's given. Anyway, the babies are then taken off of it around 34-35 weeks gestation. Because Spencer was doing very well, with no apneas or bradycardias at all, the doctors decided to take him off it on September 22, the very day he turned 34 weeks. And ... in looking back at his chart, the day after, September 23, was exactly when the "crash" started to happen. He was put back on caffeine on Friday, October 2 and has been just fine ever since. So, there's the answer - he just needs his Starbucks for a little while yet! The docs tell me that this happens sometimes, that the babies need to go back on it for a bit longer, "especially boys", I was told. I asked if this time, rather than cold turkey taking him off (which is how it was done), if he could be weaned off instead. The nurses say that's how they think it'll be done this time.
The other bit of good news is that, on Saturday afternoon, October 3, Spencer came off the oxygen!! It was funny how it was done - I was there feeding him and after the feed, the nurse came over and said, "Can I tell you a secret? I turned off the oxygen when Spencer came out of his cot ... he's been breathing on his own this whole time". At first, I was taken aback - I couldn't believe she did that! But then, I realized that during the entire feed, he'd been just fine. The nurse warned me that he may not be able to last, that if I came back the next day and he was back on the low flow, not to worry 'cause he proved that he was able to go on his own at least for a little while, which is still forward progress. Well, that was over 3 days ago and he's still going strong! So, finally!! At 35 1/2 weeks, his little lungs finally became developed enough to function on their own. Again, it's scary to think he needed such help to breathe ... though, I have to keep in mind that it was what the doctors were telling us all along - he just needs time for his lungs, not meant to be out in the real world yet, to mature and grow.
Weight-wise, as of tonight, he's 5lbs 9oz. No infections or illnesses, knock on wood ... oh and the eye doctor came yesterday to give Spencer a check-up and I'm pleased to report that she gave his eyes a "clean bill of health" - no ROP or any eye issues at all! Very, very lucky. I'm thrilled too, of course - being premature can affect the eyes and ears much more readily than being born full-term and I'm SO thankful that Spencer has escaped any issues with either.
The breastfeeding is slow, but steady - it's a learning process for both of us. He's able to take some, the most so far being 15 cc. His feed is at 51 cc every 3 hours at the moment - 15 cc, not being anywhere near full feed yet, means we still have to practice! He knows what to do, it's just building up the stamina to go at it longer. Tomorrow (Wednesday), he's going to get his first bottle (still with breast milk). They say that babies have an easier time with bottles because they're easier to suck, so I'm eager to see how much Spencer will get through that route. I'm also told by mothers that have been there for longer than me that if you agree to bottling, your baby goes home faster, 'cause they're able to reach the 48 hours of full feeds faster on the bottle than they are through breastfeeding. They say to work on breastfeeding once you get home, with the public health nurse's help.
Well, that's all for now ... everything at the moment is status quo. Goals for this week - to be weaned off of the caffeine and to take more than 15 cc either through bottle or breastfeeding!
Have a good week, everyone and stay tuned for next week's update ...
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Well, the first bit of good news is that they found the reason for the increase in apneas. For the first little while, most of the babies are put on caffeine, as it stimulates breathing in little lungs that aren't yet fully developed. Seems funny, as pregnant women aren't supposed to have too much caffeine, but it works for these preemies, so that is what's given. Anyway, the babies are then taken off of it around 34-35 weeks gestation. Because Spencer was doing very well, with no apneas or bradycardias at all, the doctors decided to take him off it on September 22, the very day he turned 34 weeks. And ... in looking back at his chart, the day after, September 23, was exactly when the "crash" started to happen. He was put back on caffeine on Friday, October 2 and has been just fine ever since. So, there's the answer - he just needs his Starbucks for a little while yet! The docs tell me that this happens sometimes, that the babies need to go back on it for a bit longer, "especially boys", I was told. I asked if this time, rather than cold turkey taking him off (which is how it was done), if he could be weaned off instead. The nurses say that's how they think it'll be done this time.
The other bit of good news is that, on Saturday afternoon, October 3, Spencer came off the oxygen!! It was funny how it was done - I was there feeding him and after the feed, the nurse came over and said, "Can I tell you a secret? I turned off the oxygen when Spencer came out of his cot ... he's been breathing on his own this whole time". At first, I was taken aback - I couldn't believe she did that! But then, I realized that during the entire feed, he'd been just fine. The nurse warned me that he may not be able to last, that if I came back the next day and he was back on the low flow, not to worry 'cause he proved that he was able to go on his own at least for a little while, which is still forward progress. Well, that was over 3 days ago and he's still going strong! So, finally!! At 35 1/2 weeks, his little lungs finally became developed enough to function on their own. Again, it's scary to think he needed such help to breathe ... though, I have to keep in mind that it was what the doctors were telling us all along - he just needs time for his lungs, not meant to be out in the real world yet, to mature and grow.
Weight-wise, as of tonight, he's 5lbs 9oz. No infections or illnesses, knock on wood ... oh and the eye doctor came yesterday to give Spencer a check-up and I'm pleased to report that she gave his eyes a "clean bill of health" - no ROP or any eye issues at all! Very, very lucky. I'm thrilled too, of course - being premature can affect the eyes and ears much more readily than being born full-term and I'm SO thankful that Spencer has escaped any issues with either.
The breastfeeding is slow, but steady - it's a learning process for both of us. He's able to take some, the most so far being 15 cc. His feed is at 51 cc every 3 hours at the moment - 15 cc, not being anywhere near full feed yet, means we still have to practice! He knows what to do, it's just building up the stamina to go at it longer. Tomorrow (Wednesday), he's going to get his first bottle (still with breast milk). They say that babies have an easier time with bottles because they're easier to suck, so I'm eager to see how much Spencer will get through that route. I'm also told by mothers that have been there for longer than me that if you agree to bottling, your baby goes home faster, 'cause they're able to reach the 48 hours of full feeds faster on the bottle than they are through breastfeeding. They say to work on breastfeeding once you get home, with the public health nurse's help.
Well, that's all for now ... everything at the moment is status quo. Goals for this week - to be weaned off of the caffeine and to take more than 15 cc either through bottle or breastfeeding!
Have a good week, everyone and stay tuned for next week's update ...
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Spencer - 35 Weeks Gestation, 7 1/2 Weeks Old
Hiya Folks,
So Spencer weighs exactly 5lbs as of tonight, Tuesday! He is definitely starting to look more and more like what a newborn should look like - chubbier and not nearly as skinny and small. His temperament still appears to be very mellow and easy-going ... he doesn't cry or fuss too much at all, but instead is pretty relaxed. Who knows how he'll be when we take him home, but for now, this is wonderful to see! : )
Last week, I mentioned he had "graduated" to a cot (rather than the incubator). Well ... having done so has contributed to, truthfully, this not being the best week for him. Now that he's out in the open with all the noise and stimuli happening around him, he hasn't been able to get off the nasal prongs yet. Adding to that, while he was at 2 cc of oxygen while still in the incubator, he's now gone up to needing between 8 and 10 cc! At first, I thought this was a huge setback - here he was nearly off the oxygen and then up it goes again, 4-5 times what he was getting before! The nurses made me feel better though, saying that in time, he'll get used to being part of the outside world and besides, the difference between 2 and 10 cc of oxygen is actually super minimal. So, that made me feel better. Still though, the "NICU adage" that the babies take '2 steps forward, 1 step back' I suppose has rung true here. I hope to be writing next week that Spencer is finally breathing room air, all on his own. Again, I know that the lungs are the last to develop .... so I suppose that is another bit of reassurance.
Another setback this week has been that the apnea spells (shallow breathing) have started up again. He went 13 days (Sept 10-23) without one and then suddenly, 2 days after being in the cot, they've started up again. He's had about 1 a day since Saturday, the 26th. Now, apnea spells are not unusual for these little guys as I've said before (in fact it's one of the criteria for going home, not to have one for 7 days straight), but it seems strange that Spencer went from not having them for 13 days back to having them again, so the doctors are trying to figure out why. Is it the stress of moving to the cot? A different reason altogether? 3 days ago, he was tested to see if he might have an illness or infection - those tests came back negative, so that wasn't it (thank goodness .. luckily Spencer still yet has to get either!) The doctor today is wondering if it could be reflux - inflammation of the trachea from the increase in volume of milk Spencer has been getting. He's been gaining weight fast this week, so his feeds have been going up fairly quickly - perhaps his trachea isn't used to the amount and has become inflamed, thus making it harder to breathe properly, the doctor thought? Today, he prescribed a twice a day dose of antacid. We'll see if that helps. The other possibility is that his hemoglobin may be low, in which case they could prescribe more iron to compensate. Spencer gets bloodwork done once a week (on Wednesdays) so tomorrow, they will see if that's the case. So .. it's a trial and error thing for now, and hopefully they'll get to the bottom of these apneas soon.
Yesterday, the cardiologist checked Spencer for his PDA valve - this is the valve in the heart that for full-term babies closes as soon as they're born, but for preemies, stays open. Sometimes, the opening is quite large, in which case the babies are prescribed medication to help it close and if that doesn't work, are sent to Children's Hospital to close it through heart surgery. Thankfully for us, Spencer's valve opening after he was born was so minimal that the cardiologist was just going to "keep an eye on it" and re-assess once he was 35 weeks old. Well, she came by yesterday for an ultrasound and found that in the weeks since she'd checked him, it had closed on its own! Phew, that was a relief. A stroke of good news in this seemingly rough week Spencer's been having!!
As for the feeding, Spencer is still "in training" with the breastfeeding. We try him once a day, as any more at this early stage would likely be too much for him and would tire him out. To find out how much he's getting, the nurses weigh him before the feed and then weigh him after, as the amount he'd taken would show up on the scale since it hadn't been digested yet. The past 2 days, Spencer has taken 10 cc before getting too tired and stopping. His full feed is 44 cc and one of the criteria for going home is that he needs to take the full amount of feed (at this point, 44 cc) every 3 hours for a period of 48 hours. So .... you can see that we'll still be "hospitaling it" for a little while yet, until he gets the hang of it and is able to get the amount he needs for the amount of time (48 hours) they require him to get it.
Speaking of "hospitaling it", it's so strange how the emotions of it all go from peak to valley in the matter of one day. Yesterday was a really hard day for me. I was so worried and emotional over these apnea spells starting up again that it was all I could do to keep from bursting. In the afternoon, I was holding Spencer and I just couldn't take it anymore - the tears started flowing and flowing and wouldn't stop. The nurses were fantastic - I felt like a huge fool, but they see it all the time so were so great in helping me pull myself together. Today though, I feel ok again. Yesterday, I didn't know how on god's green earth I was going to get through the month or so it'll be until we can bring him home and then today, I feel like though of course it's painfully tough, we still WILL get through it. It's amazing how some days, it's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other and other days, I feel so incredibly blessed to have this beautiful little boy to call Drew and my own that I'm walking on air. Going through this experience has hands down been the hardest 7 1/2 weeks of my entire life, but we WILL get through it and one day, look back at it all as a memory. Part of what's getting me through is realizing that I'm not the first person to give birth prematurely and certainly won't be the last and darn it, if those mothers can get through it, then so can I!! Again, it's all about that magic word that at the moment, I hate so much ... T-I-M-E.
Well folks, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading and please keep your fingers crossed that they find the reason for the apneas soon!
Love and Hugs,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
So Spencer weighs exactly 5lbs as of tonight, Tuesday! He is definitely starting to look more and more like what a newborn should look like - chubbier and not nearly as skinny and small. His temperament still appears to be very mellow and easy-going ... he doesn't cry or fuss too much at all, but instead is pretty relaxed. Who knows how he'll be when we take him home, but for now, this is wonderful to see! : )
Last week, I mentioned he had "graduated" to a cot (rather than the incubator). Well ... having done so has contributed to, truthfully, this not being the best week for him. Now that he's out in the open with all the noise and stimuli happening around him, he hasn't been able to get off the nasal prongs yet. Adding to that, while he was at 2 cc of oxygen while still in the incubator, he's now gone up to needing between 8 and 10 cc! At first, I thought this was a huge setback - here he was nearly off the oxygen and then up it goes again, 4-5 times what he was getting before! The nurses made me feel better though, saying that in time, he'll get used to being part of the outside world and besides, the difference between 2 and 10 cc of oxygen is actually super minimal. So, that made me feel better. Still though, the "NICU adage" that the babies take '2 steps forward, 1 step back' I suppose has rung true here. I hope to be writing next week that Spencer is finally breathing room air, all on his own. Again, I know that the lungs are the last to develop .... so I suppose that is another bit of reassurance.
Another setback this week has been that the apnea spells (shallow breathing) have started up again. He went 13 days (Sept 10-23) without one and then suddenly, 2 days after being in the cot, they've started up again. He's had about 1 a day since Saturday, the 26th. Now, apnea spells are not unusual for these little guys as I've said before (in fact it's one of the criteria for going home, not to have one for 7 days straight), but it seems strange that Spencer went from not having them for 13 days back to having them again, so the doctors are trying to figure out why. Is it the stress of moving to the cot? A different reason altogether? 3 days ago, he was tested to see if he might have an illness or infection - those tests came back negative, so that wasn't it (thank goodness .. luckily Spencer still yet has to get either!) The doctor today is wondering if it could be reflux - inflammation of the trachea from the increase in volume of milk Spencer has been getting. He's been gaining weight fast this week, so his feeds have been going up fairly quickly - perhaps his trachea isn't used to the amount and has become inflamed, thus making it harder to breathe properly, the doctor thought? Today, he prescribed a twice a day dose of antacid. We'll see if that helps. The other possibility is that his hemoglobin may be low, in which case they could prescribe more iron to compensate. Spencer gets bloodwork done once a week (on Wednesdays) so tomorrow, they will see if that's the case. So .. it's a trial and error thing for now, and hopefully they'll get to the bottom of these apneas soon.
Yesterday, the cardiologist checked Spencer for his PDA valve - this is the valve in the heart that for full-term babies closes as soon as they're born, but for preemies, stays open. Sometimes, the opening is quite large, in which case the babies are prescribed medication to help it close and if that doesn't work, are sent to Children's Hospital to close it through heart surgery. Thankfully for us, Spencer's valve opening after he was born was so minimal that the cardiologist was just going to "keep an eye on it" and re-assess once he was 35 weeks old. Well, she came by yesterday for an ultrasound and found that in the weeks since she'd checked him, it had closed on its own! Phew, that was a relief. A stroke of good news in this seemingly rough week Spencer's been having!!
As for the feeding, Spencer is still "in training" with the breastfeeding. We try him once a day, as any more at this early stage would likely be too much for him and would tire him out. To find out how much he's getting, the nurses weigh him before the feed and then weigh him after, as the amount he'd taken would show up on the scale since it hadn't been digested yet. The past 2 days, Spencer has taken 10 cc before getting too tired and stopping. His full feed is 44 cc and one of the criteria for going home is that he needs to take the full amount of feed (at this point, 44 cc) every 3 hours for a period of 48 hours. So .... you can see that we'll still be "hospitaling it" for a little while yet, until he gets the hang of it and is able to get the amount he needs for the amount of time (48 hours) they require him to get it.
Speaking of "hospitaling it", it's so strange how the emotions of it all go from peak to valley in the matter of one day. Yesterday was a really hard day for me. I was so worried and emotional over these apnea spells starting up again that it was all I could do to keep from bursting. In the afternoon, I was holding Spencer and I just couldn't take it anymore - the tears started flowing and flowing and wouldn't stop. The nurses were fantastic - I felt like a huge fool, but they see it all the time so were so great in helping me pull myself together. Today though, I feel ok again. Yesterday, I didn't know how on god's green earth I was going to get through the month or so it'll be until we can bring him home and then today, I feel like though of course it's painfully tough, we still WILL get through it. It's amazing how some days, it's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other and other days, I feel so incredibly blessed to have this beautiful little boy to call Drew and my own that I'm walking on air. Going through this experience has hands down been the hardest 7 1/2 weeks of my entire life, but we WILL get through it and one day, look back at it all as a memory. Part of what's getting me through is realizing that I'm not the first person to give birth prematurely and certainly won't be the last and darn it, if those mothers can get through it, then so can I!! Again, it's all about that magic word that at the moment, I hate so much ... T-I-M-E.
Well folks, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading and please keep your fingers crossed that they find the reason for the apneas soon!
Love and Hugs,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Spencer - 34 Weeks (Gestational Age)
Hello,
Thanks everyone, for keeping up with the blog - hope you're enjoying hearing about our little one progress! Spencer is still doing well. He's up to 4lbs 4 1/2 oz now, so as of last night, is officially in a cot. Yahoo, no more incubator! Last night was the first time we got to dress him in clothes, too (the incubator is nice and warm, so up until this point, he's just been in a diaper). It was so funny, Drew was snapping away with the camera as I dressed him in his very first outfit, an ENORMOUS smile on my face! Yet another example of how the simple pleasures are not taken for granted, being the parents of a preemie!! I can't even explain how incredible it is to be able to kiss him as much as we want, now that he's not living in a "box". What a difference from 5 weeks ago, when we had to wait until 8pm to do so.
Other big things this week - his feed schedule changed from every 2 hours to every 3 hours .. doing this is to prepare them for what it will be like once they're at home. He also had his follow-up eye exam .. no ROP detected again, his eyes are healthy! Phew. His hearing test was done today, as well. Although he does startle at a noise in the room so we figured his ears were ok, I was still a little nervous about this one, as it detects even the slightest hearing impairment. Spencer's nurse was prepping me before the technician did the test, saying it's completely common for babies to fail the test the first time (due to fluid in their ears) and then pass it a week or so later, so not to be worried if this were to happen. Well ... it didn't! Both of his ears passed, his ears are fine. Oh my goodness, what a relief!
Still no infections, thank goodness - he seems to be an all-around healthy boy who just needs time to fully develop. The biggest obstacle has been mastering the breathing, though it too is coming along as he grows and develops .. he's been on 2-3 cc of oxygen for the majority of the week (down from 5 cc last week) which, I'm told by the nurses, is really just a whiff of air - not too much at all. I think that by the next blog post, he'll be off the prongs altogether.
Well, those are all the updates - stay tuned for next week and again, thanks for reading!
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xo
Thanks everyone, for keeping up with the blog - hope you're enjoying hearing about our little one progress! Spencer is still doing well. He's up to 4lbs 4 1/2 oz now, so as of last night, is officially in a cot. Yahoo, no more incubator! Last night was the first time we got to dress him in clothes, too (the incubator is nice and warm, so up until this point, he's just been in a diaper). It was so funny, Drew was snapping away with the camera as I dressed him in his very first outfit, an ENORMOUS smile on my face! Yet another example of how the simple pleasures are not taken for granted, being the parents of a preemie!! I can't even explain how incredible it is to be able to kiss him as much as we want, now that he's not living in a "box". What a difference from 5 weeks ago, when we had to wait until 8pm to do so.
Other big things this week - his feed schedule changed from every 2 hours to every 3 hours .. doing this is to prepare them for what it will be like once they're at home. He also had his follow-up eye exam .. no ROP detected again, his eyes are healthy! Phew. His hearing test was done today, as well. Although he does startle at a noise in the room so we figured his ears were ok, I was still a little nervous about this one, as it detects even the slightest hearing impairment. Spencer's nurse was prepping me before the technician did the test, saying it's completely common for babies to fail the test the first time (due to fluid in their ears) and then pass it a week or so later, so not to be worried if this were to happen. Well ... it didn't! Both of his ears passed, his ears are fine. Oh my goodness, what a relief!
Still no infections, thank goodness - he seems to be an all-around healthy boy who just needs time to fully develop. The biggest obstacle has been mastering the breathing, though it too is coming along as he grows and develops .. he's been on 2-3 cc of oxygen for the majority of the week (down from 5 cc last week) which, I'm told by the nurses, is really just a whiff of air - not too much at all. I think that by the next blog post, he'll be off the prongs altogether.
Well, those are all the updates - stay tuned for next week and again, thanks for reading!
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xo
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Spencer - 33 Weeks (Gestational Age)
Hello again!
Well, Spencer's made some great strides this week. Still no infection or any real issues to speak of, which we're so pleased about and ... last Wednesday (the 9th, Drew's birthday), he "graduated" from CPAP to Low Flow nasal prongs, which only give him the tiniest bit of oxygen! He's on 5 cc right now and once he gets down to 0, he won't need any breathing help at all. So, he's getting there. As I said before, the breathing/lung development is the biggest thing for these little preemies.
Weight-wise, as of tonight (Tuesday), he's up to 3 pounds 10 1/2 ounces. 5 1/2 more ounces and he's out of the incubator and into a cot! Also, at 3 lbs 12 ounces, they go from being fed every 2 hours to being fed every 3 hours, so that'll be the next thing for Spencer.
The other positive thing that happened this week is he got his eye exam done ... and no ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) was detected! He'll get a follow-up exam in 2 weeks, but so far, his eyes are fine. Drew stayed with Spencer as he was getting the exam done - I was told by other parents to avoid it if at all possible, as the process scares the babies, which in turn scares the parents .. their eyes get opened super wide with this special eye opening tool .. one person even said it looks like a medieval torture device ... that was enough for me, I wanted no part of it! At the same time, I was glad Drew was there to comfort Spencer. He said Spencer did very well and didn't struggle or squirm too much. Poor little guy though - about 1/2 an hour afterwards, he threw up. His nurse said it would have been the stress, as Spencer had never thrown up before (and hasn't since, either). I felt so sad for him. : ( These little babies go through so much in their first few weeks of life - the poking, the prodding ... it doesn't seem fair. If I could go through it all for him, I would in a heartbeat!!!!!
Finally, the very latest thing that's happened (just started yesterday) is that I'm starting to introduce breastfeeding to Spencer. The preemies get the coordination to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time between 34-36 weeks, so it's still a little early for him, but the nurses say I can start training him now. So far, so good .. he latched on for a few seconds his first few tries! It's a learning process, but I think he'll be fine, once he gets the hang of it.
Oh ya and one very last thing - a new mom came in from Children's Hospital with a baby who is now 35 1/2 weeks, but was born at 23 1/2 weeks at 1 lb 6 ounces .. she had (or has) the same thing I do, a shortened cervix and her stitch only lasted a week and a half (I guess I should consider myself lucky that mine lasted 6 weeks?) ... her daughter, Erica, is huge now though! I couldn't believe how big she was, looking at her in comparison to Spencer. Hanako, the mom, told me that generally, the preemies will go through a growth spurt at around 34 or so weeks (that's just next week for Spencer!) and for her daughter, it meant gaining 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) a day! Sounds pretty fantastic, I can't wait for Spencer to go through his. Every ounce he gains makes him bigger, stronger and closer to the NICU door! : D
Well, that's all for this week. I've been meaning to post more pictures - I'll do that soon.
Thanks for reading and please keep us in your thoughts!
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Well, Spencer's made some great strides this week. Still no infection or any real issues to speak of, which we're so pleased about and ... last Wednesday (the 9th, Drew's birthday), he "graduated" from CPAP to Low Flow nasal prongs, which only give him the tiniest bit of oxygen! He's on 5 cc right now and once he gets down to 0, he won't need any breathing help at all. So, he's getting there. As I said before, the breathing/lung development is the biggest thing for these little preemies.
Weight-wise, as of tonight (Tuesday), he's up to 3 pounds 10 1/2 ounces. 5 1/2 more ounces and he's out of the incubator and into a cot! Also, at 3 lbs 12 ounces, they go from being fed every 2 hours to being fed every 3 hours, so that'll be the next thing for Spencer.
The other positive thing that happened this week is he got his eye exam done ... and no ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) was detected! He'll get a follow-up exam in 2 weeks, but so far, his eyes are fine. Drew stayed with Spencer as he was getting the exam done - I was told by other parents to avoid it if at all possible, as the process scares the babies, which in turn scares the parents .. their eyes get opened super wide with this special eye opening tool .. one person even said it looks like a medieval torture device ... that was enough for me, I wanted no part of it! At the same time, I was glad Drew was there to comfort Spencer. He said Spencer did very well and didn't struggle or squirm too much. Poor little guy though - about 1/2 an hour afterwards, he threw up. His nurse said it would have been the stress, as Spencer had never thrown up before (and hasn't since, either). I felt so sad for him. : ( These little babies go through so much in their first few weeks of life - the poking, the prodding ... it doesn't seem fair. If I could go through it all for him, I would in a heartbeat!!!!!
Finally, the very latest thing that's happened (just started yesterday) is that I'm starting to introduce breastfeeding to Spencer. The preemies get the coordination to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time between 34-36 weeks, so it's still a little early for him, but the nurses say I can start training him now. So far, so good .. he latched on for a few seconds his first few tries! It's a learning process, but I think he'll be fine, once he gets the hang of it.
Oh ya and one very last thing - a new mom came in from Children's Hospital with a baby who is now 35 1/2 weeks, but was born at 23 1/2 weeks at 1 lb 6 ounces .. she had (or has) the same thing I do, a shortened cervix and her stitch only lasted a week and a half (I guess I should consider myself lucky that mine lasted 6 weeks?) ... her daughter, Erica, is huge now though! I couldn't believe how big she was, looking at her in comparison to Spencer. Hanako, the mom, told me that generally, the preemies will go through a growth spurt at around 34 or so weeks (that's just next week for Spencer!) and for her daughter, it meant gaining 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) a day! Sounds pretty fantastic, I can't wait for Spencer to go through his. Every ounce he gains makes him bigger, stronger and closer to the NICU door! : D
Well, that's all for this week. I've been meaning to post more pictures - I'll do that soon.
Thanks for reading and please keep us in your thoughts!
Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xoxo
Monday, September 7, 2009
Happy 1 Month, Spencer! (32 Weeks Gestation)
Hi Everyone,
Well, another good week for Spencer. He's now up to 3lbs 5 oz (1, 510 grams) as of tonight (Monday). When he gets to 1, 800 grams, he graduates to an open crib instead of an isolette, so that's an exciting milestone. 1, 800 grams is just under 4lbs, so that's not too far away! The babies gain an average of 30 grams per night, so we're looking at about 10 or so days until he's there. The other exciting thing that happens once they graduate to a crib is that the grandparents can hold them then (right now, it's only the nurses, Drew and I who can touch or hold Spencer), so that'll be nice for Grandma & Grandpa P. and Grandma & Grandpa S.! And then of course, once he 'breaks free', others can hold him, too ...
We've steered clear of any infections again this week, thank goodness. It's reassuring to know that our little boy isn't in the hospital because he's sick, but instead is in there because he's small and needs time to develop/mature. That's not to say he won't pick something up while he's there - of course that can happen - but here at 31 days, nothing has come up, so we're praying every day that he'll keep following along that course! Speaking of developing/maturing, his lungs are still in that process (in utero, the lungs are one of the last organs to develop). He's still on CPAP to give him the little boost he needs. It's tough to think that your little baby is having trouble breathing - one of life's most basic things - but again, it's not because he's sick that he can't, it's just because his lungs still need to mature. And they will, it'll just take time. (There's that word again - time - it's so annoying that it's passing so terribly sssllloowwwlllyyy!!)
The best time of day continues to be the time we can hold him. He is just the most precious little thing and I can't even believe the insane amount of love I feel for him. It's overwhelming!
Well, that's all for this week. Stay tuned for the next update and hopefully some more pictures! Keep the positive energy coming our way ...
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xo
Well, another good week for Spencer. He's now up to 3lbs 5 oz (1, 510 grams) as of tonight (Monday). When he gets to 1, 800 grams, he graduates to an open crib instead of an isolette, so that's an exciting milestone. 1, 800 grams is just under 4lbs, so that's not too far away! The babies gain an average of 30 grams per night, so we're looking at about 10 or so days until he's there. The other exciting thing that happens once they graduate to a crib is that the grandparents can hold them then (right now, it's only the nurses, Drew and I who can touch or hold Spencer), so that'll be nice for Grandma & Grandpa P. and Grandma & Grandpa S.! And then of course, once he 'breaks free', others can hold him, too ...
We've steered clear of any infections again this week, thank goodness. It's reassuring to know that our little boy isn't in the hospital because he's sick, but instead is in there because he's small and needs time to develop/mature. That's not to say he won't pick something up while he's there - of course that can happen - but here at 31 days, nothing has come up, so we're praying every day that he'll keep following along that course! Speaking of developing/maturing, his lungs are still in that process (in utero, the lungs are one of the last organs to develop). He's still on CPAP to give him the little boost he needs. It's tough to think that your little baby is having trouble breathing - one of life's most basic things - but again, it's not because he's sick that he can't, it's just because his lungs still need to mature. And they will, it'll just take time. (There's that word again - time - it's so annoying that it's passing so terribly sssllloowwwlllyyy!!)
The best time of day continues to be the time we can hold him. He is just the most precious little thing and I can't even believe the insane amount of love I feel for him. It's overwhelming!
Well, that's all for this week. Stay tuned for the next update and hopefully some more pictures! Keep the positive energy coming our way ...
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew & Spencer xo
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Spencer - Day 22, Week 30.5 Gestation
Hi Everyone,
The past week has been fabulous for Spencer - no hurdles to speak of at all. He's still on "full feeds" (breast milk only, no IV) and continues to go strong on the CPAP (he breathes on his own and should he "forget" to take a breath every now and then, the CPAP kicks in for a breath to remind him). Next step is no breathing assistance device at all - though his lungs are still developing, so it will be a week or two for that yet. His heart and brain ultrasound both came back normal (thank god). All of his organs are working just as they should be, just small and needing to mature. No infections. No apnea spells or bradycardias (heart rate decline). A very good week.
As of tonight (Saturday, the 29th), Spencer's weight is at 2lbs 15oz. Only grams away from 3 lbs now! Though it's not the most important thing -- the babies aren't released from the hospital until they can coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing all together (this comes at around 34-36 weeks) and have gone 7 days in a row without an apnea or a bradycardia -- they say that the 5lb mark is a good estimate as to when they'll be ready. "Just over 2lbs, Spencer"!
Now that the shock of delivering prematurely has diminished a little (sorry to those of you who said the last blog made you cry!), I'm feeling much better. Every day is a day closer to the day we can bring our sweet little boy home! The tears have subsided and it's full speed ahead from here. Drew and I are at the hospital every day - during the day for a few hours, then home for dinner, then back again at 8pm for the weigh-in and the best part of the day ... holding him! We're still doing "skin to skin kangaroo care", which is where Spencer lays on our bare chest for as long as he is comfortable (the monitors attached to him tell us when he's had enough). We love it when it lasts an hour and a half ... it is the absolute best feeling, as he falls right asleep in our arms.
Ok, that's all for this post (see Mike, told you the rest would be shorter) ; ) We've put some new pictures up as well, so you can have a look at those! Thank you to those of you who commented on the last blog and to the many visitors we've had these past 3 weeks ... it's nice to know how much love and support we have around us!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew and Spencer xo
The past week has been fabulous for Spencer - no hurdles to speak of at all. He's still on "full feeds" (breast milk only, no IV) and continues to go strong on the CPAP (he breathes on his own and should he "forget" to take a breath every now and then, the CPAP kicks in for a breath to remind him). Next step is no breathing assistance device at all - though his lungs are still developing, so it will be a week or two for that yet. His heart and brain ultrasound both came back normal (thank god). All of his organs are working just as they should be, just small and needing to mature. No infections. No apnea spells or bradycardias (heart rate decline). A very good week.
As of tonight (Saturday, the 29th), Spencer's weight is at 2lbs 15oz. Only grams away from 3 lbs now! Though it's not the most important thing -- the babies aren't released from the hospital until they can coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing all together (this comes at around 34-36 weeks) and have gone 7 days in a row without an apnea or a bradycardia -- they say that the 5lb mark is a good estimate as to when they'll be ready. "Just over 2lbs, Spencer"!
Now that the shock of delivering prematurely has diminished a little (sorry to those of you who said the last blog made you cry!), I'm feeling much better. Every day is a day closer to the day we can bring our sweet little boy home! The tears have subsided and it's full speed ahead from here. Drew and I are at the hospital every day - during the day for a few hours, then home for dinner, then back again at 8pm for the weigh-in and the best part of the day ... holding him! We're still doing "skin to skin kangaroo care", which is where Spencer lays on our bare chest for as long as he is comfortable (the monitors attached to him tell us when he's had enough). We love it when it lasts an hour and a half ... it is the absolute best feeling, as he falls right asleep in our arms.
Ok, that's all for this post (see Mike, told you the rest would be shorter) ; ) We've put some new pictures up as well, so you can have a look at those! Thank you to those of you who commented on the last blog and to the many visitors we've had these past 3 weeks ... it's nice to know how much love and support we have around us!
Lots of Love,
Tara, Drew and Spencer xo
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
And Now For A Picture Of The "Little One"...
Spencer (1 Day Old)
Don't worry about the monitors, they're all there to help him grow!
...More pictures to follow so stay tuned!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Spencer's First Twelve Days ...
Hi All,
Well, surprise surprise, our little man decided he didn't want to wait until the fall, he wanted a summer birthday instead! Just to give those of you who don't know some history, I was found to have a shortened cervix at week 21 of the pregnancy, for which, in the hopes of strengthening the area, they gave me a cervical stitch. Well, that stitch held up for just over 6 weeks ......
On Friday, August 7th at 4:30am, I woke up feeling crampy - nothing too painful, just a little uncomfortable. The doctor told me that I could expect cramping from the stitch and, though I didn't have a single bit of cramping during those previous 6 weeks, I figured that that must be what I was experiencing. I tried to relax and drift back to sleep. By 6:30am though, the pain was getting more intense, so I woke Drew up and called the hospital - they told me to come on in. Once there, they confirmed that what I was having were indeed contractions, and they proceeded to try to stop them by giving me an IV, tilting my bed so the pressure was off my cervix, even spraying nitroglycerin under my tongue. Nothing was working - the contractions were coming on, fast and furious. They asked if I wanted an epidural - I said no to that, but I didn't say no to the laughing gas! (Not that it helped much for the pain - it still hurt!) The next thing I know, I'm being wheeled to the operating room, as because the baby's head was still quite far up, there was worry the umbilical cord would drop down first, which would put the baby in danger. If that were to happen, I would need an immediate emergency c-section. Thankfully, that's not what happened - I delivered naturally and our little man, Spencer David Parkinson arrived at 11:11am (cool time, eh - it's supposed to have spiritual meaning!), tipping the scales at 2lbs 9oz (1,165 grams). He was born at 27 weeks 3 days gestation. Let me tell you, that o.r. was bustling with doctors and nurses ... all in, Drew counted 16 in there, all with their individual specific job to do! Spencer and I both were very well looked after, right from the start. Just before whisking him away, the doctor put Spencer on my chest and I got to kiss him. From that very moment, I understood the deep love a mother feels for her child. Indeed, it was (and still is every time I look at him!) extremely intense and powerful.
Drew and I slept at the hospital for 3 nights. Spencer was downstairs in the neonatal ward and we could see him as much as we wanted. It was hard those first few days, I won't lie. I cried a lot of the time. I cried because I missed him being inside my belly and feeling him kick. I cried because, even though the doctor told me there was nothing I could have or should have done to prevent the pre-term labour from happening, I still felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt ("should I have walked up those stairs?" "could I have rested more?"). I cried because it wasn't fair - I don't smoke or drink, I exercise and eat well, was taking a maternal vitamin every single day, am only 32 years old and am all-around healthy .. why did this happen!? I cried because I was jealous of all the mothers I could hear on the maternity ward around me who had their babies in their rooms with them, ready to be taken home. Then of course, there was everything that was going on around Spencer - seeing our precious little baby attached to so many tubes and monitors was gut-wrenching.
Though it's very natural, parents with babies born to term take for granted their ability to hold, cuddle and kiss their little one whenever they want to. Parents of preemies are the polar opposite - nothing at all is taken for granted! For the first week, the most Drew and I could do was touch Spencer or let him grasp our finger. He had a "belly line" in for the first nine days, which, through his belly button, allows the doctors and nurses to draw blood for blood tests and feed him through IV. With this belly line, holding him was out because if it gets jarred, infection can set in. Of course, once we heard the reason was to prevent an infection from happening, we fully understood, but making do with only touching him and not being able to hold him was tough - something a "term parent" would (luckily) know nothing about. The other thing we could do that first week was wait until 8pm (this is the time all the babies in the ward get weighed) and be able to kiss him as he's on the scale. Being able to do that made my day - I got so excited when 8pm rolled around! Imagine, getting super excited just for the opportunity of giving your baby a kiss - it's crazy!
As for his progress, the doctors and nurses are very pleased. They say he's doing extremely well for a baby born at his gestational age. Just this morning (Aug 19), he reached what they call "full feeds", which means he now only gets breast milk rather than the combination of breast milk and IV fluids. We're so proud of him, as we're told that many babies take 5+ weeks to reach full feeds. As for his weight, he's mere grams away from his original birth weight - we figure he should be back to it by the 14 day mark forsure. His lowest weight from the post-birth loss was 2lbs 2oz.
Now, if he can only get his breathing down pat ... he started out very well on this front, lasting 5 days on the "CPAP", which is where he breathes on his own and only has the CPAP as a back-up, just in case he forgets to take a breath from time to time. What happens with these little preemies though is that after a few days, their little lungs get tired from working so hard. They start having spells of apnea, at which point the doctors know they need a rest from the CPAP. That's exactly what happened with Spencer - though we're told that 5 days of CPAP at the start is very good. So for now, he's on the ventilator so to give his lungs a rest. Once he's ready, he'll go back on the CPAP. Though apnea spells are scary when they happen (I've been there for two now), they are completely normal for these little babies. Their systems need time to mature and develop. He'll get there, it'll just take time. (**Update - when we got there today, day 12, he was back on CPAP! We're hoping he'll be on it to stay, though we've been told that these little guys often go back and forth, back and forth .. we'll see how Spencer does. "You can do it, little buddy!"**)
The other two things that are of note are that he's been put under the jaundice lights twice (not a huge thing) and, because of the fact they were (at the start) taking blood from him 2x per day, his blood volume got low, so they needed to get it back up to where it needed to be. He needed 16mL of blood returned into his little body. That was tough - though again, we're told that most babies don't get away from needing this done - the amount of blood that's needed for testing compared to the amount of blood they have in their little bodies is outweighed. All part of the process.
The GREAT news is that, now that his belly line is out, we get to hold him now!! Last night, both Drew and I did what they call "skin to skin", which is where we hold him on our bare chest. It's supposed to be great for the baby, who can hear your heartbeat, feel your warmth and smell your scent. Sounds kind of animalistic, doesn't it, but let me tell you - it was absolutely amazing. Drew and I held him for about 45 minutes each and loved every second of it. He fell right asleep. Aside from it being the best part of my week, I was quite surprised at how tiny he felt in my arms. I've held countless babies in my life with the tons and tons of babysitting I've done over the years, my niece and nephews, friends' kids, etc ... but never have I held one who was 2 1/2 pounds. Definitely a different experience! It's interesting to think though that never again will he be this small - in a week's time, then two weeks, then a month .. each day, he's getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger.
The ride of a premature baby's early life is a roller coaster, they say. Thankfully, we've steered clear of any infection so far, but we're told that not many babies escape without getting one, so we're trying to mentally prepare ourselves for that (though of course we're hoping that Spencer will be the exception to the rule!) We've also been told to treat this time as a "marathon, not a sprint" - every parent is told that their baby will be there until around their due date (for Spencer, this will be November 3rd) and those who get to go before are lucky. We'll see where Spencer fits in - time will tell! The start has been very good with not too many hiccups - we're hoping this will continue and that Spencer will be one of the lucky ones who gets to go home before his due date! The doctor did say he anticipates that he will ... time will tell.
I hope you've enjoyed Part 1 of our blog ... the next one won't be quite so long - sorry about that! We plan to update it once a week, so please check back to find out where we're at. In the meantime, please send positive thoughts our way for our little guy to keep going strong!
Lots of Love,
Tara & Drew xoxo
Well, surprise surprise, our little man decided he didn't want to wait until the fall, he wanted a summer birthday instead! Just to give those of you who don't know some history, I was found to have a shortened cervix at week 21 of the pregnancy, for which, in the hopes of strengthening the area, they gave me a cervical stitch. Well, that stitch held up for just over 6 weeks ......
On Friday, August 7th at 4:30am, I woke up feeling crampy - nothing too painful, just a little uncomfortable. The doctor told me that I could expect cramping from the stitch and, though I didn't have a single bit of cramping during those previous 6 weeks, I figured that that must be what I was experiencing. I tried to relax and drift back to sleep. By 6:30am though, the pain was getting more intense, so I woke Drew up and called the hospital - they told me to come on in. Once there, they confirmed that what I was having were indeed contractions, and they proceeded to try to stop them by giving me an IV, tilting my bed so the pressure was off my cervix, even spraying nitroglycerin under my tongue. Nothing was working - the contractions were coming on, fast and furious. They asked if I wanted an epidural - I said no to that, but I didn't say no to the laughing gas! (Not that it helped much for the pain - it still hurt!) The next thing I know, I'm being wheeled to the operating room, as because the baby's head was still quite far up, there was worry the umbilical cord would drop down first, which would put the baby in danger. If that were to happen, I would need an immediate emergency c-section. Thankfully, that's not what happened - I delivered naturally and our little man, Spencer David Parkinson arrived at 11:11am (cool time, eh - it's supposed to have spiritual meaning!), tipping the scales at 2lbs 9oz (1,165 grams). He was born at 27 weeks 3 days gestation. Let me tell you, that o.r. was bustling with doctors and nurses ... all in, Drew counted 16 in there, all with their individual specific job to do! Spencer and I both were very well looked after, right from the start. Just before whisking him away, the doctor put Spencer on my chest and I got to kiss him. From that very moment, I understood the deep love a mother feels for her child. Indeed, it was (and still is every time I look at him!) extremely intense and powerful.
Drew and I slept at the hospital for 3 nights. Spencer was downstairs in the neonatal ward and we could see him as much as we wanted. It was hard those first few days, I won't lie. I cried a lot of the time. I cried because I missed him being inside my belly and feeling him kick. I cried because, even though the doctor told me there was nothing I could have or should have done to prevent the pre-term labour from happening, I still felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt ("should I have walked up those stairs?" "could I have rested more?"). I cried because it wasn't fair - I don't smoke or drink, I exercise and eat well, was taking a maternal vitamin every single day, am only 32 years old and am all-around healthy .. why did this happen!? I cried because I was jealous of all the mothers I could hear on the maternity ward around me who had their babies in their rooms with them, ready to be taken home. Then of course, there was everything that was going on around Spencer - seeing our precious little baby attached to so many tubes and monitors was gut-wrenching.
Though it's very natural, parents with babies born to term take for granted their ability to hold, cuddle and kiss their little one whenever they want to. Parents of preemies are the polar opposite - nothing at all is taken for granted! For the first week, the most Drew and I could do was touch Spencer or let him grasp our finger. He had a "belly line" in for the first nine days, which, through his belly button, allows the doctors and nurses to draw blood for blood tests and feed him through IV. With this belly line, holding him was out because if it gets jarred, infection can set in. Of course, once we heard the reason was to prevent an infection from happening, we fully understood, but making do with only touching him and not being able to hold him was tough - something a "term parent" would (luckily) know nothing about. The other thing we could do that first week was wait until 8pm (this is the time all the babies in the ward get weighed) and be able to kiss him as he's on the scale. Being able to do that made my day - I got so excited when 8pm rolled around! Imagine, getting super excited just for the opportunity of giving your baby a kiss - it's crazy!
As for his progress, the doctors and nurses are very pleased. They say he's doing extremely well for a baby born at his gestational age. Just this morning (Aug 19), he reached what they call "full feeds", which means he now only gets breast milk rather than the combination of breast milk and IV fluids. We're so proud of him, as we're told that many babies take 5+ weeks to reach full feeds. As for his weight, he's mere grams away from his original birth weight - we figure he should be back to it by the 14 day mark forsure. His lowest weight from the post-birth loss was 2lbs 2oz.
Now, if he can only get his breathing down pat ... he started out very well on this front, lasting 5 days on the "CPAP", which is where he breathes on his own and only has the CPAP as a back-up, just in case he forgets to take a breath from time to time. What happens with these little preemies though is that after a few days, their little lungs get tired from working so hard. They start having spells of apnea, at which point the doctors know they need a rest from the CPAP. That's exactly what happened with Spencer - though we're told that 5 days of CPAP at the start is very good. So for now, he's on the ventilator so to give his lungs a rest. Once he's ready, he'll go back on the CPAP. Though apnea spells are scary when they happen (I've been there for two now), they are completely normal for these little babies. Their systems need time to mature and develop. He'll get there, it'll just take time. (**Update - when we got there today, day 12, he was back on CPAP! We're hoping he'll be on it to stay, though we've been told that these little guys often go back and forth, back and forth .. we'll see how Spencer does. "You can do it, little buddy!"**)
The other two things that are of note are that he's been put under the jaundice lights twice (not a huge thing) and, because of the fact they were (at the start) taking blood from him 2x per day, his blood volume got low, so they needed to get it back up to where it needed to be. He needed 16mL of blood returned into his little body. That was tough - though again, we're told that most babies don't get away from needing this done - the amount of blood that's needed for testing compared to the amount of blood they have in their little bodies is outweighed. All part of the process.
The GREAT news is that, now that his belly line is out, we get to hold him now!! Last night, both Drew and I did what they call "skin to skin", which is where we hold him on our bare chest. It's supposed to be great for the baby, who can hear your heartbeat, feel your warmth and smell your scent. Sounds kind of animalistic, doesn't it, but let me tell you - it was absolutely amazing. Drew and I held him for about 45 minutes each and loved every second of it. He fell right asleep. Aside from it being the best part of my week, I was quite surprised at how tiny he felt in my arms. I've held countless babies in my life with the tons and tons of babysitting I've done over the years, my niece and nephews, friends' kids, etc ... but never have I held one who was 2 1/2 pounds. Definitely a different experience! It's interesting to think though that never again will he be this small - in a week's time, then two weeks, then a month .. each day, he's getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger.
The ride of a premature baby's early life is a roller coaster, they say. Thankfully, we've steered clear of any infection so far, but we're told that not many babies escape without getting one, so we're trying to mentally prepare ourselves for that (though of course we're hoping that Spencer will be the exception to the rule!) We've also been told to treat this time as a "marathon, not a sprint" - every parent is told that their baby will be there until around their due date (for Spencer, this will be November 3rd) and those who get to go before are lucky. We'll see where Spencer fits in - time will tell! The start has been very good with not too many hiccups - we're hoping this will continue and that Spencer will be one of the lucky ones who gets to go home before his due date! The doctor did say he anticipates that he will ... time will tell.
I hope you've enjoyed Part 1 of our blog ... the next one won't be quite so long - sorry about that! We plan to update it once a week, so please check back to find out where we're at. In the meantime, please send positive thoughts our way for our little guy to keep going strong!
Lots of Love,
Tara & Drew xoxo
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