November 3, 2008

Both boys had their Synagis shots today (shots for RSV). Actually, it was very informative, because the nurses go over why it's so important for preemies to avoid RSV, and why they're more succeptible to GETTING RSV. She showed us this picture of the inside of an airway of a full-term newborn, and then the same airway in a preemie, and the airway of a preemie is more restricted...basically a smaller airway. Then, she showed me a photo of that preemie's already restricted airway WITH RSV, which even FURTHER restricts a preemie's airway with all of the gunk of an RSV infection. It did make me understand more why it's so bad for preemies to get RSV, and why it's so much easier for them to get it. It also reinforces why it's so important for us to be super cautious about taking them out to crowds, being cautious about hand washing and visitors health, etc. There is lots on the line for them, and it's important we're careful.

I am about to call up the NICU to talk with our neonatologist about Alec. She asked we phone back Monday to report how he's doing. And the truth is, he's okay. He seemse far less uncomfortable, but is pretty gassy. He has had some odd looking stools that I'll ask her about. He has still be spitty, but maybe not in the same volume that it was before. I'd like to keep him off the fortifier if we can, so I'll ask her about it. We just got a bunch of it in the mail for free too...figures! At least we never had to buy any, right?

I'll weigh them before their next feeding too, so I'll give an update about what the doctor said and their weights later! AND I have a jillion photos to show you, but have not had the time to go downstairs to photoshop them! But I WILL!!!! Hopefully very soon! Xoxox

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I weighed and measured them:

Evan- 8lb 14 oz, 22 1/4" long
Alec- 6lb 9.5 oz, 21" long

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4:00 pm

I talked with Dr. Seeger. Heavens do I love that woman. I mean really, what can you really say about a doctor who:

*a doctor who called you personally to talk with you about your son's potentially life threatening condition
*a doctor who waited in the NICU for you to come in and talk with you MORE about the condition, who repeated EVERY word of our prior conversation to help us absorb the enormity of it all
*a doctor who literally would sit with us for as LONG as it took to answer ALL of our questions DAILY (truly...every DAY I had 39023 for her)
*a doctor who never made us feel rushed, uncared for, like we were bothering her, or that our opinions mattered.
*a doctor that CARED about our children, and it SHOWED
*a doctor who was happy to see us after we were discharged
*a doctor that CONTINUES to treat our children by way of talking to me on the phone regularly about Alec's feeding trouble, dispite the fact that she will not be able to bill for this, as we are no longer NICU patients.
*a doctor whom you respect tremendously and feel that you owe a HUGE debt of gratitude

She's amazing. I need to find something to tell her so.

Anyhow...I explained to her that Alec is still pukey. Still pukes...sometimes more than others. Sometimes lots. She said that it's hard to quantify "lots" because it LOOKS like lots coming up and it may not be the volume one thinks. She was not at all downplaying what I was saying, but speaking more matter of factly. She said that there are happy pukers and unhappy pukers. She said that so long as they're GAINING WEIGHT, they aren't too concerned with the happy pukers. The unhappy pukers they treat with reflux meds, and Alec DOES seem to be a BIT less fussy. He seems very GASSY to me lately, which is a different kind of sad than his WRITHING around in pain prior. She asked when our next pediatrician appointment was (in two weeks) and she said that she'd like for us to keep him on the straight breastmilk until then and see if he continues to gain at a good rate. I gave her the rundown on his weight gain from his last doctor appt. on the 21st to today's weight, and she figured it out that he had gained 1 oz per day which is exactly what they shoot for...1 oz per day in the first six weeks (after their due date). She said that if he's gaining weight steadily, gaining both height and head circumference at the next doctor appointment, then he will likely be fine without any fortifier. But if he is not gaining height and head circ. then he'll likely need a fortifier. So...we'll see where he's at next doctor appt and go from there. For now, we'll keep him on the straight breastmilk, and I'll keep separating and giving him the hindmilk (Lord knows our pork chop Evan is getting pleanty with the foremilk!!!) and see how he does.

I asked her about the curdly green poop (sorry if that's TMI!) and she said that the curdles can be normal, and that she's not overly concerned about the green at this point.

Lastly, and very excitingly, I asked her about when SHE felt we could move to a more "on demand" schedule, rather than every 3 hours round the clock. She said that at night, we do NOT need to wake them anymore to eat. She said that so long as they're waking and showing cues to eat, that we can move to the on demand schedule. She said (and she's RIGHT) that on-demand feeding becomes a personal choice, and becomes difficult at times with twins, becuase if you feed one twin who shows signs to eat at 2.5 hours, but don't feed the other, then the other twin is hungry at 3.5 hours, your whole day is consumed with feeding, rather than clustering it together in a schedule fashion. So...our plan is that during the DAY, we'll likely feed more on a 3 hour schedule so that they both eat together as much as possible (you have no idea how long it takes to feed two...one that doesn't eat real well!), but at night, we'll take every single minute of sleep we can get, and see how they do! Evan seems to wake like clockwork, every 3 hours, so we'll just see how they do. Tonight is night #1! We are SO excited!!!

Lastly, a HUGE thank you to Mike, who has been an ANGEL. Since I have been going to sleep at 3 or 3:30 and waking at 7, I have gotten 3.5 to 4 hours of sleep per night. Mike has come over the last several mornings at 7 to take the 7 am feeding, which allows me to get up, get the bottles ready, pump, and lay back down for a couple hours, giving me closer to 5 or 6 hours of sleep, and making me feel more human ;) I am SO greatful for that. It makes a WORLD of difference for my entire day, and even my emotions ;) let's face it...when you feel like you have run a marathon because of your sheer exhaustion everyday, you aren't the best, most patient, loving, mother. It is amazing how much more I appreciate everything when I am able to sleep, and how much easier things seem. Thank you Mike. Please know that I appreciate you more than I can ever tell you. Your help has been a huge lifesaver, and helped keep me afloat here....thank you.