LoganMarch 28th - 3 weeks old

Logan is 3 weeks old and this week he was discharged from the NICU at the hospital. Logan came home on Wednesday, March 25th around 2:00pm.

Since Logan came home, he’s made the following progress:

• Logan had his first doctor’s appointment on Friday! He weighed 5lbs 4oz and his temperature as 98.2 degrees. Everything checked out good and he is scheduled to go back for a follow up appointment on Tuesday. During that appointment they will be monitoring him to ensure that he is gaining weight as he should be.
• Logan is continuing to eat well and has been breastfeeding more and more. He is still taking the majority of his meals via the bottle with fortified breast milk, but every day he continues to improve at the breast. We are currently allowing him to make his own eating schedule, but will not let him go longer then 4 hours without a feeding. However, the majority of the time we have to wake him up to eat.
• Logan started out struggling to maintain his minimum temperature (97.6) when he first got home. After meeting with the doctor she advised us to increase the temperature in the house until he has had a chance to get a little more meat on his bones. Currently we have the thermostat set for 80 degrees, and he is now maintaining his temperature quite well.

I am continuing to do well. The new schedule with Logan home is far more tolerable then the schedule I was keeping while he was in the NICU. It’s still amazing to me how tiny he is! He is now wearing the newborn sized clothes, but they are still pretty big on him. We haven’t been enjoying many home cooked meals lately, but hopefully I’ll be able to work some of those in soon.

Wes is doing well, and is continuing to be a great helper. He has spent a lot of time making bottles, running errands, getting food, and just basically being at my beck and call. He is currently on FMLA leave and will be going back to work on Wednesday. On Thursday, Wes’s mom will be coming to stay with us for about 10 days to help out. It is such a comfort to have another person in the house while I am still learning the baby care ropes.

That’s the update for week 3!

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Breaking News! Logan has made some significant progress this week already! All this progress justifies a midweek update. Here’s some of the major milestones he’s accomplished this week:

Feeding
Logan is consistantly finishing his bottles now. He was removed from the NICU eating schedule yesterday after a night of successful bottle feeding (3 feedings in a row!), he is now able to set his own eating times and is allowed to eat as much as he wants! This also means the feeding tube has been removed.

Weight
Logan was born at 4 lbs 10 oz. He ended week one at 4lbs 5oz. At the end of his second week, Logan now weighs 4lbs 15oz. On Monday he broke the 5lb mark, weighing 5lbs 0.8oz, and on Tuesday morning his weight was reported at 5lbs 2oz. He is definately packing on the pounds (or ounces)!

Tests
Logan was given a couple of tests this week that he passed. He was given a car seat test, which is where he is put in a car seat for 30 minutes. His heartrate and respiratory rate are monitored for the 30 minutes. This test is to assess if he can make it the car ride home in a seated position. He also passed his hearing screen, which helps determine if he has any hearing loss.

Logan is now scheduled to come home on Wednesday, March 25th!!

I am “rooming-in” with him at the hospital tonight. “Rooming-in” is an opportunity the hospital offers parents of children in the NICU to spend time caring for their infant in the hospital setting with health care professionals nearby to assist. So far things are going good. It’s wonderful to have him right here beside me, but also a bit stressful as well. I’ve found that he is quite the noisy sleeper. He grunts and occasionally wails all in his sleep. It makes it tough for a new mom not to want to check him out at his every whimper. Needless to say, it’s been a sleepless night for me. During this time, I am completely responsible for all of Logan’s primary care. I change his diaper, feed him, take his temperature and tend to him when he’s fussing. It’s basically a test run of what things will be like moving forward, except tonight I have “experts” on hand just in case I need something. Tonight I will also be learning how to give him a bath. At 4:30am the nurse will check his weight and give him an overall assessment. Later in the morning, the doctor will assess him and hopefully discharge him. We hope to have him home around lunchtime on Wednesday.

Wes is at home tonight holding down the fort. He is finishing up some last minute house hold chores and tasks to ensure that everything is ready for Logan’s arrival.

LoganMarch 21st - 2 weeks old

Logan is 2 weeks old and continues to improve in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital. He is making progress everyday. Here’s a brief update of what he has accomplished since last week.

Monitors
Logan is only monitored for heart rate and respiratory rate. He has his blood pressure taken occasionally throughout the day and everything is normal.

Feeding
Logan’s feedings have increased from 40ml to 45ml of breast milk 8 times per day. Those feeding were divided into 4 tube feedings and 4 bottle feedings. Today he was increased to bottle feedings 8 times per day (every feeding). He also graduated to the next nipple with increased flow speed, and has been able to take the entire feeding by bottle multiple times. He really seems to be getting better at the suck/swallow/breath thing now. He chokes and gags much less and all in all seem to be doing quite well with his bottle feeding. We just need him to begin taking his entire feeding consistently from the bottle now so we can get rid of that feeding tube (which he tries to pull out constantly, and is often successful).

Yesterday, we starting incorporating breast feeding twice a day at 5:30am and 5:30pm. His first attempt was extremely successful; he even shocked the nurses with how quickly he latched on and started sucking. Since then he has not been as productive. He latches on quickly, but then doesn’t seem to suck. I’m confident he’ll get it sooner or later, right now we are just pleased to see his bottle feeding improve.

Weight
Logan was born at 4 lbs 10 oz. He ended week one at 4lbs 5oz. At the end of his second week, Logan now weighs 4lbs 15oz and continues to gain weight daily.

I am continuing to do well. I received the Pertussis Booster on Wednesday to get vaccinated for whooping cough. Apparently, whooping cough has become more common and it is often exposed to newborns from their parents. They now include this vaccine to adults with the tetanus shot. I also had my 2 week postpartum appointment on Friday and my recovery is progressing as expected. The doctors were not able to determine why Logan was born prematurely based on the results of the placenta tests that were run after delivery. So at this point, we are just chalking it up to Logan being in a hurry to join the world!

Logan would have been 35 weeks on Monday, March 23rd. Although we have not received any indication from the doctors when Logan will be headed home, we have found that preterm babies with issues feeding typically will go home between 36 and 37 weeks on average. Of course every baby is different, and when it comes to mastering the suck/swallow/breath we have been told by multiple nurses it “just happens, like a light switch”. Hopefully Logan’s light switch will be triggered soon!

Wes is still doing well. This week he bottle fed and held Logan. He completed setting up the nursery and has finished off most of the items on the to-do list. He has been an excellent helper around the house, and has really been doing a fantastic job taking care of me and making sure I don’t over do it.

That’s week two in review!

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LoganMarch 10th - 3 days old

Logan is 1 week old and continues to improve in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital. Since entering the NICU on 3/7/09 after his birth he has experienced the following changes:

Beds
Logan started off in a “warmer”. This bed is open to air but the baby is kept warm under a heater that is controlled by his own temperature. Shortly after entering the NICU Logan graduated to an “isolette”. Also known as an incubator, this is a small enclosed bed which provides warmth, reduced noise and light, air and sometimes humidity. Today, Logan graduated to a “crib”. This option is for babies that can maintain their own temperature without any outside warmth source except the regular blankets, clothes, hat, and their own body fat.

Monitors
Logan started off being monitored for heart rate, respirator rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. His billirubin was also tested daily to assess the onset of jaundice. Today, Logan is only monitored for heart rate and respiratory rate. He is out of the woods for jaundice now, and therefore will not need photo light therapy.

Medications
Logan started receiving antibiotics immediately after entering the NICU to clear any infection. He stopped taking antibiotics this week and has been determined infection free. He was also given caffeine as a preventative measure to deter apnea. Babies born before 35 weeks, like Logan, often forget to breath, caffeine helps prevent that. Logan is no longer on caffeine and has not experienced any episodes of apnea.

Feeding
Logan started his life exclusively eating from a tube that ran from his mouth directly to his stomach (OG tube). This week he had his tube moved to his nose (NG tube) and they have started bottle feeding him a couple times per day. Bottle feeding is pretty complicated for a preterm infant, not only does it burn a lot of needed calories, but it also requires the baby to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time. Because Logan was born at 32.5 weeks his suck reflex was not fully developed. This week he has progressed from taking 0 ml from bottle up to 18 ml (out of a 40 ml feeding). He seems to take a bit more each time, so he’s definitely starting to get it!

Respiratory Systems
Logan started his first few hours using a “nasal cannula” to assist his breathing. A “nasal cannula” blends oxygen with air going through a tube that is connected to a baby with 2 little prongs that go slightly into the nose. This was removed within the first 12 hours of his life. He has not needed any respiratory assistance since then.

Weight
Logan was born at 4 lbs 10 oz. Within the first couple days, much to everyone’s surprise, he gained 1 oz! That gain was short lived and Logan finished the week at 4 lbs 5 oz, but has been gaining weight slowly.

I am doing very well. I did not have any drugs during delivery because it moved so quickly, I basically ran out of time. I did not experience any tearing or require stitches, so after the birth I felt pretty good. I have not required any pain medication, and therefore have been able to drive back and forth to visit Logan 3 times per day (every 6 hours). During visits I get to take Logan’s temperature, change his diaper, feed him, and hold/cuddle with him. Each visit is usually about 1 hour. Not only is this a fantastic way for me to bond with my new son, but I also get hands on training from his attending nurses! My breast milk has come in and now Logan does not require any formula. This is a huge milestone because a woman’s body produces the right “formula” of breast milk based on the gestation her child was born at. Therefore breast milk made by a mother of a preterm baby is different then breast milk made by a mother of a full term baby. I found that little tidbit amazing. This week they have started fortifying the milk so Logan can get some extra calories to assist with his weight gain. My schedule is very hectic now and I only manage to get about 4-6 hours of sleep per day. I pump every 3 hours around the clock!

Wes is doing well, still getting used to the idea of being a daddy. He has been working this week on getting the nursery finished and organizing all the “after delivery” tasks that need to get completed. He has also done a wonderful job of taking care of me, making sure that I don’t overdo it, and taking over more of the house hold chores.

That’s the week in review. It’s amazing to think that 1 week has already passed!

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