I know a week and a half has gone by since I last posted. Here's a good rule of thumb, if I haven't posted recently, that means not much has happened and what has is what is expected. As is the case since the last post. Besides I am constantly busy doing things as well, which I will explain more in this post.
So he started nursing last week on Monday and he has taken in quite a number of full feedings since starting. We have not been given the orders yet to do 2 attempts a shift, but he is started to do awesome at 1 attempt a shift. They look for things like taking in a full feeding while nursing (not needing to supplement with a tube feeding), waking for all feedings and desiring to suck or nurse at all feedings. Basically all the criteria they looked at to start him nursing, they look at all over again to add a feeding per shift.
That may seem silly at first that they use the same criteria, but it really makes a lot of sense. Remember how the milk in the tub feeding is being fortified with extra calories? Well, when we nurse, he isn't getting the extra calories, as there is really no way to fortify the milk as it is coming out. Also, nursing takes a lot of energy. What you end up with is a baby using a lot more of his energy in one shot instead of throughout the day AND he's getting less calories to draw from. That makes for a very tired baby after nursing. When we first started nursing it was very common for him to sleep through 2 or 3 feedings, whereas before nursing he was awake for pretty much all his feedings (sleeping through an occasional feeding very seldom).
After about a week and a half of nursing he is starting to be awake more again for his other feedings. He is still not as awake as he was before, but he is making progress in that direction and is getting close. As the staff here tells us, it is very common to be put in a holding pattern like this, as the baby develops, gets stronger and has more energy.
I would also like to add that he has been getting full feedings in when we try to nurse. He knows exactly what to do and he wants it! In fact, yesterday morning we weren't sure if we were going to nurse or not, and as we had to change out his clothes (he had peed out his diaper) I was holding him. He was being somewhat fussy, so I was trying to hold him in different ways to find one he liked, and well, he liked being positioned to nurse. I think he was very confused that he couldn't just nurse with my clothes in place like normal... So we nursed and he did great! Samuel sure knows what he wants!
The other "big" news is that he has now been back on a nasal canula since last Friday. I don't remembered if I mentioned this or not (but guessing I did), but it is extremely common for this to happen, especially when the parameters change and they start nursing. With all his energy being used on eating, he doesn't have as much energy to keep his oxygen up!
One of the doctor's was in looking at him 2 days ago and suggested giving Samuel some medicine that would help him get ready of the extra fluids in his body. While it is normal for babies to be on and off and on and off of oxygen, he is needed a little more support than in the past. Even on the CPAP that oxygen was generally set at room air or slightly above (21%), but this time he's in the 30s% for oxygen on the nasal canula. The doctor said that if the lungs and wet it can cause them to need oxygen, then he went on to explain a condition some preemies have that have to do with the lungs and moisture. He didn't think Samuel has been exhibiting signs of this condition because he hadn't really needed much oxygen in the past (and as I was very tired when he was telling me about it, I have no idea what it was...). Now Samuel is getting some medicine to help him rid himself of extra fluids (his legs and feet have been kind of puffy, showing extra fluid retention), and as he has shown an ability to gain weight despite the meds, they are giving him some more.
The doctor told me that nothing he says can prepare parents for the amount of pee, that made me laugh. He's had some rather large wet diapers and we have had to change his clothes and bedding a little more frequently... :-)
Last weekend was also the weekend of 2 baby showers. I'm sorry if I did not invite everyone I intended to, I have been really preoccupied and tried to get everyone invited, but that doesn't always happen. The showers were really good and we had company from out of town come. I did leave Ben to entertain them, as I am rather busy with Sam. Ben's Mom came out for the first time, so it was great for her to see Sam. My Grandma was also out for the first time, which meant it was the first time we had 4 generations together (though we didn't get a picture of my Grandma, Dad, myself and Samuel together... oops!). My Dad was born the day after my Grandma's birthday and Sam was born the day after my birthday, so that is a neat "family tradition." Ben's cousin also came out with her 2 girls.
Let's just say, between Samuel starting to nurse (and not knowing which feeding time he is actually going to nurse) and the baby showers I got very off on my pumping. Actually during the last 3 days I have pumped just over half of what I was pumping up till then. So this week I have been extremely busy pumping like a crazy person to get my supply back up. Today has already been better, but we'll have to see how the rest of pumping goes the rest of the day to be sure. I know that Samuel is nursing and taking some of the supply himself, but he's definitely not taking half of my supply away with 2x nursing and at first it actually caused my supply to increase. Nothing produces milk better than a nursing baby! But considering I am just 3oz behind where I was at at supper time yesterday, today is already looking MUCH better.
That's all I have, Samuel is doing great and hopefully in the next day or 2 I'll actually update my facebook photo album as well...
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