This week was a pretty good week for Elsie. After losing a little bit of weight after her blood transfusion, she is back up to 2 lbs 8 oz. Her brain scan was normal!
She continues to battle the CPAP, but is doing well with it. She only had one brady in the last 24 hours that the nurses charted (meaning, they had to stimulate her, or it was a significant drop in heart rate). The others she corrected herself! This is good. We want her to correct herself.
The past several days Elsie has not had any episodes while eating when I am holding her. Due to reflux, eating could sometimes be frustrating for her and for me. Her because she is refluxing, and me because she holds her breath so I was frequently stimulating her over the course of the hour.
I don't want to jinx us, but it feels like this may be progress. The plan is to increase feedings (currently getting 22 CCs fortified with 24 calories) so she gains some weight and keep the CPAP on her. According to the doctors it is normal for a preemie to have a CPAP at 34 weeks. Since Elsie is so small (still smaller than the growth curve, and every other baby in the NICU) the doctors are not worried about her still having a CPAP at almost 32 weeks.
Now for the pictures. I tried to get some of her getting the CPAP out of her nose. The nurse made a great little 'nest' in her isolette and she is snuggled in there in this picture, so no yoga moves...but you can see her trying to get it out.
She is looking bigger, right? It's not just me?
Love Y'all,
Ellen
In the first picture, she looks pretty upset about having that on her face. I guess I would be too. She does look so much bigger! I know you're proud of you little lady! Good job Elsie and Mama!
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I watched Gray's anatomy and he was holding that little premature baby all night/day...and how not real that must have been. did you see it? didn't seem like what you describe.
ReplyDeleteI am praying you didn't jinx it and that little Elsie Lou is getting stronger and stronger every day!