8.21.17
“We’re hopeful she’s a quick learner, but trying not to be overly optimistic, too. She’s in a stage where she can feed if she’s showing cues, but so far something has been off at most care times – either her respiratory rate has been too high or she hasn’t show enough cues…”
On the 21st, our girl became a true “feeder grower”. Nasal cannula-less, Oaklee was breathing 100% on her own. It took her lungs 53 days and extensive intervention to get to this point, but they got there. We will forever rejoice over this incredible feat.
Now, all that was truly left for her to do, was learn how to feed and grow before we could take her home!
As I previously mentioned, we were told the feeding part of the journey can be excruciating long. On this first day of respiratory-support-free-Oaklee, there was much to celebrate. She was breathing on her own AND she took her first approved, all parties in the know and on board, bottle.
I don’t remember how she did with that bottle. I only remember the uncomfortable feeling of a nurse asking if we wanted her to take a picture of us giving Oaklee her first bottle. This was not her first bottle. There was that one… back on the 17th that your co-worker tossed me to the wolves with, prematurely asking Oaklee to feed, giving me no guidance and, ultimately, setting us up for failure.
This time we were told how to hold Oaklee when giving bottles, what to watch for, how to hold the bottle, etc. It was nothing like I’d practiced on my baby dolls as a little girl, but it was progress. She could now feed whenever she showed her cues at care times, and we were approved to be the ones to do it.
Feed.
Grow.
Come home please.
Oscillator –> Ventilator –> CPAP –> Feeder Grower –> CPAP –> Nasal Cannula –> Feeder Grower
In the stats:
Birth weight: 2lb, 12oz
Last known weight: Almost 5 lb (8/13/17)
Gestational Age: 35 weeks, 2 days
Days in the hospital: 54
Sets of visitors to see Oaklee: 44
Days on High Frequency Oscillator: 2
Days on Ventilator: 1
Days on CPAP: 35
Days on Nasal Cannula: 13