Hospital Stay: Day 7

Who knew we would be here one week ago. It has been 4 days since Jolynn was born. She has made such great progress and so have I. Jolynn has no tubes inserted anymore and I am currently pumping 60ml each time. That's enough for two feedings if needed. Jon has fed Jolynn twice and I am finding it very helpful. Our 11:00 feeding took almost an hour because she basically fed twice. I had enough time to go back to the room and pump, cook some Easy Mac in the micro, and they were calling me down because she was hungry again. Shoveled my food down and fed her again. Fell asleep with her in my lap. It was getting close to her 2:00 feeding so I thought I better check if we were going to have anything to give her. Nope. Thank goodness for the bottles. Jon gets those feedings. So from 11 to 2 she has been fed 4 times!

Dr. X did a check up today. Her Bili levels were up a little again, but not enough where they have put her under the light. Deb, her nurse, said if she keeps pooping and peeing the way she is, they won't need to. Dr. X said if they need to they can send us home with a bili-blanket. She is having more trouble with jaundice in general because of a A,B, O blood type match. She is A- and I am O-; so our blood type match is causing her red blood cells to be attacked. Sorry honey.

Jon just returned and said they told him to bring in the car seat!

Tamara came after work to visit Jolynn. It was during her 5pm feeding so I bared all. It had been 3 hours since the last feeding, but that was the feeding that she ate 4 times at. I was surprised she would want to eat. She really wasn't sucking, just laying there with it in her mouth. So we had to give her 30ml by bottle. Since Tamara was there, Jon gave up his bottle feeding to her.

Grandpa Mike and Great-Grandpa brought us dinner but couldn't touch Jolynn because she was having her car seat test. That's right. CAR SEAT!!! All premature babies have to sit in their car seat for 1 1/2 hours and hold their head up. If it drops forward her airway would be compromised. So they went to dinner and came back. Jon and I decided that since the Grandpa's were here during her feeding time and I have an abundant amount of breast milk right now that we would do a bottle feed at 8pm and Jon again will give up his bottle feeding duty to his dad. They came back a little late so I started her feeding and they finished it.

I'm on my own tonight for all the feedings. Jon is going to sleep and make sure he is well rested so everything we are told tomorrow at least one of us will remember. Doctors are visiting more frequently and if we are as close as they say to going home I'm sure there will be instructions that need to be followed and remembered.