Introducing Amelia Grace (now I promise to stop hi-jacking Marleysgirl's thread!!

[Foogirl]

Ever get the feeling that life is really kicking you in the balls? (

I hate it when all the shit comes at once. What is it they say "What doesn't kill you makes you.....feell like it had!!"

It is sad you won't be able to take her home together, but, please don't worry about not being ready. By the time she comes home you will be an old hand at the whole thing. Of course it was a little scary thinking about it but I can say with certainty, for all the fears I had, there was not one point that I thought "how do I do this" once she was home. You'll drive yourself nuts with the "what if" scenarios.

We always said when looking for the silver lining to the situation, we got to learn how to care for our daughter with a dozen highly trained people watching. After 6 weeks of that, we knew exactly what we were doing.

Do you have a relative or friend who can stay for the first couple of nights to make it less daunting? Also, our hospital offered us the option to room in with Abby for a night or two til we got used to it. We chose not to because having both of us at hime, for me was a better option, but you might find it helps.

 

[sherryberry79]

Well we should definately be strong after all this! You're right we have ti look for the silver linings. The more I worry about it the more I am going to build it up into a massive thing and fear her coming home. My mum would definately come and stay for a few nights when she comes home. I'm not sure if the hospital have the oppurtunity to room in, but if they do then I will take them up on it. Thank you you for your suggestions x

 

[Marleysgirl]

to you Sherry (& Troels) (& Millie, of course)

To answer, yes St Mary's does have rooming-in facilities - brand new, of course, like the rest of the hospital! They're down one of the corridors at the back of the NICU unit. They're pretty basic though, just a bedroom and private bathroom, from what I saw. They were getting pretty full today - I overheard the Sister trying to juggle room numbers & mums. I'm hoping to room-in for one night before Andrew comes home, and possibly before then if need be to get BF established.

 

[sherryberry79]

Hi ladies,

Amelia is soooooo much better after having her op last Wednesday. She has been on C-pap since last Saturday and is doing really well on it. Today we saw her full face for the first time, and I have to say, (even if I am somewhat biased) she was gorgeous!! It was so wonderful to see her without a ventilator tube or a C-pap mask....and to be able to touch her head and see her fine hair. She was looking up at me and daddy with a slightly puzzled look on her face, as if to say "are you sure the doctor said that mask could come off? I usually have a tube in my mouth or a mask on my face 'ya know?" But she stayed off the C-pap for 10/12 minutes whilst we had a cuddle and tolerated it very well, without any bradys or de-sats. The doctor felt that he did not want to push her too far though, and that leaving her off the C-pap until she did hit difficulty might not necassarily be beneficial. Funnily enough as the nurse laid her back in her incubator she had a little de-sat, but came back up quickly on her own. We are so proud of her today, and I can't wait to get to the hospital tomorrow as I would love to have another non C-pap cuddle. I am getting greedy now, like a junkie, only I need the next cuddle fix with beautiful Millie!!

 

[Foogirl]

Yay Millie.

She'll be starting school before you know it!

 

[sherryberry79]

Arrrrgh!!!! Not quite ready for that yet....lets get her home first, lol!!!!!!

 

[Marleysgirl]

That's really good news Sherry - I remember how delighted we were with Andrew's first tube-free cuddle, seeing his cute hair ...

Take loads of photos in those few minutes!

They'll soon have her cycling on and off Cpap, extending those hours off and preparing her for breathing on her own.

Is Millie still in the same spot? I keep looking for you but don't see you, and don't like to go noseying to find her. Andrew's in Room 2 (3rd bed on right) now, and I'm there from 12noon onwards these days whilst we get BF established, so feel free to come and find us (even if curtains are closed)!

 

[Jemma_x]

She is gorgeous and im glad she's doing alot better since her op

 

[sherryberry79]

Thanks Jemma!

Marleysgirl, how are you? Sorry for the late reply, things have been crazy for the past few days. I turned 30 on Saturday and on Saturday I celebrated by making up for the last eight months of not drinking. Broke my heart to pour Millie's EBM away, Sunday was pretty much a write off!

Because Troels is going back to work sooner than expected we have had to order and build the furniuture before he leaves so I am not left on my own to do it......DIY aint my strong point! We finished yesterday and it looks lovely, still need to buy cot bedding, pictures, curtains etc so its not finished yet but it's starting to look like a nursery.

Troels leaves tomorrow, so we have been washing and packing and generally tying up loose ends before he leaves, and all this whilst spending time with Amelia....busy bees!!

Millie has moved to rm7 now, she is in High Dependancy, so a step in the right direction! She is having time off her C-pap and doing well, the most she has managed in one go is five hours so far, but she is really getting there now!
They are talking about transferring her back to Stepping Hill when a bed becomes available if they feel she is ready. I am fine with this as I spent a week after Millie's birth there and they were great, plus I much prefer the journey there, but St Mary's have done so much for Millie, I will be sorry to say goodbye to some of the nurses.

How is it going with the breast feeding?

 

[dannigizmo]

She is doing soo well hun. Busy time for you, i was knackered just reading what you had been up too!!

Hope your feeling ok with all the changes that are happening and managing to take some ME time. Happy belated birthday and wont be long to your little star be home am sure!! xx

 

[Marleysgirl]

Hi Sherri

I'm glad that you're getting the nursery sorted and, with Troels away, it makes sense for you to try and get Millie moved closer to home. It's great news that she's been promoted to Hi Dep, I shall have to try and find her & you in Rm 7 before she leaves, I think I pass that room on the way to the Parents Kitchen! (I've been allowed to use it as I'm now on-site almost 10 hours a day)

Well done on the Cpap periods off, every day they will increase. I used to have to ask in the morning phone call what the day's routine would be, just so I could try and visit when Andrew wasn't connected.

Can I suggest you try and have a chat to Kath, the BF advisor? I've seen her a couple of times now, and she thinks (benefit of hindsight) that we should have tried Andrew at the breast much sooner (whilst in Hi Dep), if only for a few minutes at a time, so that he'd get used to the sensation.

Off to update my own thread now, rather than clog yours!

 

[sherryberry79]

Hi ladies,

Amelia was transferred to Stepping Hill Hospital today. When I arrived at St Mary's they informed me that they had found a bed for her and she was off! It has all happened very quickly but I think visiting etc will be easier from now on. Not much change on the Cpap front. They transferred her without Cpap but I think she was only off for two hours max, but I guess that being moved etc might have tired her out more quickly? Millie's daddy left this morning to work at sea for the next two months so I have been very tearful all day and am dreading going to bed all alone tonight, but I suppose it will get easier after tonight. We only moved into this house in September so I have not been alone here yet, what with everything that's going on at the mo it's all a bit scary.

But things are going well with Millie, it's so wonderful to be seeing some progress, her little legs and arms are getting meaty! And I know she is gonna be going longer and longer off the Cpap in the days to come....I'm so proud of my lil star!!
And here she is!!

IMG]https://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy357/sherryberry1979/001.jpg[/IMG]

https://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy357/sherryberry1979/th_003.jpg

 

[Marleysgirl]

Great photo - it's lovely to see them start to "plump" out, isn't it

Good news about the move, as you say they tend to do it a bit suddenly, but it's for the better. No point me looking for you now!

 

[premmiemum123]

Awww, she is so cute...it is lovely when they start to put on lots of weight...x

 

[sherryberry79]

Thanks Premmiemum! She is 3lb 9oz now, the nurse said today that they no longer treat her as a tiny baby which made me so happy!!

 

[premmiemum123]

Wow she is near the magic 4lb mark, it is wonderful when they get to that mark, they start to feel like a 'real' baby with little tiny rolls of fat.
They put on so much weight once they are discharged enjoy Amelia whilst she is still so small, I took Emily home at 4lb 8oz, that was 8 weeks ago, she is now 9lb! I look at her and think where did that tiny baby go...

 

[embojet]

She is doing so well, the photo is adorable x

 

[sherryberry79]

Hi all,

Millie is doing great these days. The doctors are slowly weaning her off the C-pap, she is currently doing 7 hours off and 2 hours on, she really hates that mask going abck on, and even though I know it's for her own good it breaks my heart to see her so upset and fighting the nurses. The plan is to continue invcreasing her time off every few days up to ten hours as far as she tolerates. The nurse tells me that once she gets to ten hours off (aiming for this time next week) the next step will be to remove the Cpap completely and see how she goes, she may need a few hours over night apparently.

I have been told to fully expect that she will come home on oxygen which terrifies me quite frankly, but she is three and a half months old now and I just want her home, oxygen or not! They assure me I will be very confident in controlling her 02 by the time she is discharged. I think she is on 0.2L of 02 at the mo.

She had her first bath last night and really hated it, screamed the place down! But I enjoyed it and our snuggle time afterwards!

Breast feeding is hit 'n miss and frustrating. Yesterday she had a brilliant 3pm feed, and we did not even need to top her up via the tube. This morning I got to the hospital at
06:40 to try her at the breast for her 7am feed. I often get there very early, and when I called for an update at midnight last night I told the nurse to expect me for her 7am feed. When I arrived the nurse told me she had given Millie 20mls via her tube at 6am as she was wrestless, and it was the only way she could get her to settle. Settle she did, because when I tried her at the breast she showed absolutely no interest what so ever. I ended up making up the other 40 mls via her tube. Then at 11am and 2pm still no interest in the breast, and there is no explanation for why this would be the case on those occasions......I really hope we can crack it, but it's just so erratic, sometimes she has it, and others she has no idea, have requested an appointment with the nursing specialist!

 

[Marleysgirl]

Millie is doing great

Woohoo!

I have been told to fully expect that she will come home on oxygen which terrifies me quite frankly, but she is three and a half months old now and I just want her home, oxygen or not!

We were told this too. They even started organising the meetings. Then Andrew heard about it, and decided he didn't want that, so he started pulling his nasal cannula out and throwing it out of the cot .... Seriously though, after staying on 0.4ish for ages, he went down to 0.2 and then through the low-flows (0.05->) over just a couple of days. It's true what they say, when baby is ready, they just do it.

Breast feeding is hit 'n miss and frustrating. Yesterday she had a brilliant 3pm feed <snip> when I tried her at the breast she showed absolutely no interest what so ever <snip> I really hope we can crack it, but it's just so erratic, sometimes she has it, and others she has no idea, have requested an appointment with the nursing specialist!

I wish you luck. I saw the BF Advisor in St Marys three times, and every time she told me that I was doing it right, it was just that Andrew wasn't ready. Even now we're home, we still only manage one really successful BF session a day, the rest of the time he's too disinterested, doesn't latch, too frantic ... It was definitely a good move to introduce the bottles, as it was the only way to get him home, and he continues to do well.

Hope you're doing okay now you're on your own

 

[sherryberry79]

You never know, maybe Millie will come off the oxygen very quickly like Andrew, I hope so, that would be fantastic, and would make life much less stressful on coming home, but I am preparing myself for dealing with the oxygen. I think I am going to find the breast feeding specialist as useful as you did! The nurses have already given lots of advice and checked our positioning etc, I am not sure what there is left to be said, but it was out of desperation that I requested a meeting today, I guess it's worth a try!!

I am doing okay, Troels will have been away for three wks on Wednesday so there is only around five wks left to go now! It will fly by, just wish I could have fallen in love with a bank manager who would not bugger off to sea for six months of the year, but hey ho!

I am keeping an eye on Andrew's thread, hope you're all okay, it certainly sounds like you're all doing great