One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The NICU warned us when the babies started doing so well that many times in the NICU it is one step forward two steps back. I nodded and agreed but still had my hopes up that our babies were almost ready! Last Tuesday (March 23) when I went to visit the babies the nurse stopped me and said let me update you about Presley. My thinking...oh great. Around 7:30 Presley had to go back on the Cpap for breathing help. She had been off since the Sunday before. They said she was probably worn out and just needed a little more time. That Tuesday is also the day they moved her to an open crib. Keeping the body temperature, breathing, eating from a bottle, breastfeeding...is all A LOT of work for her tiny body and something had to give. I was so upset to see her back on the Cpap since both babies absolutely HATE it. It's very uncomfortable for the babies but I know it saves their lives. Luckily, Thursday they turned 34 weeks and the Presley was able to be taken off the Cpap and put on oxygen- just a small clear tube going into her nose. She doesn't seem to mind it much. She's been eating her bottles great and keeping her body temperature well. We just need those tiny lungs to grow a stronger. She also is still having the Bradycardias which are not fun. A "Brady" is when her heart rate drops below 70. When her heart rate drops it also interferes with the blood flow in her body which is carrying oxygen so then she also "Dsats." A "Dsat" is when the amount of oxygen in her blood drops. When the babies Dsat they often turn blue. =( How do we help them during this? We stimulate the babies by stroking their head, back, or hand to remind them to breathe. Presley had a "brady" and "dsat" last night while I was holding her. No fun at all. Presley is up to 4 lbs 5 oz as of last night.

Parker update- Parker was looking great last week! They had told us to hurry and prepare because he might be home by the end of the weekend. Well...he decided he couldn't leave his big sister in the NICU alone so he's on oxygen and his feeding tube has been put back in. Thursday night Parker started having trouble getting down the last bit of his bottle. He was having bradys and dsating. They are thinking he has reflux. Since he is a preemie the little flap that is supposed to close off and keep their food down may just not be strong enough for the amount of milk that big boy is getting. They try him on a bottle at every feeding but occasionally they have to put the last bit of milk in his feeding tube. If we can get his reflux under control he should be better. They haven't treated it yet thinking maybe he will grow out of it. Parker is up to 5 lbs 5.4 oz as of last night.

So, what does it take for the babies to come home? No Bradys for 5 consecutive days, eating on their own, keeping their body temperature, and growing. They've got all those things accomplished except the bradys and dsats. Once we get all these bradys and dsats under control we'll be on our way. I'm hoping to see improvement by the end of the week. Tomorrow the babies will be three weeks old and Thursday they'll be 35 weeks. Please continue to pray for them.