Phoenix is learning to eat (suck and swallow breast milk) while trying to remember to stop to breathe! A normal thing for a full term baby, but something that doesn't come naturally to a preemie! He does have a gavage tube that goes through his nose and down to his belly for when he can't (or won't) make any attempt to take the milk through a bottle nipple.
Phoenix started very slowly (3 milliliters, every 3 hours, the first day) and progressed to 5 ml the second day. Yesterday he was at 8 ml, every 3 hours.
Today (Tuesday) he is up to 13 ml every 3 hours. Beginning at 11 pm he will increase his intake by 5 ml every 12 hours. He will be considered at "full feed" status when he gets to 40+ ml per feeding. He should be at that point in 3 days (Friday at 11 am, 4/24), if all goes well.
Phoenix has had good bowel movements (no blood... YAY!) and good bowel tones with a soft belly. These are all good signs that everything is working correctly and that the triple antibiotics he's been on since 4/12 have been working to alleviate the NEC in his bowels.
He was back out of his isolette for a about a day, but last night had to be put back in, due to the growing population of babies (and all of their visitors and medical staff) in the area we are now in. It just gets too loud (people talking, babies crying, alarms, bumping / banging of equipment / furniture, etc.) for Phoenix to relax, rest, and breathe at a steady rate. He is still off of the nasal cannula (with oxygen) and is just breathing room air.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Phoenix's last day of his 10 day cycle of the triple antibiotics. His moms will be happy, as he will smell like a sweet baby again (instead of a medicine baby)! One or more of the antibiotics makes his sweat and urine have a horrible smell! Of course, he will always be our "sweet baby" but now he will smell like one, too!
Phoenix is finally back on the list for a return flight to Bend, if there are any flights to Portland from Bend. When he goes back, he will return to the Bend NICU to complete his care until he is ready to go home. This won't be until his breathing and eating has stabilized and he can manage without all of the medical monitoring (as a full term baby would).
Please keep Phoenix in your thoughts and prayers so that we can get him on a flight back to Bend and that he continues to progress without any more medical complications! Thank you!
Phoenix is learning to eat (suck and swallow breast milk) while trying to remember to stop to breathe! A normal thing for a full term baby, but something that doesn't come naturally to a preemie! He does have a gavage tube that goes through his nose and down to his belly for when he can't (or won't) make any attempt to take the milk through a bottle nipple.
Phoenix started very slowly (3 milliliters, every 3 hours, the first day) and progressed to 5 ml the second day. Yesterday he was at 8 ml, every 3 hours.
Today (Tuesday) he is up to 13 ml every 3 hours. Beginning at 11 pm he will increase his intake by 5 ml every 12 hours. He will be considered at "full feed" status when he gets to 40+ ml per feeding. He should be at that point in 3 days (Friday at 11 am, 4/24), if all goes well.
Phoenix has had good bowel movements (no blood... YAY!) and good bowel tones with a soft belly. These are all good signs that everything is working correctly and that the triple antibiotics he's been on since 4/12 have been working to alleviate the NEC in his bowels.
He was back out of his isolette for a about a day, but last night had to be put back in, due to the growing population of babies (and all of their visitors and medical staff) in the area we are now in. It just gets too loud (people talking, babies crying, alarms, bumping / banging of equipment / furniture, etc.) for Phoenix to relax, rest, and breathe at a steady rate. He is still off of the nasal cannula (with oxygen) and is just breathing room air.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Phoenix's last day of his 10 day cycle of the triple antibiotics. His moms will be happy, as he will smell like a sweet baby again (instead of a medicine baby)! One or more of the antibiotics makes his sweat and urine have a horrible smell! Of course, he will always be our "sweet baby" but now he will smell like one, too!
Phoenix is finally back on the list for a return flight to Bend, if there are any flights to Portland from Bend. When he goes back, he will return to the Bend NICU to complete his care until he is ready to go home. This won't be until his breathing and eating has stabilized and he can manage without all of the medical monitoring (as a full term baby would).
Please keep Phoenix in your thoughts and prayers so that we can get him on a flight back to Bend and that he continues to progress without any more medical complications! Thank you!
