Little Piggy

Corgan was excellent when we arrived. He weighs 1.675 kg...Dr Egner made no changes...Corgan had another chest x-ray...The radiology department reported that the NG tube was fine despite there having been no such tube in Corgan for a while now...The x-rays and reports were redone correctly...Corgan has been throwing tantrums wanting food earlier than scheduled...

1,66 kg

Corgan's weight is 1,66kg now. His feed was increased to 42ml...

Due Date

Today is Corgan's original due date...he had a good day today...Dr Egner said that the finishing line is in sight...Corgan weighed 1.630kg... He had bottle feeds the entire day and did fine through all of them as he was given good rest breaks go catch his breath between gulping...Corgan was fine this evening too...when we got back to the hospital we caught Zanele by surprise as she was bottle feeding Corgan with the monitoring equipment on Standby mode...the ones I am obsessed with!! But I did not mind because Welile has often done this during the day and Corgan fed very well from the bottle...there seems to be less issues as well if the person feeding him watches him instead of panicking when the machines beep...I have even been feeding him away from the monitors :) Getting brave :)

See, I know what I'm talking about!!

When we arrived this morning the night nurse said the burping thing worked well in the night as she did not see his SpO2 drop below 90... Today's weight is 1,62kg! Dr Egner knew about yesterday's drama and was thinking about sticking with tube feeds today...I told him about the winding issue...he said to try all breast/bottle feeds again today. I breast fed with no issues. All the bottles went well too...I gave him a bottle during our night visit...no issues...

Listen to me!

Corgan is three months old today...Dr Egner said Corgan could alternate between bottle and breast feeds from now on with no tube feeds in between... Corgan weighs 1.590 kg. He had an eye test and his eyes are healthy. Silindile was looking after Corgan today and she had to leave the ward midway through the test as she began crying as she assisted Dr Blignaut and watched the test take place...Vanessa took over from her... All his feeds went well this morning...When we arrived back at the hospital in the evening things had changed...Corgan was desatting continuously and even needed to Neopuffed and had a bit of oxygen blowing near his face... Dr Egner was called and he said the feed tube should be reinserted and only feed tubes to be taken for the rest of the night... We were not happy....he looked pale and weak...his body was quite limp...when I picked Corgan up, he burped right away which is exactly what we suspected - he needed to be burped more!! I burped him for quite a while and his SpO2 stayed between 90 and 100 for the rest of the night...Shane explained clearly to the night nurse that Corgan needs to be burped after every feed, including tube feeds, even if his tongue is down...Surely we would know...I do a lot of his feeds, I spend many more hours with my baby every day than any nurse does...its so frustrating...

Ready!

Corgan weighs 1,580kg today...10g less...his eye appointment with the opthalmologist has been changed to tomorrow... Silindile looked after Corgan for the first time in over a month...I'm starting to feel excited about taking our baby home now!  I am so comfortable with him...I do his "cares" and all nappy changes and feeds when I am there...I am ready!  

Hint Hint

Today's weight is 1,59kg...Dr Egner hinted Corgan may come home in the next week or so...Shanita said the bottle feed went well today, he finished in 20 minutes...

Unimpressed!

Corgan's weight is now 1,57kg. Dr Egner said Corgan must get breast/bottle alternating with tube feeds. A student nurse looked after Corgan today. She did not give him a bottle feed at all as he desatted and she got scared. She was giving him a tube feed when we got back this evening... We told her he needs to be winded a lot, even after tube feeds...she said "thanks for telling that"..she did not do it though...when she was finished the feed she gave Corgan to me on his back...he vomitted and then desatted badly! I had to run and call Nhlanhlenhe - the only sister on duty at the time - to come see to him as the student looked more shaken than even we were...Corgan was quite blue and unresponsive...Nhlanhlenhle told the student to get the Neopuff...she seemed to have no idea what it was so I even had to point out to the student where and what it is! We were very unimpressed and very annoyed...We complained to Gervais and Bridgitte when they came on night duty...Corgan was fine in the evening...

Puff!

We were told that at about 6:30am Corgan had to be given oxygen and Neo-puffed after he desturated after a feed...Dr Egner said it might be reflux or winds...Corgan's weight is 1,555kg today. Corgan was good with Welile today. He had had a tube feed at 12 and a bottle feed at 3. He had another tube feed at 6, after we arrived.

Ditto

Corgan weighs 1,525g...Dr Egner said he can have 1 breast and three bottles today. It all went well. My mom bought a Respisense Ditto for Corgan. I sorted Corgan's clothes into sizes so that the small clothing can be washed for when he comes home...I have become obsessed with the monitors...I check Corgan's even when it is not his one alarming...The nurses joke that I will have to take one home with me when Corgan gets discharged...

No Change

Dr Egner did not change anything today...Corgan's weight was 1.535 kg. In the evening was still fine...Good day :) 

No Physio

Corgan was sleeping nicely in his crib when we arrived this morning...He weighs 1,5kg now...Dr Egner stopped physiotherapy and said the NG tube must be put in Corgan's left nostril. I breast fed at 8am and it went much better without a tube in his mouth...

Open Crib

Corgan now weighs 1.465 kg!! Dr Egner said he could go into an open crib today! After a feed he was moved into a crib! He was very relaxed wrapped up in blankets in the crib and he soon fells asleep...he looked so calm and happy...Today is our three year wedding anniversary...Corgan was still resting peacefully when we returned in the evening - he even seemed to be in exactly the same position still...

Lazy Bum...

Today's weight is 1,45kg...Corgan  only drank 20ml from a bottle during the night. Dr Egner increased his feed to 38ml...Corgan was a bit lazy when I breast fed him today. He went through two NG tubes today...he loves pulling them out!

Feed Me

Corgan weighed 1.4kg this morning. Corgan fed well with bottle and breast feeds today...he was calm this evening, but as his next feed approached he got more and more upset...I bought his size 2 preemie MAM dummy this morning but it got lost when the linen got changed because it was so light and see-through-ish...I took the size 3 MAM dummy tonight and he seems okay with it...I held him and he settled....He had a tube feeding tonight...Shane held the syringe...

First Bath...

Corgan got his first bath this morning from Cheryl before we arrived...He apparently loved the water. He was sleeping so peacefully when we got there until we left.... Corgan was sleeping peacefully again when we got back. I got to hold him for a bit while Cheryl changed his linen. He is in a different incubator.

Blocked Again...

Corgan's weight was still 1.35 kg...Dr Egner increased the feed to 36ml because...Corgan's left nostril seems blocked again.  Corgan was resting peacefully when we arrived tonight. Bridgette recommended that we not handle him for a while and not do bottle or breast feeds and this should help him keep gaining weight instead of burning it off...

Faulty...

Corgan's weight is now 1,35kg. I did KMC from 08h20 until 11h30...Bukeka tried to give Corgan a bottle but he apparently didn't suck well...this evening Bridgette found that the feeding tube was faulty and so she inserted a new feeding tube. I held Corgan while Shane fed Corgan by holding the feeding syringe. Corgan's dummy is too small now... 

Break Through!

This morning Corgan was off the oxygen and doing well. We complained about the feeding tube being put into Corgan's nostril yesterday...Welile was upset because there had been some confusion and she was pointed out as the one who had inserted the tube into Corgan's right nostril...it was not her that did it...Vanessa looked after Corgan today. Dr Egner managed to get through Corgan's left nostril while suctioning him! A lot crunchy red pieces came out... He said Corgan must now get one breast feed and one bottle feed daily again... Corgan's sats were good after the suctioning. After some KMC when Corgan was taken away and put back in his incubator he cried a lot for almost an hour...even through a tube feeding...he settled down once he was put onto his tummy...Shane's dad visited Corgan for the third time tonight. Corgan was fast asleep during the visit....

A few steps forward, a couple steps back...

Corgan is 11 weeks old today. He is the oldest baby in the NICU but he is still the smallest...When we arrived Corgan had a feeding tube inserted into his good right nostril and his SpO2 was low.  When it was  removed I saw a large amount of mucus type build up come out with the tube. His SpO2 level increased immediately...We were both annoyed because Dr Egner had said the feeding tube must stay in Corgan's mouth so long...He weighed 1,330kg this morning...he struggled this morning and eventually Welile had no choice but to give him oxygen. It was very upsetting...the doctors and nurses always warn you - its a few steps forward, a couple steps back...its just so disappointing going backwards...Later he was put on nasal prongs again at 26% oxygen. Dr Egner told Welile to skip the bottle and breast feeds today...When we returned this evening, Corgan had just had physiotherapy and a large amount of sticky stuff came out of him and was sent for testing. Corgan's SpO2 went down and up a number of times, but eventually he settled. Bridgitte was looking after Corgan tonight. She let me have a cuddle with Corgan before suctioning him, then she let Shane feed Corgan through the tube...

First Day at home...

We had a good day at home as a family :) My sister came to visit so that she could hold Corgan for the first time...My niece, Mikayla, came to meet her cousin...

1,305kg

Corgan now weighs 1,305kg. His feeds stayed the same today. He was not as lazy with breastfeeding today...I noticed that Corgan's nose sounded very snotty and blocked up. He kept desatting. After being suctioned his sats went up for a little while but then he started desatting again...when we got back in the evening Corgan was still the same...Nokuthula let Shane give Corgan his 9pm bottle...he kept desatting, he seemed to be battling to breathe...he would go pale and bluish from time to time...Shane kept having to stop...Corgan hasn't really mastered breathing while he is eating...he only managed to have 23ml of the 35ml. The rest was given via the tube...we left at about 10pm...

2 Bottles...

Corgan weighed 1,280kg today... His feed was increased to 35ml per hour... Dr Egner said Corgan must have two bottle feeds per day and one breast feed... At 9am I breastfed Corgan and it went well although Corgan was a bit lazy and took a while to get going...He pushed out his feeding tube while I was feeding him...My mom had her third visit with Corgan (breaking the rules again)...

Bottled Up...

Welile tried to stick a feed tube down Corgan's left nostril, but it wouldn't go down at all, so there is still a problem with it. She ended up putting it back in his mouth. He was very upset with the attempts to clear his left nostril. He weighs 1.285 kg now. Dr Egner said that Corgan must get one try of bottle feeding and one try of breast feeding per day. When we went back to the hospital this afternoon I gave Corgan his first bottle feed, he did so well, he drank the whole 30ml. We left at quiet time...Corgan was asleep when we got back to the hospital... At 9 o' clock Corgan had his second ever breastfeed and it went very well...

Sixth Blood Transfusion

Dr Egner did a blood gas and found that Corgan is aneamic. He also took a blood sample to cross match blood for a blood transfusion. He increased the feed to 30ml/hr and Corgan can start breast feeding after the blood trasfusion! I was very excited of course. Dr Egner inserted a new short-line drip - Corgan got upset and cried. Corgan now weighs 1.23kg. Shane did KFC with Corgan. When we got back to the hospital this evening, Corgan was midway through his blood transfusion. Nokuthula took over from Welile for the night shift. After the transfusion I breastfed Corgan for the first time and he did very well - he had about ten sucks of each breast and still wanted more. Everyone was very happy. I think a lot of people did not think he could do it yet...

Good Day

I did kmc for a long time this morning...Corgan only beeped once - because his heart rate went up and not because he desatted...after that he desatted and got suctioned properly by Welile...he was perfect afterwards...I did KMC with Corgan this evening and he was very well behaved...He had a good day...

Promotion

Corgan now weighs 1.225 kg. I did KMC with Corgan. Corgan was moved out of the Isolation Ward and into an Infant Incubator in the middle of the main NICU section, they call this a promotion...one step closer to the door...He is still coping very well off the oxygen. I did some more KMC with Corgan this evening...

Room Air!

Corgan weighs 1.19kg today. Doctor Egner returned this morning and was very impressed with Corgan and he took Corgan off the oxygen completely - he is now just on room air - and started him on manual three hour feeds - 27ml every 3 hours. I did KMC and Corgan did very well. When we went back to the hospital this evening Corgan was still breathing well off the oxygen. Sometimes he desatted, but he recovered well...

9.8ml Per Hour

Corgan's feed was increased to 9.8ml/hr. He weighed 1.17kg. I did KMC for a long time...he is now wearing the next size Little Miracle nappies (1kg to 2,5kg) - still a bit loose...

Birthday...

It's my birthday...I told the staff that for my birthday I would like to take my baby home...they didn't budge...Corgan was breathing extremely well today. Shanita was back on duty. During KMC, Corgan's SpO2 remained on 100% for some of the time. In the afternoon Janet had taken over from Shanita...she told us that Shanita had tried Corgan off the oxygen but he did not cope this time. During kmc this evening Corgan stayed wide awake, making loud sucking noises and sucking on my skin...

Suck Up...

It was boiling hot in the NICU! Corgan is doing well. The aircon was still not working but a repairman came to repair it at about 09h00. I noticed that the pulse/ SpO2 probe was flickering occassionally and that it was pulling Corgan's leg tight and he was desatting a lot every time he tried to move his leg, so I pulled it to give a bit of slack...it then started flickering a lot and stopped picking up completely...when I pointed it out to the sister on duty, she had a really bitchy attitude and implied that I had broken it, as if it was fine before I touched it?! What was I supposed to do? Leave my child straining to pulling his leg? Maybe she should have just done her job properly and been more observant? She started moaning at us to just leave it and not to touch it any more but by that time Shane had already fixed it - the adaptor had just come loose - she was silent after that... I left feeling very irritated...back at the hospital this evening Corgan was having a good sleep...The sister was sucking up and being over friendly...

A New Year...

Corgan weighed 1.105 kgs this morning...Dr Roos was happy with Corgan and increased his feed from 9ml/h to 9.2ml/h. Corgan was fine when we got back to the hospital in the evening, but there seemed to be something faulty with the airconditioning because the NICU was hot and humid and the nurses had set up fans here and there....we could even see sweat on Corgan's head...