(Sorry for not posting yesterday. Not much happened and I was tired when we got home.)
We are making steps towards going home. Lucy received her Hepatitis B vaccination today. She cried a little bit but quickly settled.
Lucy took over 80% of her feeds by mouth yesterday. At 3AM today, she drank her entire bottle. This is very good news and her keeping this up is what will get us home sooner. Because we also want to know that she knows how to breastfeed before we go home, we are going to work on breastfeeding during the day and bottle feeding overnight. For any feeding that I am at the hospital, Lucy and I will practice breastfeeding. Until I get a feel that she is taking in a large quantity, she will receive her 64ml of fortified breast milk via tube after she is done feeding. Overnight, the nurses can feed her the 64ml via bottle. Because of Lucy's meds (sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate), she will continue to need milk via tube/bottle 3 times per day. We are fortifying the breast milk with Similac PM 60/40. This makes the breast milk higher in calories without messing with Lucy's sodium and potassium levels. The dietitian brought us the powder and the recipe today. (Another step towards home.)
One of the things Lucy must do before she can go home is pass her "car seat challenge." She must sit in her car seat for 30-45 minutes and demonstrate that she can keep her heart beating and remember to breathe. I don't think the doctors are really concerned about this for Lucy - It is just one of those things all NICU babies must do. Kris and I brought the car seat in to the hospital today, and I think they are going to do her challenge tonight.
Lucy's weight is finally above her birth weight. She weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces today. (However, she did not have a dirty diaper before being weighed, so that 6lb 9oz counts whatever urine and stool were still inside.)
As new parents, we are learning that an uncovered baby butt is like a loaded gun - you should never point it at anyone cause it might discharge at any time. We have had a couple occasions where Lucy has taken us by surprise during a diaper change. Fortunately, in the hospital, she is in the isolette and those standing nearby are protected. At home, we are not going to have such protection and will have to use care when changing diapers. :)
Outfit changes: 2
Weight: 6lbs 9oz
PO intake: >80% yesterday
Lab values: sodium within normal limits, potassium slightly high again
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