Food and Social Security

Margot:

David:

In order for David and Margot to come home from the hospital, they need to meet three requirements:

1. They need to be able to breathe on their own.  

2. They need to be able to regulate their temperature.

3. They need to be able to eat on their own and sustain an appetite.

They have been progressing well against these three items.  They can breathe on their own.  They do have apnea spells every once in a while, but those are mainly due to their reflux.  They are on nasal cannula, but not really because they can't breathe - more to remind them to breathe.  They are masters at regulating their temperatures.  They are both in cribs (versus incubators that stay warm to help with this) and get their temperatures checked every 3 hours to make sure they are staying in the normal range.  They always are.  Good job, David and Margot!

Food.  That is the final hurdle.  We have been discussing that with the doctors and nurses over the past few days.  Both David and Margot had been getting their feeds over a 2 hour time period.  Today, we contracted that down to 1.5 hours.  In order to try feeding by mouth, we need to be down to 30 minutes.  We also need to have their nasal cannula flow down to 1 liter (or nothing).  They are currently on 2 liters.  

So, the plan is to see how they do with 1.5 hours feeding time today (so far, they have been doing fine).  Then, either tomorrow or the next day, we will turn down their nasal cannula flow to 1.5 liters.  We will keep making a change towards the goals of 30 minute feeds and 1 liter nasal cannula each day until we get there.  We don't want to make more than one change per day because then if they have a setback, we won't know what caused it.  The other change we might throw in the mix is changing their reflux medication.  Right now they are still on zantac, but there are other medications that we might try now that they are a little older.  

Currently, David is getting 42 ounces of fortified breast milk every 3 hours.  Margot is getting 40 ounces.  As far as growth goes, David and Margot are both thriving.  David is now 5 lbs, 5 oz, and Margot is 4 lbs, 10 oz.  Here is a picture of Margot getting weighed a few nights ago:

When I got home from the hospital this evening, I checked the mail and found a letter addressed to David and one to Margot.  They were their social security cards!!!  They got good numbers that are only away from one another.....I hope I don't lose the cards before they need them.  They say that they shouldn't be signed until the bearer turns 18 or has their first job, whichever is first.  Interesting!  It made me think of Bubba's social security card (which he still has) that he signed as "Bubba Fair" at the age of 5.  His dad then had him cross out Bubba and write "James David Fair" above it.  Ha!