Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tuesday December 27, 2011 - 25 days old

When can he come home?
That is the $1,000,000 question.

My guess on Saturday that we were a few days from coming home may have been overly optimistic.  He had a high percentage of his feeds Saturday orally - but then he also showed some signs of being tired by the end of the day.  Alex's heart rate, respiration and oxygen saturation are constantly monitored.  Its not that uncommon for babies - especially preterm babies - to have "spells" where their heart rate drops or breathing slows/stops and their oxygen saturation levels drop.  Its a concern if they can't pull out of it without assistance.  Alex has these periodically (as do all babies, even full term babies) and he always pulls himself out of them without assistance.  He had more of them on Saturday - which is a sign that he was tired and we needed to let him have more rest.  Since then we've taken a more careful and consistent approach.  He's progressing each day and I would guess we are now around 50%.

But he can't come home until he is 1) at 100% eating on his own, 2) for 24 hours, and 3) gaining weight all at the same time.  I tell Alex he must be his father's baby, because he cannot be rushed!  He has to do things on his own time.  He will get there.



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