Discharge

The new normal

I was discharged from the hospital Monday afternoon. Before we left, I did an hour of kanagroo care with Maggie. She is just so perfectly sweet and snuggly, even at her small size. The time was therapeutic for both of us.

Maggie had another bloody stool before we arrived in the NICU yesterday morning, which the doctors were concerned about. Test results came back fast and it was determined the blood in her stool was from me (ingested during delivery), so she is absolutely healthy and the doctors did resume her feedings. She is still receiving breast milk through a feeding tube and the rest of her essential fats/nutrients through IV until her intestines are matured enough to handle feedings. She is now up to 7 ml per feeding (from 4 ml a day or so ago). She is still receiving almost light theraphy to keep her bilirubin levels down. We called to check on her before bed last night and she was doing just great.

Jeff and I will be visiting her in the NICU this afternoon for some more kangaroo care! We'll keep doing this every day for the next few weeks. Around 35/36 weeks gestation babies develop the proper sucking reflex, so once she starts to learn this, her feedings will increase and we'll get to start nursing. I'm sure that will change our routine to me spending more time at the hospital so I can nurse with her. Once she is able to take all of her feedings by mouth (via bottle or breast), consistently gain and keep on weight, and regulate her body temperature, she'll get to go home.

Bridget

More Rest

Another day of rest

Today continued to be a much needed day of restorative rest and recovery for both me and Maggie. I am feeling more and more mobile and got up again to make a visit to the NICU to see her, along with Jeff.

Yesterday we had learned Maggie had some blood in her stool. The doctors were trying to determine if was caused by the delivery or if she has an intestinal issue. She was taken off of her feedings until they knew more. After the x-ray came back today, it turns out she is OK and it is safe to resume feedings. She is being fed breastmilk/formula 4 times daily through a feeder tube the goes in her nose to her stomach. Nurse Kim says Maggie really likes to eat, which is a good sign. I'm doing my best to keep up my end of the deal for her.

Another change in Maggie's condition is that she had an apnea spell today (common for babies born prematurely - this is when the baby stops/forgets to breathe and needs assitance coming out of the spell). Maggie's nurses got her through this episode and have started her on caffeine, which helps limit these spells.
Maggie continues to spend lots of time under the UV lights today, so our visit was short this afternoon. We plan to return this evening to give her "kanagroo" care (this is skin to skin contact) for a while, then she'll go back under the lights.

We'll be going home tomorrow and before we do, Jeff and I are going to work on a little photo project for Maggie. We're going to print out pictures of Cece, Ole, Artie, and us and stick them on her isolette, so she is always surrounded by us (even when we're not here).

As great as it will be to go home, it will be weird to not go home with our new baby girl. However, we know that she'll be with us really soon and that she's in the best place possible with the smartest doctors and nurses taking constant care of her.

Bridget, Jeff, Cece & Maggie

Recovery

Going home on Monday!

After another good day of recovery, I'm finally feeling better to write in the journal! I had a good night's sleep and have been able to manage through the pain today with the help of some lovely drugs and several naps. I've gotten up a few times and walked around. We visited Maggie in the NICU, but didn't get to hold her because she was undergoing light therapy (to get her billirubin levels stable).

The doctor's say that I get to go home on Monday, which will be nice, because I miss our little Cece. She's doing so great this week and has been a good girl for her grandparents.

My folks brought Cece to visit last night and we showed her pictures of Maggie. She kissed each and everyone one! She is too little to visit her in the NICU (siblings have to be 2), so I think the pictures helped her understand what is going on.

The next month is going to be hard on our family, but I think we'll be able to get through it. I just want Maggie to do well and get strong so she can come home with us as soon as she can.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We certainly feel so blessed to have your support.

Bridget, Jeff, Cece and Maggie

Bridet Feeling Better

Bridget continues to feel better. We both had a good night's rest and Bridget's moving around more and more. She walked to the corner of the wing we're in today (as she did yesterday). The IV came out today, too, which means there's less concern around her hemoglobin levels.

We visisted Maggie this morning. The nurses are concerned with her bilirubin levels so they had her under a bili-light. She looked like she was hanging out at the beach, complete with shades. They were also a bit concerned about a bloody stool she had. The blood could either be from the delivery or from her intestine. If it's from her intestine, that's a more serious issue. However, everything else looks normal so the nurse thought it was more likely that the blood was from the delivery. We'll know more later.

Happy Birthday Margaret Josephine!

Well, what a day! As I (Jeff) write this, Bridget is taking a snooze next to me. She's earned some good rest.

She started feeling contractions this morning around 5 or 5:30. By 7:30, the contractions were getting more painful and closer together. But, since the doctor was concerned about an abruption (the tearing of the placenta from the uterine wall), she decided to do an emergency c-section.

As was the case with Cece, the doctors/techs had a hard time finding a good vein for an IV or to draw blood, which just added to the stress of the situation. By about 9:30 or 10, they had the OR prepped and wheeled Bridget away.

Fifteen minutes or so later I was able to go in the OR and sit with Bridget while they performed the operation. She was cold so we walked about warm things -- Aruba, hot tubs, etc.

At 10:30, out came the baby. They held her up over the sheet and I got my first look at Margaret Josephine, or Maggie. Her eyes were wide open and she looked beautiful! I got to cut her cord and follow the convoy of doctors into the NICU while they checked her out.

OK so stats. She was officially born at 31 weeks, 2 days. She weighed in at 3 pounds 5 ounces and is 16 inches long. Despite being a preemie, she breathes just fine on her own (some babies born this early need the help of a respirator). She scored a 9 out of 10 on her Apgar test. Just like her big sister.

She'll likely be in the NICU for a month or so in order to make sure she can do three things without help: eating, breathing, and regulating temperature.

After hanging out with Maggie for maybe a half hour (and getting her to wrap her tiny little fingers around my finger), I went over to the post-op recovery room to check on Bridget. Her heartbeat was a bit "tachy" and she had low blood pressure. She's since been given lots of fluids and a unit of blood which has helped with the blood pressure and her heart rate looks much better now. They have to get the blood pressure regulated before they can give Bridget any pain medication, so needless to say she was not feeling too hot. She just recently was given some percoset, so that's helping.

Judging from our experience with the first c-section, I know the first day is the hardest in terms of recovery, so keep Bridget in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. And keep Maggie in your thought and prayers for a relatively short stay in the NICU.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support. We love you all and can't wait for you to meet our new little girl.

Jeff, Bridget, Cece and Maggie

Visitors

We had lots of vistors tonight. Mom and I had dinner together from Pizza Luce, which delivers right to the room :) Around 5:30, Jeff and Cece stopped up. Cece had fun pushing the controls on my bed, going for a stroller ride with Grandma to feed the meter and riding up and down the elevator. Then, our good friend Jon stopped in and bit later Jeff's brother Chris and his wife Katie and the kids. Jeff stayed until about 10 tonight. I was put on the maternal/fetal monitor at 8 p.m. for about an hour. Baby's heart rate is doing good, lots of accelerations (which is what they want to see). No contractions. Hoping for a good night's rest and an uneventful tomorrow. Looking forward to Jeff's breakfast visit tomorrow, complete with a hot cup of Starbuck's and a delicious Brueggers bagel. 

Water Broke - Uh Oh

Jeff and I are expecting the birth of our little girl. Her due date is November 29, but she decided to get things moving a little sooner. My water broke prematurely at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning (9/27) at 31 weeks. I was admitted to Fairview Riverside hospital that morning.

After a series of tests, the conclusion was that my water broke early for no known reason. Since the baby is at 31 weeks, her lungs aren't fully matured, so I was given a series of steroid shots over the last two days to aide her lung development.

I am on bedrest in the hospital for the forseeable future until I go into labor. We have no way of knowing when that will be. However, the doctors will do a c-section if any complications arise. If nothing happens and we make it to 34 weeks and still haven't gone into labor, the doctors will do a c-section.

Regardless of when our little babe arrives, we're looking at her spending some time in the Newborn ICU. We've been reassured by all of the doctors and nurses that even if our baby is born at 31 weeks, she will do well. Of course, every day that she stays put, the better her development will be (better to grow on the inside than outside), hence the bedrest.

My ultrasound indicates that baby is about 3 lbs 12 oz, a good size for being a preemie. My doctor says it's a good thing that I can grow big babies (Cece was nearly 9 lbs).

We're in very capable hands here at Riverside and the doctors and nurses have been outstanding. We had a tour of the NICU last night and saw a bitty baby that same size/age as ours (if she was to be born this week). Much bigger than we had envisioned. The NICU staff must be made of angels, because they give those little miracles the best care and attention.

Jeff and I will continue to post updates about our little girl.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! We're staying positive over here!

Love,

Bridget & Jeff