Just a quick update today. Caitlin is slowly but surely making progress and getting her lungs better. It is hard for us not being able to hold her and snuggle with her, but I am trying to look at this as an external womb that I can watch! We will still get to do all the new parent things, just not quite yet.
Here is a quick run down of her treatments:
- she has been on the ventilator since Saturday night to help her lungs catch up with the rest of her. She still does a lot of the breathing work and they are slowly weaning her off of the ventilator. She also was able to get some surfactant, a substance that the body makes and allows the lungs to do their job. This tides her over until her body can make more.
- she has not been able to eat yet because of the other concerns and having a breathing tube, so she gets nutrients through her iv. Food will be the next thing to work on once the respiratory issues clear up.
- she is under some phototherapy lights right now to help with jaundice. Apparently nearly every preemie has to do that at some point. She looks like she is in a baby tanning bed.
We just talked to the neonatalogist that will be watching over her this week, and she told us she just read the book on being a preemie and is acting accordingly.
It's still scary to have a baby in the NICU, but we are so grateful to have her here, in such great hands, especially after losing her big sister Monica.
Keep your good thoughts and prayers coming!
Good to see you today Teresa! Wishing you didn't have to clock time in the NICU with your feisty, smart (she already reads baby development books), and kickin little girl. We have all been waiting for Caitlin to come for so long, it's hard to have to wait longer! Anyway, hang in there. You're stronger than you know.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Sarah