Having a baby in the NICU is the most stressful thing I've ever experienced. The ups and downs, the bleeping and bleating, the levels rising and falling. There is no such thing as constancy.
Preterm babies don't breathe regularly and they often have "spells" or apnea episodes. Greyson had a couple last night. He really hasn't had many, but the fact that he has had any freaks me out. I just want my little baby to breathe.
He has also had trouble keeping his blood gas levels where they want them. His CO2 levels are higher then they like to see. So he may be on the CPAP for awhile longer. We were hoping to get him off of that and on to the high-flow nasal cannula by today. I'm still hoping that by the end of the week they will move him off the CPAP. But whatever it takes to keep my baby breathing.
He is also having some residual food in his stomach after a feeding. He is getting 30ml every 3 hours and they only want 10% residuals. Yesterday he was having residuals of 14, 12 and 8. But then he had a big BM and his residuals dropped to 4 and then 3. So we think he was just "backed up". I'm glad it was an easy fix and that he took care of things on this own, but I hate worrying about all of this.
Having a baby in the NICU is stressful and can make a girl crazy.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Day After
So the morning after Greyson was born I was determined to go up and see him as soon as possible. Unfortunately I was recovering from major surgery and hadn't slept in 24+ hours. You are supposed to stay in bed for the first 12 hours, but at 6 hours I was begging the nurses to get me up and out of bed. I couldn't last that long without seeing and touching my baby. So as soon as they would let me I was sitting up on the edge of my bed - then I practically demanded they get me into a wheelchair and up to the NICU.
I was up there by 1:00pm. It was so nice to see him. He was so tiny and sweet. I touched his little feet and hands and just couldn't believe we had made this amazing little person. Even though he was so early, he looked great to me.
They didn't let me stay up with him very long, but it was great. I made several trips up to the NICU throughout the day. By the end of the day I was walking around - way before I should have. I really paid for it the next morning. I was so sore and exhausted that I couldn't make it up to see him until that afternoon. I'm learning how to pace myself.
I was up there by 1:00pm. It was so nice to see him. He was so tiny and sweet. I touched his little feet and hands and just couldn't believe we had made this amazing little person. Even though he was so early, he looked great to me.
They didn't let me stay up with him very long, but it was great. I made several trips up to the NICU throughout the day. By the end of the day I was walking around - way before I should have. I really paid for it the next morning. I was so sore and exhausted that I couldn't make it up to see him until that afternoon. I'm learning how to pace myself.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Weigh In
Greyson is back up to his birth weight! Wow! That happened a lot faster than I thought it would. They are also planning to take out his CPAP and put him on a nasal cannula (the oxygen tube under the nose that most people get when they are in the hospital) within the week! Greyson is doing so well.
Today I was able to hold him for almost 2 hours. Unfortunately he pulled out his feeding tube. He's taken to lifting his own head up and moving it around and pulled out the tube in the process. He didn't seem to mind, but it freaked me out. They put it back in and everything is fine.
UPDATE: This evening he is up a half ounce! What a growing boy!
Today I was able to hold him for almost 2 hours. Unfortunately he pulled out his feeding tube. He's taken to lifting his own head up and moving it around and pulled out the tube in the process. He didn't seem to mind, but it freaked me out. They put it back in and everything is fine.
UPDATE: This evening he is up a half ounce! What a growing boy!
Greyson Videos #1
Greyson and his Crazy Legs!
Greyson with the hiccups and getting his temperature taken by mom.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Greyson's Birth Story
Very early Thursday morning (November 20th), I went into the hospital with Placenta Previa. It was a scary night involving my first ambulance ride and lots of blood. I spent 3 days on Magnesium Sulfate to stop any contractions and keep Greyson put.
Then the plan was that if I didn't have any more contractions or bleeding I could go home that Tuesday (Nov. 25th) which was also our anniversary. But as fate would have it I started bleeding again on Monday night (Nov. 24th), so I spent our anniversary and Thanksgiving in the hospital.
Then the plan was that I could go home on the next Monday (Dec. 1st) if I didn't bleed. Well, Saturday (Nov. 29th) I started bleeding again. At that point I had bled three times which meant that going home was no longer an option until the little guy was born. We settled in, planned to spend the next 6 to 8 weeks in the hospital. And once again things didn't work out as we had planned.
Monday night (Dec. 1st) after dinner Michael and I were watching TV when I started bleeding again, and it wasn't stopping. Then I started having contractions and bleeding more. The nurse told us that we may have to have a c-section soon. I just didn't believe it! We were just 3 days away from 30 weeks, I wanted to hold off at least until then. Then I started having more frequent contractions. They hooked me up to Magnesium Sulfate, which stopped the contractions when I first arrived at the hospital but this time they didn't do anything. At 10:30pm it was decided that I had to have a c-section right then. So they started prepping me for surgery before I could even get my head around everything. Before I knew it I was being wheeled over the the c-section room and was getting a spinal. Part of why I was planning a natural childbirth (which clearly didn't work out) was because I was so afraid of getting a spinal. It was surprisingly easy and didn't hurt much at all, the bad part was that it made me immediately nauseous. I threw up and was unable to lie down immediately, which caused the meds to settle in my legs - not my abdomen. So I was still able to feel everything in the area where the c-section is preformed so they had to put me all the way out. When they decided to put me out, Michael had to leave the room. So neither of us saw the birth of our baby. Which, more than anything else makes me sad.
Greyson Alden Perry was born at 11:57am on December 1st, 2008. He was only 29 weeks gestation and amazingly enough he weighed in at 3lbs 4oz. Michael followed him up to the NICU where they intibated him becuase eventhough I had recieved the steroid shots to give his lung development a boost, they were still very under developed.
Michael came back down to me when I was waking up. I remember seeing his face as I came to. It was so comforting to see him there, but I wanted to see my baby. They wheeled me up to the NICU and I was able to glance at him, but since I was still on a gurney and he was in the baby warmer with lots of equipment and nurses all I got was a passing glance at my beautiful baby boy. I couldn't sleep at all that night, all I wanted was to touch my baby. It just didn't seem real that he was born. One of the nurses had taken photos of him right after the delivery and I stayed up looking at them over and over again until the batteries ran out on the camera. I just missed my baby so much. I kept running my hands over my abdomen, missing his kicks and headbutts. It's a strange thing to have child without being awake for the birth or seeing him right away. I didn't get to see him until 1:00pm the next day. But that is another story.
Greyson Alden Perry, I love you so much.
Then the plan was that if I didn't have any more contractions or bleeding I could go home that Tuesday (Nov. 25th) which was also our anniversary. But as fate would have it I started bleeding again on Monday night (Nov. 24th), so I spent our anniversary and Thanksgiving in the hospital.
Then the plan was that I could go home on the next Monday (Dec. 1st) if I didn't bleed. Well, Saturday (Nov. 29th) I started bleeding again. At that point I had bled three times which meant that going home was no longer an option until the little guy was born. We settled in, planned to spend the next 6 to 8 weeks in the hospital. And once again things didn't work out as we had planned.
Monday night (Dec. 1st) after dinner Michael and I were watching TV when I started bleeding again, and it wasn't stopping. Then I started having contractions and bleeding more. The nurse told us that we may have to have a c-section soon. I just didn't believe it! We were just 3 days away from 30 weeks, I wanted to hold off at least until then. Then I started having more frequent contractions. They hooked me up to Magnesium Sulfate, which stopped the contractions when I first arrived at the hospital but this time they didn't do anything. At 10:30pm it was decided that I had to have a c-section right then. So they started prepping me for surgery before I could even get my head around everything. Before I knew it I was being wheeled over the the c-section room and was getting a spinal. Part of why I was planning a natural childbirth (which clearly didn't work out) was because I was so afraid of getting a spinal. It was surprisingly easy and didn't hurt much at all, the bad part was that it made me immediately nauseous. I threw up and was unable to lie down immediately, which caused the meds to settle in my legs - not my abdomen. So I was still able to feel everything in the area where the c-section is preformed so they had to put me all the way out. When they decided to put me out, Michael had to leave the room. So neither of us saw the birth of our baby. Which, more than anything else makes me sad.
Greyson Alden Perry was born at 11:57am on December 1st, 2008. He was only 29 weeks gestation and amazingly enough he weighed in at 3lbs 4oz. Michael followed him up to the NICU where they intibated him becuase eventhough I had recieved the steroid shots to give his lung development a boost, they were still very under developed.
Michael came back down to me when I was waking up. I remember seeing his face as I came to. It was so comforting to see him there, but I wanted to see my baby. They wheeled me up to the NICU and I was able to glance at him, but since I was still on a gurney and he was in the baby warmer with lots of equipment and nurses all I got was a passing glance at my beautiful baby boy. I couldn't sleep at all that night, all I wanted was to touch my baby. It just didn't seem real that he was born. One of the nurses had taken photos of him right after the delivery and I stayed up looking at them over and over again until the batteries ran out on the camera. I just missed my baby so much. I kept running my hands over my abdomen, missing his kicks and headbutts. It's a strange thing to have child without being awake for the birth or seeing him right away. I didn't get to see him until 1:00pm the next day. But that is another story.
Greyson Alden Perry, I love you so much.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Perry Family
IMG_1224
Originally uploaded by M Perry Family
All three of us. I still can't believe that Michael and I made this adorable little boy.
Holding Greyson
After 70 hours Greyson was finally stable enough to be placed in my arms. It was the best feeling in the world. I am still amazed that I can love someone this much.
He really opened his eyes for the first time when he was in my arms. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it was. My normally fussy baby was cal and happy and breathing easy when we were together. I think we both knew that this is where he belongs.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
He's Here!
Greyson Alden Perry has arrived.
It was quite the night, I'll write all about it soon. But right now I'm a little out of it - and all I want to do is sit next to him.
It was quite the night, I'll write all about it soon. But right now I'm a little out of it - and all I want to do is sit next to him.
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