Timmy Update from the NICU

So much going on that I haven't had time to give a nightly or daily update.  Last week was pretty uneventful, another blood transfusion on Tuesday for low hematocrit, but that was the highlight of days and nights not yet blogged.

This week, on the other hand, has been amazing!  Wednesday night Dr. Parry stopped in to check on Timmy and said that his throat feels great so he will be taking him back to the OR on Saturday for de-traching.  Hooray!  (Please keep him in your prayers that this will be the final final extubation.)  He then asked how "mom is doing with breastfeeding."  Jenny got to tell him that someone had nixed that idea and I hadn't yet even been allowed to try.  He said that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard so when I came in Wednesday night, Mary Ann (our nurse practitioner) and Aaron Leatch (our current resident) gave me the green light.  Alas, Timmy had just been fed at 9:00pm so he wasn't interested.  Licked a little, but nothing too exciting.  I decided to spend the night and keep trying.  Midnight - same, maybe a little more licking, but Timmy still wasn't too alert.  3am, another repeat.  He must have had a tired night because I didn't see much of his eyes.

Not really disappointed, just so excited to FINALLY be getting the chance to feed Timmy.  He hit 12 weeks old on Wednesday as well so it was nice to celebrate that in a way with our first attempt at breastfeeding.

I went home around 5am so my mother-in-law wouldn't worry because I hadn't planned on staying the night.  She's a smart woman and said she had noticed earlier that I wasn't back and wondered if I might be breastfeeding.  She is so supportive and great with the kids so she let me come back again at noon Thursday to try again and - wahoo! - we have a latch!  I had called ahead to let the nurse, Sandy, know that I was on my way so she held his feed and he was awake and hungry when I got here. 

When I arrived in Timmy's room, Dr. Bedrick caught me first and asked how the breastfeeding was going.  I told him Timmy was just licking and hadn't latched on yet but didn't push me away or otherwise appear averse to the idea.  Dr. Bedrick said what a few of the nurses had said that that was good.  Timmy just needed to get used to the idea.  Right now we were just doing practice feedings, not nutritive feedings.

But Timmy had other ideas.  Once we had Timmy ready and I got him in position, it only took maybe a minute of rooting around before we had success!  Sandy caught my eye at one point to ask how he was doing and I said, "Oh, he's eating!"  She came to check and could not believe it.  Several people have cautioned that most babies who have been intubated as long as Timmy was develop an aversion to having something in their mouths and have a difficult time becoming breastfeeders, if they are able to at all.  However, many of us were very optimistic because of how strongly Timmy sucked on his ET tube, on his binky, on fingers while being taped...  The boy likes to suck!

I couldn't be more proud of him.  I have been giddily euphoric all day, hoping and praying that it wasn't a one-time fluke and it has only gotten better.  When I came back in at 6pm, Timmy latched on again right away.  Again, though, he didn't feed long enough and received half his feed by gavage.  (Since they cannot measure how much baby takes by breast, they go by time.  Currently, Timmy should be at 40mls/feed.  If he feeds 10 minutes or more, it will be considered a full feed.  5-10 minutes, a half feed and he will receive 20mls by gavage.  Less than 5 and he will receive the full 40mls by gavage.)  Happy to report that upon return at 9pm, Timmy made me one happy mommy by having his first full feed - 20 minutes!  Repeat at midnight.  We are on a roll!  He was wide awake both times.  (Thanks, Cindy, for doing trach care at midnight to help.)

I didn't think I could be more tired than I have been but trying to breastfeed, help with cares and pump out what Timmy doesn't suck takes a lot of time.  Combined with trying to get home during the day to help my saintly mother-in-law with the kids and give them at least a fraction of the attention they are so desperate for these days, I'm pretty much wiped out. 

Still taking lots of pictures and will upload when I can.  Thanks to all for your prayers and encouragement!

***Apologies for any incoherence or typos.  Not sure a proofread would do any good at the moment!***