NICU Day 18

I saw the babies this morning; they are doing great. They get bigger each time I see them! Bobby is just a tiny bit shy of 3 pounds and Maya is 2 and a half pounds. They think they may be dressing and swaddling them by the end of this week or next! I'm not sure how the babies will feel about clothes... They seem to love being naked and wearing their diapers are challenges!

Both are eating and returning very little residuals. They are holding their body temperatures well during kangarooing. The one thing we are noticing with Maya is that she is having some issue with breathing while eating. While her respiratory rate stays fine, her oxygenation rate tends to drop into the 70s (it should stay above 82) when she is eating. They thought that it might be because her feeding tube was in her nose (this started when she got the canula in her nose, so the idea is that she may be having issues with two things in there at once), so today they moved her feeding tube back to her mouth. When I arrived, she was having a desat, but the nurse chuckled and said she was fine all morning and must have heard me coming so she wanted to give me a show. Bobby seems to be the same way. He will have no alarm for hours, but then have us visiting his sister's isolette and he will have a bradycardia spell that lasts just long enough for us to look up at his monitor. (Seriously, just 2-3 seconds...)

Both babies are really doing so well. I cant complain.

I'm trying to get my milk production higher. I am in the normal range but because they add the fortifier to a higher amount, I'm feeling a little like an underachiever (this ticks Peter off since, as I said before, I'm producing the low end of normal). Last night, they thought they might have to thaw some milk. Peter sees this as fine, I see it as a problem. So, I'm hoping to boost production with MotherLove, a supplement to help increase breastmilk. They have a special PCOS formula, but Whole Foods didnt have that one in, so I'll be ordering it online. And even funnier, I may try the traditional Irish remedy of a few ounces of Guinness every other day. As I'm telling Peter the benefits of this groovy little beverage (iron, how the brew helps increase production, etc), the smart aleck yells downstairs "Dont forget the Omega 3 fatty acids." Yeah. You're just jealous that your ancestors didnt come up with drinking 6 ounces of stout every 2 days to increase breastmilk... We shall see... I need something to obsess over, so this gets to be it, I guess!

I was a busy girl today. This morning, I left early and went to the bank, BBB for a scale and some rubbermaid totes, and Whole Foods for the MotherLove. All before the hospital! I did Maya's care, pumped, then Bobby's care, and, on the way home, went to BRU to return 2 things from the shower that somehow were over purchased, even with them showing up on the registry (it showed that I registered for 2 but received 3... not sure how this happened). So, I returned them and got some preemie clothes, since the nurses asked that we bring in some button up outfits. I didnt buy too much; I mean, they wont be under 5 pounds forever! (At least, I hope not!) Then, as I continued home, I went by the jewelry store to pick up Peter's watch (to which we had Bobby and Maya's names added) and my mother's ring (recently set with sapphires). I also dropped my anniversary band off. I've needed it sized down for the longest time and just never got around to it. So, I figured, why not! No kidding, as I'm picking up stuff, the girl behind the counter says "You're the woman who just had the twins, arent you! How are you feeling? How are the babies?" (We live in a small town. This store is in the next town over, but is where we get our jewelry work done and where we recommended my mother-in-law go to have her work done.) It was cute. They wished us well, oohed over pictures, and asked that we remember to bring the babies in when they come home.

I did all of this before 2pm! I got home in time for my 2 o'clock pumping (well, I was 15 minutes late once I got into my 'pumping chair' and got started). Afterwards, I started a load of baby laundry (my hope is to get the preemie stuff to the hospital tonight) and then took a nap. The nurse last night and one of the nurses today stressed that I need to sleep during the day to keep my milk production high since I'm pumping at night (for example, I pumped and then went to bed at 1am, then back up at 5am... I normally pump every 3 hours except at night, so today has been pumping at 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm- yep, right now! I do it for 30 minutes then do clean up). So, I took an hour long nap. When I got up, I tossed the laundry in the dryer and cleaned breast pump materials (since I didnt do my hospital pieces when I got home because I needed to pump again). I kid you not when I say my life is pumping, babies, and sleeping. It really is.

I've got to get back into nutrition. It was easy to eat well when pregnant. I need to remind myself that eating well results in good breast milk nutrition. It's too damn easy to skip breakfast because I need to leave for the hospital (never mind I've been awake for at least 2 hours beforehand) or to skip lunch because of XY and Z and eat a snack (like peanut butter and crackers) instead. At least dinners tend to be somewhat balanced, but I've got to make sure the rest of my meals are too. It's part of my goal for this week.

Well, Peter should be leaving work around now... We'll have a little time together over dinner and then it is off to see the little ones! He is holding Maya tonight and I have Bobby. I cant wait. 8pm-10pm are my favorite two hours of the day...