1254 Just visited RT.  The fluid they have been getting out during suction is darkening.

 It’s a good sign that the bleeding is slowing,  no bright red anymore!

While we were there he was having an echocardiogram on his little heart.  He got irritated and his heart rate was up around 210 bpm and he had one eye open giving the ultrasound tech the stink eye. So I reached in and calmed him down by containing his flailing little arms.

Babys this young like feeling a boundary, he likes having his hands tucked under his chin. The boundrys remind them of being back inside mom so they feel more secure. His heart rate came back down to the 170 range, which is within limits. The inspection on his heart finally finishes up,  ultrasound technicians aren’t allowed to disclose results only take the pictures.  Now back to the waiting game.

2131  its time for his 2100 cares I change his diaper and he pees on me again.  We are starting to get a routine! I manage to get his 2nd diaper on him without any issues. Tonight when they weigh him he has gained some weight, almost back up to his birth weight. He is now 650 grams! Good job RT.

RT is so small he can’t swallow properly and on top of that his breathing tube would make it impossible. RT has a small tube that runs down his throat and into his stomach.

First the nurse hooks a syringe to this tube and suctions out his stomach which…  I can’t imagine this is a pleasant sensation, she measures the amount of fluid and notes any discrepancies,  then slowly forces it back into his tummy.

We store the freshly made milk in RT’s private mini fridge next to his incubator,  the nurse precisely measures out 2cc of milk that momma has worked so hard to make. She asks me if I would like to feed him, I ofcourse agree to do it. She connects a syringe with no plunger to the feeding tube and hands it to me. We add the carefully measured 4cc of milk to the syringe and I hold it above his head. It slowly gravity feeds into his growing tummy. It takes 20 calories for him to digest his food.

I have now fed RT for the first time.  While it isnt a traditional feeding it is another exciting first!