Week of August 27th
8 Weeks old! Annika 3 pounds 8 ounces; Mia 2 pounds 5 ounces
Another great week for the girls! Grandma and Grandpa Sweetland got to hold the girls for the first time on Tuesday-what a treat! The girls continue to share a crib and are getting along great, they enjoy the attention they get when they act cute! Mia has had 2 more baths and she now enjoys the warm water and only fusses when she has to get out! Annika's feeds were increased to 35cc every 3 hours, Mia was increased to 19cc every 2 hours. The nurses tried increasing her to every 3 hours with a larger volume but she didn't tolerate it very well, so they will wait a few more days and try again. They want to try to get her on the same feeding schedule as Annika.
Breastfeeding has been difficult because the girls sleep so much and only have brief periods when they are ready to try. We have been trying to be at the nursery for longer periods of time in order to catch them when they are ready. We found out Mia has an inguinal hernia (a hernia in the groin area) which is pretty common in boy preemies, not so much in girls (maybe 20% the doctor told us). We will wait and see if she will need to have surgery to close it. The eye doctor evaluated the girls on Friday and told us Annika will probably have to have the laser eye surgery for ROP. So far, Mia's eyes look ok so we are just in a waiting period to see how much Annika's eyes change in the next week before surgery will be scheduled. The girls are doing great, they are the "grown ups" in the ICN now and they love to show off how well they are doing!
Week of August 20th
7 Weeks old! Annika 3 pounds 2 ounces; Mia 2 pounds 1 ounce
We are so excited about the girls' progress this week! Mia is now in "big girl" diapers, she moved from tiny tiny "wee pee" diapers to regular preemie diapers. She also had her first bath ( which she hated but mom loved!). But the really big news this week was the girls were co-bedded together in Mia's isolette! They were kept there 4 days to ensure they were able to keep their temperatures stable on their own and then were moved to an open crib. This is a huge step for preemies since it can be difficult for them to maintain their body temps without losing weight. They love laying together and everyone enjoys watching them lick and give kisses to each other. There have not been any "time outs" yet since they have been getting along really well. Both girls are tolerating their feeds and also being gradually weaned off their oxygen. Mia's feeds increased to 15 cc every 2 hours and Annika is now at 30cc every 3 hours (that's alot of grub!). We are also still working on learning how to breastfeed. It is difficult for the girls to remember how to suck, swallow and breathe all at once. It will be awhile before they can breastfeed completely but they are getting better every day!
Week of August 13th
6 weeks old! Annika 3 pounds!; Mia 1 pound, 12 ounces
The girls have had another amazing week! Mia was placed on a nasal cannula and taken off CPAP. This is the last step before not having to have any help with breathing at all. Annika had her breathing tube removed and was placed back on CPAP and did so well this time she was placed on nasal cannula also after only 4 days. Mia had DOUBLED her weight as of Friday the 17th- amazing little girl....
Annika had her first tub bath on Saturday, she loved it when warm water was poured over her. She made cooing baby noises and slept so soundly afterwards. Both girls also tried breastfeeding, although it will be several weeks before they actually get the hang of it. Feedings were increased to 12 cc every 2 hours for Mia and Annika has been increased to almost 30 cc every 3 hours! They certainly know when it's time to eat, you can set your watch by them. It has been truly amazing to see the changes both girls have made in just one weeks' time. Annika is starting to behave like a "baby" and Mia continues to amaze us with her growth and development. We are looking forward to the next step of co-bedding the girls in a single crib. It should be fun to watch them suck on each other's hands and poke each other. Finally Mia will be able to get Annika back for all that kicking she put up with inside mom!
Week of August 6th
5 weeks old! Annika 2 pounds, 13 ounces; Mia 1 pound, 11 ounces
The girls had a very exciting week! Mia had her breathing tube removed and she was placed on CPAP like her sister Annika. She tolerated the transition very well and actually sucked on her binky for about 30 minutes afterward. Very cute! Annika got tired out with having to breathe on her own with the CPAP and was placed back on her ventilator after 6 days. Almost immediately she improved; she was active, eyes wide open and squirming around looking at us and responding to our voices. While Annika was on CPAP she had multiple episodes of bradycardia (heart rate dropping down too low) and apnea (not breathing). This is common in preemies adjusting to breathing on their own but because she had so many, the doctors decided she needed a rest period back on the ventilator. As soon as they placed the tube back in her, she had her hand on it ready to pull it out again!
Mia is doing well on the CPAP, she appears to be a bit stronger and is not having as many severe episodes of apnea or bradycardia as Annika did. The doctors theorize this is because she was forced to mature more quickly due to her placenta problem while still inside the womb. Both girls had increases in their feedings, Mia up to 10 cc every 2 hours and Annika at 17cc every 3 hours. She is almost up to full oral feedings and will be off her IV nutrition this coming week. The doctors are very pleased with both girls' progress- but not as much as their proud parents!
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