Charlotte's feedings are being moved from ND to NG today, meaning they are going to start putting her food back into her belly. She had a milk scan yesterday, which showed reflux, but did not show signs of imminent aspiration. So we'll see.
They'll monitor her closely to make sure she's not struggling with the NG feedings, but it's a big step. The speech therapist wants to give her a day or two to get used to having food in her belly before doing a swallow study, so we're looking at sometime at the end of this week, or beginning of next week for a swallow study.
They've put off doing the brain MRI (a totally routine procedure for babies born as early as Miss CA) until she's on less oxygen support. She'll have to be sedated for the MRI and they don't want to sedated her until she's breathing better "on her own." Since the MRI is not clinically important (the results will just qualify her for therapy and such when she comes home) they don't want to push her on it.
And that's about all I know. It's hard getting used to the new NICU. We LOVE CCH (how many times can I say it?). We really felt like we were part of the team there, and at CHOP I feel a lot more like a bystander. I'm certain CHOP is where she needs to be, and I am so grateful that we have the chance to be close to such a fantastic hospital. It'll take a week or so to adjust, but we'll love the NICU at CHOP soon enough. Right? We will learn to love it, right?
I think I'm just in NICU mourning. Had you told me this five months ago, I would have laughed. But really, I love, love, love Chester County and we miss them. Who woulda thought?
NICU mourning is normal. i longed for our old NICU when we were transferred to our Children's hospital. not that a children's hospital isn't amazing, its just a different feeling at a teaching hospital that has SO many kids.
ReplyDeleteps, you'll mourn again when you finally leave the NICU. it's messed up cause you're so excited to be home, but it happens. heads up. :)
i'm glad she wasn't aspirating, yay!
Hang in there and get some rest!!!
ReplyDeleteThey miss you too! I stopped over with a pack and a couple nurses were talking about how she had left that morning.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had such a great experience with CCH and I hope CHOP is the last stop on CA's way home.
Totally with you on NICU mourning-- we spent so much time comparing Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago to Childrens Hospital in Denver-- I think you get so used to how things were done in the first place and Children's hospitals are hard sometimes-- a great place to play that old game of "It could be worse". I'm glad things are going well so far! Eloise and I are sending her lots of good digestion vibes. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I can say I understand--because I don't. I haven't lived in a NICU--or been to one for that matter (wimp you say--true) But I do understand that ironically weird feeling of loving something you should loathe. I miss living at the hospital (i know, sick right), but it is true. The only excuse I can come up with to get me back there is making Blaine impregnate me and we all know that ain't happen-in' tomorrow. Dang.
ReplyDeleteCHOP's a hard NICU to be at for the reason Katy mentioned above---it tends to get more complicated kids from local area hospitals (here in the Philly area we are blessed with quite a few really good Level III NICUs). I know the care level is superb, but I've heard it's a bit less personal, in part because very few (if any) kids are actually born there and so they don't usually follow the kids and their families from the very early days and form the bonds we all did with the NICUs where our kids started out.
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