Two and a half weeks after his arrival Micah is doing very well. We notice the little changes each day and are very proud of our little man and the progress he’s making.
During his first week Micah lost quite a bit of weight and had a rough time with his IV lines. He needed the IV for medication and “total parenteral nutrition”, his specially made up food. A new IV was put in nearly every day as his little veins didn’t hold up for long. It was very sad to see his little hands and feet and even the sides of his head marked by the attempts to find successful IV points! Thankfully after a gradual introduction to milk feeds through a tube Micah was eventually able to tolerate and digest breast milk and is now being fed fully on milk with no more need for the IV line. He is now 1.46kg and nearly back to his birth weight hurray!!!
As well as ditching the IV, Micah has graduated to breathing without the CPAP mask. He no longer needs the extra help that was provided by the continuous air pressure. He is managing to breath well on his own with only the occasional forgetful spell when he needs a gentle nudge to remember his inhales and exhales.
Needless to say, without the needles and noisy CPAP mask Micah is a much happier baby. In the last few days he seems more aware of us and alert to things. He is a daily joy and blessing.
The routine of hospital visits is working well and we’re learning the ropes of the NICU. We’re able to help give Micah his feeds and change his nappies when we’re there. I spend each afternoon at the hospital and Matt visits in the evenings after work. We both look forward to each opportunity for some eye contact and cuddle time! I am able to hold Micah nearly every afternoon and Matt has also had lots of cuddle time during the weekend visits.
We’ll add more progress updates here in the weeks to come as Micah inches closer to that eagerly awaited day when we can take him home! You can also see our many photos and videos of Micah on Picasa.
Comment from Gill Brown on 2011-03-09
Way to go Micah!! Excellent support and back-up team too and our thanks to the medical staff also. Can’t wait to have a cuddle!!xxx
Comment from Craig Box on 2011-03-10
My Kat, what a hairy chest you have! 🙂