No Tube...

I had a good night...I weigh 1,675 kg today...I had chest x-rays today...the radiologist department reported that my NG tube was fine yet I have not had an NG tube for a while now...the x-rays had to be redone and it was discovered they had made a big mistake...no tube...

1,66 kg

My weight is 1,66 kg today...my feeds were increased to 42 ml...I had a good day...

Original Due Date

I had a good day today. I weigh 1,63 kg...all of my feeds went well today...I am now "full term" :)

BURRRP

Aunty Zanele said she agrees the problem is that I need to be burped! She said I maintained my sats well during the night...I weigh 1,62 kg!  Mommy told Dr Egner that she thought the drama over the last few days has been due to winding issues...Dr Egner said to continue with all breast and bottle feeds today...

Three Months old!

Dr Egner said that from today I can alternate between breast and bottle feeds with no tube feeds at all! I weighed 1,59 kg again...I had another eye test, this time conducted by Dr Blignaut and my eyes are healthy...later in the afternoon I was desatting and every pale after a bottle feed...I neopuff was used on me again...there was oxygen blowing near my face...Dr Egner said a feeding tube must be reinserted and I should only get tube feeds...mommy and daddy were upset...later as soon as mommy picked me up I made a big burp and my sats improved a lot, mommy burped me for a bit and then my sats were brilliant the rest of the night...

Minus 10!

I dropped 10 grams and weigh 1,58 kg today...

Hint Hint

My weight is 1,59 kg! Dr Egner hinted that it was nearly home time!!!!! My bottle feeds went well!

3 times my birth weight!

I weigh 1,57 kg!  I am officially over 3 times my birth weight!  A student nurse looked after me today...she decided to skip my bottle feeds because I desatted a few times and she got scared...mommy and daddy told her that I need to be winded properly, even after tube feeds...she did not listen, she gave me a tube feeding then left me...I vomited then desatted...mommy went to call Aunty Nhlanhlenhle who is a sister to come help me because I student seemed more frightened than anyone...mommy and daddy are very upset...when Aunty Nhlanhlenhle shouted for the student to get the Neopuff she did not seem to know what or where it was, mommy had to tell her! It was very upsetting...

Neopuff

At 06h30 this morning, the Neopuff machine had to be used on me and I was given some oxygen...Dr Egner said it might be reflux or just winds...my weight is 1,555 kg today! Aunty Welile said I had a good day despite this morning's drama...

3 Bottles

My weight is 1,525...Dr Egner said I can have one breast feed and three bottle feeds today...I managed well...

Aunty Welile

Aunty Bukeka

35 grams heavier

Today I weigh 1,535 kg.  I had two bottle feeds and one breast feed today...I had a good day...

Mommy holding me while daddy holds the syringe with my feed

1,5 kg!

I weigh 1,5kg now!  Dr Egner said physiotherapy can be stopped again and that the NG tube can be put in my left nostril...I managed to suck better when I was breast fed now that I don't have a tube in my mouth!

I want to pull this out!

Open Up!

My weight is now 1,465kg...I have been promoted into an open crib now :) I was dressed in a hospital gown and swaddled for the first time :) just like a real baby :) I had a good sleep :)

Goodbye Incubator

Hello open crib!

I am somewhere in there!

2 Tubes...

Today's weight is 1,45kg...I drank 20ml of my 36ml out of a bottle, the rest was given through my feeding tube...my feed was increased to 38ml...I pulled out two feeding tubes today...

I look much bigger in these photos than what I really am...

You dummy!

I weigh 1,4 kg now...I got one breast feed today...I was given the size 2 preemie dummy today :) and then it got lost in the linen :( So mommy brought the next size (3) from home...

Size 2 MAM preemie dummy

Size 3 MAM preemie dummy

Water Baby!

I got my very first bath ever this morning before mommy and daddy arrived! I loved being in the water...mommy got to hold me while my linen was changed...I am also in a new incubator...

Blocked!

My feed was increased to 36ml...I had physio again, but not a lot of phlegm came out...my left nostril seems to be blocked again...one of the nurses suggested that I don't get taken out of my incubator for a while and also that I skip bottle and breast feeds so that I use less energy to help with weight gain...

Faulty!

Today I weigh 1,35 kg...Mommy and I did KMC the whole morning...my feeding tube was faulty so it was replaced...mommy held me while daddy held the syringe to feed me...my size 1 preemie dummy is too small now :)

off the nasal prongs again

When mommy and daddy came to see me early this morning I was already off the oxygen again and doing very well...Dr Egner managed to get through my left nostril while suctioning today!  A lot of red crunchy pieces came out!  My sats remained good after that...Dr Egner said I can have one bottle and one breast feed today...mommy and I did KMC again today...my granddad came to visit me for the third time...

Back on Nasal prongs

I am 11 weeks old today.  I am the oldest baby in the NICU at Parklands Hospital...I am by far the smallest still though...I weigh 1,33kg today...my SpO2 has been quite low most of the morning...mommy and daddy think it is probably because the sister that looked after me last night had inserted the feeding tube into my right nostril - my good clear one...so I have been trying to breathe through my left blocked nostril...when the nurse removed the feeding tube a lot of mucus came out with it...mommy and daddy are upset...I have been struggling a bit and have been put back on oxygen for a while...Dr Egner said we must skip all bottle and breast feeds today rather...I also had physio started again today...a lot of sticky phlegm came out and was sent off for testing...my SpO2 has been going up and down most of the day...aunty Bridgitte is looking after me tonight - she was the first NICU sister I met on the day I was born...she let mommy cuddle me for the first time today...then she let daddy feed me with my feeding tube...

Snotty!

I weigh 1,305 kg today!  My nose is a bit snotty...I have been desatting a bit more today...I battled to drink my bottle tonight...daddy was feeding me, but I kept desatting...I only managed 23ml of the 35 ml in the bottle...the remainder of the milk was given via my feeding tube...

In the process of pushing out my feeding tube...look, no hands...

Out with it!

Today I weigh 1,28 kg...lost a little from all the work I did yesterday - breast and bottle feeding...From today I'll be getting two bottle feeds and one breast feed per day...I have discovered how to push the feeding tube out of my mouth using only my tongue...I also like pulling it out with my hands... My granny came to visit me for the third time this afternoon...

Hit the bottle!

There is still a problem with my left nostril...aunty Welile tried to put an NG tube in it but couldn't...I get very upset when anyone tries to clear that nostril...its sore and it bleeds a bit...I weigh 1,285 kg today!  I was given my first bottle today...I drank the whole 30ml :) from today I will be getting one bottle feed and one breast feed per day...

Burp!

My first bottle feed

Burp! again!

Sixth Blood Transfusion

Dr Egner did a blood gas and found that I is aneamic. He also took a blood sample to cross match blood for a blood transfusion. He increased my feed to 30ml/hr...I cried when Dr Egner inserted a short-line drip in preparation for the blood transfusion...I weigh 1.23 kg now! Daddy and I did "KFC" - its our daddy version of KMC :) I had my Sixth blood transfusion late in the afternoon...After that mommy got to breastfeed me for the first time...some people thought I was too small but I did well :)

During the blood transfusion