Breastfeeding has been very frustrating today. When Mom and Dad arrived this morning the nurse us that Josh was ready to eat, that she had completed his hands on. When we looked at the flowsheet she had completed his hands on more than an hour before his feeding. So when Mom attempted to wake him up to feed him he was too deeply asleep to eat for more than 7 minutes. When we arrrived back for his 3pm feeding she again said his hands on was done, this time 30 minutes prior to his feeding time. When asked why she did it so early she said he was awake then. This time when he went to eat he was too sleepy to do more than latch on. This is very frustrating because he must be eating to go home and we desperately want to go home. Also, Mom frequently uses the diaper change/hands on time to help wake Josh up so he can eat. Missing this opportunity to wake him up makes it very hard to get him to eat.
Breastfeeding issues aside, today was a good day of rest for Mom and Dad, but especially Mom. After Josh's 9am feeding we headed back home and back to bed. Taking the opportunity to get some extra sleep since Josh still isn't doing well with back to back feedings. Having Dad here on the weekends makes the feeding/pumping routine go faster, so it enables us both to be able to take some time to rest. The extra sleep did a world of good for both Mom and Dad. We don't often get a few minutes to catch on sleep, so we are very thankful for the extra time.
Josh had a very sleep-filled day overall today. He did have a brief awake period in the early afternoon, but was otherwise a very sound sleeper. He does like to peep at us while he is sleeping, almost like he is checking to see if we are still there. Josh does this even when we are holding him - it is quite cute to see his little eye peep open, check things out, and then close again. Mom and Dad are thankful they can be here so much so he has someone to look at when he peeps.
Josh had a decent feeding at 6pm, which Mom and Dad were thankful for. We realize that today has been stressful and frustrating, but that Josh is doing very well for a baby born 14 weeks premature. We have been extremely blessed, both in Josh's health, and by the love and support of friends and family. We are just getting to the point when we want so badly for Josh to come home, after 8 weeks in the hospital, that it is sometimes hard to just wait for him to grow big enough to come home.
Prayer Request:
- Josh would start gaining weight again so he can build us a fat supply and be able to hold his body temperature easier
- Josh would be able to wake up enough to breastfeed effectively and that he would build up the stamina needed to take all off his feedings orally
- Josh would not get another infection while in the NICU
- The nursing staff would work with Mom and Josh so that breastfeeding times would be more producitve and less frustrating
Praises:
- Josh is doing well with his gastric feedins and having very few desaturations
- Josh has not had apnea in several days
- Josh gets cuter everyday and his personality is more apparent everyday
- Mom and Dad got some good extra rest today
(Our precious little Josh)
(Josh sleeping after his midafternoon hands-on and feeding attempt)
(Mommy and Josh sharing some cuddle time after his feeding)
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