Update on Ruby and Samantha

Thanks for the congratulations. I'm trying really hard to catch up on sleep. I didn't sleep well in the hospital... too many calls and visitors and nurses. So I'm doing all I can before the babies come home. I'm on pins and needles waiting for the rest of you all to have your LO's!!

Ruby and Samantha are 1 week old and have grown accordingly. yea!!

They did drop in their weights by 4 ounces, and have now surpassed it by as much. They may have to go under the billirubin lights again because they are looking yellow again. We are hoping it's going to resolve on it's own, but if not - at least they still have their sunglasses! Besides, they are so cute in their diapers cuddling each other. They look yellow in their pictures although they don't in the ones we've taken with our camera. So I think it's the NICU camera.
They are nippling great, suck-swallow-breath reflexis have been doing nicely. They do need chin support though to make those strong sucks. They love breastfeeding, but they don't have the energy to do more than 1 or 2 sucks at a time before they let go. But relatching them takes energy for them, and that means burning calories that should be going to baby fat. I'm glad they are still doing the gavage feedings because at least they are getting food then.

They don't have to be under the warmers any more, they can regulate their own body heat. 2 days since Ruby had a bradycardia and desat. But it's been a while for Samantha... I'm hoping these become less and less. Gas and pooping though - have definitely become more. *Phew!* They don't tolerate that nasty formula stuff they give them when they run out of my breastmilk. But on that front, i'm increasing in supply each day and am pretty close to making enough for both babies in 1 pump sitting. I can't wait for the formula to be a thing of the past. They always have residuals.

I got to hold them together today, and it felt so complete. I probably could have done it earlier but I never insisted. It's been over a week since I last "held" them together - when I was pregnant. DH got to do it a lot sooner and I was so jealous! They keep on saying "two weeks" and I'm wonder, who quit counting the 1st week they've already done? and then they say "due date" uhm, is that the end of december or the end of January? It depends on how the girls progress. I'm hoping SOON.

No one told me how bad the swelling was going to be after a c-section. The incision is nothing and is healing nicely. I'm off narcotics because my dumb doctor gave me one with acetaminophen(tylenol) although she knows I'm severely allergic. I was breaking out in a crazy rash all over my belly, legs, and arms. So it dawns on me that it may be the meds she gave me. Sure enough, it was under the name APAP and I had to do a TON of research to find out what that was. I can't believe how many times i've told her that I'm SEVERELY allergic to that crap. This one time, she ordered the stuff and I picked it up, wasting my money - because I trusted her. Just goes to show how much she DOESN'T listen to me. At least it's over now and I can change doctors without regret. My Dear GP here I come!!

here's mostly the nicu pictures. the one with the bili-glasses my DH took - you can see the yello difference. anyways...
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...uby12-18-07.jpg
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...tha12-18-07.jpg
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...nthaandRuby.jpg
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...nt=PHOT0046.jpg
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...tha12-18-07.jpg
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa273/B...andSamantha.jpg

 

They are absolutely beautiful!!!

 

Sounds like everyone is doing well. They look great Very precious When do you expect them home?

Dianna

 

Great photos!

 

They are beautiful! Yay for no more bradys/desats! Enjoy your first Christmas with your twinkies!

 

Awww-they are perfect! I love the sunglasses!

 

they are adorable! look at them cuddling each other its amazing to see i hope they are home soon for the holidays!

 

Thanks gals! We are told a couple of weeks. Maybe just 2. But that was about 4 days ago or so. So now i'm not sure if it's a couple weeks from NOW or THEN... but we aren't in a rush because we want everything to be taken care of and bad things grown out of and good things grown into. They did nipple feeding today and ate half their alotted food for the 3 hours. We are very optomistic about it all. Some say when they would have been 40 weeks (but that's not always true for twins), and others say they'll come home about the time we would have had them, so we are tentatively hoping for the 1st or 2nd week in January when they would have been term 37 weekers. I'm just so glad I listened to my body and rested when I did. I even put myself on moderate bedrest... I wonder a bit about how much earlier they may have been had I not done that. I didn't even have PTL with my 1st daughter. She was term as far as we know. So this happening has just baffled us. The pathology reports from the lab on the placenta was even inconclusive as to whether or not there may have been an infection. I doubt there was because the girls were never put on antibiotics or anything.

 

They are beautiful.

 

Beautiful, beautiful girls! Sounds like things are going well. Yay, hang in there!

 

They are precious!

 

They are adorable. So happy for you that they are getting better. Happy holidays!

 

They are so sweet! I love the little sunglasses!
I hope they come home soon!

 

Well, they are rather boring for the NICU, so I'm told. Nothing bad going on, which is fantastic!! They are thinking of increasing their nipplings to 2x's a shift. So that's the only reason they are still there. They just need to work towards taking the gavage tube out and taking all their food through their mouths. I'm hanging in there, dealing with the emotions of being a mom with babies in the NICU. Struggling with the nurses, trying to deal with the different personalities and ways of doing things. Well, DD wants a bath and I'm going to try to relax. I just got home from the hospital. I can't wait to bring them home.

 

Ruby and Samantha update.
Ruby now weighs 5lbs 3oz and Samantha weighs 4lbs 8oz. But their buns are still the size of a thumb. crazy. I think Ruby is getting ready to explode though. Samantha poops quite often and I was worried she wasn't gaining weight. But she is. They both are gaining like several ounces a day which I think is insane! No desats or bradys or anything, so they are still boring NICU babies. I feel like the neonatologist is taking forever to up their nipplings. For 4 days now the nurses have said they should be increased to 2xs a shift. They've definitely increased the amounts. I had a nurse see how much milk I have and at their current amounts, they have enough until Monday. I'm this crazy pumping machine... *mooooooooooo* they gave me a larger basket for the fridge and I filled that no problem, plus another basket so they are freezing the milk now. I have 6 more bottles in the fridge so far and am not sure what to do with it. Maybe put it in my mom's deep freezer. And they were worried I'd not make enough for two. Now if only I could time my breastfeeding to their feeds (which would count as a nippling as well). I can't go 3 hours without being too full and they are eating every 3 hours. I have been going 3 to 4 hours apart yesterday and now I'm having sharp pain in my ducts. This morning it seemed to have moved further down and includes the nipple, so I know I'm working it out. I read that pumping infrequently like that leads to thicker milk that takes more work to get out, which means more pain - but it could mean plugged ducts and mastitis if I don't take care of it. So I'm trying to pump more frequently like I know I should. But wow, the pain. I can't imagine having that pain AND nursing.

I really like seeing others getting to take their babies home, but it's also saddening because mine are still there. Oh, I know it's the best place for them, etc. But it's still hard to get through the NICU emotions.

I caught myself leaking yesterday. I had my bra off and was setting up my pump and trying to get DD a bath (was running the water) when DD says "MOM! your milk is going everywhere!" Forgot about that part. lol

 

bernice thats so wonderful the girls are doing so well! it def wont be long for them to come home and u can nurse them so much easier!

 

What sweet little girls! I'm glad to hear that they are doing so well. That's some wonderful weight gain. They look so identical!

 

That is great they are doing so well and gaining weight

Dianna

 

Glad they're doing well. My girls were born at 35 wks and were in NICU for 3 wks. It was frustrating not knowing when they would come home; especially since they were doing so great -- just tiny and needing to eat more.

Let us know how it goes!