It's been two days but there is so much new to report I had to do another blog post!
First, let's start with all three babies had their feeding tubes removed! HUGE MILESTONE! Now this means they cannot be lazy, they have to make sure they eat enough food to continue to gain weight. To assist in this matter, we are 'topping off' each baby with a little formula after they nurse. It was so hard for me when we introduced formula this week, because the babies have had breast milk exclusively for the last three and a half months. I am still making just enough to keep up with their feeds, but it is unrealistic to think that I am going to be able to nurse three babies AND still pump once they are home. From talking to a few other triplet moms, they say pumping is the first thing to go out the window when babies come home, and I want to have a plan in play that will work for both me and the babies.
As I've said before, there are a few requirements before babies can come home. First is maintaining body temperature and all three babies do that. Second is breathing on their own with no oxygen requirements or spells. Third is taking all feeds by mouth, which all three babies now do. So the only thing holding us back right now are the occasional spells the babies have when eating, sleeping, or spitting up.
Twice this week during rounds, the doctors have reported that Elsie has had no spells in a 24 hour period. On the days that she has had a spell, it has been during feeding when she gets a little too much milk and chokes, or after a feeding when her reflux makes her spit up. Either way she manages to self recover without intervention. So I'm happy to report that she has been put on the discharge dashboard, and if she has no spells in the next 48 hours will come home with us Saturday evening!!!
In other great news, they feel Sammy is almost there as well. However, Sammy has a hernia operation tomorrow afternoon and so they will not start his spell watch until the beginning of next week. Sending our baby to surgery is scary because they intubate him and put him under general anesthesia. Our hope is he will be able to be re-extubated immediately after surgery and not go backwards and require oxygen.
Danny has been in room oxygen for 4 days so I hope tomorrow is the day he loses his cannula.
Here are some pics.
Elsie
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