Mikaila, for the most part, had a very solid day. They weighed her on the early side again today and we learned that she gained another 15 grams. Although the number itself is far from noteworthy, the recent trend certainly is. She has experienced five consecutive days of gains. And, when you consider her substantial gain from the day prior, you really have to be pleased.
During the day, Mikaila did have brief periods where her oxygen saturation levels fell slightly below the desired level (known as de-satting). Typically, Mikaila's numbers are in the high 90's. If her level fall below 85%, her monitor alarms, alerting the nurse. During her Kangaroo Care session with Kim, she fell slightly below 85%. She had a few other instances throughout the day. The likely explanation is reflux. You will recall that her team bumped up her feeds to 18 mls every three hours. 16 to 18 may seem inconsequential but imagine how your GI tract would react to raising your daily intake by 12.5%; now think of the impact on a 1 lb 15 ounce baby. We have been assured that reflux is quite typical and that we have no reason to be alarmed. She had no problems today fully digesting her new allocation so it appears all is well.
We haven't posted a picture in a little while so enjoy.
3 comments:
Very cute picture indeed!...thanks for the update Dara....Mikaila, I see you are back to hats now. So is 'white' the new 'pink'?...hope you, mommy and daddy have a great weekend :)
Lots of love and blessings dear baby!
Reflux or not, Mikaila was very alert today- and extremely adorable. When we were feeling a little down about the desat numbers, the nurse made a good point. She said that reflux-induced low desat numbers are normal in a preemie, but we're so used to stellar performances from Mikaila that we get nervous when she does something completely normal! It's tough to be a star- all that pressure!
Its not easy being a grandma who lives so far away! This blog is my lifeline. I can't wait to see her again in about 3 wks.
They say good things come in small packages, and to me Mikaila is the living proof. She is certainly the first and best thing that comes into my mind when the sun rises each morning. In fact Mikaila IS the sun that brightens my every day.
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