Penelope had a crabby day. She didn't show any signs of illness so we are all assuming that she's still experiencing some discomfort from the CPAP tube. The volume on feeds remain the same but the fortifier was increased to 30 cal/oz. No change in CPAP settings.
What I haven't touched on this week, because of all the other big changes, is that I am now allowed to hold Penelope everyday for up to two hours at a time. She's old enough that she can tolerate it every day, and she desperately needs human contact. The little contact she has been getting is in the form of pokes and prods. So, it is my job to give her nurturing touch through kangaroo care (skin to skin contact) Studies have shown that preemies who get regular kangaroo time grow faster and I don't mind helping! We've got a pretty good system now where I spend 15-20 minutes talking to her while I rub her back until she falls asleep. I've figured out that if I wear tank tops we can put her down the front of my shirt which is much easier than wrestling with hospital gowns. She's tolerating it well so we might be able to go up to twice a day. I will get to hold her for 4 hours a day!
No comments:
Post a Comment