Baby Update

Here is another baby update for those interested!

Carter now weighs 3 lbs 6 oz. What a little chunk!! :) He gained 50 grams in one day! He's now eating 28 mL every three hours and having calories added to it to help him gain weight. He is still on some oxygen because sometimes he decides it's a little too much work to breath. That's alright though. Several days ago I started non-nutritive breastfeeding with him. This just means he practices latching on for a while once a day. Generally, preemies have a hard time coordinating their breathing, sucking and swallowing all at the same time. He's doing a good job so far and a few days ago they let him try without pumping before. Today he got a full feeding from me! My milk supply kind of overwhelms him sometimes. So far he's been pretty alert so it's been a good bonding time for me. I'm SO glad he's catching on so quickly because I know so many babies have a hard time!

Weston started eating about a ago. He started with 1 mL every hour and yesterday was up to 4 mL. The milk that he eats comes out his first hole (it's yellow and liquidy) and they reinsert it into the second hole. So far they're happy with how much he's absorbing. He gets about 1/3 of his nutrition from milk and the rest from TPN. He is now just over his birth weight so hopefully he'll start gaining weight quickly now because Carter is catching up! Weston is close to being weaned completely off his pain and sedation medications and only gets them every twelve hours. He's been more fussy recently because he's a little addicted but his little cry is pretty darn cute. Hopefully I can get a video soon but his bottom lip absolutely quivers and I have a hard time not laughing at him! In about six weeks he'll get the surgery to reconnect the two parts of his intestines.