The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 2
...continued from The Diary of a Premature Baby - Part 1
Day Three (20th February 2016):
Today Mum was discharged from the postnatal ward which made her cry (again!) She said she didn’t want to leave the hospital without taking me too, and didn’t want to be so far away at night time. This also made me sad. My last IV line has been removed – I feel light as a feather! The bright light from above my home was taken away (I mustn’t look so yellow anymore) and I no longer have to wear my sunglasses. I opened my eyes real wide but couldn’t see much – it’s all black and white and blurry. I gripped onto Mum and Dad’s fingers today, they feel so strong and safe. I love that they are always by my side. Mum and Dad even got to put me in my very first outfit. It was way too big but I felt cosy and snug. This thing in my nose is still annoying me and I keep trying to pull it out, but everyone keeps stopping me. I need to do it at night when no one is watching. I know this is how I get my milk so I guess I will have to put up with it. I’m slowly starting to feel like a normal newborn baby without all the attachments, but I know I still have a long way to come and lots of growing to do.
Day Four (21st February 2016):
I love opening my eyes when Mum and Dad talk to me. I try so hard to see them but it’s tiring work! I had extra special long cuddles today thanks to one of my favourite nurses Sarah. She even taught Mum and Dad how to feed me through my tube and they can now do it all on their own – so clever, they love getting involved in caring for me. I’m having 16mls of Mum’s milk every 2 hours, they really are trying to fatten me up now! Once again everyone keeps talking about my poo’s, which have apparently turned into a ‘mustard’ colour. Go me! I like looking to the left but they keep putting my head to the right to ‘even it up’, how funny. I just turn it back the other way and then I get called a little rascal, but that’s how it was inside Mummy’s tummy and it feels right.
Day Five (22nd February 2016):
Today wasn’t as happy as normal. I weighed 1460g (down 90g from my birth weight). It made me a little bit sad because I’m doing such good resting and feeding but Dr Rad said its totally normal for babies to lose weight initially. I also had to have the bright light put back above my box because the yellow has returned, which means less eye opening time and less cuddles. This made Mum cry again, she is so silly. I know she cares a lot but c’mon, really?! Thankfully Dad and Dr Rad cheered her up by reminding her how well I’m doing. Today was the first time the doctors and nurses talked about when I might get to go home. They said there’s a chance I might go home early on a ‘program’ if I keep doing so well. I have to remember to be a good boy. I must be a good boy. I must be a good boy. They are now adding these things called calories to Mum’s breast milk to (yep, you guessed it) fatten me up – I’m going to have to diet soon if they keep this up! My monitor alarms sometimes when my heart isn’t doing so well and it scares me. They are giving me caffeine each morning to keep my it going fast and strong, and I think I’m getting addicted. Mum and Dad got me out of my box all on their own today, they didn’t even drop me – yay!
Day Six (23rd February 2016) – Day Seven (24th February 2016):
The past two days have gone so quickly! Mum and Dad have started giving me a sponge wash each afternoon in my box and then they weigh me and dress me – I love this time with them as they talk to me and laugh and play, it feels like what would happen if I were home. I even put on weight. At one week old I’m already back to my birth weight of 1540g. That’s because I remembered to be a good boy! Dad says I’m a little champion and I’m ‘bulking’ – he’s funny. I’ve had a sore tummy the past couple days and have been spilling my food so they put my milk on a continuous infusion which has helped. It was getting hard to digest all that milk in one big go. Mum fussed over me so so much on my one-week birthday – she put me in a little outfit and took so many photos. I’m not very good at keeping still or smiling but she said she ‘got the shot’.
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