The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 5
..continued from The Diary of a Premature Baby - Part 4
Week Four (10th March – 16th March 2016):
This week got a little bit boring for me and I’m starting to get over being in hospital. Time drags when you sleep all day. I feel real strong and ready to go home but they keep telling me I have to grow and learn to feed. I thought I was doing fine but I do get really sleepy still and can only do two breastfeeds a day. I find it hard to keep sucking so the nurses still have to give me extra mummy’s milk through my tube. I guess I’m not strong enough and it makes me sad because I know Mum and Dad are ready to take me home. But I’m definitely doing good at the growing part – I put on a total of 190g this week and hit 2kg! Dad says I’m looking fatter each day, how rude!
We did do some fun stuff this week though, like my first bath. It was really scary at first. I didn’t know what was happening – they took me out of my normal room and I was so worried I had been naughty. But nurse Shelley was there and she always makes me feel safe. And Mum and Dad kept talking to me about what was happening and once I hit the warm water I could have stayed there all day! It was one of my favourite times so far and ranks just below cuddles. I love it and want to do it every day, I wish I could tell them. I didn’t cry so hopefully they know.
I had my last dose of caffeine this week, which they were giving me to keep my heart rate high and stop those yucky episodes when it goes down low for a bit. This is a big test and one I was really worried about. If I’m good I can have the yucky monitor off. Dr Rad warned me that if I had too many of these bad episodes without the caffeine that it would delay me going home. I hope Mum has extra coffees so I can cheat and get caffeine that way. I know she will because she wants me to go home too. The first morning I was naughty and let my heart rate drop low 4 times and the doctor had to be called, but they gave me another chance because the last dose probably wasn’t even out of my system yet. And since then I’ve been so good (secretly Mum’s been having about 3 coffees a day to get through the long days but we promised not to tell anyone that!)
What else…I’m having more and more awake time and love opening my eyes wide so I can see Mummy and Daddy. When I get that funny feeling in my tummy I start squirming, poking my tongue out and crying to show I want milk. The crying seems unnecessary because I know I get fed every 3 hours on the dot but I like that I’m big enough to make noise now and can fit in with the big babies. I had my ears tested and my hearing is perfect. I already knew this of course but I can’t tell them. Mum already knew too, because I try to find her with my eyes when she talks and every time the milk fridge door slams in the next room it startles me! I even got to have my first cuddles with Nanna and Grandma this week. Yay for snuggles.
On my 4 week birthday (34 weeks corrected) I got the best news. Mum and Dad said it’s a secret, but I’m not sure what that means. Anyway, next week I get to spend a night with them in hospital at the ‘parenting unit’ and they can take me home the next day! This is ‘if’ everything goes to plan, but I’m so excited that surely my heart rate won’t ever drop now! Until next time, I will be on my best behaviour. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!
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