Update from the NICU: Day 14

Current Weight: 2lbs 15.9oz - YAY! She is back up to her birth-weight (plus some!)

Abigail is doing well and so I (thankfully) have very little news to report! She's still dining on breastmilk, although they've raised her feedings to 36 ml every 4 hours. The next step is to move her tube up higher into her stomach (right now it goes all the way to her intestines) and give her larger amounts of food in shorter time periods. If she tolerates that, they will start her on BOTTLES!!

I'm working hard to keep up my supply for her, but it's really hard being tied to pumping every 3-4 hours! I hate when one of those times falls during our kangaroo session and I have to put her back in her isolette for the evening. But I keep reminding myself that the best thing I can do for her right now is supply food that is easy to digest - so I'm keeping at it!

It's also been hard to work around her schedule in order to hold her - and also having to ask to hold my own baby is humbling. Because she is woken up for measurements/diaper change at 5,9 and 1 (AM and PM), those are the times I need to be there to kangaroo. I hate when the nurses decide to do her measurments early and I arrive to find her fast asleep again...and have to wait until next time. Today I missed her bathtime because she blew out a diaper in the morning while I was at a dr's appointment, so they went ahead and cleaned her.

My 2 week post-partum follow up went well - and my blood pressure is back to normal! I asked the doctor about the possibility of having HELLP in future pregnancies, and she said it's possible - we wouldn't know for sure until I get pregnant again. However, she said that my fear of HELLP is NOT a reason to avoid getting pregnant in the future. She recommends waiting at least a year - and believe me, we will have no problem doing that! Not sure how I feel about having any more children. Luckily, we don't need to decide anything for a while.

Matt is heading over to the hospital soon to say goodnight to Abigail, as he does every night, by reading her Goodnight Moon (thanks, Mrs. Julie!) I really think he's going to be the best daddy ever. :)