An Up Day

Molly did well overnight -- she tolerated her feeds without any problem and apparently didn't think 10 ccs was enough for her! She was digesting all her food and wasn't having any more blood come up. The doctors decided that the blood we had been seeing was just blood that she swallowed during delivery. In light of that decision (and because she's been doing so well otherwise), the doctors decided to treat her like a normal baby and let her show us what she can do.

When I came back this afternoon the top on her isolette was open and Molly was maintaining her own temperature. She was dressed in a little gown (Mom had forgotten to bring in the clothes that I've had ready and waiting for over a month), swaddled in a blanket, and looking very comfortable. The doctors had written orders to let her eat as much as she wanted by bottle at each feeding -- she had already guzzled a 2-ounce bottle for two feeds in a row! They took her off the TPN and she has finished her course of antibiotics, so hopefully her IV will come out soon. We can hold her whenever we like now, so Mom enjoyed holding her little girl for a nice, long while. Today was also bath night, so Mom was able to give her a sponge bath for the first time. I discovered that this is a much less dangerous endeavor with a little girl than it is with a little boy -- Max was very good at taking advantage of any window of nakedness provided to him and peeing all over. :P Molly, on the other hand, was a perfect little lady. She didn't enjoy her bath as much as Max used to -- she seemed rather annoyed to be naked and wet.

We tried nursing after the bath, but Molly was too tired and wasn't very interested (she didn't want much of her bottle either). She was content to just sit with Mom and snooze. I spoke with the lactation consultants today -- we're going to try nursing her with a nipple shield and see how that goes. The consultants aren't there over the weekend, but I'll schedule some time with them on Monday so we can work on getting Molly to nurse. She's having no problem with the bottle, so hopefully she'll take easily to nursing. We're hoping she continues to do well so she can be home with us soon!

All this unaccustomed activity is taking its toll on me -- I'm so sore!!! My feet are killing me and my ankles are so swollen. I had forgotten how draining it can be to run back and forth to the hospital (not to mention the pumping regime). Hopefully we won't have to keep it up much longer!