I am so excited about today!! I couldn't sleep last night and so I'm keeping today short and sweet! I know I am so far behind, but I just want to update the quickest I can so I can get to the hospital! A couple days ago we were talking with one of the nurses about what we have left to accomplish before the girls can come home and breastfeeding was pretty much our hot topic of the night... Apparently they don't usually start breastfeeding until 34 weeks because that is when they get the suck/swallow reflex. I was told about a week ago by my absolute favorite nurse we have had that if I happen to be doing kangaroo care and one of the girls nuzzles her way down to just go with it though because they can smell the milk and they are getting ready. Plus we Sue had talked about cues to watch for including waking up before feedings, licking their lips, that sort of thing. So I've noticed Anabell waking up and doing the lip licking thing and had been meaning to kangaroo with her for the last week and things kept coming up. Well Tuesday I did kangaroo care with both girls right before their feedings and noticed Isabell was starting to do the wake up and lip thing but had no real interest in me. But when I was doing it with Anabell she scooted her way down my chest and looked so uncomfortable but when I tried to move her she SCREAMED bloody murder!! Finally I gave up and just left her there and next thing I know she was sucking on my chest! Definitely nowhere near food access but like the nurses said, she found the right anatomy!! Well I was super excited but a little hesitant that maybe I was crazy and that isn't what was happening, or maybe it meant nothing and I was just trying to get my hopes up so I didn't really say anything to anyone. Well after talking to the nurse the other night about going home and everything she brought up that when they do start breastfeeding the NICU likes the moms to be here as much as possible to try and do as many as possible of their feedings. So I did some math and realized I am supposed to return to work 6 weeks post partum, and the girls will be 34 weeks when I will be 5 weeks so I would have a week to work on breastfeeding and then have to go back to work and in reality miss most of their feedings. I was super upset about that and called work to verify yesterday and sure enough my return date is November 1st. So I talked to quite a few people the last couple days which dwindled down to our social worker in the NICU and she followed up with the lactation consultant for me yesterday. Grace, the lactation consultant then came and found me in the nursery yesterday to let me know that actually occupational therapy had been working with the girls yesterday and they are displaying all the cues and they were planning on starting breastfeeding as soon as we were ready anyways so maybe the work thing wouldn't end up such a big obstacle for us. I would have started yesterday if she would have let me but it was getting late so we are going to start this afternoon!!! I am so so excited! This is one of the biggest NICU hurdles is getting them to latch and eat enough and be consistent in their feedings so they can go home and I'm just so ready!
I feel like the last week or so has been at a standstill because they are doing so well and breastfeeding really is the next step but they weren't ready so there was just no news everyday. Isabell is still on a nasal cannula ranging between room air and about 25% but not anything they are in a rush to get her off of, she is doing fine on her own with it right now. There was talk in the beginning of the week that if she was still on it by the end of the week they might try giving her something to clear out any fluid that might be built up in her lungs and see if that would help get her off but like I said there was no big rush on it. Anabell has had her incubator at room temperature for almost a week now and usually after 24 hours they will put them in a bassinet but they really want her to work on growing not burning calories to keep her body temperature normal so they have left her in it for now. Isabell is really close to that point too but they will definitely keep her growing for awhile.
As for me for the last week, I've had a rough time I guess. I found a nurse I absolutely adored who actually let me hold both girls at the same time and didn't just hand us the girls and walk away, she stayed and chatted and got to know us, and then we moved to a different nursery and no more Sue. I've been completely devastated and Jim has been completely sick of hearing about how completely devastated I am haha! I'm just finally getting over it for the most part but I still hate our new nursery and would maybe feel better if they had any real reasoning for moving us. But they just randomly move the babies around and there isn't a given reason for being in any given nursery and its frustrating. Plus we are supposed to have a primary nurse for the girls that every shift they work they should be with the girls but so far we only have seen one of their primary nurses. They have another one but either she never works or she just never works with our girls. Again, super frustrating!
Also, I finally went back to the antepartum unit and talked to Peggy about doing something for my nurses. It was so sweet, as soon as I walked up to the nurses desk she jumped up and gave me the biggest hug!! Then we ended up talking for over an hour! I told her about how Wednesday used to be the best day of the week because we got to get out of our rooms and go to group and to have these other women to talk to was just so wonderful! Then I was excited to see the NICU had a group but when we showed up there was only like 3 people there and I was kinda bummed. First off Peggy set me up with Courtney our social worker in the NICU to get matched up with a parent that went through a similar experience in the NICU that we could use as a support person. Then she invited me back to Wednesday groups in antepartum! I wasn't for it at first thinking that would be pretty awkward, but then realized I had the experience none of the nurses or anyone knows about in antepartum and could maybe be helpful to some of the moms. So I showed up yesterday and only 1 mom was there!! But she was her own amazing story in that she is actually a surrogate and carrying twins and actually from Zimmerman! We had an amazing conversation and I was SO glad I went! Peggy did her usual chat with us for a bit then disappear but she made sure to tell me Carol was working and was sad I missed her the day before so I had to say hi before I left. So while we were chatting another of my favorite nurses, Kay, walked by and seen me and came in to give me a giant hug! Then Carol of course and while I was chatting with them after my other favorite, Cherie walked in! It was wonderful! I got to see my 3 favorite nurses from Antepartum and they all gave me giant hugs and were so so sweet! Man, I miss them ladies!!
So while I've been typing away I just got a phone call from the Academy and got the most wonderful news!!! They are going to extend my leave to 2 weeks after the girls are discharged!! For as difficult as everything has been and some of the hoops I went through, overall they have really treated me wonderful and I'm really grateful to all the time off they have given me. This has not been an easy journey and I probably should have been fired months ago, and thought I was, but they just keep hanging on to me a little longer. So, now I really have to get in the shower and go see my babies!! I can't wait!! Hope everyone else is having a good week and God bless!!
Love- Heather, Jim, Anabell and Isabell
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