Warning: Possible offensive material to include words such as breast, latch and nipple . . .
read at your own risk!
I'll start off with the tame stuff . . . Peter's weight is up to 4 lbs, 13 oz. We're only a few ounces shy of 5 pounds . . .what an exciting day that will be! Peter is still doing very well on 3 liters of air. He is also tolerating the NG tube for his feedings . . . don't get me wrong . . . he still pulls the tube out at every possible moment, but this one is a little more difficult to remove.
Speaking of feeding . . . Peter started breastfeeding "for real" yesterday. He was somewhat hesitant about the process, but after being introduced to the wonderful world of nipple shields he latched on like a champ. He only had the stamina to last about 5 minutes both times, but the nurses, lactation consultant and mommy & daddy were REALLY proud! As Peter is tiny, his "suck" ability is limited. The nipple shield is a little piece of silicone that covers the nipple and helps to create a vacuum to get things "flowing." From the point forward, Peter will be given the opportunity to breastfeed prior to his tube feeding (thus making sure he is hungry). If he eats for 5 minutes or less, he still gets his full feeding (which is up to 41ml, by the way). If he eats for 6-10 minutes, he gets 75% . . . 11-15 minutes, he gets 50% . . . etc, etc, etc . . . we'll probably only need the nipple shield for a week or so until he masters the process and gets a little more jaw strength. It is amazing how much development these little babies gain every day! We will exclusively practice breast feeding for one full week (starting yesterday) and then, if he is really doing well, we'll introduce the bottle as well (for when I am unavailable - like at the 3:00am feeding). Once Peter proves that he can eat steadily and continue to gain weight on his own, they will remove the feeding tube for good . . . .
We are feeling very encouraged by Peter's progress this week. We are fully aware that our little guy could experience a setback at any time. However, all the signs are pointing toward him coming home prior to his original due date (July 29). I'm hoping to celebrate my birthday with Peter at home this year. I always told Brad . . . "if we don't have a baby by the time I'm 35, we won't be having any children" . . . I guess Peter knew that and just wanted to make Mommy happy as I will be 36 on July 19. What a sweet boy!
