Bryce's nasal cannula was removed at 1:30 this afternoon (see pic above), and when we left the hospital at 3, he was still doing great! Christie and I were thrilled, since we were convinced that he'd be sent home with a portable oxygen tank due to (hopefully temporary) lung damage caused by the ventilators during the first six weeks of his life. Now, the only tube he has left is his feeding tube, which is being used less with each passing day and will almost certainly be removed before he's discharged.
However, we do know that our little champ will be coming home on an apnea monitor, so he'll be less portable than your typical newborn. The device constantly monitors Bryce's respiration and heart rates, and emits a shrill alarm if a problem (low/high heart rate, no breathing) is detected. We spent most of the day at the hospital learning how to operate the monitor and respond to alarms, including an infant CPR class that stirred up some unpleasant memories. It's comforting to know that we won't have to worry that Bryce will quietly stop breathing in the middle of the night, but it's also unnerving to learn that the probability of such an event occurring during the first month or two of his life is high enough that the cost of the monitor is warranted. In reality, it likely means that in addition to the typical rude awakenings associated with a hungry baby, we'll get some bonus late-night jolts when our squirmy bundle of joy displaces a lead and triggers a false alarm. I'm sure we won't be the first parents to sleep in shifts. :)
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Congratulations! Don't worry. I listen to Grandpa's sleep APNEA machine every night and it puts me to sleep. When Bryce has to give it up, he may have trouble falling asleep. He will miss it. The picture on the previous blog of Bryce''s Big eyes is a Logan Look from when he was a little baby. Can you see it?
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Mom & Dad. You are almost "home".
Love you,
Grandma & Grandpa