Our Girls

Our girls Katherine Maria (Who we are calling Katie) and Lauren Elizabeth truly amaze me.  They have fought for their life this whole time and recovered that traumatic birth like little champs!

Here are there birth stats: 

Katherine Maria:  weighed 3lbs, 2 oz & 15.5 in long 

Lauren Elizabeth: weighed 3lbs, 1oz & 15.5 in long 


Katie was breathing on her own when she was born but they put her on CPAP for 24 hours just to make sure she was breathing ok.  CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure--it's a mask that is placed firmly on the baby's nose to constantly blow air.  The constant pressure encourages open airways and reminds babies to breathe.  By 48 hours Katie was already breathing on her own again without any assistance.  

Lauren was intubated with a ventilator because she was having a little more trouble breathing. By the second day she was put on CPAP.  By the third she was also breathing on her own.  I couldn't believe how advanced they were having been born at only 30 weeks, and 4 days.  We were so lucky to have done those 5 and 6 rounds of steroids only a few days before---they really helped!

Both girls had good apgars scores.  They were both started on IV fluids to increase their blood glucose.  They were also put on antibiotics as precautionary measures--given ampicillin and gentamicin (same ones Mommy had to take after she got her fever.  Their blood count looked good.  The doctors did notice that their was some blood in the girls BM but it was to be expected because they swallowed blood in utero.  For Lauren there was also some bleeding in the lungs but that is something that the doctors are monitoring closely.  FYI the girls are A+ blood type just like their Mama =).      

On Saturday, June 23rd they started feeding the babies my breast milk.  They started with 4 cc's (there's about 29.5 cc in 1 oz)every 3 hours.  Their tummy's are very small and they are taking in very little to start off with.  When they started the feedings they were having about 6 cc residuals for every 4 cc feeding.  

By Sunday June 22nd their weight had dropped to 2 lb, 11 oz.  They were receiving in addition to breast milk something called TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) this contains nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fats, electrolytes, and many other essential components via the bloodstream bypassing the gastrointestinal tract.  This is very common in premature infants, as their stomachs and intestines are not quite developed enough to handle breast milk and can't adequately absorb nutrients.  

The girls were also put on phototherapy.  Preemies are more likely to have problems from jaundice.  Phototherapy lights (also called bill lights)are special lights that help the baby's body break down bill rubin, the chemical that causes jaundice.  

Holding Mama's hand 

Here are the girls sporting stylish sunglasses in the phototherapy