In just two days, many things have changed! Kendal now weighs 4 lbs. 5 oz. and is in a "big girl" bed. She is just in the normal little beds that newborns are in. She has a blanket that is put over her to help her sleep. The first night she was put in the bed she had some difficulty because she wasn't used to hearing all the noises since she has been in the isolette. Kendal also started nutritive feedings last night! We aren't to the stage of weighing her before and after feeding because she is still too young to get too much milk out, but we get to continue in the process which is great!
Lyla now weighs 3 lbs. 4 oz. and will be at full feedings this afternoon!!! That means she will get her picc line out in the next day or so! This means she will be able to wear clothes, we will be able to get her out of the isolette ourselves, and there will be less wires to worry about! After that we just need this little girl to gain some weight! I decided to keep doing non-nutritive feedings with Lyla because she is still being watched with her oxygen and it wears her out to do the non-nutritive. Hopefully in a couple days I can start nutritive with her.
Yesterday we asked the nurse practitioner what we should expect in terms of weight gain each day. She said probably about an ounce a day for Lyla which would mean 2 weeks until she is big enough to be with her sister. Right now Lyla is not receiving extra calories to help her gain weight like Kendal is, but she may start getting that. We were hoping Lyla would get to 4 lbs a little faster, but we are just grateful she is growing and healthy.
Life in the NICU definitely does not get easier. We think it may just become harder because of what is ahead. The past couple weeks included daily changes and success. Now that the girls are stable and pretty much needing to grow and learn to breastfeed, everything slows down. Many parents we have talked to have expressed their frustration with this stage. There are so many things the girls will have to "pass" before they will be considered ready to go home breastfeeding. The process is already exhausting for me and the girls. I pump 10 times a day, plus the non-nutritive feedings. Now I will pump 10 times a day, 2 non-nutritive with Lyla, and 2 nutritive with Kendal. I was also told I need to take a nap in the middle of the day to increase my milk supply since it is pretty low even though I am doing everything I can do increase it (including taking this disgusting supplement 3 times a day). There is just not enough time in the day. But, I know how important it is to breastfeed them and I want them to come home as soon as possible.
The exciting news for today is that we get to give the girls baths! The nurses give them baths every other day during night shift, so we are never there, but we are going to stay a little later tonight so we can do it.
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