Addy's 3 month check-up!
Well, MOST babies don't have 3 month check-ups. Instead, they go 1 month, 2 month, 4 month, 6 month, sometimes 9 month and then 1 year. Well, Preemies are a bit different. And, a preemie in a family practice office where preemies AREN'T usually found is even more different. So, Addy's doctor decided to follow her a little closer. She was just there to see the Nurse Practitioner as Dr. K was out of office. Ann was the NP and she was awesome. I'm FINALLY starting to feel comfortable taking her (since she's a preemie) to the family practice. At first, I was a bit skeptic, but last week in the Synagis mishap, I discovered that one of the secretary's used to be a nurse in a Pediatrician's office. We had a short conversation that was very reassuring.
Anyway, Addy weighed in at 7lb 6.5oz! That's 4oz in 6 days! Not too shabby!!! She is 20 inches long too. So, she's gonna be tall and skinny with chubby cheeks!
Ann, the NP, checked her out good. Checked for her heart murmur (PDA) and say it sounded fine still. She checked her ears and Addy didn't like having her head held down to do so, but it got her awake enough so that the nurse could check her eyes. Ann wanted to make sure she has been doing 2 things developmentally thus far. 1) focusing on us or something and 2) having "some" head control. Addy did both! She has been focusing on her toys and us. The nurse gently pulled her up by her arms to see what kind of head control she has. The first time, she did a really good job and stiffened her neck as she picked her up. The second time, her head just never caught up, but she is at least showing how to use those muscles! Ann is almost positive we'll need a little PT help via Indiana's First Steps program in the coming months, but she said she's doing good. She just wants to make sure she's doing what a 2 week old should be doing, and she is and then some, so we're good!
We discussed her medicines (Iron & Caffeine). I asked to leave her on both of them and explained my reasonings and the nurse agreed. I also urged for a CBC (complete blood count) check as I've seen her look on the pale side lately and she seems to be a bit more sleepy. I'm a bit weary that she could be having some more anemia issues. That in turn makes her have oxygen desaturations which in turn affects her apnea (stops breathing) and bradycardia (heart rate drops to dangerous levels) episodes. So, Ann agreed that we'd leave her on the Iron for her anemia and get a blood check and also to let her continue to wean off of her caffeine by her bodyweight (Caffeine is based on her bodyweight, so the bigger she grows, the more medicine she would need. If they don't raise the dose, then her body weight weans her off the meds).
Also, she never got her Hepatitis shots in the NICU, so at 4 months, she's going to get a boatload of shots, pluse she'll get her Synagis (RSV) shot a week or so before those shots. Poor girl is NOT going to like those nurses! And, Ann, the NP, loved her so much I was a little afraid she wasn't going to hand her back to me after she picked her up to exam her!
All was well and we left! Later that afternoon, right after lunch. Addy was asleep, and I had to use the restroom. I was just going to take her bouncer into the bathroom and my mom said "Just bring her into my office." So, I did. I strapped her in her bouncer sat her monitor next to her and went to the bathroom. My mom had my nephew asleep in her arms at this point. Well, while I was in the bathroom, Addy's alarm went off. I thought it'd stop after 1 or 2 beeps, well...it KEPT going! So, I'm rushing and then I hear my mom's chair practically fly across the room and then I hear her alarm again and then I hear my nephew scream and then my mom page over the company intercom for Tera to come get her son (my nephew). I come running out finally and thinking it was just an apnea episode and I look down and find her monitor shows a Bradycardia!!! SHe was still pretty lethargic and my mom said she had to stimulate her to get her to come back up. So, this meant her heartbeat fell to below 65 (should be 100-200bpm). It took me a good 5 minutes to get her aroused enough. So, we called the doctor right away. Since Dr. K is out of town, her husband and partner took over at this point. Dr. Kris called the hospital's NICU and consulted with one of Addy's Neonatologists. They decided to go ahead and up her dosage of caffeine at this point. They adjusted it to her current bodyweight of 7lb 6.5oz. They also wanted the bloodwork ASAP and we had to go to the Medical Equipment place to get her apnea machine downloaded again. They usually come to us, but we had to go to them since it was a bit of an emergency. So, hopefully on Monday we'll have better answers as to what happened. I'm a little weary she might need to get another blood transfusion. I think her Bradycardia was in relationship to her anemia, but only time will tell!!
I'll update more on her Bradycardia levels later. It's been a stressful time again and I'm NOT sleeping now because of it! She just falls into a dead sleep right now and I'm CONSTANTLY checking to make sure she's breathing. APnea monitors are GREAT, but let's face it..they AREN'T foolproof!
Anyway, Addy weighed in at 7lb 6.5oz! That's 4oz in 6 days! Not too shabby!!! She is 20 inches long too. So, she's gonna be tall and skinny with chubby cheeks!
Ann, the NP, checked her out good. Checked for her heart murmur (PDA) and say it sounded fine still. She checked her ears and Addy didn't like having her head held down to do so, but it got her awake enough so that the nurse could check her eyes. Ann wanted to make sure she has been doing 2 things developmentally thus far. 1) focusing on us or something and 2) having "some" head control. Addy did both! She has been focusing on her toys and us. The nurse gently pulled her up by her arms to see what kind of head control she has. The first time, she did a really good job and stiffened her neck as she picked her up. The second time, her head just never caught up, but she is at least showing how to use those muscles! Ann is almost positive we'll need a little PT help via Indiana's First Steps program in the coming months, but she said she's doing good. She just wants to make sure she's doing what a 2 week old should be doing, and she is and then some, so we're good!
We discussed her medicines (Iron & Caffeine). I asked to leave her on both of them and explained my reasonings and the nurse agreed. I also urged for a CBC (complete blood count) check as I've seen her look on the pale side lately and she seems to be a bit more sleepy. I'm a bit weary that she could be having some more anemia issues. That in turn makes her have oxygen desaturations which in turn affects her apnea (stops breathing) and bradycardia (heart rate drops to dangerous levels) episodes. So, Ann agreed that we'd leave her on the Iron for her anemia and get a blood check and also to let her continue to wean off of her caffeine by her bodyweight (Caffeine is based on her bodyweight, so the bigger she grows, the more medicine she would need. If they don't raise the dose, then her body weight weans her off the meds).
Also, she never got her Hepatitis shots in the NICU, so at 4 months, she's going to get a boatload of shots, pluse she'll get her Synagis (RSV) shot a week or so before those shots. Poor girl is NOT going to like those nurses! And, Ann, the NP, loved her so much I was a little afraid she wasn't going to hand her back to me after she picked her up to exam her!
All was well and we left! Later that afternoon, right after lunch. Addy was asleep, and I had to use the restroom. I was just going to take her bouncer into the bathroom and my mom said "Just bring her into my office." So, I did. I strapped her in her bouncer sat her monitor next to her and went to the bathroom. My mom had my nephew asleep in her arms at this point. Well, while I was in the bathroom, Addy's alarm went off. I thought it'd stop after 1 or 2 beeps, well...it KEPT going! So, I'm rushing and then I hear my mom's chair practically fly across the room and then I hear her alarm again and then I hear my nephew scream and then my mom page over the company intercom for Tera to come get her son (my nephew). I come running out finally and thinking it was just an apnea episode and I look down and find her monitor shows a Bradycardia!!! SHe was still pretty lethargic and my mom said she had to stimulate her to get her to come back up. So, this meant her heartbeat fell to below 65 (should be 100-200bpm). It took me a good 5 minutes to get her aroused enough. So, we called the doctor right away. Since Dr. K is out of town, her husband and partner took over at this point. Dr. Kris called the hospital's NICU and consulted with one of Addy's Neonatologists. They decided to go ahead and up her dosage of caffeine at this point. They adjusted it to her current bodyweight of 7lb 6.5oz. They also wanted the bloodwork ASAP and we had to go to the Medical Equipment place to get her apnea machine downloaded again. They usually come to us, but we had to go to them since it was a bit of an emergency. So, hopefully on Monday we'll have better answers as to what happened. I'm a little weary she might need to get another blood transfusion. I think her Bradycardia was in relationship to her anemia, but only time will tell!!
I'll update more on her Bradycardia levels later. It's been a stressful time again and I'm NOT sleeping now because of it! She just falls into a dead sleep right now and I'm CONSTANTLY checking to make sure she's breathing. APnea monitors are GREAT, but let's face it..they AREN'T foolproof!
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