I hope my email finds you doing great!
Well.. Janai is doing great! Thank God! She is now 3lbs 5oz. She drinks 30ml (1 ounce) of milk every 3 hours, and she tolerates it well. Looks like she’s going to be a big eater, like her parents!
She used to be on oxygen tube, called C-PAP (the blue tube on the first picture), which was taped to her face to keep it in place. It helped her a lot, but we could tell she was uncomfortable with it b/c she pulled away from it all the time; thus, the taping of the tube to her face. However, she has been breathing so well that they’ve graduated her to a nasal cannula. It’s a much smaller tube and it seems to be a lot more comfortable. She is on about 80% oxygen… adults breath 21%. The goal is to wean her down to 21%, so that the cannula can be removed and she can breathe the same oxygen we all breathe. She still has a few episodes where she forgets to breathe, but doctors says it’s normal and that the episodes will go away as her lungs and brain mature.
Now that she’s on the cannula and a bit stronger, we felt more comfortable about holding her again. Adrian held her for the first time last Saturday. She was awake all 15minutes. I took like a million pictures and videos. Janai and her Daddy really enjoyed their first time face to face! I know it’s not scientifically possible, but it looked like she would smile back at him as he spoke to her! I held her yesterday. My Mom was with me through the holding. My Mom and I talked to her one at a time, and Janai seemed to direct her eyes to where the voices were coming from. It was just as amazing as the first two times. The prescription is to hold her about 15minutes per day; time goes by sooo so quickly! Going forward, we plan to hold her every day.
The doctor said that in about one more month, if all goes well, God willing, Janai will get her sucking reflex, at which time they will introduce bottles. They will introduce one bottle at a time. She eats 8 times a day. So, they will do 1 bottle and 7 feedings through the tube for two days or so; then, 2 bottles and 6 feedings thru the tube for a few more days, and so forth. The goal is for her to take all 8 feedings through her bottle.
Well…that’s the update. As always, thank you so much for keeping my little one in your thoughts and prayers.
I hope you all have a great week!
Lizet
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