Day 20 - Let them Rest
Day 20 – Sunday, August 6, 2017
AGE: 2 weeks, 5 days old (27 weeks, 4 days gestation)
Lochlan: Weight is 1 lb 14.3 oz. (Birth weight: 1 lb 10.8 oz.)
Length in. (Birth Length 13 in.)
Lex: Weight is 2 lb 1.2 oz. (Birth weight: 1 lb 10.8 oz.)
Length is in. (Birth length: 13 in.)
Both boys are hanging in there. Right now, we are simply buying time to see if their respiratory situation and PDAs can improve on their own to avoid a PDA ligation surgery which would happen next week if necessary. On Friday (08/04/17), we were told that Lochlan has about a 60-70% chance or needing the ligation surgery and that Lex has about a 90% chance of needing it. Although the surgery is quick and will likely fix their hearts, any kind of surgery is a big deal on premature babies, so the doctors want to try everything before doing surgery. The doctors decided to try surfactant. Both boys were given surfactant shortly after being born to help their lungs. Starting Saturday morning, (August 5th) he doctors decided to try giving the boys more surfactant every 12 hours I hopes that we can strengthen their lungs. So far, the nurses have been able to reduce the respiratory settings little by little which means that it seems to be working.
Echocardiograms will be done Monday to see what the PDAs are doing. Even if the PDAs are smaller and they are on high respiratory settings and/or are having blood pressure issues like Lex, the ligation surgery is inevitable.
Lochlan is still on his oscillator which he seems to like. He is currently at a mid/low 30s rating which is okay. After finishing his last dose of ibuprofen on Friday (August 4), he was given the go-ahead to begin trophic feeds of 2 ML of breastmilk every 6 hours. He has been on the feeds for over 24 hours now with no vomit or reaction.
Lex is still dealing with low blood pressure issues likely cause by the PDA overworking his little big heart. He is currently at a 4 out of 20 for dopamine. If we can get him of dopamine then we can start feeds again. He has been reduced from a 60-50 respiratory rate and his oxygen is 35%.
