Baby Andres is 1 Week Old! {Picture Post}

Posted on December 15, 2017

Hey y’all!

I can’t believe it! Our 3rd baby, Baby Andres, is already 1 week old! Now, that might not be such a huge accomplishment for most, but for a teeny tiny 34 weeker, 1 week can make a huge difference!

Of course, this still feels like a “practice run” since he is still in the NICU and not at home with us, so we really aren’t in the thick of it yet, but I feel like SO much has happened and changed over the past week that I just had to share!

When he was born, he required a CPAP for oxygen as well as to help strengthen his lungs. He developed jaundice on Day 3 and needed phototherapy. He had an IV for fluids, and had monitors to check his heart because he was dropping his heart rate. He also had a feeding tube because he could not eat by mouth due to the CPAP being in the way.

Now, all that being said, he was still REALLY healthy for a 34 weeker! He was a whopping 5 pounds, 15 oz., was taking all of his feeds without any issue, and was gaining weight. So all in all, we got really lucky with him.

Well, by this point one week later, he is off CPAP, the phototherapy, IV, and everything else besides the feeding tube. He is able to nurse and bottle feed, and only has the feeding tube in for the times he can’t finish nursing or bottle. In those instances, they will finish off whatever he didn’t get by tube. Or, if he is especially sleepy and tries to sleep through a feed completely, they will give him his feed by tube. He also got upgraded to the 7th floor, which is the “NICU Penthouse” of our hospital. Instead of the big room with curtains dividing each baby’s bed on the 2nd floor, he has graduated to having his own room with a recliner, and is even sleeping in a big boy crib now!

So, as we enter Week 2 of his life and NICU life, his goal is to start taking ALL of his feeds by mouth, and not sleeping through any which require him to be fed by tube. He also needs to work on staying awake/finishing his feeds! In order to get to go home, he needs to take 8 full feeds in a row by breast or bottle, without any supplementation by tube. So that’s what we are working on! Right now his full feeds are sporadic and only a few a day, but I know he will get there soon!

Enjoy some pictures of our first week with our third little love!