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Preemies
On the monitor for 4 more weeks
Bummer. Gabe has to stay on the monitor for 4 more weeks. Apparently "Apnea of Prematurity" doesn't subside until 43-44 weeks. Since my due date isn't until next week, we will be on the monitor until August 3rd. I've made peace with it. We were told we can turn the monitor off and unplug him if we are carrying him or playing with/watching him. So, that will make going to stores and such even easier.
Sadly, when I took the monitor off today he had a large sore on his side. It smelled bad too. I had instant guilt. It was terrible. They were nice and said that it happens pretty often with monitor babies. But, I still felt like a heel. He has to be off his monitor belt for 30 mins twice day so that it can air out/heal. The only thing I can guess is that when he peed all over his sleeper the other night, the belt must have gotten wet too (H forgets he needs to check stuff like that). So, the wetness made the friction worse and that's how the sore developed.
In other news, he weighed 5lb 6oz and was 17 inches long today! He was 2lb 3oz and 14.5 inches at birth. 
(That is 13 more ounces than he was 9 days ago. He's a little weight gaining rock star!)
Born at 31w3d due to severe IUGR & Placental Insufficiency--2lbs 3ounces
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
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Re: On the monitor for 4 more weeks
Oh my gosh, Katie, that is wonderful! He's really doing great! You're very lucky to have him home so soon & talk of the monitor going away. I just got the OK to take Tristan off the monitor TODAY - and he is over three months old (one adjusted) so you see - quite lucky. We have to put him on it at night, but I'm good with that. I got so mad this last week that I kicked the box :X Sometimes I think they can hear me through it LOL maybe even see us.
You use that belt? I hated it so we just use leeds. He's never gotten a sore from those because we move them a couple times a day. Can you do that?
Another one here with a baby still on the monitor! Our little guy was born at 26w, and he's been on the monitor since he was released April 6 at 36w gestational age. We check the data every 3-4 weeks, and the neonatologist keeps extending the time he's on it. He's 5 months old (2 months adjusted), and I think we still have another few weeks.
I've never kicked it, but my husband threw it once (it sounds worse that it was). I have visions of taking it out back and shooting it or beating it with a baseball bat. I completely understand that you want to be done with it. Soon!
I hope the next 4 weeks flies by for you. The monitor must be so frustrating. Poor little guy
Good to hear that you can take it off when you're out and about though!
BFP #3 via cancelled IUI ~ C (2lb 3oz; HELLP) 5/16/11
BFP #4 via the natural (free!) way ~ E (8lb 11oz) 9/13/12
Oo - I know you are ready! I look to you for a timeline, which is why I don't have any high hopes to be off it any time soon. My guesstimate is end of summer/start of autumn. I kicked it after I tripped on the cord and one of the leeds popped off his body & the other popped out of the connector. Alarms were shrieking to high heaven and Tristan freaked out. I'd just gotten him to fall asleep after a FOUR HOUR crying session re: reflux pain. I wanted the monitor to die.
Bummer, girl. Think of it this way though: you'd rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them, right?
And LOOK at how big he is!!!! You go, mama!
See, in my house, I'm the only one who wakes up when the monitor goes off. Z sleeps through it. My husband sleeps through it. My cats (all 3 of them) sleep through it. And I'm tripping and stumbling to shut the awful miserable thing off when I KNOW it's just another false alarm...
Gah.
My Lo is still on the monitor also! She has been on it since she was discharged on May 31st and has to stay on it until she is 44 weeks gestational age. That date for us is Aug 3rd also! Her due date was July 3rd. I dont use the belt and never did because I like the leeds better as I can move them around based on how many false alarms we get which some days there are a lot and them some days we get nothing.
Glad to hear Gabe is doing well and growing and putting on the weight. My Lo goes to the Dr this Friday for her 2 month old shots and I cant wait to see how much she weigs and has grown!!
Thanks ladies! Guess who had two major apneas tonight? Yup, he's never had one EVER and had 2 tonight. Scary. I *could* be because we moved the belt monitors to different spots (due to his sores), or they could have been real. He didn't nap much today and is SUPER tired now. So, he could have been sleeping too deep and forgotten to breathe. Yikes!
The monitor didn't come with sticky leads, the place has to bring us some out tomorrow because they didn't have any on hand today.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
I'd feel confident that the apneas last night are simply due to the new belt placement. And you will love the stickies! I hated wearing a monitoring belt while I was in High Risk so I wasn't about to put a belt on Kevin.
I have a confession - Kevin is 56 weeks today and he's still on the monitor. Not because he needs it - because my husband and I need the comfort of having him on the monitor at night. How silly are we? Insurance only covers it through the end of July so we have to start weening ourselves off it and onto the Snuza.
Not silly at all! Nighttime is the only time I've ever been thankful for the monitor - I've never once woken up in a panic to see if he's all right. We go through a lot as preemie parents & this is a nice little thing for us
I agree. I am worried about when we go off the monitor at night. We have an angelcare monitor, but I know it isn't as good as the stick on the baby monitor.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
Thank you both for telling me I'm not nuts!