Community› The Bump Message Boards› Preemies
Preemies
New Discussion

Day 82. The home stretch.

JuliaAndPeteJuliaAndPete member
in Preemies
Our 27wk 1day modi twin girls have moved from their NICU to home hospital as of 5 days ago. They are 2.5 months old (negative 8 days adjusted) and they have come so far. We are so proud of them.

Twin A (Evie) is 5lbs 1oz, still on nasal cannula and eating 25% of her feeds from a bottle. She still Brady spells with one or two feeds a day and drifts on her sats constantly. She still has some time here but honestly I don't worry about her. She is the toughest chick on the planet.

Twin B is face-tube free. No respiratory support, no NG tube and is weighing 6lbs 14oz these days. I always try to imagine still being pregnant. Yowza!!

Twin B (Eleanor) still has at least one Brady spell at least once a day. Sometimes she vomits and chokes with them (the last time we were trying out a new nipple that she didn't agree with). These spells are strictly during feeds and no other time. She has passed her car seat test, her hearing test, got all her vaccinations, she takes all her feeds from a bottle, 24cal with consistent weight gain but she still Brady's.

Will it ever stop? I recognize when it's going to happen and intervene but it still happens (even with hospital nipples). Are we pushing her too much? Is this common with preemies? How often did your LO's spell before you brought them home?
Report Reply to Post

Re: Day 82. The home stretch.

  • flerlgirlflerlgirl member
    Congrats on your girls! DS did this in our home stretch and it was so frustrating. I promise it will stop; it just seems like forever because once you know you'll be going home soon every little step feels like it takes years. In a few more days they might surprise you; DS had As and Bs every day until one day he didn't. He actually came home on oxygen and monitor but has never had an issue in the eight months he has been home. 

    You are doing awesome and it sounds like your girls are tough stuff! Best of luck and please let us know how they are doing over the next few days!





    I'm not new. I just hate The Bump. 

    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • JuliaAndPeteJuliaAndPete member
    So your LO stopped the spells at home and eventually a visiting nurse discontinued your monitor?
    Report Reply
  • gault530gault530 member
    My DD (twin A) stayed 2 weeks longer than her brother because of brady's most of which were during feedings.  She had severe reflux and once she started the medicine, the brady's went away.  To go home, she had to be brady free for five days.  We would start the count after one day of no brady's but continued to push it back.  Have you asked about reflux?  She also is allergic to milk, but I switched her formula when she came home and did great. 

    Since my dd's brady's were always when she was eating, the were a little more relaxed when counting them.  Have you asked what there rules are? 

    Those last few weeks seem like an eternity, especially when they're so big.  Hang in there, they'll be home in no time!
    Lilypie Fifth Birthday tickers Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
    Report Reply
  • haziedazehaziedaze member
    Getting so close! Sometimes this home stretch is the hardest. Our hospital did the 5 day count down as well, but didn't count spells that happened with feeds as long as the didn't require more than a back pat/stim from parent. DS did his 5 day count down and came home at 35 wk adj, but then had a pretty scary A&B with BFing his 2nd night home. I'm a physician but it was still scary and DH and I commented that maybe they let him go home a little soon. Thankfully that was his last one.
    BFP#1 9/14/10 (EDD 5/21/11); no fetal pole 6w6d, 7w4d, d&c 10/8
    BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
    BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
    image
    Report Reply
  • flerlgirlflerlgirl member
    JuliaAndPete said:
    So your LO stopped the spells at home and eventually a visiting nurse discontinued your monitor?
    Yep! We see (or saw) a respiratory therapist who came to visit us and it was actually his pulmonologist who discontinued the monitors. He had some trouble keeping his sats up when he was first home but no As or Bs since we brought him home. The monitors were a big comfort but it was also nice to see how much they weren't needed! 





    I'm not new. I just hate The Bump. 

    Report Reply
  • thishappyhousethishappyhouse member
    Sounds like they are making some great progress.  

    Are their A&B episodes primarially related to feeding?  

    My DD was a terrible bottle feeder.  We were only getting about 10% of her total volume in by mouth at 40 weeks.  She always choked and dropped her sats significantly.  She suprisingly passed her barium swallow study (have either of your babies had that done?) and gradually got up to full feeds by 43 weeks and went home at that time.  They surprisingly sent us home without a monitor even though she was having major choking and brady spells with bottle feeding.  They were confident that we knew what to watch for and help her recover.  Thankfully they did not stick to their typical 5 day rule for A&B episodes for discharge because it went on for almost 6 more months at home.  

    I hope your girls figure it all out sooner than mine, but just know that you know your babies well and they will get there!  
    mom to V; 25 weeker born at 1lb 7oz
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

    www.virginiakkent.blogspot.com

    image
    Report Reply
  • Pips09Pips09 member

    My daughter's last issue was A&Bs, and at the end, they were pretty much only during feedings. She ended up being discharged on an Apnea monitor. I would feed her in good lighting (even in the middle of the night) so that I could watch her color. She was on the monitor for about 6 weeks after discharge.

    Your baby will get it! It just takes patience and practice. Best wishes for you!

    Daisypath Happy Birthday tickers
    Daisypath Happy Birthday tickers



    Report Reply
  • JuliaAndPeteJuliaAndPete member
    edited March 2014
    The big twin has not had a spell in 3 days. So Friday they will DC her monitor, we'll do 24 hours in house with her and she'll come home Sunday (fingers crossed). Her spells were only with feeds and only Brady's. The little one does both during feeds and the ones in her sleep are fading.

    We switched their bottles to Dr Browns and it made a huuuuge difference. They both love these bottles. The bigger twin did something today she has never done and I pray she keeps it up. She was breathing and sucking at the same time. Before it was three or four sucks then four or five breaths, repeat. Today she did it at the same time!! It was amazing. I'm just so ready to be done with hospitals.

    Reflux has been an issue but it seems to be going away. They just kind of cough now as opposed to throw up. They are both so position sensitive. I almost wish I had never fed a baby before then I wouldn't know any different. Oi.
    Report Reply
  • JuliaAndPeteJuliaAndPete member
    Thanks everyone!
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"