Transfusions

According to one nurse, transfusions are a bit like "red bull" for the babies. When needed, the added blood seems to help them in almost every way. Thomas received one yesterday, and Audrey today. Their coloring looks better and their heart rates and oxygen saturations seem to be improved as well. Audrey had some tachycardia (an abnormally high heart rate), so we're praying that it was due to low hemoglobin (which would make her heart work harder to maintain oxygen saturations) and not due to any sort of sickness. If the former, the tachycardia should go away with the transfusion. She received nutrition thru an IV during the transfusion (nothing by mouth during that time) to help maintain her weight of 2lbs 4oz. 

Charlotte is still 1oz away from 2lbs, but the new attending physician (they rotate every 3 weeks) said I shouldn't worry about size. He affirmed Charlotte as being the strongest from a respiratory perspective, and that is the most important thing to consider at this stage. I sort of knew that already, but I still want her to grow so that I can hold her! 

Apparently, white caucasian males are often referred to in the NICU as the "wimpy white boys" because they tend to have the hardest time with prematurity. This stereotype of weakness in comparison to females has certainly played out with our small sample size, with Thomas lagging behind his sisters (for now). All that said, I still think he's pretty strong. He had his picc line removed last night, so he and his sisters are now all receiving 100% of their nutrition orally. He's up to 20cc per feed, which is still a bit away from his max feed amount, but at 2lbs 14oz, he should be able to withstand a day or two below his full amount. Timing didn't work out to hold him today, but I should be able to do so tomorrow!

Over and out.  

Audrey all tuckered out after being stuck multiple times for a transfusion as well as parenteral nutrition. The blood pressure cuff is part of the process with transfusions.