Moving on...

Time for another post. I have to get everyone up to date so I can talk about more recent happenings. So before Madelyn get to leave the NICU she needs to be off 02. On a Wednesday morning at rounds the docs talked about weining her off, but the night before they had tried but Madelyn needed to stay at 30%. Just after the 9 am feeding the nasal prongs got pulled out with Madelyn's fist. Her sats did not go down. The nurse suggested we leave it off and see how long it would take. By lunch she was off the 02 altogether. So Madelyn actually took herself off 02!

Now lets move on out of the NICU. After 26 days Madelyn was moved to the Intermetiate Care Nursery or IMCN or more commonly known as the T1 nursery, located back at the women's hospital. Now I have to say that I was warned by all the other mom's at the Ronald McDonald House that I would be shocked by the difference in care and that I won't like it. And boy, oh boy, was that the case.

Now it's not to say that the nurses don't work hard but they are so short staffed they don't have time to even read the chart, not even the bedside notes. This was the problem on Madelyn's second night there. Her feeding schedule was every three hours 3,6,9, and 12; alternating a bottle, with breastfeeding and a gavage (feeding tube). This is done so she can get her strength up to take all her feedings orally for 48 hours and then we can go home. Oh, how I wanted to take my baby home. The nurse on the second night couldn't figure out why Madelyn was even at the IMCN because most nurses don't know what CDH is. She feed her bottle feeds all night long until the charge nurse noticed this problem in the morning. I was so frustered, because now we had to start all over again. Madelyn was so exhausted from all the hard work she slept for hours on end.

I needed to get Madelyn out of IMCN. I found it difficult to be there, I was impatient and didn't like to leave Madelyn over night. At the NICU she had more personal care, and had won over so many hearts that if she cried or fussed, someone would try to give her special attention. IMCN was just understaffed and they even admitted it.

The answer to my prayers came on Friday, only three days later. During rounds, I asked if it would be faster to get Madelyn home, if I would stop breastfeeding. All the lactation consultants were horrified, that I would consider this. They asked me if I would like Madelyn to be discharged to the ward at the Children's Hospital. I could then room in with her, and continue breastfeeding. This ment that I for the first time could spend 24 hours with my baby. Of course the answer was yes. YES, I could hardly contain my excitement. I had to call Carl at work immediately. I was so happy.

First Madelyn had to have an MRI. It is procedure that all infants from NICU on ventilators get an MRI and a hearing test before discharge. The hearing test was done the morning she went to IMCN. The MRI was more difficult to get a time slot. Thankfully Madelyn slept through the whole thing and was not sedated. She had been off all medications for almost two weeks and I didn't like her being poked anymore.

At about 5:45pm I helped the nurse Lindsay pack up all of Madelyn's belongings and Madelyn into a stroller. I got to take off her SAT probe, and her monitor chest stickers. And off we went to the fifth floor of the Children's hospital. Madelyn was now a cordless baby!

Madelyn was placed in a room all by herself. She had a bassenett and I had a hospital bed. I felt so happy and afraid at the same time. For the first time I was left alone in a room by myself with my baby. There was no monitor to look at to see if her breathing was okay, or if her heart rate was to high. I had alot of anxiety to get over.

Carl and I had the best weekend together with Madelyn. I was allowed to stay with her and Carl would go sleep at the RMDH, and be back by breakfast. We felt like a real family. We did all the feeding. The nurses were nearby if I had any questions or concerns. Dr. Carson would come by every morning to see Madelyn, and I got to ask him any questions I had as well. I felt like we were in paradise. Yet I still had the urgent feeling to get home. Every mom wants to take her baby home.