Life in the NICU

February 17th = Hours after birth Phillip was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and placed on CPAP - positive air pressure to keep his lungs open. An IV was placed in his hand and started on 10% Dextrose to keep his sugars within normal limits because he was not allowed to eat. An orogastric tube was placed down his mouth into his belly to help remove air that the CPAP was pushing into his belly.




February 18th = Phillip's first feed was through the orogastric tube and they started him on 4ml of colostrum/breastmilk.



Holding hands with Mommy


Throughout the day they had been weaning his CPAP down to 21% and then switched him to a low-flow nasal cannula on 100ml of oxygen to see how he'd do. Since he was off the CPAP I finally got to hold my little boy with joyful tears.

First family picture - minus Avery. Avery wasn't allowed in the NICU to see Phillip but she came daily to see Mommy.


Unfortunately, after Phillip had been weaned to 50ml of oxygen he started to increase his work of breathing and had to be placed back on CPAP.

February 19th = Phillip was weaned from the CPAP to a high flow nasal cannula on 2 liters and 35% of oxygen.


February 20th = Phillip's bilirubin level was 15.7 and increasing so he was given sunglasses and placed under phototherapy to help lower his level. They pulled his orogastric tube and placed a nasogastric tube down his nose into his belly and he was started on larger tube feeds that were increased by 3ml every other feed for a goal of 36ml.


February 21st = Phillip was weaned from the high flow nasal cannula to a low flow nasal cannula starting at 100ml of oxygen and by the end of the day he was on 35ml of oxygen. His bilirubin level was rechecked after being under the lights and his level as still 15.7 which was good that it didn't increase but it didn't decrease either so they added another light.

His tube feeds had been changed to an increase by 3ml every feed for a goal of 48ml and by the end of the day he had done so well with his feeds that we were able to start bottle feeding him for a goal to take 50ml, but whatever he didn't take was put into his feeding tube.

The 21st was the last day that the hospital allowed me to stay so after feeding Phillip we said our goodbyes and left for home. It was so difficult and emotional to leave the hospital without him.

February 22nd = at 11:00 am the Neonatalogist called us and informed us that Phillip was doing great he was only on 25ml of oxygen which is 1/32 liter and could go home on the oxygen. His bilirubin level was 12 and he was taken off the lights, his IV was removed, his nasogastric tube removed and he was eating great from the bottle. And the best news of all - he would be discharged from the NICU and we would room in with him on the mom baby unit before being officially discharged from the hospital on the 23rd.



February 23rd = At 12:00 pm after checking his weight and another bilirubin level we were finally discharged from Good Samaritan hospital. Phill and Avery came to pick us up and Avery was finally able to meet Phillip. She and Phill bought Phillip a balloon and Avery was excited to give it to the "baby" as she calls him.


Finally home!!