Thursday, March 30, 2006

Appointment Updates


This Tuesday we once again went to the orthodontist and they attached a stint on Caidy's plate. She is doing really well with it, but the thing keeps popping out of her nose which means I have to take her plate out and put it back in. It is a hassle because for the plate to stay in place we have to put polident on it and clean out her mouth each time. She hates this and so do I!

Also another appt was with the midwife today. They see the baby at 2,4 and 6 weeks then we go back to a regular pediatrician. But I am thinking I may go to the pediatrician sooner. Caidy was weighed today and she is only 7 lbs 8 oz. That is only a weight gain of 5 oz since her birth. I don't think this is enough, but I am not sure because my midwife doesn't know anything about birth defect babies. I am a little frustrated because when we got home from the appt I went right away and phoned the cleft nurse at children's hospital and of course she is on holidays for the next 2 weeks! So Jessica if you happen to read this I would love some advice!! She eats anywhere from 1.5-4 oz every 3-4 hrs. I can't force her to eat, she just fights me! Plus she is already sleeping one 6 hr stretch at night which I thought was a great thing, but could this mean that she is not getting enough food so she doesn't have the energy to wake up on her own? Any advice would be great!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey,
I forget what the weight gain progression is supposed to be (I'll look tonight in my books...), but I do know some babies take a whole month to get back to their birth weight, so she isn't doing that badly.

When is your paediatrician appointment? He will know more about this than me. It probably would be a good idea to go within the next two weeks, especially since you can't talk to your nurse.

I think that you are doing everything you can. As long as she is peeing and pooping normal amounts, just keep doing what you're doing. She needs her sleep at night, so to wake her up for an extra feed probably wouldn't do much more for her. And, like you said, you can't force her to take anymore at her feeds.

My guess is that the paediatrician will give you HMF (human milk fortifier) powder to add to your breast milk for more calories, or he will tell you to mix a bit of high-calorie formula with the breast milk.

But, as long as she's not dehydrated, none of this is urgent. So, hopefully you can get in within a few weeks, and he can put your mind at ease!

Take care.

Bonnie said...

Hey Jaime!!
I just found your blog today - Shar told me about it. I'm sooo happy to read how you're doing and see the pictures of your beautiful girl. After reading your posts, all I kept thinking was Bless You Bless You Bless you!! I will call you soon - you've been on my mind so much the last while!
You are the super mom and I know God is walking right beside you every minute of every day. You and your fam will be in my prayers!
Love bon

Anonymous said...

Hi Jaime,

Caidy looks cute and contented even with the attachment on her face. I hope you received the email I sent to your home address and it was of some help. We will be thinking of you all when Elijah goes for his surgery on Tuesday, and I'm sure everything will go well. You are in our prayers. Have you looked into a support group for mothers with children like Caidy. You should be able to find one through the Internet. Joan

Wilson's said...

Thanks Jessica! I will make an appt next week and see about the HMF.

Wilson's said...

Bonnie, great to hear from you! I am glad you found us, I look forward to your call and have kept up to date on your little guy from your blog, I can't believe how fast he is growing! Congrats to Todd as well on the new job!

Jaime

Wilson's said...

Joan, thanks so much for thinking of us. I did recieve your e-mail and have written you back, sorry it took me a couple days :)

Jaime