Eating for Both of Us!

Today was the much anticipated eating day! Brynn was going to do a "nipple trial" and I was going to have dinner with the other NICU parents. We'll start with me, since I ate first!

The nurses/ hospital host a lovely "NICU parent date night" in the hospital doctor's dining room. The menu tonight included veal, lobster macaroni and cheese, some strange salad with blue cheese and grilled asian pears, and tiramisu. It was interesting, not too bad. The best part was of course the company.

One good thing about the NICU, it is like everyone there is part of your extended family. The staff, the other parents, babies, etc. Somehow you find yourself crying when your baby's next door neighbor is having a bad day, and rejoicing when they have a good day. The other NICU parents become friends, it is only natural, you can feel each other's pain. So, it was kind of nice to get out of the NICU, and sit and talk about the NICU...

I am kind of starting to wonder about the day that we are released. I am pretty sure I am going to be a little sad. We'll miss those nurses, doctors, and therapists that have been there with us throughout our journey. We'll miss the Mommas and Daddies of the babies that are younger than Brynn that we will leave behind. They feel so much like family now. I'll be somewhat sad to think about leaving the people who have cared for our sweet girl for so long.

But that was my dinner, let's talk about Brynn's dinner. 9:00 PM was the time I had been looking forward to all day. Bottle "nipple trial." Her nurse, Jackie said it would be very good if she could eat at least 5cc. We had been warned, she may not like it in her mouth, due to the bad memories of the ventilator tube. She may Brady and DeSat if she is not ready to suck-swallow- breathe. If she did brady we would giver her a break and try again, if she did it several times, we'd quit. I was ready. Even if she took 0cc, it was that much closer.

When we put the bottle in her mouth, she took one or two sucks and then started looking around the room, like, "What in the world was that?" She kind of took a break while her little brain was trying to process that. Then, once she started sucking again, there was no turning back. She was really sucking it down, but it was coming out of the sides of her mouth. The nurse showed us how to give her "cheek support" and "chin support" and also changed her to a slower nipple. She had to work a lot harder to get the milk out of this nipple. She really tired herself out. After taking 15cc (that's right, 15!) she stopped sucking for good, and eventually started pulling her head away from the bottle. As soon as I flipped her over on my hand to try and burp, she was out. No burping for her. She was exhausted and sound asleep. I changed her blanket, swaddled her and held her for a few more minutes, and she never woke up. She was so worn out.

I was so proud of her! 15cc, and no bradys! It is going to be a while until she takes her 50-60cc 8 times a day, but this was a great start!