Bottle Day!

Thursday marks the day that Adam will be 32 weeks adjusted gestational age, which is the point where babies first can try to bottle feed. This will be an exciting morning! We will do this once a day for the first few days, depending on how it is tolerated. Adam has been good about sucking on his pacifier or fingers from the time he was born. It is a little more difficult for preemies to learn to suck, swallow, and breathe so we will see how he does and soon we can try breastfeeding.

Wednesday Adam had a weight gain up to 3 lbs, 4.9 oz (over an ounce weight gain) and I just now called to check on him and his weight at midnight was 3 lbs, 5.5 oz.

One of the nurses on Wednesday talked to us about the importance of tummy time for babies (and preemies). Because of the "Back to Sleep" campaign, which showed a decreased risk of SIDS for babies who slept on their back (and now the recommendations also include preemies at home) many babies end up with misshapen heads due to too much time on their backs, since this would also include time in strollers, bouncers, swings, etc. This can even affect development. While Adam is in the hospital and hooked up to monitors, he is also allowed to sleep on his sides and on his belly but when he comes home he will also have to be "back to sleep". We learned about rotating his head positions as well as his orientation in his crib when he sleeps in his room, since babies tend to turn toward the door (where the action is and the food comes from, right?). But tummy time several times a day is important, and for his size, tummy time can mean lying on my chest with his hands near his head. As he grows stronger, he will be able to push his head up and look around, strengthening his neck muscles too. He can already do this a little bit. But Mom absolutely LOVES getting to hold him like this, as he is all curled up and cozy, and there are benefits for both of us.

Thank you still for your prayers and pray that he continues to grow and stay healthy and starts to outgrow the apnea episodes.