This morning, as expected, David is still in the NICU. He lost a few grams yesterday, but not a full ounce. He has not figured out the sucking reflex yet, so continues to do most feeding through the feeding tube in his nose. Kristina was here at the hospital yesterday, and we will both be here today. The nurses suggested we go home and get some rest before he really starts taking bottles and we always want to be here, so we’re planning on going back to West Lafayette for the weekend.
After signing the paperwork yesterday, we were then able to get our parent badges for the NICU, which allows us to come and go without having to ring the bell for admittance each time we come. (Not a huge hassle, but nice to get the privilege anyway).
Overall, he’s still doing well, and spends most of his time sleeping. They are still evaluating how his jaundice is going. They said there is a possibility, if it is getting any better, that he could move into a regular crib today instead of the incubator. We won’t know for a couple of hours whether they will make that decision, but it’s a possibility. In general, they are not expecting any issues or complications, beyond what is normal for a slightly early baby.
Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers):
- Q: What is that tube coming out of his nose in the pictures? A: It’s his feeding tube. Since he hasn’t figured out how to eat yet on his own, they feed him directly to his stomach. We’re told the suck-swallow-breathe reflex often doesn’t kick in before week 35-36.
- Q: When can we come see him? A: Unfortunately, at the moment, the hospital wants us to not have any visitors. We don’t know when they will change that, or when they will be discharging him. Currently, they talk about 3 weeks as being a possible duration, while still emphasizing that it’s completely “up to him” and when he makes the progress he needs to. Basically, that means that it could happen at any time, but 3 weeks is when a “typical” baby might figure everything out he needs to before they send him home. Also, he has to have 5 consecutive alarm-free days, so it’ll be almost a week past when he turned out to have been ready. Then, once they discharge him, we’ll be trying to keep from having too many guests at once for a bit while he gets used to being with us in his new environment. I think we posted previously about the importance of bonding with an adopted child—which now comes into play, though thankfully, we are getting this opportunity to begin this bonding period with him alone at the NICU.
- Q: Is the adoption final? When will the adoption be final? A: The court will finalize the adoption in about 2 months. However, this is not an at-risk adoption, because in the State of Indiana, the signatures of the mother and father releasing parental rights are irrevocable. The birth family has already signed the paperwork (as have we).
- Q: What can you tell us about the birth family? A: Almost nothing. Anything we do know is part of private information which we will share with David as he grows. He will take part in figuring out how much to share about his story when the time comes. Aside from that, we have not met them, and they have requested a closed adoption, so we actually know very little anyway. What I do know is that they made a conscious, loving, decision to ensure that he has the best parenting situation possible.