Day 22 & 23 - McMaster to Stay

Miranda and I went to McMaster Friday evening to see Marlo.  She had kept her nurse busy all afternoon.  The nurse finally figured out she really likes to be held and that she also likes to be bundled tightly.  It was a strange feeling arriving to see my daughter and no one there knowing who I was.  The rules to entering the NICU at McMaster are much more intense.  I had to remove my wedding rings and all outside bags are to be put in plastic bags.  You are not to bring any outside things in.  There are very sick babies in her unit.  When you arrive in the unit you need to wash up to your elbows.  There is a step by step process on how you are to do so on the wall.   I felt a little lost.  Luckily there was a father just about to enter that realized Marlo was next to his twins.  Turns out the twins were born in Kitchener two weeks earlier.  I was feeding Marlo the night they were delivered and brought into the Kitchener NICU.  Such a small birthing world.

Yesterday was a good day.  They established her central line.  We are very lucky they were able to get one in.  If they did not have success the would have had to put a cut line in.  A Cut line would have involved a surgeon cutting her thigh to find a vein.  Once the central line was inserted it would have been stitched to the vein.  This type of line would have meant she would be staying in Hamilton until she comes home.

I called McMaster this morning.   They have decided to keep her there for now.  The nurse has said the want to keep her until the establish feeds. They feel it would do her injustice to have her travel back and forth if the blood in the stool returns upon  her starting to get milk again.  They also feel they would be able to get to the correct milk needed quicker.

Currently the plan is to get her up to half feeds and make sure her insides can tolerate it.  Once this is achieved we will be able to get her back in Kitchener to finish getting her to full feedings and hopefully establish breast feeding at the same time.  Feeding could start as early as Monday.  This is the doctors call it will be assessed if the ten day course of antibiotics was enough or if they feel fourteen days are needed.  I brought a frozen batch of my milk to the hospital in preparation for her  feeding to begin.

We just got back from visiting and cuddling her for the afternoon/evening. This is the first night Dave has held her since Wednesday.  We have had to split up and conquer and will continue to do so through out the next while.  Dave returned to work this week and we do have a little boy at home that needs us too.  I plan to drive to Hamilton tomorrow.  I am interested to see how I feel after the drive.  The farthest I have driven so far is to a doctors appointment.  I am feeling much better.  This will be a good test.