Chloe & Shannon Journey through the NICU - Part 2


November 7, 1998

Today me and Emma both went to the hospital at 1pm and stayed for around 6 hours, in this time we were allowed to hold the babies for most of the day because they both had ended their photo-therapy treatment.

Chloe is still on hourly feeds of 10 ml either via the naso-gastric tube or if she is awake via a bottle, and Shannon is on feeds every three hours of 42 mls via bottle or naso-gastric tube or both.

At around 4pm Shannon had a large vomit which was yellow in colour and for the first time we saw her cry and scream - which, although she was in discomfort, was a relief to hear that her lungs were developing. The Staff Nurse though stopped the three hourly feeds and put her on two hourly and then continous feeds of 13.5ml per hour via an IV drip through the nose.

November 8, 1998

Today is Emma's 20th Birthday, we spent most of the day with the twins at the hospital, Chloe was still on hourly feeds of 10ml and Shannon was now been fed continously at 14.5ml per hour, both babies had their cares done by myself and Emma.

A Doctor is to see Shannon tommorrow about her problem with keeping her feeds down and both babies have had their Bilirubin levels checked in the afternoon - both babies levels had gone up 40 units, they laid just below the treatment levels.

November 9, 1998

I am back to work today but I get to the hospital at 6:15pm with Emma, the bad news is that Chloe is back under Photo-Therapy because her bilirubin levels have gone above the treatment level - the good news is that Chloe is now taking three hourly feeds of 45 mls via a bottle or if she is asleep the naso-gastric tube.

Shannon is still on 14.5ml continous feeds but the doctor has decided that he will put a small amount of Gaviscone into her milk from tommorrow to try to settle her stomach a bit. Today we couldn't have a cuddle with the babies but we could do their cares and put Shannon in her night-clothes.

November 10, 1998

We arrived at the NICU today at 6pm to see Chloe been put into her night-clothes because her bilirubin levels have now gone under the treatment levels, she will now go back into her cot but the Staff Nurse has told us that the Incubator will be kept in the room just in case it is needed again.

Shannon is now having continous feeds with a small dose of Gaviscone to settle her stomach and they will try her on hourly feeds later that night. Tonight Emma had the chance to cuddle and talk to Chloe whilst I did Shannon's cares and put her in her sleepsuit.

During the day the Staff Nurse took a picture of Chloe whilst she was preparing for her lunch, this picture can be found in the photo album page - it truly is a sight to behold.

November 11, 1998


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