While sleeping Tuesday night, we did Brady’s pulse ox test. The oxygen company picked up the recorder yesterday but since the pediatrician was off we didn’t hear anything until this morning. Our pediatrician (actually her not a nurse or other member of her staff) called this morning and let us know that Brady no longer had to be on oxygen! Her average oxygen saturation level was 97 and she stayed between 90-100, 97% of the time! For comparison her last overnight test at 6 weeks old, she was only between 90-100, 84% of the time.
While Casey had the pediatrician on the phone, he mentioned to her that one side of Brady’s forehead was flatter than the other. Because it’s hard to make a diagnosis or suggestion over the phone she suggested we make an appointment to bring Brady in to see her. So this morning I took Brady in to have her head looked at. She lays on her right head so much that for some reason the left side of her head is flat. I don’t really understand why the side she lays on would be more rounded than the other side but somehow it’s true and has to do with her ears and the pressure and her heads still molding. From now until she’s 4 months old we’re going to have to be very vigilant in ensuring that she lays on the flattened side so that her head starts rounding out. At her next appointment in 2 weeks we’re going to follow up and see what kind of changes have taken place and hope for the best. Then if at her 4 month appointment not enough progress has been made, we’ll have to meet with an occupational therapist and have her fitted for a helmet. From what we’ve read online she’d have to wear the helmet 23 hours a day. The pedi did say that because she’s so young and her head is still so malleable that she wouldn’t have to wear the helmet for long. But still, come on! We *just* got the oxygen off we do not need something else to worry about. So now we’re just going to pray that her head shapes back up. By the way, her head measures 37cm now.
After the nurse brought us into the exam room she told me to lay Brady on the counter. I had already started taking her outfit off like I normally do when she said I didn’t have to get her naked weight unless I wanted to. Of course I wanted to get her naked weight so it would be consistent against her other weights. I’m surprised they haven’t had enough preemie moms in there to know that weights are the highlight of our appointments. Our babies are fighting an uphill battle to get up to where full-term babes are so we need to make sure that they’re making progress in the right direction. Also, I was curious to see what her weight was since we’ve added in the extra breastfeeding session. It’s been 9 days since her last appointment where she weighted 7 pounds 15.5 ounces. Casey predicted that Brady would be up to 8 pounds 7 ounces but she shocked us all and is now up to 8 pounds 12.5 ounces! Since she’s done so well just in the last week (and with her not eating very well the day she had her shots) we’ve added in another nursing session. Which means that I can drop another pumping session! From the schedule I posted on Monday, you can see how much more time that’s going to free up! Now we’re hoping for her to be 10 pounds by her next appointment!