Feeders and Growers

So they were going to move the girls to a new hospital downtown, but then I had a sobbing breakdown on rounds about how anxious I was about the move.  Not sure if it was coincidental or not, but the move didn’t happen and instead we got moved again to an intermediate nursery in the same hospital for “feeders and growers.”  The move still may happen, but it bought us some time.

A paediatrician does the rounds in the new nursery rather than the neonatologist.  She said the only thing keeping them there now is their need to feed orally.  In the NICU, they prefer that you get breastfeeding established first before introducing a bottle, but in this nursery they just started bottle feeding my milk to them.  I was a little surprised by that, but if bottling means they come home faster, I’m happy to have them bottled, especially since I cannot physically be there all day to feed them, so they have to take a bottle if they want to lose the gavage tube.

The nurse today even said something about how maybe if they did well on the bottle, the paediatrician would decide to let them come home this weekend or early next week.  I almost fell over from shock as I fully expected us to be there another couple of weeks.  I have no idea if the nurse’s comment was realistic or just an off-the-cuff comment, but it did make me realise how unprepared I am.  I only bought two things during the pregnancy – two sleepers on the day my water broke back in February!  I have lots of clothes for them, and a crib, but virtually nothing else.

I will be buying new carseats, as I need ones that will go down to 4lb to accommodate very tiny babies.  I do not want them there an hour longer than they have to be because of a failed “car seat test.”

But if you live nearby and have a bassinette or bouncy chair that is not being used, I would gladly borrow or buy it off you.