Being a Mammi again

 So we've had quite a busy couple of days up on Bear Ward. It started on Monday when Martha was taken off Monogen and put back on her regular SMA High Energy feed, which she tolerated well. She was also given four sets of 1 hour breaks from the continuous feeding pump. During her breaks we would take her for a walk around the ward in her pram and take her to the sensory room.

Tuesday we decided we would try giving her bolus feeds every hour, so we started giving her 17ml all at once each hour. I was worried how she would cope with having that much in her stomach, it can put a lot of strain on their Hearts and Lungs because of the extra work they have to take on to handle the volume. I was nervous around her, waiting for her to vomit it all up - but it didn't happen.

We took Martha for a routine ECHO and ECG late in the afternoon, when we returned a short while later it had been decided that Martha was moving out of High Dependency and on to the Ward to a private cubicle. It seems once I get comfortable and adjust to the way a certain place works - Martha is moved!

By 11pm on Tuesday night Martha was unsettled, we didn't know if she was hungry and if 17ml an hour was actually enough for her. She was due a feed at 11:15pm so we gave her two hours worth, just in case Martha felt she needed more. We rolled her around the ward in her pram where she began to fall asleep, so rather than wake her and put her back in her cot - we brought her to the parents room where she slept soundly in her pram while we had a panad and watched episodes of Gavin & Stacey on Netflix.

At 1:15am we gave her another 34ml feed and settled her down to sleep in her cot. We were worn out.

She's been having 2 hourly bolus feeds ever since and has been doing great. But the best thing is because I've already been signed off on NG feeding - it's me who does them all for Martha. As we are also happy to change her nappies the nurses aren't having to do as many of her cares during the day; they come in to administer Martha's medications and to do her observations, but that's it really. It's great being so involved in her cares, she feels like MY daughter again. 

Mam is also going to be signed off on NG feeding aswell, just in case we go home before Martha is fully bottle feeding.

Do I dare start feeling positive and happy though? Or does Martha Grace have any other trick up her sleeve!?

GM

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