A Long Day

Today has been kind of a long day. After our spirits were lifted with the news that baby H would likely be heading home in the next couple of days, today presented some challenges. We learned this morning that baby H failed his car seat test that they had done during the overnight shift. His oxygen saturation levels decreased during the test. So, they decided to try his preemie support piece and put it around him in the carseat and then redo the test later today. (Even with the first failed test, the doctor we saw today still mentioned the possibility of going home on Monday.) We called to check on the results of the retest before our evening visit, and, at that time, we learned that he had failed the test again, also due to the decrease in his oxygen saturation levels. After the test, they decided to keep his pulse oximeter on him to continue to monitor his oxygen levels. They noticed that when he took his bottle, his levels dropped again. They wondered if possibly his levels had dropped due to him being tired from the car seat test. So, they decided to keep an eye on his oxygen levels throughout the night. We watched them again during his 9 PM feeding (that I gave to him), and once again, they went down.

At this point, we don't know what, if anything, this means--if things will remain as planned and he will get to go home (possibly Monday), or if they will need to do something for him, or if he just needs to be monitored for a few more days...Obviously, this was all a bit discouraging and disappointing for us. (Mommy has been a bit of an emotional mess tonight!) But we do realize that, if there are some real concerns, it is best that we find out before he leaves. As much as we cannot wait to have him home, we do not want to bring him home before he is ready and risk potential problems once he is with us.

We appreciate your continued prayers, and if you don't mind, please pray for baby H's oxygen levels and also that God would guide the doctors and nurses to make the best decision about his care over the next few days.