Peatering out

Both boys are doing so great with nursing while I am at the hospital with them. I am able to be at the hospital twice a day for about 2.5 hours each time for a total of about five hours each day. I wish I could nurse them every time but with them eating eight times a day and Hunter unable to visit for more than 15 minutes (NICU rule) it's just not possible. Yesterday the Neonatologist called and said the boys are doing very well and as soon as they can prove that they are able to nipple every feeding (whether by breast or bottle of expressed breastmilk) they will be able to come home. In other words, whenever they can get rid of their feeding tubes is when this will happen. Right now they usually either nurse or take the bottle for about half of their feeding each time and then get the rest of the milk through their tubes. This is because it takes a lot of energy to suck the milk down and this burns a lot of calories for the little guys. They peater out by the time half the feeding is over and fall asleep. They just need to build up their endurance. The goal is to get them to take between one and two ounces of milk by themselves. They are each eating an ounce and a half right now (at each feeding) but half of that is via their tubes.

I might have been getting a little ahead of myself when I mentioned Brody coming home soon (last post). The nurse got me excited when she told me to bring in the car seat. We brought it in but it might be another week before they send either of them home. We'll just keep praying that they get stronger quickly!