Stamp Out Reflux!

Luca has had a rough few weeks.  He hasn't progressed very much with taking his milk only by bottle, he still gets tired and doesn't finish it completely so they have to give the rest in his feeding tube.  He is also still having spells where his heart rate dips dangerously low because he stops breathing.  This usually happens during his feeds, or shortly after wards.  The doctors think it may be a reaction to reflux, so they started him on prilosec.  Being a preemie baby, the sphincter muscle in his stomach isn't strong enough to keep closed so the milk can back up into his mouth again very easily.  The feeding tube going from his nose down to his stomach keeps that muscle from staying completely closed as well.  I can't wait until they take that tube out!  The prilosec will not help the muscle to stay closed and keep the milk down after feedings (that just comes with maturity), but if he does have reflux it will stop the pain of the stomach acids irritating his esophagus and nose.

The worst reflux episode happened early Monday morning around 2:30am.  The nurse noticed his heart rate on the monitor was very low, so she went over to check him and he was very pale and not breathing.  She had to give him rescue breaths and oxygen before he was revived, and she said they basically suctioned out his entire feed because he had milk all in his nose and mouth.  My heart sinks just thinking about it.  I am just so thankful to God that he was still in the hospital with 24 hour care and NOT AT HOME when this happened.  All we can do is wait until his little body matures a bit more so that he can tolerate his feedings and recover on his own from an episode of reflux.  I've learned so much about preemie babies vs. babies born at term.  Apparently the ability to close the airway and protect it is easier to master for preemies than it is to remember to open the airway again and start breathing (this makes sense considering he's not even supposed to be breathing on his own yet!).  So poor Luca was just protecting his airway from the milk that was coming back up, but then he couldn't remember to breathe again.  He will do this also when feeding from a bottle, but we have learned to count each suck and swallow while he is taking from the bottle.  If he keeps sucking and swallowing after 5-10 counts, then we need to pull the nipple out so he remembers to breathe in between.  I am so grateful for that Nurse that helped save him, I'll never forget her. 

Mike and I are just taking one day at a time, and looking forward to the day we can have all our family together in one room, without a glass window in between us.  Luca is looking more and more like a "normal" baby, which makes me just want to steal him and bring him home.  If it wasn't for that darn forgetting to breathe thing.  He weighs about 6 pounds 13 ounces now, and he's becoming more alert and looking around to see who ever is talking.  He even made us a Valentine and taped it on the wall by his crib!

Our little Valentine