Discharge!

So they are talking the "D" word now.........Discharge!!!!!!! Zach may be coming home today or tomorrow, Yikes! I am just waiting for them to do rounds.

He has been doing very well this last week, they have slowly increased the volumes of his breast milk after surgery. He has done very well & they are now fortifying his breast milk with formula to increase the calories & he can have as much as he wants.

He has had some high blood pressure after surgery, they got a renal ultrasound yesterday, so today we'll find out if we have to do anything besides monitor it. We had some issues with his kidneys earlier, but we only found that out when he had an ultrasound for another reason.

It will be great to be home, but also very different. Zach was born 20 weeks ago. I have been at the hospital every day except for 6 days. I can't remember the last time that I had a full day at home & now I won't be leaving much except to go to the doctors.

So, now we need to talk about visiting. As some of you may have heard ;) they are anticipating the worst flu season in a very long time. Zach is too young for flu vaccines & while I am giving him my breast milk, he did miss out on the antibodies that usually get transferred from Mom to baby in the third trimester. Also, young babies are at risk of another virus (the RSV virus) that is usually a mild illness in children, but can be very serious in small babies. The doctors are saying that we are not allowed out with him anywhere that there are groups of people.

I know that a lot of people want to see Zach now that he will be home, but we will have to limit the number of visitors & there are some rules:

For those of you who plan to visit us over the next few months, and even if you are not, please take a few minutes to read this letter.

We want to start by saying thank you for the outpouring of support we have received from everyone. So many people have done so much for us, and every bit of help we have received truly is appreciated. We are experiencing the biggest challenge of our lives, and we’re lucky to be surrounded by so many family members and friends who have shown us so much love and support.
We’d also like to share an important topic that we recently discussed with our babies’ pediatrician. If you are not aware of RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, you are among the majority. Most people have not heard of RSV, even though nearly every child has had the virus by age two. For full-term babies, RSV typically is not any worse than a common cold, but for preemies, the virus can be quite different. Babies born earlier than 36 weeks are at the highest risk for serious complications like pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and other sometimes fatal complications. Zach was born premature and had a very low birth weight; these are among the highest risk factors for contracting RSV and developing serious complications.

This website offers a great visual comparison of a preemie’s lungs compared to the lungs of a full-term baby:

http://www.preemiecare.org/LungsTrees03-4.pdf

Preventing the spread of RSV is very difficult. Thus, we must be vigilant about keeping Zach safe during RSV season (October through April). The virus is spread through physical contact, in the air via a cough or sneeze, or by touching an infected object. The virus can live as long as six hours on hands and up to twelve hours on objects, and it spreads very easily, especially from child to child. Studies have also shown that infants pose an even higher risk of spreading RSV to others.
You may ask, “Can’t he fight it off and build up his immune system? Kids need to get sick, right?” The simple answer is NO. Since Zach was pre-term, he did not acquire the necessary immunities to fight off infection.
If he contracts RSV, he could be hospitalized and develop serious complications.
We’ll be asking our visitors to follow a few guidelines to help prevent Zach from contracting RSV or any other illness.
We ask that all visitors do the following:
1. When you arrive, please wash your hands and use hand-sanitizer as needed before touching the baby.
2. Please, if it is possible, get a flu shot.
3. Please refrain from coming over if you are currently sick and have not been symptom-free for at least 7 days, if you live with someone who is sick, or have been in close contact with someone who is sick.
4. If you smoke, we ask that you change your clothing and refrain from smoking prior to visiting, as a preemie’s lungs are very sensitive to smoke. Most RSV sites recommend against passive smoke exposure.
5. If you are parents to a baby or toddler, please refrain from bringing them to our house during RSV season.

Unfortunately we will not be attending many events during RSV season. Our goal is to make it through this and the next RSV seasons without Zach contracting RSV or any other serious illness. His lungs are still very fragile until they are 2-years-old.
Please understand that this letter is not meant to offend anyone, just simply to provide an explanation. We hope you understand, and we appreciate your help keeping Zachary safe. We are also providing several resources with additional information about RSV below.

http://www.preemiecare.org/rsv_resourceshtm.htm
http://www.preemiecare.org/rsvfaq.htm
http://www.preemiecare.org/rsv2.htm
http://www.mostonline.org/preemieBB/viewforum.php?f=82
Love and best wishes to all!