We had a nice and quiet day today. Your oxygen was down today at around 24%- much better than yesterday when you were at about 50%!Your sweet nurse brought a really great book for D and I look over today that explains what is going on in your heart.
"PDA stands for patent (which means open) ductus arteriosus (which means arterial canal in Latin). A PDA is not an anatomical flaw. It is simply a blood vessel near the heart and lungs that was a normal, necessary part of your circulation as a fetus. It's meant to close within a few days after birth, then disappear. But in many premature babies the PDA lingers, making it more difficult to recover from complications like respiratory distress syndrome. In that case, the PDA is treated- with medications or, more rarely, with surgery. Some 40% to 50% of all preemies under 34 weeks of gestation have a PDA, but only about 10% of preemies with PDA will end up needing surgery...
If the ductus is still large and open wide, it may burden the lungs with too much blood, making it harder for the baby to breathe, and overloading the heart with work to pump extra blood to compensate for the PDA."
-Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies by Linden, Paroli, and Doron MD
This is what was confirmed in the echo that was done that first week. Hopefully this is something that will fix itself it in the near future so you can breathe more easily and put less stress on your little heart. You can do it!
We love you so so much!
PS I got a chance to hold you tonight skin-to-skin. Wow. It was awesome. I couldn't believe just how little you really are. It's hard to really tell when you are wrapped up into your little snuggly. Your body was so soft and warm, and you were most comfortable I have ever seen you. You even opened your eyes wide for quite a while in the beginning which was lovely since you had your bili lights on all day. We missed your sweet face. D read a few books to you on the iPad and I think you loved it. The funniest part of the night? You peed on me. Yup. I don't know that I will ever let you live that one down. At least it doesn't smell yet. Plus, I imagine that most certainly won't be the last time either.
