Another Try

On Friday, the docs decided it was time to try Zoe off of the CPAP again. This time, instead of going straight to a regular canula, they put her on a high-flow canula (vapotherm). She's doing well so far and we really hope she doesn't have to go back on CPAP. She really hates it, as you all know, and constantly tries to pull it off of her face. She's persistent for sure.

In other exciting news, Zoe weighs 4 1/2 lbs now. They put her on a longer-term diuretic because she kept retaining fluid and was having to take stronger diuretic. So, her weight gain is steadier now at about an ounce a day. We also started trying to breastfeed once a day and so far she is doing amazingly well. She can actually breathe, suck, and swallow at the same time. That might sound like an easy task, but for preemies, that can be a huge challenge. She must like breathing a lot because she never forgets. It definitely takes a lot of energy for her to work for her food so we limit it to short stretches, but as she gets bigger and has more energy, we will try more often.

We're 80 days into this thing and are finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We've got a ways to go, but with Zoe making steady progress, we are getting more excited about the prospect of bringing her home.