Maddox Dane

On Friday, March 1st, Brad and I went to the hospital for an ultrasound check up of baby boy. Three weeks before this appointment, they had estimated his size to be 3lbs, 14 ounces. At this appointment, the estimated his size to be 4 lbs, 4 ounces...which wasn't enough growth for that time frame. So...the doctors all talked to each other and they decided to induce me right then even though it was still 4 weeks before his due date.  So, they walked us over to labor and delivery and within a few minutes I was admitted, hooked up to the monitors and pitocin was going. The pitocin was started about 2:30 and about 2:45 my doctor came in and broke my water. Brad left to get the kids settled at home with Kristin and to finish a few things at work. I got my epidural about 5:30. It took two different doctors and 4 tries to get the epidural placed...but I was relieved when they finally got it. Then at 6:45 pm, baby boy was born.

They set him on my chest for just a few seconds before they took him and rushed to the NICU. 

About 8:30 that night, they let me go and see him. He was getting an echo when I got there. Baby boy ended up having some pretty severe pulmonary hypertension, where the circulation in his heart didn't convert over from the way it circulates in utero to how it circulates after birth. He also had pneumonia. Both if these were made worse due to the fact that he was premature. 

 He was 5 pounds and 18 inches long.

 They started him on a CPAP, nitric oxide, oxygen, antibiotics, iv fluids, TPN, sedation medication, and started some small amount of tube feedings. 

 He was a pretty sick little boy for a while. 

 He was in an incubator and all covered up so he would stay calm and quiet so he didn't put any extra strain on his heart...we called it his little cage.

 Finally when he was two days old, we decided on the name Maddox.

 The poor little boy was going through an IV every 18 hrs or so. One IV infiltrated in his foot and left him with a pretty good burn.

 Mason drew him a picture to keep him company since kids aren't allowed in the NICU. 

 One day 3, they finally let me hold him. I was able to hold him once a day. On day 7, they took him off all the antibiotics and IV fluids. 

 On day 9, they started weaning him off of the nitric oxide. He was completely off of that on day 11. Then on day 12, they took him off the CPAP and switched him to vapotherm oxygen. They worked on slowly weaning him off of the oxygen and on day 14, he was on room air.

On day 11, we were able to start trying to feed Maddox through a bottle and he was moved out of the incubator and into an open crib. He started out drinking 9-12 ml out of 50 ml.

On day 14, Maddox was moved to the other side of the NICU, where the babies are more stable. 

Today is day 16. We were able to give him his first real bath today...but he didn't like it too much. At this point, he is completely stable and the pulmonary hypertension has resolved. Now, he just has to eat his full bottles before they will discharge him. 

We are grateful that he is doing so much better and that everything has resolved...now we are just rooting for him to eat so he can come home!