Three Pounds

Who would have thought a month ago that we would be having regular conversations about aspirates, stools, and reflux? But, here we are and these seem to be normal conversations these days. Yesterday Josh hit the 3 pound mark which means he has gained more than half his birth weight in a month. We learned that in order to move into a regular bed he will need to reach a weight of at least 1800 grams. Right now he is about 1375 grams so we've got a ways to go but he's on his way.

Unfortunately he is now having trouble digesting his milk and is having large aspirates (food left in his stomach after a feeding). The doctor thinks he is not stooling properly and they have given him some enemas to help flush his system. They are thinking about giving him some contrast dye and watching how it goes through his digestive system. Supposedly this can help clear things out and it will also let them know if he has any blockages or narrowing in his intestines. To help his aspirates and reflux his bed is now at a large incline and they are giving him his food more slowly, over two hours.

Yesterday we learned "infant massage" which is something we will try to do every day when we visit. It consists of light strokes on his head, back, legs, shoulders, and arms. He seems to really enjoy it and it helps him to relax.