Quiz and a Rant

Baby A

Todays blog is livened up with a picture quiz. Guess the baby - who is Baby A? Baby B? Baby C? Post your answers either here or on Facebook. First with the right answer wins!

Lex

Lex is still snotty and snuffly but that hasn't prevented him from piling on weight. He's now 4 pound 5. He is still on oxygen and might have to come home on it. Apparently this would only be for a short time (weeks rather than months or years). Hopefully he won't have to but both him and Charlie have something called 'chronic lung disease of prematurity.' It's caused by being born early and put on ventilators.

It's worth a mini rant here about the language used in hospital. 'Chronic' sounds awful doesn't it? What it actually means is 'will grow out of it in a few months and probably be unaffected in later life.' Beth is not free of such language as well. She has some tiny holes in her heart - the first nurse who told us about them used words like 'heart failure' and 'open heart surgery.' We asked to talk to someone else and a doctor told us that they would probably not affect her at all, were not affecting her now and in 95% of cases close naturally. See the difference? Yes - one causes parental heart attacks and the other doesn't.

So my point was that if you see me carting around oxygen its for Lex (or maybe Charlie- we haven't had that chat with them yet).

Baby B

Beth

Beth is still chilled although she wriggled like an eel today when Matt was trying to get her nudey for weigh in. She's now 3 pound 14. She is obviously a devotee of Star Trek because she puts her head on her right side without fail and is now the proud owner of a folded pointy ear. I keep lying her facing the other way but she just moves back. Apparenty I need to talk to the physio as they have some gadget for this. Probably called 'Baby ear tormentor' or something equally dramatic.

Charlie

Charlie is still in room 2 but he's doing a lot better. They've taken him off the fortifier as it caused him tummy ache and he's a different baby. No more grumpy baby. Now he's chilled and very mellow. When I hold him, instead of crying at first he just watches me then grabs my hand or top and doesn't let go until I have to put him back. I wish I didn't have to!

He's still managed to put some weight on and is 3 pound 8 (16 grams off 3 pound 9). I hope that's enough because the next option to get more calories in him is formula. Obviously this isn't poison or anything but the whole idea of breast feeding them was so they could get antibodies etc from me and Charlie, being the littlest, is the one who needs them the most. We shall see what the dietician says this week.

Baby C

He has managed to get onto low flow today. Fingers crossed that works and we can have him back in room 7 with his brother and sister.

All of them

The nurses and doctors at the hospital tend to treat each baby seperately, which is a good thing but also bad sometimes. For example yesterday we turned up and were told that Lex had been moved to 4 hour feeds and was next due at 12. This was a nightmare for me as Beth is fed at 12, meaning I had nothing to do at 11 (when Lex normally feeds) and then had to try my first tandom feeding at 12. It did not work, they both fell asleep and I got stressed. I spoke to the Sister who agreed to tell everyone to keep Lex's feeds at 11 and Beth's at 12. We got in today and they've moved Lex back to 3 hourly feeds 'Not sure why they moved him to 4 hourly' the nurse told me. Argh!

Anyway (I'm very ranty today!) we have been officially spoken to about Beth coming home before the other two. I've asked to speak to someone about all 3 babies as we need to know how long before the others come home, if Lex will come home before Charlie etc etc. I have visions of myself going into the hospital carrying 2 babies and wheeling oxygen - so I'd like some idea of how long that might be for. We shall see what they say...

So which baby is which?