Heidi Rae: NICU Day 1

After spending 24 hours with our tiny angel, We have finally chosen a name:

Heidi-Rae Lauren Martens

As of today, her struggles are:

1. Transient Tachypnia of New Born TTNB: transient means that it comes and goes. Tachypnia means rapid breathing. A new norm respiratory rate should be 40-60 per minute, Heidi Rae is breathing 80+, and sometimes over 100 per minute.

2. Pulse rate is normal, but her oxygen saturation dips when her respiratory rate slows below 60.  Normal oxygen saturation is 99-100%, low saturation starts at 95% and goes down to 90%; any thing below that is cause for alarm and intervention (which usually consists of repositioning or increase the oxygen concentration for her. She is on a CPAP ( continuous positive air pressure) device that assists her in taking full breaths by blowing humidified, oxygenated, and lightly pressured air directly into her airway through her nose. She has an OG tube (oral gastric) that is taped to her chin. It runs down her Esophagus to the stomach to relive any bubble that might form in her stomach from the CPAP. 

3. Her white blood cell count is slightly elevated which gives rise to the suspicion of an infection. She has been on antibiotics since hour 2 and they will continue until hour 48. 

4. She has had chest X-rays every 12 hours to monitor the progress of the "foggy lungs", which they are concerned is pneumonia. 

Oddly, she is 24 hours old and hasn't eaten yet, the Staff thinks she cannot breath adequately to nurse without choking or de-satting (Oxygen saturation drop). We will find out if we will feed her by OG Tube soon. Kikis milk is coming in slowly as expected. Mommy and Heidi got to sit skin-to-skin today for 3 hours. Kiki couldn't have been happier. 

Jeremy and Capri came for a visit. They had a blast! Pushed around in a wheelchair, ate lunch with us, we bought them fun books as "big siblings" gifts, ate ice chips AND they got to video chat with the baby. 

Video chat and eating ice balls!

Going for a walk. . .Well, KiKi kinda waddled! 

Thank you Zia for the CUTE shirts!

 I'm sorry we can't respond to each text and phone call right now. We will keep you posted as we can on Facebook and here. Thank you everybody for your prayers!