When is he coming home?

With the exception of "how is he doing?", the most common question I get asked is - "When is he coming home?".

I hate when people ask me that question. It just reminds me that I don't know the answer. There are 4 criteria that Logan needs to meet before he can come home. Here they are, along with how he's doing as of right now with each of them.

1. Must be gaining weight. They need to make sure that his body is accepting the food/nutrients he's being given and that he's thriving. His birth weight was 5lbs 10 oz. Like most newborns he lost weight in the 1st week, dropping down to about 5lbs 4 oz. The last 3 nights he had weight gain on the scale and his current weight is 5lbs 11 oz. So - check that one off the list.

2. Must be regulating his own body temperature. For the first week or so of his life he was kept in the isolet (a baby incubator) to help keep his body warm. That's something our bodies do automatically, but he was born before the automatic reflex developed - so outside help was needed. 3 days ago he transitioned from the isolet into a regular open bassinet. He's been doing VERY well maintaining his body temperature. So - check that one off the list.

3. Must take his entire bottle for at least 48 hours. Right now Logan does have a feeding tube. They need to make sure that he's getting adequate nutrition. He eats every 4 hours and his bottles are 65 mL each (about 2.2 oz). Whatever he doesn't finish they put through the tube. The last couple days he had been slacking in the eating department with feedings that would be 17, 25, or 30...not even 1/2. Last night he made us so proud and at his 8pm feeding took ALL 65, followed by feedings of 63, 40, and 55. So there is improvement and hopefully will be more in the next few days.

4. Must be "spell" free for 8 days. Honestly, this was the one that worried me the most. Logan, like many preemies, is having "spells" This is where is heart rate and his oxygen saturation drop for more than 15 seconds. At first he was having about 4 or 5 of these a day, and would not come out of them on his own (they had to stimulate him to get him breathing again). In the last few days he has been averaging 2 a day, which he comes out of all by himself. I was worried that this would keep him in the hospital longer than everything else...8 days is a lifetime! I was told yesterday, however, that they will probably end up doing a "fax study". This is a specialized 3 day test where they monitor EVERYTHING. The report of those 72 hours is then analyzed by the Dr and specialists to determine if the spells are anything to worry about, if he just needs more time in the NICU, or if they are not dangerous and he can be sent home. They said most of the time they come back as nothing and can then release the baby home. I was told they will probably do this for Logan, but not until the feeding tube comes out.

This is what needs to happen for my baby to come home where he belongs. He has his good days and his bad days - but I can definitely see that he's trending in the right direction. Hopefully he will be home soon...I just wish I knew when.