Millie's Milestones: March 2006

Friday, March 31, 2006

Day 42 - Millie on the mend

MILLIE has made a big improvement.

She is getting better and is more wriggly than ever.

She is also opening her eyes much more and fixes mummy in her gaze when she is cuddled.

When daddy cuddles Millie she cries, so he quickly hands her back to mummy again.

The doctors believe they now know the cause of Millie's infection.

They have found staphylococcus bacteria in her blood which indicates that the infection was almost certainly caused by the long-line.

But the antibiotics appear to be working and Millie will no longer have to have a lumbar puncture test or a brain scan.

She has also expelled much of the fluid she was retaining.

As expected, this means she has lost weight.

She now weighs 1.940kg having lost 140 grammes over the past 24 hours.

There is, however, some concern that Millie may only have one kidney.

She had an abdominal scan today and three sonographers - the people carrying out the scan - were unable to identify a right kidney.

This is the second time Millie has one of these scans and the second time they have been unable to see two kidneys.

The doctors will check again before she leaves hospital.

They say shouldn't it be too much of a problem if it turns out she does only have one kidney.

Millie would have a normal life - she would just have to be a little careful about what she drinks and the sort of drugs she takes.

And daddy thinks that being born with only one leg, for example, would be much worse.

Unless, of course, she wants to grow up to be a pirate.

In the grand scheme of things, we're just happy that Millie is on the mend.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Day 41 - The boxer

MILLIE has found her voice again.

She cries when the doctors prick her heel to take a blood sample.

She also pulls her foot away.

But something is still wrong although the doctors don't know exactly what it is.

So although much better in some (often very vocal) ways, Millie is still quite poorly from a medical point of view.

Blood protein tests indicate she has some kind of bacterial infection rather than a virus after all.

To control this, doctors have put her on a further antibiotic. But the source of the infection remains a mystery.

It might be the long-line, which was withdrawn on Wednesday. Test results on Friday will confirm whether this is the case.

If not, Millie will have a precautionary brain scan and lumbar puncture test for meningitis.

Because she is now being treated with four antibiotics, she could develop a fungal infection as a side effect.

Just in case she does, she is on an anti-fungal medication to nip it in the bud.

Millie received another blood transfusion this afternoon to boost her iron levels.

She ended the day looking a healthy pink. But she has been retaining far too much fluid, which has made her very puffy.

It is most noticable around her eyes which are so swollen she looks as if she has done 12 rounds in a boxing ring.

The fluid retention has also contributed to a massive weight gain of 146 grammes over the past 24 hours.

This is equivalent to a 7.5% increase in her body weight, taking it to 2.080kg (4lbs 9oz).

The doctors have reduced the amount of fluid she is being given so her body can expell the excess.

For this reason, over the coming days it is likely that Millie will lose weight in the form of water.

But everyone agrees she is looking much better and the doctors are cautiously optimistic Millie will make a full recovery.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Day 40 - The waiting game

MILLIE ended today (Wed) slightly better than she started it.

But she remains subdued.

Her temperature has been variable over the past 12 hours.

It rose to around 37.5 degrees, before settling back at 36.4.

Her face is rather squished in the photograph (above) because Millie is strapped to an oxygen supply to try to perk her up.

The doctors are still unsure what is wrong with her.

They believe she may have an infection, but they are uncertain what it is, or indeed whether it is bacterial or a virus.

Daddy is not too worried, believing Millie has had a rough time over the last week and it's not surprising she is under the weather.

He thinks she will ride out any virus, although it may take time.

Mummy is more concerned. This evening Millie looked very poorly when she cuddled her.

She was unresponsive and pale, not crying and hardly moving.

But after some paracetamol and a saline injection, she perked up at around 10.15pm - just before mummy and daddy went home.

Before she left, mummy was able to change Millie's nappy. As she did so, Millie cried and wriggled - a good sign.

Meanwhile, the doctors continue to carry out tests.

Tonight, Millie had an ultrasound brain scan and a chest X-ray.

Both were clear.

All of what daddy calls "Millie's numbers" are ok.

Her heart is beating at about 150-160 beats per minute and her blood saturation level is 100.

It's a case of continuing to monitor her while conducting tests.

There is some good news: Millie has put on a further 54 grammes and now weighs 1.934kg (4lbs 4oz).

She is getting so big that she dwarfs the incubator.

Day 40 - Early morning wake-up

THE hospital phoned at 5.50am this morning (Wed) to say Millie was not herself again.

This was the first time mummy and daddy have been woken by a call during the early hours.

They got out of bed, got dressed and went straight to the hospital.

Millie's temperature had risen to 37.9 degrees - almost a degree above its normal range of about 36-37 degrees.

Her tummy was fine, and her bile was still clear. Her heartbeat and breathing were slightly raised but there were no other visible symptoms.

However, the medical staff are being extra vigilant because another baby from the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) has been very poorly.

Although Millie was not very perky, the SCBU nurses are uncertain whether she is just under the weather or whether it is more serious.

The doctor is deciding whether to perform a lumbar puncture test. You can read more about this procedure by clicking here.

The nurses have taken out Millie's long-line. It will be tested to see if it has become infected, as sometimes happens.

Test results will be known within 48 hours. Meanwhile, another antibiotic has been prescribed.

Now the long-line is out, Millie will be fed for the time being through a canula which already goes into a vein in her hand.

But canulas are not ideal for Total Parenteral Nutrition and so a long-line will have to be fitted again after a couple of days or so.

This means Millie could yet have her hair shaved so that a long-line can be inserted into a vein in her scalp.

Mummy and daddy stayed until 9.30am before deciding to return home.

By the time they left, Millie's temperature had fallen to an acceptable 36.2 degrees. She was more active, but still not as pink as she has been.

Mummy and daddy will both return later today to see how Millie is progressing. We will keep you posted.

The picture shown above was actually taken yesterday (Tue), rather than today. Daddy will take some more pictures today and post them later.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Day 39 - Steady as she goes

MILLIE is making progress.

The medical team confirmed that she will not be fed milk for 14 days since she became poorly.

This means milk is unlikely to be re-introduced into Millie's diet until Wednesday 5 April at the earliest.

However, Millie's bile is now clear, which is a good sign that she continues to get better.

Her tummy is soft when pressed, rather than swollen and hard.

Millie is also settling in to her own corner in the Peter Rabbit room for high dependency babies.

It is decorated with pictures from Beatrix Potter stories.

There are six places for babies in this room - two babytherms (heated open trays) and four incubators.

Over the past five weeks Millie has stayed in five of these places.

Only one more incubator to go and she has the full set!

Mummy visited the hospital for most of the day, and had lots of cuddles.

Daddy came at about 8pm and also had a cuddle.

Everyone is very pleased because Millie's weight has increased by a further 28 grammes.

She weighs 1.880kg (4lbs 2oz).

This means Millie is rapidly regaining weight lost since she became poorly, which is good news indeed.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Day 38 - We have a 4lb baby!

MILLIE has been moved into an enclosed incubator and is no longer in an open tray.

This is progress, although she has been so poorly that it is hard to believe.

The Special Care Baby Unit is full - it has been closed to arrivals twice in the past three days.

Mummy and daddy are concerned that so many people coming and going could bring in a new infection that could cause Millie to relapse.

But the green bile that the nurses have been taking out of Millie's stomach is now clear in colour - another sign she is recovering.

She has also put on another 24 grammes, taking her weight to 1.822kg.

This is a real milestone, because it means Millie now weighs just over 4lbs.

It looks like daddy over-estimated the weight of Millie's tubes and lines yesterday because most of them were removed today before she went on the scales.

The doctors have confirmed, however, that she will not be fed any milk for 14 days, receiving nutrients through the long-line instead.

Mummy and daddy forgot to ask whether this was 14 days from today, or 14 days since she became poorly.

Today's photo of Millie was taken with daddy's mobile phone, because he went to the hospital this afternoon without the camera.

This explains its poor quality. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

It was meant to be an extra visit before daddy visited again in the evening.

But he stayed on before taking mummy on a hot date shopping at Asda.

This was the first time they had been out anywhere in the evening together for longer than an hour since mid-January.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Day 37 - Mother's Day

MILLIE seems no better or no worse today.

This is frustrating, because it is as if she is in limbo.

But she looks a lot better in reality than she does in today's photo.

As you can see, Millie still has lots of lines and tubes - which daddy refers to as "hospital jewellery".

Despite being poorly, however, she still managed to get her mummy a mother's day card.

It says "Mummy, the bigger I grow, the more I know I'm as lucky as can be, 'cos the nicest mummy in all the world, is the one who belongs to me."

When mummy arrived at hospital today, the nurses gave her a flowering plant as an extra present.

The hospital staff do this for all the mummies on Mother's Day.

And while mummy was visiting, daddy tidied the garden and planted some herbs in empty yoghurt pots before going to the hospital himself.

Millie has put on 68 grammes over the past 24 hours, increasing her weight to 1.798kg - two grammes less than before she became poorly.

But this is likely to be inaccurate due to the weight of the long line, canulas and other paraphernalia attached to her limbs.

Daddy thinks it unlikely that Millie would have put on 68 grammes (the most she has ever gained in a day) while she is ill.

He thinks her true weight is nearer 1.750kg, perhaps less.

But we won't know for sure until all of Millie's hospital jewellery is removed.

However, the increase shows that the Total Parenteral Nutrition - the nutrients fed through the long line into her vein - is working.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Day 36 - Rabbit-on-a-blanket

MILLIE narrowly avoided having her first haircut today.

The doctors found a suitable vein in her hand so they didn't have to shave her hair to insert the long line into her head after all.

This came as a big relief - especially to mummy who was never really very keen on the idea.

The good news is that the doctors are now able to make sure Millie gets all the nutrients she needs.

But she is still hungry because her stomach is empty.

When the doctor put his finger in her mouth, she sucked and sucked.

Millie is also missing her cuddles. Her mummy and daddy miss cuddling her too.

Because of this - and because of the hunger - Millie sometimes cries a lot.

In today's photos, it looks like she is wearing a hat.

But it is actually Millie's rabbit-on-a-blanket toy which the nurses have placed on top of her head so she feels she is being held.

Millie has always liked being held, so the rabbit-on-a-blanket trick has soothed her considerably.

It also matches the blanket she is lying on, which is decorated with pictures of rabbits and carrots.

And it is appropriate too because Millie is in the Peter Rabbit room.

She was very calm and slept for the duration of a two-hour visit by mummy and daddy this evening.

The weight loss continues, and Millie has lost a further 40 grammes (1 1/2 ounces) over the past 24 hours.

She now weighs 1.730kg (roughly 3lbs 12 1/2 ounces).

However, her bowels are now virtually empty, which is good because they can start to recover properly.

Once the doctors are convinced Millie is better, they will once again start to feed her on her mummy's milk.

They will start with small amounts, and then gradually increase the quantity as they did before.

Depending on Millie's progress, this will happen some time over the next week or so.

Thank you for all your messages of support - they really mean a lot to us. It has been a source of great strength to know there are so many people sending their love and wishing Millie all the best.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Day 35 - Pinky not perky

MILLIE continues to show signs of slowly recovering from her ordeal.

She is quiet and subdued - so not the Millie we know and love - but she is a healthy pink colour.

Millie had two kangaroo care cuddles with her mummy today (Fri, 24 March).

Her breathing has calmed, so she has been allowed to come out from under the oxygen pod and is now breathing air.

As is to be expected, Millie has started to lose weight because she is not being fed milk. She therefore cries for food.

Over the past 24 hours, Millie's weight has dropped by 30 grammes to 1.770kg (about 3lbs 14 ounces).

It is likely to fall further still. This is because she will not be fed milk for up to 10 days so her bowels have time to recover.

Instead, Millie will be fitted with a long line and undergo Total Parental Nutrition (TPN).

You can read more about long lines and TPN in the Spaghetti Junction post from 23 February.

The doctors say it is likely that the long line will have to be inserted into a vein on Millie's head. If so, they will shave off her hair.

This is because the larger easy-to-access veins on her arms and legs have already been used a number of times and are therefore weak.

Although rather unsettling to look at, fitting long lines into veins on the head is common practice in many countries.

The doctors expect to fit the long line some time over the weekend. We will keep you updated.

Day 34 - Elvis and Millie

AFTER a very scary day, Millie is showing signs of recovery.

She is still in the high dependency room, but it looks like she may just have turned a corner.

There is no doubt that she has progressed in the past 24 hours.

The consultant visited Millie at 10am on Thursday (23 March).

At this time, it didn't look good at all.

Although Millie was breathing for herself, the consultant said she was "very poorly" and too unstable to be moved to a specialist hospital without being put on a ventilator.

But they indicated that she would have to be put on a ventilator anyway if her breathing deteriorated much more.

In this case, Millie would be moved to an intensive care unit at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, which specialises in neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

They phoned through to alert Addenbrookes and a cot was reserved there for Millie.

Over the next few hours, though, Millie's breathing gradually improved.

By mid-afternoon, the doctor described her condition as "serious but stable".

In other words, she wasn't getting any better, but she wasn't getting any worse.

It was at this point that the medical team decided to give Millie another blood transfusion.

They were concerned that Millie's iron levels were still very low because her previous transfusion had been halted halfway through.

Millie would receive a further 32ml of blood over four hours starting at 5pm Thursday (23 March).

The nurses sometimes play music to the babies in the Special Care Baby Unit.

While the transfusion was taking place, Elvis was playing in the background.

It was a rather incredible event to witness.

Within 15 minutes of it starting, Millie began to wake up.

From being a limp, still baby, not making a sound for hours, she opened her eyes and started to move her limbs.

As the transfusion continued, so Millie began to move more. Then she started to cry.

The transfusion ended at 8.45pm.

After an hour, Mummy gave Millie a wash. The nurses checked Millie's nutrient and gas levels. .

They also did various other measurements that daddy doesn't understand but are very important in these situations.

All the results were good.

Mummy and daddy are going to the hospital again this morning (Friday, 24 March) and will provide a further update later.

Millie is not out of the woods yet, but she is certainly looking up.

The doctors say the blood has made a really big difference. But daddy likes to think that Elvis helped just a little bit too.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Day 33 - Snakes and ladders

MILLIE is poorly.

She has suspected Necrotizing Enterocolitis - a bowel infection which means she has gone back into the Peter Rabbit room for high dependency babies.

Mummy first noticed Millie didn't seem quite right yesterday (Wed, 22nd March) at about noon, just after Millie had a blood test before her transfusion.

The transfusion went ahead, but Millie's breathing became what the nurses call "a bit chuggy" - in other words, laboured.

They stopped the transfusion about half-way through and called the doctor.

This is why Millie is wired up in the picture above. She is also in an oxygen helmet, to help her to breathe.

The doctor could find nothing wrong with any of her nutrient levels, although Millie's tummy was rather swollen.

The consultant was called and decided to X-ray Millie.

The X-ray suggest that her bowels are inflamed, although the consultant doesn't think it is anything to do with the transfusion.

After climbing so many ladders over the past few weeks, this is a slide down a rather big snake.

The situation is as serious as it has been since she was born. Mummy and daddy have been told Millie could get worse before she gets better.

If you want to find out more about necrotising enterocolitis, click here.

The initial treatment is a course of antibiotics and it is possible that Millie won't be fed any milk for 5-14 days.

It is also likely that Millie will go back on the long-line so she can receive nutrients direct into her veins.

Mummy and daddy will be at the hospital today (Thu), so may not be able to answer phone calls.

If anyone does want to call, please call daddy rather than mummy in the first instance.

We will keep everyone posted as soon as we can.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Day 32 - The Iron Lady

MILLIE'S iron levels are dropping so she needs a bit of a boost.

This is a common situation with premature babies.

For the past few days, Millie has been fed iron supplements to try to keep her blood strong so she can grow.

But the supplements are not having a big enough effect, so the doctors have decided she must have a blood transfusion.

This is not as bad as it sounds - partly because, like all small babies, Millie doesn't have very much blood to transfuse.

The doctors have calculated that Millie has about 140ml (about five fluid ounces) of the red stuff.

So it's not going to involve a drip or anything like that. It will be more like an injection of blood.

A syringe will very slowly inject a small quantity of new iron-rich blood into her veins.

The whole process will be controlled by computer.

One of the other babies on the Special Care Baby Unit underwent this exact procedure a couple of weeks ago.

Within minutes he had red rosy cheeks and was looking much better, so we're hoping Millie will be the same.

She put on another 31 grammes in the past 24 hours and now weighs 1.735kg (about 3lb 13 1/2 ounces).

The consultant showed Millie's growth chart to mummy today.

Funnily enough, it looked exactly the same as the one daddy has made at home.

Mummy didn't mention this at all.

But she smiled to herself as the consultant said the growth curves and bars showed that Millie was making "textbook progress".

(Murmur monitor: unheard today)

Monday, March 20, 2006

Day 31 - Weighty matters

MILLIE continues to put on weight.

Part of the reason for this is her voracious appetite for milk, which is good.

The downside is that it makes for rather repetitive updates!

With great reluctance, mummy has had to concede that the best way to get the most milk into Millie is via a bottle.

Millie drinks as much as she can of her mummy's milk from the breast, and then has some more from the bottle.

She is currently fed about 44ml from the bottle every four hours - and a fair bit too from the breast.

It's impossible to tell how much Millie gets from from her mummy, but she stays on the breast for 20 minutes at a time now.

However, the success of the feeding regime is reflected in Millie's growth.

She put on another 30 grammes in the past 24 hours, taking her to 1.706kg (about 3lb 12 oz).

Daddy made the graph on the left to show Millie's growth. You can click on it for a bigger version.

The blue line is her bodyweight in kilogrammes, shown on the left-hand axis.

The horizontal axis is her age in days.

Her daily weight gain is shown by the purple bars and right-hand axis.

Millie has had only six days during which she has lost weight.

Four of these days were straight after she was born, which is to be expected. She has only had two 'off' days since then.

Also, her daily gains are becoming more consistent, levelling out at around 30 grammes (more than an ounce) a day.

This is in turn creating fewer fluctuations in the blue line which represents her bodyweight.

When the blue line reaches about 2kg, Millie can come home.

At 30 grammes a day, this could be some time next week.

(Murmur Monitor: unheard today)

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Day 29 - Baby Anne

MUMMY and daddy were given a lesson in resuscitation today.

All parents on the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) are taught how to resuscitate their babies - just in case.

The lesson involves Baby Anne - a bald plastic doll dressed in what appears to be a pink Edwardian bathing costume.

At £290 for a pack of four, the hospital says Baby Anne dolls are really quite expensive.

But they do come "complete with a free step-by-step book explaining how to simulate injuries realistically".

On this occasion, mummy and daddy were shown how to resuscitate a baby that has stopped breathing.

You can see the sort of thing by clicking here.

Once they are allowed home, premature babies are no more likely than full-term babies to stop breathing.

But the SCBU teaches all parents this lesson, together with ways of minimising the chance of cot-death.

This all sounds rather gloomy, but the lesson did end on a good note.

Millie gained another 28 grammes over the past 24 hours and now weighs 1.646kg (3lb 10oz).

And nurse told mummy and daddy that Millie might be able to come home after just two more weeks.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Day 28 - Out of incubator

MILLIE moved into a cot for the first time today.

The nurses decided she no longer needs an incubator.

This is because she has put on enough weight and can now regulate her own temperature.

The box has an open top, unlike the incubator which is fully enclosed.

It is unheated, so Millie is now at room temperature.

Mummy and daddy feel she has really come on over the past week.

She gained a further 43 grammes during the past 24 hours, taking her total weekly weight increase to 208 grammes (7 1/3 ounces).

She is awake more often, wanting to be fed.

She sucks her thumb in anticipation if mummy isn't around.

And she cries to let the nurses know what she wants.

But it's a strange feeling being able to change her nappy without having to handle her through two perspex doors.

Millie is fed 35ml of milk, every four hours.

This is a real milestone because this is the feeding interval that she will go home on.

Mummy has been discharged from the doctor as her blood pressure has now returned to normal for the first time since mid January.

All in all, a very good day.

Even the doctors were unable to hear Millie's heart murmur today.

Although we have been told it is something that may come and go until disappearing completely.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Day 27 - Cup feeding

MILLIE had her first proper "cup feed" today.

A cup feed is a half-way house between breast feeding and bottle feeding.

As Millie grows, she gets hungrier more frequently (quite obviously!).

She cries for food and it would be cruel to make her wait until her next allotted feed.

So the nurses top her up as required in addition to giving her 34ml of milk every 3 1/2 hours.

Rather than feed her through the tube (which she needs to be weaned off before she comes home), the options are for her to be bottle fed with mummy's milk or breast fed directly.

We don't want to bottle feed her even with mummy's milk, because once she starts bottle feeding it will be difficult to get her back on to the breast.

This is because the sucking action a baby needs for a bottle is different to a breast and a bottle will make her 'lazy'.

But mummy can't stay at the baby unit through the night, so the alternative is for the nurses to cup feed Millie.

She is given a small cup of mummy's milk which is put up to her lips and she then laps it up - a little bit like a cat.

In fact, daddy suggested that when Millie comes home she can teach Harry how to lap properly because he will only drink out of a glass.

Millie likes cup feeding and can't seem to get enough of it.

She put on 12 grammes today and although her heart murmur is back, she is in fine fettle.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Day 26 - Hearts and murmurs

TRUE to form, Millie lost eight grammes today.

After two days of gaining lots of weight, she decided to have a bit of a rest and today lost eight grammes.

She now weighs 1.564kg.

Part of the reason for her weight loss is a reduction in Millie's feed from 32ml every three hours to 29ml every three hours.

The doctors stepped down her feed after discovering she had a heart murmur - which is an abnormal sound through the stethoscope.

Up to one in three babies at some stage have a murmur. Many are 'innocent' rather than a sign that something is seriously wrong.

The doctors believe Millie's murmur is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) - a condition when one of the blood vessels fails to close properly.

They are not worried, saying she would "look blueish" if something was wrong.

Daddy thinks you don't really have to be a doctor to give a diagnosis like that.

But apparently PDA is very common in premature babies.

Older viewers can read more about it by clicking here. Younger viewers (and those who like to think of themselves as young) can click here.

Often, the blood vessel closes of its own accord and the murmur stops.

When the doctor visited Millie later today, her murmur couldn't be heard any more.

By this evening, her feed had been increased to 34ml every three hours (an extra teaspoonful) and Millie was looking perky as usual.

But she will still have an electrocardiogram (ECG), just to make sure everything is in order.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Day 25 - Millie's menagerie

MILLIE has quite a collection of friends waiting for her when she arrives home.

There's a monkey, a sheep, an elephant and a bear.

The latest addition is a fluffy cow sent which arrived in the post yesterday from Marcus and Ellen.

All of this is a round about way of daddy admitting that he forgot to take the camera to the hospital so there's no picture of Millie today.

It's also a shorter post than usual because we are all really tired.

Millie has put on another 50 grammes and now weighs 1.572kg (3lb 7 3/4 ounces).

Once she reaches 1.6kg she will be allowed out of her incubator.

She will then be able to stay in an open-top plastic box.

This will probably be towards the end of this week, although it is hard to be precise because Millie's daily weight gains vary so much.

She seems to put on 50 or so grammes for two days in a row before deciding to have a day off and only put on 10 grammes.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Day 24 - Who's that girl?

THE Winnie the Pooh room has some new residents.

When daddy visited Millie this evening, two sets of parents he hadn't seen before were looking after their new babies.

He said hello and went to Millie's incubator, where he said hello to her too and gave her a stroke.

After a few seconds, daddy suddenly remembered that the nurses usually move the incubators around when new babies arrive.

Having often thought that one baby looks much the same as the next, he immediately wondered whether he was actually at the right incubator.

Daddy then had to check Millie's name tag just to be sure it was her. Fortunately, it was. Unfortunately, she then started to cry. Loudly.

Nevertheless, mummy and daddy are gaining in confidence and can now nappy-change, wash and tube-feed Millie without help from the nurses.

This is called "doing her cares" and is shown in her records.

The records also show the position in which Millie is lying - whether prone (on her front) or supine (on her back).

Her position is changed every two hours.

The nurses also change the side on which Millie rests her head.

This is because her skull is still very soft so Millie would develop a square-shaped head if she was left too long in the same position.

Even so, her appearance is changing daily as she continues to grow - a handy excuse for daddy almost failing to recognise his own daughter.

After little weight gain yesterday, Millie has put on a whopping two ounces.

She now weighs 1.522kg (3lb 6 ounces), which is an increase of 62 grammes over the past 24 hours.

Her feed has increased to 32ml every three hours, and she continues to combine this with a nuzzle at mummy's breasts whenever she can.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Day 23 - Energetic baby

MILLIE is such a fidget.

Somehow she has learned to move herself around until she is lying widthways inside the incubator rather than length ways.

She can also turn her head to face whichever direction she pleases.

This evening, Millie was laid on her tummy with her head facing towards the other babies in the Winnie the Pooh room.

But within two minutes she had lifted her head and was facing the opposite direction.

Daddy thinks this is one reason Millie only put on five grammes over the past 24 hours.

He thinks she is burning up all the calories in her mummy's milk by doing exercises, rather than using them to put on weight.

She is drinking 32ml of milk every three hours. This evening, mummy and daddy fed her by the tube on their own for the first time.

Millie had hiccups, which she seemed surprised about.

It also made feeding rather less enjoyable than it could have been.

But she remains in good spirits and is developing fast.

She is looking forward to wearing her new baby clothes bought by John and Linda and promises not to spill too much milk down them.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Day 22 - Three weeks old

LINDA came to visit Millie today.

Mummy and daddy picked her up from Colchester station at 8am and took her to the hospital.

She stayed for two hours, during which time daddy gave Millie a morning wash and nappy-change.

Millie has put on 45 grammes over the past 24 hours. She now weighs 1.455kg (about 3lb 3 ounces - daddy will have to check).

It really feels like spring is here.

The daffodils that nana and papa brought during their visit from Sleaford last weekend are now in full bloom.

It is three weeks since Millie was born.

Sometimes mummy and daddy find this hard to believe.

It seems Millie has been part of their lives forever - in a good way of course!

Mummy is preparing Millie's room, ready for when she comes home.

Like the daffodils, the narcissi sent by Beth and Florence are also in full flower.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see mummy holding a penny to show just how small the narcissi are.

Millie says they are very tiny but perfectly formed - just like her.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Day 20 - Millie unplugged

Millie has learned to cry.

Until now, she has only made squeaks, like a little mouse.

But this afternoon she found her lungs and let mummy know what she can do with them.

This came as a bit of a shock.

At first, mummy thought there was something wrong, but the nurses reassured her that yes, babies can be really noisy!

Another milestone was passed today.

The sensor strapped around Millie's foot to measure her heartbeat and oxygen saturation levels has been removed.

This means she is no longer 'plugged' into anything.

Instead, there is a sensor under Millie's mattress which monitors her breathing as she lies on top of it.

Mummy and daddy can now lift her out of the incubator without worrying whether they will accidentally pull out some vital tube or wire.

In the last 24 hours, Millie has put on 22 grammes.

Her feed has increased again to 29ml (5 1/2 teaspoons) every three hours day and night via the tube into her tummy.

This is supplemented with increasing amounts of milk straight from the breast which Millie seems to enjoy more and more.

Meanwhile, the nurses are gradually reducing the temperature in her incubator.

Once it is down to room temperature, and Millie can maintain her body temperature on her own, she will be moved into an open-top plastic box.

With a bit of luck, this should be within a week or so.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Day 19 - Muffin anyone?

SHE might be less than three weeks old but it looks like Millie has opened her own shop at Stansted Airport.

Daddy was just about to catch the plane to Berlin when he caught sight of the shop frontage.

He knew no-one would believe him, so he took the adjacent photo with his camera phone.

A catchier name for the shop might have been "Millie's Muffins" but the cookies certainly looked tempting.

As well as baking and selling cakes to customers, Millie has probably been eating a few cookies herself.

She put on another 24 grammes (one ounce) within the past 24 hours and now weighs 1.376kg (rough guesstimate 3lb 3 ounces).

The nurses have upped her quantity of milk again.

Millie is now receiving 23ml (4 1/2 teaspoons) of milk every three hours and continues to do well on all fronts.

The Special Care Baby Unit is busy again with lots of babies.

Millie now has six other friends for company in the Winnie the Pooh medium dependency room.

Meanwhile, Mummy is a dab hand at nappy-changing while Millie is on her lap and does so much more quickly than daddy.

Daddy is still all fingers and thumbs.

But mummy has a sneaking suspicion that he pretends to find nappy-changing difficult in a vain attempt to get out of doing it.

Millie's Milestones