The great thing about the ICSN is that I truly could spend 24 hours a day there. He had his own private room and there was a couch that pulled out to be a bed. Initially, I thought I would be staying overnight with Weston, but the nurses explained that until he was showing cues that he wanted to nurse overnight, I should go home to my own bed and get as much rest as I could. And I honestly think that my recovery was so quick because the nurses encouraged me to rest as much as possible. Sleep is a wonderful thing, however, I felt guilty for leaving Weston at night... even though he was in very capable hands. I also felt guilty because I knew that Amaya needed time with me... I really struggled trying to find a balance - I was pulled in so many directions and any choice I made, I felt like I was letting someone down. In the end, Weston's needs came first while Steve and my parents took care of Amaya's needs.
Steve returned back to work on December 27th. My parents took care of Amaya while I spent the day at the hospital. On rounds that morning, the physician said his bilirubin levels were creeping up and that since he was in the hospital, we might as well treat him with phototherapy. His color was a little yellow, but nothing too terribly bad. He had quite the set up and fortunately tolerated all the equipment well. Here's a picture of him sun tanning!
The nurses really stressed the importance of holding him skin to skin (kangaroo care) to help reduce stress, increase his ability to nurse, and of course, to share that bond with him. But because Weston needed to spend most of his time under the lights for the next 48 hours, so I wasn't going to be able to hold him as much. Even though I couldn't hold him, my day was busy enough meeting with the physicians, the lactation consultant (who is a good friend of my mother-in-laws and had been praying for our family), a social worker, and dietician. We also had a very large binder full of information that we needed to read about taking care of a preemie and it's amazing how much I learned about the difference between a preemie and a full term baby. And in between visitors, I was either nursing or pumping every 2 hours. The day seemed to fly by!
What was most encouraging was that all Weston needed to be doing was eating and growing and once he got the nursing thing mastered, he would be discharged. We thank and praise God daily that he is one healthy and strong little boy!