22-02-2012
Ultrasound scan today revealed lack of albumin and hemoglobin for me. So I am getting a bottle blood transfusion now. Both babies cried today whole day.
Hospital bill is mounting. No idea how to pay everything. Ramesh has finally quit office and started work independently. I need to rejoin course this year- in July- for sure (otherwise my job itself will be in jeopardy), so we might all have to shift to Chennai, which again will cause a lot of expenditure. I feel faint thinking of all this.
25-02-2012
Got Baby-C also in the room. All three are crying a lot. C has a big bandage where his umbilical chord was cut. He cried a lot in the room. I hugged him and held him tightly to my chest, then he stopped crying. My mother holds him all the time now- she feels that he needs the warmth of a body. He seems to be content to lie down in her lap.
02-03-2012
Babies are still fed through the tube in the nose. Nurses come and feed them every hour, we prepare and keep the formula before they come. Now they have 10 ml every hour. Nurses still come to help me with breast pumping. We bought a pump for Rs.3000/-, but it is of no use. Nothing much is coming out. So we are sticking to formula. When Baby-A alone was given to us, we had some time to get used to him, to feed and change nappy and look at him. When Baby- B was given to us they facilitated a new, bigger room in the NICU ward. This room has two single cots which we join at night, a table, two chairs and an attached large toilet. I found it a bit difficult to handle two babies at once. Then suddenly Baby-C also was handed to us, two days before the specified date for his discharge from NICU. In a way it was a relef because it meant that we can go home sooner, but when he came to the room I was overwhelmed. All three started crying and tears welled up in my eyes at the helplessness. I didn't know whom to pick up, how to feed them together, how to soothe- nothing. All my physical discomforts seemed to choke my, and I sat there totally helpless and got all criticisms and scolding from my family and the nurses and the doctor for not doing enough for the babies. The doctor specifically told my mother not to help too much, else I might take that opportunity to shy away from my responsibilities. My mother wanted me to get good post-delivery care (prasavaraksha), but at the same time she wanted me to feed the babies and take care of them. My husband said that there was a belief that 90 nerves broke during a delivery and so 90 days of rest should be given to me. But that also was just words- no one could really let me take any rest, because we needed all the help we could have from everyone, including me. A physiotherapy team came and advised me to sit with my legs up always, never hanging it down, so the swelling would go. Also they showed me some exercises I was supposed to do while lying in bed. But none of these could be done as all of us were totally occupied with the babies. My mother helped me take my bath every day, which was a huge relief. I was still bleeding after the cesarean, and I sort of became used to sanitary pads. The moment I enter the bathroom one of the babies would start crying. I had to take several breaks during meals to soothe babies.
My father comes at around 8 am with breakfast, just like how he used to during my bed rest. He adores Baby- B. When my mother comes at around 10 am with lunch, me and Ramesh have our breakfast and Ramesh leaves to take care of office and sites- only the most important schedules. DrAG comes for the regular rounds and nurses drop by every hour. Rames is back by afternoon. They sleep long hours, and they don't wake up when they hear other babies crying. But when they are up, they cry most of the time. Then we feed them, change nappies and try to soothe them. Baby-C cries very softly though very insistently, and at night we would be so dead tired and asleep that we may not wake up for a long time to his cries.
We have not started bathing the babies- only oil massage now. Either me or Ramesh do the massaging. The whole body is massaged starting from belly button- push it inside, rub the nipples inside, then both hands are massaged with olive oil, both legs are massaged and thighs massaged inward to give the shape. Then back is massaged, buttocks in circular motion and finally face and head, ears also. Feed after massage and they are in for a long sleep. Now we use massaging olive oil, it gives a shining softness to the skin.
Baby-A has a large birthmark- Doc said it is because that part of his skin was in constant contact with my uterus wall. Possible, considering how lazy he was to move around in the womb :) (I seriously think that was caused by my dear Lord Krishna touching him there :) Just like the story where squirrels get their marks on the skin when Lord Rama stroked them on the back). When the babies are not crying and are in a good mood, well fed, it is nice to sit and watch their faces. The eyelashes are just growing..when they came there were no lashes. Now it is beautiful to see the thick lashes coming. The color of skin keeps changing. The pink caused by extra hemoglobin is slowly fading replaced by their original skin color. They try to grab the tube from the nose. Baby-B has devised a technique- she somehow reaches for her face, moves the hand slowly to the nose and finally grabs the tube! Baby-A's tube came off twice. It was painful to watch him cry when they put it back on. I hope they remove all the tubes fast and they can drink through their mouths. Baby-A has constipation at times. We had to use suppository once. They placed the suppository while lying him on the stomach and he cried so much that I too cried. The nurses scolded me saying that if I start crying every time a baby cries, I won't have a time without tears. Supposed to brace me up. He pooped some and his poop is always dark green in color. Not a problem, the doc said. Baby-B poops twice or thrice a day, Baby-C poops after each feeding. Very loose and very yellow. He is supposed to be the least healthy, but I find that his system functions the most properly. He is thin, only skin and bones, beautiful eyes, but some relatives thought he did not even resemble a human child. I did not think so. He is a handsome baby, and once he gets his fat, he will be a heartthrob I am sure.
My father comes at around 8 am with breakfast, just like how he used to during my bed rest. He adores Baby- B. When my mother comes at around 10 am with lunch, me and Ramesh have our breakfast and Ramesh leaves to take care of office and sites- only the most important schedules. DrAG comes for the regular rounds and nurses drop by every hour. Rames is back by afternoon. They sleep long hours, and they don't wake up when they hear other babies crying. But when they are up, they cry most of the time. Then we feed them, change nappies and try to soothe them. Baby-C cries very softly though very insistently, and at night we would be so dead tired and asleep that we may not wake up for a long time to his cries.
We have not started bathing the babies- only oil massage now. Either me or Ramesh do the massaging. The whole body is massaged starting from belly button- push it inside, rub the nipples inside, then both hands are massaged with olive oil, both legs are massaged and thighs massaged inward to give the shape. Then back is massaged, buttocks in circular motion and finally face and head, ears also. Feed after massage and they are in for a long sleep. Now we use massaging olive oil, it gives a shining softness to the skin.
Baby-A has a large birthmark- Doc said it is because that part of his skin was in constant contact with my uterus wall. Possible, considering how lazy he was to move around in the womb :) (I seriously think that was caused by my dear Lord Krishna touching him there :) Just like the story where squirrels get their marks on the skin when Lord Rama stroked them on the back). When the babies are not crying and are in a good mood, well fed, it is nice to sit and watch their faces. The eyelashes are just growing..when they came there were no lashes. Now it is beautiful to see the thick lashes coming. The color of skin keeps changing. The pink caused by extra hemoglobin is slowly fading replaced by their original skin color. They try to grab the tube from the nose. Baby-B has devised a technique- she somehow reaches for her face, moves the hand slowly to the nose and finally grabs the tube! Baby-A's tube came off twice. It was painful to watch him cry when they put it back on. I hope they remove all the tubes fast and they can drink through their mouths. Baby-A has constipation at times. We had to use suppository once. They placed the suppository while lying him on the stomach and he cried so much that I too cried. The nurses scolded me saying that if I start crying every time a baby cries, I won't have a time without tears. Supposed to brace me up. He pooped some and his poop is always dark green in color. Not a problem, the doc said. Baby-B poops twice or thrice a day, Baby-C poops after each feeding. Very loose and very yellow. He is supposed to be the least healthy, but I find that his system functions the most properly. He is thin, only skin and bones, beautiful eyes, but some relatives thought he did not even resemble a human child. I did not think so. He is a handsome baby, and once he gets his fat, he will be a heartthrob I am sure.
I don't believe in overfeeding the babies and making them fat, but they require some fat to develop immunity, and also to sustain them when and if it becomes difficult to take milk due to some sickness. They do throw up at times. Baby-C cannot bear hunger- especially because of the lack of fat, I think-he cries his heart out sharp one hour after a feeding, and does not stop until formula milk reaches his body. At night we were fast asleep the other day, tired from the day, and I woke up hearing an even, muted sound of a bird. Then I saw it was my baby crying, very quiet, but with a lot of hunger pangs clearly seen on the face. We quickly called the nurses and fed him and afterwards he slept peacefully.
My legs are still swollen. I am supposed to sit with my legs up always. The physical education instructors came again and gave a brief about what exercises to follow- again. I am trying to dosome of them, but not very easy to do with all the pain.
03-03-2012
Two more bottles of blood transfusion, to ease the swelling on the legs. Ophthalmologist and ENT came and checked babies' eyesight, hearing, reactions etc. They looked very grave, and serious, but I think they were satisfied with the results. Anyway, we are satisfied- they always react to all kinds of sounds and lights. Babies got rid of their tubes and are being fed through their mouths- using syringes and gokarna.
05-03-2012
Finally, back home!! After four long, eventful months!!
Morning was a frenzy of packing. Baby-A did not bother with all that and kept latched on to me, and my mother named him 'Raman' for that! Meaning he loves to eat. :) We have decided on their real names, but we are now calling them Raman, Arya and Chaattu. Raman sounds the most optimum name for Baby-A. Arya is my father's choice, and Chattu because he used to jump a lot while inside me!
There was no boiled water when we reached home. All pandemonium because babies needed water, and milk. Finally got around to fixing the stove, boiling and cooling water. Now we are using feeding bottles. The hospital is against the use of bottles, but we reasoned to ourselves that there is no chance that the babies will ever get to have breastfeeding. So why make things complicated? Feeding through syringe and gokarna is very difficult, especially now we are on our own.
My parents have decided to stay with us and help for a few more weeks. Thank God!
NEXT...Babies' first months
post on Breastfeeding and formula
NEXT...Babies' first months
post on Breastfeeding and formula
