One step forward, two steps back...Elanor is still in the hospital
As I posted yesterday, Elanor was released from the NICU in the afternoon and had a great nursing session. We expected to take her home today.
However.
This morning we were told that a bacteria culture taken after her birth came back [positive. This would require a re-test, a spinal tap, and an additional 2 days in the hospital for Elanor. Basically they were worried that my group B strep, which was negative, was really positive.
If the 2nd bacteria culture comes back positive, she will have to be in the hospital for 21 days on antibiotics.
However
This bacteria is easily contaminated and there was no evidence to support that it was a genuine positive. Elanor's white blood cell count is in NO WAY elevated. She is not listless. She is eating. The bacteria turned positive right at the end of the 48 hours, and if it were genuine, it should have turned positive a long time prior to that.
However
They can't take chanced. So I was discharged today, but Elanor won't be until Friday afternoon, assuming that the bacteria comes back negative as everyone (all the doctors and a pediatrician we know as well) expects it to. Tonight we were able to stay in the "parents room" on the post partum floor, but there is a one night hard maximum, so tomorrow we'll be staying at a nearby hotel. We don't live super far away from the hospital, but far enough that it feels too far.
In the meantime, I have a hospital grade pump to take home and I am agressively pumping to keep my supply and to give E as much breastmilk as I can express, supplementing with formula (as we would have anyways for the next week or so because of the diabetes and complications I mentioned in her birth announcement post).
If you're religious...please keep her in your thoughts.
x posted to my journal, nov 08, big mother
However.
This morning we were told that a bacteria culture taken after her birth came back [positive. This would require a re-test, a spinal tap, and an additional 2 days in the hospital for Elanor. Basically they were worried that my group B strep, which was negative, was really positive.
If the 2nd bacteria culture comes back positive, she will have to be in the hospital for 21 days on antibiotics.
However
This bacteria is easily contaminated and there was no evidence to support that it was a genuine positive. Elanor's white blood cell count is in NO WAY elevated. She is not listless. She is eating. The bacteria turned positive right at the end of the 48 hours, and if it were genuine, it should have turned positive a long time prior to that.
However
They can't take chanced. So I was discharged today, but Elanor won't be until Friday afternoon, assuming that the bacteria comes back negative as everyone (all the doctors and a pediatrician we know as well) expects it to. Tonight we were able to stay in the "parents room" on the post partum floor, but there is a one night hard maximum, so tomorrow we'll be staying at a nearby hotel. We don't live super far away from the hospital, but far enough that it feels too far.
In the meantime, I have a hospital grade pump to take home and I am agressively pumping to keep my supply and to give E as much breastmilk as I can express, supplementing with formula (as we would have anyways for the next week or so because of the diabetes and complications I mentioned in her birth announcement post).
If you're religious...please keep her in your thoughts.
x posted to my journal, nov 08, big mother