A Journey to Forever: TGIF

TGIF- Thank Goodness It's Friday! Kate is 5 weeks old today. It has been a big, exciting day for her! Early morning her PIP(forced breaths per minute) was turned off on the NIPV (ventilator) to see how she could tolerate it. She still receives a constant air flow to keep her lungs open (PEEP) and oxygen saturation (FIO2). She did great on it. In fact she seemed much stronger today than in days past. She was on a 26% FIO2 when I arrived and usually she's in the 30's. The doctor came in and told me that it was time to switch her over to CPAP-OFF the Vent-NO more PIP-Wahoo! The main difference between the NIPV and the CPAP is that there is no more PIP (lots of lingo:). It is also a lot more accurate in telling what precisely she needs with her FIO2 and PEEP, because the mask and prongs in her nose completely close off her nostrils where as with the NIPV some of the air escaped since it wasn't a tight fit. On the CPAP she's been able to stay in the mid-20s on the FIO2 and her PEEP is still at an 8.

She was red-faced and mad when she was switched over because she hated the new feel of the mask and breathing device. But she settled in pretty quick and went to sleep after a few minutes. They said that most babies like CPAP better because it doesn't have the forced breath pressure and she doesn't have the tubes that go around her head that she has to lay on. "The Mask" is just not a pretty picture though! I might lay off on the pics for a little while- maybe if she has it on until Halloween we could count it as her costume:)