Kymani NICU Update 6/22/2017: Photos, Progress, Video, & Activities

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

Our little preemie Kymani has been progressing well in the NICU. What is she up to on June 22, 2017? Check out the photos, info, and video below to learn more.

Kymani is 14 days old today! If we were still pregnant, her gestation age would be 32 weeks and 4 days.

What progress she has made in just two weeks! She really wants to grow and get home with her family.

Kymani gained 20 grams again last night. Yay! That puts her at 3 pounds and 5 ounces.

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Remember, that 1800 grams (or almost 4 pounds) is when she can progress to a couple other things, like an open crib and more serious attempts at breastfeeding.

There haven't been many changes today. However, she did latch on to the breast just a little again today. This is just practice that gets her ready for the real thing

later. She also used the binky a bit during her feeding, which also helps her associate the suckling motion to getting her food. Remember, she is currently getting all of her nutrition (breast milk, human milk fortifier, and multivitamins) via gavage (a feeding tube). Babies born before 34 weeks don't generally suckle much or at all and may choke on the breast milk or formula. It's okay to practice breast feeding in small increments, as long as the baby does not get a large amount of milk in their mouth. We have been trained by the medical team on what to do and what not to do.

Kymani Stretching & Moving Around (VIDEO)

Kymani was having a fun stretching moment after we held her this morning.
This was right before she had her bath (see the slideshow below the video for photos).

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

Kymani's First Bath! (Slideshow)

We aided in Kymani's first bath today! It was done inside of her isolette to keep her warm. Watch the slideshow below for a few of those moments.

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

This is Kymani relaxing in my arms after her bath (photos below). We put her in a fresh new gray size preemie onesie. I think she really liked the bath...well, mostly. She did cry a little during part of the bath, but that's perfectly normal. She did seem to enjoy a good portion of it more than most babies do. Her favorite part was the shampooing and rinsing and drying of the hair. I think she liked the massaging motion.

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

Below, in the first picture is Kymani right after being held by us and getting her diaper changed. She was very relaxed. The second photo (on the right) is when we left her room for the night (I think - you never know if we will go back in the middle of the night). We had gotten her all comfy again in a new position. She did have a small BRADY earlier today. But it wasn't anything to be concerned about. She is still progressing perfectly and the doctors keep pointing out that she really needs to just grow and eat on her own and both will come with a bit more time.

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

All Images and Video 6/22/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved

P.S. Some of you may have noticed that her blue onesie says "mommy's little boy". One, it's super hard to find preemie clothing, so we take whatever we find. Two, we aren't the type to care about gender-specific roles, so this doesn't bother us. We believe in giving kids a variety and letting them make their own decisions in an unbiased environment. It is our belief that when you limit their choices, it can interfere with or influence their thoughts on things. So, we try to be as unbiased as possible so that they each develop their own personalities.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!