Everything would be great if Cori Lou would just gain weight. For review, she was 6 pounds 6 ounces at birth. The recovery from abdominal surgery, the way it interfered with getting feeding and sucking established, and her heart abnormality have kept her from gaining consistently. She is, as of weigh-in this morning, 7 pounds 2 ounces. That puts her at a net gain of 0.75 pounds for the whole month.
The average weight gain for a newborn is 5 – 7 ounces (140 – 200 grams) a week. She would normally have been close to 2 pounds heavier by now. Instead, her weight has just gone up and down. The doctors say she needs to be consistently gaining 20 – 30 grams (0.7 – 1.0 ounces) a day before they think it is safe to send her home.
She is taking all of her feedings by mouth now. The nasogastric tube has been removed. She is cooperative about eating, sometimes just sucking in her sleep, but not exactly a vigorous eater. She does have a pattern of eating better for Heidi, so Heidi has moved into a room adjacent to the NICU. The hope is that after another 2 – 3 days, Cori Lou will have gained enough weight and get to go home.
