We've been discharged...

I'm no longer a patient in this hospital, but we've been allowed a courtesy stay for tonight. Zoey is progressing but I still won't be able to take her home just yet. I'm going to have a very difficult time leaving her here tomorrow night.

My milk supply is rapidly increasing. Thursday, I started out with 0.5mL of colostrum every other time I'd pump... today (Saturday) I've gotten 23mL of actual milk. Zoey eats 20mL right now, which means she can exclusively have my milk as long as I can keep producing. Today we attempted to actually breastfeed and she latched right on, but she was so sleepy, she didn't really feed. She felt comfort though, she just wanted to nuzzle and cuddle and stay latched on, but she didn't really drink. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. What upset me was that the nurse decided "we shouldn't force the breast on her but she needs to eat so I need to wake her up." She took her from my arms, woke her up, and bottle fed her my milk. Why couldn't we wake her to feed off me? That is why I am here. I didn't understand this... they also told me we can only try the breast once per shift, so I can't try again until tonight, but I at least have 23mL of milk pumped to give her just in case she doesn't want to latch on tonight.
Each day she has progressed big time and they have been able to take her off all breathing help. She is quite lovely... becoming more aware of Glenn and me... she just stares at us and we've been able to comfort her cries with our voices and touch. It's wonderful to be able to do that for her. Last night was the first time I got to hold her and it was wonderful. I've been limited on holding her because she has the feeding tube in her umbilical, which is in a major artery, so they've had to limit contact with her. That is supposed to come out tonight and an IV is going in her hand instead. I should be able to hold her more now.

I hope to have her home for Easter. She is a progressing steadily so I don't see why we couldn't... we just ask that everyone pray for her and that she keeps her strength up. She has lost almost a whole pound and is now down to 5lb 10oz, but they said it's okay because she had a lot of fluid to work out of her little system. As for me... well, I am progressing, too. My feet and ankles are bigger than they were when pregnant because of the c-section so that really sucks. They told me it'd get worse before it got better but I just need to keep trying to move and rest as much as possible.

Here's hoping for a quick recovery for little miss Zoey...