Initially, she was breathing on her own. However, after a few hours, she needed more help because her tiny lungs couldn't breathe on their own. Most likely it is only temporary until Charlotte gets bigger and can gain more muscle to help her lungs function. Doctors are monitoring how Charlotte breathes and are slowly lowering the amount of help she needs from the ventilator. Once the nurses see that she is strong enough to breathe on her own, they will take the tube out.
When she was born, Charlotte also had a low platelet count. She is getting platelets and blood daily to help her blood clot and her body get more oxygen. The doctors did an ultrasound of Charlotte's head and found no signs of bleeding, which is a huge relief because that could cause long term damage.
Every day Charlotte gets to "sunbathe" under a UV light to help break her bilirubin down because she had too much in her body when she was born. She looks like a diva with her black "sun goggles" on and her "tanning bed."
Charlotte has started eating a little bit. She eats 1 milliliter of breast milk every 3 hours through a tube in her mouth that goes directly to her stomach. This is helping her stomach prepare for food. Laura was able to give Charlotte her first tiny bit of food the day after she was born. When she isn't eating, she gets TPN and lipids intravenously which provides the nutrition she needs to gain muscle and fat. She is gaining weight every day, and has gained 5 ounces in her first week! We can't wait for Charlotte to start filling out.
The NICU will be Charlotte's temporary home until April or May. Most premies stay in the NICU until they reach their expected due date. It will be a long few months for the Harris family, but it will only make Charlotte's arrival home that much sweeter.
She is a rockstar!
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