Taking a Mulligan

Tuesday morning Morgan was moved to the Level II NICU at a hospital just down the street from our house. Thursday morning she was moved back to the Level III NICU in the medical center. It appears that even though we discussed the move with all of the doctors involved, we forgot to clear it with one very important person...Morgan.

The neonatologists in the medical center and the nearby hospital both agreed that Morgan was stable enough to make the transition and her needs were well within the capabilities of the Level II NICU. Also, Shelly and I would be able to visit even more often and have more opportunities to give Morgan her bottle feedings.

Well, Morgan must have really bonded with her nurses and doctors in the med center because by Wednesday night she was requiring more oxygen and actually had to be moved back to the CPAP. As you would imagine, this resulted in Shelly and I second-guessing our decision to move her in the first place. Fortunately for us Morgan's new neonatologist was more than willing to discuss our concerns and, of course, only wanted what was best for Morgan.

So, even though she did improve overnight, we met with her doctor first thing this morning and decided to move her back to the medical center. It seemed like she was walking the line between Level II and Level III and rather than wait for a setback to force a move, Shelly and I decided to move her immediately. By 2:00 this afternoon she was back in the Sheep Pod in the medical center.

While it didn't quite work out the way we hoped, I think the whole experience was good for us. It gave us an even greater appreciation for the doctors and nurses at the medical center. For them, Morgan is a now a pretty typical NICU baby with pretty typical requirements. At the Level II she seemed smaller and more tempermental than the "feeders and growers" they are used to caring for. And when the people taking care of her are more comfortable, it makes Shelly and I more comfortable.

As I mentioned, she did have a small setback during her time at the new hospital, but nothing to be too concerned about. She'll stay on the CPAP for the time being, but is stable and hopefully will make her way back to the nasal cannula sometime soon. The bottle will have to wait until then, but otherwise her feeds are still going well and she continues to grow. Now, we just have to be patient and know that the next time she leaves this hospital it will be to finally come home.

When's the next road trip?