Health Update

Tomorrow, we go to a big city about four hours away, to do this further blood/urine testing, to find out what's up with the metabolic stuff, because they want to do the tests there at their own lab.

I got the impression we'll get an answer tomorrow, but can't swear to that.

The woman I talked to at the children's hospital said that "It's most likely just preemie numbers" and that "If the doctor were really worried, he would've told you to come to the ER today" which made me feel a lot better.

Anonydaddy (who is a cardiologist) is not at all concerned about the heart issue, and he researched the metabolic issue last night and Anonymama told me he said that "By far, the most common cause" is what they call transient neonatal whatever - in other words, the levels are temporarily high, just because they're a preemie / newborn.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that that's what's going on here.

So, how are we going to manage this trip, with an eleven-day old baby?

For starters, we're not driving all that way. That was my biggest concern, given our level of sleep deprivation.

We're going to drive to CapitalCity and catch the train to BigCity, arriving around 11:45, for our 1 pm appointment.

The hospital is only about eight blocks from the train station, and we're taking the stroller, so if the weather is nice, we'll just stroll down there. If it's too yucky for Peeper to be out in it, we'll get a cab.

And what about the pumping?

Not pumping for the day is really not an option. It's not just about Peeper eating tomorrow (she could manage with formula just fine, although I would hate it), it's about her eating for the next several days, because no stimulation all day would play hell with my already-just-barely-staying-ahead-of-her milk supply.

Not to mention the misery that I would be in, from the engorgement.

The rental pump that I have is sort of portable, in the sense that one could pick it up and carry it around, but it's not one that comes in a pretty bag, ready to sling over your shoulder and carry off to your power-career.

As luck would have it, a friend who is on our Peeper Update email list has an extra Medela Pump in Style that she's not using, and she offered it to me. Permanently.

She upgraded to the "Advanced" model when this one lost some of its sucking power over time, but since I'm such a newbie, I can't turn it up all the way anyway, so it's fine for me.

Shrike found a car adapter that works for it, so the plan is to pump on the way there (or in the parking garage) before we get on the train, when we get to the hospital and again before we leave (We figure there will be no problem with asking for a place there; it's a children's hospital, they may have a designated room, at least for the NICU moms.), and then when we get back to the car.

But wait, there's more!

This is our friend K, who is a gestational carrier (surrogate). She gave birth about four weeks before I did, and is pumping milk for the baby, but is making more than she really needs - so she offered us some for Peeper.

We had to think a minute on that, to be sure we were comfortable with it, but given that, in order to be approved as a surrogate, K had to be tested just as thoroughly as Popeye (and Shrike, for that matter) had to be tested to be approved as a donor, we decided it was a great idea.

Shrike wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, and asked me if I'd be okay with her having another woman's milk.

Of course, I'd much rather she have my milk (and that's still the goal, even for tomorrow, as screwy as it will be) but if that's not available, I'd rather she have another woman's milk than formula.

So, I've thawed, bottled and refrozen a good bit of K's milk to take with us tomorrow. I might have one bottle "banked" by morning, but little Peep is sucking down the final drops of my last pumping session even as I type, so I'm not holding my breath for that.

Of course, I'll be pumping through the day, but given the less than ideal circumstances, and the stress that I'll be under, and the fact that she's been increasing her intake lately, I don't want to count on making enough.

This way there's no pressure, and I can just think of the pumping as maintaining supply and avoiding engorgement. Any milk that Peeper is able to get out of the deal will be a bit of a bonus.

I'm also taking some formula, just out of an abundance of caution.

Good Lordy, I really am somebody's mom now!