First week in the world: update on the triplets

So what is life like a week on from the eventful day of Thursday 23rd July?

 

Well, Friday and Saturday were emotional days to say the least. Recovering from the speed at which we became Mum and Dad, missing my brother-in-law's wedding, recovering from a C-section, along with discomfort and moving from my beloved Monica's Ward where I felt like I was surrounded by a family of midwives. I was also trying to learn to express milk and all while visiting our new little family in the neonatal unit.

 

I have to say the hardest part was wishing for my milk to come in so I could feel useful to my three little babies. Sometimes I would have no more than a drop when I went to express every three hours, 24hours a day, either by hand or by pump. Well it all paid off on Sunday when at long last it started to come together and my milk started increasing.

 

I can see why mothers give up before they even start with expressing/breastfeeding as it is so demoralising during the first few days. However thanks to encouragement from my family, particularly my sister texting from England, I now feel I am getting enough milk to feed perhaps two of them a day. They are also using donor milk to help top up the requirements so our three little babies have a chance to grow big and strong so we can take them home.

 

I was happier on Sunday from the expressing, feeling pretty well following the C-section and now very ready to go home to my husband. Thankfully, my wonderful consultant, who had spent time chatting to me and supporting me every day since the babies had been born, gave me the all-clear to be discharged. After three and a half weeks in hospital, I was going home to my husband – hurray!

 

People have asked if I was sorry to be leaving Róisín, Rebecca and Elliot. Honestly, we always knew they would not be coming home with me and I know they are being so well looked after by the phenomenal care of The Coombe, so I was quite content. My husband and I are very practical people and just accepted that this has to happen because they were born so premature. We just getting on with it and I see this as a nice time for us to have together before the challenge begins!

 

 

So onto the babies as I am sure you are wondering how they are doing. They were all put on CPAP from day one, which just gives a little breathing support to them. Elliot took a bit of time to get to grips with breathing and so needed some additional support for a day, but thankfully since then, he completely settled down.

 

As of yesterday Rebecca had her CPAP completely removed and Elliot has had his removed today. They are both doing really well breathing completely by themselves. Róisín, being so small and also being the one with blood flow and heartbeat concerns in the womb, is being taken through the progression steps at a much slower pace to give the little thing a chance. She will have her breathing support removed next week all being well.

 

They are all feeding well, initially through a vein in their arm and through their mouth to their tummy, but have now had their lines taken from their arm and are solely feeding through the tube to their tummy. They are doing really well, but have lost a little weight since their birth so we hope they start gaining now.

 

Over the weekend my husband and I are hoping to be able to start holding them by giving skin-to-skin care, which is also known as 'kangaroo care,' so I will let you know how that goes.

 

In the meantime, here are my beautiful babies: