I spoke to the doctor's nurse and she verified that she had ordered the shots. She said that they have to order them ahead of time and then alert the patients so that they can get everything set up with the insurance company and there are no surprises.
She really recommends these shots for any baby born before 36 weeks, because they RSV is just so easy to catch and can really be bad for preemies. So, I asked my questions and read up on the shots and Eric and I agree that this is a good thing to do.
I told the nurse that I often forget to treat them like preemies since they are sooooo healthy and are getting bigger and bigger everyday. She laughed and said that this was a great thing, but just remember to be a little extra careful with them until at least March. She said to ask anyone who holds them to wash their hands first and if someone if sick or thinks they might be getting sick to not come over at all. So, for those of you who might be seeing the girls soon, please don't be offended if we ask you to wash your hands. :) It's not personal.
Thanks to all of you who read this blog. I love sharing our lives with you and look forward to sitting down and typing things when I can. I will soon be posting 2 pictures of the girls by themselves and seeing how good you all are at telling which baby is which! Eric is still not that good at it...it's funny! I am always right, OF COURSE!! :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The website I forgot...
Yeah, I forgot to post that website for the RSV shots...http://www.synagis.com/
Here are the girls from yesterday just being cute. I told them to smile for their Aunt Sandra and this is what they did! What dolls!
Lexi is in stripes and Lilly is the one stretching!!
Here are the girls from yesterday just being cute. I told them to smile for their Aunt Sandra and this is what they did! What dolls!
Lexi is in stripes and Lilly is the one stretching!!
Our Prayer Request
Well, I am starting to think that the NICU should pass out manuals as to the little "extra" risks you will run across with premature infants. Once I took the girls home and they got past the 6 weeks mark, I quit worrying so much. I probably don't need to worry now, but I'm a first time mom, so what can I say....
Apparently, since the babies were born before 36 weeks, they will need to have a monthly injection of an RSV antibody for the duration of the RSV season. This means that from October to April, the girls will have to have a shot every month at the doctor's office.
When a baby is born before 36 weeks, their lungs are not fully developed, so even though the girls are now 3 months old, they still have more immature lungs than full term infants. Now, my doctor anticipated them coming early when I was having all those issues, so that is why I got the series of steroid shots before they were born. This was to speed up the development of their lungs a little bit. We all really think that this helped the girls.
When I look at the girls now, I just see chubby, healthy, little squirts. I forget they were born early. And since today was the first I had heard anything about this, I have a lot of research to do. I realize some of you reading this will have tons of questions for me...give me some time to talk to my pediatrician and read up on the injections...I can't answer them all just yet.
But what I do know looks okay. The injections are not vaccines, but shots of antibodies. The girls did not get their full supply of my antibodies since they were born early, so they have to get injections of them. It is for the same reason that Eric and I give them multivitamins containing iron every day until at least 6 months of age. They just didn't get all they needed from me before birth.
The virus (RSV) is very easy to catch, just like the common cold, but can spread and cause pneumonia and worse. There are about 400 infant deaths due to RSV every season, which is 10X higher than flu deaths in infants.
I spoke to a nurse from the company that distributes the shots earlier and she said that one of the things we need to do until April is keep the house as clean as possible (hopefully already doing this), wash our hands a lot, keep the girls away from large gatherings and lots of other children, and keep them away from cigarette smoke.
I am awaiting a call from my pediatrician to discuss her reasons for recommending the shots and talk to her more specifically about doing this with my girls since she knows them so well. After all, she was there when they were born and we not only LOVE her but trust her judgment.
I will make sure that Eric and I do what is best for them and make sure that I am fully educated on everything before we say okay, but I think it is looking okay so far. I figured out after a while that the reason a nurse from the drug company called me was to let me know so we could clear all the financial issues with the insurance company ahead of time...the antibodies only last in their systems for 28-30 days, so we have to schedule these shots and keep on track with them for them to be effective. So insurance problems need to be minimal.
Here is the website for the injections...I know the grandparents (or at least my father :)) will want to read up on this as well.
I am still thankful that the girls are so healthy!! I am going to have to talk to the pediatrician and ask her if anything else will pop up for the girls that I was not aware of...I need more warning so I don't freak out. But if all goes well, the shots will start with their 4 month check-up on October 17th. Keep the babies and Eric and I in your prayers!! Thanks to you all!!
Apparently, since the babies were born before 36 weeks, they will need to have a monthly injection of an RSV antibody for the duration of the RSV season. This means that from October to April, the girls will have to have a shot every month at the doctor's office.
When a baby is born before 36 weeks, their lungs are not fully developed, so even though the girls are now 3 months old, they still have more immature lungs than full term infants. Now, my doctor anticipated them coming early when I was having all those issues, so that is why I got the series of steroid shots before they were born. This was to speed up the development of their lungs a little bit. We all really think that this helped the girls.
When I look at the girls now, I just see chubby, healthy, little squirts. I forget they were born early. And since today was the first I had heard anything about this, I have a lot of research to do. I realize some of you reading this will have tons of questions for me...give me some time to talk to my pediatrician and read up on the injections...I can't answer them all just yet.
But what I do know looks okay. The injections are not vaccines, but shots of antibodies. The girls did not get their full supply of my antibodies since they were born early, so they have to get injections of them. It is for the same reason that Eric and I give them multivitamins containing iron every day until at least 6 months of age. They just didn't get all they needed from me before birth.
The virus (RSV) is very easy to catch, just like the common cold, but can spread and cause pneumonia and worse. There are about 400 infant deaths due to RSV every season, which is 10X higher than flu deaths in infants.
I spoke to a nurse from the company that distributes the shots earlier and she said that one of the things we need to do until April is keep the house as clean as possible (hopefully already doing this), wash our hands a lot, keep the girls away from large gatherings and lots of other children, and keep them away from cigarette smoke.
I am awaiting a call from my pediatrician to discuss her reasons for recommending the shots and talk to her more specifically about doing this with my girls since she knows them so well. After all, she was there when they were born and we not only LOVE her but trust her judgment.
I will make sure that Eric and I do what is best for them and make sure that I am fully educated on everything before we say okay, but I think it is looking okay so far. I figured out after a while that the reason a nurse from the drug company called me was to let me know so we could clear all the financial issues with the insurance company ahead of time...the antibodies only last in their systems for 28-30 days, so we have to schedule these shots and keep on track with them for them to be effective. So insurance problems need to be minimal.
Here is the website for the injections...I know the grandparents (or at least my father :)) will want to read up on this as well.
I am still thankful that the girls are so healthy!! I am going to have to talk to the pediatrician and ask her if anything else will pop up for the girls that I was not aware of...I need more warning so I don't freak out. But if all goes well, the shots will start with their 4 month check-up on October 17th. Keep the babies and Eric and I in your prayers!! Thanks to you all!!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Our day...
So Eric is a college student, and today, he had his first test of the semester. It was in political science and anyone knowing Eric, knows that he knows a lot about and loves this subject. I bet he did really well, but he was nervous. It is one of those classes where they don't really give you a clear idea what might be on a test. I have had my share of those.
Lilly must have spit up on herself during the night because this morning I found the skin under her chin was kind of irritated. So, we put some ointment on it and she already looks better. Both of the girls have been doing their new favorite activity...smiling and laughing at the ceiling fans!! It is pretty priceless. Yesterday, the fan was off and Lilly kept looking at it as if to tell it to move and then would still laugh.
The dogs are doing well and I am just still going about my day....playing with the girls, feeding the girls, burping and changing the girls, cooking meals, and trying to keep some semblance of a clean house! It's been a great day!! :) :)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The new outfit
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The girls got new princess outfits in the mail from my best friend's grandmother! Aren't they adorable?! Lexi is modeling the headband which will hopefully fit someday! :) I think she was having fun!
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