What a cutie

Isn't this face worth it?

He is the cutest baby in the world and he didn't even have to have our genetics for us to say that. We adore everything about him and love doing all those little things that new parents do.

We have been getting a lot of calls from worried people that can't believe a 36 week old baby is still in the NICU. Here is something from online that really explains what Evan has well.

Are babies born at 34 to 36 weeks' gestation at risk for medical problems?

Late preterm infants are usually healthier than babies born earlier, and they are almost as likely as full-term babies to survive. Late preterm babies often weigh between 4 1/2 and 6 pounds, and they may still appear thinner than full-term babies.

These babies remain at higher risk than full-term babies for newborn health problems, including breathing and feeding problems, difficulties regulating body temperature, and jaundice.³ These problems are usually mild, and most babies make a quick recovery.

Most of these babies can be breast- or bottle-fed, although some (especially those with mild breathing problems) may need tube feeding for a brief time.

It's estimated that at 35 weeks' gestation, the weight of the brain is only around 60 percent that of term infants.³ Late preterm babies are unlikely to develop serious disabilities resulting from premature birth, but they may be at increased risk for subtle learning and behavioral problems.³

References

¹ Martin, J.A., et al. Births: Final Data for 2004. National Vital Statistics Reports, volume 55, number 1, September 29, 2006.

² American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Perinatal Care at the Threshold of Viability. ACOG Practice Bulletin, number 38, September 2002.

³ Ragu, T.N.K., et al. Optimizing Care and Outcome for Late-Preterm (Near-Term) Infants: A Summary of the Workshop Sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Pediatrics, volume 118, number 3, September 2006, pages 1207-1214.

Evan had jaundice and feeding problems just like it says. So far his feeding is going really good and the OT/PT person said that he has a strong gag reflex. Anything touching the roof of his mouth makes him want to spit it out. You can imagine how long it takes to feed him because of this. We work and use the binky before and after so that he associates being full and happy with the sucking motion. We also work on reading cuing signs because he will take a long time to show that he is hungry. These are all indicators of a late premature baby. Feeding is the last thing he has to get down. It is up to him when he is ready to come home.

We have appreciated all the concern and prayers coming our way. We know that this is part of our adoption journey and sometimes these things can't be helped.