So now we call him Squeaker…Part 2.

Read Part 1 HERE.

After the ordeal of putting in an IV, Baby Bee slept peacefully on my mom and me until it was time for the procedure. I had to pump once during that time, and then I wound up tossing the milk, which seemed like a huge waste.

The nurse came down and said that they were ready for the procedure and that Darryl and I could bring Baby Bee down to the room. Once we got there, they tucked him onto the operating bed with blankets and started checking his vitals and then the anesthesiologist talked to us about what would happen when he injected the medicine. Our doctor arrived and talked about the procedure and let us know that we would be able to stay until Baby Bee fell asleep. Once everything was ready, the sedative was injected, and Baby Bee turned beet red and started waving his arms around. The doctor had said that the medicine burned going in, so that was sad. I held his little hand until he fell asleep, and then we went out to wait until the scope was done.

After a short while, the doctor came out to talk to us, and said that the diagnosis was indeed laryngomalacia and that it was “impressive” as he put it. He showed us the photos from the bronchoscopy, and it turns out that when Baby Bee breathes in, the parts of the larynx that are floppy fold over and cover his airway. I would say that he has about ⅙ of his airway open to breathe through. It’s pretty scary for me to think about his airway being that obstructed right now, but at the same time, it’s miraculous that he is able to breathe and eat as well as he is! The doctor said that we don’t need to consider surgery at this time since he is doing so well, and that the main thing is that he doesn’t get sick. It would be disastrous if he were to get an upper respiratory infection, and we would probably be back in the hospital if that happened.

Laryngomalacia should resolve by 18-24 months, possibly earlier or later, depending on the case.

After our talk with the doctor, we headed to the recovery room to see how he was doing. He was on oxygen, because his pulse ox was dipping from being sedated, and he was very crabby. The nurses suggested I get in the bed and hold him, and right away he calmed down. After awhile, I tried to nurse him, and at first he was fussy and wouldn’t do it, but eventually he did, and then they took him off the oxygen as well. His pulse ox was dropping a little bit still, so whenever that happened, we had to give him a break from nursing to catch his breath. We had one more night in the hospital to monitor his recovery, and the next day we were sent home.

Here are the things that are awesome and not so awesome since the diagnosis:

Awesome:

:: Baby Bee nurses like a champ. The only time he coughs is when my letdown is too forceful. Even then he just pops off and catches his breath and then continues.

:: He is gaining weight very well, he’s now eleven pounds!

:: Since I’ve stopped eating dairy, spitting up has improved, which is great. The acid and spit up can irritate the larynx, causing more swelling and more noisy breathing.

:: I’ve figured out what positions are best for Baby Bee to sleep and eat in. I keep praying for wisdom to know my baby, and know what is best for him.

:: Everyday he is getting bigger and stronger, and that will lead to the floppy tissue resolving.

Not so awesome:

:: It is scary to hear the sounds that he makes and to know that his airway is obstructed.

:: The sounds keep changing as he gets bigger, so it’s hard to know what’s normal.  We’ve gone from a little bird, to a squeaky toy, to a loud, honking goose.

:: His chest retracts when he gets really loud, which is hard to watch.

:: I am very worried about germs right now.  My husband works at a hospital, so I worry about him bringing germs home.  We aren’t going out at all right now, so I can protect Baby Bee somewhat from all the yucky stuff going around.

Taking care of a newborn is intense as it is, and this little condition definitely adds to that.  I am constantly praying that God will watch over Baby Bee when I cannot…it’s the only way that I can get any sleep at night.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:6-7