Morning rounds, 5.8

Today Penelope is 18 days old.  Her gestational age (if she had stayed in the womb) is about 30 weeks.  A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks. 

This morning at Starbucks I saw a very yuppie couple with a brand new baby and a dog just like ours.  It was like I was seeing us in an alternate universe.  Very weird.

Yesterday and overnight Penelope had trouble breathing and keeping her heart rate where it is supposed to be.  She had 14 desats over the last 24 hours (blood oxygen level too low).  The team thinks she is anemic and she will need a blood transfusion sometime today.  They think the anemia is causing the problems with the heart rate and breathing.  This is very common in preemies because they cannot make red blood cells as efficiently as full term babies.  Usually, red blood cells are made in bone marrow but preemies make them in their liver.  Generally it changes over as they get closer to their due date.  Since preemies can't make red blood cells efficiently, they often need a blood transfusion to help hold their body over until they make the cells in their marrow.  Hopefully she will get the transfusion today and it will help the other problems she is having.  My understanding is this is very common and shouldn't be too much cause for concern.  Just another step in the process.   

Thanks for checking in.  I'll update more later.