You're Such a Baby!

Sure, Colin will cry if the nurses deep suction his nose or mess with his bubble CPAP - just about any of us would. It's a little hard to watch because you know he's uncomfortable when they do it, yet you understand it needs to be done for his benefit which makes it more tolerable. But last night was the first night that we actually witnessed our son acting like a baby! At first, we were a little nervous as to why he was all of a sudden restless and crying. I tried positive pressure (pressing down on his head and legs - a technique that reminds him of momma's womb), but that didn't work. He had just had his diaper changed. That wasn't it. He just had a feeding, so check that off the list. What could it be? Well, the nurse had repositioned Colin so he was laying on his right side - just about the time he started fussing. Anyway, his rant went on for a good 20 minutes or so: elevated heart rate, elevated respiration, and using up a lot of oxygen because of it. Needless to say, mom and dad were a little concerned. While the nurse was away, I tried to reposition him slightly, and put him on his back. This tempered his apparent anxiety for a few seconds. He thought about it, and decided, "No, I don't like this either". So, he started back up again. Finally, the nurse decided she was going to put him on his stomach (yes, parents out there: you don't put a newborn baby on their stomach to sleep, but with premies in an incubator and in a controlled environment, it is advised and helps them with their peristalsis, or bowel movements). So, the nurse gently picked him up and placed him belly down. His little booty was slightly in the air as his knees were somewhat tucked in, arms bent to the side (picture a frog). Within seconds, Colin said, "Finally, you knuckleheads. Now I'm comfortable." And off to sleep he went! What a baby! ;-)