30.09.2005

Web blog entry number fourteen.

Good news all around, Freya's fysiotherapist was very happy with Freya's performance, she said that all basic requirements are met. Freya has suffered a little delay due to her difficult start so she is more like a 5 month old than a 6 month old, but she is doing everything that she needs to do and is following the normal lines of development, and she concluded, again, that no fysiotherapy is needed. She would like to follow up Freya, just because of her difficult start, in December.

Her blood test results were also good, calcium good, hemoglobine good, no signs of infection, and aparently they were also able to test the blood for hypotonia, it seems like low muscle tone can be detected in the blood, or then it is so that hypotonic babies usually show certain values for certain tests. Anyway, her blood test didn't show hypotonia at all, which confirms my believe even more, that she was/is just recovering from her traumatic birth and perhaps my gestational diabetes.

Also her weight- and length growth speed are now avarage and seem to have stabilized. So we are all smiles here :)

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29.09.2005

Web blog entry number thirteen.

This was/is a remarkable day. We had tests done with Freya that meassured the activity between the eyes, ears, vocal system and the brainstem. The eye test was perfect, on the ear test there seemed to be a little delay in development, but the nurses said it was difficult to get a good result from that test as Freya was very restless. Anyway, nothing that could be said as abnormal as babies this age develop everything at their own speed and Freya eats and drinks well so according to the doctor there is not really a problem. Aparently problems with the brainstem and the vocal system are usually combined with bad eating habits and Freya doesn't have that, she eats well. The conclusion today is that Freya's vocal system is functioning properly and so is her brain, but the muscles are still a bit hypotonic, most likely caused by her traumatic birth combined with my gestational diabetes. The doctor said that babies born from gestational diabetic mom's can be a bit "floppy" in the beginning. The doctor said that she was pleasantly surprised, she had expected Freya to be in a worse condition, but she is actually doing very well. Tomorrow we will see the fysiotherapist one more time and have a discussion with all these doctors about the status quo and how to go from here. And then a miracle happened today, while the doctor checked Freya's throat, Freya started crying, I mean really crying, tears and all. I bet it doesn't happen very often that parents look happy to see their baby cry, but it is so good to know that she can!

5.09.2005

Web blog entry number twelve.

This morning we got an answer to a burning question, did Freya suffer structural brain damage due to her traumatic birth? Initially it was said that on the first ultra sound there were some "white area's" today those did not appear and the neurologist said that Freya's brain is developing normally. So the answer is "No", Freya did not suffer structual brain damage, which is, I cannot even express it in ordinary words, fantastic.

Of course now remains the other question, so why does she not cry? Hopefully the Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor will shed some light on that department. We have a hospital appointment for the 29th of this month for a consult with an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor.

Apart from that, Freya is doing great, she seems to develop new skills every day now. She can roll on her stomach and back again. While on her stomach she can lean on her elbows and keep her head up for a long time, she recently started to utter the occasional giggle ( that sounds so nice ) and passes toys from one hand to the other. She also understands some words, when, for example, I say to her ( in Dutch ) "Freya, look at mommy" then she actually looks at me. She also understands her own name and "mamma" and "pappa" ( mom and dad ). She has been growing again and is not so much under the average growth speed anymore. She has also started eating solids.

9.08.2005

Web blog entry number eleven.

Yesterday we were in the hospital with Freya for her check up by a special doctor and a fysiotherapist.
The doctor said that Freya isn't following the average growing curve, she is not as tall as she should be. Of course babies grow with ups and downs so this might not be anything to worry about, but its something they will want to check up on. I asked the doctor what it actually is that they are looking for and what they are thinking about, but I just got the usual vagueness. The only thing that really did become clear is that they are looking for possible after effects of the asphyxiation ( breathing difficulties )Freya suffered during birth. We now have an appointment for another brainscan and we will get an appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor to rule out

that her vocal cords are damaged. We felt that Freya has an unusual low sound when she "speaks", more the sound you'd expect an older child to make and the doctor agreed it was a rather uncommon sound...
On the other hand the fysiotherapist was happy with Freya's performance and concluded that Freya doesn't need fysiotherapy.

Here is a video of Freya having fun :)

12.07.2005

Web blog entry number ten.

Today we had another check up with the neuvola and the "neuvola-doctor". These are her current stats: weight 5,535kg, length 59cm. The neuvola and the doctor were happy about Freya's weight progress this time, but now they said she could have been a bit taller ( ! ) Always something hm? Ofcourse the doctor added that babies often grow in curves. I took Freya to a doctor last friday because I thought that, regardless of what I was told in the hospital and by the neuvola said, her eye infection has taken long enough. The doctor I saw agreed with me that it was time to do something about it and today's neuvola-doctor agreed that it had been a good step. And now I have to put this eye paste into both of Freya's eyes 5 times a day, its called Chloromycetin and she hates it.
Anyway, the usual tests were performed today, reflexes, follow the toy with turning the head,

eyes and ears were checked, how she holds up her neck and the doctor noticed how well she used her hands. And she said everything looked very good, she didn't hear any heart murmur at all anymore and she added that she thought that at the next visit with the neurologist and the fysiotherapist they would also agree that Freya is doing really well :)