Physical Exam

We went upstairs last night to watch little Tessa's physical exam. First they take her blood. They only take the exact amount needed and give her back the rest. They use the small stethoscope above to listen to her heart and breathing and they check her pulse at various places around her small body. They use a syringe to check for excess saliva in her stomach and remove the excess accumulation. They use cotton swabs to cleanse and treat the inside of her mouth for infection. A temperature probe is inserted under her arm to take her temperature. To measure her weight, they lift her from the bed to calibrate it and then they place her back down so that it can record her weight. Her weight last night was 1 lb. 6 oz. she has lost some weight but that is normal.

They place cotton balls inside her diaper so that when they change her diaper, they can squeeze out the cotton balls to get a sample. Her diapers are weighed to calculate fluid volume. Lastly, they take her blood pressure using a very small blood pressure cuff. It is pictured below stretched out against the nurse's hand. It is so very small. When we take her home, we will get to keep her sunglasses, blood pressure cuff and other accessories as reminders of the miracle she is. God has a purpose for this little one.