After spending eight days in the ICU, lifestyle blogger Melissa Koh’s full-term baby is now in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The new mum took to Instagram to share that baby Asher is now (thankfully) “on the road to recovery.”
Last month, Melissa broke the news that her second baby was born with a serious heart condition. While baby Asher was brought into the world as a 100% full-term baby, he was still placed in NICU after his oxygen levels dropped.
Both Melissa and her husband have since been waiting for the day they can bring their newborn home.
Melissa Koh Shares Update On Her Full-Term Baby In The NICU
Image source: Screengrab from Instagram / melissackoh
In her Instagram stories posted on Tuesday (July 6), Melissa Koh shared that her baby was in NICU and had been there for more than a week.
The mum added that the NICU nurses were “taking superb care” of her son.
“They are slowly weaning him off breathing support a little at a time and trying to establish feeds,” wrote Koh.
She also shared that the moment her son was removed from continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to a high flow nasal cannula, the concerned parents immediately rushed back to the hospital to finally cradle their newborn child.
Image source: Instagram / jamesbabschen
Koh’s husband James Chen also shared a post on Instagram of his first time holding baby Asher in his arms.
A photo of both dad and son together was uploaded as he emotionally wrote, “this milestone reached hits differently.”
Read: When Your Baby Is In NICU: A Survival Guide For Parents
“One Step Closer To Going Home”
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After the improvement of her son’s health, Koh also uploaded a heartwarming video of baby Asher.
In her post shared on July 1, the happy mum wrote, “@ashermatthiaschen greeted us with the sweetest smile when they first started weaning him off all the sedation meds.”
Image source: Screengrab from Instagram / melissackoh
As baby Asher is now being breastfed, Melissa was advised by the doctor to empty her “boobs before the feeds.”
The celeb mum shared her excitement in another Instagram story on Wednesday (July 7) about being able to breastfeed her second son.
So much so that she even brought along her breast pump.
“He’s been makings steady progress each day and we’re so thankful for that!” Koh said in another one of her highlighted Instagram stories.
Even as they are “starting slowly,” the couple is hopeful that this is one step closer to bringing baby Asher home.
As many send support to the family, Koh also makes sure to express her gratitude and adds, “Thank you for all your continued prayers. God is good.”
Support Groups For Cardiac Rehabilitation And Heart Wellness
According to the birth defect registry from 1994 − 2000 as per Mount Elizabeth hospital, congenital heart disease is a factor in 0.81% of live births and there are about 12,000 adults in Singapore with this condition in Singapore.
Thankfully, there are a few support groups islandwide for people struggling with such heart conditions. Here are a few of them you can contact:
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