Sooooo as the title of this post indicates, let's talk about eating.
I was quite lucky, S and E took to bottle feeding like champs. Not that they ate a TON, but they never refused a bottle and we never had to semi-force feed them, or feed them while asleep. They eat when they're hungry and suck down the 25 cal formula with 1/2 teaspoon rice cereal per ounce meal just fine. Over the past 4-5 weeks I have introduced baby food. The past 2 weeks I've been more consistent, feeding them solids 2-3 times a day. Champ loves it. He eats like he's been doing it his whole life. He opens his mouth, swishes it around to the back of his throat, swallows it, and reopens for more. He eats until full. He has only thrown up once and I think he just gagged because it started to go down the wrong way, but I feared it was the guava he didn't like, so I laid off and we'll try that again later. The only food he didn't seem to like thus far was the turkey. So I have only really fed them the fruits and veggies (I also add rice cereal to it for added calories) and figure we'll do pleasant tasting things before we worry about the meaty stuff. He does really well with eating and for that I am so greatful. The days of him projectile vomitting all over the floor when he first came home are like distant memories. Feeding Champ is quite easy and enjoyable.
Now, compared to what other micro preemie moms are going through with feeding issues, I am not going to complain about Beanie. But compared to Edwin, she is having a bit more difficulty in this arena. Seems only fair, since she's better than her brother in both fine and gross motor skills. Anyway, when I first started to feed Beanie, she just wouldn't open her mouth. She pursed her lips together and refused to open up for a bite. As I started to become more persistent with my feeding attempts, I realized she really wanted no part of opening her mouth for the solids, not matter the taste. She would eat it and swallow successfully if I managed to actually sneek the food in her mouth and seemed to enjoy the taste, but she wouldn't open her mouth for the next bite. I mentioned to our private duty nurses and they fed her and they found the same thing. Her little lips purse together and that's that...a no food entrance policy. So last week I told EI and asked for an OT to come in and see what's up. She asked if she could watch us feed her (one of our great nurses was also here) and then if she could try. Serena did her normal "I will not open my mouth" thing and then our EI worker asked us to make some changes. First, she told us to put the seat up-right, I had it semi reclined because that's how we were told to feed her because of her aspirating, but I figured we could try. When she aspirates she chokes, so we should know if she was having a problem. She then told me to put the tray on the chair. Then, we got stacking cups to play with (she is banging them together...smarty pants.) As I watched and our nurse entertained her, our EI worker fed her. Of course, she opened her mouth and took like 15 bites! I couldn't believe it.
Well, since then (last Thursday) Serena has reverted back to her not opening again. She is better than she was before; I sat her up and put her tray on, but she isn't consistent. Today, our same beloved nurse tried to fed her in her Bumbo seat in the living room with all of her toys and she opened her mouth and ate much more than she did while in the kitchen in her high chair...go figure.
So, it is an ongoing juggling act trying to find the best place, toy, etc to ger her to open her mouth. I don't think she has any serious oral aversion, as she bottle feeds well, sucks her thumb, and brings toys to her mouth, but there is something going on. We will work on it again with EI this week and still may have OT come in and check out the situation. She has so many airway issues it could be related to that as well...silent aspiration even. We shall see.
In spite of Serena deciding to be a little difficult to feed, she amazes me daily with her interest in EVERYTHING. Today while on the phone, I had her on my lap, she turned over while on my lap, reached up to the phone cord and kept grabbing it as if to say "Mom get off the phone and play with me." I then moved the door near a chair in our home and out went both of her hands, grabbing the edge of the door and trying to move it back and forth. She has taken to her monitor while she is suppose to be going to sleep and takes it off the charger and tries to eat it. See pictures. She is squirming around the floor in an attempt to move, although she has yet to get up on her knees and rock. That is soon to come I think. She can sit for a few seconds unassisted, but she tends to either fall forward or backward...she needs to strengthen her trunk and she'll be doing it all by herself.
Uh oh...here she goes again!
Edwin's personality has changed soo much in the last month or two. He is sooo mellow and is able to fall asleep without any fuss. He rarely cries when put down, and has instead taken to playing on his back and reaching for toys, or flipping over on his tummy and trying to move. Most times his little legs are off the floor since he can be a little top heavy, and he looks like he is practicing swimming out of water. It is so cute. I often look at him as he has a HUGE smile and is saying "hiiii" and can't believe how close we came to losing him.
It gets me emotional every time. I just can't believe how close we came, how close I was personally to believing his suffering should come to an end. Don't get me wrong, he was suffering, and had he not made it to the conventional vent when he did, I wouldn't have kept him on the oscialltor much longer, but I'm just saying, it was so touch and go for that time, and even for periods after, and to see him smile, respond and interact with us just melts me. I fear that Serena and Edwin will never know the meaning of "no you can't have that." Ugh...how do parents who have almost lost their children deny them of anything? We are going to raise spoiled brats! Just kidding, it is in their best interest that they have limits and don't have everything handed to them...I just have to keep reminding myself of that!
Anyway, I have read up on many of my beloved fellow Mom blogs, and it's so nice to realize how much support I have in you. Please feel free to let me in on any secrets of fattening my kiddos up in terms of foods to feed them now that we are adding solids to their diet, and please feel free to tell me any tricks of the trade if any of you had babies who wanted to make fish faces instead of opening wide!
"Mom..I'm not trying to take brother's cannula out I promise!"
"Hi Mumma!"
Finally captured Beanie's sad pout while overtired with her Uncle Spida...we call it her monkey face!
Aaawwww...Beanie girl is so sad :(
"I am sooo cute!"
"MOM...turn off the flash!"
Now it's too dark!
4 comments:
BTDT got that T-shirt :)
When Arianna was labeled failure to thrive earlier this year we saw a nutritionist who put us on the 'standard high fat/high cal. diet' which included adding oils, butter and other calorie agents to her foods. It worked like a charm actually.
Arianna never aspirated though so you may want to check with her GI doctor regarding what to add that wouldn't cause further aspiration problems.
It can be hard to measure your kid against another (or in your cause your daughter against your son) but I have found that many girls don't eat as much as their male counterparts. I have to remember that Arianna has been steady with her own growth and I have to be careful to not push food on her and create a bigger food avoidance problem.
Her nutritionist gave us a good piece of advice and that was that we should look at her complete diet for a week rather than a day like adults. If she's getting 5 fruit and vegetable servings a week thats pretty good! I know of a 3 year old who has a steady diet of chicken nuggets and fries (no lie).
Just today she had two big lettuce leaves and 2 tablespoons of canteloupe after dinner. I was very proud!
Keep up the good work - the preemie 'path' is longer than their full-term brethren and thats hard for us parents, but at the same time we're strong enough for it, look at how much we've been through? Almost nothing could be worse!
You know we've been through years of feeding issues with Halle. Sounds like the therapists have been quite helpful! One idea that H's feeding therapist told us to do is to put the food on her tray and let her play with it. Dip other things besides a spoon into the puree (toys, vibrating teethers, pacifier, z-vibe, etc), even with a tiny bit, and just let her take her time experiencing it all. Good luck to you!
Just keep an eye on it as you do with everything else! You are great! We did have Aidan in feeding therapy for about 3 months and it really did the trick. Don't hesitate to go get an evaluation from a feeding therapist...he/she will tell you if more help is needed. The FT gave me lots of great ways to work with Aidan at home. Feel free to let me know if you ever want any more info. :-)
Btw, Beanie's eyes are just GORGEOUS!
Lori
Hallie also does A LOT better in the upright position than in the recline position. And one of our tricks is to distract her with Sesame Street DVDs. I do worry about the television habit we're creating, but in the end, she is eating a whole lot better.
Also, you might be surprised to find that the kids like the meat stuff; try the Sweet Potato Chicken dinner from Earth's Best. Hallie LOVES it. And she also really likes the 100 calorie tiny 2.5 ounce jars of gerber chicken.
In terms of someone else but yourself being able to feed Serena---I deal with this all the time. Sharon is feeding mommy (and I am playing mama). It kills me to admit this, but Sharon can now get two jars or so of food in the kid at one sitting, and I usually max out at one (at the most). Still, working at it consistently has helped.
What do the docs say about Serena and solid solids? Hallie loves the idea of them (and of self feeding in general), but she gags horribly. In addition to all the other stuff we're dealing with, she has a very high grooved narrow palate because she had an ET tube stuck in her for so long. Poor kid.
Finally, on the topic of self-feeding, Julie is right---give her food to play with. This works with Hallie. We just have to make sure it's something she won't choke on. I found that crumbling some goat cheese (another really soft cheese would work, too) on her food tray and letting her 'feed' herself works nicely. She actually does get some into her mouth, and there are a lot of calories/ounce in cheese. And yesterday she managed to give herself a couple of spoonfulls of ice cream when we were at sesame place. Using a real spoon. I think it's important for these assertive little girls to take care of themselves (Beana reminds me a lot of Hallie, particularly in terms of her inquisitiveness and desire to use the telephone). And so maybe meeting them halfway and doing it in a way that keeps 'em safe will help us win the eating battle.
Big hugs to those adorable kids!
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