feeders and growers??

starburst210

Michael is iv-less, oxygen-less, still in an incubator (but they call them houses)....and still gets phototherapy for jaundice a few days a week....he is being fed through a feeding tube....but over an oz per feeding so may move to bottles in a few days....

Madison is the same but she still has the iv for hydration.

They will be 34 weeks on Sunday!

When will they be considered feeders/growers?   

urbanflowerpot

Just ask your nurse

becketts

I would think if they aren't that now, they would be very soon. Both of my DDs were feeder-growers. DD1 had an IV for a while and just a few hours of extra oxygen. Both spent time in an isolette and received feedings by ng tube. 

Of course, like pp said, you could just ask your nurse.  

rlspringer

I am a NICU nurse and would deem them feeder/growers at this point. They seem very stable. When your biggest goals are to wean to a crib/keep their temps up and learning to eat, I would say they get this title. They should start to PO feed soon. That is based on gestational age not how much food they are getting because developmentally they need to learn to suck/swallow/breath without choking. That milestone is usually reached around 34 weeks. 

starburst210

rlspringer:

I am a NICU nurse and would deem them feeder/growers at this point. They seem very stable. When your biggest goals are to wean to a crib/keep their temps up and learning to eat, I would say they get this title. They should start to PO feed soon. That is based on gestational age not how much food they are getting because developmentally they need to learn to suck/swallow/breath without choking. That milestone is usually reached around 34 weeks. 

thanks so much for the info!!  Michael actually started on a bottle yesterday!!  two days prior to 34 weeks....the doc wanted the nurse to try and he took 15 percent of his milk by bottle!!  i am a proud mama!!!    

 

rlspringer

That is an awesome start! You should be proud. Slow and steady they get there, it is amazing to see their little bodies learn and adapt

Mrs. Alice

I'm pretty sure my boys were considered feeders/growers when we had them transferred to the hospital closer to home.  They were 33 weeks gestational age, both on O2 nasal cannulas, still with NG/OG tubes, but off IVs and PICC lines.  They weren't needed such intensive care any more at that point. However they still had the some early preemie issues such as frequent bradys/desats/apneas for several more weeks  Plus my little guy was diagnosed bronchopulmonary dysplagia, which is chronic lung disease from being intubated and needing oxygen and breathing support for so many weeks.