LO regressing after starting bottle feeding

jennbent

We're on Day 58 in the NICU.  DS was born at 28 weeks due to severe IUGR, weighing 1.3 lbs.  Considering all of that, he has been doing wonderfully.  He was weaned off all breathing assistance last week, has been maintaining his temp and just hit 3 pounds!  He's one of those miracle babies that all of the nurses marvel all for being so small, yet doing so well.  He started bottle feeding about two weeks ago, took to it like a champ, and was moved up to 4 bottles a day this week. 

The trouble started yesterday during his first bottle feeding.  He started desatting right off the bat, and the desats didn't stop.  He hadn't desatted the entire two weeks prior during bottle feeding, so this was definitely out of the ordinary for him.  Doctors checked him out and decided to put him back on low flow and O2 just to see if it helped him out.  They also did bloodwork to look for signs of an infection today and found nothing, and they've restarted his caffeine.  He's only taking about half a bottle now before he poops out.

All of the nurses and doctors keep saying that this happens more often than not when these guys start bottle feeding.  It's just so much work for them to try to eat, grow, and maintain their temps all at the same time.  To compound the problem, DS had another routine eye exam this week, but it was his first while being off the nasal cannula.  Doctors and nurses say the eye exam could've set him over the edge.  I hear what they're saying, but it's just so depressing for DH & I.  To say we are exhausted would be an understatement. 

DS' due date is August 18th.  Up until now, our primary was talking to us about possibly being able to go home early!  We were getting so excited.  It was the only thing keeping us going at this insane pace.  I guess I'm just looking for any words of wisdom, insight, encouragement, etc.  Everyone keeps telling us the NICU is a marathon - not a sprint.  I always want to scream at them that I ran a marathon last year and it was a hell of a lot easier than this!

jacque_z

I know your frustration.  Feeding issues kept us in the NICU a long time.  Have they ruled out reflux?  My D developed pretty severe reflux a couple of weeks into feeding.  Meds and thickening feeds helped but it was still tough.  I hope your son figures it out and you can go home soon!  Good luck! 

DrRx

I know how frustrated you are.  I hope that your son is able to get back on the right track with regards to eating.  For our daughter, when she started going backwards, DH and/or I basically moved in and were present for all of her feeds.  That made her really start taking all her feeds via bottle and she came home about 10 days later.  She did continue to have bradys and desats while eating when we got her home.  However, she was sent home on oxygen, pulse ox, and the apnea monitor, so we were able to deal with it. 

I can't tell you how excited we were when we didn't have to worry about her having bradys or desats while eating.  I remember how stressful a feeding would be.  Now, however, it's sometimes stressful because she'll still be hungry after 4 ounces and I have to heat another ounce or 2 of breastmilk while holding her so that she doesn't scream bloody murder!

 

ashleybritton

I'm so sorry. Huge hugs.

jennbent

DrRx:

I know how frustrated you are.  I hope that your son is able to get back on the right track with regards to eating.  For our daughter, when she started going backwards, DH and/or I basically moved in and were present for all of her feeds.  That made her really start taking all her feeds via bottle and she came home about 10 days later.  She did continue to have bradys and desats while eating when we got her home.  However, she was sent home on oxygen, pulse ox, and the apnea monitor, so we were able to deal with it. 

I can't tell you how excited we were when we didn't have to worry about her having bradys or desats while eating.  I remember how stressful a feeding would be.  Now, however, it's sometimes stressful because she'll still be hungry after 4 ounces and I have to heat another ounce or 2 of breastmilk while holding her so that she doesn't scream bloody murder!

 

 This is a good point about being present at all of her feeds.  We've started noticing that he's finishing all of the bottles that we are present for...but the ones in the middle of the night and such when we can't be there are never very successful.  I don't know why that is, but it's something for me to think about.

Thank you all of your support and encouragement!