- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Preemies
Ugh. More Feeding Issues!
I'm so bummed. After a few rough weeks with reflux I thought we had Kevin's projectile vomiting down to just a few spitups/wet burps. But he wasn't gaining enough weight so they switched him back to 24 calorie formula and he's back to projectile vomiting.
They switched him today back to 22 calorie so we'll see if this works on the vomiting but they're not trying him on room air unless he continues to gain weight at a good pace (not as likely on 22 cal formula). And instead of discharging him on 1/8th liter like he's on now, they want to try him on room air before discharge.
I feel like we just entered the one step forward, two steps back arena.
I'm burnt out. I tried to explain to my bff how tiring the NICU is and how I just want my baby home so we can chill out a bit and she laughed at me. I'm not a dummy, I know having Kevin at home will be more work but it'll be in the privacy of my own home where I don't have to have a sparkling personality all the time (being "ON" 24/7 while he's in the NICU is exhausting).
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Ugh. More Feeding Issues!
Oh mama I'm so sorry to hear that baby Kevin is vomitting again and that the doctors aren't sure when he will be discharged. I'm sure your very disappointed and I understand how you feel. Praying that Kevin starts to feel better soon, so you bring him home.
Btw-Love your new siggy picture. What an adorable little guy. Hang in there!
I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. Perry was born at 33 weeks and we were in the NICU 25 days. No one understood what we were going through. They still have no idea. Unless a person has had to be an outisider to the care of their child and have to watch as nurses and doctors dictated every minute of life and enslave you to modern medicine numbers, they will never understand what a preemie parent goes through.
I will keep you and your baby in my prayers. I hope he will tolerate the 22 calories. I know one of the babies in our "class" was vomiting in a similar manner and they went to a milk bank for breast milk and it helped and then the mom found a way to get her own breast milk. She had issues in the beginning, but it worked in the end. Just before they went home, Connor was feeding from her directly at least twice a day and then he would get pumped milk from her or the milk bank milk for the other feeds.
Best of luck to you. Keep us posted!
Sorry you are experiencing the rollercoaster. Especially towards the end, it is so, so difficult. I hope the vomiting gets under control with the change in formula. And, look at the chance to maybe get off O2 as a silver lining. Andrew was supposed to come home on o2, but he had a NEC scare right before discharge and that bought him an extra 3 weeks in the NICU. That extra time got him off oxygen, which was great b/c it was one less thing we had to worry about when he came home.
I know it's hard. You've been there for a long time. And I totally agree about being home and having your own space again. I hated the fishbowl of the NICU. I hope you are home soon. (BTW, your son is adorable in your siggie pic!!!) Hang in there!
I'm sorry. Feeding issues are so stinkin' frustrating. I hope things resolve soon so he can come home!
I hated comments like that. Sure, it's hard when they come home, but it's so much better and wonderful!
Thanks for the compliments on his picture. We had him of the cannula for his bath and I couldn't resist sneaking the blow by away from his face for a few pictures.
I'm not sure how your NICUs were but at our NICU the neos are very anti-reflux meds (and of course, the nurses are pro-reflux meds). The neos logic is that it doesn't take away the reflux. The nurses logic is that yes, it doesn't take away the reflux but it makes the baby more comfortable and avoids nipple aversion.
It really doesn't help that another family lost their baby in the NICU recently and they were right around this stage - getting ready for the baby to be discharged, pushing to get him on room air and he aspirated. Honestly, I'll take him home on oxygen if we can get this reflux thing under control because the risk of him aspirating is so scary (not meaning to be a drama queen).
I'm so sorry Kevin is having feeding issues. Being in the NICU day in and day out is exhausting. Unless people have been though it they really don't understand. My friend said, "Well, you just sit there all day." Ummm...not so much.
I hope they can get Kevin eating well, and gaining weight so he can go home with you. Thinking about you guys!
Our NICU was like that. And then they were talking about sending Andrew home on a g-tube when he was 43 weeks GA. And then they ran a swallow study and saw silent reflux. And then they decided to *try* prilosec. He was eating 2 days later, gained weight, and came home. He clearly would not eat because it was too painful.
He made believers out of those doctors!
(((hugs))) The NICU is exhausting and draining. And it is exhausting and draining having my little guy home, but in a much more positive way! And it was so nice to be able to stay in my pajamas all day if I wanted to after he came home. There was no rush to go anywhere. I'm sorry your friend doesn't get that.
My little guy had some vomiting issues right before discharge. He was on breastmilk with HMF to 26 cals and they changed him to breastmilk with neosure to 26 cals for discharge and he immediately started vomiting after every bottle. They put him on straight breastmilk and he did fine, but it was not enough for him to grow on. So they tried adding pregestemil, but he hated the taste and would spit it out. Finally they used plain old similac added to breastmilk for extra calories and he started keeping it down. Although here we are 4 months post NICU discharge and we're still dealing with some feeding issues (he's only 11 lb 2 oz at 8 months actual 4 1/2 months adjusted). Hang in there!