Adding feeds per day ?'s/vent
mamathompson7
member
I have an IUGR baby who was delivered May 16 at 36 weeks, 5 days (3 lbs, 10 oz now up to 4 lbs, 6 oz).
She is up to full feed amount, but has been alternating her 8 feeds between bottles and the NG tube. Yesterday the doctor said that she wanted to up her feeds to 5 bottles per day, but the nurses are still doing every other feeding as a bottle! I asked, "how is she ever going to get up to 5 feeds per day, if they are always alternating?" but they look at me with alien eyes like I am making NO sense.
What was the process like for adding bottles to your baby's daily routine? Is my brain shrinking from being in the NICU too much.... am I the one who just doesn't get it?
Why can't we just try to give her a bottle each feed, and see if she can handle it? What if she surprises everyone and can eat them all? How will we know if we never even try her?
Maybe I'm just bummed b/c everytime I hint at asking when they think she can come home, the doctor looks at me like I'm an idiot for asking.
Re: Adding feeds per day ?'s/vent
The reason that they just don't let her try nippling each feed is because it uses up a lot of energy & calories, especially when they're first learning. That can affect weight gain. If the neo said she can go up to 5 oral feeds/3 NG feeds then just ask them the next day on rounds about putting that order in. The nurses can't just do it, the order has to be written & it sounds like that didn't happen.
The feeding portion of most NICU journies feels like it takes forever because usually that is all that is keeping the baby there at that point. However, don't be surprised if you come in one day & they say she's ready to go. It tends to drag on & then all of the sudden they get it & they're ready to go!