Feeding Clinic

So Harlie now weighs 7 pounds. Although it is good that she is gaining weight - the rate is slower than what the doctors would like. We have tried to increase the volume, but it seems that her stomach can’t accommodate that and she spits it back up. So the new plan is to continue the day feedings as usual (2 oz. every 3 hours) and at night, put her on a slow continuous feed over 10 hours (slowly increasing the volume given at night over the next few weeks). The goal is to get her to take in more calories (and keep them) and gain an ounce a day (she’s been gaining about a half an ounce a day). They also put her on reflux medicine to see if that helps. We are really hoping that this new plan works. It is hard having a 10 week old baby that still doesn’t weigh as much as the average newborn (and she wasn’t a preemie). I feel like she’s going to be a newborn forever! I think the magic weight for a baby to be able to sleep through the night without needing to be fed is 12 pounds. At the rate we are currently going, she wouldn’t be 12 pounds until May – and she would be 8 months old! They ordered a barium swallow and upper GI. Unfortunately, the soonest we can get in for that is sometime in January. It is definitely going to be a long process to get her to eat by mouth. One problem will be that eating by mouth will make her burn more calories – so we’ll be fighting that again. What we’ll probably do is feed her a little by mouth and then give the rest through the tube. I really wanted to get rid of the tube – but considering all the surgeries she has ahead – the tube will be essential to her gaining weight. And considering that they want her to be as strong as possible for her heart surgery - eating by mouth is not a priority. Well, it’s time to go. I hope you are all well. Talk to you later,Christy