Andrew - born at 29 weeks!

[sherryberry79]

We are having big problems with lumps too, I hav been pretty relaxed about it until recently, but now it's starting to get me down. I am waiting for an appointment with her consultant, but I hold little hope for a magic solution to this problem. As you say, I am pretty sure that Amelia's oral hyper-sensitivity is a result of all the feeding/vent tubes. I have been warned that this will have a knock on effect with her speech too, it's wonderful but stressful and frustrating being a preemie mummy

We spent the day st Stepping Hill today too, Millie has a viral infection on her chest, she has been having nebulisers, inhalers and steroids, but thay have finally let us bring her home. Just got to try to get the inhalers and steroids into her now, at least she has not needed to go back on oxygen, hopefully it will stay that way.

Sounds like SAHD is doing a fine job, how are you finding being back in the world of work? Quite nice to be in an adult environment again I would imagine!

It sounds like Andrew is doing great, I think my little rascal needs that supplement for her milk too, as her weight is not really where it should be (but then it never really has been)!

 

[clairec81]

Hi Marleysgirl and Sherryberry, my LO is also a slow gainer and is currently 12lb at 9 months (7 and a bit corrected) She has been on high cal milk (infatrini) since about 2 months and a supplement (Calogen) for a while too. What is Andrew's 'super' high cal milk? just wondering where the dietician will go next with Erin! She too has a sensitive gag reflex and can handle some things but others are an immediate vomit. We tried wotsits a while ago and she loves them. I have moved on to trying mini rusks and she is doing surprisingly well - however a home made custard with very small, soft pear (which had been cooked and crushed down) provoked a huge vomit the other day = go figure eh!

 

[Marleysgirl]

Andrew's "super high calorie" milk is Infatrini, I use that term to distinguish it from the "high calorie" milk NutriPrem2

Sherry, I'm sorry to hear that Millie went back in, but I'm glad they didn't put her back on the O2. What steroids did they give you? Andrew was on prednisolone for his fits, I just dissolved them in a drop of water and syringed it into his mouth before milk feeds.

The lump/vomit issue did get me down during the summer, I felt a little better when I switched Andrew onto Ella's Kitchen St2 pouches and he loves them (he also loves Plum pouches), as at least I know he's eating something. I felt much better this week when the dietitian said that she's seen it before, so it's quite common.

One thing OH hadn't told me until last night, the dietitian suggests that we give Andrew wotsits and rusks etc (finger food) about an hour after a milk feed. She says if he vomits then, not to worry too much (other than the icky clearing up) as he will have already absorbed a fair portion of the nutrients from the milk.

I've found that going back to work has re-stimulated my brain, so I no longer suffer from baby-brain

 

[sleeping bubs]

Hey Marleysgirl Andrew seems to be doing really well on his milk!! Andrew and Mckenzie seem to be around the same size he now weighs 15lb 7oz such a slow progress!! I refused to c dietition as Mckenzie does eat lumps and finger foods but not a lot and even less at moment as he has a cold and teething. Well we have been discaharged from hospital twice so far as aart from his slow weight gain developmentally he ok as he is now walking/running and signing!! Mckenzie loves wootists and mini rusks not too keen on the big rusks so must buy some again. I am trying at moment to give normal food but such a nightmare!!!

Good idea to go back to work but I am not intending yet as trying for another lo and hopefully going to try and finish my degree though OU so hopefully get my brain back again!!

 

[AP]

Keep up the work Marleysgirl. I was in disbelief when Alex started taking lumps. It was literally a case of waking up and doing it.

Two things I think that helped
- the HV suggested an inbetween stage by putting baby pasta stars in the jars to thicken them up. Alex didnt choke these up and that went fine.
- Coming home from THAT sh***y neonatal appointment, we sat her down one night and gave her pasta alphabetti spagetti (out a tin) and the sausages out of heinz beans and sausages. Not the most healthiest but we were desperate!

The pasta went down well and we let her bite into it with her teeth first before taking anything in her mouth. then she picked it up herself.

The sausage was given to her and she held it in her hand and took a shy bite and started chewing. I was stunned! Im guessing the sausage had that texture that she just HAD to start chewing?

Potato waffles soaked in the sauce from the spagetti worked very very well too. I think letting her have control helped (as long as she didnt get too greedy and started ramming it all in!)

From that day on we did similar foods at dinner and then brought it into lunch too.
I found her with my slice of bread one day, she nicked it when i wasnt concentrating and started eating that - and didnt gag! So she gets soft toast in the morning now too.

After that we dared to use a stage 2 jar - perfection.

I thought I would let you know whats worked for us. The week before - she would have NEVER managed it, so it really was like a flick of a switch.

It was very worrying when Alex wouldnt take lumps, but at the same time I had huge support and knowledge from here and my preemie friends IRL. It'll work out hun! They will get there, wherever 'there' is, its not a race

I didnt realise infantrini was an extra high cal milk. Its one thing no bugger offered us and now all the low and slow weight gain preemies weigh tons more than alex she is the skinniest and smallest of the group now!

My other preemie friends dietrician says that it can take some preemies til they are 2/3. So we all have hope

Off to crave wotsits now

 

[Marleysgirl]

Thanks for the suggestions, sb

Andrew is still not picking up food himself, still not associating what we put in his hand with food that goes into his mouth. But he did eat some of a jar of Heinz Stage2 today (chicken with noodles), it had visible lumps of pasta (noodles? lol) in it and he seemed to move them around his mouth and swallow them down just fine, no gagging. So we've bought some more jars of Stage 2, see how he goes with them.

Is Alex still on milk, and how does she take it? Andrew is still using bottles & teats (which he can now hold himself), I'm wondering whether it's heading towards time to move him onto sippycups.

 

[AP]

Now theres a question! Nope, im afraid alex is on bottles and teats too. we have cut slits into the teats so its more free flowing but any sippy cup is either too hard to get anything out of for her or too fast that she chokes. :/ cant win there, but on the whole im not too worried about that, as long as the milks going down.

Alex has loads of milk though - we give her cows milk now, she can have up to 20oz a day still and that on top of 3 meals, and a slice of buttered toast and a snack. Im not complaining - we weighed her today and was stunned to find the hospital had made a mistake in converting and shes more 19lb than 17lb!!! First time in her life shes had an appetite!

Honestly shes like a flippin piranna fish just now, ive had my toe bitten off today, she will attempt anything

 

[Marleysgirl]

Awww, I'm pleased she has an appetite - not sure about eating toes though

Have to say I'm inclined to agree about the milk - it's getting milk into Andrew that's important, not how he manages it.

 

[AP]

It bloody hurt anyway!!! or she bites my knee!!!!

Dont worry about the bottles. I spoke to the HV as she wasnt too worried. AT end of the day, shes gonna grow out of it some point

 

[Marleysgirl]

A little update ......

When crawling, Andrew is now beginning to extend his legs and raise his bum in the air, so he's beginning to put weight onto his whole leg rather than just his knees - turning himself into a triangle iyswim

He's still not sitting for any length of time, but he can sit. He will sit for three seconds or so, but then gets distracted and rolls over to crawl off. He sat yesterday in a washing basket, proving that he can do it. I need to find something on telly that he finds interesting - failed with F1 this morning, children's programmes hold no interest, I think it's time to hit VH1

And finally a breakthrough on the feeding - today (first time) he has held half-a-rusk and started nibbling on the edge of it. I don't know if he realises that it's food, or whether he's just mouthing & biting thinking it's a toy, but he's quite keen so it might be that the sweetness of the rusk is reaching his tastebuds. I just need to get him practising this every day now.

 

[sleeping bubs]

ahh bless him Good old rusks think Mckenzie gets bored with them has a bit then throws it well most food at min and having a non-eating week yet again lol.

As with tv programs Mckenzie does love Zingzilliers, in the night garden and boogie beebies it holds his attention for a while but never sits still!!

How much does Andrew weigh now? Mckenzie is still 15lb 7oz!! Hoping to see a dietition soon

 

[Foogirl]

A little update ......

When crawling, Andrew is now beginning to extend his legs and raise his bum in the air, so he's beginning to put weight onto his whole leg rather than just his knees - turning himself into a triangle iyswim

He's still not sitting for any length of time, but he can sit. He will sit for three seconds or so, but then gets distracted and rolls over to crawl off. He sat yesterday in a washing basket, proving that he can do it. I need to find something on telly that he finds interesting - failed with F1 this morning, children's programmes hold no interest, I think it's time to hit VH1

And finally a breakthrough on the feeding - today (first time) he has held half-a-rusk and started nibbling on the edge of it. I don't know if he realises that it's food, or whether he's just mouthing & biting thinking it's a toy, but he's quite keen so it might be that the sweetness of the rusk is reaching his tastebuds. I just need to get him practising this every day now.

Well done Andrew.

 

[Marleysgirl]

We'll have a weight update next week when he returns to the dietitian.

Can't remember (and am too lazy to read back!) whether I mentioned that the dietitian put Andrew onto Duocal supplement powder in his milk? Since then, he's had loose poop all the time, and it's giving him a really sore bottom - the only other time he's ever had nappy rash was when he had diawoo. So after two weeks of this, I'm taking him back off the powder, I shall give it a week to see if his bowels & bottom improve. The supplement is the only thing that has changed in his routine, it must be that. Poor babba, such a sore bottom, even metanium doesn't help

 

[AP]

He's still not sitting for any length of time, but he can sit. He will sit for three seconds or so, but then gets distracted and rolls over to crawl off. He sat yesterday in a washing basket, proving that he can do it. I need to find something on telly that he finds interesting - failed with F1 this morning, children's programmes hold no interest, I think it's time to hit VH1

How similar can alex and andrew be

 

[Lottie86]

Yay glad to hear Andrew is doing well. Awww that sounds so cute that he just crawls off

I didnt realise infantrini was an extra high cal milk. Its one thing no bugger offered us and now all the low and slow weight gain preemies weigh tons more than alex she is the skinniest and smallest of the group now!

Don't worry, Alex weighs tons more than F does and he is a lot older than her and has over 1000 calories a day and he weighed in at 12lb 10oz at a couple of weeks ago

 

[AP]

awww findlay ya cutie! OT but i seen his pics today: oh my god how cute!

im afraid alex has gone from 'im not eating' to 'mums toes are even edible'. Not complaining but im not edible like!

 

[sleeping bubs]

Hey Mckenzie has a really sore bum at moment has a day when does nothing then next day he can go up to 6 times a day such a nightmare!! I am wondering what dietition will do as he is such hit and miss with eating for tea he had about one little square cheese spead sandwich and half an avcardo and thats it. Lunch time he had almost 1/2 jar of stage 3 food and thats it!! Hoping he/she will help! Need to get something in him as he doesn't stay still trying to run but looks like he is drunk!!!

 

[Marleysgirl]

A year ago (Bonfire Night 2009) was when we brought Andrew home from hospital This year has gone sooooo fast.

We've had two visits from the Pre-School Special Needs Advisor, at the last visit she managed to get him to sit up for a few seconds (must have distracted him) so she is convinced now that he can sit, he just doesn't want to, crawling is more fun and he's got used to playing with toys while lying down so it's habit. We have to keep encouraging him to sit whenever possible, still searching for that elusive television programme to keep him occupied! (VH1 didn't work) She also brought him a piano/xylophone that *doesn't* light up, and he happily plays with that, confirming that he does have some hearing.

Dietitian visit next week. His nappy rash has cleared up I am so looking forward to telling her that we've stopped giving him the supplement, and why. How can it be good to give a baby something that makes his bottom raw? What is it doing to his innards?

I think we may have to progress from 3-6m up to 6-9m clothing soon, his babygros are getting a little short for his legs! And he definitely prefers the extra legroom of the 6m+ sleeping bags.

No further forward with lumpy food, but he has increased his intake to include a savoury course, pudding AND a yoghurt.

 

[sleeping bubs]

thats good news about the food intake and bum issue lol Good plan with the non light up toys and that Andrew has some hearing.
Isn't it really good when they go up a size in clothes lol Mckenzie is now in 6-9m vests and tops but still in 3-6m trousers!

We are still waiting for dietition appointment, getting him weighed on monday

 

[Marleysgirl]

Andrew weighed in at 7.01kg and measured 70.1cm today

He's creeping up on the height graph, but still plugging his own curve on the weight graph - so he's now a little underweight for his height.

Dietitian has given us another supplement to try (pure carbohydrate as opposed to carb/fat mix); she also wants us to start adding cream to his food to increase calories. Personally I favour the "jaffa cake" method of extra calories, even though it's mucky! First thing he's really grabbed and eaten by himself.

And he can sit Just doesn't want to He's manouvred himself from crawling to sitting a couple of times now.