Learning to tube feed
- Thread starter vixxen
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dizz
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I had to do it - but only in the hospital so I never had to do things like refit one that had gone for a wander or anything.
The actual feeding itself is no bother at all - it's basically screw the syringe on and just let the required amount trickle its way down with the odd gentle tickle with the plunger if you need to get it started off - I found it much easier to do that all with myself lying down knees up and her lying on my knees looking at me so I had her supported but both hands free (and she wasn't trying to grab the NG tube with her fingers because she was busy watching me)... what I always struggled with was the checking the tube position before doing a feed - where you have to pull up a tiny bit of the stomach contents to check the pH level's right (and you're getting stomach acidy-last feed milky stuff) - there were a fair few feeds where I had a heck of a time getting that done (as did the ward staff with her as well really)! There are a few different tricks that different people do for that - and everyone seems to have their own particular quirks of how they were taught to do it which drove me nuts!
The actual feeding itself is no bother at all - it's basically screw the syringe on and just let the required amount trickle its way down with the odd gentle tickle with the plunger if you need to get it started off - I found it much easier to do that all with myself lying down knees up and her lying on my knees looking at me so I had her supported but both hands free (and she wasn't trying to grab the NG tube with her fingers because she was busy watching me)... what I always struggled with was the checking the tube position before doing a feed - where you have to pull up a tiny bit of the stomach contents to check the pH level's right (and you're getting stomach acidy-last feed milky stuff) - there were a fair few feeds where I had a heck of a time getting that done (as did the ward staff with her as well really)! There are a few different tricks that different people do for that - and everyone seems to have their own particular quirks of how they were taught to do it which drove me nuts!
vixxen
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I hated some of the nurses doing it on the Nicu they were really impatient with her some even pushed the last bit of the feed down.
That led to her having a lot of desats
i hope i will be taught by someone who has a little more patience.
Hoping will get some help at home it worries the hell out of me the tube moving, well hopefully it won't take me to long after all i was watching them do it for nearly 10 weeks
That led to her having a lot of desats
i hope i will be taught by someone who has a little more patience.Hoping will get some help at home it worries the hell out of me the tube moving, well hopefully it won't take me to long after all i was watching them do it for nearly 10 weeks
There was two methods we we used, sometimes we had to slooooowly push the syringe and at times where she didnt cope with that, we had to just let the milk trickle- no plunger. There was a name they used for that but I just can't remember right now. That's going to annoy me now! Probably was drip feeding!
They wouldn't advise you to do it unless they thought you were capable Hun x
They wouldn't advise you to do it unless they thought you were capable Hun x
inperfected
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Bolus Atomic? 
stick2000
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Hi
My daughter was NG fed from birth until she was 15 months old, then her NG was replaced with a G-tube (one surgically placed in stomach), as her issue is longer term. She's now 3.
NG feeding is a bit scary at 1st but once you've got the hang of it it's not so bad.
Re the support at home - we had community nurses that would come out if needed, but to be honest we learnt how to repass the tube ourselves pretty quickly as she used to pull hers out/sick it up lots lol! They don't come out to us really anymore as we do everything at home by ourselves - we change her G-tube ourselves now too.
If you struggle to get an aspirate (some stomach contents to PH test) - it sometimes helps to move the child around a bit, move onto each side, sit up, etc, or wiggle the NG a bit by the nose.
We have a pump for the milk as she has a lot over a long time (wouldn't tolerate boluses (using a syringe)).
Re your supplies - we get a delivery every month from a company called Homeward, the tape came from the nurses/GP.
One tip for taping NG tubes - we used cavilon on her face 1st (a barrier to stop irritation), then duoderm on her cheek, ng on top, then hyperfix on top to secure.
Feel free to PM me x
My daughter was NG fed from birth until she was 15 months old, then her NG was replaced with a G-tube (one surgically placed in stomach), as her issue is longer term. She's now 3.
NG feeding is a bit scary at 1st but once you've got the hang of it it's not so bad.
Re the support at home - we had community nurses that would come out if needed, but to be honest we learnt how to repass the tube ourselves pretty quickly as she used to pull hers out/sick it up lots lol! They don't come out to us really anymore as we do everything at home by ourselves - we change her G-tube ourselves now too.
If you struggle to get an aspirate (some stomach contents to PH test) - it sometimes helps to move the child around a bit, move onto each side, sit up, etc, or wiggle the NG a bit by the nose.
We have a pump for the milk as she has a lot over a long time (wouldn't tolerate boluses (using a syringe)).
Re your supplies - we get a delivery every month from a company called Homeward, the tape came from the nurses/GP.
One tip for taping NG tubes - we used cavilon on her face 1st (a barrier to stop irritation), then duoderm on her cheek, ng on top, then hyperfix on top to secure.
Feel free to PM me x
D
dizz
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I just taped the scratch mitts around her wrists (tape on the cuffs to make them smaller) to stop the nose tube pulling! Yep I'm mean!
vixxen
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Well at the moment am having to do syringe feeding at home as its over christmas they couldent sort out a pump for me.
Deanna has now been diagnosed with silent reflux and is on loads of meds
but is at least home for christmas, only came out for home leave as they want to see how her weight goes before discharging her again.
She was also seen by S.A.L.T and i was told by them she had an uncoordinated suck,swallow.I wonder how long this is going to carry on for.
Deanna has now been diagnosed with silent reflux and is on loads of meds
but is at least home for christmas, only came out for home leave as they want to see how her weight goes before discharging her again.She was also seen by S.A.L.T and i was told by them she had an uncoordinated suck,swallow.I wonder how long this is going to carry on for.
DHime
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OMG I know exactly what you are going thru. My son was a pronounced refluxer. He had to have surgery to stop the reflux because he was aspirating it into his lungs and turning blue. We started out on a 24 hour feeding pump. It has been a couple of months and we are now on bolus feeds. (gravity in a 60 cc syringe) I have to feed him every hours but it is worth it to get him thru this part. I won't lie, the beginning is VERY hard on you. It is hard to come to terms with the love/hate relationship with you LO's GTube. Unfortunately the speech therapy is a big deal for the suck/swallow reflex. Babies with a g-tube often lose the instinct. If your baby uses a pacifier, use it only when feeding if you are doing bolus feeds. (or timed feeds) 24 hour feeds are harder. try putting a tiny bit of formula on her passy and allow her to suck on it. Also cold/hot sensations will help. There are exercises that ST will teach you. Do them as much as possible. My DS lost his ability as well. Now he takes about 5 feedings a day by bottle. I turn on some music and make it part of our play time right after each nap he takes. Good bonding and good workout. Al;so, use your finger allot for her to suck on.
The meds are hard to avoid. What all is she on?
Mine has a plethora of meds that I have to keep organized or go nuts.
Over all, just hang in there. It does get easier.
The meds are hard to avoid. What all is she on?
Mine has a plethora of meds that I have to keep organized or go nuts.
Over all, just hang in there. It does get easier.
vixxen
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She's on Omeprazole and Domperidone for her refux ,and carabel in her infritrini milk.Diaretics for her heart condition as she still has loads of fluid around her heart and lungs and probably will have until her big op sometime next year.Sooner if she still struggles to gain weight.
Wahoo for them managing to get a pump sorted out for me as syringe feeding her was a nightmare.
DHime do you get used to waking during the night? am struggling with that at the moment though i guess i am lucky her feeds are 3 hourly.
Wahoo for them managing to get a pump sorted out for me as syringe feeding her was a nightmare.
DHime do you get used to waking during the night? am struggling with that at the moment though i guess i am lucky her feeds are 3 hourly.
DHime
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Is she on continuous feeds? How many ML's and how many feedings? 3 per hour?
If continuous - the pump will alarm when it runs out of food so if you only put in 3 hrs worth, it should wake you up. It is easier than waking up for a 30 min feed every 2 to 3 hours for a normal baby but you get just as tired. though it does take about 5 minutes to flush the food bag and add more food. (be sure to do this between the 3 hr feeds to stay sanitary if using formula) Watch the temp of the food though. If it is fridge cold it may wake her up because cold stuff in your tummy is a weird feeling. if it is warm, then she will sleep right thru you flushing the bag and adding more food.
Watch for the connection of the bag and her tube. Sometimes they don't fit well and you wake up to find that the food has gone everywhere except into your lo so be sure to get paper tape from the supply co to help secure it if you are having trouble.
Are you getting a nurse? Normally they do that for a while during your learning process....
Oh and watch for bubbles in the line when priming the feed. It can give her wicked gas. Mylocon (gas drops) works wonders.
Have the docs mentioned fundopication surgery at all? That is something that has to be done sometimes if the reflux is too severe that it causes a failure to thrive. (that's what my DS had to do)
vixxen
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My little girl is failure to thrive to they cant really tell whats causing it.
She is allowed to take upto 40 mls by bottle and 30 mls by tube every 3 hours,unfortunately she struggles to make the 40 by bottle.
Her reflux is silent so not much coming out as she swallows it back.
Will know a bit more when they see her friday.We are waiting to see a pediatrician as she is a little behind in her development and has eye problems.
With her being an IUGR baby and having Absent EDF with her i'm afraid her brain may have suffered damage as we know the blood flow was stopping in her placenta as well as in her head. She also had brain sparing.
It sucks! Waiting at least i know im not the only one who is going through this though as i got to just shy of 37 weeks i really thought things would be ok
they cant really tell whats causing it.She is allowed to take upto 40 mls by bottle and 30 mls by tube every 3 hours,unfortunately she struggles to make the 40 by bottle.
Her reflux is silent so not much coming out as she swallows it back
.Will know a bit more when they see her friday.We are waiting to see a pediatrician as she is a little behind in her development and has eye problems.
With her being an IUGR baby and having Absent EDF with her i'm afraid her brain may have suffered damage as we know the blood flow was stopping in her placenta as well as in her head. She also had brain sparing.
It sucks! Waiting at least i know im not the only one who is going through this though as i got to just shy of 37 weeks i really thought things would be ok
vixxen
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Yes there is a strong possibility damage was done.
She is not able to eat anything yet as they think it will be dangerous
hopefully when she does start to be weaned i can get extra calories in her though i think its going to be a up hill battle
Could just do with some quality sleep though i bet you know all about that too,lets hope next year is even better for us both.
She is not able to eat anything yet as they think it will be dangerous
hopefully when she does start to be weaned i can get extra calories in her though i think its going to be a up hill battle
Could just do with some quality sleep though i bet you know all about that too,lets hope next year is even better for us both.
DHime
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wow. my ds is on 24cal/ounce with 25 ml's per hour. moving it up to 26/hr starting tonight.. eventually he has to eat more but i am just working on oral for now. he spends the first half o each day gagging so it's hard then.
is you dd at risk for aspiration?
is you dd at risk for aspiration?
vixxen
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Yes aspiration is a big risk for her as the more she swallows the more tired she gets and more uncoordinated.When you are just trying to fatten them up for the next op its very frustrating.We are hoping as she grows the smaller holes in her heart will close up ,and we could wait till she was older before the large hole is closed.
By the way lol that was 580 mls in a 24 hour period.
.When you are just trying to fatten them up for the next op its very frustrating.We are hoping as she grows the smaller holes in her heart will close up ,and we could wait till she was older before the large hole is closed.By the way lol that was 580 mls in a 24 hour period.
