Change in Feeding Plan Again

Post date: Jan 2, 2011 2:21:18 AM

January 1, 2011 (PM) - Wow... It is already 2011. It is hard for us to comprehend all that has occurred in our lives the past eight weeks. As we begin 2011, we want to say thank you for sharing this journey with us. We are amazed at how many of you follow this blog each day, and how many of you are praying for us each day. Thank you!.Thank you for praying yesterday for us as we began the breast feeding journey. Yesterday ended up being a tiring day for all of us. Grady Jeremiah was able to begin to learn how to breast feed. However, he is still so little, he was not able to coordinate his suck, swallow, and breathe pattern to efficiently get milk. He did get some, but not enough. As a result, he lost weight yesterday for the first time in a long time. We met with the nurse, nurse practitioner, and doctor this morning to discuss our concern. As a result, a new feeding plan was put in place this first day of the new year and it is working much better.The new feeding plan is this... Before every three hour feed, Grady Jeremiah will try to breast feed for 30 minutes. We weigh him before and after to see how much milk he was able to take. Then the nurses will feed him (through the tube in his nose) the amount needed to get it to 36 cc. This approach has made for a much less stressful day today for all of us! Julia feels less pressure and can relax more as she learns the best ways for our little boy to feed, since she knows he will not go hungry from the feed. Grady Jeremiah is less stressed as he is not hungry through the day (and frustrated and fussy as a result!), and that he is not as tired as each attempt is only 30 minutes instead of going and going until he wears out. And when Julia and Grady Jeremiah feel less stressed, I feel much better as well :-)

Please continue to pray for Grady Jeremiah to learn how to breast feed, particularly that this new approach will allow him to stay full and gain weight all while learning.

Happy New Year and thank you again for sharing this journey with us the past eight weeks!

Be sure to click on the picture at the top of this page to see it larger and the note that goes with it. In it you will see some creative artwork a nurse made from his foot and hand prints :-)