It has been about a week since he's thrown up anything significant. He does have a few moments, especially when he's eating solids or chewing on a toy, where he'll hit his gag reflex and maybe even throw up a tiny bit, but it's been a GOOD, long stretch since he's really thrown up like he used to. The crazy thing is, we changed 2 things at once, so of course there's really no way to know what made the difference, but whatever. As long as he's keeping his food down, I'm happy! The other thing we changed besides the med was his feed volumes. Again, I'm going to whisper here because this was totally against our GI doctor's advice, but I just felt like he was getting SO full from all the formula he was getting. I was aware that our GI dr has to recommend the highest volume possible because his main concern for his lungs is weight gain. But to me, Ryan is chubby. He's gaining weight well. So, I cut his volume down slowly but surely. His orders are to get 33 oz a day, and now he's down to just under 30. I figured if he's throwing up a few ounces a day anyways, wouldn't you rather him just take fewer ounces overall and NOT throw up and risk aspirating?? Plus, having had Dani full term prior to Ryan has been a huge help. I know that at Ryan's age, she never took that much breastmilk in a 24 hour period, and she grew and developed just fine. When I did some research, the typical amount for a 12 month old is anywhere from 24-32 ounces, so he was wa up there at the highest end of normal. Even now with the decrease, he's still on the high end of normal, and at least now he's not throwing up! But wait, there's more. Now that he's not as full on formula, he's been making HUGE gains in his solid food intake! It's seriously magical to watch him actually open his mouth for food, grab the spoon and just chow down. Yesterday he ate a good 2 TBSP of oatmeal mixed with apple and strawberry puree. It was the most he's ever eaten in one sitting, by far.
I want to put the disclaimer out there for any other preemie moms who might be reading this who are also dealing with feeding issues...it's really hard to know when to trust your gut vs. following the doctors orders, and that's something you have to decide for yourself and your child. This has been months of struggling with food, and we are nowhere near overcoming his feeding issues, but this has been a huge step in the right direction. I would encourage you to continue to talk to your GI doctors and make them explain exactly WHY they are doing certain things. Do your research and figure out what you think would work best for your child, then advocate for that. Your doctors should listen if they are good at their job because you know your child better than they do. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have, and there are lots of great resources out there on the internet. If anything, maybe I can point you in the right direction for a resource that could help.
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