February 13, 2010

Although Kiera is now home, the challenge of getting her to drink from a bottle lingers.  I have been told to be patient and that she will get stronger and will eventually wean from the tube when she is ready.  I'm following the procedure laid out by the feeding clinic in Winnipeg but as the days go on I have the feeling that Kiera is developing a greater dependency on the tube feeds.  Having said that, Kiera is very bothered by the tube.  When she gets upset (from diaper changes, bathing, or from other typical baby care), Kiera's tube moves in her throat which causes her to produce more saliva.  The saliva builds up.  Although she can swallow most of what she produces, the mucus upsets her tummy and then she vomits.  Also, Kiera always sounds like she has a cold because she gurgles when she breathes.

It's amazing how important bottle type, nipple type, feeding time, and timing of everything becomes.  Making sure that Kiera is not upset or that she does not pull out her tube is the only thing I can think of.  The days are very long as I wait for each feeding session.

Here is a picture of Kiera during a feeding session.  They always start out promising but with the type of bottle she is sucking on in the picture, she ends up choking, coughing, and gagging.  She now uses a Nuk nipple on the bottle that matches her soother.  Kiera seems to prefer that one and will go back to it over and over again but is not taking in as much liquid.  We're hoping with a few days more of practice that Kiera will learn to drink better from the bottle.  However, at times she is only drinking about 10 percent of her feed and according to doctors, her tube can only be taken out if she drinks more than 75% consistently.