Sucks. *UPDATED*
Well, hell. Simone failed Bottles. Her speech therapist (Speech! I know! So advanced!) has tried various nipples and feeding positions and pacing techniques, all to no avail. Give my girl a bottle and she gobbles at it, aspirates milk into her lungs, and stops breathing. A swallow study has been ordered for tomorrow morning.
What I find so damnably frustrating is the fact that she can take full feedings by breast with no problem. We use a nipple shield, but the rest is all her: she sucks like a champ, remembers to stop and breathe, and even does this comedy bit where she growls and shakes my nipple like she’s trying to break its neck. The lactation consultants came to consult but left unneeded, shaking their heads in awe. Alas, Simone will be sent home on a growth regimen that includes two feedings of milk fortified with formula, and if she cannot take those feedings by bottle, she will end up with a g-tube.
I do not understand. Obviously she can drink without aspirating, because she does it several times a day via my mammaries. Simone’s nurse can’t remember another baby who couldn’t take bottles yet could breastfeed. My child is a puzzle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a milk-stained onesie. The best-case scenario would for the swallow study to show that she does not aspirate as long as the milk is thickened with rice cereal, so let’s hope for that. Better yet, let’s hope this has all been a clever ruse designed by my daughter to bust out of the NICU for an hour, and that once she is down in radiology she sucks down an unthickened bottle without incident.
Until tomorrow, I leave you with a video. The first act is a simple rendition of the hiccups, but the second act showcases the “door in a haunted house” sound effect Simone has been perfecting for weeks now. And at the end of Act III…well, see for yourself:
UPDATE:
Simone aced her swallow study. Unthickened. No aspiration, not even a suggestion of milk that looked like it might be considering possibly heading for her airway. As this is the only of her dozen or so attempts to bottle that has not ended in alarms and a blue baby, I am thinking my “clever ruse to score a field trip” idea is the only explanation. The speech pathologist was baffled.
“I can honestly say I have never been more wrong,” she said. But it’s not her fault that my child is so contrary. I swear the radiologist thought we were making the whole thing up, for kicks.
As Simone obviously can bottle feed safely, the plan is simply to keep trying and thicken with rice cereal if needed, to slow things down a bit. I saved the bottle they used (same kind as yesterday) just in case it has Magical Powers. The upper GI series showed grade 3 reflux, but that was no surprise.
So, uh, move along, nothing to see here! G-tube threat level reduced to Puce, or NONEXISTENT.
130 Comments
That is by far the cutest thing I have seen in a long while. The Haunted House noise is spot on! Thank god I wasn’t drinking anything when I first heard it, I am still laughing! I am in awe of how wonderful and beautiful she is, this Miss Simone.
And P.S. the smile she gave when you said, “Hi, honey.” Priceless.
Oooh, that smile!
Hi! I’ve never commented before but have been following along with you and Simone since Julie mentioned you on her blog.
Has anyone mentioned using a Supplemental Nursing System? Not sure if it would work in your situation but it is an alternative to giving formula via a bottle. Hope that helps!
OMG, so cute! She is totally chubbing up, I love it. And that thing she’s doing in her sleep, looks like sucking to me, mama! My kid still does this in her sleep after her soothie has fallen out. Hopefully she just prefers smoothies to milk. Thanks for sharing!
Sooo cute. And that smile — I just melted. You must have been a puddle on the floor. Here’s hoping she makes fools out of all those experts tomorrow. Go Simone! I can’t wait for her to go home with you.
:-)
Oh. My. Gods. The cute, it hath slain me.
I’ve been kind of on the fence about the possibility of babies in my future, but after that, I think my ovaries are starting a picket line.
Congratulations!
Oh, she is such a cutie. I have to say, Alexa, that I am very grateful that you decided to share Simone’s story with the Internet. She’s so cute! And strong! And awesome! So thanks for that.
What a beautiful smile!!
YAY!
Oh she is soo cute. And looking so chubby too. I hope that she passes the swallow eval ok.
That haunted house sound is the best thing i’ve heard in a while… wonder if i can teach my baby to do that? LOL
Act III made me cry. I want to eat her up with a Winnie The Pooh spoon.
Okay now I have to go back and see Act III again. I love her.
Oh my gosh, that funny noise. What a beautiful little chubby baby!
Have they tried a SNS (supplemental nursing system?) http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breastfeeding-devices/51/supplemental-nursing-system-sns
It’s a bag that hangs around your neck that you would but the fortified formula/bm in and then a little tube comes down and sits at the nipple, so when she sucks she would be getting the formula at the tap like she likes it. :)
Is it possible to send her home with the NG tube still in until she can master bottles? Sometimes babies figure out they’re going home and like to throw a wrench in things. It always happens shortly before discharge. The night before my son’s discharge he decided to have a bloody diaper.
I love her smile at the sound of your voice. She certainly knows her mama and is so chubby now.
You made me cry. Dammit. But it was worth it.
Like Vanessa, I got here via Julie’s site, and the first thing I thought when I read this was “Supplemetal Feeding system.” Surely they have tried that already, right?
Clearly a breastfeeding savant like Simone is merely toying with everyone.
Hmmm. Why does she need a bottle exactly? You seem to be doing just fine, and darling Simone seems to be nursing and latching well. So why does she need a bottle, and why does she need a GI feeding tube? She is clearly chubby and gaining weight. Your boobs are doing a great job, no? When my daughter was born (4 lbs, (a giant by comparison, I know) and 37.5 weeks), I was told that she needed supplemental feeding. I left with a whole pile of supplemental feeding tubes, bags and bottles, but it really didn’t feel right to me. At the end of the day, I just nursed her myself, without any supplementation, and she was fine. In fact, she thrived and followed a good curve. She will be six years old on Wednesday, and now, after being the shrimp in her daycare class for ages (it does take a while to catch up), she is the tallest one!
Little stinker (cutest ever stinker) - just a gal who knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want.
My NICU boy was pretty much the same way. The nurse pronounced all sorts of gloom and doom pronoucements. Baby not going home, tube feedings, yada yada. Put baby to breast and he went to town like “about freaking time people!!” Given said NICU son is going on 8 and still wants things HIS way and shalt have NO OTHER WAY before HIS way, I’d say you are in for a real ride with your little sassy miss!
Can you hear me going “AWWWWWW” from there? I totally woke my dogs up with it. That smile is just TOO cute! And those cheeks!!! Oh my Stars, is she adorable!!
All three acts were lovely to watch and that smile at the end was awesome. Thanks for sharing!
This may not apply at all, so feel free to disregard, but one of my guys had no problem breastfeeding but just could not get the hang of the bottle. What I had to do with him was let him suck no more than 2-3 times on a bottle and pull it out of his mouth. Lather, Rinse, Repeat until the bottle was done (he didn’t get bottles often so it wasn’t a big deal to have to do that occasionally). He would think bottles were pacifiers and just keep sucking on them and not actually swallow. Then he’d choke and cough and spew milk everywhere. Eventually he got it.
My baby choked on formula, too. Instead of adding rice cereal, you can get the formula with the rice already added - we use Enfamil AR (added rice, get it?) and that worked like a charm.
I’m really glad that you have the option to breast feed. My milk never really came in despite several rounds of medications designed to improve lactation. Useless boobs! Thank goodness they look pretty.
I have my fingers crossed for Simone tomorrow!
Alexa, haven’t you discussed working from home and not using day care for a while? If you can do all the feedings, the only reason for a bottle is the supplementation to add calories. Supplementing is fine if you really need it, but do you? You have a five and half pound baby after three months, which is amazing and fabulous and the medical folks who post here can probably tell you better but it seems to indicate an excellent growth rate. I hated the supplement beause it gave my Claire raging diaper rash, and who knows what is in it? Now obviously we are all glad about the medical intervention you and Simone have had so far, but at a certain point it seems safe to rely on your natural feeding ability. The fortifer makes breast milk 22 calories an ounce instead of 18, it just isn’t that much for two feedings a day, and a g-tube is so much more invasive than an NG tube (or nothing but the breast she excels at using). Trust your instincts, you are obviously good at milk making or she wouldn’t have those cheeks yet.
That smile!!
Look at her! She’s like a regular baby! You guys are so close.
We call that noise The Rusty Gate at our house. I never got tired of hovering over my son and soaking in that creak. He left it behind a few months ago and I was sorry to see it go.
The smile is dreamy. You two clearly have a special connection formed by beautiful, terrible circumstance.
I think alot of other people mentioned supplemental nursing feeding thingy.
My first thought was a cup or spoon.
Reverse nipple confusion…hehe.
love. that. video.
more please. :)
Here’s hoping that you don’t need the g-tube!
But if you do, do know that it’s pretty much a cakewalk compared to what you’ve already been through. (My son had a g-tube from age 2-4, though his issues are completely different than your daughters).
My only point being, no, it’s not fun and Of Course it’s not the preferred path. And the mere fact that one’s child might need one Sucks (big time!) but of all the surgical interventions one could have, it is, well, not that horrible.
I’m so glad to read that she’s nursing fabulously!
That video is so precious … she’s come so far.
Adorable!
What a sweet little pumpkin… actually, sweet BIG pumpkin, now! She’s definitely graduated from the bin with the Indian corn and lacquered gourds.
Assvice: I don’t s’pose it’d be possible to use an SNS for the OPPOSITE of its usually-intended purpose (to supplement boob with bot instead of vice-versa)?
No wonder she keeps winning Baby of the Week.
Add me to the chorus of Why Does Big Beautiful Baby need supplement? Right now this instant? More assvice — I know they’ve probably tried everything, but my old LC recommended munchkin brand for wee ones when introducing breast/bottle simultaneously — apparently this cheap ass probably toxic brand worked best in her experience. Never needed it, but had it packed in case they did at the hospital.
Simone, you’re cute, you’re adorable, you’re downright chubby. Now go home.
I don’t have bottle advice, but I just wanted to point out that OMG that’s a baby! Look at that cute baby!
My gal (middle name Simone) went home from the hospital on day 3 at 4′13 (no NICU, born 36.6) The only supplement we gave her (for about the first month of her life) was offering a bottle (of my pumped breastmilk) after every feeding with me. So it’s like she ate twice! While my husband or mother in law was giving the bottle, I pumped! Cool, it worked. So pump away and store it/freeze it. I had to use the nipple shield on one side and just like the LC’s say, one day you can’t find it and don’t use it and never need it again. When she gets home your milk production is going to increase, so be prepared.
oh, the cuteness. oh the little smile. oh wow.
WTF? Boob but no bottle? I didn’t know that was possible.
It’s hard to believe that she’s keeping up the ruse to bust out of NICU. Look at that little face. There’s nothing nefarious about that face.
But maybe that’s her trick.
Any chance she could get an ng-tube instead of a g-tube if she really does need it? Or would they let you try going with just breastfeeding and checking her weight to keep an eye on things?
Good luck Simone!
Just adding my 10c worth, in my long career as a home-based daycare provider, I came across several babies who just would NOT take a bottle no matter what was in it! To them, food came from a breast or a spoon. The SNS sounds the most promising idea but, as with other commenters, I don’t really understand why Simone needs supplemental feeding at all. Your breast milk seems to be doing the job just fine. Given Simone’s current weight, why does she need extra calories from an artificial source? Hey, on second thoughts, maybe she’s hanging out for champagne!!
The video is beautiful, she’s such a little treasure. Well done Flotsams.
My son also never got the hang of a bottle. It was breast only for him until he was old enough for a cup. I think some kids are just like that. Good luck. She is such a cutie.
The cheeks! So scrumptious! Must eat them!
Maybe Simone just prefers the boob. I mean, really, when you think about it, is there something so wrong with that?
Awwwwwww — a smile! That is some seriously cute baby you’ve got there.
Awwww…one more time…AWWWW…and now we’ll move on to the assvice portion of this comment…since she takes milk from the breast without incident, it seems like a damn shame to do a g-tube JUST for those two feedings a day with the extra calories. If the NICU team is at all open to suggestions, you might ask if you could try pumping for two or three minutes before each feed to get the low-calorie foremilk out of the way and then let Simone nurse and drink the fat- and calorie-rich hindmilk at every feed for a few days and see if she maintains and/or gains THAT way. You could even freeze the “skim milk” to use later for mixing up cereal when she gets old enough for a spoon (breastmilk will keep for a YEAR in a sub-zero or “chest” freezer–HAHAHA CHEST FREEZER, GET IT, CHEST? I slay myself). I myself have a kid with a g-tube (my kid’s esophagus was eroded to the point of utter uselessness and we also have a few genetic issues going on, so TOTALLY different reason) and am the first to tell people how easy to care for and even convenient (”don’t like the taste of your meds? Uncap and say AHH”) they can be, but it aggravates me, the idea of them putting a baby through surgery before trying EVERY OTHER OPTION. If they DO decide to do the surgery, make sure you pre-fight the battle over pain relief. Since Simone would be going from NICU to surgery and back for her recovery maybe they wouldn’t be so stingy with the drugs, but when we had it done and were admitted to a regular floor they refused to give my baby anything for pain, even TYLENOL, until I physically went and GOT the surgeon and made HER come and listen to the screaming for a bit…they tried to tell me the surgery was SO MINOR and NOT PAINFUL, but my response was something along the lines of “okay, let me stab YOU in the abdomen with a metal skewer and see if YOU would like some Tylenol (or morphine) afterward.” That said, it really isn’t a huge deal, the surgery itself, and will reverse itself within MINUTES when you pull the tube out, which I think is why they are so quick to do them, but I…I dunno, I kind of think Simone has been through enough that they ought to cut her a friggin break on this one. The SNS idea may have potential, but I’m worried that that increased flow could present the same problem as a bottle as far as being an aspiration hazard, and I kinda doubt they’d let you nurse her with an SNS full of barium in front of a flouroscope, although if they do YOU MUST BLOG IT, YOU MUST YOU MUST YOU MUST!
OMG, adorable! The smile at the end was the icing on the cake…
Oh that little grin is just enough to melt me into a puddle.
I too am perplexed by the need to bottlefeed Simone when she is getting breastmilk. Why? Is it just that they want to make sure she gains weight quickly? Why not make sure that she’s getting plenty of breastmilk by sending her home with her mama? Go Simone Go!!
The smile at Mom’s voice, doesn’t get any better than that!
That smile made me smile!
gah! the smile. love it.
crossing fingers that simone totally sucks down the bottle.
Oh Alexa, that video is just too much! She has the most adorable little smile I have ever seen! Much love to you both! Oh, and can you really blame her for not wanting a bottle when she can get mommy-milk?!? I too agree with those you think breast milk “should” be enough, but then again, I’m not a doctor so what do I know? She seems to be gaining well though - just look at those cheeks! She’s just perfect! Hope all goes well with the swallow study.
Heather
Awww - sweet baby noises! And that smile at the end? *swoon*
My situation was a bit different because I had a slow gainer, but we needed supplemental calories for a long time; most of her first year, in fact, even though breast milk was her primary source of nutrition.
Have you tried something as simple as a slower flow nipple? The nipples they use in the NICU are actually pretty gushy. She’s not choking on breast milk because she controls how quickly it comes out and the flow stops when she stops sucking. With a bottle, it dumps down her throat whether she wants it or not. If they’ll let you take in a bottle, try the Avent newborn nipples which act somewhat like a breast. I think Avent is making a “safe” bottle that doesn’t have any of the bad plastic.
Oh god, that video is precious. It captures all the sweetness of the infant in one little show!
I had a full term baby who was on the small side (6 lbs 10 oz at birth, down to 5 12 in a few days) and she was a bad gainer–with BFing and supplementing with BM and formula it still took forever (6 weeks) for her to regain her birthweight. You do what you have to but it sounds like simone is doing WAY b etter eating than many full-term (lazy?) babies like mine. BTW, mine is now 17 mos old and a decent eater but still on the smallish side . . .
OK, the smile is priceless! But I do think the haunted-house-door sounds more like a creaky rocking chair. Just my opinion!
Hi! I never have commented but have been reading Simone’s biography for a little while now. I was struck way back then and even more so now, having seen that wonderful video, by the way Simone looks so “plump” and healthy for not only a premie but a newborn as well! I have 4 children and all of them were full term but small and sickly looking. But your beautiful daugher is just a show stopper!!
She’s so adorable! That smile just made me melt like a bowl of ice cream left in the sun.
And I think the creaky door noise is akin to a rocking chair on a wooden porch.
That is the best smile! She knows her Mommy!
So cute! I forgot how adorable those new baby noises are!
My son also was a champ on the breast but could not take a bottle. He would choke on the bottle and aspirate. Luckily he did pass his swallow study and everything improved after a bit more practice at swallowing. My theory is that breast fed babies learn to latch on and suck hard to get the milk and that the milk from the bottle just comes out too fast, even with the newborn bottle nipples. I wonder if there are any low-flow bottles?
Simone is beautiful!
ok, my ovaries just exploded from the cuteness.
I have been following you and every move that Simone makes….first time commenting. I have to say that “Hi Honey” Smile is PRICELESS!!! She is adorable!! Enjoy every sound, every smile and every move she makes…..I feel like I turned my back for just a second and mine is about to get her driver’s permit!! Soak it all in!!
Cutest smile ever.
Come on, Simone! Show them what you can do so you can bust out of there!
My daughter would not take a bottle. She would chew on it, throw it, push it away screaming. Breastfed like a champ from day one, but she hated, HATED the bottle. We just kept trying.
She was about 8 months (I know! 8…months…) before she would take a few oz. without screaming.
Good luck, keep trying, she’ll get it.
Well Good Lord, woman, you get so many comments I can’t take the time to read them to see if I’m redundant…but has anyone mentioned how much slower breastmilk tends to come down, save for right at that initial let down, verse a bottle? It’s one of the main reasons BF advocates don’t want to even use a bottle if you want to BF for some weeks. A bottle come faster, and steadier…the breastmilk has to be, well, milked. Does that make sense?
Our baby was in NICU for a VERY SHORT STAY SO NO COMPARISON, BUT BUT BUT the nurses told me he couldn’t go until he would TAKE A BOTTLE. And he was nursing fine. And I said, well, hell, I don’t plan on giving him bottle for weeks, or months, or maybe never (I stay at home, don’t have a job out of here but this one, so I can do that and he was our last of 4 and I was feeling all aaaawwwww, baby, last baby and stuff). So anyway, the nurse looked puzzled, check with the doc, who said, oh, OK, so he doesn’t have to have a bottle, meh.
I’m no professional, but I find sometimes those that are? Not always the most common sensical. Just a thought. All I know, is that if my gut was saying so, I’d be fighting a G tube. Or even rice thickened formula…look at those cheeks on that girl! But again, I’m no pro.
I’m 40 and have 3 kids–all who are fully capable of sucking the life right out of me by oh, 3:30, but after seeing Simone, I want another!!!! She is absolutely beautiful and I know you know how lucky you are!!!! I don’t have any totally useful assvice for you, but ask lots of questions so you can understand what’s up. I’m sure she’ll do just fine with the bottle eventually. Breastfeeding and bottle feeding use muscles in the mouth completely differently and perhaps she needs some practice. God bless and good luck.
Dude, I needed the smile I got from Simone. Thanks, Simone.
And silly baby not wanting to take a bottle properly. Send her over, I’ll teach her! I’ll demonstrate on some bourbon.
She is so, so adorable. Thanks for sharing that video! What a beautiful baby.
Oh my goodness . . . that is by far the most adorable thing I’ve seen all week. Her smile just infused me with joy :)
Too cute for words! It’s good to know that she can help out with the bills around Halloween! :)
Look at that chubby girl! I could gnaw on those cheeks for days. Congratulations on everything. She’ll get the hang of that bottle soon.
Oh she’s just crazy adorable. I snorted coffee when she started making that creaking noise. Her smile is just precious.
And yay, I get to post after the update. You go, Simone. I think you’re right about the field trip. Or she just enjoys being contrary. Look out!
My daughter was born recently at 36 weeks and spent 9 days in the NICU with jaundice. She did well at the breast, well at the bottle and then she had a few of those blue episodes. Then, not to be accused of predictability, she just sort of stopped (which is what the neonatologist told us would happen but I didn’t believe her even though I am a speech pathologist and I specialize in swallowing!).
The bottles are much faster and NICU’s tend to just have one kind of nipple. Some women have a strong let-down so a baby will do great on a bottle but struggle a little at the breast… but they all seem to get over it and it seems Simone got that memo!
I predict the supplemental feedings will be short-lived.
Yea! She’s gorgeous. My near-term girl was dozing in my lap as I watch the video and gave a little shout-out moan back to Simone’s creaky door impression.
My son couldn’t latch on to the breast. The PT in the NICU *insisted* he use wide-mouth nipples to avoid nipple confusion — the Playtex really hard to manipulate kind. We took him home when he could nipple for 24 hours, he started losing weight, feeding was a nightmare, tried everything… and then went to the softer, small, preemie bottle nipples. Wide nipples were impossible for him because of high palate and low tone. I clung to it because “they said this was the right thing.” Bleh.
All this is to say: They have their ways, Simone has hers, you have yours. Last two count the most. :) If she’s gaining weight, who cares?
Yay!!! I’m so glad she aced the swallow study.
It took the janitor three hours to clean me up off the floor after I melted at that smile!!!
She is so adorable for such a tricky little wench. Scored a field trip for sure!
The smile is seriously devastating. Glad that everything sucks literally, rather than figuratively. Go, Simone!
ENCORE!! ENCORE!!!
Damn she’s cute!!!
I too read this post and thought supplemental feeding system. If a bottle is really necessary, I’ve had good luck with the Avent ones. You could also try googling “Boobie Bottle” to find the (don’t laugh) breast shaped bottle that several of my friends swear by. Hey, how often does one get a chance to legitimately Google “Boobie Bottle”?
Good luck to you!
I also wonder about using a slow flow nipple. Even at a very experienced university hospital NICU, I had to suggest that to the doctors and lactation consultant. They hadn’t thought of it.
I also am a bit mystified by the mention (again!) of a G-tube. My daughter had one because she couldn’t swallow when she was discharged. It’s a fairly serious surgical procedure…seems like a NG tube, if a tube is needed at all, would be a better short-term solution. Very annoying, but doesn’t involve an invasive surgery.
To the above posters, I had a 26 week old and I’m pretty sure the supplemental/bottle thing are NICU rules, and not so easy to fight. It’s been a couple years, but I seem to remember that they want to be sure the baby can feed by bottle JUST IN CASE the breast doesn’t work out and Neonatologists are pretty stubborn on supplementing so long as the baby is below a certain weight. They are not just going to say “Well, go ahead and we hope it works out”.
Simone is absolutely GORGEOUS!!
Like you need more advice… but I have a full term (37 weeks), who had reflux and just would not suck on my boob w/o a nipple shield (still won’t, 13 monhts old… yeah, I know) She also had odd issues with swallowing while on bottles and while not that severe, were similar. For us it came down to nipple type. Nuk orthodontic (favorite of NICU), but the wide mouth variety. She liked gettin her face in it I guess. Nuk bottles contain BPA, but Green to Grow bottles work with the nipples. They had me test some sealing discs for their bottles, so I have some extras I would be more than willing to “shower” you with, if you want to try. (I could even drop them off someplace anonymous, since I’m local) Since preemie feeding stuffs need to be sterilized, making sure you have a non BPA bottles is really important, since high heat is a factor in leeching.
I agree that the NICU team isn’t going to just say “Oh, she likes your boob. You’re good! Go home.” like someone else mentioned. They want to know that she can take a bottle if needed, especially after the struggles she’s had just to get this far.
I’m as shocked as others are though at them mentiong a frigging G-tube AGAIN! For the love of pete! Are they just determined to have her model one or what? For a couple of supplemental feeds a day? That makes no sense to me. Then again, I’ve only had 4 preemies and had 3 of them in the NICU so I wouldn’t know what the hell I’m talking about either ;). My-now 5 month old- was in the NICU in Dec, and her ped said that as long as she was going to the breast then to not worry. Unfortunately we had nursing issues so I ended up just pumping for awhile and giving it to her that way. her ped wanted the ebm fortified though, so I did. And her weight gain went from “eh.. okay I guess” to “really, REALLY good”. She’s on just the Enfacare now(I stopped pumping when I had some health issues pop up) and has turned into quite the chunky little thing.
That video was entirely too precious. all of the little baby noises! Mine is already outgrowing them! My son(almost 4) was in here and was convinced that it was his baby sister on the screen and made me play it 5 times in a row until I kicked him the hell out of my room.
Congrats on your beautiful girl. I’m so proud of her and happy for you that she’s doing so much better!
Her smile brought tears to my eyes… just beautiful. And she’s plumping up so nicely.
So happy for you all!
I’ve been lurking for the past few months but just couldn’t keep quiet now. That girl is positively CHUBBY! Deliciously squeezably chubby! You have some amazing breast milk, I must say. What a change from her first pictures. I can’t see any preemie-ness left at all! I could watch that video about twenty times, I swear. How do you ever tear yourself away from staring at her??
Oh my, I never comment, but always read. That video is too much cuteness. I can’t take it. yummy.
Gigi
Ah, so cute. I have watched the video at least ten times. I love the double chin. She is growing so much bigger everyday!
Hi, I am not sure if this has been brought up and I am out the door and haven’t searched the comments but why couldn’t you use an SNS to feed the formula stuff. It could be done all with the breast that way. They are usually used for supply problems but why not use it to stay away from needing a bottle?
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breastfeeding-devices/52/starter-supplemental-nursing-system-sns
Just a thought.
Good luck mama.
She is SOOOO adorable.
I have to say that’s a priceless smile.
I’m also going to say that they need to stop mentioning that freakin’ g-tube. I swear, they slap those things on every third kid that comes by. Mine had a g-tube put in at four weeks! He wasn’t premature, but they did section me three weeks early. Technically, the kid was like a week old. By the time he was two months old, we were done with it. I felt like an ass putting my child through unneccessary surgery. We still thicken now (personally, i don’t like rice b/c I think it’s rough on an underdeveloped digestive system. We use Simply Thick which is wonderful if kind of frightening at first), but his OT thinks that it’s probably not neccessary now.
I like the comment someone said about a tighter nipple. Those hospital nipples are pretty gushy–she might just be getting too much milk in one gulp.
Cute! Cute! Cute! I love your daughter. those little noises are the best! All she needs is a couple of coconut shells to make the sound of a galloping horse and she has the market cornered on neonatal sound effects.
I used to think it was so funny when my son got the hiccups when he was in utero. After he was born, he’d hiccup and then look around accusingly as if to say, “hey! Who’s making that noise? Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep?”
Babies are the best. You’re going to have such fun with that little one.
♥♥♥♥
OMG her SMILE!!! Way to rock the swallow study, sweet girl!
And OMG she’s getting chubby! I have tears in my eyes!!
wheeeeeee! so glad to read the update. go simone go!
OK, listen to me — DO NOT have a G tube put in! There are a million things you can try before you go that route, i am serious — it would be a huge mistake in this situation! Second, I STRONGLY suggest you look into a product called Simply Thick. It is miraculous. Rice Cereal is difficult to use, hard to mix correctly, can cause worse reflux, etc. Other thickening products are very difficult as well. We used Simply Thick for almost a year with our difficult to feed and refluxy preemie, and it saved our sanity! It’s a gel, mixes easily, can be mixed and stored like regular formula, and is not hard on their bodies. The only problem is that it adds a bit of volume with no calories, so you have to mix your high-calorie formula a bit higher to compensate. No big deal. Medicaid will cover it, if you qualify, which you should.
Please email me — I’ve emailed you before about my micro-preemie background with my 25 weeker, Isaac. I would love to talk you through our experiences!
Erin
emyersc at uark dot edu
I don’t know if others have mentioned it, but I’ve seen special bottles for premies that has a smaller tip and a small kinda…drip area thing. UGH. Google time for me.
I don’t have anything to say except for she is CUTE. But you knew that already.
Ok, I feel like a small penis in a very big vagina commenting here anymore. Sigh. Poor me, lost in your popularity.
What adorable noises! I’m becoming *that* silly woman cooing over a cute baby as soon as I venture over here to gaze upon Simone.
Also, seriously, I know you’re busy and all, what with the baby and this fabulous writing (you are killing me with your brilliance lately), but I need you to email me an answer to my Simone-related questions. Preferably before the kid is going to Prom.
Hi…I don’t usually comment here, but had to on this topic. I found your blog via preemie blog moms, have my own 23 weeker, and happen to be a level III NICU nurse.
My daughter came home breastfeeding ONLY. She also sucked at eating bottles. Fortifying bottles is nice, but absolutely not neccessary. Even if all she can do now is breastfeed, I promise you that it will not last forever. My daughter took about 4-6 weeks after coming home to really get the hang of bottles.
See if they’ll let you essentially move into the hospital to do all of her feedings by breast. If you guys do that (for 24-48 hours) and she continues to gain weight, then everyone should be happy!
And, just so you know, my never fortified breast milk fed baby caught up to her real age quicker than anyone expected (she’s now 21 months, and 26 lbs). Your body knows that it’s feeding a preemie, and the fat content of your hind milk is probably between 28-35 calories/oz. Your body is an amazing machine…trust it to do its job.
I hope that helps. I’m so glad that Simone continues to do so well. You guys are going to be home before you know it!
She is positively PLUMP. I wasn’t expecting that… what a beautiful surprise! I agree w/comments from Eliza about pumping out the first milk and feeding on hindmilk… what a great idea!
The…the…the…THE SMILE! It got me. It did! {snuffles into hanky}
What a sweetheart. Damn.
Also, MsPrufrock’s first sentence almost made me pee my pants. That is some funny right there, MsPrufrock!
Yeah for Simone!! I had good luck with Munchkin triflow bottles with my preemie baby. You can change the nipple position around to change the amount flowing from the nipple from slow to medium or fast.
That video was the most precious baby I’ve ever seen! Adorable! =)
She aces the swallow study AND smiles?! Awesome!
Aww, I love her! Probably not as much as you, but she warms my heart! Im so happy for you both– and your husband! Congrats, you deserve it.
OMG…how gorgeous! And that smile? Certainly she has very advanced skilz! I mean, serously…
ROCK ON SIMONE!!
Well my one and only full term girl HATED the bottle! Most nursing mothers will tell you that little ones who breast feed, hate that bottle. A rubber nipple? C’mon man, not natural! God, or whoever you believe in, intended moms to have breasts so they could feed and nurture their babes. Cows milk is for calves, mothers milk for human babies.
I agree, Simone is looking very healthy at nearly 6 pounds. That is testament to your wonderful milk, Alexa! I breast fed my girl for 10 months. My girl who is now a 33-year old mom herself, breast fed all 4 of her kids, the youngest girl, newly age 3, is still breastfeeding. Contact The LaLeche League and talk to someone there. They are wonderful and very knowledgeable about breastfeeding.
Mother’s milk is so very good for little ones. It is chock full of everything they need. It even has immunity buildup for cold/flu season, etc.
And that sweet smile and those precious baby noises. I miss them!
TO SIMONE: YOU GO GIRL!! :)
One link to LaLeche meetings:
http://www.lllusa.org/web/MNDak.html
One link to their main site:
http://www.llli.org/
There is a TON of stuff on the internet about LaLeche League. I used to go to the weekly meetings with my daughter when her first 3 were little, then the 4th one came along and we couldn’t go anymore - too much with all of them. Still, they were extremely helpful and even I learned a lot from them.
Hope this helps. ;)
Oh - that video!
Brought TEARS to my eyes!
GO SIMONE! YOU’VE GOT A HUGE FAN BASE PULLIN’ FOR YA!
How freaking cute was that video, I mean the hiccups were nice and the smile priceless but the second act was where I became a repeat customer it by far is the most adorable thing I have seen all year.
Oh, precious as can be! She also looks downright gigantic.
Oh. My. God. What a beautiful video!! I love that she looks like a “mini person” in all the sleeping positions she had. Thanks for sharing it, as it totally made my day! So glad that Simone aced her swallow study … keeping my fingers crossed that everything continues to swing upwards and stay up!
What a smart little girl she is, yes you are a smart girl, Simone!
HI SIMONE!!!!! (waves) Oh, I’ve just finished a huge catch-up, having been referred over here by a friend a few days ago. And I’m at work, so I can’t see the video–waah! But I wanted to second what Sharon said; I know several babies (both preemie and full-term) who just refuse a bottle for quite some time. Ours wouldn’t do it for weeks until his back was to the wall at day care.
And Eliza, whatchoo talkin’ about with the increased flow of the SNS? We used that for several days before the nursing kicked in (’cause my baby just wasn’t as cool as Simone, yo) and OMG TOOK FOREVER we were three hours at a feeding.
The video is just precious!!!
Here’s another opinion to consider or not. The thing Simone probably needs the most is to be only breast fed. Tell them to pay attention to the clues of the precious wee one is giving to them: takes to the breast with no problems whatsoever. Breast milk is perfect for her digestive system; she will do very well with having nothing else. If she needs to gain weight, she can be put to the breast more frequently. Again, Simone is showing everyone that the only thing she needs for nourishment is to be at her mommy’s breasts.
Yes to the hind milk, but……the colostrum is extremely rich in nutrients and immunity boosters. She needs that too.
Loving EVERYTHING about that video. The haunted house sounds made me laugh out loud. And that sweet smile?? *swoon*
ahhh so sweet!
I just want to say have you tried a n ADIRI natural nurser bottle absolute life saver really have used nothing like it
http://adiri.com/
Good luck!
Oooooh I am so glad someone mentioned Simply Thick! I have a huge box of it. It works with both formula and breast milk (nothing else works well with breast milk) and it’s next to impossible to find around here. One of our NICU nurses and our ped recommended it for Patrick to help with reflux, but he ended up not caring for it. It’s yours if you want it.
I have to say I wasn’t all that impressed with the recommendations made by speech. They were very nice ladies, but their suggestions lead to frustrated nurses, frustrated parents, and three very unhappy babies which made for one very miserable weekend. I ended up saying the plans were ridiculous and told our nurses to go back to what they were doing before speech. In the end it was our primaries that discovered what worked for each of our babies. It just took time and a little trial and error.
You are getting so close to the end of your NICU stay! The video is so cute. You’ve given us a taste and now you must post more videos. It made my day!
aawww. I love the video. My boy made a similar sound. So cute.
and seriously - I got a little tear in my eye when she smiled at the sound of your voice. Oh that is just so wonderful. Your heart must just melt every time you look at her.
Oh MY GOD! She smiled whe you talked! Someone sure LOVES her mommy!
It was so perfect to see her smile when you spoke to her. Congrats!
That was a great video! She is SO adorable. And she definitely smiled when she heard your voice! Who says babies don’t smile this young? There is no doubt that’s what she did.
Oh she is such a cutie! I bet part of it is that she knows what she wants - and she wants her mom! My son, after going to one breastfeed a day in the NICU to coming home and going all breast (and a wean from the shield) to one bottle, quickly refused the bottle outright. I had no choice but to do only breast - but he was good and healthy and it helped me slim down :). I
I don’t know if you’re still reading at this point (what with this being comment #127), but had to comment (for the first time - sorry, will try to do better). I’ve been reading along since before you got pregnant, and have followed along through all the ups and downs. I’m so happy for you - she’s gorgeous, and watching the video brought tears to my eyes. I hope she’s home - healthy and happy - in a very short time.
Just in case you don’t post again before sunday…Happy 1st Mother’s day!! You are doing an amazing job.
she’s a supah stah and she’s gonna go fah
Please do research on the dangers of formula thickened with rice cereal. Introduction of solid foods this early can cause allergies and childhood obesity. It’s also a choking hazard. If she’s nursing well and gaining weight, why can’t she eat the best food possible - mama’s milk?