Mother's Instinct

I hadn't planned on posting again today, but with the way my mind works, I may forget to the latest updates by tomorrow night if I don't share now. First, Ned has gained 1.5 ounces each of the past two days which is tremendous. They look for around 30 ounces per day and he has been gaining approximately 60 daily. I hate to say it, but you can mostly see his weight gain around his face....specifically his chin area. He is obviously going to put on weight more like his dad. If he were going to gain like me, he wouldn't still have that super-skinny, froggy-looking hind end!

They began fortifying Ned's feeds today with extra calories.....it didn't go so well. He was extremely uncomfortable and projectile vomiting from around 11am till 6pm. About 4:00 I asked the nurses if they thought it was the increase in the volume of the breast milk or the additional calories, and they felt unsure. Then I asked what exactly they were using to fortify the breast milk. They explained that it was a lactose-based powder with additional nutrients and calories. The light bulb went off in my head...."Did you say lactose based?" For those who didn't know Jack as an infant, he was extremely intolerant to dairy. While nursing, I went on a strict dairy-free diet to try to prevent him from screaming and crying in pain for hours after eating. Even at that, there would be times when something I ate must have been cooked in butter or something because soon after nursing he would completely fall off of the wagon. I eventually switched him to soy formula and he instantly became the happiest child I've ever seen. So, with that short historical background, I decided when Ned was born to go ahead and cut out all dairy to prevent him from experiencing the same problems. I knew that he may not be lactose intolerant just because Jack was, but I really wanted to prevent any additional digestion or pain issues with Ned....just felt he had enough on his little plate. I explained all of this to the doctor and relayed my fear that since this was his first introduction to dairy, it may be that he is showing an inability to digest it. Thankfully the doctor entertained the thought and removed the fortification from further feedings the rest of the night. When his 6:00 feed began, Ned finally fell asleep. He slept until I left at 8:00 and was still asleep when I called around 10:00 and he hasn't spit up one time since the fortification was removed. I am so very thankful that I thought to go ahead and cut the dairy out of my diet from the beginning or the doctors wouldn't have ever known that it was the dairy causing the severe reflux, it would have just been written off as result of the CDH.

That's all for tonight. I'm going to bed to get some rest....big day tomorrow. I'll be gearing up for my role in the NICU parent introduction video they are putting together. They have asked me to be in the movie in still shots showing how parents use different areas of the NICU facilities.....it's my big movie debut!? I'll let you know how it goes- I'm pretty sure it will be awkward.

Please continue to pray for Ned to learn to eat by mouth....the doctors are acting really skeptical that he will be able to pick up on it this late in the game. They are beginning to talk about a g-tube (a temporary feeding tube directly in the stomach) more and more frequently. I told the doctor today that I want to begin trying to feed and give it a good effort before I'll even be willing to discuss a g-tube. I've just been praying that God will return that sucking reflex to Ned, but that He will prepare me for whatever direction He chooses for Ned at this moment. Please join in that prayer with me.

I Love you all dearly!

Betsy, Travis, Jack & Ned