Lots to Catch Up On

I apologize...there's a lot to catch up on, since there's been a LOT going on.

Where to start?

Aeva is in oral therapy with a Speech Pathologist. Her SLP (the pathologist) helps teach Aeva and I ways to help Aeva learn to suck correctly. Her SLP is super awesome too..she is a huge advocate for Aeva, and has NO problem calling her pediatrician to make sure Aeva gets what she needs. Needless to say, I changed Aeva's pediatrician because he's an ass and wasn't doing ANYTHING for ANYTHING I said needed attention. I love her new pediatrician, he makes up for her previous doc's inattention.

Aeva is now on weekly weight checks. She was put onto Alimentum formula, for she stopped gaining weight mid-August. She has gained some weight since, but it is much slower. I guess slow and steady wins the race? Alimentum is a milk based formula that is broken down almost all the way so that the stomach does not have to work as hard to digest it for absorbtion. It is for children with sever colic, intestinal issues from prematurity, as well as protien sensitivities to both cow's milk protien AND soy.

Aeva now sees a pediatric gastroenterologist down at Vanderbilt. He's very good at his job, but his residents still have a lot to learn. Seriously: what GI doctor doesn't know about dream feeding? (it's textbook apparantly for a kid with reflux to eat best when asleep, and this resident DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!! wtf.)

She is on Prevacid once a day...this medicine is a proton pump inhibitor, which reduces the amount of stomach acid produced in the stomach. It also helps for erosive esophagitis, which is from puking so much. Simply stated, it will reduce the acid in her tummy and help her throat heal. She goes back Oct. 1 for a follow up, and he is also monitoring her weight to avoid any serious complications. I love this doctor because he would prefer to avoid surgery at all costs. As would we.

Aeva is making progress in her oral therapy. Yes, there are misreable days where she does nothing but SCREAM at bottles and not want to eat or be anywhere NEAR a bottle. Those days we go to her SLP's house.

Her most amazing achievement this week was progressing from her Haberman nipple, to a normal, Dr. Brown's nipple. The Haberman is a 2 phase bottle, where when she sucks on the nipple, it pulls milk from the bottle into the reservoir. It's for poor feeders, and is supposed to resemble breastfeeding. Dr. Brown's bottles are said to be good for reflux babies (for all you reflux baby mommies out there), and I concur with the research. So far, I really like them. She's also taking them, and she wouldn't take any other nipple besides the Haberman until this week! Yay!! She has a beautiful suck with this nipple, and now we really just have to work on her not being afraid of the bottle. (Meaning her reflux needs to be managed.)

She got oatmeal yesterday and did good with that. I made carrot baby food, and that didn't go so well. Maybe too thick? idk. She has an apppointment with her SLP tomorrow (After her weight check) and we'll start working on exercises for her mouth to grow muscles!

Last week she was 12lbs 4oz, on Wednesday.