Feeding Clinic Update

Charlotte and I trekked to Milwaukee yesterday for our twice-monthly updates. Charlotte was excited about the trip and talked and sang the entire way. Bleary-eyed mom was glad of the company to keep my awake!

We visited with Dr. Long and Amy. This time, they went behind the one-way mirror and watched me feed Charlotte. I had thingy in my ear through which Dr. Long could give me direction. Charlotte was eating with gusto at first. Can you blame her? She'd had breakfast at 7 a.m. and it was 1 p.m. Also, she liked the new flavor--sloppy joe (think pureed Manwich). But, it was naptime and she was tired and eating is stressful. So, reflux turned into a massive, I mean massive, vomit, ending with bubbles of bile.

Dr. Long is whispering in my ear to clean her up, reassure her but not say "poor baby," and keep feeding. Charlotte is in my face crying hysterically. Charlotte never cries, by the way, and she's only hysterical when she's funny. I had not slept in 2 nights. So....I finally said back to Dr. Long, "I can't do this." And she came in to feed Charlotte.

We talked about next steps. Basically, more of the same: limit meals to twenty minutes; offer 2 high-calorie purees; alternate five bites of food and five sips of milk; and, my favorite, try not to let her see my frustration. Hah.

We also talked about the possibility of consulting via webcam in a Telemed pilot they're running. This would have allowed for weekly "home visits" because they understand that she behaves differently up there. Unfortunately, since we're in Chicago we're not eligible (they can't practice over state lines, even electronically because they are only licensed in Wisconsin).

For now, we're going back to monthly visits with nutrition consults in between via email.

Charlotte weighed (I think) 29.3 lbs, up from last time. I don't remember her height.

Wanna know what dinner is really like chez Charlotte? Click here for 10 minutes of fun. This is how we're working with CHOW between visits.