Tube Weaning: Day 3

On paper, today was about the same as yesterday. In reality, it was even better.

Robbie slept well again, waking about 8am. David had agreed to get up with Robbie and let me sleep in. (He's gotten much better about this recently. YAY husband!) I told him to warm 8 oz of milk and offer it to him. I got up about 9:30 and asked how it had gone. He said pretty well. I got the cup and measured what was gone- about 3 oz. I asked how long it took to get that down and he said 10 minutes. That was very exciting.

I then fed him some breakfast which went so-so. I got maybe 2/3 of a jar into him before he was just not having it anymore. But he was also taking sips of milk at the same time, which was nice to see.
Throughout the morning, he willingly took sips, a ounce or two at a time. Lunchtime he took 2 more ounces of milk and 2.5 ounces of baby food again. He was self-feeding a little, mainly being really messy, but putting the spoon from bowl to mouth.

The rest of the day was about the same until we got to dinner. He was in his high chair eating crackers as usual, only faster than normal. Usually he eats maybe 2 or 3 Cheez-Its but he ate at least 5. At one point I offered him a green bean, expecting the normal behavior where he'd pick it up and pitch it in the floor. He picked it up and stuck it in his mouth. I almost fell over. He then dug it back out of his mouth and looked at it, so I thought now it would end up in the floor. Nope. He put it back into his mouth and ate it! Wonders never cease!


All totalled, he drank 11.8 oz of milk and 7.75 oz of baby food. Add in 6 or 7 crackers and 1 green bean and he got approximately 400 calories today. That's actually up a little in milk but down in calories just because of the particular foods he ate today.

But it just FELT better. There were no tantrums or fits because he didn't want to drink. Normally just the word "drink" was enough to make him angry or make him cry. Today he just said no when he didn't want one and when he did, he'd lift his chin and wait for me to give him a drink.

When he was eating crackers, he even reached for his cup to take a few sips on his own. The only drink related discord we had today was then, when I had the audacity to turn the cup around the right way.

At bedtime, he seemed to be testing my commitment to respecting his decisions. He'd accept the cup, then push it away. Then want it back then push it away. Each time I'd take the cup away just as pleasantly as I offered a sip. He seemed to be watching me intently. I really felt like it was more about learning a new component of our relationship than really about the milk.

I did opt to tube him after he went to sleep tonight. Unfortunately he laid awake forever at bedtime. He's normally asleep in less than 5 minutes, but tonight he laid quietly playing for close to 2 hours. So I wasn't able to start the feeding until after 11:00. I gave him 8 oz of 30 calorie formula over close to 3 hours. That didn't go all that well. He was very restless and when I went in to see if I could settle him, he vomited all over us.

Part of not being tubed and drinking very small quantities has meant that he hasn't had his miralax since Wednesday. I fed him some prunes today which apparently kicked in at about midnight. I think the combo of that plus the very rich formula did him in. Hopefully going forward that won't be such an issue. I'm sure we'll have to tweak the approach to night time supplementing as time goes on.

For now, we just go forward one day at a time. Robbie will go back to daycare tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about how he'll do there, but hopeful. He usually eats better there than home. But I also know they have more to think about all day than asking Robbie if he wants a drink every 20 minutes or so. Keep the prayers coming.

--Trish