Well, this is a LONG story and going to try and make it somewhat SHORT!

From day one obviously I’ve had a feeding issue, born way too soon I had to be fed via IV for my first few months. Even with the adequate nutrition I was given, I still didn’t gain the weight I should have.

At 2 months old I held a bottle & starting using bottle. I also started breast feeding – all of which I did fine, but tired easily as well.

Over the course of the next year or so I was on NeoSure (a formula for preemies) this was also doubled with thickness for added calories and sometimes added oil or DuoCal for weight gain. I started throwing up EVERYTHING all the time. As we look back.. I really think it was just way to much for the little tummy to handle, but what do you do? I needed to gain weight and there was so much expectations to get caught up quickly from everyone. So, I kept gagging and gagging and finally stopped eating all together.

At 1 1/2 years old I had surgery for a mic feeding tube and fundoplication for my reflex (which was never confirmed in any of my swallow studies – was always fine, but still gagged everything.) It helped me gain weight and since we didn’t rely on getting tube fed, we did end up removing it after a years time. A lot of the feedings were done during the night using a Kangaroo pump. At that time we had switched to PediaSure as my main source of nutrition.

This is a quick overview and there really is much more DRAMA to this story if you have any experience with feeding issues, you know how it goes!

I’m 3 – almost 3 1/2 years old now and still don’t really eat solids. I do drink whole milk and juice and FINALLY will do baby type foods stage 2 and sometimes stage 3 with small noodles I have to chew and swallow. I eat yogurt, some baby foods – primarily sweet potatoes, prunes & fruit medley. I LOVE popcorn!!!! Oddly enough I chew
and swallow that just fine and tortilla chips!!!

It took me a LONG time to get this far… what has helped?
A combination of things… I’ve had speech therapy, brushing teeth, playing while eating, DISTRACTIONS of ANY sort seemed to help til I caught on sometimes!, mom making projects of food, tapes with food, talking about food all in a positive way did seem to help. Most of all though, pre-school! Seeing other kids eat just fine really had seems to help her improve the most. We do sit down at home and always seemed to like to try to eat or pretend – never swallowed – NOW she tries to attempt – she may spit out much of the food, but really makes an effort which is a HUGE STEP for Tiffany.

As far as her getting the feeding tube, while at the time we didn’t know what else to do since I was getting zero sleep due to feeding her 1 ounce every hour and it would take an hour to drink it! ugh. I feel sick thinking about them days!! But, relieved now! I would not recommend going through the surgery though. I think something has to cause the issue of non-eating. I feel we should of tried more formulas (maybe she didn’t like the formula) or fed her less or even take medication for reflux first BEFORE proceeding with surgery. (This is just MY opionion for anyone contiplating the feeding tube.) Another deciding factor would be how underweight is your child? Tif was way below the charts at the time. Any further questions, please e-mail!

Anyway, it’s such a slow process. I honestly thought I’d never see her put any food in her mouth!!! She now does, while she doesn’t eat (besides popcorn) on her own, it’s still amazing to even see her put food in her mouth! I still envy toddlers that are picky eaters! I wish she would just eat mac and cheese, hot dogs or crackers like most! But… she doesn’t yet!
READ!! READ!!!! UPDATE….

The above was written just BEFORE or around age 3, but I had to include it and take it off an older site I had. I know that I read it again – I’m greatful we are years down the road! Isn’t that SAD? Most want to cherish those tiny first few years and ours was sooo challenged, it was very difficult to do so!

Things started to turn around shortly after, I can’t even explain how or when, but it was all of a sudden. I did chat with someone (named Paula from NC) and she had many suggestions, etc. and helped me through it – more than any doc or therapist ever could! PRE-SCHOOL helped too – sitting with the other kids and seeing them eat. She had that in therapies, but not that many children.
Eventually I think she decided she didn’t want to be on “PEDIASURE” for the rest of her life!
But, the MAJOR component was getting her electrolytes / blood work to be in normal range. ALL or MOST of the struggles above (and surgery) would of been avoided HAD we known she was medically sick. That entire time her sodium was up and blood work not normal and that could make anyone feel very ILL ALL the time and that contributed greatly to her not eating!

At age 5 now, I still struggle a bit with her. She does not take in as many calories in a day as she should and it is very difficult. But, I think back at the days when I wished she’d just take “ONE BITE” of a cheeto or anything! I also longed for the day when she’d eat mac and cheese and chicken nuggets and she now does! Slowly… and not much in quantity, … she now does it and I’m still thrilled!

Photos soon of her EATING… and her feeding tube