NEW feeding schedule

 Whitney started vomiting again. It was a few weeks ago but is getting worse! I can't figure out what I did differently.  I write everything down about when, where, and what I feed her.  But it was kind of around the time I slowly transitioned from just the Goat Milk Formula to a Blenerized Diet.  And also at that time I was weaning her off of the night drip.  So the GI doctor told me that Whitney should be able to tolerate 8 oz of BD at a meal, which she never has in her life....  So I decided to feed Whitney 6 oz 4 times a day, 24 oz of the BD.  She recently started throwing up twice a day so I asked around.  Some people thought it was dairy, but Goat Milk isn't Really dairy.

  So one friend suggested:
"In my opinion, it would probably be less of a change for her to be fed the same blend you're already doing in smaller portions more often first, and then if that doesn't change anything maybe try switching up the blend to less ingredients to see if maybe something is bothering her."
And some didn't agree with her, I didn't at first either,but when I thought about it longer, it made more sense to try that first than to change up Whitney's entire blend!
Another said:

"I don't know if I agree. It may be a food that you are feeding that is not agreeing with her, if her currents blends aren't working then you may want to reevaluate what you are feeding her. Remember, an intolerance is different than an allergy....she may have a hard time with something that you are unaware of. I would almost suggest going back to basics, simplifying your blends and seeing what she tolerates. Less more often should help if it's a motility issue. Have you had a gastric emptying study done? Does she have any constipation? I know this is all tough, trust me! We dealt with vomiting for 6+ mths, I was almost defeated, but we stuck with it and found what works for William. Good luck!"

 

 

Anyways! For a couple days now I started feeding Whitney 4 oz 6 times a day, So it's still 24 oz total, but smaller meals more frequently.  You know,like a regular oral eater! snacking all day!  And she is doing much better with this!  She's only vomited twice since and one spit up because she was crying a lot.  So hopefully this will be it, haha, but I doubt it!  (It'll be something new bugging her in a couple weeks, I'm sure).  Also I think that she may have motility issues/delayed gastric emptying plus an overly sensitive gut (because of her being born with CDH, all of her insides being moved around so much).   My friends told me about how thier sons eat and this is what they said:

"Chase is almost 15 months old. He has four 5oz bottles of milk a day and 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). For breakfast I usually feed him a grain & dairy (like a cereal bar & string cheese). Lunch is a meat, fruit, veggi and grain. Dinner is the same as lunch along with a little dessert (chocolate graham crackers or something lol) . If he seems hungry in between meals ill give him his sippy cup of either water or a little juice. My child is a chunkster though and has always loved all foods... he is 28lbs! I just let him eat however much he wants. Sometimes he barely wants anything and at other times will be eating for a half hour straight. When he's full he let's me know!"


 "boys are pretty picky. Even at that age. Braxton has hardly ever eaten meat. So he gets most of his protein through peanut butter and eggs. Nixon doesn't like eggs but will eat meat. They eat 3 meals a day. Small breakfast, good sized lunch and an average dinner. They always have a 10am snack(crackers, fruit, cheese, yogurt, or applesauce, that kind of stuff) and a 3pm snack as well. They have to have snacks in between or get really cranky. I keep their snacks small tho or else they won't eat their next meal. At mealtime tho I do the same as faith, let them eat as much as they want. I've got one chunkster and one skinny winny. But they both eat a lot so its just how they're built! Good luck"

"Unless Caleb was in a serious growth spurt I could never get him to sit and eat a straight solid meal (he'd push it away SCREAMING). So life at our house was a series of snacks - he'd get up and have a sippy cup of milk, 30 mins later he'd have a cup of yogurt or maybe eggs and toast, an hour after that he'd have fruit, an hour after that he'd have cheese and crackers. Then usually it was nap time and when he got up I might be able to get a half a pb&j into him (its HARD to get this kid to eat protein so I usually have to go dairy or peanut butter), hour later more fruit or maybe a veggie (if we're lucky), I could usually get a small serving of whatever we're having for dinner down him and then usually one more snack - crackers and fruit or some more cheese, then another sippy of milk (he drinks water during the day) and then to bed. I tried doing 3 squares and that just doesn't fly with him. From birth he's been a grazer."

I thought it was so fascinating!! I can't even imagine what life would be like if Whitney ate food by mouth!! It's funny because my whole life I knew that kids eat!  They eat normal foods all day and grow healthy and strong, just fine! even if they are picky!  But know that my daughter doesn't eat, it's so interesting to me to see other toddlers eat! And of course I really really wish Whitney would!  But I know, that one day we will get there, but not anytime soon. 

Also, Whitney got an Occupational Therapy evaluation!  I really hope she qualifes (I know that sounds weird) so that they can work with her sensory issues!  I think it will help out a lot!  It sucks for me though because then I would have to drive to scottsdale (30 min) twice a week instead of just once. Oh well, Whit's worth it!