Feeding Tube - Hospital Stay

Last week we went to weigh Abby and following a week when she had gained 10 ounces - this time she had only gained 1 oz. We called her cardiologist who admitted us to Fairfax Hospital for a feeding tube. We went in on Tuesday with the mission to learn how to use the feeding tube, put one in (they can stay in for 30 days - but sometimes babies pull them out) and for Abby to show that she was gaining weight by using one.



The first time the nurse put in the feeding tube and Linzy just watched - poor Abby coughed, gagged, screamed and cried (Linzy cried too - poor Abby!) The accommodations were less than desirable at the hospital - with their terrible food, pull out chair excuse for a bed, and our Spanish speaking roommate who had the remote control. Countless hours of Spanish television and one night on the pull out chair and we decided to stop being emotional, reassure ourselves that in the end this will make her better, and become quick studies of the art of a feeding tube. After two nights on a pull out chair the doctor told us it was "up to us" when we felt comfortable enough to go home - we decided we were quite comfortable (with the feeding tube, quite uncomfortable in the hospital) and we were home by Thursday evening.



After days of not really ever even going near the thing - the other night while trying to suck her thumb, Abby yanked her tube out... so below are pictures of the insertion of a feeding tube process. (Some staged - as putting it in takes 2 adults - one to restrain, one to insert). We are thrilled to report we are halfway to our nursing degrees - we got it in all on our own!!


Poor, unsuspecting Abby is first restrained with a blanket - to keep her arms from flailing up and getting in our way.

We put a sticky on her cheek, measure the tube by going from her nose, around her ear, down to the bottom of her rib cage, dip the tube in water to make inserting it easier, we take a deep breathe and tell ourselves over and over that she'll never remember this and it will make her better.... and we stick it in her nose. Then, we wait for the inevitable scream, and as soon as she goes to take a deep breath to let out a second scream (closing the path to her lungs) we start to feed the tube in quickly. When we reach our measured mark we use a syringe filled with air and a stethoscope to listen to her belly and make sure the tube is in the right place. We have to check placement each time we go to feed her. (Giving our poor, already irritated baby a very gassy belly!)

That's not staged. Those are her true feelings towards the tube. (Hopefully NOT her true feelings towards us). The tube is then taped in place on her cheek and she's all set for another 30 days or until the next time sucking her thumb goes terribly wrong.

We now feed her 2.5 ounces of high calorie formula every 4 hours - we try to give her one ounce in a bottle so she doesn't forget how to take a bottle - and whatever she doesn't eat plus the other ounce and a half goes through a pump (more beautiful medical paraphenalia in her nursery) and into her stomach whether she wants it or not! She can now eat and sleep or fuss at the same time.

Since getting the tube Abby has gained more weight than she had in her entire life before the tube. Our beef-cake baby girl is now 8 pounds!