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lemondrops

lemondrops
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Latest post on 17 June 2011 - 13:49
Hi RT, I don't have a baby sling, but I do have a baby wrap that I'm trying to sell for AED100. It's in excellent condition and a great alternative to the sling. Personally, I think it's better, but I suppose that's all subjective anyway ;) Here's a site about it for further info. If you are interested in the baby wrap route, then I'd recommend the sleepy wrap over the moby (another leading brand) due to the stretchy comfy material of the sleepy wrap. The material of the moby is a lot more rigid. Let me know if you're interested. http://www.sleepywrap.com/
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 22:16
How bad is your LO's reflux? I found the zantac wasn't effective in managing my DD's reflux so we moved to Losec MUPS. The only problem is, is that it comes in a capsule that you have to break up and then mix in some water and brown sugar and then feed in a big syringe, big enough so that the granules can go out. At least DD found the taste more manageable than the zantac. Otherwise why don't you consider dreamfeeding your LO the zantac, half an hour before the scheduled dreamfeed so you know that it's been given on an empty stomach. And yes, I would try to give it on an empty stomach, at least half an hour before the next feed as it's most effective that way. HTH
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 18:29
Wow I'm so glad someone posted this as I was going to ask the same question. My DS is 5 weeks now and all she wants to do is suck, so I did think of giving her one, I did try with a TT that someone gave to me, I offered it to her 5 times on separate occasions, she sucked a few times and spat it out. the last time I tried she would not even suck, just spat it out. So far I've just given her the b00b every time I've seen her sucking. She was 3.5kgs at birth and got her weighed at 4 weeks 4 days and she is a massive 5.3kgs and is really chubby. Should I keep on offering her the b00b every time or persist with the dummy? To be honest I don't really want her to have one, but she just seems to want to suck all the time?? So far she is exclusively breastfed and I was thinking of expressing and introducing her to bottles so I can nip out once in a while without her and DH can feed her. But the bottles will just be a once in a while thing, like maybe once a week or so. Any idea what age I introduce a bottle and how? I have the TT closer to nature bottles. This is just me, but when DD1 wanted to suck, it meant she wanted to feed so I always offered her the b00b. She is five weeks now, but trust me once she is older (around four/five months), you'll find it will become a challenge to BF a lot of babies as they get distracted easily, plus their weight naturally starts to plateau at that point. There is no such thing as overfeeding a breastfed baby, so if she wants to feed, she should be allowed to feed. As for introducing the bottle, around now is a good time to start (i.e. 5/6 weeks). If you leave it any later, i.e. around 3/4 months, you risk her rejected the bottle altogether.
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 15:53
What an interesting thread! I'm from Jordan, and it would be unthinkable to make our guests pay for drinks. Some have non acoholic weddings, others hold alcoholic weddings, for religious reasons, but the same rules apply. It would be considered bad manners for the host to make their guests pay for drinks when they made the effort to celebrate their special day with them. Then again, weddings in Jordan cost a fortune and most Jordanian families now delay getting married to save up for it.
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 11:53
We only need a set of tables and chairs to seat 8 children for a birthday party, any places that will rent this out? TIA
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 08:54
For my first DD, I took a picture of my doctor with DD and then had the photograph placed in a nice frame. It was something pretty that she could have in her office and remind her of us.
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 08:49
Well, I think you already know the answer to that. Using weight/height charts as predictors of growth for babies are highly unreliable. There is a formula that can be used on a two year old, but that is also a rough estimate at best. The best predictor of a child's future height, as HAK stated is genetics. Height determination through genetics however, is not straightforward because many genes come into play. Genes don't have the final say on a person's height though, as many other factors come into play, including nutrition, general health and well being, environmental factors, etc. Getting a severe illness during a potential growth spurt phase for example, has been known to stunt growth. But if your SIL is happy at the prospect that she'll have a tall LO, I wouldn't quash her hopes just yet though ;) My DH for example is fairly tall (over 180 cm) although both his mother and father are on the short side. His dad is in fact shorter than me, and I'm not tall at all! He got his "tall" genes from his maternal grandfather. Just goes to show it's not even that straightforward with genetics! <em>edited by lemondrops on 16/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 00:13
He's been spooked off Umm seqeim by colleagues' tales of bad landlords, and groups of itinerant workers moving into the small compounds, leaving there rubbish aroound/hygeine issues etc. Huh??? Um Suqeim is a GREAT place to live! ;) I would know I've lived there over five years. It's only a 10 minute drive to Media/Internet City in the mornings (I worked in Media City), and the traffic there and back isn't too bad. It's filled with parks, schools, restaurants, shopping malls and hotels, and is a five minute walk to the beach. Excellent location to all the hotspots in Dubai. Yes, you can find the odd difficult landlord, but those are easy to spot by how well the property has been maintained. And I have never heard of a single house in the area that's housed multiple bachelors/workers. Dubai Municpality would certainly not stand for it.
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 23:45
Redrec Tangle, since you had such a hard time with getting your DD to breastfeed to begin with, I would actually wait a while longer before you give her the dummy. You don't want all your hard work from moving her from bottle to breast to go to waste. It will also give you an opportunity to increase your supply. Nothing does it better than our little ones. I know the sleepless nights are very difficult to begin with, but I assure you they'll pass before you know it. Good luck and keep up the good work. I'm so glad to hear that you are now finally managing to BF. xx
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 19:43
Hello :) Where are the best places to buy maternity clothes online? I am tall and struggle greatly buying regular clothes in Dubai so cant imagine how its going to be for me when I really start to show in a month or so. I'm worried about what im going to wear to work in particular. Casual not so bad as I can just get some maxi dresses made at the tailor. Any advice of where to buy reasonably priced mat clothes online and that deliver to Dubai greatly appreciated. Thanks ladies. T www.gap.com They make the best maternity trousers (go for full panel for optimum support), and you can pair them with a smart top also from their maternity collection.
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 16:47
I found that labneh is the same as sour cream. If it is a bit too thick, just add some milk. same here.
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 12:34
How do I get a hold of them? I have two freezer loads of frozen EBM, enough to last 3/4 months and they are welcome to it all. I also posted on their facebook page, hopefully they'll get back to me soon. ETA: They've forwarded my details to the mother. Hopefully she'll contact me soon. <em>edited by lemondrops on 15/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 08:28
Neocate is available in Dubai. I was able to buy a can of the formula from a pharmacy without a prescription. I don't know however if it's a hydrolised formula - but I do know it's elemental (not sure if that is the same thing.
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 23:59
You'll probably be able to find it at a pharmacy. I recently bought a tin there once. Hold your breath though, it's very expensive!
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 20:06
How come she got a thank you hunny? she still said no! LOL Well, if it helps any, I don't think I'll be getting any lovin' either!
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 20:05
Doesn't matter what you do, you'll feel the guilt anyway, whether you go back to work or stay at home, breastfeed or bottlefeed, send to nursery or keep at home. You'll always find something to feel guilty about. Trust me, if it's not returning to work, it'll be something else. You're scr**ed!
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 17:03
We spent two weeks in Switzerland, one week at the Kempenski in St. Moritz and another week in a Chalet in Grindelwald. The second half of the trip was by far much better than the first half. There were loads of hiking routes in the area, the scenery was just gorgeous, and our Chalet had an amazing view of the Eiger. We rented a car while we were there, but when DH dropped me and DD off the airport (he stay on to do some mountaineering), he used the railway system and found it very easy to get around in. I would personally consider renting a Chalet than booking in a hotel, as it gives you much more flexibility, JMO, partly because I had a baby so was easier to tend to her that way.
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 16:52
Hi ladies, Need your advice please.....I transfered Frozen embryos 12 days ago and yesterday night found out that I have no more cyclogest (I'm prescribed 2 a day).. should I buy a pack for just 2 days? I'm starting to have all my period symptoms this morning and I have a feeling it will visit before wednesday. what do you think? Having period like symtoms doesn't mean you're not pregnant. Actually period symptoms tend to mimic pregnancy symptoms and vice versa. I wouldn't risk it personally.
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 16:49
Does it matter where they get their appetite from, as long as they come home for dinner? Yep. That's what I tell DH: Doesn't matter where you get your appetite from as long as you eat at home! LOL!
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 16:49
Is ok to window shop... just dont swipe the card. LOL! Another good one!
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Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 16:32
ok, first of all you have not let him down. If you ever spew such nonsense ever again, I'm going to come over and wack you in the head! It seems that little J is just a difficult feeder. I know what a difficult time it is for you right now, but please remember all this will pass. I assure you, that at some point in the future, you will leave all this behind you and Jackson will have caught up to his peers. Please don't think that this is your fault in any way. It isn't. Please don't think you're alone either. You're not. Like I'd said earlier, the number one issues that parents of preemies complain of after being discharged from hospital are feeding issues. Preemies are notoriously difficult feeders and unfortunately these issues don't resolve themselves as quickly as we would like. I'm sorry to hear of the extra work now involved in feeding your LO. Personally, I would give it a trial run for a week and if it doesn't work go back to see the pediatrician, get J weighed, and try to think of other alternatives or may be even just accept that J will be little and as long as he is healthy, he will have a slightly different growth curve to most other babies. I personally know of one friend whose LO had also dropped off the growth charts. She too offered her a bottle of expressed BM full of the fattier hind milk after every feed to try to fatten her up and she just wouldn't take. She was a preemie too (surprise surprise). Fast forward two years later, and she has the most adorable little girl who is a right firecracker, is healthy, active and hitting all her developmental milestones. She is still quite a petite little girl, but her parents aren't exactly that big either, and at least her mother isn't worrying about her intake every second of the day, which is what she used to do when her daughter was a baby. The point of this story, is that one day all this stress and aggravation will pass. I agree with Kiwispiers that the issue here isn't the bottle feeding, it's trying to get your LO to increase his intake. Have you discussed using an appetite stimulant with your doctor like periactin? I am a member of bottle/solid refuser board and most of the members who did use periactin found it really helped increase their LO's intake. Big hugs meals. I know how you feel and it's not easy. xxxx <em>edited by lemondrops on 14/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 23:19
Hi LD. Sending your loads of love right now. I cant offer any advice regarding the feeding issue BUT I have a wonderful and lovely SIL in Singapore who can help you out when you move. If you dont mind, I will talk to her and put you both in touch. They recently did an apartment hunt as well and she might have a load of info on moving, getting set up and just generally might be a good friend for you. I am making this offer in all seriousness so please do take me up on it if it will help you at all. KC, thank you so much for the offer. You still have my email address?
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 23:18
Good luck on the doctor's appointment tomorrow meals. Just remember, the only way you can fatten your LO up is to increase volume intake. If he doesn't like the bottle, then switching to any form of bottle feeding will probably backfire. Preemies in general are not the easiest of feeders, so I wouldn't want to shake up a routine that you know works for your LO to one that you're not too sure with. Keep us updated!
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 23:09
Have you considered buying online? GAP has these wonderful nursing camis that you can then just pair up with a pair of lounge pants...
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 00:15
And a note on today. Today DD wouldn't even dreamfeed properly - her intake has gone down significantly - I hope that this is just a one off. On the other hand, today DD sat up unaided at only 4.5 months adjusted. That girl just sends me in loops!
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 00:13
Thanks Sally. Good point. I know for a fact though that I do not want DD to do a Barium swallow test, simply because she'll refuse to do it, whether it's here or at GOSH, and I refuse to have her tube fed to do it either. The problem is I know the protocol is to do the Barium Swallow and then the scope, but I want to jump to the scope immediately, because it is evident that the issue is not mechanical/anatomical which is what the Barium Swallow tests for.
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 00:10
Also meals, as I know you want to be prepared/informed of all possibilities, you might want to research the use of periactin. It's an anti histamine that is routinely prescribed in FTT and tube fed infants to stimulate appetite. Now I'm not suggesting that you need to do this at this stage, as Jackson is clearly gaining weight and hitting his developmental milestones. But the point of the matter is, regardless of whether you FF or BF, the only way you can increase intake is if J asks for it. It's about getting J to take in more not about switching him to a bottle. Just food for thought ;)
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 00:04
You can point out that the fat content of breastmilk is higher than that of formula. Actually, that statement is sort of inaccurate - note my post below.
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 00:03
BM has an [b'>average[/b'> of 20kcal per 30ml. So 120 ml has around 80kcal. This is just an average though, the actual caloric content of BM varies depending on whether it's fore milk or hind milk, the mother's diet, time of day, etc. etc. Formula is designed to mimic breastmilk, and so it also contains 20kcal per 30 ml.
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 23:58
First of all don't stress about your supply. Trust me, it just makes matters worse. I assure you with a little bit of work and a little bit of help, you'll be able to get your supply back up again. If you don't want to make the purchase now, why don't you hire a medela lactina for a week or two until your supply is established and then decide what to buy. Lactinas are basically hospital grade pumps and they're excellent at re-establishing supply.
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 23:50
Redrec, I have been exclusively pumping since day 1, DD has never breastfed directly from me, and I have always been able to maintain fantastic supply. I have had a few occasions of low supply, but they were mainly stress related. There are many things you can do to stimulate supply. Power pumping is one; which is basically to pump on and off for ten minutes at a time for an hour. You only need to do this for a few nights, and you should see an improvement in supply. It's supposed to mimic how our LO's would feed when going through a growth spurt. You can do this in the evening once your LO is in bed, and have an hour to spare ;) As you've already tried Fenugreek, you can also use Motilium to help your supply. It's a motility drug with the side effect of promoting lactation. Basically take 3x 10 mg tablets 3x a day; you can even up the dose to 4x tablets 4x a day. Once your supply is established though make sure to wean yourself slowly off the drug, i.e. cut out one tablet than wait a few days before cutting out another one and so forth. If you see your supply go down, then go back to the previous dose and try again a week later or so. If you are going to go through the exclusive pumping route and I'd only recommend this only if BF doesn't work, then you will need to invest in an excellent double pump. Also to make it as comfortable as possible try and go hands free. Basically what I did is that I got a nursing bra and cut two slits where the funnels are located and just slid the funnels in. I wear another nursing bra and when it's time to pump I unhook the bra, put on the pumping bra and away I go! I can even surf the internet while I pump and browse on my favourite site EW :) It doesn't look particularly sexy, but hey whatever I can do to make my life just a tad easier ;) HTH
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 22:57
What REALLY peeves me about this whole thing is one of my best friends here had one and she just stuck it by the bin when she was done with it! What kind??! What?!! Impale the woman!!
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 20:29
Thanks Plum. I saw that on there. It's a little more than I was hoping to pay :) Then do the Arabic thing and haggle :)
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 16:29
Hi LD, Did you get my email? Yes thank you. I plan on following up on the contact tonight. Thank you so much again. <em>edited by lemondrops on 12/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 16:21
I would go with LD's idea of adding an extra scoop of formula to the EBM first, safer and more effective way to give extra calories at this age IMHO. Just make sure you talk to a pediatrician/LC/midwife on the measurements. I personally would not go beyond a scoop (equivalent to 30ml formula) to every 120 ml EBM, and that is still considered on the high side. Adding formula changes the concentration of key salts, nutrients in the EBM so you need to make sure they are not too high to overtire their kidneys or cause constipation etc. A much easier solution would be to add a tablespoon of vegetable or coconut oil to the milk. That would increase the caloric content but not impact the salt concentration of the milk. That may sound extreme but when you think of it almost 90% of the calories in BM comes from fat. So it is pretty obvious that babies can digest fats effectively. Starches just tend to bung them up. I would also head that route before introducing LO to solids like apples etc. JMO, but by peeling apples and boiling them for a long period of time, you tend to lose out on most of the nutritional benefit anyway, and you lose out doubly because they're certainly not as calorie dense as milk. <em>edited by lemondrops on 12/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 16:17
Depends on how often you'll be pumping on how much you'll rely on pumping to feed your LO. If you plan to exclusively pump, or pump several times a day, then I would recommend the freestyle, because it means you can still hold your LO and do things around the house whilst still pumping. It may not seem that important now, but once your LO is old enough/moving around/wanting attention, it'll be much easier to juggle him/her and pump at the same time. That part is really important for exclusive pumpers. I actually know more people who quite pumping because they felt they couldn't pump and attend to their LO's cries of attention at the same time than for supply issues. If you plan on pumping on the odd occasion then something like the swing will be adequate.
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 16:09
Agree what all the others have said. Seek the assistance of a lactation consultant to help with latching. Also run on a search on this site for "breastfeeding premature baby" and you'll get loads of advice/tips. As for exclusively pumping. Yes it is more than possible. DD2 is currently 6 1/2 months old and I am still exclusively pumping. I also only pump 2/3 times a day now and still make over 1 litre of milk per day, so once your supply is established you won't have to keep pumping every two/three hours forever. If you do end up with supply issues, there are techniques, herbal remedies and medication that can help reestablish supply. There's a great site/forum for Exclusively pumping mums that you can post questions to. Plus they've created a 101 manual for exclusively pumping that is really useful. Here are the links: http://forums.ivillage.com/t5/Exclusively-Pumping/ct-p/iv-ppexcluspump Beginners Guide for exclusively pumping http://forums.ivillage.com/t5/Roll-Calls-Introductions/Updated-Beginner-s-Guide-looking-for-input-and-any-additions/m-p/116687945/message-uid/116687945#U116687945
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 16:02
Kiwi, Pepo, thanks so much. I've sent you both emails. xx
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 08:20
A regular toddler carrier or a proper toddler back pack? For toddler carriers I loved the Mei Hip. You LO rests on the hip but you can also swing it round and have your LO on your back.
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 08:10
We're leaving. DH has been here for over 7 years. I've been here over 5. However, our time has come to an end, and we are moving to Singapore this summer. I will definitely miss Dubai!
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 08:06
Dear Lemondrops, I cannot beginning to imagine what you are going through and it sounds like you are doing incredibly well! With ur DD2's feeding problem she's still in the 75th percentile for both height and weight?! WOW! Well done! DH's cousins son was not a preemie but when he was born his mother knew there was something wrong. Every doctor dismissed her concerns to the point friends and family felt she must have PND. Eventually her concerns turned out to right and were only realised by doctors here when the baby became sick due to malnutrition. Long story short, noone could help him here and they went to London. He is now doing so much better. His problems are very different to what your DD2 has but is there any chance you could go over there for help? (sorry if someone has already recommended this) Lots of hugs xxx Farasha, I'm really sorry to hear what your DH's cousin had to go through, and can really relate. I still get dismissed alot by the medical community and even my family about my daughter's condition. It's like no one wants to hear that there is anything that could be wrong. It is stories like these however that remind me that I need to trust my instincts as a mother and refuse to be labelled as anxious or depressed. I need to remind myself that it's not about me, it's about championing for the best possible care for my DD and giving her a voice to speak and be heard at a time when she can not do so herself. Good on your cousin for doing just that.
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 08:02
Dear Lemondrops : I have asked a friend who used to live in singapore a few years ago by now but she wrote me a list of places to look up ... and said let her know if anything else she can help on - wasn't that sweet of her ? I though so anyway !! anyway : first thing she said was that although a move like that will be stressful, she thinks would be an advantage as the healthcare, doctors, clinics in singapore are much better than in dubai ( her words ! ) There is a 'new mothers' support group : http://www.nmsg-singapore.com and they now have a facebook group. I know you aren't a new mum but someone may have similar experiences like you and know the right doc. the twins mums group could have good info as they have good experience with preemies so that is https://www.facebook.com/#!/twinsplus.singapore she says her pediatrician was great - was at birth and onwards and was at the http://www.kinderclinic.com.sg/ in the tanglin shopping centre there is http://www.motherandchild.com.sg/lactation.html and also the well baby klinik, who could possibly help you find a night nurse. here are another two links she sent; http://www.breastfeeding.org.sg/help-corner.html http://forum.singaporeexpats.com I hope that helps - if you have a network set up before you go.... good luck ! This is very kind and very helpful. Please thank your friend for me. x
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 08:01
LD, is there any chance you and DH could take LO to GOSH in London for a full work up? I'm sure it would be worth it. Boomerang, you know I hadn't even considered this. DH is from the UK, but I've never dealt with the system there, so don't really know how it works. Just had a look through their website and focus is more medical than feeding/behavioural. SG has a feeding clinic that deals with feeding disorders related to sensory issues. On the other hand, I think GOSH would be better equipped to deal with medical issues. I am considering having DD undergo an endoscopy here and then depending on the results we can decide whether further testing would be required (i.e. GOSH) or if it truly is simply a behavioural issue at which point KKS would be best. LD, very difficult but my gut feeling would be that if i were in your situation then i would be off to GOSH to get to the bottom of the issues. They very much will cover everything and i'm sure will have the experience and answers to the feeding issues you are facing. (they might not say it on their website but they can't possible put every area they cover) The whole team at GOSH is amazing, they will find answers for you. I would check with your insurance to see if a trip would be covered and co ordinate with the GOSH office here as to how you can go, i really would advise you do this first and foremost and as soon as possible. I wouldn't bother having any other tests run here, it's pointless and just will put your LO through more stress. Send her to the world experts and let them decide what actually needs testing and their experience with children will show in how they handle her and make every procedure as pleasant as possible. The support you will gain as a parent will also be invaluable. Armed with your results from GOSH you can then make a plan and co ordinate with a hospital in SG, GOSH liase with hospitals and surgeons all over the world, this will be very useful and a relief for you over the forthcoming months. All right, I might need a bit of hand holding. How do I go about arranging getting medical tests done at GOSH? DH is in SG for the next couple of weeks, but I'd like to see what needs to be done. DH thinks we shouldn't wait until/if we go, but should do some initial screening now, as if something is there, we shouldn't wait until we go to GOSH.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 23:31
LD I just read your post on the general forum where you give more info, so I should amend what I said below. I totally agree with you about insisting on having tests done to rule out the reflux and any other disorders which could be causing ongoing pain, I have to admit I assumed your Drs would have already done this. You don't mention if your daughter shows any signs of reflux pain now. This would be things like, waking in pain during the night, not being happy in certain positions and of course lots of refluxing (although it is possible she could show none of these and still have reflux and many babies can have reflux without any pain, and so not need meds). Its great that her aversion has not generalized, have you tried finger feeding her (dipping your finger or a dummy in milk or puree), how does she react (the taste of the milk itself could trigger bad memories)? Also you could buy a safe-feeder and put fruit in it for her to chew on, so she gets used to the flavours etc on her own terms. Depending on her level of motor co-ordination you can also let her hold fruit etc and gum it With my son my introduction of solids began with him sitting in the high chair while I ate and he watched and then occasionally letting him lick something I was eating I started doing this at around 4 months and didn't physically let him eat anything until he was over 6 months. I had planned baby-led weaning, and I still totally agree with a baby-led approach to solids but it became very apparent that his reflux was worsened with chunky foods and he also had a very sensitive gag reflex resulting in large vomits :(. I stuck with spoon-fed purees for quite a while but have always made it very on his own terms so I let him lean towards the food rather than bring the spoon to his mouth etc and never chase him around with the spoon or try to get him to eat more than he wants to. I believe this has contributed to the fact that he has never spat anything out and loves to eat everything with great gusto, often to the amazement of others in the room. It might not be so easy for you and you have a little more pressure on you to fast-track things so you might not be able to wait for your baby to have the correct level of motor skills (ie being able to sit unaided) but still following the basic ideas would be a good way to try to prevent any transference of aversion. There are lots of instinctive cues with babies and solids, ie they watch what you eat and feel safer eating from your plate. Even now, I always eat with him (generally I just eat spoonfuls of his meal, almost out of habit now and he goes ballistic if I eat something without including him in the deal). Also leaving an empty bottle on the floor near her toys for her to get used to as a plaything, and as she gets more used its presence, encouraging her to pick it up etc should help. The key to beating any phobia is a very gradual replacement in associations, so even just being able to see the bottle while she is doing something else (without seeing you holding it, or it being very near her) would be the very first step and you might do this for at least a week gradually moving it closer and closer but moving it away anytime she seems distressed by its presence. Any further negative experience surrounding the object will strengthen the phobia, so if she is upset by it, immediately throw a blanket over it etc and don't introduce it again on that occasion. As I said, I don't have specific training in oral aversion so I am just applying my more general knowledge of basic conditioning and phobia treatments to your situation, your therapist may have better ideas (I would certainly hope she does) Kiwi, thank you thank you thank you!! The problem is that there aren't any feeding therapists here, so I've never been able to find someone who could provide me with these incredible tips!! You've given me so much to work with. I'm going to try to implement these ideas, slowly and gradually so I know what works and what doesn't over the next couple of weeks! Thank you so much (and if you ever consider a career change, feeding specialist should be in the cards for you).
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 23:20
lemondrops - just a thought - have you come across Dr Mostafawi in al wasl ?? He looked after a friends baby who had an oesophagus that wasn't connected to the stomach and he did the operation. She thought he was fab. They went to great ormond too, thats how I remember her experiences - she said the difference between the way they do baby xrays and that sort of thing her and there is huge. ps : am asking round for singapore contacts. xx Thanks Sally for the contacts... and no I don't think I have come across a Dr. Mostafawi. The problem with Al Wasl is that they don't refer you to consultants directly, and I think it'll be difficult to get one, when all my DD presents at the moment is a behavioural issue. For all intents and purposes, she is considered thriving; 75th percentile for both height and weight!
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 23:16
LD, is there any chance you and DH could take LO to GOSH in London for a full work up? I'm sure it would be worth it. Boomerang, you know I hadn't even considered this. DH is from the UK, but I've never dealt with the system there, so don't really know how it works. Just had a look through their website and focus is more medical than feeding/behavioural. SG has a feeding clinic that deals with feeding disorders related to sensory issues. On the other hand, I think GOSH would be better equipped to deal with medical issues. I am considering having DD undergo an endoscopy here and then depending on the results we can decide whether further testing would be required (i.e. GOSH) or if it truly is simply a behavioural issue at which point KKS would be best.
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 23:10
shjbelle, Thank you ever so much. You have mail so you can remove your email address now. x
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:48
He has VATER Association-type 4-born with no oesophagus and associated abnormalities Thanks wuffles. It seems possible at this stage that DD might either have reflux (which I very much doubt at this stage) or Eosinophilic Eosophagitis (EE) unfortunately a possibility. I don't think there are any mechanical issues involved. I've decided to push for further testing to rule both out.
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:46
Does anyone here have contacts for Lemon drops ( speaking out loud.... ) Hi LD, Firstly, I wish to applaud you on your patience and preserverance. I can't promise anything, but I will ask around for any contacts. Hugs to you xx Shjbelle, and sallystreet, thank you so much. I have already started looking for possible night time/day time support in SG. But it is very difficult to do so when I'm still not located there. Any possible recommendations/references will be very appreciated. Brilliant help. Thanks so much x
lemondrops
378
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:44
As an ex NICU nurse I have seen premature babies develop feeding or oral aversion. Did you DD have a lot of oral procedures whilst in NICU? oral suctioning, intubation, oral feeding tubes, mouth care etc? Some babies develop severe oral aversion because they associate anything going in to the mouth with distress and trauma / pain, which may explain why you can only feed her when she sleeps. I would thing that if it was a physical cause, i.e. eosinophilic esophagitis then you still would have difficulty feeding even when asleep. Genie, I just thought I would address this comment further. A lot of the pediatric GI's I know have dismissed DD's case as organic and attributed it to behavioural without testing/examining further on account of her accepting to be sleepfed. However, I personally know many mothers from an online support group whose babies were finally diagnosed with EE or severe reflux despite being successfully dreamfed for months. Again, in those situations the specialists would dismiss medical conditions on account of the dreamfeeding. It seems to be unfortunate that a doctor would not consider that there could be an underlying medical cause to a feeding issue unless the infant is severely dehydrated or termed as FTT. It irks me that here I would only be taken seriously only if I stop dreamfeeding my DD and starving her to the point of dehydration/ FTT to be taken seriously. The issue is, is that no feeding program will be successful unless all possible underlying medical causes have either been ruled out or successfully treated and managed. If I try to sort out the feeding/oral aversion before that, it'll be a lost cause. I've decided that I'm going to push for DD to have an endoscopy. It may seem a bit drastic, but until I can categorically rule out medical causes, I will keep going round and round in circles.
 
 
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