https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:19:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2202193 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 14:25:42 +0000 MrsRcCar 2202193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: we have OT services now for feeding but it's just not really cutting it. He is stuck on a plateau for lack of better way to put it. Our OT lady suggested more intensive feeding therapy. The doctor seems to think that it equals speech therapy. I am not thinking along the same lines as the doctor. Which sucks because otherwise I love her. :sad: I am hoping that when we move that the Eval and new doctor will get us somewhere. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2202167 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 14:00:47 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2202167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: You should go back and read my blog posts if you haven't. Dylan and E sound so similar! Eating was a real struggle for us until well after 1, but now things are fantastic! I've mentioned in your others threads that we've supplemented iron for over a year and his numbers did go up to the normal (but low) range. We had feeding therapy through OT during the first year and then stopped eventually. If you ever want to talk details, let me know! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2202065 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 12:37:40 +0000 MrsRcCar 2202065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: Congrats on the new little guy to come!! I am happy to see that A is doing well! </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: It is great to see that D is talking in full sentences!! My doctor says as long as they are gaining (even slowly) that they are fine. :wink: </p> <p>E is going to 16 months ((actual)14.75 months adjusted) on Thursday! He is a climbing fool! Gross motor he is doing wonderfully! Fine motor he still is tracking within normal limits. Speech and eating are huge HUGE hurdle for us right now. He is also struggling with some pretty intense iron issues right now. He has just recently started sleeping through the night! He is going to evaluated next week for speech services. I am hoping we can get a referral for feeding therapy soon. I think it all has to do with low tone in his jaw and tongue. Also lately he has been gagging and choking on thin liquids. It looks to me like aspiration but without a swallow study we can't tell for sure. The doctor keeps saying we start with speech and go from there. So for now I just keep on nursing in every 3 hours during the day and work on thicker liquids with him. :sad: </p> [attach=2880/15/npn03l.450x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2174575 Mon, 11 May 2015 14:19:09 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2174575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: thank you!! and wow! Can't believe D is 2 1/2!! Glad to hear he's doing great :) I have a feeling A will always be pretty small, but as long as they're doing well size doesn't matter. we also did the March for Babies this year and it was so fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2174071 Mon, 11 May 2015 10:09:38 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2174071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: Wow! Congrats on the new baby! Glad A is doing so well. And I really love when I see this thread pop up.</p> <p>D is 2 1/2 and doing amazing. He's talking in full sentences, pretending, making jokes. It's an amazing stage. He's not jumping yet which we are working on, but otherwise gross and fine motor seem pretty strong. </p> <p>Now that he's older, it's really weird to have so few doctor's appointments! Our next one isn't until he's 3! So I don't really know how much he weighs, but I think it's a little under 24 lbs, so still very small, but he's eating tons of different foods so I'm not too worried.</p> <p>We did the March of Dimes Walk for Babies this year. It was fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2173920 Mon, 11 May 2015 08:29:43 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2173920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hi ladies! happy belated mother's day! </p> <p>this board has been super quiet so just wanted to check in and see how is everyone doing :)</p> <p>quick update on us: A turns ONE this thursday!! (10 months adjusted) can't believe it. she's pulling up to stand on everything and letting go and standing for a few seconds at a time. she even tried to take a step yesterday (she's great at falling too..). she climbs, crawls and is just a maniac on the move! and she's been doing well with her bottles (still on the amino acid formula) and making some progress with her solids therapy with the feeding therapist. we also just found out that she will have a brother this October which we are still in shock over. I actually just had an abdominal cerclage placed last week to help prevent preterm with this little guy. praying it all works out! what the surgery has helped with is allowing me to let go a bit with A and let others help, since I'm not supposed to be lifting her yet or moving around too much while I recover. </p> <p>hope you're all doing well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049752 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:24:53 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2049752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.ThinMint: fantastic news! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049749 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:22:05 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2049749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: Take and Toss by first years</p> <p>We never did actual melts, just puffs and mum mums, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049742 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:14:06 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 2049742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're actually doing really good over here! E is 6 months old/3 months adjusted. We went to a clinic for babies who were born under 1000 grams. They said he is in the 90th percentile developmentally for his adjusted age of 3 months, and is hitting milestones like a 4 month old! He was in the 10th percentile for a 6 month old. They said it was amazing that he was even on the charts. He is really tiny. He's only in the 3rd percentile for weigh for a 3 month old at 11 lbs. </p> <p>To recap, when Elliot was in the NICU, he got sick at about 10 weeks old. His liver enzymes were elevated and he was very jaundice. He saw a GI doctor who said that it was either due to getting IV nutrition which damaged his liver which he would grow out of, or it was something called galactosemia. Galactosemia is when a person doesn't have the enzymes to break down galactose which is then broken down into lactose and glucose. It means the person can't have anything with lactose in it which included my breast milk. It is much much more serious than simply lactose intolerance. The lactose can build up in the liver and brain and actually cause death. There is a blood test for galactosemia, but Elliot wasn't able to do it because he had received blood transfusions. They told us we would have to wait 3 months after his last blood transfusion to do the testing and during that time he would have to be taken off my breast milk and put on soy formula due to the serious nature of the disease. It wasn't worth risking him being on my milk in case it was galactosemia. After 3 long months of wondering, we had the testing done finally on Dec 22nd and we just found out that Elliot does NOT have galactosemia! We are so so excited! So, after not breastfeeding for 3.5 months I have decided to relactate. So, I'm pumping, putting E to the breast and taking domperidone. I'm actually starting to make some milk! I'm only getting about 5 mL when I pump, but I think E is getting a little more. I've only been on the dom for less than a week, and I went from making nothing but drops to the 5mL, so I'm hoping this works. Luckily, I have a freezer stash of about 1500 oz from when I was pumping for him while he was in the NICU. So he is getting some breast milk. DH and Inhave been sick with a cold, and somehow Elliot didn't get sick at all! I think him getting some breast milk really helped. But it's good to know his immune system isn't terrible! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049452 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 12:37:05 +0000 MrsRcCar 2049452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: here is the package. We started them with E recently (10 months, so around 8.75 months adjusted). He does like them but his brother is always stealing them. </p> [attach=2880/15/nj3szc.450x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049445 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 12:33:50 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2049445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: what brand are the coconut ones? what age did you start them? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049435 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 12:22:54 +0000 MrsRcCar 2049435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: N (my oldest) can't have the anti-spill value in his sippy cup. He can't get fluid out of them. So we don't use them period. What kind of cups worked with D? E does like melts but it is challenging in my area to find them made dairy free. He does like the coconut ones but they only come to grocery store once a month or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049418 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 12:06:29 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2049418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>FYI. We had all of the same feeding issues you ladies are having (including ot), but things have been great for a long time now...to give you hope.</p> <p>Here's a very brief summary of what worked for us.<br /> 1) meltable foods. D didn't really like/know what to do with purées. One pouch would last us days. When he was able to "chew" really soft foods, it kinda clicked what food is.<br /> 2) he couldn't use a straw properly for well over a year old. We had therapy straw cups and everything (little bears...if you want one let me know), but they didn't work either. We ended up using the take and toss sippys because the flow is faster. Some of the sippys out there you have to suck really hard and then d wouldn't drink anything. I don't think we even tried sippys until a year adj.</p> <p>There's more, but those are the basics.</p> <p>The cast was initially on for three weeks, then they put a new one on for two more. So a week now... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/5#post-2049340 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:42:49 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2049340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: urgh so frustrating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2049336 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:38:07 +0000 MrsRcCar 2049336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: hooray A!!!! We are a little forced into BLW with E. He doesn't do well with cereal and solids unless he can do it himself and most doesn't make it in his mouth anyway. Or he gags and throws up. It's like the spoon is the devil. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2049325 Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:25:31 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2049325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: wow 1 yr!! sorry to hear about the feeding issues but yay for good growth! we are on day 5 of solids (rice cereal mixed with neonate formula) and it's been challenging. i feel like i have to trick her to get her to open her mouth. wondering how long it will take for her to willingly accept the spoon.. sigh. </p> <p>A did take almost 5oz in a bottle at 5am this morning!! she has never taken more than 4 so i was super excited!! :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2048747 Sat, 31 Jan 2015 12:59:51 +0000 MrsRcCar 2048747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. 64: Congrats on coming home!! Hope everyone is settling in nicely. :heart:<br /> @Mrs Green Grass: how much longer is he in a cast?<br /> @littleredhairedgrl: I hope you find a feeding therapist that you guys can click with. E always eats better for our OT lady. Always with out fail. </p> <p>E is almost a year old (!!). We are still struggling with feeding issues but he is growing like a weed. I haven't gone back into the office for work because E still nurses every 3 hours. He never got the hang of a bottle and we are struggling with a sippy cup. He does ok with a straw cup but not well enough for me to be comfortable leaving him for a work day. We had a good solids day yesterday but this morning he woke up with an awful red raised diaper rash. He is not really interested in solids today. I suspect a dairy allergy which wouldn't surprise me at this point. He also decided to drop to one nap like last week. We are hoping that it means better night time sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2048464 Sat, 31 Jan 2015 05:32:02 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2048464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. 64: so happy to hear that you are home with lo and no more oxygen!!! the second opinion went really well actually. the dr was very happy with her progress and didn't even want to discuss ng tubes she just wanted to look forward and is recommending a feeding therapist for us as we begin solids. she also actually acknowledged the fact that A probably has a feeding aversion as a result of everything (which the other drs wouldn't even entertain)</p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: oh my gosh he is too cute!!! A is 8 months (6 actual) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2048043 Fri, 30 Jan 2015 17:19:14 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2048043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: wow how frustrating and scary! How old is she now?</p> <p>@mrs. 64: what a great update!!!!</p> <p>D broke his arm and is in week 4 of a cast, but it's a totally non-preemie problem which I'll take any day. Now that he's two, I'm really starting to see him catch up size wise. He's still quite small but getting there... </p> [attach=689/15/nj0go3.600x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2047870 Fri, 30 Jan 2015 16:05:34 +0000 mrs. 64 2047870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: Sorry to hear that. That sounds really stressful. How did the second opinion go? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2047867 Fri, 30 Jan 2015 16:04:36 +0000 mrs. 64 2047867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi everyone! I have been MIA for several months and I hope you all are doing well!</p> <p>Little miss came home at the end of September after a 132 day NICU stay. Having her home is the best. She is now 8 months, 5 months adjusted. She was on oxygen until a few weeks ago and life without oxygen is fabulous! She also just hit 10 lbs. :) So proud of her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-2043657 Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:37:02 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 2043657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hi ladies! hope everyone had a great new year! how is every and their los doing? :)</p> <p>update on A: we spent Christmas and the following 2 days in the hospital because she refused her bottle for almost 48hrs and went home with an ng tube and after 3 weeks with the tube, and a transition off my bm and onto Neocate, the tube was taken out almost a week ago. We are now on 6 bottles a day at 22 cal/ounce and she is still only taking max 4oz but we are working on getting her used to the increased calorie and will likely up it again since I just don't think she will suddenly begin taking 5-6oz at a time. Also on day 3 of rice cereal with banana. She fights, but at times will take some. Fun Fun! Going for a second opinion with a new GI at NYU tomorrow. </p> <p>Hope everyone is well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1972225 Fri, 05 Dec 2014 10:12:56 +0000 MrsRcCar 1972225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: We were told no bouncers or jumpers too. However E does get time in a jumper and exersaucer. He loves them both! He also loves his walker. We just limit his time in them.<br /> That stinks about the cost sharing. Where we live it is a state funded service. We have enrolled both boys in EI actually.<br /> E has 8 teeth!!! He has been a teething machine for months now. I am hoping we will get a break before molars start arriving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1972166 Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:31:51 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1972166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: wow crawling!! so he kind of skipped the rolling a lot part? i feel like A wants to move around so bad, but rolling is not something she likes - tho she is getting better at tummy time. she especially likes when i hold her up and let her stand with my help. even tho the NICU said no bouncers or exersaucers i think she'd really enjoy some time in one and may buy one anyway.. </p> <p>that's great about the EI services! A was just evaluated too and was accepted based on her feeding issues (refusal and reflux). but NJ is a cost-share program so we'd have to shell out a lot of money for the services so still trying to figure out what to do since she's otherwise doing pretty well for her corrected age.</p> <p>i think she is def teething now tho.. she ONLY wants to chew on my fingers and be held. no occupying herself on her own lately.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1972146 Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:25:48 +0000 MrsRcCar 1972146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: E has never been into rolling unless we are changing his diaper or when he is sleeping. E is almost 10 months (8.25 months adjusted). When we made tummy time a huge part of our routine around 6 months actual because I was worried about the rolling thing, but all in time I guess. We never got 90 minutes total a day. He still doesn't love tummy time. </p> <p>We have been busy in the RC Car house. E just got enrolled in EI services because we are still failing pretty hard at solids. When they came out to do his eval they said he has weak jaw muscles and a high palette. We start services on the 16th. Otherwise E is busy pulling up and crawling (!) around the house. My family is pretty sure he will be walking by Christmas. He is pretty determined to catch his big brother. </p> <p>Hope all is well for all the other ladies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1972139 Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:22:39 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1972139@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: hey girl! I can't remember about rolling but for tummy time, I had to fight with D a lot. The best things I found were to put him on his tummy on the couch so I could then crouch and be eye level, lots of singing and dancing and silly distractions like bubbles or light up electronic toys. Also if she's not accepting full on tummy time, you can put a rolled up towel or boppy under her armpits, she might tolerate that better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1972116 Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:09:40 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1972116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>bumping my last post.. also, how is everyone doing? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1947868 Mon, 17 Nov 2014 15:05:19 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1947868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hope everyone is doing well </p> <p>question for the group - at what corrected age did your lo start rolling over? </p> <p>A is 4 months corrected (6 actual) and began doing it from belly to back a month ago (3 months corrected) but has since stopped. it will happen every once in a while but mostly she will fuss on her belly or go from arms straight and chest up to arms straight out and rocking back and forth on her belly but not rolling. when she is on her back she rolls to one side to sleep, but no full rolls. </p> <p>any tips to get them to do more tummy time? i read that they are supposed to do 90 minutes a day and that seems like so much! the most i get at a time is 10 minutes </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1908740 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:30:16 +0000 MrsRcCar 1908740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: He does seem to enjoy the teething cookies, not so much puffs or things that resemble cheerios. He either spits them out of gags on them until they are out of his mouth. I would be lying if I said I was completely confident in his weight gain. I just keep telling myself he is happy and getting longer so he has to be ok right? </p> <p> @psw27: The smiles and coos are the best. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/moms-of-preemies/page/4#post-1908729 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:25:56 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1908729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: D was the same way with solids. O's and Mum Mum that dissolve were helpful in getting him to learn to chew and swallow. He kept doing purées forever, but he only ever took tiny amounts. </p>