I know I've been MIA for a bit since A came home from the NICU and it sure has been busy getting into a routine with her and now that she's 6 months (4 corrected) she's got a lot more energy and much more alert time, but I'm honestly at my wits end with the feeding problems we've been facing for the last few months..

I am and EPer and A came home taking bottles of expressed BM with added calories from Neosure powder. A month after she was home she began spitting up profusely and then began refusing feeds all together.

We began Zantac, which helped for a bit, and then problems began again and I was put on a no dairy, soy, egg, peanut, tree nut, and seafood diet and we stopped the Neosure (milk-based). Right away things were better and I honestly think it was the Neosure. But then a few weeks after that the refusal began again. We upped the Zantac and still same issues. Ped recommended adding rice cereal to the BM to thicken which caused major constipation and didn't thicken because BM breaks down the cereal (shouldn't our ped have known that?!). Two weeks ago we went to a pediatric GI who prescribed Prilosec and we also saw a feeding specialist who gave me some tips and also recommended trying Gelmix which thickens BM (without adding any allergens or even calories) and right away things were AMAZING for almost a week. And while she is still taking a bit more than she used to, she's refusing again and I just don't know what else to do. We go back to the GI next Wednesday for a followup, but URGH!!!.. I just want to scream.

After all we went thru with the 4 months of bedrest, pprom, nicu stay, I just wish we had a true diagnosis and solution. I hate to see her suffer and I am just feeling so sad and anxious all the time.

The only way I've been getting her to eat is by playing with her a lot right after feeds and tiring her out and then putting her down maybe 30 minutes prior to the next feed so I am basically trying to feed her while sleeping each time (which is getting harder and harder now that she's becoming so much more alert).

I feel like there is no end in sight. I wish I could enjoy my baby instead of obsessing over each and every 1/4 ounce.. She hasn't lost weight, but is gaining very very slowly and drs keep making comments about how they'd like her to be bigger.. ummm.. yeah so would I, but she won't eat.. do they even know how much I try..