Myla Learns to Eat: Weaning Day 1

Today our family took a leap of faith. Our leap begins with a belief in science, Darwin, and MJ. We began the process of weaning Myla from dependence on her NG tube. Today, we cut Myla's feeding through her tube by 10%, which is about 2.5 ounces today. We didn't expect to see a big difference in her eating behavior today, and we didn't. I think that the biggest change is going to come with Lindsey and I. We have been so focused on calorie counting...calories in and calories out (yes, there have been times when I have caught her vomit in Tupperware and measured how much she lost...gross). We have been weighing the amount of baby food she takes by spoon, and Lindsey has been keeping notebooks of data to try to help us find out patterns in her vomiting. The only patterns that we have found is that we are consistently tired, stressed, angry, and irritable. The emotions are strongly correlated with the numbers of vomits per day. Today, the measuring, at least to the extent that we have been, ends. Today, we introduce Myla to food in an environment with little stress to do anything but enjoy the feel, smell, texture, and hopefully taste of foods. We don't think this is going to be easy; however, if we stick to the plan, we feel that Myla will learn to eat.

Myla did great today. She and her mommy had a play picnic. She explored sweet potatoes, banana yogurt, Ella's kitchen's "the Red one," cheerios, fruit loops, rice crispies, and a variety of spoons, cups, bowls, and plates. Some of it ended up in her mouth, but most of it ended up on her and the floor. This is completely expected based on our reading. We are so happy that Myla is so comfortable exploring food in the manner. We have read horror stories of little ones with such food aversions that watching a cartoon on television with a character eating makes them vomit. Myla made a big mess and and I am so proud of Lindsey for not intervening (Lindsey likes things clean...real clean). She also took about 20 mLs of formula by mouth from a sippy cup. We are very proud of her because that Nutramigen is awful. Tomorrow we cut another 10% from her feedings and continue to attempt to read her cues. She will get hungry, which means that she will get fussy. She will have access to food and the goal is for her to reconnect that feeling of hunger with the joy of eating.

I hope to be able to update the blog each day of this new endeavor. Wish MJ (and Lindsey and I) luck. Myla's drive to hunger will kick in.