Breakthrough

This morning when I went into the NICU, Eli had been assigned a different nurse.  (They rotate all the time, of course.)  This nurse is the neighbor of our pediatrician, who had come into check on Eli early this morning.  He pulled her aside and told her, "You have one job today--you need to get this kid to eat!"  She was feeding him when I walked in at 8:00.  She was mentioning all of the same issues we'd been dealing with--his clicking tongue, a little bit of poor tone, etc.  I suggested we try a new nipple--I had brought a selection from home because I was sooooo ready to try something--anything--that might help.

She switched the bottle and found out he did NOT like Avent.  Then she tried the Johnson's Healthflow and he took another 23 mL in 10 minutes.  It is absolutely amazing at how much 40 mL of milk in my baby's tummy via a bottle thrilled me.  It wore him right out and he slept for the next 6 hours straight.  He woke up for his 2:00 feeding and took another 40 mL. 

When we went in for his 8 p.m. feeding, they had moved him from the respiratory side of the NICU to the other side.  It's much calmer over there.  We sat down and did all the feeding techniques we had learned and lo and behold that kid ate another 44 mL in about 25 minutes.  Wonder of wonders.  It's starting to seem less like a fluke and more like our answer.  We'll see how he does again tomorrow.  Yeehaw!!

They also did a head ultrasound today and all neurological stuff came back normal.  Yippee!