A Challenge for the Feeding Therapist

Bambino never learned to nurse from a bottle. I've always planned to breastfeed for at least a year, but his doctors and nutritionists wanted to supplement his food intake with high a calorie formula especially since he is slow to gain weight.

But we have tried so many nursing bottles and nipples in different shapes, textures and form:


There is even one brand, Adiri, that's supposed to be an exact replica of a mother's bossom. But none of these worked.

He learned to drink from a cup early, and that's how he takes the measly 7 ounces of formula intake.

E., his feeding therapist tried all sorts of tricks today to make him eat or drink. We had carrots, tomatoes, cheerios, yogurt - he tasted a little bit of carrots and made a mess of everything else.

We tried to give him formula, apple juice, a combination of both, with ice, no ice; in five different kinds of cups and glasses, with straw, no straw...
E's patience was amazing. She even made this impromptu contraption made from a bottle especially for babies with cleft palates and a straw:


But nothing worked.

Yesterday, I kept crying in frustration whenever he turned his nose up to any food or drink I offered. He's also learned to shake his head to say "no."

And even though it wasn't necessary, I gave him a dose of Periactin last night, hoping his appetite would pick up. No dice.

So on most days, he is mostly surviving on breastmilk because that's the only thing he would take. Which leaves us and the dietitians in a quandary because they couldn't even tell how much he is really taking in. I've been tempted to refuse to nurse him and let him go hungry, hoping that he will turn to formula when he has no other choice. But I also worry that my supply will dry up and he still would continue to refuse his formula.

It is nice that there is professional help available. The Therapists that come see Bambino are Heaven-sent. But my concerns grow when even the pros run out of tricks and we're still not getting aywhere.