Well, aren't I the Worlds Worst DCP..

[Breezy]

PLEASE don't judge me!!

I posted last night (and quite a few other times) about DCG screaming and crying all day long while here. Well, I MAY have just figured out why and it is MY fault.

She started baby food (from jars) not too long ago and mom brings them for me to give her every time she is here. I usually sit her on my lap and fed them to her because she is SO tiny she wouldn't fit into the highchair (8 months old and wearing a 3 month onesie today). She barely eats anything at a time for me. A few spoon fulls of baby food and 4 ounces at a time of a bottle usually.

Well, today I decided to try out the highchair and see how that went for lunch. She didn't fit in it, she fell over to the sides the whole time (can't sit up). BUT, she ate a WHOLE thing of Sweet Potatoes and half a jar of Pears and Raspberries! And then washed it down with about 4 ounces of formula! happyfacehappyface

She kept crying for more and more if I would stop for a moment while feeding her (never done that in the past!) and as her tummy got fuller and fuller her eyes went droopier and droopier. So, after I washed her all up I put her down in the PNP for a nap and haven't heard a PEEP!! This has NEVER happened over the last few weeks!!!! happyfacehappyfacehappyfacehappyface

I think I was starving the poor thing! She never gave any indication of her being super hungry, besides screaming but always gagged on the bottle and pushed it away when offered. But, when I offered the jars of baby food and she ate enough and THEN bottle IN the highchair (in lieu of my lap) she ate SO much. More than I have EVER seen her eat.

It still remains to be seen if after her nap she won't scream the house down again. But, it looks like maybe I figured it out? I feel horrible. I told her mom how horrible I feel and she said not to worry about it but I feel like this little girl I am supposed to care for and meet every need has been neglected by me (unknowingly, of course).

Who knew all these mixed emotions I could feel! Elation for figuring it out and getting so much food in her tummy and feeling so horrible for starving the poor thing!


happyface

[Blackcat31]

Hey don't be so tough on yourself. We have all been there but this is a great example of how important communication between provider and parent is. Mom should have given you some indication of how much or how little the DCG ate during a single sitting....kwim?

Anyways, soooooo happy you have found out a solution to the baby's crankiness but please do NOT blame yourself. You cared enough to continue trying so give yourself a big old high five and a pat on the back for not giving up!! I say "WAY TO GO"!!!! happyfacehappyface

[cheerfuldom]

dont feel bad! It is the parents responsibility to let you know how much their child should be eating and how to best do it. you are supporting THEIR journey in parenthood, not raising this child and figuring out things on your own.

you know, I am more concerned about the fact that she is 8 months and can't sit in a high chair yet.....thats not normal. If she is having difficulty with food unless she is in a certain position, it could be a swallowing issue. That and the sitting up sort of makes me think muscle tone issue.....how are her other milestones? my little DCG with low muscle tone is very behind on milestones, very skinny and has major difficulty with food and bottles because swallowing is so hard for her.

[Soupyszoo]

Awe! Good job!

That's happened to me at times. Sometimes it seems like time stands still and I know that particular dcbaby was 3 months when they came to me and need this this and this... As time goes by I am in a routine and the routine needs to change as they grow and change, but sometimes I just forget to change! Then someone seems extremely grumpy quite often and I can't figure out why... Then it hits me!!

I'm glad you figured it out and I hope it lasts!!

[Country Kids]

dont feel bad! It is the parents responsibility to let you know how much their child should be eating and how to best do it. you are supporting THEIR journey in parenthood, not raising this child and figuring out things on your own.

you know, I am more concerned about the fact that she is 8 months and can't sit in a high chair yet.....thats not normal. If she is having difficulty with food unless she is in a certain position, it could be a swallowing issue. That and the sitting up sort of makes me think muscle tone issue.....how are her other milestones? my little DCG with low muscle tone is very behind on milestones, very skinny and has major difficulty with food and bottles because swallowing is so hard for her.

Same thing I was thinking! At eight months and only weighing a three month onsie is pretty tiny.

Could you put her in a bouncy seat or something to help with feeding time? That way she's not really sitting but would be in a position to eat.

[SilverSabre25]

Hey, don't feel bad! It wasn't until several months AFTER one troublesome dcb left my care that I realized that maybe his problem was that he wasn't ready for only one nap a day. Ooops.

Also, even parents sometimes struggle for hours/days/weeks with their children, only to one day try something different out of desperation and find suddenly that it works like a charm!

We're human, too. We're not psychic, we don't always know immediately what every child needs. Glad you figured out a solution! Focus on how great that feels, and if you ever run into this situation again, you will probably be quicker to try a different feeding situation.

[Soupyszoo]

dont feel bad! It is the parents responsibility to let you know how much their child should be eating and how to best do it. you are supporting THEIR journey in parenthood, not raising this child and figuring out things on your own.

you know, I am more concerned about the fact that she is 8 months and can't sit in a high chair yet.....thats not normal. If she is having difficulty with food unless she is in a certain position, it could be a swallowing issue. That and the sitting up sort of makes me think muscle tone issue.....how are her other milestones? my little DCG with low muscle tone is very behind on milestones, very skinny and has major difficulty with food and bottles because swallowing is so hard for her.

I have a 9mo dcb that is really overweight and he can still barely hold his big ole head up when he came to me I was shocked how behind he is. I started making him do tummy time, which he hated, and lots of floor time... He's made big improvements. He still can't sit up in the high chair though. I didn't think toooo much about it til I read this.

[Breezy]

dont feel bad! It is the parents responsibility to let you know how much their child should be eating and how to best do it. you are supporting THEIR journey in parenthood, not raising this child and figuring out things on your own.

you know, I am more concerned about the fact that she is 8 months and can't sit in a high chair yet.....thats not normal. If she is having difficulty with food unless she is in a certain position, it could be a swallowing issue. That and the sitting up sort of makes me think muscle tone issue.....how are her other milestones? my little DCG with low muscle tone is very behind on milestones, very skinny and has major difficulty with food and bottles because swallowing is so hard for her.

Ok here is the lowdown....

Born at 28 weeks. Mom did not know she was pregnant, went into the ER with really bad tummy pain and came home with DCG weeks later after a NICU stay.

She is extremely STIFF. There is NO normal baby chubbiness AT ALL. It is very hard to move her legs or arms or even bend her back for that matter (to go from sitting to laying position). In fact, I had an interview for some very PT care for a 3 month old baby (her exact size) and when the mom handed her baby to me I was so surprised with how squishy and baby like he is because I am so used to handling her. I feel like I could literally break her bones when handling her.

She is 8 months old and in 3 month clothes, I would say 12 pounds? She tries to crawl, she rolls, she attempts to sit up but more so props herself up with one hand out to the side.

She rarely blinks, sometimes I have to blow gently toward her face to get her eyes to blink.

I chalked it all up to being a preemie, but if you have any other suggestions or thoughts send them my way!

[SilverSabre25]

Ok here is the lowdown....

Born at 28 weeks. Mom did not know she was pregnant, went into the ER with really bad tummy pain and came home with DCG weeks later after a NICU stay.

She is extremely STIFF. There is NO normal baby chubbiness AT ALL. It is very hard to move her legs or arms or even bend her back for that matter (to go from sitting to laying position). In fact, I had an interview for some very PT care for a 3 month old baby (her exact size) and when the mom handed her baby to me I was so surprised with how squishy and baby like he is because I am so used to handling her. I feel like I could literally break her bones when handling her.

She is 8 months old and in 3 month clothes, I would say 12 pounds? She tries to crawl, she rolls, she attempts to sit up but more so props herself up with one hand out to the side.

She rarely blinks, sometimes I have to blow gently toward her face to get her eyes to blink.

I chalked it all up to being a preemie, but if you have any other suggestions or thoughts send them my way!

I have a suggestion--the poor child needs an evaluation! Just to be sure that everything is okay. Let's see...born at 28 weeks and is now 8 mos? That would make her...about 5 months adjusted age? Sounds like she's doing well milestone wise, but the stiffness isn't normal. The blinking...I don't know about that--I don't have experience with preemies. I would think that she would be followed closely being that premature, but I' would talk to mom about it to be sure.

[Breezy]

I have a suggestion--the poor child needs an evaluation! Just to be sure that everything is okay. Let's see...born at 28 weeks and is now 8 mos? That would make her...about 5 months adjusted age? Sounds like she's doing well milestone wise, but the stiffness isn't normal. The blinking...I don't know about that--I don't have experience with preemies. I would think that she would be followed closely being that premature, but I' would talk to mom about it to be sure.

The only thing DCM has really said about the stiffness is that the doctor said we should be doing stretching "exercises" for every diaper change, which I do. I wish I could explain just how stiff she is too because it is just ridiculous.

[cheerfuldom]

Ok here is the lowdown....

Born at 28 weeks. Mom did not know she was pregnant, went into the ER with really bad tummy pain and came home with DCG weeks later after a NICU stay.

She is extremely STIFF. There is NO normal baby chubbiness AT ALL. It is very hard to move her legs or arms or even bend her back for that matter (to go from sitting to laying position). In fact, I had an interview for some very PT care for a 3 month old baby (her exact size) and when the mom handed her baby to me I was so surprised with how squishy and baby like he is because I am so used to handling her. I feel like I could literally break her bones when handling her.

She is 8 months old and in 3 month clothes, I would say 12 pounds? She tries to crawl, she rolls, she attempts to sit up but more so props herself up with one hand out to the side.

She rarely blinks, sometimes I have to blow gently toward her face to get her eyes to blink.

I chalked it all up to being a preemie, but if you have any other suggestions or thoughts send them my way!

yup, yup, yup.....stiffness is a muscle tone issue. They don't have the normal fluidity (if thats the word....) to their muscle tone so their movements can either be very stiff or completely floppy. there is no balance there that should be there. I would ask mom if she has had a check up recently. most peds would require a 9 month checkup so as long as she is seeing a doctor regularly, I would just keep an eye on things for now.

[cheerfuldom]

The only thing DCM has really said about the stiffness is that the doctor said we should be doing stretching "exercises" for every diaper change, which I do. I wish I could explain just how stiff she is too because it is just ridiculous.

stretching exercises? obviously the doctor is noticing things and so is mom so be prepared for some sort of intervention down the road. Dont forget that it is not your responsibility to come up with solutions. Mom needs to work that out with the doctor and do these things at home.