My baby has gone from taking the bottle at least once or twice a day when sleepy (with a lot of work also) to not taking it at all and crying at the sight of it. She wont even take it when sleepy like before. What can I do to get her to take it again??? She is NG tube fed because of bottle refusal and has been NG tube fed since birth because she was a preemie. Since she was in the hospital, she was diagnosed with reflux and had never wanted the bottle, but would sometimes take it. She has a hypersensitive gag reflex, but it has gotten a bit better. Please help! Thanks so much :)

The NG tube is a garden hose down the throat and a curse to all of my babies. It is a source of constant gag, irritation to the nasal passages and throat, it incoordinates the suck/swallow, it worsens reflux, and it makes babies more susceptible to infections.You have a small window left to get her oral since Cassandra is shutting down and not taking the bottle. The one thing you have to ask yourself is have you force fed Cassandra? I do not mean this in a cruel way, but babies are smart. They shut down and do not take the bottle for the following reasons: they are being force fed, they have a NG tube, they have reflux, or a combination of all these factors.

Does Cassandra take a pacifier? If so, I would highly recommend trying thickened feedings with the PaciFeeder. If she doesn't like a pacifier, I would still try a thickened feeding with Simply Thick. I have my highest success rate with a small based Dr. Brown's bottle and a nectar or honey Simply Thick consistency. You might use a Level 2 or 3 for nectar and a Level 3,4 or Y cut for a honey thick consistency. You must also slowly approach the lips and let the baby take the nipple in on her terms. Use distraction such as a Baby Mozart or a Baby Bach video. I have had 1 infant I have not been able to get off a NG tube using these techniques. She was already 9 months old (former preemie) and had an indwelling NG tube for over 7 months (WAY too long). I told the parents before I treated their baby that they should have pursued a g-tube months earlier.

Good luck and remember be gentle. Listen to Cassandra's cues. Try gently swaddling her for containment (like the NICU) A g-tube is another option if Cassandra is totally shut down. You can always take a g-button out :)

Robynne

Thank you very much Robynne. She actually will be getting her g-tube in a few weeks. Sine in the hospital Cassie didnt take the bottle and that is why she was there so long. They said we had to wait until she ate before she went home. Well it went on for 3 months and still she never wanted to take the bottle or would only take like an ounce or less, but after an hour of trying! She was diagnosed in the hospital with reflux, and spit up every bottle! We tried all formulas nothing helped! She was not taking the bottle and I was going crazy because my baby had not been home yet and she was perfectly fine and up in weight because of all the tube feeds. All she needed to do was eat and that was not happening. We waited and waited and tried everything. Tried to starve her, well you know not tube feed her and see if she would then take the bottle! She didnt care, she would go like 12 hours and not care. So finally I was at wits end and they said that if I wanted her home she would need a g-tube. I didnt want this and neither did my husband, but they said it wasnt an option anymore so as much as we didnt want it we agreed to it. Well they sent her to another hospital 2 hours away and then when she was there they decided that she didnt need it. Some days when she was there she took it real good. So they said oh she takes it so she dont need it. I was like okkkkkkk that is why she is here and it's been almost 4 months! I said ok so what is the plan I want my baby!? So they said they would teach me to NG tube feed her. They did and we finally came home after 4 long months!! Well her ruflux has been extremely bad and always had been. When she first came home she would take the bottle sometimes and I would gavage the rest. Sometimes she would take an ounce or two. Mostly she would only take it when she was sleepy and wanted to sleep, Then she would fall asleep and take the whole thing while asleep. Well just recently about a month now she has been not wanting it at all. She cries at the sight of it ans gags and wont even let me put it in her mouth. She cries until I stop and take it away. I dont want to make it worse so I dont force feed her. I heard it makes it worse if you do. Although I used to, well if I kind of insisted and kept trying she would give in and suck. Now I can insist for hours and she wont so I stopped that. She hates the paci more than the bottle because she has never wanted a paci and when she did take it I had to hold it, she didnt know how to keep it in and she was never really interested in it. I have tried solids and she gags until she vomits. Also I cant give her her meds in her mouth because she vomits! I have to put it in the tube. Thank God for the tube or else she wouldnt get meds. We are supposed to start speech therpy through early interventions, but they said that there is a waiting list! UGH i am so upset because it is so urgent that we get help now! It has gotten worse already and the NG is the culprit I think. Also she has DGE and I think sometime she probably dont want to eat because she isnt even hungry! Thanks for the info, i just wanted to give you a little more info on her since I didnt really have time when I posted yesterday. I hope when she gets the G-tube it makes things a little better and hopefully she will take the bottle again! I pray every day! Thanks again -Vanessa