Kids with oral aversions & feeding problems Support - Page 4

[zaviersmomma]

Yes he did have the fundo, it's also called a nissen wrap, but thanks for letting me know that it is a long recovery. It has been already, but sometimes you need someone who's not in the middle to let you know, especially though someone who is not a doctor.

[Karry]

I wasn't sure if we belong here, but we probably do. My middle child has been off of the weight chart since he was 9 mo old. He is now 5.5 and still is off the chart.

He eats lots of different textures, so I'm not sure it's an oral aversion. In fact he eats more of a variety of things than either of my other two kids. He just doesn't eat a lot and gets distracted easily. We recently saw a feeding therapist, and she said there wasn't anything she could do to help us. He doesn't gag or have trouble swallowing. She said it's behavioral.

He wouldn't drink milk or anything like pediasure for the longest time. Today he drank a full 8oz. glass of whole milk with carnation instant breakfast. This is a major accomplishment. He has also been eating more lately. I'm hoping this continues so we can avoid the NG tube that has been suggested to us as the next step.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by zaviersmomma

Yes he did have the fundo, it's also called a nissen wrap, but thanks for letting me know that it is a long recovery. It has been already, but sometimes you need someone who's not in the middle to let you know, especially though someone who is not a doctor.

Go to www.parent-2-parent.com board and find the fundo forums. Lots of parents who can help you with their own experiences.

[mistymama]

It's so nice to read here, and know you guys understand. I'm going through a hard time right now ... my DS has been sick and has not eaten a single solid food in days. Yesterday he bit into a tortilla chip and I nearly cried. People all around me are giving me a hard time, putting even more worry on me. I can't do anything until I find an OT and get him back into therapy, right now my hands are tied, and he's living off PediaSure at 4 years old. It makes me feel like such a crapy Mom.

Originally Posted by PumpkinSeeds

You just can't wrap your head around it unless you have a child like that, isn't it? The best validation that I got was when my son was being evaluated and the OT said that whoever told me that "he would eat when he was hungry" was wrong.



I said before that I was spoon feeding my son until a couple of months ago. I used to feed him this pureed soup I would make and hide a lot of things in it, but now he won't eat it because he won't self feed it and he doesn't want me to feed him anymore. So now I'm trying to find things that he can eat without gagging.

I know I'm rambling, but there has been many a day when I thought I was the only one going through this. And to think I used to consider myself a foodie. Now I think of food and I just. get. sad.

[mistymama]

I've struggled with not wanting to make food an "issue" and tricking myself into thinking he would start eating on his own. Heh, not true! I can't hide anything in the PediaSure, unless it's totally colorless and tasteless (like his Singulair we put in there at night) he knows the difference.

I am so thankful that he drinks PediaSure, because it's what is keeping him so big and healthy! My friends joke that he should be the model for male Muscle and Fitness because he's in such great shape.

But I worry because he seems to want to try food less and less. He goes days without touching a bite. I've been so reluctant to make food an issue and "ask" him to eat. Maybe I should consider that?

Originally Posted by Thystle

mistymama ... there is alot you can hide in Pediasure, and alot of mama's that wish their kids would drink it!

Have you ever "witheld" it until he eats a few bites of something else first? And then give him the drink? And then slowly upped how many bites they had to eat first?

Some kids do not respond well to this and others think of it as a game or "duty" to eat their # of bites first.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by mistymama

It's so nice to read here, and know you guys understand. I'm going through a hard time right now ... and he's living off PediaSure at 4 years old. It makes me feel like such a crapy Mom.

((HUGS)) I know the feeling and it's very frustrating. He's alive and growing because you are a good mom and you are doing what he needs right now. I think that's awesome that he's doing so well drinking his Pediasure.

[kchoffmann]

Originally Posted by mistymama

It's so nice to read here, and know you guys understand. I'm going through a hard time right now ... my DS has been sick and has not eaten a single solid food in days. Yesterday he bit into a tortilla chip and I nearly cried. People all around me are giving me a hard time, putting even more worry on me. I can't do anything until I find an OT and get him back into therapy, right now my hands are tied, and he's living off PediaSure at 4 years old. It makes me feel like such a crapy Mom.

I'm so with you. My DS lives off Reliv (which is like pediasure), and it makes me feel so awful too.

[Treasuremapper]

Did the OT make the referral to feeding therapists, or your child's pediatrician? I am wondering about going with a feeding therapist instead of an OT. I want to focus my limited funds where they will really make a difference.

[USAmma]

The GI made Nitara's first referral to a feeding therapist to make sure her oral skills were okay, and that she was physically able to suck/chew/swallow. That therapist noticed that Nitara had sensory issues, so then she had an OT eval. After that we had to switch insurance and they dropped her therapy. We contacted the early intervention folks and they had a free eval in our home. She qualified and recieved free(!) OT and feeding therapy once a week for awhile.

[Serenity Now]

I am starting to think my ds fits here also. As a baby he weaned very early, and very suddenly. One day he nursed the next he refused and never nursed again. Currently he will only eat berries, cocoa puffies cereal (don't shoot me), and bacon. If I give him cookies he will lick them but not eat them. Right now he's stuck on pomagranates, but my grocery store stopped carrying them, plus they give him a horrible diaper rash, like all berries. But for some reason all he wants to eat are berries. Today he had 1/4 c of cocoa puffies for breakfast, and half a banana for lunch. Yesterday he had bacon for breakfast, and nothing else all day. He is still in the process of being evaluated for ASD and has a referral for sensory issues. He doesn't gag when eating, he just decides he doesn't like the look of his food and he won't eat it. I can tell he's losing weight, and I'm not sure what to do. He's always been picky, but the last few weeks it has reached a critical point. He's just not eating hardly anything. I have to limit his fruit because it makes his bottom bleed, but it's the only food he will eat any real amount of, besides bacon. He has another evaluation with the developmentalist at the end of next month. Should I try to make an appointment with his Ped sooner? I'm sure they'll just tell me that all kids are picky, and he'll eat if he's hungry. Sigh.

[kchoffmann]

I'm assuming most everyone here knows of this, but just in case there's someone who doesn't -

Just Take a Bite is a great book for food aversions.

[*~Member~*]

Hi everyone. We don't deal with Feeding aversions. But more like allergies to everything. Raeden can't have soy, dairy, eggs, or wheat. She is currently living off of Neocate Infant which she will be on till she's two. Any solids in her stomach leads to hours of painful wretching or screaming.

We're currently off all meds because on January 4th she is having an Endoscopy and PH Probe done. Hopefully that will shed some light on the situation or help us step forward with her

[sbgrace]

Candace hugs to you. Please don't beat yourself up with the pediasure thing. You do what is best for him. Growing is the priority right now and you are making that possible. When I have tried to cut the high calorie drinks on my son he fell off the growth curve. Serenity now--will he drink anything at all that you could hide some calories and protein in?

[fiddlefern]

Today was a GREAT food day for my ng-tube fed 2.5 year old. here's what he ate:

2 tablespoons strawberry yogurt
1 tablespoon cream cheese (he calls it cream cheese and carrots, but he just uses the carrot as a scoop)
1.5 oreos
2 cashews
half an ounce of water

Before we got the tube, so many people told me that kids will eat when they get hungry enough. That's only true for healthy eaters. It's so nice to chat with other mamas who understand that.

It's also nice to be around other moms who want SO much to be feeding their kids vitamin-filled foods, and healthy fats, and yet end up rejoicing when their kid will eat an oreo. Sigh.

[PumpkinSeeds]

Kerry, thanks for the book recommendation. I have not heard of that book.

Melissa, my son also had multiple food allergies that made it even worse trying to find something to feed him. He's 5.5 now and he can tolerate a bit of milk if it is "processed or cooked" like yogurt or milk cooked into the oatmeal. He still can't drink plain milk straight.

Fiddlefern, I know exactly what you mean, when I discovered that my son would eat fishsticks, I was so happy that he ate something with protein in it. Also, I wish my son would eat cookies, because I have looked at cookie recipes and have rationalized the nutritional benefits of milk, butter and eggs in the cookie recipes.

Everyone else,

[Strong Mama]

My son eats high fat EVERYTHING. He wants cookies for breakfast, he gets them. Milkshakes from mcdonalds on a whim? Yep. I do everything I can to get him what he wants to eat, and when he does eat something that he normally does not, even if it is a snickers bar, I am so so happy!

[USAmma]

Nitara's back on 100% tube feeds due to flu, ear infection, and bad cough. Thank goodness for the little portable pump we have for her. She can only tolerate 30ml/hr and that with a little spit up. She went about 4 days getting around 300 calories. She has lost a pound. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about-- thanks to a life with the tube she's a very healthy weight and can afford to lose a bit. AND she has kept herlself hydrated through this. Which is huge!!

[PumpkinSeeds]

Oh Nitara, I hope you feel better soon.

[zaviersmomma]

I haven't heard of that book either, thanks for the post! Z ate one oz. of a bottle the other day without any gagging and little coaching. Also just discovered his like/tolerance for guacamole! So hurray a food that he won't cough out or spit!

[fiddlefern]

Hope Nitara feels better soon!

I too am thankful for the tube when L gets really sick! (We used to have to get hospitalized for dehydration, now we can keep him hydrated).

Transitions- if only I knew people IRL that understood how exciting it was when L first ate a Snickers! Sigh. So hard eat all organics while I'm pregnant with #2 but have to compromise for L.

Zaviersmom- how EXCITING that he likes guac! Talk about a healthy high-cal food! That's wonderful.

Pumpkinseeds- I keep hoping that someday L will like oatmeal raisin cookies as much as I do.