Happy birthday, Kate!

Happy birthday, Kate!

DUDE. Up TWO mornings in a row early. Good early, not "oh, fuck!" early, and I already have the bed made and a load of laundry in. (Yes, this is not remarkable, but I have been in a looooong Slough of Despond, Illness and Back Pain, so it's like a friggin' miracle.)

Wow, end of October weather here is being WEIRD. It's 7:40 and it's 70 degrees. Nice, but...WTF?

Is a breast milk allergy a true allergy (immune response), or a symptom of an underdeveloped GI tract? Just curious because it seems so counterintuitive!

He was 30 weeks, Jessica. He had an intrauterine growth restriction, so his size belies his gestational age. None of his systems were that underdeveloped--his brain is awesome, he was never on a respirator and his GI tract seems to be in order. The only issue he had was some reflux.

Jessica, I have known plenty of babies for which it is both. Even an underdeveloped GI tract will usually allow breast milk unless there is a true allergy. They baby might just have gastroparesis or slow emptying. Depends.

Noah was 6 lbs when he came home at 3 months and gained pretty slowly. Preeemies can be small. Even now, Grace and Noah are still tiny. Oh well.

Two ideas for Reece:

1. Add coconut oil to everything. I mean EVERYTHING, including formula. Coconut oil is awesome with the calories and surprisingly easily tolerated. I am sure some kids are allergic to coconut oil, but in all the tubies I know, I haven't found one. Flax oil is another good oil, but has higher allergy rates. Ditto avocado oil.

2. I think formula is way harder to digest than real food, especially the crazy "elemental" formulas. But if he's not vomitting, I wouldn't sweat it too much. It's the reflux issue that is maddening. She could ask the pediatrician for duocal which is a calorie increaser.

We had a feed schedule much like Reece's and it was hard. But it came with meds too. Noah's bottles were terrible looking because of the iron and the everything else. But he was trooper and drank it anyhow.

I'd also say her pediatric specialist is well-intentioned but adding extra stress to mom is bullshit. Preemies are preemies. If they are growing then don't get hung up on the curve. Does this specialist have lots of preemie patients?

Reflux is supposed to go away around month 6-9. Does he still have it? Is he vomitting daily? Multiple times a day? On prevacid?

Y'know, I'm trying to not post political stuff on FB (largely because everyone on my friends list knows my views), but I really think I need to post this: [link] Because comics say things so well.

Yeah, that's about right.

oh, I just had to fact check someone at work who decided to talk politics with me.

I don't understand how this is still only Wednesday.