Sunchimes 07:25 PM 02-26-2015
I know that some of you here have children with g-buttons. My daycare baby is having a problem, and we thought someone might have found a solution. She is 11 months (8 adjusted) and weighs between 12 and 13 pounds. She has always had trouble keeping her feedings down, and we recently learned the reason. She has a tummy capacity of 2.5 ounces.
So, we have a feeding plan etc, but here is where your experience might help. She is a very active sleeper. She is all over the bed all night long. Part of the feeding plan is having her hooked up to the pump and doing a constant drip all night. For safety reasons, mom can't allow much slack in the tubing, but as she wiggles all over the bed, it gets pulled out. She has tried a belly band and tape. Sometimes tape will hold, but that isn't a long term solution, it does bad things to her skin over time. She is too old to swaddle now. Has anyone else had this problem and did you find a solution?
Controlled Chaos 09:30 PM 02-26-2015
Poor little bug. My nephew was on a pump, but was off it before he was a real mover. The belly band was my only thought, but seems you already tried that. I am afraid all I can think of is treating it like newborn feedings at night, taking LO off the pump and manually going in to do a feeding every few hours at night. Sorry I don't have more ideas. I will ask my SIL this weekend and see if she has any friends who have dealt with this.
laundrymom 03:55 AM 02-27-2015
I have a really great friend who I messaged about this. Here is her response. Her daughter is 17 now so advice might be against current policies but her daughter has cfc and her experience would fill volumes.
f the baby is a wiggler, depending on how big she is, this might be something to try - we put cam in a boppy pillow in her crib, so her head was elevated a bit, butt down in the part that would go around you if you were nursing. Does that make sense? kind of like a bean bag chair and then all her onsies & jammies had a hole cut right where the button is, and we'd put a piece of med tape on the extension tube, then safety pin that to the pj's, no tape on baby & no skin breakdown...
Controlled Chaos 10:15 AM 02-27-2015
Reply from SIL
I guess it depends on a few things.
If the tubing from the feeding pump bag is coming disconnected from the extension tube, there's a product called the AMT Clamp that she can get from her home health company.
If the extension tubing is coming off the button, I suggest a belly band and then a onesie on top. Thread the extension tube out the leg.
If the button itself is coming out, try the belly band/onesie combo. Check the water level in the button. If that doesn't work, check with the surgeon to see if the button is still the right size.
Sunchimes 10:50 AM 02-27-2015
Thanks everyone. Even though she is tiny, she's strong. The boppy quit containing her weeks ago. Last night she duct taped the tubing to her diaper, and it stayed in. We are thinking about cutting a tiny hole in a snug fitting onesie, then taping over the onesie.
Mom said the belly band didn't work when they used it in the hospital.
It is coming off of the button, not disconnected.
As I understand it, her tube has a ball on it, not the balloon. We are thinking it may need changed because it keeps popping open during the day.
Thanks everyone.