It’s been a year since Luke’s surgery to have his feeding tube placed. It was placed as a precaution in case we faced any issues post-surgery. However, spending the first nine months of his life vomiting with every bottle created strong oral aversions for him. He struggled to take full bottles, so we relied on his tube to help maintain the calories he needed to grow. When we finally introduced solids, it was apparent he needed intervention.
He started feeding therapy at about 10 months old. Those first few months were hard. I dreaded every visit and shed a lot of tears. His gag reflux was so strong that anytime he attempted a puree he would gag until he made himself sick. We spent weeks just getting him to chew on a spoon and play in a puree without vomiting. At the time it didn’t feel like we were getting anywhere. I wanted so badly for him to enjoy cake at his first birthday like every other toddler, but the time came and we just weren’t there.
At 14 months old (one year adjusted age) we needed to figure out the next steps in his diet. He needed to graduate from infant formula, and while he was making big strides in therapy, he was nowhere close to being able to eat enough to sustain himself. With the help of his doctor, we made the decision to switch to a toddler formula. Our plan was to continue in therapy. We hoped that the more proficient he became with eating we would be able to slowly wean him off formula. Unfortunately, a couple months into this new formula his eating began to regress, and his vomiting increased. We were at a loss. His doctor ordered a scope and an x-ray with dye to check his surgery sight both inside and out. Everything came back clear. We felt like the only next step was to change his diet.
The toddler drinks we were using just did not sit right with his belly. We decided to move to a blended diet, and that is exactly what it sounds like. We were taking regular foods and blending them up to a consistency that would push through his tube. This meant that we were completely relying on his tube until he learned to eat more by mouth. While I never wanted to rely completely on his tube it was clear that this was the best choice for him. He stopped vomiting, started gaining weight, and within a few weeks began to show interest in foods by mouth again.
Fast forward to today, he is 21 months old and eating like most toddlers. We have been able to cut back his tube usage to twice a day or less! We still have progress to make and there are still days that require the tube more, but he has come so far from the little boy who started feeding therapy a year ago. As a mom there have been many days with tears, frustration, and questioning “why” in this process of him learning to eat. While it has been hard, it has also made me so thankful for the mundane things of toddlerhood.
