I think I’ve mentioned before just how much I loathe feeding therapy. Physical therapy is one thing – I’m just trying to get Ellie stronger and more coordinated, so we have our exercises that we do until she gets tired or cranky. No big deal. Feeding therapy is a much more delicate balance. Her gag reflex has been so sensitive for the last 10 months, I have to very very gently try to push her out of her comfort zone. But push too hard or too fast and I risk making it even worse and setting us back even farther.
We started trying pureed baby food when she was about six months old. It was… not well liked. From time to time she would sorta kinda tolerate it, but one false move and we’d have a two-minute gagging fest. To give you a sense of what I mean when I say “trying,” I mean I would just dip the tip of my pinky finger into the baby food, so that it was barely damp with applesauce. Then I would try to put my sort-of-damp-with-pureed-apples finger near her mouth, maybe touch her lip, maybe touch the inside of her lip. Sometimes she’d allow it, sometimes she wouldn’t. And sometimes it would graze her tongue in the wrong way and she’d gag, hard, and that would be the end of that. And when I say “gag,” I mean she’d probably be puking if there weren’t surgical procedures preventing her from doing so.
So, yes. Trying to stay on top of feeding therapy is HUGELY demoralizing. As necessary as it is, I found myself loathe to do it. A month or two ago, our therapist suggested we try a teething biscuit. The theory being that it’s a food item, but it’s hard and not likely to come loose in her mouth, so it allows her to kind of experiment with it. That actually went alright – she’d poke it with her tongue, sometimes bite down on it. Except, once it got damp from the tongue-poking, and those darn teeth would scrape off the tiniest crumb that can barely be seen by the naked eye? Gag time, once again.
Still, things have been improving. She still experiments with the teething biscuit, and she’s been putting a lot of her toys into her mouth, so that helps quite a bit to do some oral desensitization. But those purees, ugh. I’d try them every now and then, but the gagging was just heartbreaking. I hated it as much as she did.
But we’ve got a feeding team appointment coming up, our first in a couple of months. Ever the last-minute homework kid, I decided I needed to at least be able to say we really tried the puree thing. So I tried again tonight.
She leaned in, opened her mouth, and poked my finger with her tongue.
And then she did it again.
And again.
A drop at a time from my finger, she kept letting me give her more. I didn’t have to trick her or sneak it in, I just held out my finger near her mouth. It got on her tongue, no problem. Inside of her cheek, no problem. No drooling, no spitting it back out, and not a single gag. Not even a face, other than a furrowed brow in concentration.
Over the course of dinner, I’d have to guess she got a grand total of, what, maybe 1/4 teaspoon? But damn, that was 1/4 teaspoon more than she has EVER taken, in five months of feeding therapy. And she did it willingly. Happily, even.
I am grateful for small miracles like this one. Very grateful.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jane recently posted..Disjointed
YAY!!! I am so happy for you. I can only imagine how amazing it felt to have her want to have it.
Hooray for progress!
Such amazing news!
Oh Goddess, I ADORE her sweet furrowed brow, and your delight in her success.
Moving forward, ever forward!
Cheryl recently posted..Makes My Monday: A Sacrificing Spouse
That’s fantastic news. So many great flavors await her. Keep up the good work!
Amanda recently posted..I Got a Fibber On My hands…
That’s so great Liz! A big yay from me too! I have been waiting for you to tell us this! She is too cute!
Yay! So so happy for you!!!
Hooray! I bet you both feel great after that!
nursenikkiknits recently posted..FO Friday #35 – My Husband’s Henley
Wahoo! Small miracles are great
So pleased for you.
How fantastic! I am so happy for you both
Thanks for sharing!
Go Ellie! Great news.
Woohoo!!!
Laura recently posted..Superhero!
Hooray!!
Pam recently posted..Memory Lane – The Third Year
Yay Ellie!!!!
Yey!!! Oh, I am so excited for you guys!!!!! keeping my fingers crossed that the progress continues.
I started crying when I read this. When I saw your tweet I teared up and wondered if you would post about it. This is a major success and so awesome for both of you! We struggle with food too…in a different way…but let me tell you that I might have cried in happiness for you as I read your post but I also stood up and did a happy dance for you too. Because we do happy dances in our house for therapy success! Happy Dance for you and for Ellie!
Ginger recently posted..Lost in January
That is awesome news and an awesome picture! I love it. Made my night, thanks for sharing!
Yay Ellie! Awesome News!
Amy recently posted..Test Results
That’s amazing! Way to go Ellie!!!
I really think you have to celebrate the victories, even when it comes at the same time as two steps backwards.
Wiley recently posted..I may be a genius
Hi
I’m mum to Ben and Freya who are 26 months and we live in London, England. I found your blog a little while ago and started reading from the lastest posts and then went back to when your kids were my age. Then I found myself reading all the posts in between – you are a very good writer and it is so good to hear the story of another twin mum and how your children are developing over time. It was strange reading your story kind of the wrong way round so reading your posts knowing more about the future than you did at the time. I’m so glad to hear that Ellie’s feeding is going so much better. Thank you for your lovely blog – please keep writing!
Emily
HOORAY FOR ELLIE! I’m practically tearing up over here for you – that’s awesome!!
WOOHOO!!!
I’m so happy for you! It feels great to see normal nearby, I know!
Yay!
Awesome! Way to go Ellie and Liz.
awesome upon awesome news
HeatherV recently posted..Turning a Corner and Finding Some Wood
Hooray! Totally awesome!
Huge Happy Dance over here for you guys! I am so glad you decided to get some of that last minute homework completed and tried it
I actually got teared up reading your post. Does that mean I am a sap?