More Good news

Thanks be to God. All the doctors and therapists that interact with Claire have said that she is developing normally. We are thrilled and relieved. We are thankful for the prayers of friends and family. I sometimes call Claire my miracle baby :).

The ocupational therapist came today to evaluate Claire. She said that Claire doesn't need any occupational therapy since she has good muscle tone and sucking skills. The therapist said she doesn't show any signs of having a brain bleed and seems normal. It was fun watching Claire interact with her as she showed Claire a bright rattle toy and Claire tracked the toy side to side and up and down. She also observed Claire eating (at the breast with the shield and with the bottle) and suggested various things. She felt Claire's suck and said that she has the skills and should be able to breastfeed. (HURRAY!) I need to keep her awake at the breast and entice her to persist in getting started until the milk starts flowing. She suggestred pulling Claire closer and working with the lactation consultant in order to wean Claire off the nipple shield.

Claire has been really impatient for her feeds the past several days. When I tried to put her to the breast without the shield for the therapist she screamed. When I use the SNS she gets mad if the milk flow slows down. Claire usually will take the breast while a bottle is heating up but starting in the wee hours of the morning she wouldn't. She didn't take the breast at all today.

At some point in the last couple weeks she started getting fussy during burping sessions... now she starts screaming and arching and throwing a fit when we take the bottle out of her mouth to burp her. I've been letting her have more than an ounce at a time and burping her when she's a little more satisfied but then she usually has some spit up.

Today I tried several times to put her to the breast with and without the nipple sheild and she did the same screaming fit complete with tears and turning red as soon as I put the breast to her mouth. This was very frustrating and saddening. I don't know why she was acting this way. I made an appointment to see the lactation consultant on Monday afternoon.

I wrote this 9:30 Friday evening and was unable to post it till now due to flaky internet connection.