Failure to Thrive

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05:24 pm January 29th, 2008

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			Failure to Thrive - Karen's Musings Random Rambling

estherchaya


	Failure to Thrive
	Ellie is officially "failing to thrive". She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces on January 4th. She weighed 7 pounds 8.4 ounces on January 22nd. We spent a full week adding extra calories to any expressed breast milk (EBM) bottles she received (3-4 per day while I'm at work, none on the weekend), and pushing feedings every 3 hours during the day. Today she weighed... 7 pounds 8.4 ounces. So we're going to do a trial of Zantac, knowing that it probably won't help because she's not showing ANY of the classic signs of reflux except for failure to gain weight, but also knowing it won't hurt either. And she has an appointment tomorrow with a pediatric gastroenterologist who will hopefully have some more answers for us (though I'm not counting on it). My poor, tiny Ellie. Tags: parenthood

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	From: ailsaek	Date: January 29th, 2008 10:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

What's Ellie's Hebrew name again? I'll ask morning minyan to daven for her.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:05 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks. It's Eliana Miriam bas Esther Chaya.

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	From: marag	Date: January 29th, 2008 10:47 pm (UTC)		(Link)

::hugs:: I'll ask my mother and MIL to pray for her. Avi and I will think "grow, baby, grow" really really hard in her direction :)

I hope the doctor has some ideas.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:06 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks. Here's hoping.

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	From: kalki	Date: January 29th, 2008 10:56 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Miss Ellie is in my prayers! GROW BABY GROW!

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:09 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks so much!

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	From: skatured	Date: January 29th, 2008 10:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

She doesn't cry alot? I think that was our main key...that and of course Morella was gaining weight so slowly and it kept falling. I am anxious to find out how much she'll gain tomorrow, it will be a full 16 days since the last weigh in.

But I know how you feel. I was crushed. I hope you get answers tomorrow -- I'll be thinking of Ellie.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)

she almost NEVER cries.

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	From: either_or	Date: January 29th, 2008 10:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

*HUG*

i'm thinking about you all and hoping the doctor tomorrow will have a good idea!

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:09 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks. Here's hoping!

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	From: gnomi	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:50 pm (UTC)		(Link)

::hugs::

She and all of you are in my thoughts and prayers.

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	From: magid	Date: January 29th, 2008 11:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Keeping her in my thoughts and prayers.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

thank you very much

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	From: yeishlitikvah	Date: January 30th, 2008 12:07 am (UTC)		(Link)

Awww poor Ellie-bell.

grow grow grow :sending messages telepathetically:

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

thanks

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From: have_inner_lady	Date: January 30th, 2008 12:11 am (UTC)		(Link)

Sending prayers, hope for quickly effective solutions, and relief/gratitude that all three babies are otherwise doing so well.

There must be an answer. She is growing in length and head circumference, we have wonderful medicine and science, and you are very good at following directions!

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I'm sure she'll be fine. We have all sorts of positive signs with her, particularly the head circumference. My concern is the long-term effect of not growing, which is why we're trying to jump on this now rather than continuing to wait. If she's not growing, something's wrong, and if it continues, she could deteriorate. Fortunately, my doctor didn't make me be the aggressive one... he jumped on it.

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	From: hannahsarah	Date: January 30th, 2008 12:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

Oh my, I'll be davening like crazy for your little Ellie.

Come on kiddo, you've made it this far!

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:36 pm (UTC)		(Link)

She's not in any imminent danger. She's otherwise doing just fine and developing appropriately neurologically speaking. But her lack of growth IS cause for alarm, so we're trying to move on it as quickly as possible. Thank you for keeping Ellie in your tefilos.

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	From: chite	Date: January 30th, 2008 12:49 am (UTC)		(Link)

*hugs* to you and also to Ellie.

Micah had none of the symptoms of reflux and yet he had reflux. We did not find out until after the FTT diagnosis. He was born at 7,7 and went down to 6,3 in the first 10 days of life and did not regain birth weight until 5 weeks. I know your babe is in a different situation, but she's about that size now.

I know that no one wants to hear "I tried this" but here goes. Micah really benefited from skin to skin contact with at least 3 hours a day with just a diaper against me with no shirt, wrapped in a wrap sling. I know she can't nurse (which is why most people star the skin to skin), but even just the skin to skin has been shown in many cases to help FTT babies to start growing.

Best of luck.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:16 am (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks. Ellie is the one who DOES nurse (quite well), so she gets a lot of skin-to-skin time. Hopefully it really IS as simple as reflux and the Zantac will clear it right up. Otherwise, I'm sure we'll figure it out sooner or later.

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	From: ellipticcurve	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:10 am (UTC)		(Link)

Awww, poor l'il mite. Here's hoping she makes like a seed and sprouts.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:37 pm (UTC)		(Link)

here's hoping. :)

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	From: zis770	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:29 am (UTC)		(Link)

Oh darn! I was worried when I read your last post. I will also daven for her and keep her in mind and hope you find the reason soon! There's also the elemental formulas which are apparently euchy but really help tiny babies pack on the lbs. Aharon Mordechai was taking that a bit in the hospital. Keep growing everyone including Ellie!!!

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It's just weird, because it's clearly not an issue with my milk because Sam and Abby are HUGE comparatively. And it's not an issue with her ability to get milk from me, because we have weighed her before and after feedings and she's been getting an average of 3 oz per feeding (which is what she gets from a bottle). And the weirder part is that increasing her feeds and increasing the number of calories in her milk (we fortified her EBM bottles to 22 calories all last week) made absolutely no difference.

It just doesn't make any sense.

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	From: cellio	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:51 am (UTC)		(Link)

Ouch. I hope you get some answers soon. She is in my prayers.

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thank you. It's much appreciated.

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	From: rlitterst	Date: January 30th, 2008 02:23 am (UTC)		(Link)

You've got our prayers too. *hug*

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	From: estherchaya	Date: January 30th, 2008 01:46 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thank you.

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