Feeding Team Consultation

Yesterday we had our much anticipated Feeding Team consultation. We had to bring a couple different foods Olivia likes to eat, so we brought with us La Creme and graham crackers. Thats about the only two things we know she will eat. Everything else is trial and error and usually ends up with a gag then throw up. So, we met with 7 different people, all who are part of the "team". Three women sat in and talked with us while Olivia ate. They watched how much she ate, if she can feed herself (which she does) and we explained to them what she typically eats in a day. We also explained how she shoves her hand down her throat, gags, then regurgitates whatever she is trying to eat.

The dietician gave us some pointers to get her to eat more calories during the day (so she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night hungry). She suggest we put heavy cream into her food, dip different foods into ranch dressing or anything that will give it a "kick" and to add butter, margarine etc...to the foods she trys to eat. She also suggested a multi-vitamin crushed up and put into her first bite of yogurt. So, I went to the store today and got the heavy cream and ranch dressing, but I forgot to get the vitamins.

All 7 of them agreed she is developmentally above and beyond a 13 month old. In fact, she is more devlopmentally like an 18 month old! They also said that she is a very good weight and height! 18 lbs 6 oz and 27 1/2 inches long. They looked at both Matt and myself and said to me "You look tall" and they said Matt looks "short" and that she is leaning towards the short side of the gene pool! Which we already knew. With all that said, they are recommending Occupational Therapy to get her to eat more. Its that next step of chewing her food and swallowing it. Rather than chewing it, storing it , then spitting it back out! The pediatrician who met with us said this is VERY normal and common with toddlers her age to not chew food. The entire visit made me feel so much better about everything. They commended us for doing an early interventioon and nipping this in the bud now rather than waiting a year or two.

I mentioned that a girl from my work, her baby eats anything and everything and is 15 months old. I told her she will eat two hot dogs in one sitting or 4 mini cheeseburgers in one sitting and the pediatrician said that her baby has the nutritional problem, not Olivia. Apparently, recent studies have found toddlers and babies who do eat a lot usually have other problems going on and its not necessarily a "good" thing for a baby to eat SO much in one sitting. She mentioned to me that I probably think Olivia doesn't eat much at all through the day. Which, I don't. I don't know where she gets her energy! She reassured me and told me that toddlers don't need a lot to keep themselves fueled and energized during the day and that Olivia is getting the nutrition her body needs.

It was a lot of information to take in and I know I am forgetting some things that we were told, but I am excited to start occupational therapy. The best part is the therapist will come to our house! We will probably go to an outpatient facility too, but it will be so nice to have her learning to eat in the comfort of our own home. I will be receiving a call in about a week to set up our first session. I'll keep you all informed on how it goes!