He Passed!!

Noah passed his swallow study!! HOORAYYYYYYY!!!

On Tuesday, I took Noah down to Maine Med to have his third modified barium swallow test (the first two were while he was still in the NICU). The swallow test was meant to check to see if he would still aspirate during oral feeds. I can not tell you how nervous I was; I just wanted so badly for him to pass so that he could finally know how freaking amazing eating is. (Seriously, eating is third on my list of favorite things to do, only behind cuddling with my family and sleeping.) And obviously, it would just make life so much easier for all of us. No more hauling around his feeding pump and pole, no more button in his belly, no more worrying about infection, etc. So after a little while in the waiting area, we were called in. They put a big led apron on me, and got Noah set up in front of the cameras that would take x-ray video of him (a little scary - how is it that if I need a big led apron to be in the room with him, that he can be plopped right in front of the x-ray machine with just his lap covered? But it had to be done, so what can you do?). I will say, it is very cool to watch x-ray video, and if it weren't for all that radiation, it would be fun to do at a party :o)

Anyway, I was prepared to make sure that Noah had the best possible chance for success. As soon as we were in there, I told the speech therapist who works with Noah that I wanted to start with a slow-flow nipple and thickened liquid, so that he could start out with the easiest settings. After all, we would certainly do the same thing at home with him, if that was the only way he could do it at first. Unfortunately, she explained that they couldn't start with thickened liquid because of the way the barium coats the throat - apparently it would make it difficult to see what was going on when they later tried unthickened liquid. And naturally, all she had with her was a regular flow bottle. But I came prepared, and whipped out the Dr. Brown's slow flow bottle I had brought from home, just in case that happened, and she agreed to use it. So I didn't get my way on the thickened liquid, but I did with the bottle, and I think that was probably more important anyway.

So when it was time to start, they gave me the bottle to try with him, and he just kept gagging over and over. I was so panicked that he was choking on the liquid, and I kept taking the bottle away every time he gagged, but they could see clearly on the video that he wasn't even getting any liquid yet, so he wasn't choking. I think because the liquid was cold, the nipple was too, and he didn't like the feel of it in his mouth, and that was causing the choking. At that point I was really nerved up, and I didn't want to make it stressful for him, so I let the technician that was there take over, while I watched with the speech therapist and the nurse practitioner. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as she took over, he took off!! He did fantastic, and it was so amazing to watching the barium flow down his esophagus, never once leaking into his windpipe. I was so nervous the whole time, wringing my hands and dancing from foot to foot. I didn't need to worry though, because he did it perfectly, and we were given the o.k. to start trying a bottle with him once or twice a day with just 10-20 cc's, to get him used to it. On the 21st, I'll be taking him to the feeding clinic where we will work one on one with speech, p.t., and o.t. to come up with a timeline and goals for him. So exciting!

The next day, Darren and I took him to the pediatrician's. He needed two more vaccines plus the first round of his flu shot. The nurse went really fast, but he still cried and was so upset. But as soon as the nurse finished and I picked him up to rock him, he calmed right down. Sweet little guy :o) And on a brighter note, he weighed 12 lbs 12 oz and was 24 inches long! The doctor was very pleased and said that we were doing a great job with him, and that he was catching up very quickly. So far he is right on target with his developmental milestones too, when you take into account his adjusted age! When he had the button put in and we were finally able to start doing tummy time again, you could tell that he had really regressed with his neck strength and head control, and I was sooo upset. But we have been working on it everyday, and he is back up to where he was when we left the NICU. It's so exciting to see how much he changes, grows, and improves everyday!