Luka recently graduated from 'full top-ups' to 'half top-ups' during the day. While this might seem insignificant, to a little guy that is only 35-weeks gestation, this is like completing an Ivy League education at sixteen.
Basically, this means that instead of pumping him full of his necessary nutrition via gavage feeds at regular intervals, he is only given 1/2 his feeds, leaving him to breastfeed for the other half. The kicker is that he is weighed every day to make sure that he is progressing accordingly, and will be put back on full top-ups as soon as his progress is no longer satisfactory. The weight gain range for him is between 15-30g a day. So far, he has managed 25, 40 and 20g for the three days that we have attempted this. From here on, we will move to 'no top-ups' (i.e., 'demand breastfeeding') during the day, meaning I will be tied to the all-too familiar recliner, ready to try and feed him whenever he fusses. The challenge of course being that since he is still very premature, his signals are not as strong as that of a 'term' baby, and he needs his strength to keep growing, so we have to be careful that he does not exert more calories in trying to breastfeed, than he actually gains in the process - hence the daily weigh-ins.
With as much time as this little guy is spending on a scale these days, he might follow in his dad's footsteps as a collegiate wrestler yet.
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| Luka in full-on training mode... |
With as much time as this little guy is spending on a scale these days, he might follow in his dad's footsteps as a collegiate wrestler yet.
Oh no, my heart can't take watching any more wrestling matches!!
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