We've always had feeding issues with Claire. Since she was 3 months old we've been dealing with reflux and fighting bottles. When she was a mere 6 pounds we were able to, literally, force feed her. And we did. We did for almost a year. It was hell. She cried, we cried. But it had to be done. Then she turned one and we took the bottle away and poof, things improved. She was eating all table food and was eating a big variety of different things. We were finally settling into a somewhat "normal" lifestyle as far as eating was concerned. We cooked and Claire ate what we ate. We went out to dinner and she ate off of our plates. It was nice and relaxing and somewhat stress-free. You all know eating out with a 15 month old has its own stresses in itself - is the high chair covered? is the table wiped down with antibacterial wipes? do we have the toys attached so that they don't hit the floor and thus, become unusable again? Is there a 2 foot space in front of her so that she can't possible spill ANYTHING? Those stresses. But the actual FOOD was not one.
About 13-14 months we started to see some changes. She started preferring some foods over others, which is completely normal at that age, as her taste buds were changing and developing. But it was more than that. We would put food on her tray and she would use her index finger to push on it. If the food gave in in any way, she screamed and shoved it away. She only wanted things that were hard or crunchy. Her food choices were slowly and slowly narrowing down. We were constantly trying to find new things that she would eat to give her some variety and to make sure she was eating a balanced diet. The months went by and more and more foods were being eliminated, by her, from her diet. She would scream and throw tantrums when a food was on her plate that she didn't want. She refused to eat anything at that point.
She got sick and lost 5 ounces, and when you're only 22 pounds, that's a lot.
Ryan and I were at our breaking point.
We met with Claire's GI doctor yesterday and she urged us to see the Feeding Team at St. L.ouis C.hildren's Hospital for sensory issues, amongst other things. They will evaluate her and watch her eat (or attempt to eat) a meal and see where we go from there. Dr. B said that therapy could be anywhere from 2-5 days a week, lasting 6 months to 2 years! I just need some help. I just need someone to watch her behavior and tell me exactly what to do. Because we've tried everything and I don't know what to do anymore.
We know that we are SO VERY blessed that Claire is here with us and healthy in so many other ways, but when it's your child who is going through this, it's the worst thing in the world. My heart just aches for the beautiful, innocent angel.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We have a long, tough road ahead of us...
