rainrshine
09-09-2012, 11:46 AM
Short background: This baby was found last Sunday and the people who found him tried to help and fed esbilac (canned) and water but he was kept outside without heat. He was one of 3 babies but the other two passed within hours of me getting them Monday morning. I am guessing he was about 3+ weeks old which makes him 4, maybe 4 1/2 weeks now.
He started as a starving, dehydrated, and freezing baby with little chance for survival. He had severe diarrhea and was literally sleeping in his own feces while staying cold and sick. I'm not sure of his initial weight but I know from the pics I have taken he was probably under 40 grams.
I have been caring for him around the clock all week and went from pedialyte every hour (very small amounts) then increased as tolerated to two, then three for 24 hours. Then I used the esbilac watered down initially and slowly switched to the goat milk formula. He perked up and was eagerly taking his goat milk formula every 3 hours with only one case of diarrhea which we quickly got under control with another round of pedialyte over a couple feedings.
Yesterday, we began the transition to Fox Valley and as of 3 am we are now at 50/50 gm/fv. He is eagerly eating between 2.75 and 3.0 cc's every three hours. He would eat more but this is where my concern comes in. Since the transition started, I noticed the milk band is still visible after 3 hours and I don't want him bloated. I'm not sure whether to continue the smaller feedings of say 2.5 cc's every 3 hours or do 3.5 cc's every 4 hours. If I feed more than 3 cc's at a meal he is very bloated but it's not hard, just tight and soft at the same time if that sounds logical!
He is up to 60 grams and was 50 two days ago so I know he's thriving. So whats the best practice here? Smaller and more often for feedings or larger and less frequently?
Another issue I have is mixing the Fox Valley. I use bottled spring water, heated, to mix my 24 hour supply. At only 50/50 gm/fv I notice the sediment ring around the glass measuring cup (two tbl) I use for each feeding. I do not microwave the formula for feeding. I use a 2 cup glass measuring cup with heated water and set the small measure cup inside to heat the formula. When feeding is over, the formula cup has that awful sediment on it's sides and I'm worried that if the FV is that heavy and sticky it will build up inside the little man.
I mix the days supply thorough several times before adding the GM and refrigeration. Still, the sediment just seems to always be there. Is this normal?
He started as a starving, dehydrated, and freezing baby with little chance for survival. He had severe diarrhea and was literally sleeping in his own feces while staying cold and sick. I'm not sure of his initial weight but I know from the pics I have taken he was probably under 40 grams.
I have been caring for him around the clock all week and went from pedialyte every hour (very small amounts) then increased as tolerated to two, then three for 24 hours. Then I used the esbilac watered down initially and slowly switched to the goat milk formula. He perked up and was eagerly taking his goat milk formula every 3 hours with only one case of diarrhea which we quickly got under control with another round of pedialyte over a couple feedings.
Yesterday, we began the transition to Fox Valley and as of 3 am we are now at 50/50 gm/fv. He is eagerly eating between 2.75 and 3.0 cc's every three hours. He would eat more but this is where my concern comes in. Since the transition started, I noticed the milk band is still visible after 3 hours and I don't want him bloated. I'm not sure whether to continue the smaller feedings of say 2.5 cc's every 3 hours or do 3.5 cc's every 4 hours. If I feed more than 3 cc's at a meal he is very bloated but it's not hard, just tight and soft at the same time if that sounds logical!
He is up to 60 grams and was 50 two days ago so I know he's thriving. So whats the best practice here? Smaller and more often for feedings or larger and less frequently?
Another issue I have is mixing the Fox Valley. I use bottled spring water, heated, to mix my 24 hour supply. At only 50/50 gm/fv I notice the sediment ring around the glass measuring cup (two tbl) I use for each feeding. I do not microwave the formula for feeding. I use a 2 cup glass measuring cup with heated water and set the small measure cup inside to heat the formula. When feeding is over, the formula cup has that awful sediment on it's sides and I'm worried that if the FV is that heavy and sticky it will build up inside the little man.
I mix the days supply thorough several times before adding the GM and refrigeration. Still, the sediment just seems to always be there. Is this normal?