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If your babies were born prematurely, chances are good they'll need to spend some time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
As a parent, it can be difficult to walk into the NICU, make your way to your newborns' cribs, and see there are various wires connected to them to monitor their vital stats.
Among the accoutrements that weren't adhered to your babies mere moments ago when they arrived in the delivery room might be a feeding tube.
What is a feeding tube?
Feeding tubes are life-saving interventions for people of all ages, including babies who are born prematurely and are too small or weak to get enough nutrition from the breast or bottle, have trouble coordinating their sucking and swallowing functions, have issues with their throat, esophagus, or bowel, or breathe too hard or too fast to eat safely.
According to the Feeding Tube Foundation, there are approximately three million people (of all ages) worldwide who are living with a feeding tube. Of those, about 100,000 are children.
Many people live with feeding tubes for different reasons, but the common denominator is that they are unable to eat normally or can't get enough calories that way.
When newborns are unable to eat on their own, gavage feeding tubes come into play. These tubes are often purple to denote a feeding tube that goes directly into the gastrointestinal tract.
This method of feeding can supply all of the nutritional needs, or they supplement bottle or breast feedings by delivering breastmilk or formula directly to your baby's stomach.
The tube is placed through the baby's nose or mouth and goes into the stomach.
When a tube is inserted into the nose, it's called a nasogastric (or NG) tube. When it's inserted into the mouth, it's called an orogastric (or OG) tube.
Why does my baby need a feeding tube?
Twins and higher-order multiples tend to arrive earlier than anticipated, and the more premature a baby is, the more complications they may face.
Some of the medical issues that premature babies battle as they strive to meet developmental milestones include a low birth weight, which can lead to trouble with temperature regulation and lung and breathing problems.
Other obstacles you may run into with your little ones include issues with dips in their blood oxygen saturation or with keeping their feeds down.
When they can't keep their feeds down or get enough calories on their own, feeding tubes can become integral to their care.
What challenges do patients who require a feeding tube deal with?
Those who are living with a feeding tube face difficulties as a result of this medically necessary intervention.
Some babies, like ours, dislike the feeling of the tubing (who can blame them?!) and will rip the tube out of their body—repeatedly. The feeding tube then needs to be reinserted before the next feed takes place.
While, as a parent, you never want to see your sweet babies in discomfort, you have to be sure they're getting proper nutrition, so a feeding tube can be necessary in certain situations.
Beyond the uncomfortable feeling of the tube, the medical tape that's used to keep a feeding tube in place can irritate a baby's sensitive skin and cause redness where it's adhered.
Our twins dealt with red patches on their cheeks and had to have the tube placement alternated from left to right to minimize their discomfort.
While it may feel unpleasant at times, tube feeding can help your little ones grow and become strong enough to be able to eat on their own, which means they're getting closer to being able to come home.
How long will my baby need a feeding tube?
Navigating the unknown with your preemies can be nerve-racking.
Time spent in the neonatal intensive care unit can be scary and stressful (you can read all about that, here). It can seem like there's no end in sight.
But the things that happen in the NICU are life-changing for the often-premature patients and their proud, new parents, who wait anxiously to find out when their children will be strong enough to come home.
Every newborn's situation is different, even with twins who are born at the same gestation. One sibling may need a feeding tube longer than their counterpart. It all depends on their development and the progress they make individually.
Part of the threshold for qualifying to graduate from the NICU is how much milk or formula your baby is taking in.
For premature babies who won't take a bottle or breast, can't keep their feeds down, or are just too plain tired to stay awake long enough to finish a feed, gavage feeding becomes part of the daily routine.
When they get too tired to finish breastfeeding or bottle feeding, the remainder of their feed is given by gavage to ensure they get the right number of calories for their size and to promote proper weight gain.
Everyone's experience will differ depending on how premature their babies are and what additional complications each baby has to deal with.
What happens after my baby no longer needs a feeding tube?
When your newborns have to stay in the NICU, every day is aimed at the progress they make.
Every milestone, no matter how big or small, is a cause for celebration and prompts the question of how much further they have to go. Of when you can start a countdown to hometime.
No longer requiring a feeding tube is an important step toward graduating from the NICU.
Once your babies are able to get enough calories on their own, they will no longer need their respective feeding tubes.
From there, your babies may need to check off a few other milestone markers, but no matter how long it takes, nothing beats the moment you find out your wee, little warriors get to come home.
...just because they no longer need a feeding tube doesn't mean feeding time will be a breeze.
When you get settled in with your babies at home, be prepared; just because they no longer need a feeding tube doesn't mean feeding time will be a breeze.
It will be messy. You may be dealing with reflux issues or, if you're lucky, "just a few" spit-ups (times two).
While your children are still learning to coordinate their sucking and swallowing functions, some of the milk or formula from their bottle may go rogue, leak out of their lips, and end up in their neck folds (incredibly important note: this smell can be imprinted in your soul if you don't remember to regularly clean these areas after every feed and let them air out).
Milk or formula can spill onto the sweet, little sleepers they're sporting, leak onto your lap as you feed your little ones, or fall onto the floor while you try to get through a bottle and wonder how many milliliters they're actually taking in.
The amount of burp cloths you'll burn through over the first few months with your twins is incredible. It's worth investing in some high-quality, super-absorbent ones that'll serve you well.
We loved these ones from Keababies. They're soft, amazingly absorbent, and have unbelievably cute patterns.
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Keababies 5-Pack Muslin Bamboo Burp Cloths
Super Soft & Absorbent Burp Cloths
These muslin burp cloths are 70 percent viscose derived from bamboo and 30 percent cotton. With eight layers of fabric, they are ultra absorbent and incredibly soft.
They also have these fantastic organic baby bandana drool bibs that can soak up milk, formula, and drool to help prevent rashes that can irritate your babies' sensitive skin.
They come in an array of cute colors that work with any ensemble, whether it's their outfit-of-the-day or jammies that slay.
You can read more about why we love these bibs, here.
Fed is best
There are many ways your babies can be fed when they're born. Usually, this includes breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination of the two.
But when your newborns are unable to get enough calories in through regular feeding methods, they can require a feeding tube in order to gain weight.
Tube feeding can supply all of a baby's nutritional needs or it can supplement bottle or breast feedings by delivering additional calories directly to the baby's stomach to help with weight gain.
Your babies will no longer need their feeding tubes once they can get enough calories on their own.
Did your children need feeding tubes when they were born? How long did they need this medical intervention for? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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