Grow Baby Grow -Update on Jaxton - 6 weeks

Since I last posted, we have mainly been dealing with Jaxton's slow growth.  He was born at 6lbs 8 oz.  At 5 weeks he was only 6lbs 11 oz. 

At 5 weeks the doctor talked about the possibility of a feeding tube or hospitalization if we could not see some considerable weight gain.  2 doctors looked at him that day.  He has an unusually high palate, a somewhat tight tongue and basically like an overbite - all 3 together have made it hard for him to suck effectively.  The only thing that they could do something about was his tongue, so she finally clipped it (very easy - he didn't bleed or cry much at all).  He was staying latched on,  all those weeks, and nursing for about 1 hour each time, so I thought he was eating enough, but he wasn't actually sucking in such a way to get much milk (I had no idea).  Because of his lack of consumption, I also lost a lot of my milk supply.  Those first 5 weeks he also couldn't suck a bottle.

After clipping his tongue he was finally able to drink out of a bottle much better, but he still wasn't nursing any better.  I have started pumping and feeding him with a bottle and supplementing with formula.  Last Thursday, at 6 weeks, he gained 4 oz. so he was still under 7 lbs.  That is more than he ever gained in a week, but still the doctors wanted to see 6 or 7 oz.  They said they would give him one more week hopefully to learn how to use his "new" tongue to suck better.  We are really praying for a big weight increase at his appointment this Thursday. 

He continues to be such a sweetie and rarely cries, but of course he still is held most of the time. Josiah just loves to hold him for long periods of time and Jaxton is really content with him. The other boys all love to hold him too, but just for a few minutes at a time. JJ and Joshua kiss him all over his head and tell him secrets. 

Watch this tiny guy surprise us and end up being our 6' 4" 250 lb football player :).