The Preemie Perspective: 7 Things You Should Know About Me and Feeding

7 things you should know about me:

  1. I’m new at this feeding thing and I need your kind and skilled support.
  1. I try to tell you when I’m ready to eat and when I’m finished, overwhelmed, or tired, but I can’t talk in words yet. Thanks for taking the time to know me and speak up for me.
  1. I do not like to be force fed. Oh, and it’s scary and hard to swallow every single second if I’m breathing more than once a second.
  1. I like it best when my family feeds me. (But you’re not so bad yourself.)
  1. I love to hang out with you when you hold me during my tube feedings.
  1. I think that kangaroo stuff is awesome. Thanks for always finding the right chair and dragging it over.
  1. I am thankful for all of the positive experiences you provide. With any luck, I’m going to enjoy this feeding thing for the rest of my life.

Sincerely,

Gus
AKA former 24 6/7 weeker, day of life 70 (Do they speak this jargon outside the NICU too?)