First of all I hope everyone had a beautiful blessed Thanksgiving!!
When we first brought Mel home from the NICU she had a AMT Mini-One Gbutton and she received a bolus feeding every 3 hours day and night. In February 2017 Mel was converted to a Mic-Key GJ Tube. At this point she was on continuous feeds for 20 hours a day. Both of these ways of feeding can be tricky when out of your comfort zone! These are my tips for feeds on the go!
Here is a list of things I always pack and handy things that make it all way easier!
Feeding Pump: Your will receive your child's feeding pump from the hospital before you leave and it will most likely be leased from you supply company. We were given the Infinity Orange Enteral Feeding Pump. This pump has an option for the food type and you can choose either breast milk or formula. When we came home from the NICU I was exclusively pumping for Mel and she was on my breast milk. We have also used the Blue Infinity pump and while it does not offer the option for food type, it worked for breast milk just fine! This pump is small, lightweight and does not have to be in an upright position to work. Some people are sent home with a Kangaroo Joey pump, unfortunately I am not familiar with that pump but if you have it and have questions I can research it for you!
Food Bags: We started out with the Moog 100mL Enteral feeding set and have since moved up to the 500mL feeding set. You will receive these in your monthly shipment from your supply company. We simply moved up because she was tolerating a higher volume than 100mL.
Extension: You will need the Y-Port extension to attach to the bag tubing and then to your child's button. If your child has an NG or OG the bag will attach directly to that tube.
Bottles and Ice Packs: When I knew we were going to be out for several hours I had to pack a couple feedings for Mel. I used the 4 oz Medela pump bottles to carry her breast milk and I kept it in an insulated pocket in our diaper bag with ice packs to keep it cool. We live in Texas so this was very important both while she was on breast milk and formula! I also kept an ice pack in her pump bag and just placed it behind her food bag to keep it cool during a feed!
Medications and Food: This is a no brainier, so you think. Until you are getting that sweet baby all packed up and ready to go. I have always and still do bring more food and necessary meds than I think we will need. This drives my husband crazy because I look like I am packing for multiple days out of state instead of a trip to the doctor. But there have been several times that our plan is to be home before Mel's next feed or before her medication is due, but the doctor runs late or we get stuck in traffic and I am very grateful that I packed more!! You will also need to have all syringes necessary for meds!
A Feeding Backpack: When we were getting ready to leave the hospital they gave us one back pack and another from our supply company. (Pictures below)
We have always used the backpack we received from the supply company, it is a bit bigger and I am able to keep things in it like medications and extra supplies as well as her food bag and feeding pump. We still have the smaller bag that Mel can wear if she needs to be on her pump during the day.
Back pack from the supply company. You can buy feeding adapted back packs off Etsy or you can look on Pinterest for directions on how to modify your own! This bag is the perfect size for all of Mel's feeding supplies and I can also wear it is she is on a feed!
This is the back pack that we received from the hospital. It is quite a bit smaller and would work really well if she needed to wear it!
Stroller Clip: I received this Munchkin stroller clip at my baby shower and when I got it I honestly had no idea what I would use it for! It has been AMAZING attached to Mel's feed bag and clipped to the stroller (or shopping cart) while we are out! I would highly recommend that you get one!
The first time Mel saw a fish! As you can see the bag clipped to the side of the stroller and her pulse ox in the carry bag looped around the stroller handle!
Of course all this is in addition to all your typical diaper bag things, breast pump and components if necessary and other medical equipment you may have. We personally have a Pulse Oximeter and a Suction Machine. Your will also need to carry extra G-button supplies, I keep this bag in the Diaper bag so that it is with us at all times!
Bolus Feeds
When doing bolus feeds I would fill the bag for each feed and it would run over 1 hour. I would always clean the bag with water after the feed finished. It was easier to clean while it was still fresh vs. after the milk/formula had been sitting in the bag for a while!
*Random funny story*
The tops of the 100mL feed bags just snap on, they do not screw shut. One day my mom and I had taken Mel to the mall to have her pictures with Santa done. When we got in the car to leave it was time for Mel's feed. I was sitting in the backseat behind my mom trying to set up the feed and prime the bag. While I was squeezing the bag to prime the hose the top popped off and breast milk shot all over the car and the back of my mom! Oh gosh this still cracks me up to this day!
Okay I just had to share that!!
Continuous Feeds
There isn't much difference between Bolus and Continuous pump feeds while out. The only thing that I do different is just fill the food bag up with however much food we will need for the trip. If we might need more I would bring an extra bottle of food to refill the bag.
While your child is on a feed either bolus or continuous always be aware of their food tube! Sometimes it can get snagged and pulled. (This will happen it's inevitable) Just be aware so that you catch it before it pulled the button out or causes discomfort to your little one!
Left: Me wearing her back pack while she is hooked up to a continuous feed.
Right: Feeding back pack hooked to shopping cart with Mommy Clip while on a continuous feed.
Do you have any questions about tube feeding your little one on the go? Do you have anything that is a life/sanity saver? I would love to hear your thoughts and know of any great products you sear by!
Remember to kiss your tubie, say a prayer and enjoy the heck out of that wine, 'cause girl tomorrow is Monday!!
Love until another day,
Shelbi
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