Gastrostomy Tube

Bethany is having surgery on Friday, March 16th, to have a Gastrostomy tube put into her stomach.  She is staying about the same with her feeds, so she needs to have the tube put in.   She is still learning to take the bottle and is doing good with nursing.  She just doesn't take in the volume she needs to thrive and grow. Bringing her home and taking out the other feeding tube that goes in her nose and down her throat, will help her feeds get better.      The hospital staff is so thrilled that the "G" tube is the only thing that Bethany is going home with.  Bethany's Dr. told us he thought she would go home with oxygen for 6 months. When talking about Bethany at birth, the nurses say, they thought they would have to send us home with only one baby. So we are so grateful that the "G" tube is all we have to deal with. She has come a long way. She will still need to work with an occupational therapist. But, we are so happy with the progress she has made! For more information on "G" tubes, here is a good website link I found:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/surgery/g_tube.html
She will have the tube for about a year. We will continue to feed her with a bottle and nurse. Whatever volume she gets from a bottle or nursing, we will subtract that from what we give her through the tube. She can do normal actvities, the tube will be hidden under her clothes. The Pediatrician takes the tube out when it is time.