Tube Feeding Awareness Week

As a food blogger, I spend a lot time thinking about food, looking at food, eating food, making food. . .you get the idea. I *heart* food!

And as a mother, I need to make the best choices for my children, as hard as they are. My son, Baby M, has a feeding tube in his belly that he's fed through.  It was one of the hardest decisions we have ever made in our lives, but it is keeping our son alive. 

But sometimes, when I'm feeding him in public I see the people looking at what I'm doing, like my child has an arm coming out of his head. I feel them wondering what's wrong with my baby, what did I do to cause him to not eat, what kind of mother I must be that my child needs to be fed through a tube, and not through his mouth.

And I hate that feeling!!  So I want to spread awareness about this.  Feeding tubes are a LAST option for parents.  We have tried everything, we have eliminated every food that causes problems with our baby.  We've watched out baby deteriorate before our eyes despite every effort on our part. We have had test after test after test ran to determine ANYTHING.  And a lot of us have had conclusions, but some of us still have no answer.  And so a feeding tube becomes the only way to feed our child.

I think someday my little baby will learn to eat.  His oxygen needs will eventually be low enough that he can handle eating and breathing at the same time.  And someday he'll learn to LIKE having food in his mouth, and he'll be so grateful that I LOVE to cook for him.

So if you have some time, please check out the website Feeding Tube Awareness.  They have a lot of great information on there, with stories and beautiful pictures with lots of tube fed children!

I *heart* my baby boy!