Today Elizabeth Katherine received a new P/T info sheet from physical therapist Ginny. Here is what it says:
Elizabeth is approaching readiness to begin oral feeding. She is practicing with non-nutritive suck at the breast with her mother. Please support Elizabeth to be held during gavage feeds and offer non-nutritive sucking and tastes of milk. This will help her associate getting full with sucking and socializing. Watch her cues and breathing for signs she needs a break.
When she is ready to begin eating support her to eat by cues. How she eats is more important than how much she eats as feeding is a process that matures over time and volume will come with maturity.
Elizabeth likes touch. She calms with containment during cares and is able to calm herself when supported in side-lying to grasp hands together. This is useful for cares in bed and transfers.
Continue to support her in a rounded position so her back is rounding and her arms and legs are close to her body. Change her position for her muscle and bone development. Changing her position for head shape is also important for her vision and movement development.
Until 38 weeks continue to support her hearing and vision development by keeping interactions simple. Let her look or listen but not both at the same time.