This Invention...

...is keeping me SANE!!

Of course, bringing home a new baby has its share of challenges.  But bringing home a preemie, adds a whole other unique set of challenges.  Some babies come home on a heart monitor, some with a G-button (a feeding tube), and all with special instructions and unique needs.  My preemie came home on multiple medications.  Making sure he takes and keeps down each dose of medicine has been one of our biggest challenges so far. 

Until now.

This, my friends, is Reliadose.  It is a specially designed bottle that allows me to give my son his medicine while he is eating.  He eats just like he would at any other feeding, while I slowly dispense the medicine into his mouth at the same time.  He takes the medicine and does not even realize it.

I don't think you understand just how BIG of a deal this is!  For the first month that he was home, we had been fighting him to take his medicine.  We tried so many things: letting him suck on a bottle nipple and then dispensing the medicine into the nipple, dispensing it directly into his mouth, giving it before feedings, after feedings.  It seemed like no matter what we tried, something went wrong.  If he was too sleepy, we couldn't get him to take it.  If he was awake, he wanted to eat and would choke and gag on the nipple, or the medicine.  If we dispensed it directly into his mouth, he would spit it out.  If we gave it after a feeding, he would gag and spit everything up, milk, medicine and all.

Needless to say, we were growing quite weary.  And I hate to admit this, but this handy dandy device was in our cabinet the whole time!  I didn't think we could use it, though, because it comes with a syringe that we can't use.  The syringes we use are more exact and measure smaller doses.  Anyway, when I finally pulled it out, determined to find a way to use it, we discovered that our syringes fit into the bottle, just like the one that comes with it!

And so, at least this part of our life is simple and hassle free now, thanks to some very wonderful friends who always take good care of us.  :)  Now, if only there was a quick and easy way to check his blood pressure!!