No G-tube for Makinley

I never thought I would be a NICU parent.  When I started bed rest at 16 weeks - I prayed to be a NICU parent.  If we had a baby in the NICU that was wonderful because it meant our baby survived with little to no fluid.  In August, we were granted this wish, and we became NICU parents.  It was scary, emotional, overwhelming and new all at the same time.  Now that we have been here for almost seven weeks we feel we know the routine pretty well.  We also start to learn more about Makinley and once again we are standing up for what we feel is best for her.

We were informed this week that we should consider giving Makinley a G-tube.  A G-tube is a feeding tube that is placed in Makinley's stomach and would provide a direct route for milk to reach her stomach.  Andrew and I have been against a G-tube from the beginning and we're not impressed that it was even brought up to us as an option at this point.  When we toured the NICU in June - we learned that most babies go home between 39 and 41 weeks of gestation.  Makinley is only 37 weeks gestation so why are doctors wanting to move forward with a G-tube?  They feel that she is not learning to eat and therefore a G-tube would enable us to go home sooner.  As hard as it is for us to watch family after family leave the NICU - I am not going to justify getting a G-tube just so we can go home sooner.  I was not shy when I told the doctor I was NOT giving Makinley a G-tube.  I would not even consider a G-tube until she was at least 41 weeks old and then I would push to go home with an NG tube. 

Here are multiple reasons Andrew and I are against the G-tube:

1. It is a surgical procedure.  When dealing with a tiny baby most doctors will agree that you don't want to put them down with anesthesia unless absolutely necessary.  It is also highly discouraged to do it multiple times when they are just a baby.  We know that we will have to do surgery on Makinley's club feet at the end of the year which would require anesthesia.  Therefore we do not want to move forward with another surgical procedure that we don't feel is necessary. 

2. A G-tube comes with many risks such as infections and it requires you to follow up with feeding clinics on a regular basis.  We already have many appointments scheduled to help correct Makinley's feet and therefore we would like to avoid having to follow up with a feeding clinic.
3. Andrew and I feel babies with G-tubes become reliant on G-tubes.  It is the easy way to get a meal so why would they want to learn how to eat on their own when the G-tube does it for them.  We want Makinley to push herself and achieve the desire to eat on her own.  We know this is time consuming now but will benefit her months down the road.

4. There are other options.  We feel like a G-tube is the easy way out or the quick way to send us home.  Parents can go home with an NG tube.  I thought it was interesting that nurses who were also a parent to a NICU child went home with an NG tube.  They did not choose a G-tube.  This says to us that they also felt a G-tube was too much risk and would rather do an NG tube.  I have had many nurses tell me I would be more than capable of learning how to place and NG tube and Makinley would most likely do fine with it.  So once we said we would push for an NG tube - doctors were more open to letting her try to bottle on her own for a longer amount of time.

With that being said, Andrew and I are not condemning any parent who has chosen to do a G-tube for their child.  We know they are a tool the hospital can provide for babies who really do need that help.  But we feel like it is not the right options for Makinley and we just need to give her more time to feed.