So much to say about a blenderized diet (BD) when it comes to it's impact on Conner. We started Conner on a BD in September of 2017 shortly after he received his G-Tube. Conner was on breast milk and various fortifier for half his feedings and a high calorie formula (to help him gain) for the first 9 months of life. When we came home from the NICU, we switched to a different fortifier for my milk (due to not having access to the liquid fortifier he was receiving) and Conner started to flat out refuse my breast milk (ouch!).  We had plenty of battles to fight, so we switched Conner to a full high calorie formula diet and I donated three deep freezers of milk to a friend's sweet boy. Conner has battled oral aversions, vomiting and feeding struggles pretty much his entire life. He has had good streaks where he sucked down a bottle in 10 minutes and really difficult streaks where we fought to keep him hydrated. 

     Fast forward to when Conner went on high dose steroids to treat his infantile spasms. During this time, Conner had his best feeding days and then ultimately his worst of the worst. It was almost like he forgot how to eat. We continued to work with him and hoped that his skills would return, but they did not fully return and a G-Tube was inevitable. 

     Formula was not a good longterm option for Conner. After his G-Tube surgery we tried switching to a more age appropriate toddler formula and his vomiting got worse (how was that even possible??) and he lost half a pound in just a few days. I finally said enough is enough and took the leap to a blenderized diet. I had been researching BD for a couple months leading up to his G-Tube surgery (see resources below for what helped me the most), but making the switch still seemed very daunting. The thought of adding one more thing to my daily to do list was also very overwhelming. You would think I would be use to change by now! Nope!    

     I started out slow - replacing one meal with homemade bone broth. He got fed in the car (on the way to one of his appointments) and he handled it well without vomiting. Huh? How did that happen? So the next day I replaced the first feeding with bone broth and the same result. The next feeding I added carrots to his bone broth and continued that for the rest of the day. No vomiting. Was I dreaming? The following days I added one new ingredient at a time (to make sure he handled it okay) - I picked things that Conner had eaten before (thankfully we had tried a variety of foods). The last couple ingredients I added were new ones, so I gave him a little longer before adding another new ingredient. And just like that, his vomiting subsided. When you switch to a BD, be prepared for a little weight loss before you see a weight gain. 

     I strongly recommend getting a Vitamix or a Blendtec blender. Both of these will literally pulverize the food and turn it into liquid that will go through a G-Tube with little to no problem. These two companies offer medical discounts specifically for tube fed individuals. We have a Vitamix and the process to get the medical discount could not have been any easier. It also arrived quickly so we could get started transitioning. We have not had a clogged G-Tube yet (knock on wood). 

About a month after Conner fully transitioned to a BD, he started vomiting once a day, then twice, then it increased and varied each day. Like always, Conner baffled us. I started researching trying to figure out what might have caused Conner to revert to his old ways. 

     One thing I was not prepared for in general with Conner was something called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Conner checked many of the risk factors that can cause SIBO, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when his GI agreed that he probably had it. Unfortunately, the way to test for a child Conner's age is an invasive scope biopsy which is something Conner doesn't need to go through right now. 

During my research on SIBO, I found that there are foods that "feed" the bacteria (High FODMAP foods) and there are foods that "starve" the bacteria (Low FODMAP foods). FODMAPs are short chained carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. The term FODMAP is an acronym, derived from "Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols"

Treatment for SIBO varies - there are a few antibiotics that are used, but some treat with more natural methods. The tricky thing with SIBO is that it can return. I am still in the learning phase, but I hope to learn more and find a way to minimize the reoccurrences for Conner. Life is just better without vomit everyday! 

Resources 

Vitamix - Medical discount available - I love our Vitamix and would recommend it to anyone wanting to transition to a blenderized diet. 

Blendtec - Medical discount available - I went with the Vitamix instead because I read that the Blendtec is louder than the Vitamix. Conner is a little sensitive to loud noises, so it was an easy decision for me. 

Squeasy Sport Silicone Collapsible Bottle by Squeasy Gear - Conner's blend for the day gets stored in these. The miracle syringes we use (see below) fit perfectly in the top of the bottle resulting in ZERO mess and ZERO wasted blended food. They are a must have for anyone doing a blenderized diet. 

O-Ring Miracle Syringe from The Squirrel Store - Yes, this is literally a store with supplies to rehab squirrels, but these syringes in conjunction with the Squeasy Bottle (listed above) are a game changer in the BD world. 

Real Food Blends - We have used these a few times and thankfully insurance covers them for Conner. We have a small supply on hand for back-up and just in case purposes. They did not work well through a feeding pump - it may require watering down some to thin it out. I have not tried them with a syringe, but I imagine it would work great. 

Nourish Real Food Blends - I have not tried this blend for Conner, but it is another real food blend option. 

Blenderized RN Group on Facebook - This is where I started my research and learned about all of the other items I've listed in this section. 

BlenderizedRN - I watched the Blenderized RN's YouTube videos to educate myself on some transition options. There are many ways to make the switch and it just depends on what works for your kiddo (trial and error). 

Crunchy Tubie Mom - This is a mom with all kinds of experience that has found some great options for her son. Some of her blogs were very encouraging for me when I started to transition to a BD and when researching SIBO.