Not to mention eating...

I never intended to blog about eating insofar as it pertains to infants/children with SPD. From all the information I have been able to glean over the last six odd years, there does not appear to exist a one-size-fits-all when it comes to getting those darling sprouts eating. It's literally every mommy for herself.

However, it is one of the top concerns parents have along with (1) getting the correct diagnoses, (2) getting the infant/child to sleep (nightmare!), (3) potty training and (4) aggressive and other anti-social behaviour. I would go so far to say that questions relating to these five topics find their way onto SPD Support Pages every single day - no exceptions.

But I digress.
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I realized that I had to broach the issue of eating in the context of SPD even if just to confirm that it is an intolerable ordeal for any parent. While you might be able to convince/bribe/force/coax an neurotypical infant/child to eat a variety of foods, the infant/child with SPD will not be swayed. In most cases they simply cannot tolerate the smell, taste and texture of the food, making it physically impossible to consume. It is not an act, and parents with neurotypical infants/children will not get it. I don’t blame them. I can hardly understand it myself, but it is a stark reality in the life of an infant/child with SPD. 

While there is nothing quite as satisfying a tucking a well-nourished child to bed at night, parents dealing with SPD seldom - if ever - get to experience this pleasure. I am gutted to admit that I cannot offer a shred of advice that will magically change this state of affairs.

Here is my experience with Hein-Chris.

• I breastfed Hein-Chris for eight excruciating weeks. I spared no expense when it came to seeking assistance from trained professionals (lactation experts, dieticians, physiotherapists, registered nurses) and buying the very best of everything that could assist (breast pumps, nipple shields (various), nipple creams (various), feeding brassieres, lactation drops and juices, lactation self-help books, the works). I am sad to report that none of this helped. Our feeding sessions followed the same pattern without fail. (1) Hein-Chris would latch after many, many attempts. (2) Hein-Chris would suck three times. (3) Hein-Chris would startle for no apparent reason. (4) Hein-Chris would unlatch immediately. Repeat (1) to (4) - gazillion times. Sessions could last for up to two hours and end with Hein-Chris and I in tears. At eight weeks the writing was on the wall in dark, black letters - the mommy who was determined to breastfeed even if it killed her (and swore she would), admitted defeat with a soft whimper.

• Bottle feeding would herald the beginning of new torture. Hein-Chris would simply not take a bottle. And the moment he did (every blue moon), he’d suck twice, startle, and scream to high heaven. It got so bad that he would skip two feeds easily before taking a couple of sips from the next before startling and screaming. As it turned out, Hein-Chris was lactose intolerant and had to be put onto lactose-free formula so disgusting in taste I tell myself it could strip paint off walls. After weeks, no, months of torment, things took their own course with us pretty much along for the ride and we ended up (1) using Avent classic baby bottles (https://www.philips.co.za/c-m-mo/baby-bottles-nipples), (2) feeding Hein-Chris Similac® Isomil® Soy Protein Based Infant Formula (to my horror, and please don’t tell anyone!) (but - to be honest - it was a godsend) and (3) swopping over to Similac® Total Comfort® when Hein-Chris turned two (https://nutrition.abbott/za/product/similac-total-comfort-3).

• Today Hein-Chris - at age six - eats: Fish fingers, brown bread toast (no butter, nothing), pasta (no sauce, cheese, nothing), Matzo (flat, tasteless crackers), Feta cheese, white rice, apples (if the smell of it is right and is dark red all over), carrots (if they look right), popcorn, and chocolate muffins. That’s it. He will not touch or taste anything else. I tell myself this diet contains enough protein, carbohydrates and fibre to adequately sustain his growth and development - for the time being. I really don’t have much choice in the matter, do I?

• Hein-Chris takes chewable multi-vitamins, and iron and magnesium supplements daily (read more here), and drinks (mostly) only water and fresh, full cream milk. I try not to keep fruit juice or fizzy drinks in the house and will offer water as often as possible. Water is of cardinal importance. More on the topic of water later.

I will add that if Hein-Chris was over- or under-weight, I’d take him to visit his paediatrician without delay. The same course of action would apply if Hein-Chris (1) was tired and lethargic during the day while his peers were bouncing off the walls, (2) developed dark circles under his eyes, (3) had any difficulty whatsoever with bowel movements, (4) has not expanded his food choices in the next two to three years.
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And that’s that. The blog with no advice. Nice.