C-R-E-O-N

She has C-R-E-O-N

It is C - Crazily small

It is R - rolls everywhere 

It is E - it's an enzyme 

It is O on apple 

We've run out ohhhhhhh       

        Nooooo

A new mum is taking her baby out to meet the world, a moment she has been dreaming of for a very long time.

The baby girl is a tiny premature baby with very long fingers and the most amazing eye lashes. She can't or won't breast feed so her mum has been getting up every two hours expressing milk and feeding her via a bottle. She takes this loving expressed milk with her on this first magical outing. The baby is snoozing peacefully so her mum pops into a local bar for lunch and right on cue the baby wakes - crying for milk.

This new, sleep deprived mum grabs her bag and brings out the following items which make her feel self-conscious and make her feel like she is portraying the image of a bad mum:

• a bottle of milk 
• a pouch of apple purée 
• a mini pot full of mini grains that look like an illegal drug
• a spoon to administer the said purée and mini grains on.

She proceeds to give all of these items to a tiny 6lb baby!  To her it feels like everyone is looking and tutting at her but they don't understand.

I was that new mum and I can assure you that I am now a dab hand at feeding these mini grains to my daughter. But I will never forget how I felt during the first few months.

These mini grains are in fact a digestive enzyme called creon. Eloise's body can not hang on to the fat it needs for her to put on weight .

CF can cause the small channels that carry digestive juices to become clogged with mucus, making it harder for her to break down food. 

This results in digestive juices (enzymes) not reaching the stomach and food not been broken down and  her body not been able to produce energy.

This means that Eloise requires enzyme capsules with all meals and snacks. As she is too young to swallow a capsule we add tiny creon grains to apple purée so that she can consume the enzymes she needs. The amount of creon she needs depends on how much fat is in the food she is eating. 

I have been reflecting on the brilliant impact it has had on Eloise. It was such a relief to see her putting on weight.  In the midst of this reflection I realised that we have given Eloise creon in some weird and wonderful places.

Here are my top 5:

• In the darkness of a baby cinema screening - balancing a baby, a spoon, purée and creon on my knee whilst indulging in some cinema action at HOME. 
• On beaches in Yorkshire and Portugal (it's a hard life eh!)
• In the Palace Theatre during Teletubbies live!
• At various Rockin Rhinos gigs, always with a brilliant soundtrack and a fun & creative backdrop
• The tram - very tricky when you are travelling solo on a not very smooth public transport journey which is standing room only!
• Whilst sheltering from a hail storm in Martins newsagents in Chorlton 

So, thank you to all the other new mums I met and to  my friends & family who held the spoon for me whilst I measured out creon, who asked questions, who were supportive, took an interest and who did not judge or jump to conclusions. You will never know how much your words, help & friendship helped during those first few months & how much you continue, without realising, to be a major source of support - it feels  a lot like a big supportive hug! All I can say is - right back at ya - mwah, mwah. 

Apologies to Ottawan