Tips & Tricks

Nov 01, 2018

bFed System Tips & Tricks

The bFed System is the first innovation developed for the home tube feeding market in many years. Because the bFed System is new and different we have had a lot of great feedback from customers sharing their tips & tricks for using the system. Here are some of the most useful tips & tricks so far.

Burp the Bolee Bag

Extra air in the Bolee Bag can make it difficult to squeeze and prevents good nutrition flow through the tubing. To remove the air (burp) simply fill your Bolee Bag with your nutrition, attach the Bolink Large Cap, keep the Bolee Bag facing up so the extra air is by the cap and before attaching to the extension set or feeding tube, squeeze the Bolee Bag until the air is gone and the Bolink tubing is filled with your nutrition.

If you are using a packaged tube feeding formula from a manufacturer like Abbott, Kate Farms or Nestle, gravity alone may be enough to create a steady flow. In this case you don’t need to burp the Bolee Bag.  Leaving a little air in the top of the bag provides the pressure needed to empty it and clear the Bolink tubing.

Roll the Bolee Bag and Squeeze

If your nutrition is thick and you need to squeeze the Bolee Bag to create flow, roll the Bolee Bag so the empty space is reduced and pressure is focused solely on pushing the nutrition through the tubing.  Provide consistent, steady pressure to the pouch to create flow. Squeezing extremely hard will not improve the flow rate. 

Use a Bolus Extension Set

If you have a low profile feeding tube make sure you use a bolus extension set rather than a pump extension set. The bolus extension sets have larger tubing and goes straight into the feeding tube.

This is what the bolus extension set looks like when connected to the Bolink Large Cap
Bolee Bag with bolus extension set connected to the Bolink Large Cap

Food Left in the Cap?

When you are at the end and no more nutrition is coming out but you know there is still nutrition left in the cap, ever so slightly loosen the Bolink Large Cap to release the vacuum allowing the last little bit of nutrition to flow. Don’t loosen the Bolink Large Cap too much otherwise the nutrition will leak all over the place.

Still Hard to Squeeze the Bolee Bag?

Have you tried all of the above tips & tricks and it’s still hard to get the nutrition flowing? This issue usually comes up when home made nutrition or prepackaged blenderized nutrition is used. The problem is usually resolved by blending the nutrition longer (at least 3 minutes) and/or thinning out the nutrition with water, broth, coconut milk or some other type of fluid. 

The amount of water needed to dilute will vary based on your nutrition, but we have found that as little as 2-3 ounces of fluid is enough to increase the flow substantially.  In some cases it eliminated the need to squeeze. 

Bolink Small Cap

Bolink Small Cap connected to a puree pouch and bolus extension set

The Bolink Small Cap connects to a variety of puree pouches (not Gerber) found at your local grocery store. The brands we have confirmed are: Plum Organics, Earth’s Best, Wild Harvest, Happy Baby, Happy Tot, Beechnut and Abbott Go & Grow. Fruit and vegetable only purees flow best. Products with oatmeal or meat tend to be really thick and can clog the tubing.

For reusable pouches we have confirmed that Baby Brezza and Rhoost provide secure connections.

Again, make sure to use the bolus extension set if you have a low profile feeding tube. Provide consistent, steady pressure to the pouch to create flow. Squeezing extremely hard will not improve the flow rate and could cause the pouch to burst. It can take up to 5 minutes to empty the pouch depending on the thickness of the puree.

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has sent in their tips & tricks. If you have a tip or trick you want to share please send it to info@udelivermedical.com or post it on our Facebook page – BFedSystem

The post Tips & Tricks appeared first on bFed System.

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