New Mommy Files: Tummy Troubles

Everything about being a new mom is completely foreign.

Just when you think you've got things mastered,
Boom.
Baby decides to start preferring/doing the complete opposite.

Trial and error has become an everyday occurrence in this household.

Maybe you can relate to some of our experiences.
Maybe not.
Maybe you're horrified by some of the things we've done to survive this whole parenthood thing.
But I like to think of this as the judgement-free zone.
Can we agree to that?

Either way, I'm going to share some things we've learned and mistakes we've made along the way. Please share your experiences too. Because I'm always gaining my best info from other mamas.

I chose this week's topic simply because I've gotten so many questions and several e-mails regarding reflux. So let's talk tummy, shall we?

And because I like to get a little crazy and mix things up a bit, let's start with the moral of the story.

Always trust your gut (no pun intended). You are mom. Doesn't matter that you're new at this. Your instinct knows best.

Knowing Something Was Wrong

It all started when Lyla turned 6 weeks old. Something dramatically and instantly changed.
We went from having a super chill and extremely happy newborn, to a full-blown fussy baby.

It lasted for about a week when I knew something was wrong.
We all know that newborns cry a lot, but this was different.
My instinct told me Ly was in pain.
This was also about the time she started projectile spitting up.
*P.S. All babies spit up (some even projectile), but this does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong with your baby.*

Every time she ate, things would get bad.
Spitting up.
Kicking.
Screaming.
Arching her back.
Sometimes for hours on end.

Luckily, the screaming fits were somewhat infrequent.

I kept thinking to myself how lucky we were to not have a "colicky" baby.

You know the ones.

Poor sweeties who cry for hours on end for days/weeks/months at a time.

Lyla was never like that. 

Although infrequent, when she did have one of her hysterical meltdowns, they lasted for hours.

She seemed so uncomfortable.
And in so much pain. 

So we took her to the doctor.
All the symptoms pointed to reflux.
Our doctor (who we trust and love so much) put her on reflux medicine.

Instant relief.

We also tilted her crib and held her upright for 30 minutes after eating.
*Worked wonders.*

We breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Our happy baby was back.
...Or so we thought.

Things Get Worse

About 2 and a half months went by.
No problems.
I think Lyla cried maybe 3 times in that time period.
Total.

Then at around 4 months, the problems returned.
Arching.
Screaming.
Gurgling sounds in the belly.
Curdled spit up a couple hours after eating.

The weird and somewhat frustrating thing was that her "episodes" were so unpredictable.
Sometimes, I even wondered if we were imagining them.
Except for one time with my mom, she never had one in front of grandparents or friends.

But suddenly, the episodes seemed to get more frequent.

Our nerves were on edge every time we took her out.
So we just stopped taking her places.
We simply had no idea when, where, or long a severe meltdown would last.

Her longest episode lasted for 3 hours.
Unconsolable screaming and kicking.
Refused the paci.
Refused to nurse.

We went an entire month without taking her out in public.
Except to friends' houses two or three times.

The only thing that would calm her down was us pressing as hard as we could on her belly for hours at a time.
Until she would finally fall asleep.

We took her to the doctor two more times.
Tried two more medicines.

Nothing helped anymore.

The worst part? We knew her cries were for a purpose. She would look intently in our eyes while tears streamed down her face. Her eyes were begging us to help. And she was just so needy.

Finding Another Solution

My mom and several friends kept suggesting to take her to a chiropractor.
Apparently some specialize in reflux and colic.
I was skeptical, to say the least.

But what did we have to lose?
Nothing else was working.

So Gabe took her to the chiropractor.
He was *highly* referred by several friends.
Plus he specialized in babies.
And one of our chiropractor friends said he was the absolute best, and trained chiropractors from all over the world.
I was still nervous.

After her first appointment, Gabe came home and filled me in on the major details:
1). The chiropractor was confident Lyla did not have reflux.
2). But there was indeed something wrong with her.
3). We needed to take her off her reflux medicine...immediately.
4). I needed to change my diet for the next 2 weeks to turkey, chicken, bread, cheese, and green beans.
5). We would need to bring her in every day for the next two weeks for treatments.

I nearly fell over.
A lot of information to process.
And take her off her medicine?
We tried that twice, and it was a total disaster.

I needed more information ASAP.

The Real Problem

He went on to explain more.

Lyla may not have had reflux, but she did have a problem. The valve between her small and large intestine was loose. So when she ate, food would leak out of that valve, travel up, and go back through the intestines causing some serious P-A-I-N.

This is also a common cause of...colic.

So...my baby has colic? But, wait a minute, what?

Basically, when Lyla ate too much, the valve leaked, and she would be in intense pain until the food worked its way back through her system. Subsequently, she would cry until she felt better. Sometimes this took 2-3 hours.

According to the chiro, around 40% of all babies are diagnosed with reflux. Unfortunately, around 90% of those cases are not actually reflux at all.

But, I was so confused. If Lyla didn't have reflux, why did she have all the symptoms? And more importantly, why did the reflux medicine work like a charm (at least for awhile)?

He actually treats babies with reflux. And he said in the rare case a baby actually does have reflux, the most common thing they will do is constantly cough and choke while eating and then start refusing food all together because it is so difficult for them to swallow.

We all know Chunkin never refuses to eat. Ever.

And why did the medicine work so well if she never had reflux?
The medicine can be unpredictable. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. But it does tend to mask the real problem if a baby doesn't have reflux.
Most babies grow out of their "reflux" by 3-4 months.
Therefore the medicine can mask the real problem for that short time.
But in Lyla's case, she wasn't outgrowing it.
And the real problem persisted.

And in Lyla's case, it was so hard to "diagnose" because she had a mild case of colic.

If her case was mild, my heart goes out to those who have babes with severe cases.

Because this "mild" case was strong enough to nearly send me into cardiac arrest.

Holy.Moly. 

How the Treatment Works

He "tested" his theory with Lyla by simply pressing on the area where this connector valve is located.
Sure enough.
Instant pain.
And screaming for about an hour.
He pushed, and simply made the food work its way through her little system.

Then she fell asleep instantly.

He did that for two weeks straight.
Laid her on a pillow in his lap.
Pushed on the valve.
Simply strengthening her muscle.
To make it stop leaking.

Every treatment got better than the last.
We even took her to his house on a Saturday when things got bad at the beginning.
His house!
For two hours.

That's service, I tell ya.

Did We See Results?

All I know is that Lyla hasn't had one single episode since our treatments have started.
We could see instant relief on her little face.
She's been off medicine for 4 weeks.
She has more energy.
She rarely fusses.
She smiles all day, every day.
She can actually be placed on her tummy without screaming.
She can sit without projectile spitting up.
She just looks more comfortable.
She loves snuggling and cuddling now.
She can actually make it through an evening without having a meltdown.

We have a baby who is significantly happier.
More comfortable.
And is clearly pain free.

I'd say it worked.

So, believe what you will about chiropractors.
But it worked for us.

And I'm now I'm a believer.
So incredibly thankful for Dr. S.

Week 21: Recurring Theme

Week 21: 01/06/13 - 01/12/13

There's a circulating theme that keeps popping up in our household.

Well. Ours and about 8 million other households.

Sick.

And of course by our household, I really just mean me.

Yep. I've been sick on and off for 2 solid months.

And you, Baby Chunk, caught your first cold last week.

I went in to wake you up, only to hear rattling snot and a wheezing chest.

Talk about wrenching my heart.

But you just went about your business giggling and talking as usual.


Still broke my heart.

Last week was also our first round of daily chiropractic treatments. Your last treatment is tomorrow. I'm so excited to give a full report on this topic. No more tummy issues. No more medicine. It's a miracle. Fingers crossed...

In other news, Dad has a new schedule. One that reflects a normal human being. It's made my life significantly easier. He picks you up, and I'm able to come home to both my babies.

It's so cute how close you two are. Joined at the hip, really. You already have little inside jokes and a theme song even. I hear him singing it to you all the time.

The only thing is, Dad does things a tad differently than mom.

We've also been noticing some physical changes as of late. You still have a silly little bald spot in the back of your head. Yet, your hair is incredibly long. So, sometimes I have to do a double-take. Your current doppelganger is Michael Bolton.

And girl. Those thighs. Holy chubbalicious. And so delicious.

Some good news this week? You got to see your Auntie Laur and meet your Uncle Dustin as they were in from Uganda again. So fun seeing you with my bestie since kindie.

Oh. And let's talk about some skills you've mastered.
Er. Um.
Skills you have not totally mastered...yet.

Sigh.

I am convinced you've completely forgotten how to roll over.
It's giving mommy a slight heart attack.
Daddy, however, thinks it's no big deal.
He says you're just doing your thing. In no rush. Taking your sweet time.
Hmm.
Wonder where you get that characteristic from.

I just don't quite understand. You rolled all the time from 4 weeks (technically 3 and a half) until about 2 and a half months. And then just stopped. Now, you can't stand to be on your tum-tum. I mean you practically throw an all-out tantrum.

I must admit though. It is quite hilarious. We call you our little seal. Because you immediately put your arms behind you and bend up.

I keep telling myself that at least you're so close to sitting up on your own, and you love to stand with a little support of course. So, you are a strong little booger...just not motivated, I guess. Hey. Whatever makes mommy sleep a little better at night. ;)

And speaking of sleep...

Oh girlfriend. Thank you for letting mom and dad get sleep at night. We're now going on a solid two months of sleeping through the night. You go down at 6:30...sometimes even 6:00 and sleep without a peep until I go in and wake you at 6:30. And even if you do wake, you put yourself right back to sleep.

I'm totally going to do a sleep post too. Because getting a full-night's sleep is such a game changer.

So thanks, Chunkin.

And thanks for making me smile all.the.time.

Seriously.

Love you, Beans.

Week 20: Back to the Grind

Week 20: 12/30/12 - 01/05/13

Mama headed back to work after an incredible 2 weeks off.

Of course I am sick *again* only four days into the semester.
Being a teacher is either going to give me an immune system of steel or kill me.

Week 20 brought some fun new things.

A new squeal, for example.
This new squeal is 8 kinds of octaves too high. Girlfriend is going to be a soprano. (The singer, not the mobster).

And you like to bite.
Everything in sight.
Sometimes you even do a sneak attack and grab my fingers for a little snack.

And you do this adorable thing where I get really close to your face so I can hear and mimic your cute little breaths, and then you just erupt into laughter.

Then the other day, I came home from work. I was greeted by your dad *because he's back on a normal-human-being schedule*, and I quickly scanned the room to find you. I spotted this teeny little body sitting, being engulfed by our living room chair. You must have heard me come in because you completely turned your body, made eye contact with me, and gave the biggest smile I've ever seen. Over and over again.
Talk about melting mama's heart.

Oh. And we've gotten some good use out of the new toys and outfits that Santa brought you.

You've gotten to model some handmade things, and you even sported your new snowsuit.

But you are especially obsessed with your new ball. This little gem was an after-Christmas-sale special at Target for $4.00.

Entertainment for hours.

But your most favorite of all? That silly little thumb of yours.

I mean seriously.

So.cute.

And can we just stop and talk a second about your sleep habits? 

I can't even believe it. 

Your sleep habits definitely deserve a solo post all to themselves. 

But girl, you sleep so well.

Like.a.champ.

As of the last month and a half, you have consistently slept 12 hours at night and 13 hours on the weekends. 

And you usually take two 2-hour naps during the day. 

Holy.guacamole.

We've come so far. 

And though I get sad sometimes that you party-poop out at 6:30 at night...every night...it's quite the even trade-off for a good night's sleep. Consistently. 

Thank you, Chunkin.

Gonna soak it up while it lasts.

Now, although we've had some *fun* this week, we've also been dealing with your "reflux". Which we've come to find out isn't reflux at all. But something that is causing you extreme pain and making you quite miserable. We are currently in the process of an every-day-for-two-weeks treatment by a chiropractor. 

Praying this works. 

A much more detailed post is soon to come.

Hopefully with a happy ending. 

Week 18: Feeling Reflective

Week 18: 12/16/12 - 12/22/12

This past week reminded there are many seasons in our lives. 

This month just so happened to be one of my tough seasons. 

It was draining physically and emotionally. 

Mostly physically, which in turn made me an emotional mess. 

Not to mention, trying to figure out the whole working-mom thing.

And doing it without any sleep. 

But just when I thought I truly could take no more, 

my "tough season" decided to add a little more. 

Reflux.

A clogged duct. 

Four month shots. 

A recipe for a bad week. 

Lyla's reflux symptoms returned.

I sort of forgot what it was like to have an upset baby. 

We are lucky to have a baby who rarely fusses.
Hardly ever cries. 

Let alone screams.

But this week, she screamed. 

And screamed.

And somewhere along the way, she developed real tears. 

And those tears made their appearance every day this week. 

We went through every burp cloth, outfit, and bib we own.

And Sweet Beans writhed and arched her back in pain.

Saddest thing I've seen in a long time. 

We actually spent one night switching off holding her with her belly on our shoulder while she screamed. 

For two hours straight.

She eventually cried herself to sleep. 

In my arms.
And I must admit, I was secretly happy that Ly wanted and needed lots of extra snuggles.
Hasn't slept in my arms since she was a newborn. 

We haven't seen her like this since she was 6 weeks old. 

When reflux was originally diagnosed. 

And then Friday we got four month shots. 

On the bright side, they were way better than 2 month shots. 

But still shots nonetheless. 

But the kicker of the week?

I got a seriously clogged milk duct. 

So bad that I was up all night trying to de-clog.

I tried everything from a hot bath, heating pad, pumping 3 times in the middle of the night, hand-expressing, massaging. 

Nothing worked. 

And it was clogged for 3 full days. 

Man it was painful. 

But it finally worked it's way free. 

Things can only go up from here though. 

I've got a week and a half home with my baby.
And she's slowly been feeling better every day.

And it's Christmas for Pete's sake.

I'm just hoping this new dosage of meds kick in. 

I want my happy baby back. 

I can't handle those crocodile tears. 

Breaks.my.heart.

Here's to hoping for a better season in the coming new year!!!

Week-7-In-Review: My Babe is back

Week 7: 09/30/12 - 10/06/12

Phew.

That was a close one. 

Luckily, our baby is back. 

We've got a happy, life-loving, smiley babe again. 

I mean. 

We've still got our fussy moments. 

And tummy issues. 

And sleepless nights here and there.

But, I'm so happy my sweet girl is back to her silly little self again.

They weren't kidding. Six weeks was a doozie.

Lyla Beans,

This past week was spent learning how to deal with this reflux, trying to get you to sleep longer, and figuring out all the ways we can make you smile and coo.

And boy, oh boy.

Do you think we're hilarious.

I mean.

We are.

Clearly.

But I'm trying to savor all these sweet little smiles. Every single one makes me feel like my heart might explode. 

And it just might. 

It's been a good week, Chunkin.

You love sitting like a big girl. It's so cute because we've started propping you up on things. The couch. A chair. Our bed. And you just love it. You look around at everything or just sit there and smile. And it frees up my arms so I can do things in 30 second increments. Like brush my teeth. Or put on my shoes. And it helps with the reflux since you need to be propped up for awhile after you eat. 

You may not have the greatest posture yet, but you'll get there. 

You've become quite the social butterfly. You really are starting to notice when Daddy and I aren't nearby. You just want to hang out wherever we are. I'm pretty strict about you getting several really good naps in your crib, but lately, you wake up early and just want to come hang out. And *gasp* I've been letting you. I mean, I know the feeling. Mommy thrives on socializing with others too. 

You are a smiley little thing. Talk about making me fall more and more in love every day. These smiles are getting more intentional. And they bring so much joy. You just look me straight in eyes and smile over and over. And you've done it for Daddy and the grandparents too. If I could choose to do one thing for the rest of my entire life, it would be to find ways to make you smile. I can't WAIT until you start laughing...

You love to learn. This makes this teacher of a mommy so happy. You just love taking in the new sounds and sights each day brings. You're starting to turn your entire body when you hear Daddy or I enter a room, and you react to more and more sounds. Like when Samson barks. Or when the tea kettle whistles. And you are starting to just stare at things around you: the wall (this is still your favorite), our faces, pictures in books, toys, and the dogs. Keep learning, Chunkin!

Other tidbits about the week: We had to take you to the doctor to check on your reflux. You weigh 10.1 pounds and are 22 1/2 inches long. You are a tall little goober. And the reflux meds are working, so we're going to keep you on them. 

We're still working on this whole sleeping thing. Half the week you do great. You actually had a night of 6 hours and then a night of 5. But every night in between you woke up throughout the night. We've tried so many different things: crying it out, rocking you to sleep, making you stay up late, putting you to bed earlier, rubbing your tummy, etc. Then, I realized I need to stop reading so much, stop taking so much advice, and just stick to what has been working all along *for the most part*... which is following the BabyWise schedule. I just need to be consistent. And patient. And very flexible. We'll get there... eventually. ;)

Loving you more and more every.single.day.

Happy 7 weeks.