Colicky Babies

Disclaimer: Sorry if this post seems a little jumbled. My head is that way for reasons explained in the post. :)

It seems a little crazy to me that something so cute and sweet as this:
could make you experience so many conflicting emotions. Joy, love, and awe are accompanied by frustration and sometimes depression.

Baby N has been here for a month now. I can't believe that it's already been a month, but on the other hand, I can't believe it's only been a month. It seems like he's been with our family for much, much longer. In that "postpartum" month, I've experienced all of the emotions listed above among several others. I've probably cried more in desperation with Baby N than I did for J when I had him. Why? Because Baby N has colic. 'Nuff said.

Ok, maybe not 'nuff said. He started out like pretty much any other cute little newborn baby. About 2 weeks after his birth, he started getting MUCH more fussy. Kids tend to do that anyway. But this wasn't the "normal" fussy. This didn't end with the soothing mommy or daddy gave. It kept going on and on.

Along with the fussiness, you could hear, actually hear BIG gas bubbles rumbling around in his poor little tummy, but no amount of us trying to burp him helped. Not even Mylecon (or however you spell that) drops worked very well for him. I know there's a direct correlation between the food you eat and how gassy you and your baby are (if you're nursing) and I try to avoid gassy foods at all costs.

As you would rightfully assume, having a very gassy/colicky baby leads to little or no sleep for mommy and daddy. That's what we've had here for about 2 and a half weeks. We've gone to the doctor and she suggested that since I was lactose intolerant during pregnancy (not before...just during) that he might be not only lactose intolerant, but dairy intolerant. She suggested taking dairy out of my diet entirely for 3-5 days, then to slowly introduce it back in. She said to start with yogurt first as it's the mildest form of dairy.

I also heard that there are pediatric chiropractors out there who have colic treatments/adjustments. Who knew?! I did a Google search to find one in my area and took Baby N to see her.

We've been off dairy for a week. I decided to give it 7 days instead of just 3-5. And we've also had 3 visits to the chiropractor. The adjustments have helped a bit. I haven't noticed much difference in fussiness with yogurt being introduced back into my diet.

So now, I have a couple questions for you:

1. What are some other things you know of that help with colicky, gassy babies?
2. What's the difference between postpartum depression and baby blues? (As you might imagine, with little to no sleep, I'm getting to be a little down. I know there's a direct relation to the amount of sleep I get and how down I feel. I'd still like to know what you think is the difference between the two, if there's any difference at all.)
   

What is the Best - Part I

I want to start a new segment asking for your opinion on the best baby/child products.

My son is plagued with really bad diaper rash right now (thanks to 7 diarrhea diapers in the last 24 hours) and I sent my husband out this morning for more diaper rash ointment. He asked me what to get and I wasn't entirely sure.

So, here's my questions. What is the best diaper rash ointment/cream/treatment? What are your methods for getting rid of diaper rash?


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Deborah says: I usually use Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It's gentle, clean, smells good and does a great job at preventing and treating light diaper rash. However, it hasn't seemed to do a great job with heavy lifting. Still I love it and will continue giving it as a gift to every baby shower I go to.

Emily says: I have only ever used Burt's Bees diaper ointment. It is natural, which is the big selling point for me. In my experience, it works really fast. Usually a rash was cleared up by the time I changed the next diaper! Hope this helps!

Jennie says:  I use something that may sound strange but it works like magic. It's called Bag Balm, and is actually made for cow's utters. Depending on which state you live in, Walmart sells it. In Idaho (where I used to live) they sold it in the pet section, but here in Arizona, where I live now, they don;t sell it at any Walmart, which means you'd probably have to get it at a feed store somewhere or something. It's in a square, green tin and unfortunately has kind of a strong, unpleasant smell (in my opinion), but it works great. We've used all the other butt creams, but this one heals the rash faster than any of them. You can actually use it on any skin irritation, whether it be diaper rash, some other rash, exema, etc.

Meagan says:  I have to agree with Emily. I used the buttpaste for a while, but Ve had a pretty bad rash while teething and I switched to Burt's Bees. It did wonders! It works VERY quickly and smells incredible!

Sandi says:  We use either desitin or corn starch on their bums. Also, I use a hot wash cloth to wipe off their rumps because the heat kills the bacteria and doesn't seem to hurt as much as the cold wipes do.

Maura says:  Buttpaste is good.

I also used to let J sleep with nothing on...let it air out. I would put a plastic mat and a few towels down and let her sleep away with her little bum out in the open. It lets it breath and the diaper wasn't rubbing it. Helped clear it up faster.

Mindi says: I SWEAR by the stuff my hometown pharmacist makes. They've been making it for years and it's a family secret and they do NOT tell you what is in it (besides the usual Petroleum jelly, zinc, ect). It will take away your childs diaper rash in 1-2 days, NO JOKE. We all use it, everyone from my town swears by it, and I will NOT use anything else. Anyone wants to try it out, let me know!

Not Just Diaper Rash

In February of this year, my little boy, B (then 2 1/2 years old) got sick.  It resulted in him getting constipated, which caused him to start holding in his bowel movements.

In June, he was still holding in his bowel movements.  It had caused his poop to become extremely hard, and B would scream, cry, and thrash when he felt the urge to poop.  This had been going on for four months, and no amount of prune juice or other home remedies for constipation were working.  We brought it up with our son's pediatric gastroenterologist.  She prescribed a "clean-out" for our little boy, which consisted of one pedialax tablet followed by five doses of miralax finished off with another pedialax tablet.  Needless to say, B was "cleaned out".  For awhile, anyway.  We were told that "curing" constipation of this degree could take up to 1 year to alleviate, sometimes even longer (yay?).  We needed to get to the point where B didn't hold in his poops.

Let me include that during this time, B would have bouts of a TERRIBLE diaper rash - in a matter of one day, he would be sore, cracked, and bleeding on his bottom.  I would treat it with a medication I had been given for a similar diaper rash when B was a baby - it's called mupirocin (bactroban).  It would quickly clear up the diaper rash (in about one or two days.)

Bring us to now, November.  We are STILL dealing with this constipation, even though B is taking one capful of Miralax daily.  B has had two more clean-outs.  He is still holding in his bowel movements, and when cases are horrible, he screams and cries (and breaks my heart.)  And he is still getting those awful diaper rashes.

On Friday of last week, we took B in for his 3 year well-child checkup.  I brought up my frustrations about B's lack of pooping (and therefore lack of being potty trained) to the pediatrician.  At first, he just insisted that I continue  to give B miralax; "you have to keep the poop soft!"  I was quite persistent, informing the doctor that even on Miralax, and having soft - even RUNNY - poops, B complained/screamed/yelled of stomach pain and that his bum hurt. That caught the doctor's attention, and he asked to see B's bottom.  Upon looking at it, he said, "just a minute", and returned to the exam room with a swab.  About 5 minutes later, a nurse pops her head in the room to tell us that the swab came back positive.

My poor little guy has strep.

In his tummy, and on his bum.

Yep. Strep.  Perianal Streptococcal Dermatitis, to be exact.  The main symptom of this?  A bright-red, itchy, painful, bleeding rash.

Yeah.  Not just a "diaper rash".

When the doctor mentioned the diagnoses, I remembered that when B was about 9 months old, he had the same thing.  And I've been fighting it off now for about the last year.

It breaks my heart that my little boy has had STREP in his STOMACH for almost a year.  No wonder he won't poop!  No wonder he doesn't eat!  No wonder he complains of stomach pain!  (Our doctor told me, when I asked if it could cause stomach pain, that it most likely feels like what a throat feels like with strep.  So sad!)

Apparently this is a pretty common illness, and more commonly misdiagnosed.

After just one day on antibiotics and topical ointment, B isn't screaming.  Or crying.  Or holding in his poop.  And he's eating.  And not complaining of an owie bum or tummy.

I hope none of you have to experience this, but I hope if anything similar happens with your child, you'll know to ask your doctor.

I knew there was more to my boy's constipation than just constipation.  I'm grateful I listened to myself, and that I was persistent with the doctor - who listened to me.

When my baby is sick...

Yay, the holidays are here. Snow is on it's way. Soon we'll all be joining hands around a giant Christmas tree singing,

Fah who For-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Come this way!

Oh, wait, I guess that's the Who's in Whoville. Anyway.

Let's face it folks, it's flu season. And cold season. And pneumonia season. And RSV season. And G.I. virus season. And (insert illness here) season. So many of my friends, family, and fellow mothers are home sick with their little ones.

One of our mommies asked for advice on what we like to do when our babies are sick, but I think so many of us were home sick with our babies that we didn't have time to respond.

I've been thinking about it, and here are just a few areas I have some ideas. More are appreciated.

COUGH/COLD

When I had my first child (and by "had" I mean adopted), I was pretty sure I had this mothering thing down. I knew why my baby was crying and how to fix it. I knew much to feed him. I knew that he needed his nose suctioned every morning and his fingernails clipped every three days. I knew that he sneezed a lot in the sunlight, and that he didn't love his swing. Yet. I knew how many times he pooped a day and how many ounces of formula he guzzled.

But when he got a cough at 4 months old, I felt like I needed to call this kid's mommy and have her pick him up. And then I remembered, "Oh wait. I am the mommy." I didn't really know what to do. My son didn't have a fever, but he had terrible green mucus and a cough that didn't sound wet, just uncomfortable.

I didn't want to call the doctor's office every ten minutes, so I watched S for a day and made sure I had all his symptoms. Then I called. I talked to the nurse and she told me a few good tips.

With babies that young, they can't have medicine. She told me to ease his discomfort and coughing, I could give him an ounce for every month old he was of warm apple juice. So, since he was 4 months old, he could have up to 4 oz of warm apple juice per day. (I actually watered it down, but I think it worked just the same.)

Also, I got baby Vick's vapor rub and rubbed it on his chest and feet. Yes, the soles of his feet. You may think it's silly, but it really does work. And besides, it's homeopathic, so why not give it a try? It also eases their discomfort from coughing and helps them sleep better. I loved that stuff and grew to associate it's smell with the smell of my baby. It says it's safe for babies 6 months and older, but the doc said I could use it on S.

You can use a humidifier to help baby breath at night. Get friendly with your child's nasal aspirator and keep one in every room of your house. If your child is older, sometimes propping them up helps them sleep better at night. Our son was always propped because the nurses at the hospital told us it would help with his acid reflux. However, you still have to be very careful with newborns and extra blankets or pillows. SIDS is always a risk.

Also, there is this cool thing called saline mist that you can spray into your baby's nose. It helps with breathing, and I found it also loosened up the dry gunk and made it easier for me to suction out.

RSV

A few months later, my son's cold returned, but this time it was different. His eyes were watery, as seen in the picture below.

His nose was constantly running, and his cough was wet. He was tired all the time and not really playful. Still happy, just lethargic. I called my sister-in-law that day to ask her about her son who was a year old and had just been diagnosed with RSV.

"I think that's what S has," I told her. The next day I took my son in to the doctor. He checked him out, listened to his lungs and his cough. Sure enough, my little guy had RSV. My sister-in-law said she had never seen a mother so in tune to her baby. That made me feel pretty good, but I told her it wasn't because I'm special, it was because I'd kept S indoors for the first 3 months of his life trying to avoid getting RSV.

There was a few things more we could do for him than with a common cold. We bought a nebulizer and gave him prescription breathing treatments every few hours.

It wasn't exactly fun or comfortable, but we did what we had to. We also made sure my husband and I did not spread the virus. S stayed home so as not to share the wealth. We washed our hands and clothes regularly, and we made sure S was as comfortable and happy as possible.

Why am I going through the trouble of this rather lengthy and possibly not all that interesting post?

Because. The only reason I knew to look for the symptoms of RSV were because someone had told me about them. RSV itself is not fatal, but it can weaken the immune system, making way for things like pneumonia, which can be fatal. So just be careful.

I also wish that I had been given some ideas on what to do when my baby is really sick. Now you know for a cough you can use apple juice and Vick's to the soles. Also, make sure your baby/child is hydrated. They may not feel like eating, but they've got to drink.

STOMACH FLU/ILLNESS

Our mommy Nicole just posted on her personal blog that her son J is having GI problems. He's been puking and...other fun activities, so his pediatrician recommended he eat bananas and yogurt. I don't know anything about this topic, so ideas are welcome.

RASH

A few weeks ago my son got a mystery rash. It was so strange and bizarre and I hated it. I was frightened. I called my mother, who didn't answer. I called my neighbor who is an ER nurse, and she wasn't home. I called my brother-in-law who is a Pharmacist. He asked me all the questions I expected. Did he have a fever? Was he introduced to any new foods? Did we recently change his laundry detergent? Was he itchy and scratching? Did he have any other symptoms?

The answer to all of these questions was no. My brother-in-law's advice to me was not to treat the symptom if it wasn't there. Benedryl would have been my first go-to drug, but I didn't have any. However, S wasn't itchy. He wasn't scratching. He wasn't miserable. The only reason I even knew he had a rash was because I happened to see it while changing his diaper.

So I watched him like a hawk, afraid that if I even picked him up I might irritate his rash. After a day, it went away. I never used Benedryl. Would S have died if I did? No. But I knew that it would have been for my own peace of mind instead of the well being of my child.

That being said, if I had said yes to any of those questions, I may have, honestly, taken S right to the doctor or the ER. I'm not even kidding. Especially with the food allergy. If he had been cranky or scratching, I would have pumped him so full of Benedryl that rash wouldn't have known what was coming!

Bottom line: rashes are scary. Don't freak out. Ask yourself a bunch of questions, watch your baby and his/her behavior, and then react.

You are the mom. You know best.

TEETHING

My son is now old enough to be getting some molars. Yippee. We took him to the dentist two weeks ago, and he actually recommended using a frozen Gogurt to help with teething pains. It's cold, it's edible. It's small enough for him to fit in the back of his mouth.

It was brilliant. I tried it on S and it was great. Messy, but great.

When it comes to cutting teeth, I don't skimp on the pain meds if my child is in need. If he's awake and happy and playing, I don't bother because he's plenty distracted. But when he starts to tug on his ears and hit his face or head, I break out the Tylenol. Or if he's going to bed. I don't want him sleeping terribly because he's in pain all night.
A bib also helps with the little ones. That way their shirts aren't covered in drool. :)

I noticed that my son's chin gets red and irritated when he is teething because the drool drips down his chin and just kind of hangs out there. I try to keep a rag around to dab off the drool and keep his chin from chapping.

FEVER

This section will be relatively blank. You see, my son does not get a fever. Hardly ever. Even when he had RSV he had a very low grade fever. Does that mean he doesn't get sick? No. In fact, he just expresses it in different ways. For example. About a week before the rash incident, all of a sudden my baby had really red cheeks. They stayed red for hours. He seemed a little down, a little more tired. No cough,  not really a runny nose. But I knew that this was his body's way of telling me he was sick. I gave him Tylenol, lots of liquids, lots of rest, etc. After a few hours he felt better.

What I know of fevers is that it's usually not the fever that is the problem (unless it's really high, and then you've got a serious problem!). The fever is just a symptom of something else going on. It could be a simple bug going around or even teething. Or it could be something bigger. You know your child, so don't be afraid to call your pediatrician and tell him your child's symptoms if you are really concerned.

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So, as you can see, in my limited experience, I have found a lot of things help for me. I'll ask you to share what helps you take care of your little guy or girl when they are under the weather, and if you aren't too busy mopping up puke or dosing out cough medicine, I'd love to hear.

One last thing. Mother's instinct is sometimes confused with panicking, but it's like I said before. YOU know your child, and if the doctor/nurse/etc won't listen to you, and you are sure there is something very wrong with your baby, you leave and find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and not brush aside your God given talent of mothering.

Sick with the Flu

Being sick is never fun. Having sick kids is almost worse because not only does it tug at your heart strings, but if they're young, there's not much you can give them (medicine wise) to comfort them and help with their symptoms.

This last weekend, we had a little boy who was sick with the flu. He threw up BIG time three times during the day. Each one was on me. He'd come up and want to be held and then just toss his cookies all over the place. That night he kept throwing up every few hours, but it would mostly be Sprite and crackers that we had given him. I just felt so helpless, but I knew it was only the flu and that it wasn't really terribly bad. It just seemed worse because he was barfing on me.

What are some things that you moms out there do for your kids when they're not feeling their best?

Constipation Anyone?

If your kids are anything like mine, then their internal plumbing systems will stop working quite as well once they start solids.  I don't know what it is, but my babies just plug right up once solids are introduced.  It doesn't matter how much they drink, or how diluted their cereal is, they seem to have a really tough time with filling their diapers up.  I have learned a few different things to try when your little one is spending a lot of time grunting without much to show for it.

1.  Prunes and Prune Juice:  Doctors will usually recommend this first.  They claim that it softens things up and gets them flowing again.  I have never had much luck with them myself, but old people eat/drink them for the same reason, so there must be some truth to it.

2.  Blueberries:  I haven't had to use blueberries specifically for this purpose, but my kids love them.  I have been told that they work like a charm when it comes to cleaning out those little baby pipes.

3.  Yogurt:  I tried almost everything you can imagine with my first child and she continued to remain clogged up almost constantly until she was introduced to yogurt.  Once she was old enough, I started to feed her yogurt every single day and she has not had a bowel problem since.

4.  CARROTS:  Yes, those beloved little orange bits of deliciousness that most children will gobble up quite willingly are filled with fiber.  Especially if your baby is not old enough to eat yogurt yet, then carrots are a good option.  If my little one has gone for several days without stinking up the house, then I will feed her a big helping of carrots.  Without fail, she will have a major blowout by the next morning.  Sometimes they work a little too well and the mess is uncontainable.  But that is information for another post ;)

5.  Suppository:  If nothing else works, you may be in need of a suppository.  However, I would suggest trying the other options first.  Suppositories are very effective, usually working within 15 minutes or so, but they are uncomfortable for your child and are not a long term fix. 

Mother's Instinct

Lately, my little boy has been unusually tired, always telling me, " I just need a little rest, Mommy," or, "I'm just going to have a little sleep."  He's also been complaining of headaches; "It feels like a drum, Mommy."  He's not even 3.

Now, I am not one to up and run to the doctor every time my child sniffles or coughs or has a fever; I don't like having to pay to be told to keep doing what I'm already doing.  HOWEVER, in this case, I just didn't feel right about his symptoms.  What almost 3-year-old do you know that just wants to rest?  Or complains of having headaches?  Exactly.  So I took him to the doctor.  Diagnosis: allergies.  I didn't disagree with our doctor (we already know B has allergies), I informed him quite emphatically that I was not one to bring my kids to the doctor for every. little. thing.  THANKFULLY, (loving our pediatrician), he responded very appropriately:  "In circumstances like this, I like to think what I would want the doctor to do for my kid."  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!  So, he wrote out a prescription for a blood panel to rule out mono, hypothyroidism, and anemia.  He said if B isn't doing better in a week on the allergy meds, to take him in to get his blood tested.

Why am I telling you this story?  Because I believe that Mothers are blessed with the ability to "know" if something isn't right with their child.  We have a connection that is beyond the physical that keeps us in tune with the needs that they cannot always express.  And thank goodness for that!  I am grateful, also, for a pediatrician that realizes that he sees my kid every once and awhile, while I see them 24/7.

I will probably get the blood test done, just for peace of mind...for the "what ifs". I'm not hoping for positive results, but it won't hurt to rule them out, right?   In the meantime, I'll be having fun with my adorably-hilarious-yet-a-bit-overtired little boy, and his wonderful little sister.

Do you have any instances where your Mother's Instinct has helped you?