Reflux
I seem to often write posts right before we go to the doctor, but I'm not good about following up on here and giving an update. As previously mentioned, Will went to his pediatric GI a few weeks ago for a weight check and to see how he was doing since we started giving him bottles of pumped breast milk with 1.5 tsp of formula added for extra calories. He was 14 lbs, which meant he didn't gain any weight for at least 2 weeks because at his 6-month appointment 2 weeks before that, he weighed 14lbs 1oz. Since he wasn't gaining well enough with the bottles of pumped milk, the doctor said I didn't have to do that anymore if it was stressing me out (which it was). I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders! Pumping was incredibly stressful because it was more constricting than nursing, and Will is more efficient than the pump, so I could never pump enough.
The issue (as I thought) is his reflux medicine is just not doing the trick. The actual dosage of the medicine is 1.5mL, but he can't tolerate that dose because it makes his intestines cramp. So we cut back to 1mL, and bumped it back up to 1.2mL when 1mL wasn't helping, which still isn't working. The only thing it does is keep him from spitting up as much as he did before he started the medicine. So the poor little guy is still in pain from the acid that keeps coming back up during and after he eats, which makes him not want to eat much.
The GI has referred us to a feeding therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Since I've never heard of a feeding therapist, I don't know much about what she will do. I do know that she's also a speech therapist and has 11 letters after her name, so that must mean she knows what she's talking about, right? When I asked the doctor why he was sending us to her, he mostly said, "I think she can help you." I don't really know what that means. In my mind, I'm wondering why not a lactation consultant? But I see one every Friday at my mom group, and we've never had any physical issues with Will's mouth that would normally lead a nursing baby to physical or occupational therapy, so I'm still confused. The one thing the GI said that made the most sense to me was that often babies with severe reflux like Will can develop a food aversion, so the feeding therapist will help us avoid that hopefully. I've also learned that it's the common next step for reflux babies to go to a feeding therapist when the medicine isn't cutting it. Has anyone out there ever been to one or know what we can expect when we go?
As with most specialists, the first appointment we could get was for a month later. That month is almost up now, finally. Our appointment is for Monday October 3rd, and I'm looking forward to being one step closer to finding a solution for my little man.
Peanut Allergy
The last time I wrote about Will's peanut allergy, we thought that perhaps his allergy wasn't that bad. When we got the blood work results back, we learned that's not the case. Unfortunately, Will's peanut allergy is in the "Very High" category. I asked the allergist, based on his experience what he thought Will's prognosis will be (while knowing he can't know 100% for sure). He said that in his experience, babies or kids with it this high do not grow out of it. :( This news made me very sad for my baby boy. Wayne's favorite food is peanut butter. I've always gotten him Reese's cakes for his birthday, his mom makes her famous peanut butter cookies every Christmas, he could eat a bucket of boiled peanuts in one sitting, and overall, peanut butter is a staple in our house. The good news is Will won't know what he's missing. The bad news is we are now armed with Epi Pens. Since the allergy is much worse than originally thought, we'll have to be extra cautious to make sure Will doesn't come into contact with any peanuts. If we ever eat peanuts or peanut butter (not me until I'm done nursing, obviously), we'll have to wash our hands and mouth before touching Will. If it gets on his skin, it makes him break out in a rash.
When I was pregnant, I couldn't eat deli meat (there's a bacteria that can cause miscarriage), so peanut butter and jelly sandwiches replaced turkey sandwiches. I ate a lot of them. I can't help but wonder if that caused his allergy. It already has me wondering what kind of sandwiches I'll eat the next time I get pregnant. Peanut allergies are so common these days, especially in boys. What are we eating that's causing this? I wish I knew.
Showing posts with label reflux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflux. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
6 Months
Will turned 6 months on August 20th...I need to get this post up before he's 7 months. August was a very busy month for us and included our first overnight trip with Will to San Francisco! (I'll write about that later.) Wayne had another huge show to work on and was gone for three weeks again. This time, Will and I were able to join him for 10 days, which was really nice. We got home a few days ago, and I'm working on getting back into the swing of things (including sleeping and blogging!).
Okay, moving on.
Will has really changed a lot in the past month. He is "talking" a lot more but still finds time to give us plenty of squeals. His favorite words are "mamamama" "babababa" "dadadada" and he also enjoys blowing raspberries. (why are they called raspberries anyway?)
He has many new tricks that he likes to show us. I've tried to capture them on video. The first is his new "dance move." He lies on his back and moves his hips to the side. He started doing it one day in his crib, and it was cracking me up! The shaking in the video is from me laughing.
His other new trick is sitting up! We're still working on perfecting it, but he's getting the hang of it. It's hard to get him to sit because he locks his legs and hips and only wants to stand. He's already showing a stubborn side! I realize how much easier life will be when he can sit up on his own. I'm looking forward to that!
I don't have video or pictures of this yet, but another thing Will loves to do is slam his legs down when he's laying on his back. I'll have to get some video of that. It's definitely an expression for him, showing he's happy or excited.
As previously mentioned in my list of favorites from 0-3 months, I loved it when Will rooted. For those of you who don't know (because I sure didn't know what it was), "rooting" is a reflex babies have when they are looking for food. They shake their heads back and forth, basically looking for a nipple. It always cracked me up when he did it because it's very funny to watch, and it also let us know when he was hungry. I got sad when I realized a month or two ago that he didn't really do it anymore. Recently, however, he has started back up doing it, but now it seems to have a different meaning. Sometimes it's obvious that he's looking for something to suck on, but other times he does it when he's already got his paci in his mouth, and he's not hungry. It seems to often be a reflection that he's happy. It cracks us up! Here are a couple of examples of him doing it. The first is something that happens often. He grabs my hair (his right fist), pulls me close and goes to town. He's very strong...it hurts! I call this "Attack of the rooting baby."
Here is another video (from San Francisco) where I was trying to capture the head shake. Isn't it a little too early for him to say "no" to everything?
Will LOVES bath time! I do have some great video of him playing, but unfortunately, it's a little inappropriate to show his man parts on the internet. One of these days, I'll put him in the tub in his swim suit so I can share because it's pretty great. He kicks and splashes and makes himself laugh...it is so cute! I've tried to get video by strategically placing a wash cloth, but he pulls it off and waves it around in the air. The man likes his naked time!
We accomplished a major goal I had by 6 months...we dropped the swaddle! I was so scared to do this for a while because it really helped calm him down and go to sleep. And he had finally started sleeping through the night again at 5 months. I was really hesitant to do anything to mess that up! But almost more importantly, I did not want to have to worry about keeping him in the swaddle in San Francisco. So after having lunch with some of my friends from my mom group one day and learning that the two moms with boys older than Will still had to help their boys to sleep (rocking or holding), I decided that perhaps my expectations for Will were too high. I came home, put him in footie pajamas and decided I would stay with him and help him to sleep as long as it took. I was surprised that he rolled over onto his belly and fell asleep that way...and it really didn't take that long! Since then, not every time he goes down for a nap is that easy, but at least we're done with the (stupid) swaddle.
Since we've had to start giving him more bottles, it's been fun to see what a big boy he is and how quickly he learns. He already holds it all by himself! And I love the "frog legs" he has when he drinks from the bottle. He can't hold it the whole time and feed himself, but he certainly tries. He usually shoves the entire nipple in his mouth, so he still needs a little help.
Speaking of his 6 month doctor's appointment, he once again, did really well with the shots. He only cried for a second. He's such a brave little boy! While his doctor was pleased to see how much better his skin is doing, she is still really concerned with his weight. He has dropped 5 trend lines to the 2nd percentile. I am working very hard to get him to eat more, but it's a struggle. For a while, he did better eating from a bottle than he did nursing, but now he's kind of switched. He has an appointment tomorrow with his GI for another weight check (he was impressed with his weight gain at the last weight check... 12.7 lbs to 13.3 lbs (13lbs 6oz) in a week), so hopefully he's gaining well enough. I'm also going to talk to him about his reflux medicine because I really don't think it's working. It's so hard for me to watch him struggle and cry every time he eats.
Here are his stats from his 6 month appointment:
weight: 14lbs 1oz, 2nd percentile
height: 26.75 inches, 60th percentile
head circumference: 17 inches, 32nd percentile
As much of a struggle as it can be some days, this little boy has blessed my life more than I ever thought possible. I love him beyond measure, and thank the Lord every day for him! His laugh is infectious, and his smile is contagious. All you have to do is smile at him to get one in return. We are truly blessed with such a happy baby!
Okay, moving on.
Will has really changed a lot in the past month. He is "talking" a lot more but still finds time to give us plenty of squeals. His favorite words are "mamamama" "babababa" "dadadada" and he also enjoys blowing raspberries. (why are they called raspberries anyway?)
He has many new tricks that he likes to show us. I've tried to capture them on video. The first is his new "dance move." He lies on his back and moves his hips to the side. He started doing it one day in his crib, and it was cracking me up! The shaking in the video is from me laughing.
His other new trick is sitting up! We're still working on perfecting it, but he's getting the hang of it. It's hard to get him to sit because he locks his legs and hips and only wants to stand. He's already showing a stubborn side! I realize how much easier life will be when he can sit up on his own. I'm looking forward to that!
I don't have video or pictures of this yet, but another thing Will loves to do is slam his legs down when he's laying on his back. I'll have to get some video of that. It's definitely an expression for him, showing he's happy or excited.
As previously mentioned in my list of favorites from 0-3 months, I loved it when Will rooted. For those of you who don't know (because I sure didn't know what it was), "rooting" is a reflex babies have when they are looking for food. They shake their heads back and forth, basically looking for a nipple. It always cracked me up when he did it because it's very funny to watch, and it also let us know when he was hungry. I got sad when I realized a month or two ago that he didn't really do it anymore. Recently, however, he has started back up doing it, but now it seems to have a different meaning. Sometimes it's obvious that he's looking for something to suck on, but other times he does it when he's already got his paci in his mouth, and he's not hungry. It seems to often be a reflection that he's happy. It cracks us up! Here are a couple of examples of him doing it. The first is something that happens often. He grabs my hair (his right fist), pulls me close and goes to town. He's very strong...it hurts! I call this "Attack of the rooting baby."
Here is another video (from San Francisco) where I was trying to capture the head shake. Isn't it a little too early for him to say "no" to everything?
Will LOVES bath time! I do have some great video of him playing, but unfortunately, it's a little inappropriate to show his man parts on the internet. One of these days, I'll put him in the tub in his swim suit so I can share because it's pretty great. He kicks and splashes and makes himself laugh...it is so cute! I've tried to get video by strategically placing a wash cloth, but he pulls it off and waves it around in the air. The man likes his naked time!
We accomplished a major goal I had by 6 months...we dropped the swaddle! I was so scared to do this for a while because it really helped calm him down and go to sleep. And he had finally started sleeping through the night again at 5 months. I was really hesitant to do anything to mess that up! But almost more importantly, I did not want to have to worry about keeping him in the swaddle in San Francisco. So after having lunch with some of my friends from my mom group one day and learning that the two moms with boys older than Will still had to help their boys to sleep (rocking or holding), I decided that perhaps my expectations for Will were too high. I came home, put him in footie pajamas and decided I would stay with him and help him to sleep as long as it took. I was surprised that he rolled over onto his belly and fell asleep that way...and it really didn't take that long! Since then, not every time he goes down for a nap is that easy, but at least we're done with the (stupid) swaddle.
This was his first nap sans swaddle.
It is so cute to watch him sleep now. His favorite position is on his right side (like his mommy). It doesn't get any cuter than a little boy in footie pj's. I'm slightly obsessed with his feet.
Everything goes in his mouth! Teeth are on their way...
Love his feet in this one. :)
Since we've had to start giving him more bottles, it's been fun to see what a big boy he is and how quickly he learns. He already holds it all by himself! And I love the "frog legs" he has when he drinks from the bottle. He can't hold it the whole time and feed himself, but he certainly tries. He usually shoves the entire nipple in his mouth, so he still needs a little help.
Another new development...see that on top of his head? His hair is growing back! woohoo!
LOVE this face.
He's also discovered tags. He loves finding them on any and every toy, and that usually ends up being his favorite part of the toy.
He has finally moved from wearing 3-6 month size in clothing to 6 months. The 6 months sizes are usually huge in waist, but just right for the length.
He is still in size 2 diapers. (This is quite a wet diaper...after 6 month shots and right before his bath.)
Speaking of his 6 month doctor's appointment, he once again, did really well with the shots. He only cried for a second. He's such a brave little boy! While his doctor was pleased to see how much better his skin is doing, she is still really concerned with his weight. He has dropped 5 trend lines to the 2nd percentile. I am working very hard to get him to eat more, but it's a struggle. For a while, he did better eating from a bottle than he did nursing, but now he's kind of switched. He has an appointment tomorrow with his GI for another weight check (he was impressed with his weight gain at the last weight check... 12.7 lbs to 13.3 lbs (13lbs 6oz) in a week), so hopefully he's gaining well enough. I'm also going to talk to him about his reflux medicine because I really don't think it's working. It's so hard for me to watch him struggle and cry every time he eats.
Here are his stats from his 6 month appointment:
weight: 14lbs 1oz, 2nd percentile
height: 26.75 inches, 60th percentile
head circumference: 17 inches, 32nd percentile
As much of a struggle as it can be some days, this little boy has blessed my life more than I ever thought possible. I love him beyond measure, and thank the Lord every day for him! His laugh is infectious, and his smile is contagious. All you have to do is smile at him to get one in return. We are truly blessed with such a happy baby!
I love his toes in this one! Straight legs and spread toes = happy!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Five. Part 1
Will is five months old! The past month has been very busy for us, and Will has changed so much. I don't even know where to begin. Will started rolling over when he was around 12 weeks old, but now we can't keep him in one place. He is officially a roly poly and goes all over the family room. And of course, it's supervised rolling. I like to see how far he'll go. :)
I can't remember if I've mentioned on here before that Will has had issues with gaining weight, but it's something we've been dealing with since he was around 12 weeks when his reflux issues came to a head. He goes weeks without gaining an ounce. Then he'll gain a few, and then he'll stall again for weeks. The mom group I go to weekly has a scale, so I weigh him on it every Friday. He has been stuck going back and forth between 12lbs 6oz and 12lbs 12oz for at least the past 6 weeks and has dropped to the 3rd percentile in weight. I know a lot of babies are in the bottom percentiles for a while, so it's nothing that I'm losing sleep over. However, it's certainly concerning when your child doesn't gain an ounce for weeks at a time. In three months, he's gained one pound. Normal weight gain for babies is two to four ounces a week. Even if he was on the low end, only gaining two ounces a week, he should have gained two pounds in three months. Also, Will wasn't born in a low percentile for his weight. He was 7lbs 9oz and was in the 40th-60th percentiles for weight his first couple of months.
This past week, we had another appointment with Will's GI. When we were there two months ago, Will weighed 12.4 lbs. This past Monday, he weighed 12.7 lbs. Doctors look for babies to double their birth weight by 6 months, so that would mean Will should weigh 15 lbs by August 20th. We are certainly not on the path to achieving that goal. His GI is concerned with his lack of weight gain and said we really need to bump up his calories. Much to my dismay, I now have to pump every-other feeding and give Will a 4oz bottle of breast milk with 1tsp of formula powder mixed in for the extra calories. Will has been a 100% breastfed baby, so it's hard to tell how many ounces he actually drinks. At the suggestion of a lactation consultant at Northside Hospital, we've rented a scale to weigh him before and after feedings to see how much he actually takes from me. It has been quite enlightening! He does not take more than two ounces per feeding except in the morning. A baby his age should be getting 28-32 ounces per day. He eats an average of 6 times a day, so he's only eating about half of what he should be eating.
While enlightening, it has been so frustrating. I've been asking his doctors for a while about his weight and have even mentioned at my breastfeeding support group meetings that I'm concerned with his weight and my milk supply. In the early days, I had over supply, so it was never an issue I was concerned with until his weight gain started stalling. It's frustrating that it's gotten this bad, and now we have to rush to try and make up for lost time. It's not anyone's "fault" that this has happened, but I wish we had been guided to rent the scale months ago. Perhaps this entire situation could have been avoided. But I can't dwell on that...
The lactation consultant described what Will does as "self-limiting". He stops eating because of his reflux. I knew that he had shortened his feeding time, so I've tried to make up for it by feeding him more frequently, but it still hasn't been enough. With the help of the scale, I can make sure that Will has gained weight by next week when we have to go back to his GI for a weight check. If he hasn't gained a sufficient amount, I'll have to pump and bottle feed with 1 or 2 tsp of formula at every feeding instead of every other. If you are or have ever been a nursing mom, you can understand how I do not want that to happen! It not only interferes with the bond I have with my son, but it's also a major inconvenience. (Not to mention expensive!!! we have to get the hypoallergenic formula, and it's $30 a can!)
So that's where we are.
Did you notice the music in the background? That's my amazing husband, who has never had a piano lesson in his life, learning to play my favorite song Clair de Lune...just for me. This song is special to us, and Wayne has always found ways to play it for me (on my iPod) when I've needed a pick-me-up. In fact, all of this about my husband leads me to Five. Part 2....
I tried to get some video of him rolling, but it happens so quickly, sometimes I only catch a part of it. Here's the best I got.
Will has always loved his paci, but now he is trying to put anything and everything in his mouth.
I can't remember if I've mentioned on here before that Will has had issues with gaining weight, but it's something we've been dealing with since he was around 12 weeks when his reflux issues came to a head. He goes weeks without gaining an ounce. Then he'll gain a few, and then he'll stall again for weeks. The mom group I go to weekly has a scale, so I weigh him on it every Friday. He has been stuck going back and forth between 12lbs 6oz and 12lbs 12oz for at least the past 6 weeks and has dropped to the 3rd percentile in weight. I know a lot of babies are in the bottom percentiles for a while, so it's nothing that I'm losing sleep over. However, it's certainly concerning when your child doesn't gain an ounce for weeks at a time. In three months, he's gained one pound. Normal weight gain for babies is two to four ounces a week. Even if he was on the low end, only gaining two ounces a week, he should have gained two pounds in three months. Also, Will wasn't born in a low percentile for his weight. He was 7lbs 9oz and was in the 40th-60th percentiles for weight his first couple of months.
This past week, we had another appointment with Will's GI. When we were there two months ago, Will weighed 12.4 lbs. This past Monday, he weighed 12.7 lbs. Doctors look for babies to double their birth weight by 6 months, so that would mean Will should weigh 15 lbs by August 20th. We are certainly not on the path to achieving that goal. His GI is concerned with his lack of weight gain and said we really need to bump up his calories. Much to my dismay, I now have to pump every-other feeding and give Will a 4oz bottle of breast milk with 1tsp of formula powder mixed in for the extra calories. Will has been a 100% breastfed baby, so it's hard to tell how many ounces he actually drinks. At the suggestion of a lactation consultant at Northside Hospital, we've rented a scale to weigh him before and after feedings to see how much he actually takes from me. It has been quite enlightening! He does not take more than two ounces per feeding except in the morning. A baby his age should be getting 28-32 ounces per day. He eats an average of 6 times a day, so he's only eating about half of what he should be eating.
While enlightening, it has been so frustrating. I've been asking his doctors for a while about his weight and have even mentioned at my breastfeeding support group meetings that I'm concerned with his weight and my milk supply. In the early days, I had over supply, so it was never an issue I was concerned with until his weight gain started stalling. It's frustrating that it's gotten this bad, and now we have to rush to try and make up for lost time. It's not anyone's "fault" that this has happened, but I wish we had been guided to rent the scale months ago. Perhaps this entire situation could have been avoided. But I can't dwell on that...
The lactation consultant described what Will does as "self-limiting". He stops eating because of his reflux. I knew that he had shortened his feeding time, so I've tried to make up for it by feeding him more frequently, but it still hasn't been enough. With the help of the scale, I can make sure that Will has gained weight by next week when we have to go back to his GI for a weight check. If he hasn't gained a sufficient amount, I'll have to pump and bottle feed with 1 or 2 tsp of formula at every feeding instead of every other. If you are or have ever been a nursing mom, you can understand how I do not want that to happen! It not only interferes with the bond I have with my son, but it's also a major inconvenience. (Not to mention expensive!!! we have to get the hypoallergenic formula, and it's $30 a can!)
So that's where we are.
His weight is 12.7lbs and his height is 26.7 inches. (long and lean like his daddy!)
Five months old!
I love these two :)
I love how Will is standing and looking at this daddy in this pic.
Here's a video showing how precious my little boy is. I love all of the faces and smiles I get to look at every day!
Did you notice the music in the background? That's my amazing husband, who has never had a piano lesson in his life, learning to play my favorite song Clair de Lune...just for me. This song is special to us, and Wayne has always found ways to play it for me (on my iPod) when I've needed a pick-me-up. In fact, all of this about my husband leads me to Five. Part 2....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
4 Months Old
Things have been crazy around here, and I feel like I've been going nonstop lately. Yesterday (July 4th) was the first time in who-knows-how-long I laid on the couch...although it only lasted for maybe 10 minutes.
So, our sweet Will is 4 months! I'm not going to lie...time didn't fly by for me from 3 to 4 months as much as it did previously. I'm sure that had something to do with Wayne being gone for 3 weeks and the changes that Will went through behaviorally in that time period. I don't think I ever got around to doing an actual post on Will's sleeping, but he did start sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. He was sleeping 5-7 hours, then by 8 weeks, he was sleeping 8-9 hours. It was amazing! Wayne left to go out of town for work when Will was around 12 weeks, and all of a sudden, he stopped sleeping through the night. I'm not talking he'd wake up once or twice. I mean, he'd wake up 3 to 4 times a night, minimum, allowing me 1.5 to 2 hours of sleep at a time, maximum. Newborn stage. And of course, this would start when Wayne left. This was also the time period that his reflux got worse. We had already seen the GI, but we were still trying to figure out the right meds for him. He didn't gain weight (as in, not a single ounce) for 5 weeks. And last but not least, the car accident also happened while Wayne was out of town. Oh - and I was supposed to return to work the week Wayne left. Thank you, Jesus, that we had already decided I'd take extra leave! I really would not have been able to function at work; I could barely function at home.
I'll move on to the positives, now that I've gotten the negatives out. Will's hand-eye coordination really developed from 3 to 4 months! It started the night of the American Idol finale when I was trying to get video of Will "singing". He kept finding my phone with his eyes (I was trying to not let him see it because he would stop singing if he did), and then he suddenly reached for it and hit it with his hand! The next day in his play gym, he started hitting the hanging toys like crazy.
One of my college besties Melissa came to visit and meet Will. She and Will had the best time together, and he loved giving her his big, open mouth kisses. It was a sweet time for us since she's moving to Sudan this fall for 2 years. She'll be teaching the kids of a missionary family as well as training Sudanese teachers. Please join us in praying for her while she's over there!
This picture has a funny story behind it. My mom stayed with me while Wayne was gone, and one night went in to give Will his pacifier b/c he was being fussy. When she got in there, she couldn't find it. She picked him up and saw that it was in his swaddle! (It's sticking out under his right arm.) She brought him out to show me, and I was laughing so hard when I saw his hand on his face like this, as if he was posing!
At his 4-month check-up, he had finally gained a few ounces, but his pediatrician wasn't impressed. We're actually going back for a weight check today. I mentioned to her how he's not sleeping anymore, and there are a couple of things she brought up. First, there's something called the 4-month sleep problems. I'd read about it, heard of it, and even know friends who've dealt with it but was hoping we could bypass the issue. At 4 months, babies brains undergo a major growth spurt. All of the extra activity going on inside of them makes it a lot harder for their brains to relax enough to sleep. For Will, it started with nighttime sleeping, but it has now carried over into naps. The other reason she mentioned is that he could be trying to make up for the calories his body isn't holding onto. I told her I'd feed him when he woke, and to my surprise, he'd take a full feeding each time. Makes sense, honestly. And if his metabolism is anything like his daddy's, that really makes sense.
His eczema has also gotten really bad. His head itches so much that he's constantly scratching it (hence the mittens), and has pulled out all of his hair on the front half of his head. Seriously - he has no hair on the tops and sides, but it's all still in the back, except for one line where he turns his head back and forth when trying to go to sleep.
His doctor has referred us to an allergist to find out exactly what he's allergic to (if anything) to see if we can get the eczema and weight issue under control. We're going tomorrow...and praying for some answers.
Here are his stats from his 4-month check up on 6/21/11:
Weight: 12lbs, 12oz, 11th percentile
Height: 25 inches, 54th percentile
Head circumference: 16.15 inches, 20th percentile
So, our sweet Will is 4 months! I'm not going to lie...time didn't fly by for me from 3 to 4 months as much as it did previously. I'm sure that had something to do with Wayne being gone for 3 weeks and the changes that Will went through behaviorally in that time period. I don't think I ever got around to doing an actual post on Will's sleeping, but he did start sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. He was sleeping 5-7 hours, then by 8 weeks, he was sleeping 8-9 hours. It was amazing! Wayne left to go out of town for work when Will was around 12 weeks, and all of a sudden, he stopped sleeping through the night. I'm not talking he'd wake up once or twice. I mean, he'd wake up 3 to 4 times a night, minimum, allowing me 1.5 to 2 hours of sleep at a time, maximum. Newborn stage. And of course, this would start when Wayne left. This was also the time period that his reflux got worse. We had already seen the GI, but we were still trying to figure out the right meds for him. He didn't gain weight (as in, not a single ounce) for 5 weeks. And last but not least, the car accident also happened while Wayne was out of town. Oh - and I was supposed to return to work the week Wayne left. Thank you, Jesus, that we had already decided I'd take extra leave! I really would not have been able to function at work; I could barely function at home.
I'll move on to the positives, now that I've gotten the negatives out. Will's hand-eye coordination really developed from 3 to 4 months! It started the night of the American Idol finale when I was trying to get video of Will "singing". He kept finding my phone with his eyes (I was trying to not let him see it because he would stop singing if he did), and then he suddenly reached for it and hit it with his hand! The next day in his play gym, he started hitting the hanging toys like crazy.
This is the first day he started hitting the toys.
This was the next day, so you can see how quickly his coordination improved! (Yes, he's in mittens. Yes, I cut AND file his nails, but he still cuts his head and face like crazy.)
He also started talking a lot more. Oh, how I love to hear his sweet voice!! One night, we met my parents for dinner, and he was talking to my dad the whole time. It was so cute! You can't hear the noises he's making in this video, but the faces alone are funny enough to watch.
One of my college besties Melissa came to visit and meet Will. She and Will had the best time together, and he loved giving her his big, open mouth kisses. It was a sweet time for us since she's moving to Sudan this fall for 2 years. She'll be teaching the kids of a missionary family as well as training Sudanese teachers. Please join us in praying for her while she's over there!
Since his hand-eye coordination really kicked in, he started touching my face whenever it was within reach. The best is when he's on his changing table, and he reaches up and touches you and smiles at you. MELTS.MY.HEART.
And as previously posted, he loves sitting in his bumbo! I know I've already put this pic up, but it's too cute to not post again. I love him so much!
He also found his feet. He plays with them all the time now!
This picture has a funny story behind it. My mom stayed with me while Wayne was gone, and one night went in to give Will his pacifier b/c he was being fussy. When she got in there, she couldn't find it. She picked him up and saw that it was in his swaddle! (It's sticking out under his right arm.) She brought him out to show me, and I was laughing so hard when I saw his hand on his face like this, as if he was posing!
He kept it there, and then started smiling when he realized we were laughing at him! I think we might have a comedian in the making...
At his 4-month check-up, he had finally gained a few ounces, but his pediatrician wasn't impressed. We're actually going back for a weight check today. I mentioned to her how he's not sleeping anymore, and there are a couple of things she brought up. First, there's something called the 4-month sleep problems. I'd read about it, heard of it, and even know friends who've dealt with it but was hoping we could bypass the issue. At 4 months, babies brains undergo a major growth spurt. All of the extra activity going on inside of them makes it a lot harder for their brains to relax enough to sleep. For Will, it started with nighttime sleeping, but it has now carried over into naps. The other reason she mentioned is that he could be trying to make up for the calories his body isn't holding onto. I told her I'd feed him when he woke, and to my surprise, he'd take a full feeding each time. Makes sense, honestly. And if his metabolism is anything like his daddy's, that really makes sense.
His eczema has also gotten really bad. His head itches so much that he's constantly scratching it (hence the mittens), and has pulled out all of his hair on the front half of his head. Seriously - he has no hair on the tops and sides, but it's all still in the back, except for one line where he turns his head back and forth when trying to go to sleep.
His doctor has referred us to an allergist to find out exactly what he's allergic to (if anything) to see if we can get the eczema and weight issue under control. We're going tomorrow...and praying for some answers.
Here are his stats from his 4-month check up on 6/21/11:
Weight: 12lbs, 12oz, 11th percentile
Height: 25 inches, 54th percentile
Head circumference: 16.15 inches, 20th percentile
And now, for the 4-month photo shoot :)
He hasn't quite mastered the art of sitting up for long periods of time :)
I love this one because he constantly stretches his legs like this...so cute!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Reflux.
Oh, where to begin. This has certainly been the biggest struggle for us. Within the first few weeks of Will's life, I started to question whether or not he had reflux or maybe even a food allergy. He spit up a lot. Since I've never had a baby before, it was hard for me to know what "a lot" of spit up was and what was a normal amount. There were other signs that made me wonder, too. For example, when he would burp or spit up, he'd let out a cry after, as if it was painful. I could also hear the milk come back up and go back down even though it wouldn't always come out. Other factors: he would cry, scream, choke, gag, gasp for air, whimper, spit up while eating, arch his back etc at every feeding. I could see the pain on his face. Every time I'd bring it up with his pediatrician, she'd say he was gaining weight really well, so she didn't want to put him on medicine, as meds are saved for extreme cases where the baby isn't thriving and gaining weight. (I completely agree. I don't support unnecessary medicating, especially for a baby.) She wanted us to try "reflux precautions" and see how he did. Those precautions included tilting his crib mattress, not putting him in pants that put pressure on his belly, keeping him upright 30-45 min after every feeding, doing shorter and more frequent feedings, and limiting dairy in my diet. At his 2-month check-up, I brought it up again because the week before his symptoms seemed to have gotten worse, and we had been doing all of those things. She said he's halfway there (I guess it gets better in most babies by 4 months), so to see if we could make it without meds.
I was back a week later.
I could not take the look of pain on his face anymore. I'm the one who sees that look every time he eats and has to hold him and try to comfort him when he's crying and in pain after he eats. It had gotten worse. The amount of spit up I'd see on his sheets started to make me mad. I was tired of everyone trying to make me feel like I was overreacting and that what he was going through was totally normal. I took him in to see the doctor with a purpose. Good thing.
He'd lost weight.
FINALLY. Some actual proof supporting what I had been saying for almost two months. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all happy that he lost weight. I'm just glad that there was finally something to show the doctor (and everyone else, for that matter) that I wasn't overreacting. That there was an actual problem that needed to be addressed before it got any worse.
His pediatrician also heard how congested he was, which is apparently another symptom of reflux. She gave us a prescription for Prevacid because she thought it was severe enough that Zantac wouldn't work. I thought we were on the road to recovery...until insurance wouldn't cover Prevacid.
Or any. other. acid-blocking medicine.
So, we had to try Zantac first. In order for insurance to cover anything else, he'd have to "fail" the Zantac. We had to go a full 7 days of giving him a medicine that did nothing to help him. It was so frustrating. It still is just writing about it!
Finally, we were able to get insurance to cover the Prevacid. The doctor said it could take anywhere from 3 to 7 days for us to see any improvement. So I waited.
After the first week, I noticed that he started throwing back up the Prevacid anywhere from 3 to 7 hours after I'd given it to him! That really seemed weird since it should be long-gone out of his tummy after that many hours. And after two full weeks on Prevacid with no improvement, Will introduced me to projectile vomit. That was a new experience! I thought I had seen projectile vomit from him before...no, sir! I just sat there and laughed. I was already planning on calling his doctor that morning, but I didn't delay after that.
We went that day. He had only gained 2oz in 3 weeks. So my sweet baby boy who had been gaining weight so well had suddenly dropped to barely gaining at all. His pediatrician ordered an upper GI and referred us to a pediatric gastroenterologist. We had the upper GI the next morning (yesterday). He did really well, considering he couldn't eat for 4 hours before the procedure and he had to drink a bottle of barium. He couldn't taste it, he was just so glad to be drinking something! He only got upset when the nurse stopped letting him drink the barium. :) Praise the Lord, they didn't see any blockages in his stomach or esophagus! The radiologist said they wanted to measure how bad his reflux is. All it took was one time, and she said his reflux is severe. Tell me something I don't know.
I haven't heard back from his doctor yet with the official results. Hopefully I'll hear something tomorrow. Our appointment with the GI isn't until May 27th. I know it's just over a week away, but it seems like a lifetime when I think of how many more feedings we have until then...
I forgot to mention that the day after Mother's Day, I officially went dairy and soy free to see if that will help him. I know it can take 2 weeks for the dairy protein to get out of my system, so I'm not there yet. Maybe by next week we'll see some improvement. I sure hope so.
I'm certainly keeping things in perspective. I am thankful that all we're dealing with is reflux. There are thousands of parents out there who deal with much worse issues than reflux. I'm thankful for my overall healthy baby boy. No matter how big or small the issue may be, a parent never wants to see their baby in pain. Period.
And P.S. I know that reflux is very common in babies. I was never worried that something was horribly wrong with him. I just wanted his issues addressed, and ultimately fixed.
I'm ready for some relief...for both of us.
I was back a week later.
I could not take the look of pain on his face anymore. I'm the one who sees that look every time he eats and has to hold him and try to comfort him when he's crying and in pain after he eats. It had gotten worse. The amount of spit up I'd see on his sheets started to make me mad. I was tired of everyone trying to make me feel like I was overreacting and that what he was going through was totally normal. I took him in to see the doctor with a purpose. Good thing.
He'd lost weight.
FINALLY. Some actual proof supporting what I had been saying for almost two months. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all happy that he lost weight. I'm just glad that there was finally something to show the doctor (and everyone else, for that matter) that I wasn't overreacting. That there was an actual problem that needed to be addressed before it got any worse.
His pediatrician also heard how congested he was, which is apparently another symptom of reflux. She gave us a prescription for Prevacid because she thought it was severe enough that Zantac wouldn't work. I thought we were on the road to recovery...until insurance wouldn't cover Prevacid.
Or any. other. acid-blocking medicine.
So, we had to try Zantac first. In order for insurance to cover anything else, he'd have to "fail" the Zantac. We had to go a full 7 days of giving him a medicine that did nothing to help him. It was so frustrating. It still is just writing about it!
Finally, we were able to get insurance to cover the Prevacid. The doctor said it could take anywhere from 3 to 7 days for us to see any improvement. So I waited.
After the first week, I noticed that he started throwing back up the Prevacid anywhere from 3 to 7 hours after I'd given it to him! That really seemed weird since it should be long-gone out of his tummy after that many hours. And after two full weeks on Prevacid with no improvement, Will introduced me to projectile vomit. That was a new experience! I thought I had seen projectile vomit from him before...no, sir! I just sat there and laughed. I was already planning on calling his doctor that morning, but I didn't delay after that.
We went that day. He had only gained 2oz in 3 weeks. So my sweet baby boy who had been gaining weight so well had suddenly dropped to barely gaining at all. His pediatrician ordered an upper GI and referred us to a pediatric gastroenterologist. We had the upper GI the next morning (yesterday). He did really well, considering he couldn't eat for 4 hours before the procedure and he had to drink a bottle of barium. He couldn't taste it, he was just so glad to be drinking something! He only got upset when the nurse stopped letting him drink the barium. :) Praise the Lord, they didn't see any blockages in his stomach or esophagus! The radiologist said they wanted to measure how bad his reflux is. All it took was one time, and she said his reflux is severe. Tell me something I don't know.
I haven't heard back from his doctor yet with the official results. Hopefully I'll hear something tomorrow. Our appointment with the GI isn't until May 27th. I know it's just over a week away, but it seems like a lifetime when I think of how many more feedings we have until then...
I forgot to mention that the day after Mother's Day, I officially went dairy and soy free to see if that will help him. I know it can take 2 weeks for the dairy protein to get out of my system, so I'm not there yet. Maybe by next week we'll see some improvement. I sure hope so.
I'm certainly keeping things in perspective. I am thankful that all we're dealing with is reflux. There are thousands of parents out there who deal with much worse issues than reflux. I'm thankful for my overall healthy baby boy. No matter how big or small the issue may be, a parent never wants to see their baby in pain. Period.
And P.S. I know that reflux is very common in babies. I was never worried that something was horribly wrong with him. I just wanted his issues addressed, and ultimately fixed.
I'm ready for some relief...for both of us.
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