I finally finished my guest post for my friend over at Boosaurus!. She blogs about bra sizing, does bra reviews, and has a special interest in smaller bands with bigger cups. Whether or not that applies to you - if you've got boobs - check it out! You may learn something (c:
I blogged about my experience with breastfeeding/nursing bras and tanks. Whether you are shopping for one or you have good tips, you are welcome to check out my post and comment with your thoughts! For more really great practical nursing bra information (and lots of things I didn't think to cover), my friend April also did a guest post, Nursing Bras: Things to Consider.
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Declan's First Visit to the Chiropractor
I took Declan to his first appointment with Dr. Adams, a local chiropractor who also has a degree in Pediatrics, this morning. I got a lot of encouragement from my friends for looking into alternate treatment for him. Some people were confused. I think that, despite how awesome and practical the work that chiropractors do, it is really, really misunderstood. Somebody needs to promote them. I'm doing my part!
The reason I am having Declan see a chiropractor is mostly for treatment of his acid reflux, but I also know that keeping his spine in alignment will "fix" or prevent other problems that we may never even know about. The list of ailments that preventing vertebral sublaxation can prevent is extensive. Common things that you might take your child (or yourself) to the doctor for, like ear infections, unexplained crying, growing pains, poor concentration, allergic reactions, digestive problems, etc. are very successfully treated by a chiropractor. I learned a new term today... (did you see me use it in a sentence? (c;)
vertebral sublaxation
"A lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity and/or physiological function are altered, although contact between joint surfaces remains intact. It is essentially a functional entity, which may influence biomechanical and neural integrity."
Thanks, Wikipedia.
So I learned a lot. I wish I had taken notes! He asked me a lot of questions, then examined him with a thermo-sensor thingie. Declan wiggled too much to get a good shot, but he got a good look at his neck vertebra and could see some sublaxation there, including a big bad one up by his head. He adjusted him. Declan cried a little on the first adjustment. Dr. Adams said it wasn't supposed to hurt, but it must have been a pretty sore spot.
He showed me on a model how Declan's esophagus might be being squeezed when his head is turned to one side. That explains why Declan prefers nursing from one side as opposed to the other. He also held him upside down by his feet (!!!) and then let go of one leg. He said he was checking to see if Declan's head would turn the opposite way. He tested both legs and it only worked on one side. So there must have been something else out.
He also told me that the Prevacid that Declan is on (which neutralizes the stomach acid) might be causing more harm than good. I told him about how sometimes Declan was still spitting up when it was time for his next feeding, sometimes 3 or 4 hours after his last meal. This confused me a lot because I know that babies' stomachs should be empty 2 hours after their last meal, especially with breast milk (it is very quickly and easily digested). The Prevacid might actually be causing that problem because it is inhibiting the acid from digesting the food. (A while back our pediatrician wanted to put Declan on a medicine that would speed digestion. I didn't do it because I read on the Internet that it was a dangerous medicine. Black-labeled by the FDA!). So he would have been on 2 medicines and one of them would just be to "fix" the problem that the other one was causing!
Dr. Adams could not tell me to take Declan off of the Prevacid, but he did say that it might be hard to tell if the adjustments were working if his symptoms were masked. It's my goal to get him off of the medicine, anyway, so I'm going for it!
Before our visit was over, he had the receptionist take a picture of him and Declan. This is cute and sentimental and all, but he also does it to track visual progress of his patients. He actually asked me to bring in 50-100 pictures of Declan from birth to present in order to examine trends in his posture and how he holds his head. He said he might be able to decipher if his sublaxation is a result of birth trauma. So I have a fun project ahead for Thursday! Dr. Adams also had me bring in Declan's carseat and he showed me some problem areas on it and told me what I can do to make it better for Declan's spine. Awesome!
After the adjustments, the doctor said it's not uncommon for babies to take a 4-5 hour nap, or have a big diaper, haha. Well, he just woke up from his 45 minute nap, so much for that. Anyway, we have a follow-up on Thursday and he might get examined and adjusted again. I should add that the examinations and consultation on kids is free, so if you're in the area and are curious about seeing if your child might benefit from a chiropractor (I tend to believe it's great for overall wellness, not just for treating problems), it couldn't hurt to check it out! The adjustment cost was $50. Financially, it was an easy decision for us (his Prevacid costs $60 a month!). A small price to pay for my son's health, especially when it's medicine-free (no negative side affects!), and it allows for his body to heal itself. I'll be making appointments for Ryan and I, too (c:
The reason I am having Declan see a chiropractor is mostly for treatment of his acid reflux, but I also know that keeping his spine in alignment will "fix" or prevent other problems that we may never even know about. The list of ailments that preventing vertebral sublaxation can prevent is extensive. Common things that you might take your child (or yourself) to the doctor for, like ear infections, unexplained crying, growing pains, poor concentration, allergic reactions, digestive problems, etc. are very successfully treated by a chiropractor. I learned a new term today... (did you see me use it in a sentence? (c;)
vertebral sublaxation
"A lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity and/or physiological function are altered, although contact between joint surfaces remains intact. It is essentially a functional entity, which may influence biomechanical and neural integrity."
Thanks, Wikipedia.
So I learned a lot. I wish I had taken notes! He asked me a lot of questions, then examined him with a thermo-sensor thingie. Declan wiggled too much to get a good shot, but he got a good look at his neck vertebra and could see some sublaxation there, including a big bad one up by his head. He adjusted him. Declan cried a little on the first adjustment. Dr. Adams said it wasn't supposed to hurt, but it must have been a pretty sore spot.
He showed me on a model how Declan's esophagus might be being squeezed when his head is turned to one side. That explains why Declan prefers nursing from one side as opposed to the other. He also held him upside down by his feet (!!!) and then let go of one leg. He said he was checking to see if Declan's head would turn the opposite way. He tested both legs and it only worked on one side. So there must have been something else out.
He also told me that the Prevacid that Declan is on (which neutralizes the stomach acid) might be causing more harm than good. I told him about how sometimes Declan was still spitting up when it was time for his next feeding, sometimes 3 or 4 hours after his last meal. This confused me a lot because I know that babies' stomachs should be empty 2 hours after their last meal, especially with breast milk (it is very quickly and easily digested). The Prevacid might actually be causing that problem because it is inhibiting the acid from digesting the food. (A while back our pediatrician wanted to put Declan on a medicine that would speed digestion. I didn't do it because I read on the Internet that it was a dangerous medicine. Black-labeled by the FDA!). So he would have been on 2 medicines and one of them would just be to "fix" the problem that the other one was causing!
Dr. Adams could not tell me to take Declan off of the Prevacid, but he did say that it might be hard to tell if the adjustments were working if his symptoms were masked. It's my goal to get him off of the medicine, anyway, so I'm going for it!
Before our visit was over, he had the receptionist take a picture of him and Declan. This is cute and sentimental and all, but he also does it to track visual progress of his patients. He actually asked me to bring in 50-100 pictures of Declan from birth to present in order to examine trends in his posture and how he holds his head. He said he might be able to decipher if his sublaxation is a result of birth trauma. So I have a fun project ahead for Thursday! Dr. Adams also had me bring in Declan's carseat and he showed me some problem areas on it and told me what I can do to make it better for Declan's spine. Awesome!
After the adjustments, the doctor said it's not uncommon for babies to take a 4-5 hour nap, or have a big diaper, haha. Well, he just woke up from his 45 minute nap, so much for that. Anyway, we have a follow-up on Thursday and he might get examined and adjusted again. I should add that the examinations and consultation on kids is free, so if you're in the area and are curious about seeing if your child might benefit from a chiropractor (I tend to believe it's great for overall wellness, not just for treating problems), it couldn't hurt to check it out! The adjustment cost was $50. Financially, it was an easy decision for us (his Prevacid costs $60 a month!). A small price to pay for my son's health, especially when it's medicine-free (no negative side affects!), and it allows for his body to heal itself. I'll be making appointments for Ryan and I, too (c:
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Great Eating Mystery
Okay, lots of you know that Declan has been having eating problems. Yes, you probably thought we had it figured out, too. Well it came back... again. We are going to see a lactation consultant in the morning, and I will also be seeking out a chiropractor tomorrow. Anyway, my purpose in writing this is primarily to share our journey in hopes that it can help someone else - because I KNOW we will get through this - and secondarily, to seek help!
His main symptoms center around feedings. At most feedings (during the day, sometimes at night) he will latch on when I try to breastfeed him. On a "good" feeding he will eat for 5 minutes, but usually just a few seconds to 1 minute. He will repeatedly latch on and pull off several times, seems to get less and less patient each time. Sometimes he will be fussy or even furious, and then other times he will just look around and coo and even smile at me. Between feedings he is his happy, normal self. His daytime naps have not been affected too much, but his nighttime sleep has been broken up. He will usually wake 1-2 times in the night, and I have taken to feeding him then because they have become the only time he actually will take a full feeding.
This behavior began when he was 3 months and 4 days old. After 10 days of dealing with it, I took him to a doctor (not his normal one) who diagnosed him with acid reflux and prescribed Zantac. The medicine took up to a week to work. On the 7th day of taking the medicine, he had a perfect eating day and I thought it was solved with the Zantac. The next day, everything went back to bad, and he had additionally developed the habit of waking 5-6 times a night. I got him an appointment with his regular doctor who told me to take him off of the Zantac, which I did.
When Declan was 4 months and 5 days old, I randomly tried the breast shield that we sometimes used (we had started using it a lot less since he was pretty weaned off of it - I just kept it around in case). He ate perfectly, and continued to do so for the rest of his feedings that evening with the help of the shield. The next day went well too, with only a couple of minor problems. Now the problem is back in full force.
So here's the long list of my theories and the supporting facts for them. However, I can't seem to settle on one because of the contradicting facts that also exist. I realize that I probably just don't know enough about some of them and perhaps what I consider to be "contradictory" is in fact a support. Do you know? Should I be considering another theory? Can I rule out a theory? Please enlighten me!
Theory: Nipple Confusion
Supporting facts:
Supporting facts:
Supporting facts:
Theory: Bad milk taste?
Supporting facts:
Supporting facts:
His main symptoms center around feedings. At most feedings (during the day, sometimes at night) he will latch on when I try to breastfeed him. On a "good" feeding he will eat for 5 minutes, but usually just a few seconds to 1 minute. He will repeatedly latch on and pull off several times, seems to get less and less patient each time. Sometimes he will be fussy or even furious, and then other times he will just look around and coo and even smile at me. Between feedings he is his happy, normal self. His daytime naps have not been affected too much, but his nighttime sleep has been broken up. He will usually wake 1-2 times in the night, and I have taken to feeding him then because they have become the only time he actually will take a full feeding.
This behavior began when he was 3 months and 4 days old. After 10 days of dealing with it, I took him to a doctor (not his normal one) who diagnosed him with acid reflux and prescribed Zantac. The medicine took up to a week to work. On the 7th day of taking the medicine, he had a perfect eating day and I thought it was solved with the Zantac. The next day, everything went back to bad, and he had additionally developed the habit of waking 5-6 times a night. I got him an appointment with his regular doctor who told me to take him off of the Zantac, which I did.
When Declan was 4 months and 5 days old, I randomly tried the breast shield that we sometimes used (we had started using it a lot less since he was pretty weaned off of it - I just kept it around in case). He ate perfectly, and continued to do so for the rest of his feedings that evening with the help of the shield. The next day went well too, with only a couple of minor problems. Now the problem is back in full force.
So here's the long list of my theories and the supporting facts for them. However, I can't seem to settle on one because of the contradicting facts that also exist. I realize that I probably just don't know enough about some of them and perhaps what I consider to be "contradictory" is in fact a support. Do you know? Should I be considering another theory? Can I rule out a theory? Please enlighten me!
Theory: Nipple Confusion
Supporting facts:
- eats fine from a bottle
- we used a pacifier early (I can't remember how early, but before 6 weeks for sure), and some bottles too because we had to supplement with formula at the beginning
- will sometimes do better with the breast shield
- the weekend before the problem began, we took a road trip and he received 3 feedings in a row from a bottle, and the next day another bottle.
- will often nurse fine for 1-5 minutes and then pull off - it sure doesn't seem like he's forgotten how to eat!
- he went weeks without a bottle (although we did still use a pacifier) and it did not solve anything.
Supporting facts:
- his wet and dirty diaper count have not changed during this whole ordeal
- he spits up a lot... more than he used to
- he will often seem content and look around after nursing less than 5 minutes
- he is normal and happy between feedings
- he appears to be gaining weight within the acceptable range
- he acts hungry shortly after I've tried and tried to feed him and he has convinced me that he's not interested
- I can hear his stomach growling
- he sucks on his fists and cries angrily - which I think means he's hungry?
- is it really possible or normal for him to go from five to six 25 minute feedings a day to six to seven 1-5 minute ones overnight?
Supporting facts:
- several experienced ladies have suggested this to me, though I don't know much about it
- I do eat a lot of dairy, eggs, nuts - those things that often cause allergies
- many of his dirty diapers are green and gooey, which could indicate a dairy allergy
- his behavior seems feeding-centric - he does not seem irritable between feedings
- he will take a bottle of my pumped milk with no resistance
Theory: Bad milk taste?
Supporting facts:
- hormonal changes like resuming "Tom" or *sigh* another pregnancy can change the taste of breast milk. It's still a mystery to me if either of these are to blame, and I am too scared to take a test so I comfort myself with the contradictory facts
- upon just observation of his behavior when feeding, he sure seems to just really dislike the taste
- a change in the taste of milk usually only causes a nursing strike for a day or two, whereas this has lasted over a month now
- after a month of this nursing strike, "Tom" is not around... and I am on BC thank you!
Supporting facts:
- the problem is usually nonexistent in the middle of the night when I'm "full"
- he seems to get more frustrated when he has eaten a minute or two, could because he is having to work for it more
- on a 2 or 3 occasions, he has refused to nurse even when I am "full"
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