Let's talk about how often my 4 month old spits up, or the 3 hour increments he sleeps in, OR the excessive colds/croup/ear infections both my kiddos get from being at daycare all day, the list is endless!
Here are some things I've found helpful as a mom, that I hope will be helpful to some of you struggling with the same issues.
Spit up/Acid Reflux
Both my babies struggle(d) with spitting up. For Jordan, it was literally every time she nursed. It was to the point where I was worried she was getting any milk at all! I remedied this at the time with acid re-flux meds (that my doctor prescribed) along with keeping her upright for a good 20-30 minutes after every feeding (especially at night when I was worried she would choke if I put her down too soon). For however much she spit up, it never really seemed to bug her and since the meds didn't really seem to be working, I stopped using them altogether and the problem really just went away.
With Luke, he struggled with spitting up consistently. Never full on projectile vomit but enough so that it made him fussy (like do I have a colicky baby-fussy). Again, the doctor prescribed re-flux meds and they did seem to help some but it wasn't a miracle cure and I decided that I didn't really want him taking medication that I wasn't so sure was solving the problem. Enter in dairy. I've always been a lover of cheese, of milk, of anything resembling dairy. In talking with other mom friends and doing my own research. I decided to cut out dairy for a while (including soy) and see if that had an effect. While I don't think Luke has a strong dairy intolerance, it definitely lead to less spitting up and a happier baby.
Sleep
Isn't it always the case that with your first child you think you are some rock star parent when they sleep though the night early on or are generally a really happy baby? With Jordan, this was the case and what I 've come to realize is that she really was just a very very good baby. She slept through the night just before 5 months and still sleeps like a champ (minus her crappy napping-but that I can deal with).
Lukie (again) is a different child, and a different story. He just turned 4 months old this week and the kid still sleeps in 3 hour increments. I don't mind this mostly because I nurse him and he goes right back down but I'm trying like heck to get out of the 'feed you every time you wake up' rut....not sure if any of you mamas out there have advice for this?? Sleep deprivation when you have to wake up for work at 5am is SO.HARD.
Sickness
For those of you who work out of the home and have to put your kiddos in full time daycare, you know what I"m talking about! My kids get EVERYTHING at daycare. To name a few:
Croup
Pinkeye
Roseola (look this up, it's super common in infants)
Hand, Foot and Mouth disease
Ear Infections
Colds
With Luke's most recent bout of croup (coupled with a bad cold), I used our cool mist vaporizer (I have
this one), natural vapo rub on bottoms of feet, chest and under nose (you can find at any whole foods store), propping up the crib/bassinet, and (for croup especially) breathing in steam from a shower to help with that horrible barking cough (poor baby).
I hope these things have helped you! Please comment and let me know what works for you, I'm always looking for better ways to help my babies.
XO
Jaimee Lynne
