I would like to apologize to all my readers for my long absence. After my family moved to Utah we experienced quite a few changes. There have been some pretty tough times over the last two years, and when push came to shove I had to let go of my blog for a while. I am thankful to all of the emails and letters of support I have received over the last couple years, and I do apologize for how few I was able to respond to. I have recently moved back to the city of San Francisco, and have resumed my career in child care.
As a quick announcement, I have recently contracted with Day One in San Francisco to teach my Infant Acupressure techniques in their San Francisco location. The first class will be held on January 26th 2012. For more information, or to register, please visit their site.
Thank you all for your continued support and interest. As before, I am interested in any feedback or questions you may have for me. Happy parenting!
- Naomi
Showing posts with label reflux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflux. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, June 4, 2009
5 tips for soothing a colicky baby.
Colic. The dreaded, the mythical, the bane of parental existence... colic. It's such a cute little word when you look at it, yet the meaning it carries is ugly indeed. Crying. Your baby crying and there seems to be nothing you can do to help. The definition of colic is basically a baby who cries at predictable times during the day for around three hours at a time. There is no known cause or cure. Helpful huh? Of course colic has existed since babies have, and mothers over the years have learned a few things to try that might help you and your little screamer through the rough patches. Also, my 5 tips for gas and reflux can also be tried to help remedy colic.
1. The Superman hold.
Hold your baby tummy down, feet pointing at you, with one hand under her belly button and one hand supporting her head. Stand with your legs spread apart and swing your baby through your legs backward and forward, supporting the majority of her weight with the hand on her belly button. You can continue to hold her this way while seated, suspending her between your knees, bouncing a bit. The reason i think that this sometimes works is partly because it helps expel gas, partly because it provides a bit of warmth from your hand that may soothe your baby's abdominal muscles if they are sore and partly because the motion of swinging or bouncing can help a baby focus on her internal equilibrium which takes the focus off of whatever is causing the colic.
2. Examine your diet.
One possible explanation for colic is that it is actually your baby expressing discomfort because of food allergies. If your baby is bottle fed there are many other types of formula you can try, your pediatrician will be able to recommend one that is right for you and your baby. However, if you are breastfeeding, there are a thousand things it could be. Many mothers try to eliminate suspicious foods from their diet one at a time, which can take forever, and is still not guaranteed to help. I recommend a bland your diet for 2 days, then adding foods back in over a couple weeks. Try oatmeal (no milk or sugar) and an apple for breakfast, a baked potato with olive oil (no dairy) and roasted turkey breast for lunch and brown rice, carrots and grilled chicken (no onions) for dinner. As you'll notice the things cut out of this meal plan are dairy, wheat, legumes and most fruits and veggies. The fruits and veggies that are most often the culprit seem to be things like broccoli, onions, beans, acidic fruits, If you are on this diet for a couple of days and see no changes in your babies temperament then chances are it is not something you are eating, and you can either switch out the bland foods for other bland foods to rule out the few things that you were eating, or just go back to your normal eating habits. If your baby suddenly calms though, try reintroducing a few foods a day until your baby begins to be colicky again. Then slowly scale back to pin point which food was the issue. In rare instances there can be more than one allergen causing your baby discomfort, and quite often the cause is not rooted in your diet at all, but eliminating your diet as a cause will save you a lot of guilt and worry.3. Try sleep-in-motion.
I am not a big fan of using sleep in motion (swings, cars, strollers), because of potential sleep problems that can develop as a result of over using it. However, there are times when helping your baby get some sleep (no matter how) outweighs everything else. First try the baby swing, since that will be the most convenient, then the stroller, and only as a last resort try the car. Though the car can often be the most effective, it is also the most work and the hardest on the environment. If you have a bicycle, and a baby-safe trailer, it is also a good method to try depending on the weather. After your baby is asleep, if you can stop the motion and they stay asleep I highly recommend it. Their sleep will be deeper and more restorative with less outside stimulation to contend with.
4. Use a hair dryer.
The most strange secret weapon against colic is sound. Though no one is certain why, the sound of a hair dryer, vacuum, car engine or fan can get your colicky baby's attention and calm their stress like nothing else. Though I'm sure there is a rational explanation for why this so often works, right now it seems a little like magic. Because leaving electronic devices running for too long both wastes energy and can be a fire hazard using a prerecorded source for the noise is the best option. You can record it yourself or buy recordings here. Just remember that keeping the noise at a fairly high level also seems to help. I recommend starting with the sounds on lower, and slowly turning it up until your baby begins to react positively. Before investing time or money in this solution try the real sound so you can be sure it will work for your baby.
5. A vibrating back massager on the tummy.
When all else seems to be failing, a technique that has worked for me a few times is to get a vibrating back massage device, wrap it in a towel to mute the strength of the vibrations, and apply it gently to your baby's belly. Be careful not to keep the massage device in any one place for too long (over 2 minutes), and try to keep the entire massage under 10 minutes. If you sometimes go as long as 15 it should be okay, but shoot for short sessions. If your baby responds well and falls asleep, stop the massage device and put it away.
Though colic is a difficult thing to go through with your baby, even if all the tips, tricks and hints in the world do not help you can at least take comfort in knowing that it does not last forever. Most colic resolves by 4 months, and %90 of cases resolve by 9 months. I know that it is a small comfort but sometimes even a distant hope is better than none at all. Always remember to keep an eye on your own stress and frustration levels. If you begin to be overwhelmed, laying your baby down in a safe crib and taking a short break, even while they are crying, to calm your nerves can make a huge difference to your ability to cope well with the stress of the situation.
Try to work together with your spouse or partner or supportive friend to give each other support and comfort, assigning blame and picking at each other, though natural, will only add more stress to the situation. Keep your spirits up, lean on each other and try try again until that magical day when your little human cacophony stops crying for no reason and spends the majority of his time being cute. Happy parenting!
When all else seems to be failing, a technique that has worked for me a few times is to get a vibrating back massage device, wrap it in a towel to mute the strength of the vibrations, and apply it gently to your baby's belly. Be careful not to keep the massage device in any one place for too long (over 2 minutes), and try to keep the entire massage under 10 minutes. If you sometimes go as long as 15 it should be okay, but shoot for short sessions. If your baby responds well and falls asleep, stop the massage device and put it away.
Though colic is a difficult thing to go through with your baby, even if all the tips, tricks and hints in the world do not help you can at least take comfort in knowing that it does not last forever. Most colic resolves by 4 months, and %90 of cases resolve by 9 months. I know that it is a small comfort but sometimes even a distant hope is better than none at all. Always remember to keep an eye on your own stress and frustration levels. If you begin to be overwhelmed, laying your baby down in a safe crib and taking a short break, even while they are crying, to calm your nerves can make a huge difference to your ability to cope well with the stress of the situation.
Try to work together with your spouse or partner or supportive friend to give each other support and comfort, assigning blame and picking at each other, though natural, will only add more stress to the situation. Keep your spirits up, lean on each other and try try again until that magical day when your little human cacophony stops crying for no reason and spends the majority of his time being cute. Happy parenting!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
5 tips for reducing baby spit-up and soothing reflux.
When I was little, I remember thinking that it was natural for babies to spit up about half of their feeding every time they were burped. Now I know that was not true, and it is very likely that my younger brothers and sisters all had severe reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux (infant acid reflux) is basically the inability of a baby's throat to close all the way to keep food down.
For general questions about your baby's spit-up, check here.
It is theorized that many babies have this issue early on, but most grow out of it within the first couple of weeks. The symptoms don't all have to be as extreme as the example I've given, the medical rule of thumb is much broader: If a baby has thrown up 1/3 of a feeding 3 times a day for 3 weeks out of a month for the first 3 months they are considered to have reflux. Of course using that system of measure, you won't even receive the diagnosis until your baby is 3 months old. Since there are several simple easy things you can do to help your baby avoid the discomfort associated with reflux, I recommend that for those first 3 months, if you are in doubt, go ahead and treat it as if it is reflux, it can't hurt, and could very well help.
1. Feed your baby on a 45 degree angle and keep them like that for about 20 minutes after they finish.
Keep your baby's head up, that way the milk won't simply run back up your baby's throat, and has a better chance of being digested right away. A baby will begin to digest breast milk within seconds of the start of nursing, and formula is not far behind, that means that if this milk comes back up the esophagus the stomach acids in it will burn and cause discomfort. Keeping your baby's head elevated during a feed, and for 15-20 minutes afterward will help give them time to completely digest the remainder of the milk.
2. Do not rough-house with your baby for at least an hour after eating.This tip is hard for some proud daddies to remember. There is nothing so fun as twirling around with your baby in your arms, or lifting them up in the air and swinging them up and down to get giggles and grins. However this will almost certainly result in a thorough splattering with a warm white chunky substance. Though the spit-up itself is not really dangerous, your baby's milk is put to much better use in their tummy than on your face, or the furniture.
3. Add a couple of drops of fennel, chamomile and peppermint herbal tea to your baby's feeding.If you are breast feeding, you can drip a couple of drops in your baby's mouth just before you begin to nurse (a trick for doing this is to use a bottle nipple that is unattached to a bottle, and when it is in your baby's mouth, use a plunger to squirt a very small amount into it. Though your baby may not like the taste and will probably spit out the nipple right away, they only need to have ingested a very small bit to get the positive effects). If you are not breast feeding you can add a couple small drops directly to the formula. You can make the tea with a couple fresh sprigs of fennel, a few leaves of peppermint and a teabag of chamomile (unless you have some wild growing nearby, then fresh is best). Just soak them in some hot water until they are wilted, or the water changes color, there is no need to make it particularly strong. You can drink the rest of the tea, it boosts digestion and is calming to the nervous system (though you might want to save a little to give to your baby later). These drops should be given no more than 3 times a day, and as little as once can be beneficial.
4. Burp your baby at least three times during each feed, as well as afterward.The less gas in your baby's tummy, the better digestion will be and there will be less internal pressure as well. Do not feel that you need to make a bubble come up each time you pause for a burping, it is just a short break (4-5 minutes) to give gas an extra chance to come up if it is there, if you spend too long waiting for a bubble each time, the feeding could end up lasting hours.
5. Tuck a rolled up burp cloth or wash cloth under one of your baby's shoulders when you lay them down to sleep for the night.Raising one shoulder just a little will encourage your baby to sleep with their head turned to the side. Though all of the food in their tummy should be digested before you lay them down to sleep for the night sometimes they will have saved a little surprise for later. Though the chances that they might choke on their own spit-up are small, the process of coughing, gurgling and gulping that can happen when spiting up while laying completely flat can cause your baby quite a bit of discomfort and stress. Since discomfort and stress are not conducive to anyone having a good nights rest, it is better if your baby has to spit-up, that they do it to the side, and don't have to clear their airway after.
A bumper-sticker I saw the other day had some wise words to share on this topic: "spit happens". Nothing could be more true in the world of babies, except maybe the more crude saying that this one is making a play off of. However, despite all of the unpleasant things we have to deal with as parents, knowing we have done everything we could to help our baby be safe and happy makes it all better. I hope these tips are helpful to you and your baby. Please feel free to leave comments and questions and share this blog with any new mothers you might know.
For general questions about your baby's spit-up, check here.
It is theorized that many babies have this issue early on, but most grow out of it within the first couple of weeks. The symptoms don't all have to be as extreme as the example I've given, the medical rule of thumb is much broader: If a baby has thrown up 1/3 of a feeding 3 times a day for 3 weeks out of a month for the first 3 months they are considered to have reflux. Of course using that system of measure, you won't even receive the diagnosis until your baby is 3 months old. Since there are several simple easy things you can do to help your baby avoid the discomfort associated with reflux, I recommend that for those first 3 months, if you are in doubt, go ahead and treat it as if it is reflux, it can't hurt, and could very well help.
1. Feed your baby on a 45 degree angle and keep them like that for about 20 minutes after they finish.
Keep your baby's head up, that way the milk won't simply run back up your baby's throat, and has a better chance of being digested right away. A baby will begin to digest breast milk within seconds of the start of nursing, and formula is not far behind, that means that if this milk comes back up the esophagus the stomach acids in it will burn and cause discomfort. Keeping your baby's head elevated during a feed, and for 15-20 minutes afterward will help give them time to completely digest the remainder of the milk.
2. Do not rough-house with your baby for at least an hour after eating.This tip is hard for some proud daddies to remember. There is nothing so fun as twirling around with your baby in your arms, or lifting them up in the air and swinging them up and down to get giggles and grins. However this will almost certainly result in a thorough splattering with a warm white chunky substance. Though the spit-up itself is not really dangerous, your baby's milk is put to much better use in their tummy than on your face, or the furniture.
3. Add a couple of drops of fennel, chamomile and peppermint herbal tea to your baby's feeding.If you are breast feeding, you can drip a couple of drops in your baby's mouth just before you begin to nurse (a trick for doing this is to use a bottle nipple that is unattached to a bottle, and when it is in your baby's mouth, use a plunger to squirt a very small amount into it. Though your baby may not like the taste and will probably spit out the nipple right away, they only need to have ingested a very small bit to get the positive effects). If you are not breast feeding you can add a couple small drops directly to the formula. You can make the tea with a couple fresh sprigs of fennel, a few leaves of peppermint and a teabag of chamomile (unless you have some wild growing nearby, then fresh is best). Just soak them in some hot water until they are wilted, or the water changes color, there is no need to make it particularly strong. You can drink the rest of the tea, it boosts digestion and is calming to the nervous system (though you might want to save a little to give to your baby later). These drops should be given no more than 3 times a day, and as little as once can be beneficial.
4. Burp your baby at least three times during each feed, as well as afterward.The less gas in your baby's tummy, the better digestion will be and there will be less internal pressure as well. Do not feel that you need to make a bubble come up each time you pause for a burping, it is just a short break (4-5 minutes) to give gas an extra chance to come up if it is there, if you spend too long waiting for a bubble each time, the feeding could end up lasting hours.
5. Tuck a rolled up burp cloth or wash cloth under one of your baby's shoulders when you lay them down to sleep for the night.Raising one shoulder just a little will encourage your baby to sleep with their head turned to the side. Though all of the food in their tummy should be digested before you lay them down to sleep for the night sometimes they will have saved a little surprise for later. Though the chances that they might choke on their own spit-up are small, the process of coughing, gurgling and gulping that can happen when spiting up while laying completely flat can cause your baby quite a bit of discomfort and stress. Since discomfort and stress are not conducive to anyone having a good nights rest, it is better if your baby has to spit-up, that they do it to the side, and don't have to clear their airway after.
A bumper-sticker I saw the other day had some wise words to share on this topic: "spit happens". Nothing could be more true in the world of babies, except maybe the more crude saying that this one is making a play off of. However, despite all of the unpleasant things we have to deal with as parents, knowing we have done everything we could to help our baby be safe and happy makes it all better. I hope these tips are helpful to you and your baby. Please feel free to leave comments and questions and share this blog with any new mothers you might know.
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