It has been wonderful spending the last two weeks with my grandson, and of course, daughter and son-in-law! Priscilla has been a fabulous mother to her newborn. She has been patient, loving and very attentive to little Kekoa's needs.
I have had the privilege of making her lunch and dinner most days. Primarily, I was concerned that she was getting enough protein and dairy. I didn't worry too much about food allergies, as she has none, and is not a picky eater. She has even asked for some of the things I used to make at home that were her favorites. You know, good, old-fashioned comfort food! (If you call cauliflower, cream cheese and butter, comfort food!) The amazing thing is that at two weeks, she is already into her regular wardrobe!
Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Kekoa was 2 weeks on Thursday), in the evening, he'd throw his back into an arch and start crying. I haven't been there for the episodes, but it is always after Priscilla's bed time, and they feel badly for the little baby.
I never had a colicky baby, nor a baby that fussed with reflux, though looking back, my poor David probably had reflux. Most people only remember his baby days by his projectile "spit ups"! He never fussed, and he gained weight, so I never changed anything.
After doing some research (going to my pediatrician's website) I found a list of foods that can be considered to cause reflux in newborns, and should be eliminated until they are proven to be safe.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fussy-baby/coping-colic/colic-causing-foods-breastfeeding
Priscilla, in her research found the same list:
Banned foods:
Dairy Products
Caffeine
Soy
Peanuts
Shell Fish
Chocolate
Citrus Fruits
Wheat
Chicken
Beef
Nuts
Eggs
Corn
Pre-natal vitamins (iron)
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Onions
Green Peppers
Tomatoes
For a new mom, who is already short on sleep, the list was overwhelming. I suggested that she eat oatmeal for one day and that I'd sift through the information and come prepared with a clean diet for her on Monday.
Baby didn't fuss on Saturday or Sunday.
Monday (today) she ate Ezekiel cereal with rice milk for breakfast. I served her Ezekiel bread with roast beef and Promise margarine, coconut milk, and peaches. For an afternoon snack, I served her gluten-free crackers with hummus. For dinner, I made chicken thighs, cooked in the crock pot with chicken broth, served over gluten-free penne pasta, tossed with olive oil and parsley and green beans, and a salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing, more coconut milk, that she flavored with a blop of vanilla and a shake of cinnamon. I left a dairy-free, gluten-free, pre-prepared rice pudding for dessert for her.
She left a message tonight that the baby was fussy again tonight.
Could it be the Ezekiel bread?
We wanted to challenge the soy tomorrow and see what the baby could tolerate. Since he is fussy tonight, it looks like we can't move on.
I would like a little help from my friends. If you have experienced these issues, if you could post a menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks, Priscilla and I would really appreciate it. I would like to solve this problem before I leave here on Monday. I want to leave her equipped to deal with a baby with an immature digestive system. :) And since this won't be my only grandchild, I feel like I'm laying groundwork for any future grandchildren that might have a problem. :)
