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. :)
5 comments:
If it is gluten it will be the Ezekiel bread. And the oats unless the oats are certified gluten free. Take it from a gluten intolerant person. I am also highly allergic to oats, even gf, but then I am odd.
I don't know nothing 'bout birthin' no babies, but I do know my food allergies. ;)
Hugs,
Jan
2 out of 4 of my boys has colic and I found that switching to soy milk and no dairy, helped and later soy formula. Only time seemed to cure the colic on both of them. 1 of the 4 had reflux and I found sitting him in his carseat to sleep helped so much, also in his bouncing seat. Never laying him flat after eating. With Vivi, now 6 months, spitting up has been a huge issue, not so much reflux as she is very content and happy... just spits up all the time. I breastfed her for the first three months (as she was adopted, I considered this a miracle!) I stopped breast feeding thinking it was the medications to produce milk that was causing her to spit up so much...(and making me feel yucky too) but formula has not cured the spitting up either.
Anyway, I just want to encourage several other remedies besides diet changes.
The football hold seems to make their tummies feel better. Gas relief drops called Little Tummys is also a huge help. Burping the little guy more often while eating, using the sitting up, leaning forward method. Giving a warm bath and massaging with lotion is great at calming, also lavender oil in the room helps calm their tummies and helps with hiccups. Some babies like to be swaddled and some don't, I know they swaddle them in the hospital and you hear it is supposed to calm them... but some babies want to be free (ha ha). Most of all... relax and enjoy being a mom. Congrats
This is my lactation consultant's information: Jennifer Ritchie (949) 831-MILK (6455), jen@milkalicious.com. She is amazing, helped me to breastfeed our adopted daughter. She might have some ideas. God Bless you all.
My second child, Nathan, was lactose intolerant and his symptoms were projectile spit-up,as well as fussiness. His discomfort was definitely related to feeding times and occurred about a half hour an hour after feedings regardless of the time of day. Taking dairy and other common allergens out of my diet helped. My fifth child, Megan, was colicky. Her crying began around two weeks and came only at night. Diet didn't make much difference. She wanted to be held and moved around each night for several hours, sometimes. It lasted, almost exactly three months and she was, and is, my happiest child. It was a very difficult time, but I now think back on those precious midnight walkings as a time of good bonding, good prayer, and ....I can't remember much else. ;). Of course, I had the perspective of a five-time mom, knowing that it would all pass. That was MY experience. Marie, keep praying for them and encouraging, as I know you will.
Here's a website I found that looks useful.
www.thefussybabysite.com
I'd like to follow up with a menu plan that we used to help her get through the initial days. After we "purged her system", we slowly introduced things back in, and if he fussed on any particular night, we'd go to the day before menu.
Day 1 - she ate gluten free oatmeal for 3 meals. We found Quaker oatmeal to be gluten free. The baby did not fuss that night.
Day 2 -
Breakfast - oatmeal with raisins, and a touch of brown sugar. Rice milk.
Snack - gluten free crackers with hummus
Lunch - Salmon with spinach salad. The spinach salad had strawberries and we used an organic Oil and Vinegar (Annie's dressing)
Snack - Rice cakes with margarine
Dinner - sole with lemon juice and margarine. Zucchini squash and yellow squash, baked in the toaster oven with spices. Rice pasta with margarine and parsley. More Rice Milk.
Dessert - Rice pudding
Monday we introduced chicken - fail.
Tuesday we introduced beef.
Wednesday we introduced nuts.
Thursday we introduced soy - fail.
Every day we could add something, her diet opened up bigger and bigger. Like peanut butter on Rice Cakes. And almond milk for variety. She slowly added dairy and added cheese and butter first.
By two months, he was pretty good with everything but chicken.
We're waiting for the 3 month review to see how he is doing!
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