Saturday, January 21, 2012
misery
Dear me, dear me, sorry about the massive blog post quantities lately. Life is a bit intense right now. In a matter of days we've gone from a bit of eczema and a baby who rubs his eyes every now and again to a miserable baby who tears at his head and face and can't sleep. His cheeks are no longer red, but the itchiness is making him crazy.
I feel terrible. Why did it take me soooo long to figure out it was my diet?? Why did it flare up suddenly? How did we go from dry skin a few weeks ago to eczema? Maybe it was always eczema and it didn't really bother him?
I posted about his itchy skin on the book and someone asked if it could be cradle cap that spread. Anyone else had experience with that? I don't think it looks like eczema, but the doctor said it is, though she said it's on his legs and his legs don't even bother him. And she told us his eye rubbing was nothing to be concerned about.
The questions, the questions! And the confusion. And the worry. Oh my, the worry. And guilt!!
The salve is helping, we bought homeopathics from the health store today, I've stopped eating dairy. Something has to work soon, he is miserable.
My poor little nursling, seeing him like this is breaking my heart.
He slept well the last two nights, tonight is a rough one. J soothed, I comfort nursed, we patted, rocked, swayed. J has him now, he will sleep in arms, so J is video gaming and holding him. If he won't settle in his crib I hope sleeping with me will help calm him.
I know this isn't really a big deal, but it feels huge, and overwhelming, and like I've been making mistakes left and right without knowing or realizing.
Mama confidence, it's hard to come by.
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7 comments:
Oh Angela, hang in there. I read an article recently that you might like. For mamas of just the one (living) baby, saying just how hard it is, and often much harder than having a whole bunch of kids. Everything is new, you're constantly second guessing your decisions and trying to figure it all out. I don't have any practical advice, but please know I am thinking of you and I would be there in a heartbeat to help if I could.
xo
I stopped eating dairy for 10 months for my DS too. It was really hard. His problem was that evey time I did he would become a screaming irritable beast, and stop sleeping. He also had blood in his stool from it. I remember the guilt too. Thinking that while I was eating chocolate while nursing him, he was getting stomach problems so bad that they made him bleed!
I just wanted to share some stuff that I learned. There is a difference between milk protein intolerance and milk allergy. My son had a milk protein intolerance. An allergy is an actual immune response to the proteins in milk, and usually takes a lot longer to resolve. My son's intolerance resolved to the point where I could eat milk at 10 months and at around 13 months he was able to start eating some milk problems. I haven't given him straight milk yet. A RAST blood test (usually not done until around after 6 months) or a skin scratch test can show a milk allergy.
Also, make sure that you avoid things containing cassein, and whey. Non-dairy creamer has milk proteins in it. I switched to vanilla almond milk which I found to be similar in taste and texture. Also, milk and soy have very similar proteins, so you may have to cut soy too (which is much harder). (Soy lecithin in a soy fat, though and not a protein, so you can eat products containing soy lecithin). According to Jewish law, you are not allowed to eat dairy products and meat products together. Products are labled as Pareve to let people know that there is none of either in it, so you can trust that anything labeled Pareve has no milk products at all in them. Hope this helps.
YOU CAN DO IT!!! You are doing a great job!! <<>>
I was reading an article today which said that olive oil can help restore moisture to baby's skin if they have eczema? I don't know whether that might help him, but I thought I would pass it along i case it does?
You're doing awesome! Don't feel bad. You didn't know about the food allergy possibility previously, now you do - It's tough to watch your little person suffer, but something will work soon! Hang in there!!!
Angela, yes, to everything you wrote. I also read the article that Sally mentions, and it was so perfect and spot on for me to read. I'll try to find the link and send it on your way.
Mama confidence is SO hard to come by. And it's so easy to second guess and guilt ourselves for every decision we make. I know it's tough to see our babies suffering, but I try to remember that I'm doing everything I can, and he is bathed and held in love even when I can't soothe his every pain.
We had a touch of cradle cap that spread to his eyebrows and nasal folds, but it didn't itch him or bother him. We did use olive oil on his scalp for the cradle cap and it has helped, though there's still a bit left. I use a calendula cream on his face and body almost daily, definitely after baths, and I think that helps too. We also got a humidifier for our bedroom and I *think* his skin is less dry when we sleep with it on.
Hang in there, mama, you are doing an amazing job.
Here's the link to the article that S H mentions:
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/to-the-mother-with-only-one-child
I had to cut all dairy while nursing C2 and C3.. I know how challenging it is but I promise you can do (did I mention I LIVE for dairy!?) Beware the 'hidden' words for milk- they are casein, albumin and whey.. all are milk. I think you asked in your last post about eating dairy and pumping.. I would advise against it. It can take weeks to completely get dairy out of your system (and milk) after stopping it.. all things I learned from my Dr. back when I did this for the C's... xo
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