Health

How to Stop Thumb Sucking

April 7, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

When Asher was a baby I tried desperately to get him to take a pacifier, and it worked…for a while. As soon as he discovered his thumbs, all bets were off. It was love. At first I wasn’t all that concerned about it, because favored both thumbs equally, but after a while I started to notice that he was exclusively sucking his left thumb and I knew it may end up being an issue.

After both his pediatrician and dentist told me that it was important for his teeth and jaw that he stop sucking his thumb by the time he was two years old, I started looking into ways to get him to break the habit.

After Asher’s first birthday I decided that it was time to get serious about breaking the habit. The first thing I tried was Dr. Thumb. After waiting for an insanely long time for the thing to arrive, I threw it on Asher’s hand and was satisfied that it seemed comfortable, (although it did leave red marks on his hand after a while). He was supposed to wear it for 3 weeks to break the habit, but about half way through the poor guy got sick and I decided that we would table the thumb sucking issue and revisit it at a later date. As soon as I took the contraption off he began sucking his thumb again as though he had never stopped. Over all the Dr. Thumb was a lot of effort for poor results, so I knew moving forward that I wanted to find a better solution.

For the next year Raf and I tired to only allow Asher to suck his thumb at nap time and bed time, but it was an up hill battle – the thing was attached to him for crying out loud! I began noticing that he was sucking his thumb more and more frequently throughout the day and while talking to him about it and reasoning with him worked for short periods, his thumb always made it’s way back into his mouth.

Since we potty trained him right before his second birthday, I decided to wait a few months before piling on more change and cracking down on his thumb sucking.

In early February I knew it was time. His potty training was firmly established, if not totally complete, and we had had a month to settle into our new house. With the impending arrival of a new baby, we were in the calm before the storm. I ordered Mavala Stop from Amazon.

When it arrived, I read the box which stated “with small children, the efficacy can be compromised as their taste buds are not fully developed and they may like the bitterness of the product. Not for children under 3 years old.” I felt confident that Asher’s taste buds were developed enough, so I decided to try it out anyway.

I told him that I had something that would help him stop sucking his thumb like his dentist and pediatrician wanted, which would help protect his teeth. I asked if he’d like to give it a try and he was pretty excited and curious about it. I painted it on his thumb and explained that it would taste really yucky if he put it in his mouth. I guess he didn’t want to take my word for it, because he promptly yet tentatively stuck his thumb in his mouth. All traces of doubt that it would taste horrible immediately vanished as he made disgusted sounds and asked me to wipe his tongue off. Once I had successfully washed the taste out of his mouth, he asked me to apply more of the polish to his thumb.

A few hours later, it was time for his nap and as I put him down I reminded him not to suck his thumb because it would taste awful. He rolled right over and went to sleep without putting his thumb in his mouth, although it did get pretty close.

He woke up from his nap crying. He came out of his room with his mouth open, his tongue sticking out and drooling. The poor guy must have sucked his thumb in his sleep. I once again helped him wash the taste out of his mouth and to my disbelief he again asked me to reapply the polish. I explained that it didn’t have to be reapplied for a few days, which really upset him.

He never sucked his thumb again. Seriously. I did reapply the polish a few days later, but I really didn’t have to. He had practically quit cold turkey. It was amazing!

If thumb sucking is always this easy a habit to break, I hope all my kids suck their thumbs! It’s just so much more convenient than pacifiers. His thumb was always accessible and I never had to worry about searching for lost binkies, which also meant I wasn’t able to take his thumb away, so getting him to stop could have been a huge trial, but thankfully Mavala Stop worked like a charm! I also think that waiting until he was old enough to understand what we were trying to achieve was a huge factor in the success.

Colds, Sinus Infections and Fevers Oh My!

December 4, 2014 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 5 Comments

Asher, Raf and I have all been sick pretty much none stop since the week before Halloween. It has been a snotty mess around these parts let me tell you! Asher and I got colds, then Rafaan got a cold and laryngitis (which took weeks to clear up). Asher was better and snot free for about a week, before the nose faucet and coughing started again, turns out he had a sinus infection. The poor guy’s sinuses were so backed up that he actually had mucus coming out of his eye…yea, HIS EYE! A couple weeks later I promptly followed suit with a cold of my own, which was directly followed by a yeast infection and all this time I’ve been having pretty bad round ligament pain (I’ve ordered THIS puppy, let me know if you’re interested in hearing how it works out), so much so that I’m left hobbling around after a super active albeit sick toddler. HOW DO TODDLERS HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY WHEN THEY’RE SICK?!

So yea, we clearly have not been having much fun around these parts. Asher’s sinus infection affected his sleep and caused him to wake up often during the night, which resulted in little sleep for sick and pregnant mommy.

Well, this last time, I said enough is enough, and I took to the web to research ways to kill a cold. I found something about taking “apple cider vinegar with the mother” that seemed like something I would be willing to try, although I was highly skeptical, but since I was sick of having colds that lasted 10 days I was pretty desperate. This stuff works! Or at least it did this one and only time I’ve tried it. I can’t speak to the how well it works in general, but people seem to swear by the stuff. I haven’t looked for any evidence based research about it but you better believe I’ll be taking it at every hint of a cold from here on out. I took 2 tablespoons twice a day, morning and evening (roughly 10 hours apart) and after the third dose I noticed a DRASTIC change! My symptoms were all but gone. Granted I didn’t start taking it on the first day of my cold, but still, the change was so sudden, I couldn’t help but notice.

Here’s the blog post where I learnt about using this kind of vinegar. The key is to get Apple Cider Vinegar with “the mother” , which “is made up of the yeasts and fermentation byproducts that are produced when the cider ferments to vinegar, and you should shake the bottle up to evenly distribute it before you use it. The big commercial companies filter it out, because it makes the vinegar look like it’s growing something–which indeed it is.”

Have you had any experience with home cold remedies that actually work? I’d love to hear about them!

Hand, Mouth and Foot Disease – Our Experience

July 24, 2014 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

As a parent to a toddler I have experienced my fair share of illnesses, everything from the common cold to pink eye and OFTEN. It seems like Asher gets sick every other month or so and the next thing I know he has a snot river running down his face. Well none of that prepared me for Hand, Mouth and Foot Disease (HMFD).

On a play date Asher came in contact with his little friend who was running a fever due to teething (or so was thought) and 2-3 days later he was burning up with a fever of his own. I wasn’t too concerned, bc he was still running around full of energy. He was a hot baby, but he didn’t seem like a sick one. Well, the next day, I got a text from my friend telling me her son had HMFD and immediately I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. I grabbed Asher, pinned him down, and while he screamed in protest I shone a light into his mouth and was aghast to discover that the entire roof of his mouth was COVERED in blisters (I didn’t get any pictures, but if you’re really curious, a quick google image search will do the trick). A trip to the pediatrician confirmed that he did in fact have HMFD. There was nothing to do, but give him medicine for the pain, keep him hydrated and to wait.

It was awful. I felt like I was losing my mind. The poor guy couldn’t eat, would barely drink and would sleep so badly it was like having a new-born again. I resolved myself to giving him pain medicine every 3 hours, alternating between Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen, all through the day and night. I made him popsicles that he could suck on, I let him have apple juice, I made sure everything was ice-cold and I would let him eat anything he wanted, which was only bread. And yet, he seemed that he felt little relief. The medicine was keeping his fever down but his mouth and throat were in such pain that he was drooling like a faucet because it was too painful to swallow. He would wake up from naps howling in pain and shoving his hand into his mouth. I was helpless. His feet and hands and bottom broke out in tiny red dots that I felt sure would turn into blisters of their own, but thankfully only a few did.

After 5 days he finally slept through the night again and many of the blisters in his mouth had gone away. He was finally getting back to his high energy, fun-loving self again. Except, Raf was now 2-3 days into having it himself. The only saving grace, was that at least I didn’t come down with it too!

HMFD is a highly contagious illness that is caused by a few different viruses. It presents as a fever accompanied by blisters or a red rash in the mouth, on the hands and feet and sometimes on the buttocks. Once you get it, it is unlikely that will ever get it again, UNLESS you either contract is from a different virus than the one you got originally or the virus hides in your cells and resurfaces from time to time (which is extremely rare). The vast majority of people only get it once and it primarily affects children under 5, but adults can get it if they haven’t been exposed to it before. Full recovery usually takes 7-10 days with the first week being when a person is most contagious. It primarily spreads through coming in contact with bodily secretions (saliva, nasal mucus, blister fluid, stool) of an infected person and the virus can live in and be transmitted via the stool for a few weeks after the symptoms have gone away, so extra care needs to be taken when changing soiled diapers. Everyone exposed should be washing their hands often and thoroughly to help prevent the spread of the virus. The main concern is making sure that anyone infected stays hydrated, which can be especially hard in young children, who may refuse to drink anything. So get creative, popsicles, ice cream, sorbet, jello, pudding, juice, whatever it takes.

Lastly, HMFD can affect everyone differently. Some children get blisters all over their hands and feet, yet their mouths hardly have any (if this is your child, count yourself lucky), which generally means they have an easier time eating and drinking. Other children have the blisters concentrated in their mouths. While still others may have a nasty breakout on their bottoms as well.

Asher’s Frenectomy // Lip Tie & Tongue Tie

April 28, 2014 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 2 Comments

So it turns out Asher had a lip tie and a tongue tie. We knew he had a tongue tie, because waaaay back when we had thrush a lactation consultant told me he had one but that it would stretch out with time, but the lip tie was a bit of a surprise. Although, it was the kind of surprise that once you learn about you feel really stupid for not realizing sooner because you kind of knew something was up all along. Yea, that kind of surprise.

Raf and I had always noticed Asher’s upper lip had two ridges of tissue that connected it to his gums, we both agreed that it was a bit odd, but really didn’t give it much more thought. One day I was on a play date with my friend and her son (who had just had a frenectomy) and she pointed out that she thought Asher had a lip tie. She then proceeded to send me this and this.

Well, after a bit of research I decided two things. First I concluded that she was in fact correct and that Asher did have a lip tie. Second, I knew I wanted him to have a laser frenectomy instead of using a scalpel and sutures.

I took Asher to his pedatrician who suggested I consult a pediatric dentist. After a lot of time spent researching and calling pediatric dentists that would do a laser frenectomy on an 11 month old, I found Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, so I called and made an appointment.

Asher was seen by Dr. Rishita Jaju, who is exceptionally qualified to handle a laser and who determined that he needed to not only have the lip tie removed but the tongue tie as well.

I felt very strongly about using local anesthesia rather than general or IV sedation, considering that it was a minor procedure I didn’t want to add any addition risk by using strong drugs. This meant, that Asher would be awake and would have to be restrained during the procedure. And let me tell you, that part was not fun. Raf held Asher in his lap and we both restrained him while Dr. Rishita performed the frenectomies. Asher screamed the entire time, not from pain of course, but he did NOT like having all the fingers and tools in his mouth one bit. The whole thing took about an hour, which was WAAAAY longer than I expected it to take, but I guess Dr. Rishita had to work more slowly to account for his wriggling. Immediately after it was over, Asher sat up and cuddled next to me and sucked his thumb. For the next few weeks, I had to rub the frenectomy sites a couple times a day to prevent the tissue from reconnecting while it healed.

Asher’s lip and tongue have both healed perfectly and the gap between his two front teeth has almost closed.

These are the main reasons we felt strongly about having these frenectomies done:

-To prevent has possible speech issues

-To help prevent cavity formation

-So the gap between his front teeth would close (reducing the likelihood of braces)

-To free up his smile

In retrospect, I believe that a lot of my milk supply issues could be have been due to Asher’s lip and tongue ties, luckily we were able to power through and nurse through Asher’s first year, but in the future I’m definitely going to be more on top of ruling out any lip or tongue ties if I’m having nursing problems.

*While I was really happy with the care Asher received I think if I had to do it over again I would have a consultation with an ENT. Some ENTs are now doing frenectomies using only laughing gas and cauterization and these procedures can take only a couple of minutes. I didn’t learn about this option until after Asher had already had his done, but I’d definitely recommend exploring this route in more depth to anyone who has a child with a lip tie or a tongue tie.

Teething

March 27, 2014 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 1 Comment

Often, many parents blame everything from fussiness to drool on teething and while that may very well be the culprit, it isn’t always the case.

The number one thing that I have heard parents associate with teething is drool. Copious amounts of drool. And yes, babies do often drool more when they are teething (this is especially true for babies who were already droolers), but drool on it’s own is not a sign of teething. Asher started drooling like a faucet at 2 months old but he didn’t get his first tooth until he was 7 months old. Five months of teething? I think not. In fact, drooling is an important part of cognitive development for babies and even though some babies may not seem to drool, it’s just because they’ve figured out how to swallow the excess saliva rather than dribble it out.

All babies experience teething differently. Some babies are inconsolable while others will pop a pair of molars without anyone being the wiser. There is really no way to tell but in general most babies fall somewhere in the middle, with some teeth bothering them more than others. So even though most parents (myself included) love to blame a bout of fussiness on teething, it just may not be the case.

The only sure fire way to tell if your child is teething it to look for red, swollen and inflamed gums in the area you expect a tooth to appear. And keep in mind that teeth generally appear in pairs although they’re usually staggered.

Teething discomfort (if it’s present) can last anywhere from 2-3 days up to a week PER tooth for the canines and incisors, but the molars can take anywhere from one week to several months.

While teeth can appear in any order and at a wide range of times (some babies are born with pearly whites, while others are all gums until well after a year) on average the first tooth usually appears around 6-10 months. The following image illustrates the most common order and age range of eruption for primary teeth:

Ok, ok, that’s all very well and good you say, but what you really want to know is what you can do to help sooth a baby who’s having a rough time of teething.

Well let me start off with what you shouldn’t do. DO NOT use any products containing benzocaine (ex. Orajel). Doing so can lead to methemoglobinemia, which is a serious and sometimes fatal condition, which is why the “FDA recommends that parents and caregivers not use benzocaine products for children younger than 2 years, except under the advice and supervision of a health care professional”.

Instead you can try any or all the following:

Using a teething ring or wet wash cloth that has been chilled in the refrigerator (not the freezer).

Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are great options (especially at night when other methods may interfere with sleep). Although you should always check with your pediatrician first before using any medications, (including homeopathic ones).

Massage the area with your finger.

Put frozen fruit in a mesh baby feeder and letting your baby (6 months and older) gnaw on it:

What are your experiences with teething? Do you have any remedies that you swear by?

The Menstrual Cup – Sckoon & Lunette Review/Comparision

January 28, 2014 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 12 Comments

Left: Lunette Cup, model 2 in color: Selene – Right: Sckoon Cup, size 2 in color: Balance

Ladies, this is a game changer. A life changer. I’m talking about the menstrual cup. These things are Amazing with a capital A! I honestly can’t rave about it enough, except to say that the cup almost makes me look forward to my period and that’s really saying something.

If you thought tampons were great, you’re going to laugh at how horrid they seem after trying the cup.

So what are they? Well, a menstrual cup is a small cup like vesicle that gets inserted into the vagina during menstruation in order to collect the menstrual flow. The vast majority of cups are made from medical grade silicone. Unlike a tampon, which is worn high in the vagina, the cup is worn low in the vagina and is soft and pliable so it creates a seal with your body to ensure no leaks happen. The cup get folded for insertion and then opens up once it is inside the vagina. To remove, simply pinch the bottom to break the seal and remove. After emptying the cup, simply rinse in COLD water and re-insert, you can wash it with a mild soap and some warm water after the initial cold water rinse if desired. Between cycles, you can sanitize your cup by boiling it in some water for a few minutes, giving it a rubbing alcohol bath or washing it thoroughly with warm water and a mild soap.

Now let me just say that there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using a menstrual cup, so you should expect to wear a liner or pad in addition to your cup for a cycle or 2 before you master the hang of it.

Even though menstrual cups have been around for a looong time, they are only recently becoming more mainstream. There are many brands of menstrual cups available on the market today. In my experience the ones that are the easiest to access in the United States are: Diva cup, Lunette cup and Sckoon cup. After doing a bunch of research, reading tons of reviews and watching a whole load of youtube videos, I decided to purchase the Lunette cup in model 2, however right after I did so, the Sckoon cup came onto the market and it was just really appealing so I went ahead and got one of those in a size 2 also.

I really wanted to love the Lunette cup, it was so easy to use and the silicone wasn’t too soft, which made inserting it a breeze, the tab wasn’t hollow (a must for me), but it did poke me a bit so I ended up trimming it. However, I kept having leak issues. No matter what I did or how I inserted it, the thing would leak but when I went to remove it there was hardly anything in it. Now, this is not a testament to the cup, because it really is an awesome cup. It just simply didn’t work with my body. During menstruation my cervix drops fairly low and sits inside the cup, leaving little room for the blood to collect. So feeling disappointed but determined I tried the Sckoon cup and voila! Success!! The Sckoon cup in shorter and has a wider base which allows my cervix to sit inside the cup, while still leaving plenty of room for collection. The Sckoon cup is softer than the Lunette, and the tab is really flexible and soft, so I found I didn’t need to trim it at all. The softness of the Sckoon makes it a bit more difficult for me to get it to pop open after insertion, but I’ve figured out a method that works just fine. Basically I use the punch down fold to insert the cup, then I wiggle it around a bunch while pinching the bottom to get to open up, finally I run my finger around the perimeter to ensure that my pesky cervix is actually inside the cup. It’s a bit hard to explain in writing, so I highly recommend the channel, MenstrualCupInfo on youtube to learn more about all the cups out there and to help you get an idea about what may work best for you (but of course I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have as well).

The Pros:

Use of menstrual cups is not associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) (ahem, TAMPONS)

Menstrual cups are reusable and some brands can last 10 years, hellooooo savings!

They are super comfortable, since they don’t absorb your vaginal moisture along with your flow (dammit, TAMPONS)

In some cases they reduce cramps and leave you with a lighter period, score!

They can go 12 hours before needing to be emptied (of course on heavy days they may need to be emptied more frequently)

No gross smell (stupid PADS)

Can be worn swimming, running, sleeping, jumping and generally any other activity you can think of EXCEPT during intercourse.

Won’t leave behind icky cotton fibers in your vagina (die TAMPONS die)

Most come in 2 sizes (before children and after children) to ensure the perfect fit

The Cons:

There is a learning curve – unlike tampons or pads, a cup takes a bit longer to get the hang of and in some cases you may need to try several different brands before you find one that works best for you.

They have more of an upfront cost ranging anywhere from $20-$40 per cup- but since they’re reusable, they actually save you money in the long run. AND many companies will refund your money or send you a different size if one isn’t working for you. So really it’s a risk free investment.

Emptying your cup in a public restroom takes a little forethought, but it’s really not that complicated. All it involves it bringing a water bottle with you or a cleansing wipe, but really since they can be worn for so long, you can usually plan your day accordingly without ever having to empty it in public.

Sckoon – punch down fold

Sckoon – C fold

Top view – L: Lunette – R: Sckoon

Left: Lunette – Right: Sckoon

Lunette side view. You can see the seem if you look closely. Also note the lip and suction hole placement.

Sckoon side view. Note the diagonal suction holes to allow for maximum capacity.

They come with pretty storage bags!

Sckoon, bottom view. Awww, it has a pretty yet functional flower grip pattern.

Lunette, bottom view. Note the stem has been trimmed.

Left: Sckoon – Right: Lunette. Note the Sckoon had a slightly wider rim.

Sckoon top view

————–

So there you have it. Try a cup and thank me later.

To purchase:

http://www.sckooncup.com/

http://www.lunette.com/store/index.php

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=menstrual%20cup&sprefix=menstru%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amenstrual%20cup

The Great Vaccine Debate

December 5, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Here I am with yet another hot button topic (I just can’t seem to stay away from them): vaccines. Whether or not to vaccinate your children has become an increasingly controversial subject, but honestly I just don’t get it. There are a lot of ‘anti-vaccination’ and ‘vaccines cause autism’ propaganda out there that aren’t based in evidence whatsoever. In my experience, when I’ve been talking to someone who is against vaccinating and I ask them why and then follow up by asking for scientific evidence that backs up that belief, more often than not they don’t have the evidence or I am directed to some blog post someone has written or some article on some natural health website, none of which have any scientific evidence based research to back them up.

I mean I get it. The thought of doing anything that could lead to a negative outcome for your child is really scary, but I can not abide fear mongering. I can’t stress enough, that parents need to do their due diligence and do some actual research, talk about it in depth with your child’s pediatrician in order to determine the best vaccination schedule for your child, read scientific journal articles on the subject and take what other parents say with a HUGE grain of salt.

The truth is: vaccines save lives.

The second truth is: vaccines do not cause autism. (1)

I am pro vaccination. Not only am I protecting my family by choosing to vaccinate, but I’m also helping to protect the entire population. I think everyone should get vaccinated but that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to follow the same vaccination schedule. It is important to talk to your pediatrician about coming up with vaccination schedule that is right for your child, that may mean sticking to the standard one or it could mean coming up with something different, just as long the end result is the same. However, it is important to note that the risk of autism is not increased by the amount of vaccines you get at once. (2)

Some of you may be thinking: “Wait a minute what about the study by Andrew Wakefield that was published in the Lancet back in 1998?” Well, I suggest you read the actual study and then read this.

What are your thoughts on vaccination?

Sources:

(1). Gerber, J. S., & Offit, P. A. (2009). Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Clinical Infectious Diseases , 456-461.

(2). DeSefano, F. (2013). Increasing Exposure to Antibody-Stimulating Proteins and Polysaccharides in Vaccines Is Not Associated with Risk of Autism. The Journal of Pediatrics , 561-567. (If you don’t feel like reading the whole article, this sums it up nicely).

Decoding Colic

May 14, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 2 Comments

Asher, thankfully never had colic, but about a quarter of all babies do. (1) Parents often ask, what they can do to help their colicky babies and honestly I don’t have any concrete answers. The thing is, no one really knows why colic happens to some babies and not others and what even causes it to begin with. There are just a bunch of theories. It’s kind of like morning sickness, in that it’s still so much of a mystery. The one thing we do know definitively about colic is that: it will go away with time. Although, I realize that that is of little comfort to the exhausted and raw parents of babies with colic.

There are several things that parents can try to reduce the colic however while they may work for some babies they may not work for others, which is part of what makes colic so frustrating to deal with. Not only is your little bundle crying incessantly but you also have to hear story after story from other people about how they did x, y and z and it totally cured their baby, yet when you try the same things you get no result at all, which only adds to your feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and makes you feel like you’re doing something wrong. Well let me set the record straight. You are not doing anything wrong. There is no exact science when it comes to colic, just like there isn’t any when it comes to morning sickness.

Definition:

Colic is defined as excessive crying in an otherwise healthy and thriving baby that lasts at least 3 hours a day, for 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks. (2) The crying typically starts in the first few weeks of life and ends by the time the infant is 3 or 4 months old (3) however it has been known to last longer than this.

Cause:

There are many theorized causes of colic, which include; infants’ difficult temperament, inadequate or inappropriate mother-infant interaction, maternal anxiety, abnormal gastrointestinal function, allergic problems (mainly cow’s milk allergy) abnormal colonic micro flora, increased infant responsiveness, difficult infant temperament, disturbed infant–parent interaction, maternal smoking while pregnant and maternal and paternal depression. (1) So as you can see, they have pretty much covered all the basis of possible causes, which is just another way of saying that no one really knows why it happens. In rare cases (5.1%), there may be underlying health problems that are presenting as colic, such as central nervous system problems, GI pathology, infections and trauma. (1)

Treatment:

Treatments for colic fall into 3 main categories: dietary, behavioral and pharmacological. (1)

Diet: When dealing with colic usually the first course of treatment is dietary, mainly because it is the simplest approach and seems to make the biggest difference when it does work. The best thing to do from a dietary perspective it to go on an anti-colic diet before colic even sets in. The essentials of an anti colic diet are:

No dairy: especially no milk or cheese
No cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, etc
No OJ
No onions or garlic
Low in raw fruits and veggies
Low in soy and wheat

However keep in mind that this may or may not work at treating colic or preventing it from happening, but it is often a good place to start. After a few weeks you can slowly start adding foods back into your diet to see if they have any adverse effects or not.

Behavioral: There are many different behavioral approaches to treating colic, so I’m just going to touch on two of the most common.

5 S’s – Swaddling, Sushing, Side (as in holding babies on their sides), Swaying and Sucking. This is the approach made popular by the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block. It basically involves swaddling your baby tightly, making loud shushing noises in their ear (as loud as the baby is crying, think espresso machine), holding the baby in your arms on his or her side, swaying, rocking or gently jiggling the baby and when all else fails offering them the breast to suck. These 5 steps or some variation there of are really good at calming a crying baby, but they may or may not work at calming a crying colicky baby, still, they are worth a try.

Baby wearing – This involves increasing the time you spend wearing the baby (in a wrap or a carrier) by at least 3 hours. A lot of people swear by this approach and it is definitely nice to cuddle up to your little one, which also allows you to respond promptly to their needs, however there is no supporting evidence in the literature that increased holding reduces crying time in colicky infants but it may in fact increase stress and anxiety in parents. (1) (3) Again, though, you may find that baby wearing is what works best for your baby and actually gives you peace of mind, so I recommend trying it.

Pharmocological: This is the treatment method that shows the least results at improving colic symptoms. Of the drug interventions studied, dicyclomine as shown the most promise, and performed significantly better than the placebo. The use of anti-reflux medication has shown no improvement in the treatment of colic, even though acid-reflux is one of the theorized causes of colic. (1) If you’re interested in this route, I encourage you to talk to your child’s pediatrician about whether or not pharmocological treatment is right for your child’s colic.

Final Words:

In general, the best you can do is reassure yourselves that it will get better with time and to develop predictable feeding and sleeping routines, as this will at least help provide some order and structure. It is tremendously helpful to seek support from other parents who have dealt with colic first hand, because no one really can understand what it’s like unless they have been through it themselves. It is perfectly normal to doubt everything, to hate your child, to feel like you are at your wits end, to want to pull your hair out and to wish you could send the baby back. Talking about these things with other parents who have been through it will help reduce the guilt you may be feeling about feeling these ways yourself and give you a shoulder to lean on. And remember, your baby is just as miserable as you are. I promise you, one day the colic will be over and you will fall in love all over again with this tiny little miracle that you created. Hang in there.

1. Nurko, S. Colic in Infants. Boston: Children’s Hospital.

2. Lucassen PLBJ, Assendelft WJJ, Gubbels JW, et al. Effectiveness of treatments for infantile colic: systematic review. BMJ1998;316:1563–1569

3. Lucassen, P. (2010). Colic in infants. Clinical Evidence , 0309.

Surviving Growth Spurts

May 8, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 2 Comments

When you’re a new parent it can be tough to tell when your child is going through a growth spurt and figuring out how best to get through them can feel like walking a gauntlet. Growth spurts can be incredibly confusing and frustrating, just when you thought you had your little one’s schedule all figured out a growth spurt will hit that can send their whole routine spiraling out of control. Asher generally sleeps very well at night, but during a growth spurt, he may wake up as often as every hour or two requesting, nay demanding to be fed. Needless to say this is no fun for either of us.

Growth spurts are an important part of infant development and are usually accompanied by an increased appetite either followed or preceded by longer periods of sleep. Babies need sleep in order to grow. There is a strong relationship between sleep amount and growth spurts, which indicates that it is very important for infants to get high quality sleep (1).

Frequency:

Most babies will experience 5-7 major growth spurts in their first year, these occur at around 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months. However every baby is different so this time frame should just be used as a rough guideline.

Duration:

Most growth spurts last 2-4 days, but some can last up to a week or more.

How To Spot a Growth Spurt:

There are several signals that can tip you off that your little one is in fact experiencing a growth spurt.

Hunger: Your tiny tot will generally have a seemingly insatiable appetite and may want to eat seemingly around the clock, sometimes every hour. If you are exclusively breastfeeding resist the urge to supplement with formula or expressed milk during this time. The best way to increase your milk supply and support the higher caloric demands of your child is to put your baby to the breast as frequently as possible. Short but frequent feedings are better than long and infrequent feedings at signalling to your breasts to produce more milk. If you really want to try to speed things along, then you can consider pumping for 10 minutes after each feeding, just make sure to freeze the milk you pump for a rainy day rather than give it to your baby during the growth spurt.

Mood: Your little one may also be quite cranky or fussier than normal, which can sometimes be mistaken for colic. They may even complain while at the breast, pulling of and re-latching over and over. This mood swing is due in part from lack of sleep (eating all the time really interrupts catching some good quality shut eye) and in part due to the higher caloric demands (they want more milk NOW).

Disrupted Sleep: Your baby will likely wake up more often at night in order satisfy their increased appetite. Some parents find this one the hardest to identify. It can sometimes be hard to tell if your baby is going through a growth spurt or experiencing sleep regression. The best way to tell is if your baby is waking up at the same times every night, then it is probably sleep regression or habitual waking. However if the waking times are sporadic and hold no pattern then you are likely dealing with a growth spurt, in which case it’s best to feed your baby promptly. I have definitely been guilty of mistaking a growth spurt for sleep regression and let me tell you, doing so just prolongs the whole process and makes it that much more painful for you both.

Increased Sleep: As I mentioned earlier, either preceding or following a period of increased feeding your baby will exhibit periods of extended sleep. Don’t wake up the baby to feed during this time because sleep is essential for their growth. In fact babies generally do most of their growing while they are asleep (2) and can gain 1-3 ounces and grow up to 1 cm in length over the course of a day (3). I suggest reveling in this respite and catching up on some sleep yourself.

When to Be Concerned:

If your little one is still experiencing the signs of a growth spurt for longer than two weeks or doesn’t seem to be gaining weight you should talk to your child’s pediatrician to rule out any other problems. In fact if you’re worried about whether or not your baby is getting enough food in general then I suggest going to a lactation consultant and weighing your baby on their high tech scale before and after a feeding. That way they will be able to tell how many ounces your baby is consuming, which is pretty neat!

How Best to Survive a Growth Spurt:

The best thing you can do during a growth spurt is to hunker down and ride it out. Feed on demand. You may feel like you’re nursing non-stop, and that’s probably because you are. Just remember there is an end in sight and the less you resist the process, the easier it will be. In the meantime take extra care of yourself. Drink lots and lots of water and make sure you eat sufficiently to help support your increasing milk supply. All the late night feedings may leave you feeling extra exhausted and strung out so make sure to cut yourself some slack and enlist help to tackle all the non-growth spurt related tasks. When Asher is going through a growth spurt, I like to curl up with him and nurse whenever he wants it, which is constantly. Don’t expect to get much else done.

(1). Lampl, M., & Johnson, M. L. (2011). Infant Growth in Length Follows Prolonged Sleep and Increased Naps. Sleep , 34 (5), 641–650.

(2). Tikotzky, L., DE Marcas, G., Har-Toov, J., Dollberg, S., Bar-Haim, Y., & Sadeh, A. (2010). Sleep and physical growth in infants during the ﬁrst 6 months. Journal of Sleep Research , 19, 103-110.

(3). Kirton, B. (2012, Novemeber 6). Everything you need to know about infant growth spurts. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from Life Stages Feeding: http://www.lifestagesfeeding.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-infant-growth-spurts/

Lesser Known Facts About the Postpartum Period

May 6, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 1 Comment

When I was pregnant it felt like everyone had something to tell me about what to expect after the baby arrived. I was told I would never sleep again, that I would never wear nice clothes again, that my son would pee in my eye when I changed him and that if I breastfed the baby weight would fall right off.

Well, in my experience some of this advice was spot on (I rarely wear anything nicer than yoga pants when I’m at home) but some of it missed the mark entirely (I have yet to be peed on, let alone in the eye). There are however several lesser talked about things that can happen and I thought it might be nice to give everyone a heads up.

1. Constipation – I’ve heard horror stories about the first postpartum bowl movement being almost worse than childbirth itself, but luckily I didn’t have a problem with it. In fact I even stopped taking the stool softener that the hospital gave me because I felt that I didn’t need it. Well, the joke was on me. A few weeks after Asher was born the constipation set it. In my case, this delay may have been due to the delay in my milk coming in. You need to drink A LOT of water to support breastfeeding and to not have it affect the rest of your bodily functions. If you aren’t drinking enough then your body may pull liquid from anywhere it can to ensure that you have enough milk for your babe, which can result in some rather hostile bowl movements. I recommend, drinking LOTS of water. I try to chug a 20 oz bottle every time I nurse. I find that chugging ensures that I get it all in, because it’s easy to get side tracked when I take small sips. Stay on your stool softener, eat lots of fiber and go for plenty of walks.

2. Dehydration – I have never been a great water drinker mainly because I find it inconvenient to have to pee all the time. Prior to becoming pregnant I would often go without drinking much of anything for a whole day only to find myself parched right before bed, so I’d chug a couple glasses, which would invariably result in me needing to get up to pee in the middle of the night. When I became pregnant, I knew I had to be more disciplined about getting enough to drink so I began carrying a water bottle around with me at all times. Having a bottle handy really helped remind me to stay hydrated and the fact that I was peeing all the time didn’t really bother me because I considered it par for the course with pregnancy. If I thought being pregnant meant that I knew what it was like to be thirsty all the time then I really had no idea what I was in for. After Asher was born the thirst took on a whole knew level. I was literally guzzling as much water as I could and no matter how much I drank I still had an insatiable thirst for more. It felt like I was shriveling up from the inside out. Nothing I did helped. Luckily after several weeks it leveled off and I was able to cut back to just drinking a ridiculous amount instead of an insane amount. If I ever slack on my liquid intake I get splitting dehydration headaches by the time the evening rolls around. No fun. There is a silver lining however. I rarely need to pee! It’s kind of like a really weird parlor trick. I can drink liters and liters of water and barely have to go to the bathroom at all, how cool is that?!

3. Hairloss – Due to the higher amounts of estrogen during pregnancy most women experience a drastic decrease in the the amount of hair that they shed. (1) I have a lot of hair, but it is super fine and dead straight, so when I became pregnant I was so excited about the effect it would have on my hair. I was amazed by how plentiful and lush my hair was. I would maybe shed 2-3 hairs a day. Now I knew that this was only temporary and that once Asher was born I would eventually start shedding again. What I didn’t know is that my hair would begin falling out in clumps and that I would develop a receding hairline. At around 4 months postpartum my hair started shedding at an alarming rate. Nearly every time I showered I would get a ping pong sized hair ball. Not so tiny tumble weeds consisting of hair and dust bunnies started popping up everywhere. I once even found Asher clutching a clump of my hair in his fist, which he was attempting to stick in his mouth. One day I looked in the mirror and noticed that my hair line was receding. I asked Raf if he noticed and he said that my hair line was always like that, but I wasn’t convinced so I broke out the photo albums and did a side by side comparison. I have included a few pictures below.

Asher and I at 2.5 months postpartum:

Asher and I at 4.5 months postpartum:

Do you see the difference? No? Were you too distracted by the cute baby? Oh, well allow me to give you a closer view:

The drop off in the levels of estrogen after childbirth are to blame for the hair loss. Luckily, this too is just temporary and the vast majority of women who experience this have their hair return to it’s pre-pregnancy volume by a year. (1) So here’s hoping. In the meantime I have taken to french braiding my hair a lot in an attempt to keep the tumble weeds at bay.

1. Belgravia Centre. (2012, May 28). Postpartum Hair Loss Causes and Solutions. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from The Belgravia Centre: http://www.belgraviacentre.com/blog/postpartum-hair-loss/