As I wrote earlier, Malcolm has a sensitivity to cow milk protein, as Keith did, so a few weeks ago, I went off all dairy and soy. Ultimately, I was hoping to relieve him of the obvious discomfort that comes with a sore tummy, and while I did manage to eradicate some of the symptoms of his sensitivity, he was very still upset throughout the day.
Hindsight being 20/20, it wasn't until I looked back at the past few weeks that I noticed he was actually getting worse. At first, he refused to go into the bouncy chair or swing. Then, he wouldn't settle in anyone's arms but mine. It got to the point where he wouldn't let me put him down for one second over the course of the day without screaming, so he spent the day sleeping in his carrier on my chest. Then, he'd get hysterical if I sat down at all, and wanted me to bounce him constantly. Carrying an 11 pound baby strapped to you for 14 hours a day is good for postpartum weight reduction, but not so good for doing just about anything else. And I have a fair amount to do, as Edward is currently in New Brunswick with the Ducklings (one week to go before we join them!), so I'm taking the opportunity to redo two bedrooms upstairs to incorporate our new sleeping arrangements for the brood, and attempting to finish our newly carpeted basement space.
But it wasn't just that Malcolm didn't want to be put down - ever - it was that he cried and fussed most of the day when he wasn't eating. And he started to be up all night, too. I'm clocking about 2-3 hours of sleep a night at the moment, because he is just so miserable. I started to pay more attention to his nasal congestion, his marathon hiccup sessions, his writhing around while eating (especially in the early morning), his random coughing and his raspy breathing. Finally, on Saturday, he had an epic choking fit that was so alarming, I brought him to the hospital. They diagnosed him with silent reflux, and told me to get him in to see his doctor, which I did yesterday. Truth be told, I had already begun to suspect reflux was the culprit. Colin and Evelyn had it, too, although theirs was the projectile-spit-up-out-the-mouth-and-nose variety that makes it really hard to miss. Silent reflux can be harder to spot.
His pediatrician is justifiably cautious before handing out medication for infants, but I'm guessing he took one look at my rather haggard appearance (Malcolm was smiling on the table - this was before he got his two month vaccinations...) and handed over the prescription. I've given him a few doses already, and while I think I noticed an improvement - we had our first three hour feed overnight in over a week, as opposed to feeding every hour or two - I'm going to give it a few more days before I venture an opinion. For Colin and Evelyn, it was a combination of medication and the maturation of their digestive system that put an end to their reflux, so we might have a little longer to wait before we see a significant change for Malcolm. I just hope my poor, overtired Muppet gets a small break from his tummy woes, and that I get to enjoy his dimpled smile a little more often!
A happier Malcolm this morning, striking a pose!
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