Sleep? Yeah right! (warning! This one is kind of wordy...)

Another visit to the doctor's office, this time for the mandatory 2 week checkup. Bailey's been having problem with some gas, so we were glad that it was time for a checkup. Once again, a glowing review: perfectly healthy baby (except for the all night crying jags...). We were trying to explain what we were seeing and going through, unable to get our story across when it happened...

You know how you take your car in to the mechanic and spend forever trying to explain that "sound" the car is making? (I swear that it was just doing it; I don't know why it's not doing it now). Well, viola! As we were sitting there with the doctor we heard a little *urp*. The doctor immediately said, "You hear that? That's the acid hitting her vocal chords." (oh yeah, we were talking about acid reflux at the time. Sort of left those details out...)

So now we know that Bailey is not "suffering" from gas (although she still has a lot of it at times), but is actually suffering from heart burn. From everything we've read and that the doctor has told us this is a pretty common occurrence in newborns. Turns out the valve at the bottom of the esophagus is not fully developed and is allowing acid to flow up out of the stomach. She should grow out of it in a couple of months (which is a LONG time if you ask me) and will be perfectly fine afterwards. Until then...

1. lactose-free formula (I didn't know they had such a thing)
2. dairy-free diet for momma (man was she mad about that)
3. smaller feedings, more frequently (how much more frequently is ALL THE TIME)
4. hold her vertical for 30 min after feeding (um, how long? This kid takes 30 min to feed
already, then wants to eat again an hour after that, which means there is a whopping HALF
HOUR in between feedings that we may or may not actually get to sleep...)

There is another option: start giving her an acid reducer (like Pepcid) everyday for the next couple of months. I know there are some out there that would gasp at such an idea ("How can you think of giving that poor newborn medication like that?! And so young!"). Here is how: you don't have to stay up at night, helpless to do anything as this poor little baby cries for hours, pleading with her eyes for you to make the hurt stop. Frustrated beyond belief that there is nothing either she or her parents can do to help. I would rather have a healthy, happy baby who doesn't suffer from the pain of acid reflux, and will not be permanently affected by the short-term medication than to have to sit, helpless as my newborn daughter cries in pain and frustration. She deserves to not have to live like that.

Happier note (sort of...)
Bailey had to have a State screening test done at the doctor to check for "rare" genetic disorders (whatever those are. I think the government is just trying to get a database of everyone's genetic makeup. It's a conspiracy, man!). I know this shouldn't be funny, but it is. Tammie's was holding Bailey over her shoulder so the nurse could prick her heal to take blood samples. I was standing behind her to make sure Bailey didn't drop her pacifier and to help calm her down. She was almost asleep, her eyes just barely awake when *click*, the nurse pressed the button to prick her heal.

We had been warned that she would cry and scream, but that everything was fine. I was prepared for that. What got me was the look on Bailey's face when that nurse pricked her heal. Her eyes, which were nearly closed, shot wide open and the look on her face was one of, "What in God's name just happened?!" It took her a good 2 seconds before the tears actually started. I think she was trying to figure it out. I only wish I had the camera at that moment, because I was the only one who saw her face and it was hilarious. Tammie had a hard time listening to her, but then she didn't see her face when it happened. Priceless!

Luckily for us, the doctor encouraged us to start taking Bailey out for walks and even out to dinner. Simply feed her, burp her (hold her upright for half an hour), put her in a car seat and she should sleep through the entire thing. So the next day we took him up on his advice.

Wow, doctor's might actually know what they are talking about...we had a wonderful afternoon at lunch and running some errands. We'll have to try that again sometime.