Life

So, I have updated much on our tiny Isabela, and than kinda stopped a little. I have just not been motivated, mainly because I feel like no one is reading this!

Its a little hard for anyone to put a lot of time into blogging/website updating when there is never any feedback. I told my sister that I was thinking of just shutting everything down, but I won’t….I hope that one day Isabela will be able to look back on here and what a gift it will be to give this to her – a journal of her life!

I am not sure I have updated about my new “lifestyle” with food.

SO, in the beginning, I noticed that Isabela was always very uncomfortable. She cried ALL the time, but it sounded like she was in pain. She would arch her back constantly. During feeding, she would suddenly pull off screaming. She would wake up from naps and bedtime, not crying, but with high pitched screams. She would scream when being put down flat on her back. She would cry all during feedings and after feedings. She started sleeping for only 15 min increments. She started projectile vomiting consistently. She was NOT a happy baby. Oh, and everytime she cried, you could see her food coming up her throat and then going back down…I KNEW she had reflux, and felt so helpless.

My mother’s instinct knew she didn’t have colic, but that is what the doc said at first. Then she started losing weight. Colic is something they say a baby has when the baby cannot be consoled, but is otherwise thriving. Well, Isabela stopped thriving, and that’s when they began to take me seriously.

So, Isa was diagnosed with severe GER or acid reflux. She was put on Zantac, which didn’t work, then Prevacid. Prevacid is amazing, and she is a totally different baby. Of course she still cries – babies cry!! But it’s a normal baby cry, not the “Mommy, I am hurting, please help me” cry. Gosh…I tear up just thinking about those days. In those days, I knew something was wrong, but everyone would tell me to stop worrying and to accept her temperment. I am so glad didn’t listen to those people!

So, anyhow, Prevacid is amazing, but what doubled it’s amazingness is my dietary changes. I did my own research and saw that dairy exacerbates reflux. So immediately, I cut it from my diet and got on a calcium supplement. Then, I decided to go on an elimination diet to see if any other foods were affecting her badly. I knew that sounds extreme, but at this point I wanted to do all I could to make her more comfortable.

To make a long story shorter, Isabela has food intolerances to wheat, dairy, and nuts. When anything containing those, she vomits, breaks out in rashes and gets nasal drainage. Even a tiny bit of these things cause huge reactions!