My friend JK has a 7 week old beauty. Her second child, and her first girl. She witnessed my struggle with Anna's acid reflux, heard my cries, and read my detailed chronologies via emails. But at that time, JK had her own newborn issues to deal with, her son having been born one month after Anna. Eighteen months later, she has found herself at the mercy of a colicky, acid refluxer who seems to hate life and screams at her loving mommy and anyone who dares come too close to soothe her.
I checked JK's venthood at her stove and it appeared to not be functioning loudly enough. There goes my bag of tricks. Besides, I only have to BELIEVE what she tells me because when I visited before Ike, her darling newborn was sleeping peacefully. Don't all colicky babies put on a wonderfully peaceful show for friends and family?
I have to feel for JK because she actually EVACUATED with said screaming bundle of misery. She texted me regularly that her neighbors in her hotel room probably hated her. This was following the 5 hour drive to SA with said screaming newborn in tow (with her mom, who witnessed the entire thing, and JK's now toddler son). Her newborn is on the right meds for the painful reflux, and still not much improvement. JK's doc told JK that this was colic, acid reflux, and "just her personality". JK called me this morning, and after putting her on soy formula for the last 48 hours, her daughter actually seems content and is eating and sleeping. Pretty much the same path we followed for Anna.
Today is JK's first day back at work following maternity leave.
I remember the day I dropped Anna off for the first time at Day Care, after 3 months of maternity leave. Did I cry like I was supposed to? NO. I was honestly relieved. She was past the worst of the reflux but I was at my witt's end. When I left her she was happily playing with floor toys and didn't seem to be bothered by my absence, which was a bonus. I was liberated in just running a few errands and working in the yard that day.
JK told me on the phone this morning that she has heard that the loudest, crankiest babies turn out to be the calm toddlers and awesome adults. Judging from Anna's current personality, I'd agree with that. Additionally, I was apparently a cranky, colicky baby and I think I turned out just fine.
So parents of colicky acid refluxers, it may not mean much while you're in it, but reflux basically makes everything else that comes with babies and toddlers look easy (teething, colds, etc).
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Well, I would love to believe it, but Alberto was collicy and anything buy calm. He is very good and polite, but not calm! It is so much harder to have a collic child then anyone can ever imagine, I wonder how I lived through it.
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