Baby Whisperer Part II

Or maybe this should be the "Cleft Edition."

There are plenty of good websites that help explain feeding a child with a cleft lip and/or palate. Like this or this. Here's a few things not mentioned.

1. Yes, when your new born drinks a bottle, he/she will absolutely swallow more air. At first. Eventually, within a few days, you should see an improvement. Otherwise, try another bottle. Once Holly and I tried the Medela Special Needs Feeder, regular size, I could see that Holly was not swallowing so much extra air. And she did not need to burp so often. The other bottles we tried, including the Mini Medela bottle, just didn't work quite right for us.

2. Can I just say this one more time? It is so very important. A new Medela Special Needs Feeder nipple can increase the amount of time your new born takes to finish a bottle, ALOT. From 15 mins to an hour or longer. Now that Holly is older, 6 months, the switch is not so drastic, but still noticeable. Be aware of how old the nipple is, especially at night. Even more important if your little one is struggling with weight gain issues. You can lessen this impact, by pressing the nipple between your fingers to help "soften" before you begin using a new nipple.

3. Milk Allergies and Lactose Intolerance ARE DIFFERENT from 'extra air being swallowed." These two conditions are not cleft related. You can tell the difference! Do not let a doctor tell you otherwise. Symptons of milk allergies (like any food allergy) include gasping, wheezing, difficulty swallowing and bloated stomach.

Lactose Intolerance can cause "colic" like symptoms, inconsolable crying. For Holly, the crying would begin about 20 mins after the bottle. This can include diarrhea or constipation. Do not let a doctor tell you, because your baby doesn't have near death diarrhea, there is no problem.

4. Reflux. What can I say about that? Well, if you have the right bottle, the right formula and your little one is still unusually irritable, something else may be up. Like, Reflux. Lots of good info on the web about this too. Holly's main "signal sympton" is a cough that cause her to cry.

Eventually, your baby will drink a bottle like any other, learn to burp themselves and generally be a happy little kid. You can be the Baby Whisperer for your little one, babies really don't cry for no reason at all.

The Baby Whisperer

Did you heard that Oprah had a guest on her show who was an expert in baby cries? Too bad that market is taken. After 8 weeks of Holly Marie crying and crying and crying, I too believe I am a Baby Whisperer.

Here is a little bit about what I have learned, in case you need a little baby whispering at your place:

1. It might be colic..it might be: Milk allergies/lactose intolerance take 3-5 days to show up. Symptons are rash, gas, distended belly, wheezing, gasping or choking on the bottle. And don't forget persistant diarrhea or constipation.
2. It might be colic..it might be: Reflux. One sign to look for is a small croupy sounding cough. In addition to other symptons like frequent or painful spit ups or vomiting. There are lots of good websites out there to help better understand this. This can take 2 weeks to show symptons.
3. It might be colic...it might be: time to change outfits. This is my favorite cry. How can a two month old know what she is wearing????
4. It might be colic...it might be: time to change a diaper. Duh.
5. It might be colic...it might be: time to blow her nose. Duh. This requires some coordination on your part, possibly the help of another person, one of those bulb syringes and maybe even infant nasal saline. Better ask your doctor about this.
6. It might be colic...it might be: a stray string wrapped around your baby's toe. This is another favorite. I remember my brother John crying for ever one night. Mom finally changed his clothes and discover The String! So check your sweeties feet, often.

If your child does show signs of milk allergy or lactose intolerance...well, welcome to the world of buffet bottles. With your doctors direction, you will have to begin the most important science experiement of your life: new formulas. Talk about needing a Baby Whisperer. But more on that later.

Try this website for some perspective on the situation. Holly Marie never got as bad as "Little Dude" but I can certainly relate.