We have managed to survive the last 4 days. It has just been rough.
I used to think that I was good with babies, but when you have your own it feels like anything you might have known has just left your sad, forgetful, dead tired brain!
It has been rough because Joseph has been diagnosed with GERD. He has been so miserable and that has in turn made us so sad, tired, and desperate to find something to work to help him rest, eat well, and breathe well.
It has been so hard. I am not complaining, but thanking God for getting us through one more meal and one more day. Thankfully, this has not been our reality for the whole time he has been born, it just seemed to develop over the weekend. It peaked on Monday morning and I made a desperate attempt to call our pediatrician and she got us in right away and was most helpful and completely understood our fears about the breathing, choking of spit up, etc. She totally validated us, but it was so hard to go get a prescription for little newborn. He takes it well, but is still barely sleeping. She gave a great list of new "to do's". One step at a time.
I met with a nurse today for something else and she could see his labored breathing after a feeding and saw the despeartion and fear in my eyes, she mentioned the nap nanny and so I drove an extra 1/2 hour to buy one and handed over some hefty money for hope that he can rest better.
I was so fearful putting him to sleep last night. I had to surrender him to God and trust that God has a long life and future full of hope for him. I pray over him all day long. It will get better, I do beleive it, but please keep him in your prayers. I am surviving on about 3 hours of sleep total for the last two days. Even with some help, my guard never goes down.
I need to get off of here to go rest while my husband can keep an eye on baby Joesph.
Prayers for you all. I am offering up lots of special sacrifices for all of you and your special intentions!
praying for you! when I worked with preemies at a rehab hospital we dealt with a LOT of GERD. I hear the nap nanny is great! Would really love to hear your review of it....
ReplyDeletehang in there :)
I hope that both you and baby Joseph get some good sleep tonight. Sending some prayers your way!
ReplyDeletePrayers coming...Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry it is so rough, I can't imagine how hard it must be to be so worried about your baby! I will pray that this rough patch passes quickly.
ReplyDeleteOh no, I'm so sorry to hear this. Praying you get rest and baby Joseph feels better very soon.
ReplyDeleteOh C! I know how paralyzing the anxiety can be. Praying for Joseph and also for peace for you!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely pray, too! Newborns are hard enough, let alone ones with medical issues. I hope you have some extra help.
ReplyDeletePraying for baby Joseph!
ReplyDeleteYes, hang in there!!! I am praying for you, Mama! And sweet Joseph!!!!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't rest my eyes unless my husband was literally holding Baby A in the special vertical way she needed to he held because of acid reflux. A friend gave me a sleep positioner with a little riser (for the head); it actually helped her sleep for one 3 hour stretch a day 9 PM to 12 PM...a miracle. She didn't sleep AT all in the day and then woke up every 2 hours. Later on we found out those sleep positionners were RECALLED UGHHHH....but the wisdom is: they allow a baby to be elevated and not flat after eating which is the source of their agony.
ReplyDeleteAlso, they may delay in burping and need to be REBURPED like 15 minutes after eating. UGHHHHHH.
Our ped did not believe in meds UGHHHH....we were so desperate...GRIPE WATER ended up ACTUALLY working as did a small dose of MALANTA and a special formula made with RICE to weigh it down called "RS Sensitive." Now, this formula, I believe is off the market UGHHHH but is was a GOD SEND.
I also had to buy these special nipples (the same kind used in the hospital when she was born) directly from ABBOT Industries because SHE could not make the transition from the kind of nipples they started her without agony.
THEY, the nipples, were not available retail so I had to buy them commercially and they cost a million dollars each! It was horrible. BUT IT WAS anything to relieve acid reflux. It drains and strains like nothing else.
Sure enough at 3 months and 1 day she got better. But, to this day she still needs to burp and is sensitive if she lays down too quickly after eating. Oh and forget about transitioning her to regular milk now that she is a toddler. It was like GOING BACK to when she was a newborn.
DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!!! AND, INSIST on a 15 minute nap at least once a day (I did mine at the end of the day) otherwise I would have completely died.
Praying for you. St. Joseph please help Joseph feel better after eating.
Holy Mother pray for this sweet Mother!