raisegoodkids

Baby Max, 8 months old, is working on his first top tooth. He has had his two bottom teeth for a few months already. The first bottom tooth was a tough one, it seemed like he worked on getting that one for months. However, the second one just appeared one day without any problems, we didn’t even realize that it was coming.

Max started showing some of the typical signs of teething last week. He’s been crabby and has had long drawn-out crying spells. He has not been sleeping well and has been waking up several times throughout the night. He also has not been eating as much. He leaves bottles half full and spits out more of his baby food than he takes in.

Then, over the weekend, we noticed his upper gums were extremely swollen and you could see the gums starting to split where the tooth should soon appear. Max’s gums must be very tender because he does not want us messing with them, he doesn’t even want us to touch around his mouth.

What do I do? Well, of course the first thing I reach for are my Hyland’s Teething Tablets. They work to immediately calm him, so he can finish a bottle or even take a little nap. However, he does get extremely irritated at times and I can tell that he is uncomfortable and in pain by the way he grabs and pulls at his mouth and cheeks. When he demonstrates these behaviors I go for the big guns and pull out the Tylenol.

The tooth still has not come through completely, but it is getting closer. I had expected to see it already last night, but that did not happen. Maybe it will make it’s first appearance today. I can’t wait for this process to be over!

The pregnancy was completely by the book. If something weird was going on, I could look it up in my What To Expect book and find it right there. In the exact week that I was at.

A week before my due date, I felt some contractions. They were not bad contractions, but they started in the evening and by 5:00 the next morning they were still going. I did not sleep and did not wake my husband until around 3:30 to tell him. Could this be it? We drove to the hospital and checked in. The nurses hooked me up to all the monitors and watched me for an hour. “Sorry, hon, no baby today. I won’t be surprised if I see you back here at the end of the week, though.” Well, that’s good news.

The due date comes and goes. Five days later I have another appointment. The doctor orders an ultrasound and determines that we should induce labor the next day. The next day, really, that is my birthday. My baby will be born on my birthday!

We leave the house before the sun comes up and arrive at the hospital early in the morning. We wait. Finally, the doctor arrives around 7:00, breaks my water, and starts the induction. I feel the contractions start almost immediately and within a few hours they are getting very strong and quick. The nurse checks me - only 4 cm. Are you kidding me? An hour later - 4 1/2 cm. ARGGHH! My husband calls our parents and fills them in on where we are. My parents decide to come to the hospital. They, of course, can’t wait. Maybe their theory was that the baby surely would not make it’s grandparents wait. If they were there, the baby would say, “I must be born now! Grammy and Gramps are here!”

Well, maybe the baby did say that. Shortly after this point, his heart rate started dropping during the contractions. The nurse called the doctor and instructed her to change my position. Okay, so now I’m very uncomfortable and being rolled all over the place with wires and tubes sticking out of me everywhere. Next contraction, heart rate drops, change position again. Next contraction, heart rate drops, nurse calls the doctor again. This time the doctor instructs her to stop the Pitocin and to continue changing my position. Now, the contractions slow down, but the heart rate continues to drop. The nurse calls the doctor one more time and she instructs the nurse to start preparing me for a C-Section and she will be right there. After eight hours of labor and no pushing, I’m going to have a C-Section. My parents arrive to a room which is crowded with nurses running in and out. I am almost completely out of it, tired, and confused. I tell them that the doctor is on her way and the baby’s heart rate is dropping, and I’m probably having a C-Section. Just then, the doctor walks in and says that she doesn’t anticipate any problems, but she thinks it would be best to just deliver the baby and get him out of there.

I’m off to the operating room. I’m still very dazed and confused. Everything seems so rushed. I’m very nervous and I don’t even realize that the doctor has already started the operation. I see my friend, our pediatrician, walk into the operating room. Some sense of normalcy returns and I start to feel a little more comfortable just knowing that she is here and she will be able to take care of our baby. The doctor says, “Kristi, look here. Here’s your baby.” Craig is tapping my arm and telling me to look, too. What? I look up and over the curtain. There he is! It’s our baby boy! I just caught a glimpse of him and then he was off. My friend, our doctor, examined him and determined that he was fine. She came over to me and told me that he was perfect and fine and she would be back later in the day to see him again. Thank goodness!!

I’m not a hippie, but I do love all-natural products. Specifically, homeopathic medical remedies.

Homeopathic remedies are a part of a natural medical science that works with your body to stimulate your own bodily defenses. Conventional drugs often cause side effects because they work by suppressing symptoms, however, homeopathic medications relieve symptoms by helping to put your body’s systems into a proper balance. These remedies support the body’s own defenses so they do not cause side effects. Homeopathy is highly individualized. The same remedy given to a number of different people will not work in all cases. A homeopath will give specific remedies based on individual symptoms.

I have used, and given my children, several products from Hyland’s Homeopathic Medicines. I have used headache relief tablets, flu care tablets, and even ointments for skin irritations, cuts and bruises, and acne. They have all worked, without any side effects (like drowsiness) and have provided quick relief. I have also given my children several Hyland’s products. They have used the teething tablets, cough syrup with honey (only for my 2 year old), and cold tablets.

Dr. Jim Sears, a board-certified pediatician and star of the show “The Doctors”, endorses many Hyland’s products and supports the use of many more products. He specifically endorses Hyland’s Earache Drops and Teething Gel and he supports the use of their teething tablets, colic tablets, cold n cough, cough syrup with 100% natural honey, and the complete flu care all for kids.

I would recommend at least trying some of these remedies to see how you like them. They are not for everyone, but we have found that we like them a lot. We started with the teething tablets when our oldest was a baby and they seemed to be miracle tablets. After continued success with those, I decided to try more products and have yet to find any products that I do not like.

Infant massage is nothing new, as it goes with most natural healing methods. Massaging babies has been happening for centuries, just not so much in the Western World.

Infant massage benefits not only the baby, but also the care person giving the massage. Touch is good for everyone and infants especially benefit from this caring touch. A baby is new to this crazy world and needs some reassurance that someone is there for them. The benefits for the massage giver include an increased awareness of the baby and what their needs are and it is good for bonding.

The benefits of infant massage include: relaxation, relief, stimulation, and interaction.

Relaxation: Babies have more to adjust to now than they will ever have again. Stress is normal, even for babies. Massage can help relax the muscles and when you use massage as a form of relaxation it teaches the baby what relaxation is and how to get it. The caregiver giving the massage also benefits. As they take time out to gently massage their baby, they can de-stress at the same time.

Relief: Massage can ease some of the pain and discomfort from spasm or gas. Massage can help disperse gas, ease muscle spasm, tone the digestive system and help it to work better. There are also some massage techniques that can help to soothe teething and emotional stress.

Stimulation: Yes, massage is usually used to relax muscles, but in some cases muscles may actually need to be stimulated. Some muscles, especially in babies with physical disabilities, may be loose and weak. Infant massage will not just stimulate the muscles, it can also stimulate other body systems. It can help digestion and ease constipation. It can stimulate blood flow in babies with poor circulation. There is a statistic that says that massage can help increase weight gain in premature babies by as much as 47%.

Interaction or bonding: Bonding is the development of understanding between two people. It is the knowledge of who someone is and what they need. Bonding is an on-going process which can start at any time and continues to grow and strengthen throughout time. There are always new things to learn about your child as he grows and changes. Infant massage encourages a positive relationship between baby and caregiver.

You may want to set a massage time into your baby’s daily routine. You could establish this time first thing in the morning, after bathtime, or right before bed. Remember to keep the massage room warm enough for baby and adjust lighting so it is not too bright (unless you are looking to stimulate baby). Many massage therapists recommend using vegetable or plant based oils (grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil). These oils are easy to absorb into the skin and are easily digested if baby sucks his thumb.

Infant massage can also be a great way for daddy to bond with baby, especially if mom is breastfeeding.

Don’t forget to make eye contact with baby during the massage and you may want to incorporate talk or singing in the massage, too.

Infant massage may not be a cure-all and it may not be right for every child. Give it a try and you will know shortly after beginning if it is right for you and your child.