One of the things that mothers (and fathers) learn faster when they have a child for the first time is that no one agrees as far as baby care is concerned.
Some tell you to take it in your arms, another does not even occur to you. Some tell you that the tit on demand, others that every three hours. Some tell you to let him cry at night, others that it is not good to cry and sometimes third parties appear that suggest you put it in bed.
These are just three examples of how complicated it can be to decide which path to take when doubts appear. Moreover, advice comes many times even when there is no doubt, because it seems that when talking about babies, everyone likes to give their opinions.
There are several times that I have met with fathers and mothers who just told me that they don't know where to throw anymore, because each one tells them a different thing. I comment the last case that I have lived, in which I was even forced to apologize for making the mother so dizzy among all.
A mother arrives one day with a two-month-old daughter (I am a pediatric nurse, to locate someone who does not know me) and explains that her daughter regurgitates a lot and very often. The girl drinks exclusive breast milk, has a correct weight for her height and shows no signs of discomfort when shedding milk (if the girl does not get fat because she regurgitates what she eats, or if the food gets to injure the esophagus, measures must be taken) , so I recommend you to be patient, because over time the heart (sphincter located between the esophagus and stomach) will mature until it can be closed preventing food from returning upwards.
He also tells me that he sleeps very badly at night. He falls asleep to his chest and then leaves her sleeping in the bassinet, where he stays between half an hour and an hour, at which point he cries and asks for his chest again to make two or three blowjobs and go back to sleep. I tell him that you might want to just be close to him, I recommend that you go with the girl to see what happens and I explain the rules to do it safely.
Two weeks later, she happily explains that the theme of the dream is solved and that since they sleep together there are days given to them in the morning in the morning. Regarding the issue of regurgitation, she says that a friend used a syrup with her son and that it went very well. I explain that I am not a doctor and that I cannot prescribe anything, but that in the next routine review, when the pediatrician has to see him, I will tell him. For now, continue with exclusive breastfeeding, since it is not indicated to do anything else.
A few days later he returns to the consultation and, casts a sea of doubts, explains that he does not know what to do. He has gone to a private pediatrician who He has recommended that milk be thickened and thickened with gluten-free cereals. The mother tells me that she has done it, that she has given her a bottle of cereals and that she has slept for a 4-hour nap. However, what seemed like a great solution, becomes a disappointment, since after waking up he begins to vomit copiously, more quantity and more often than what he regurgitated before the "invention."
I explain that cereals are not recommended before 4 months because babies are not able to assimilate them. Your girl is two months old and has not been sitting too well, so it only occurs to me recommend that you choose to take the girl upright as much as you can, either in arms, in a baby carrier or in a foulard (Normally it goes almost flat in the cuckoo), to take advantage of the force of gravity as an antiregurgitation measure.
He comes to visit with the pediatrician at 3 months. In the office regurgitates milk and, after that, asks for breast. The pediatrician explains that she vomits because she eats too much ("she is pouring milk and asking you at the same time"), that she has "supercharged" and that she is overweight. When the mother tells her that at night she also sucks and that she sleeps with her in bed, the pediatrician tells her that “it is as if I went to sleep with the fridge inside my room… I would eat at all hours” and he explains that should breastfeed every 3 hours and avoid giving at night (replacing the shots with water if requested).
Moments later I cross it casually and you tell me sighing and sorry, that "well, then I will have to put her to sleep in the crib and I will see what I do when I am hungry. I am surprised and ask you to explain to me what you mean.
At that moment I see myself in the position of choosing between supporting the recommendations of a coworker or ensuring the welfare of a 3-month-old girl. I opt for the latter and I ask you to stay the same and give me a couple of days to check your case with the Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP).
In this way I can create the doubt in the mother, since if a nurse says A and a pediatrician says B, mothers usually choose B, because it is a pediatrician. However, without a pediatrician says B, but another pediatrician (the one from the AEP) says A, like the nurse, it must be the mother who makes the decision.
As I hope, the AEP Lactation Committee says A, as I:
To reduce the episodes it will be useful to ensure that the child swallows little air, feeding him without haste, giving the shot keeping the baby in a semi-upright position and placing him in an inclined seat after the shot. In general, breast-raised children have less tendency to regurgitate, because breast milk is digested better and faster than artificial milk. Supplementary feeding should not be introduced before 6 months. The solution of spacing the shots is easier for the situation to worsen since the gastric content of the baby is limited, it will make him drink more and with more anxiety, and this can make him regurgitate more, in these cases it is advised more than ever the Lactation on demand and pay special attention to the baby's early signs of hunger. Greetings.
I talk to the mother and explain that Ideally, continue in the same way as before. Then he tells me that he doesn't understand anything, that he does nothing but receive contradictory messages and he doesn't know who to listen to anymore. Finally he tells me that from now on he will follow my recommendations and not those of the pediatrician. I comment that you do what you want, but that above all do not lose confidence with the pediatrician in terms of pathologies, because although it seems not to have succeeded with this issue, surely he is very capable of diagnosing and treating diseases. Then I apologize for what happened, since we have each told him a different thing.
As you can see, three pediatricians and a nurse have issued a judgment about the regurgitation of the baby, with three different solutions. If we add to this that the mother of this mother, the girl's grandmother, recommends that she bottle feed her so that she vomits less, we add a fourth solution for a mother who, with 3 months of “card”, has a head in a mess .
Contradictions like this are there daily and will continue to exist forever, surely. I personally have not lived too many as a father (or yes, but I do not listen to them because I have things clear), but I would like to know if you and you have lived them. So if this is the case and you want to comment, I am all ears (eyes).
Photos | limaoscarjuliet, surlygirl, Lars Plougmann on Flickr
In Babies and more | First-time mothers demand more information about life with the baby, who supports and who criticizes prolonged breastfeeding? What criticisms can pediatricians make towards prolonged breastfeeding? (I) and (II)
