We're trying something new...

Well, new to us that is. Basically it was upon the recommendation of our pre-birth instructor. She had a colicky baby and it seemed to help with her little guy. We've decided to seek the assistance of a chiropractor. I know, some of you are probably thinking that she is too little to be adjusted, but the adjustments on an infant are entirely different to that of an adult. Really, it's more like putting a small amount of pressure on the parts of their spine and neck that are tight. It's been shown that all infants could benefit from some adjustments due to the traumatic experience of the birth. It's very hard on the babies, being born. It's a very small, tight space and there are bound to be parts of their little bodies that were squished the wrong way.

Anyway, yesterday was the first appointment. The doctor did some adjustments to her spine and her neck. He explained that the parts which were tight were all related to the sinuses, tongue (which could affect her sucking skills) stomach, digestive system, small intestine, large intestine, etc. His belief is that colic is more to do with an inbalance in the nervous system, but also the additional gas pain and improper digestion is obviously a cause for Jayla to be so fussy. We went again today for another adjustment. His recommendation was to see Jayla every day for 5 days, then 3 times a week for 2 weeks, then 2 times a week for 2 weeks. Then we'll see if we need any further appointments. By then, she'll be 12 weeks, and hopefully it'll pass by then anyway. But if this will make her more comfortable, I am willing to do this. It will mostly be covered by our health plan (luckily), but if we do all 15 visits, we'll be paying about $100 ourselves. The doctor also had some other suggestions for us. Like, not lifting her by her feet when we change her (crunching up her spine) instead rolling her side to side....and putting heat on her tummy after a feeding to keep the blood circulating in order to help with digestion, quiet environment - no tv or radio - in order not to over stimulate her, and also to keep up with the massaging, especially the techniques that help with her tummy.

I went to a wedding shower last night and there was a baby there who was 4 days older than Jayla. This baby was so calm and quiet. She didn't make a peep the whole time we were there and Jayla was on and off crying the whole time we were there....it's upsetting, but I guess that it's just the luck of the draw. There's nothing we can do to prevent having colicky babies, it's just a matter of being able to find something that helps soothe them. And luckily, we do have some techniques that work for us....

One more thing to add...we weighed Jayla while we were there yesterday and she was 10lb 12oz...so, that's almost 1.5 lb in 2 weeks...It seems her gaining is slowing down some. I think I read that it's about 5-7oz per week in the first month, then about 1.5lb per month until they are 6 months...so, she has passed that - I guess it's good to know she is getting enough to eat. Hopefully, she's not getting too much...