Are your baby’s symptoms normal? Part II
Babies aren’t perfect. Life is hard for them, and, in turn, for us too! Sometimes they cry a lot and that’s OK. But sometimes their symptoms are telling us we need to dig deeper.
Discomfort / gas / bloating
If baby seems like their belly is making them uncomfortable, it could just be normal baby gas. Remember, their digestive system is developing rapidly and they are learning how to burp and fart and poop. If your baby has a bloated, tight belly try some baby massage and stretches.
If normal baby massage and stretches don’t help, is baby’s discomfort constant? Or maybe you notice a pattern for their discomfort like right before bed, in the middle of the night, after a feed, before pooping, only after you eat a certain food? This can help you get to the bottom of it.
Spitting up / Reflux
Sure, babies spit up. Some spit up a lot. Two things to consider when trying to decide if your baby’s reflux is normal baby stuff vs. something that needs to be troubleshooted.
- Is the spitting up accompanied by discomfort? If so, you’ll definitely want to work on root cause.
- Does it feel normal to you? If it just feels like way too much, then maybe it is. Every baby is different (I share my experiences with my different babies in this video here at about the 16 minute mark).
Don’t let anyone brush you off and tell you baby will grow out if it if baby is uncomfortable or if it doesn’t feel right to you.
First, see an IBCLC. Swallowing air can play a big factor in reflux. Swallowing air can be caused by things like bad latch, tongue or lip ties, strong letdown, and more. For that reason, colic & reflux can be a cycle because crying causes baby to swallow lots of air. Both colic and reflux are symptoms, NOT a diagnosis. They are something that you can fix once you find the root cause(s).
If baby takes bottles, are they more uncomfortable after a bottle than after the breast? Learn how to prepare a bottle of formula without shaking it.
In addition to swallowing air, reflux can be caused by a number of factors, digestive issues and food sensitivities being only one of them. If you aren’t sure about trying a diet change, then it can really helpful to work with a professional who can look at all of baby’s symptoms and history to help figure out the best plan of action for you.
Poop – constipation
Sure, breastfed babies can go several days without pooping, breastmilk is very efficiently digested. BUT, it is not OK if baby is uncomfortable like they are trying to poop but can’t. This could mean they have digestive issues. Or, if baby seems to always be crying, maybe they just aren’t getting enough milk (either you need to feed more often or work with an IBCLC to see if you need to increase supply or possibly supplement with formula).
Poop – mucus and/or blood
Mucus is not normal or OK, it likely means there is inflammation in your baby’s gut. But first, you need to understand what baby poop looks like: it’s liquid and slimy! Globs of clear-ish mucus is not normal.
Blood in your baby’s poop is never normal or OK. It’s nothing to stress about, but certainly something you will want to get to the bottom of. Eliminating dairy is a great first step. If the amount of blood seems alarming, call your doctor.
Skin – baby acne and eczema
Baby acne is just little pimples that show up shortly after birth and go away on their own after a week or two. Anything more than that (in my opinion) is your baby’s body telling you there’s something going on. A red, inflamed, angry rash on your baby’s face and/or body is not normal. It’s time to dig deep and get to the root of the problem (likely in baby’s gut health).
Eczema, ie. dry, possibly red patches of skin is also not normal or OK. I hear all the time doctors say that eczema is normal and baby will grow out of it. Eczema is very very common in infants and toddlers, but that does NOT make it normal. You can get to the bottom of it can you CAN heal your baby’s skin.
Skin – Cradle Cap
Cradle cap can be a normal baby thing. Try rubbing coconut oil on your baby’s scalp – the anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal properties of coconut oil can help clear it up. Let it sit then wash and comb it out. If doing this one or two times doesn’t help, then baby’s skin issues are probably deeper. My Baby Skin Solution program can help.
And that’s it! Did I cover all of your baby’s symptoms? If you are struggling to know what the right plan of action is for you and your baby, schedule a free 30-minute clarity call here and let’s talk it out.
Watch the video below for even more details to help you figure out if your baby’s symptoms are normal or not.