Absence and Injuries

It has been a long time since I have posted. And I mean a looooong time. Having a toddler who won't let me near the computer is the main issue- the only time I have free is when he naps- and like today, that was only for one hour- 1 out of 24 hours that I get to myself,( when I am not sleeping) - which at the moment means is the time when I eat my 'no babies allowed' food (like chocolate) and binge-watch 30 Rock.

It's going to be my new goal to update a post every Monday- and hopefully with relevant ramblings.

Today's offering is all about our big ouchie last week.

I have bought myself a (second hand) electric bicycle to help with the hill *cough- mountain- cough* that we live on. And last Tuesday, after taking him to the baby playroom- and then him not wanting to go- we decided to go the park instead. I put him on my bike and the handlebars swung wildly around and the the whole thing fell over. Poor little Pi went chin first into the concrete.

I was rattled as hell as I picked him up and there was blood everywhere. Luckily, this happened about a kilometer away from my G.P. so I picked him up, grabbed my bag, abandoned my bike and the rest of the things in the basket, and ran to the doctors- all the while carrying my 13kg toddler in one arm, and the other with a facecloth desperately trying to stop the bleeding. We made it there and the doctor ushered us in right away. She was able to look at it, but as they are a smaller clinic, she could not treat him.

They called us a taxi to take us to a bigger clinic about 10 minutes drive away (while detouring home to get his health insurance card and other medical documents.).

Funnily enough we had been sent to this doctor a few days before to check out my husband's aching foot and were not that impressed with the doctor- a long wait, and then x-rays only to have his diagnosis of "your feet are foreign, and Japanese people don't have high arches like that, so it is probably a foreign problem....". With nothing else- not even a 'try RICE-ing it'. So I was not all that impressed with going back there.

We got there and apparently regardless of the fact that both me and my baby were covered in blood, and my baby was SCREAMING in pain- we waited in line like everyone else (none of whom were covered in blood). An hour and a bit later, the doctor finally saw us.

It was bad. He had split the skin on his chubby chin down to the bone. The doctor investigated and the insisted on showing me- so he pulled apart the skin again just for my benefit! I will say I have little problem with blood and gore- I have a MAJOR problem with causing my baby any more pain than necessary. Anyway...

He explained that it needed stitches, and that it is incredible painful without anesthetic, but young children can react dangerously so....- he explained it in such a roundabout way that I couldn't tell what he was going to do- use it, or not. In these situations, usually I just say "do your thing". However, I was not going to let him stitch without numbing the area first- so I called up my friend to double check what he was saying (my Japanese gets me far, but in some cases knowing 80% of what is going on isn't enough...).

Turns out he was going to use anesthetic, so we had to straight-jacket my baby by wrapping him in a towel tightly so he couldn't move his arms- then I climbed on top of him to pin him down to the bed- while three nurses held his head still for the doctor to inject... It was fairly traumatic for him, and me, but the job got done.

We then unwrapped him and I held him for 10 minutes for the anesthetic to kick in. Once it had, it was sausage baby time again, and back to all of us pinning him down. Then before the doctor did it, he investigated it again, and then got my attention saying "Mum, look" and then sticking his forceps all the way into the wound down the the bone- for my benefit! Pi was still screaming and distressed as hell, and all I was thinking was for the doctor to just fix him. I knew how serious it was, we were covered in blood.

He started stitching and the after about 2 minutes, he got a one of those surgical covers out- you know the kind that is like a huge sheet of green paper with a circle cut out of it, so they only see the wound area (there are pictures on google, but none without gross wounds so I won't post..). Needless to say,  his face and body being covered freaked him out even more, and the damn doctor waited until Pi was loosing it like crazy, and wetting the sheet with tears sweat before he took it off. We finally thought the doctor was finished when he stopped, but had only finished with the internal stitches.

Long story short- many internal and external stitches, and a lot of trauma and tears later, and he was finally done. My bub passed out from exhaustion as soon as he last stitch was pulled through.

We had a course of antibiotics and some topical antibiotics, and we have been back to the doctors every second day to check on the stitches and make sure there is no infection. We change the dressing twice a day, and more if it becomes wet/soiled. He hates that.

I am about to go again to the doctors now to have them taken out. I really don't like this doctor, but sometimes I feel in Japan there isn't much of a choice.

 Good luck little man...

The nap dilema

Even at 18 months there are still sleep problems going on. I am sure there will always be a sleep problem, but this particular one is a fun- screaming hysterically after a nap for an hour, and then cranky for the rest of the afternoon- kind of problem.

I have googled it and apparently it is a common enough thing, and babies as young as 1 years old, and old as three years old do it. I am going to try to see if putting him down to sleep earlier helps (I often get a longer nap if he goes down after 1pm, but maybe he is too tired by then). Fingers crossed for long naps and no more screaming  :)


(not Pichan, btw)

Kirkland brand wipes review

So I finally did it... I went to Costco.

I went to the Costco in Kawasaki and was actually impressed. Husband, who hates shopping, was also impressed. They have a fair range of all sorts of products, including kids toys, clothes and seasonal items (including Xmas things).

One of the big reasons that I wanted to go was to get a box of the coveted "Kirklands Signature Baby Wipes"



They come in a huge box of 900 wipes- which are 9 packets of 100 wipes in each.
They are very thick compared to most Japanese wipes. You may have read here that Pampers are my favourite wipes in Japan; so how do they compare:

Well, the size is about the same.

Kirklands  wipes seem thicker, but I am not sure if wipes this thick are actually necessary. It feel like wiping with a square of cotton, which seems a little wasteful. But, at the end of the day it is all about how it biodegrades and I am not sure if it is better/worse than Pampers. Kirklands does say on their website that they do biodegrade so good for them.

Pampers wipes have a lotion on them which is really nice. Silky smooth. It kind of works like a barrier that makes the next 'mess' a bit easier to clean. But providing I get to the 'mess' before my little one sits down, then it usually isn't a problem anyway.

They are both alcohol free, but it looks like Kirlands are paraben free. The old formula used to have formaldehyde in it but not any more. These are the ingredients: WATER, ALOE BARBADENSIS, LEAF JUICE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIACETATE, POLYSORBATE 20, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, DISODIUM EDTA, ETHYLENE BRASSYLATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM BENZOATE

Pampers on the other hand have parabens and other not nice sounding things: Water, dimethicone, PG, (acrylates / isodecanoic acid vinyl) crosspolymer, phosphoric acid Na, sorbitan oleate, benzoic acid Na, methylparaben, EDTA-2Na, hydroxide Na, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, Bizabororu, tri (caprylic / capric acid) glyceryl, aloe vera juice, chamomile extract.

Kirklands come with a hard flip lid/seal on each pack of their wipes (to keep the freshness in). Pampers use a re-stickable seal. But this isn't a feature I care too much about, as I have the refillable container for the Pampers wipes, so they were always fresh.

As for price: 

On Amazon Kirklands are 3980yen for 900. Which is 4.4yen a wipe. (I will update after my next Costco visit with the Costco price, but I forgot the correct price...) 

 *** Update- Costco price is 2738yen-  so that is 3.04 per wipe, being much cheaper. At the moment they are on sale at Costco for 2188yen (2.43 per wipe)***

On Amazon Pampers wipes are 2590yen for 756wipes. Which is 3.4yen per wipe. 


~In Summary~

When I first bought the Kirklands box I regretted it. I really liked the lotion of the Pampers, and thought wipes as thick as Kirklands were a bit of an overkill. However, after learning they they are paraben free I am quite happy with Kirklands, and would probably choose them over Pampers for that reason. 

Pampers are cheaper, and can be obtained easily from drug stores and baby stores in Japan. But I think that Kirklands wipes are probably the more baby friendly and environmentally friendly, so because of that they have my vote (but only just...). 

Cow's milk.

Pichan really doesn't care for cow's milk. And really, I can't blame him. He is used to sweet breast milk, at a certain temperature and with a cuddle, so it is no surprise that cow juice doesn't do much for him. But now he is a year and five months, which means that in another six months or so I hope to wean him, and then where will he get his dairy from...

Apparently, he should be having two cups of dairy a day- or about 700 milligrams. So what can I do?

He eats yogurt- though the tubs here are small. And will have some cheese most days. Sometimes he will have a few sips of milk, but if I make him banana milk (Banana, flax seeds, oats and a teaspoon of honey) he gulps it down- I actually mix it with even more milk so it is only lightly flavoured. While I don't want him only drinking milk if it is sweetened, I figure that he has been raised on sweetened milk, and he is better off drinking sweetened (not too much) milk, than none at all.

The good news is, I have found other sources that he can get his calcium from (for more info- see http://www.babycenter.com/0_calcium-in-your-childs-diet_10324689.bc):

• 1/4 cup raw tofu prepared with calcium sulfate: 217 mg (The calcium content of tofu varies, depending on how it's processed. Check the label.)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt: 207 mg
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses: 172 mg
• 1/2 cup fruit yogurt: 122 to 192 mg
• 1/2 cup calcium-fortified orange juice: 133 to 250 mg
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese: 167 mg
• 1/2 cup milk: 150 mg
• 1/2 cup chocolate milk: 144 mg
• 1/2 ounce Swiss cheese: 112 mg
• 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, soft-serve: 102 mg
• 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese: 102 mg
• 1 slice whole grain bread: 24 mg
• 1/2 ounce mozzarella cheese: 103 mg
• 1/4 cup collard greens: 66 mg
• 1/4 cup homemade pudding (from mix or scratch): 76 mg
• 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter): 64 mg
• 1/4 cup turnip greens: 50 mg
• 1/4 cup cooked spinach: 60 mg
• 1/2 cup calcium-fortified cereal (ready to eat): 51 mg
• 1/2 cup calcium-fortified soy beverage: 40 to 250 mg

I really want him to have strong bones and teeth. I suppose I will just have to be extra good about giving him a varied diet. Maybe I need a meal plan...

The final 'wonder week'- Huzzah!

The final 'wonder week' (which is always at least a month long) runs from week 70 and a half, to week 75 and a half. This developmental leap was all about the world of systems. Meaning now not only can he see a pattern of things that need to be done in order to complete a task, but it means he realises that they can be done in a different order to complete the same end.

For example- it was "Let's go to the shops".Which meant- clean nappy, socks and pants, get mummy's bag, get our water bottle, close the windows, put on our shoes, lock the door.

Now he realises that we can get the bag ready before we put our socks on, and we can close the windows first.

The 'Stormy period'- aka, cranksville, was at the start of the leap this time which was kind of nice. And it was pretty bad for a while, but passed after a week or so.

His naps are hit and miss. The same with his sleeping; some nights he sleeps until 5am (then he has a quick feed before going back down again) and some nights he wakes a few times. I am hoping it sorts itself soon enough.

From my other friends, I have heard that the terrible twos also have a few month long periods of crankiness, but thankfully I feel like it is getting a little easier to deal with now that he is older.



                                

Pichan's Holiday Book

Our holiday is over now and already fading away into a distant memory. Pichan had a great time (future post of flying with a 15month old coming soon), but is super glad to be home. 

One thing I did before we left, was I made him a "Pichan's holiday" book. It is a story book filled with photos that tell the story of his holiday- from start to finish.

I included everything I thought relevant.

From the packing (and later repacking) of the suitcases

To taking trains and planes (there and back) and inside the aircraft.

To pictures of Nanna and Poppy, and their house, and the room we will be sleeping in.

I also made a little countdown night calendar in the story (top right)- the idea was to cross off one night at the end of each day so he could see time progressing- but we got distracted and didn't really pull out the book again until we were at the airport ready to go home. 

I finished the book with a photo of our house and then his bedroom so he could see we were coming back.

Did it work to make his transition easier? I thought maybe? But his reaction when he got home to his toys was one like: "I thought I would never see this again. My boat! I love my boat! Ahh, this thing! and that book!" so maybe he had no idea that he would be coming home and ever seeing his stuff again. 

Either way, it wasn't too difficult to make (just made in word, with photos pasted in it, and then cut out and glued onto cardboard, then stapled). For the trip next year I will make one again, and as he will be just that little bit older he will probably understand what is going on a bit more. 

Help with colic

So, I have realised that I never really did a colic post about what worked, and what didn't. It has been so long since those first, scream-filled 12 weeks, but I still remember it. My heart always goes out to anyone currently going through it, as it really takes away from the time you get to 'enjoy' your newborn. 


From my research, Colic is caused by gas pains, which are caused by a build up of lactose in the intestines, and not enough lactase to process the lactose, so it creates gas, and thus pains, and thus, cranky baby. 

I read that probiotics can make it better, and I think it slightly did. So, the probiotics I used were:

Nature's Way, Primadophilus, Reuteri, Superior Probiotic, Powder

http://www.iherb.com/Nature-s-Way-Primadophilus-Reuteri-Superior-Probiotic-Powder-5-oz-141-75-g/4676#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=probiotics&rc=967&sr=null&ic=10

I believe it is the Lactobacillus reuteri is the strain that you need and I have heard great things about biogaia but I couldn't get them shipped to Japan:

http://www.biogaia.com/consumer?field_bg_product_countries_tid=11&field_bg_product_symptom_tid=All

Here are the other things that I have tried and their effectiveness:

Lots of rubs/burps/leg moves . (not helpful at the time, but maybe it helps for future pains). There are lots of videos on youtube for gas pains in babies. Touching your baby is always good though.

Pumping in the morning to get rid of lactose rich foremilk and so he gets more fat rich hind milk. ( I stopped doing this, as it took a bit of time, and didn't think it was super effective for the effort involved. Maybe it helped slightly though)

Feeding him from only one breast per feeding (Meh? I did it for a while, and then didn't).

Not feeding him so much (I fed him less, but usually every two hours or so. Pi gained weight really well, so I kept an eye on that. I think this helps though)

No more dairy for me to rule out a milk protein allergy (I don't think it was, but just in case). I stopped some other foods too, but I forget what they were. Dairy was the big one though.

Lots of walks (him in the Ergo carrier) and moves to get the gas moving through his system (he LOVED walking, and after the initial struggle, he went straight to sleep). Pi LOVED it (still does), and it saved my sanity. I wore him most of the day, which was a killer on my neck and back, but it is better than a crying baby, and I hated seeing him upset. Being upright with the gentle pressure on their belly helps with the pain. I noticed it helped a lot. Pi was far less fussy when I wore him all day, but it is hella tiring.

Gripe water- 'mommys bliss', (he LOVED the taste of this. I don't know if it helps with the gas too much, but it sometimes distracted him and he stopped crying so it works that way. You need to use a lot per dose though).

'Infants friend' medicine from Australia- works a little bit I think.

I gave him a little bit of fennel tea (a teaspoon or so at a time) when his gas pains are bad (I do think this helps. I think the fennel, combined with the water really flushes out the system). Gripe water is usually ginger, fennel and chamomile, but fennel tea doesn't have the sugar.

I also ate fennel seeds so it ended up in my milk.

What does actually work...time. 

That is such a sucky thing to hear. 

11weeks and two days was when Pi stopped writhing in pain. It was so hard to watch him cry all the time. It also was the worst vicious cycle, as his pains would wake him up from sleep, so he was always over tired and harder to get to sleep, and then I would finally get him to sleep and then 20mins later- boom- pain again. He was an all day/most of the night pain/Colic. It was so hard on the little guy. He is the happiest little man now though, you wouldn't know it. I think it is the big cause of why he was such a crap sleeper though- we never had that 'sleeping like a baby' thing.

I blame Pi's tummy troubles on the doctors inducing me and giving me antibiotics, and continuing the dose while I was breast feeding- on doctors orders to complete the dose. No wonder his little belly was so screwed up. I felt so sorry for the little man. It is so hard to see them in pain!

On a side note:

Check out the 5 S's. If you can- get your hands on "the happiest baby on the block" dvd- by Dr Harvey Karp. They have some super helpful tricks. The best one (forgive me if you know this) is 'shushing' in their ear REALLY loudly. It kind of resets their inner crying button and they stop (most of the time), especially if you combine it with others (Swaddle, Shushing, Sucking (Pi wouldn't take a pacifier though), Swinging (any movement), and Side/stomach position (not for sleeping). Pi loved to be held by Husband in the "colic hold". To do it, just drape the babyhead down across your forearm. Pi liked it and I think it helped him.

To any mothers with a colicky baby out there; good luck! and just remember that it will pass.