Must-Have Baby Guide: Tummy Soothing

If you're familiar with The Extraordinary Ordinary at all, you're fully aware that my nearly three month old, Elsie, has had a rough first few months. She is dealing with severe reflux and a very gassy tummy. Her older brother Asher had the same issues, so we've had a lot of experience in trying to soothe our sweet babes while they're in pain. (I've written a post over there with a plethora of information about colic and what seems to help if you'd like to learn more.)

Thankfully, our first baby (who is now six year old, Miles) didn't have these issues. I had no idea that there were more products out there other than medicinal simethicone drops at that time. With Asher and Elsie having such terrible stomach pain, I've become aware of natural options that work really well for gas and overall digestive comfort.


Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water is the one most caregivers are familiar with, and I believe that's because it works! Every time I mention Elsie's issues on Twitter or Facebook, someone recommends Mommy's Bliss. Many of these moms say that Gripe Water helped in the occasional times when (if they were nursing) they ate something that didn't sit well with their baby and/or if they had a colicky baby like mine and used it consistently.

Mommy's Bliss is safe and natural and babies (at least mine) seem to love the taste of it (they don't fight it like crazy like other medications). It also works quickly and effectively. When your baby is crying, quickly is what you want most of all.

Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water is available now in many stores. You can find a store that carries it near you by using the Store Locator on the Mommy's Bliss site or it can be purchased online here.

(Although this company was kind enough to send me some Gripe Water for review, these opinions are sincerely mine.)

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A homeopathic remedy that has worked really well for us is called Colic Calm. This product includes many of the same natural stomach soothers as Mommy's Bliss, but it also includes (and this will sound weird) vegetable charcoal. This helps stimulate the digestive system to do its job, moving gas and poo through. So much of the time, what is ailing Elsie is her inability to get her gas out. Her tummy gets so full and hard and painful, and Colic Calm seems to be doing the trick in preventing that from happening.

I've spoken with our pediatrician about the Colic Calm formula and she had nothing but good things to say about it. So, we got the "safe" go-ahead that we mothers sometimes need, and therefore have peace of mind about trying something that we purchased online.

One thing to know about Colic Calm is that it does turn your baby's mouth black for a little while after each dose. It can also stain clothes, burpies and blankets so use care when using it. I for one am not too concerned about this as long as I'm bringing Elsie some relief.

Colic Calm is available online and is $18.95 a bottle. (Totally worth it in my opinion, and does last a long time.)

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Hyland's also offers both teething and colic melt-away (natural) tablets. These also seem to help Elsie, dissolving and working quickly. We use these when she is especially fidgety and seems to be acting as if she's teething, chomping on her fist veraciously. (Asher had teeth by four months of age and it seems Elsie is also teething early.) Hyland's products are available in many stores and can even be purchased on Amazon.


Side note: I love that I can have peace of mind when using these natural remedies rather than medicinal ones, but I realize there is a time when medical intervention is necessary for a baby's comfort (and your sanity) and therefore we do have Elsie on a prescribed medication for her severe reflux.


Stay tuned for the next installment in the Must-Have Baby Guide wherein I tell you all about our favorite baby gear.

Going From 2 To 3...

Before I had Elsie over two months ago, the topic of conversation with nearly every mother almost always turned to the transition from 2 kids to 3. Sometimes a fellow mother would speak from her personal experience and sometimes moms with 1 or 2 kids would talk about what they've heard from moms of 3 or more.

I'll admit, I was a bit disillusioned. I assumed that nothing could be harder than the transition we had from 1 to 2; in which Asher cried for 15 hours a day for MONTHS. I actually still believe that to be true and so I'm quite grateful, especially now, for the perspective. But like I said, I was disillusioned this time, mostly because when I'm pregnant, the whole baby-actually-coming-out thing has consistently been a bit foreign to me until it actually happens. And I also believed that I had this whole thing down, you know? (Hello EGO!) I told everyone who would listen that my boys were ready and we were ready and the boys were at a perfect age for this and and and...

To some extent, I still believe all of that, too. The boys are doing really well. Elsie has been really good for them, in so many ways. But what I didn't really understand is that having a third baby would mean that I would most likely never be "on top" of anything ever again. At least not for years and years. I'm a recovering control freak and perfectionist so this is hard for me. Hard, but also terribly good for me, because as much as I thought I had let go, I had not.

For me, aside from the emotional and physical adjustment to having a newborn, the trickiest part of this is the logistics. Of course, this will get a bit easier with time, as Elsie grows (out of her colic, especially), but I'm also aware that even if it's easier, it will never be easy. I might be someone who strives for control and perfection but I'm also totally scattered and unable to focus much of the time. (What a fun combo!!!)

So. The bills I've been needing to pay have been sitting on the table all week (ALL WEEK-SAME BIG PILE!) and I keep meaning to make doctor appointments since the boys just turned 4 and 6 and I need to call about a kindergarten screening for Asher, ETC...

These things linger over me...they hover, actually, speeding up my heart and making me feel small. Then I remember that Elsie has been struggling, really struggling and that means that I have been too. Then I take a deep breath and close my eyes to all the many things to do because all I can do is what is needed in this moment. And in this moment, a hurting baby needs my comfort and her brothers need to know that I'm still here for them. The floors and even the doctor and the bills? They don't have this connection of reliance on me or their strings wrapped around my heart. They are only wrapping something akin to tentacles around my brain. Thinking too much about what I cannot keep up with only tightens the grip and moves the pain to my heart and that's not good. My heart is already busy enough.

The reality is that the logistics are always going to be there and I may always be a little behind...but sooner or later, anything that really must be done will get done. I mean, I may pay the bills late, after I get those threatening reminders, but I'll pay them.

Mostly, going from 2 to 3 has been a strange kind of relief. Maybe it's because I know we're done and I feel a sense of completion, a knowledge that our family has pushed through the cocoon and is beginning to flourish. So despite all the stresses, I feel, at my very core, at peace with family life.

It's funny how we mothers talk about these transitions as if everyone experiences them the same way or like there might be something definite to know while we prepare for change. I think I wanted to be told over and over that this transition was the easiest of all transitions and I wanted Other Mother Proof of that. But we don't get that. Some say going from 2 to 3 is a breeze and some say having a third turned their family upside down. Both are true to some extent like anything else. We're all telling our own unique stories here and the truth is that none of them are filled with very much Easy, just easier parts.

We cocoon and we flourish and we fail and we strive. Then here and there we rest in the middle of an unexpected flower and we can't believe we get to breathe for a moment. One baby or two kids or five kids or nine, what remains the same is that we're learning to let go and to do some tentacle prying, and this is good.

Heather writes at The Extraordinary Ordinary

Mama Loves ...

It’s been waaay too long since I offered up some good kid lit picks. And, since Mama Loves to read with her kiddos, here are some of my favorite summer-time finds.

The I'm NOT SCARED Book by Todd Parr

Mama loves Todd Parr, famed author of It’s Okay to Be Different, who just unveiled a brand new book, The I'm NOT SCARED Book. Todd's stories embody acceptance and tolerance – for others and ourselves. Unlike other books, I can read (or listen!) to one of Todd’s stories a thousand times (and probably have). Todd with Thumb Arcade also released his first iPhone app based on his wildly popular book My Underwear: Dos and Don’ts. The My Underwear iPhone/iPad app ($1.99) will easily get you through the grocery store or a dining experience. Just be warned … this app will also elicit uncontrollable and loud giggles from the 3-7 YO crowd (and maybe a few Dads too).

Kathryn the Grape by Kathryn Cloward & Jody Duhamel

Kathryn the Grape, a young girl armed with a magic wand and an imaginary butterfly, discovers her inner strength during that fantastic age where she is open to all the good that is in the world. I love that her wand “buzzes” whenever a little magic is in need – just like when our tummies flip and flop when we’re nervous. My favorite part – she can only use her magic for good (no turning her bros into toads). Kathryn the Grape is one of those rare books that opens up the door to life’s never-ending conversation about inner strength, unique voice, and the magic within. Bravo to first-time authors Kathryn Cloward & Jody Duhamel!

ZooBorns! by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland

Really, there is nothing cuter (or uglier) than a new born animal. Take a newly born anteater. So darn ugly that it’s actually cute. ZooBorns! is a beautiful picture book that introduces baby critters from zoos and aquariums from around the world. The pictures are stunning and the words are simple enough for an early reader to enjoy. What’s really cool about ZooBorns? Both my kids had lots of questions about the animals pictured. At the end of the book, there was a section on getting to know the ZooBorns, which provided details on each animal’s species, zoo home, endangered status as well as tidbits on the animal’s personal story. Get daily pictures of the newest ZooBorns! by downloading a FREE Android or iPhone app.

HAPPY READING!

(Disclaimer: I received these books and others for review, but only blog about those that inspire and touch me.)

Must-Have Baby Guide: Babywearing

When I was pregnant with my first son, I walked the aisles of the baby department store wide-eyed and overwhelmed. I was holding that registering gun in my hand and beeping everything in sight. And then we had way too many contraptions around our house, many of them remaining under-utilized even through the birth and infancy of our second son.

By baby number three (who arrived in June!) I've learned (the hard way) what I truly need and love in the great big world of baby products. This must-have guide is a result of my adventures and will include a few posts featuring items that I believe every mother should have or at least try. My hope is to make your life easier (and less cluttered).

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Let's start with babywearing!

I'm all about the ease and convenience of attaching my newborn and infant to myself and then USING MY FREE ARMS!

There are two products that I love and want to share with you today...

THE ERGO baby carrier

The Ergo pictured above includes a newborn insert for babies under 10 lbs. (sold separately.) After surpassing this weight, infants are placed directly in the Ergo, like this:


Right now my daughter, Elsie, is a wee one, so she frog-legs it inside the Ergo and not much of her noggin peeks out. It's one of her favorite places to be and I'm so grateful for that because she's got The Colic. The Ergo carrier is one of the only places this little lady will stop crying to sleep. I highly recommend the Ergo for all babies, but especially the fussy ones.

And check this out...NEW for Ergo--Petunia Pickle Bottom!

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The BALBOA Sling

As much as I love a good carrier, I also must have babywearing slings. Balboa makes one of the best and one of the reasons I believe that is because it's SO easy to slide on. (We all know this is not the case with many more tricky babywearing items.)

Developed by Dr. Sears, the Balboa sling is "designed to grow as your baby does...(and) offers parents hands free motion and promotes bonding." - from the Balboa site.


What I personally love about the Balboa sling is its overall design, especially the padded edge for your baby's comfort. This sling is comfortable for both the caregiver and the baby and the designs to choose from are more than appealing. I especially love how padded the strap is that goes up and over your shoulder and the convenience of taking this sling along. It's lightweight and smaller than most and yet works safely and effectively, keeping your baby snug and close.

I have other slings, wraps and carriers, but these are the two I wanted to share as favorites because I honestly love them. Babywearing truly makes a mother's life easier but the options available can be overwhelming. So, I leave you with these two, the Ergo, which can be purchased here and the Balboa, which can be purchased here.

Happy wearing!

Disclaimer: I received both items for review from the companies free of charge. This is not the reason that I profess love for the Ergo and Balboa, though. I do that because my words are true, I'm a fan of both.

Heather writes at The Extraordinary Ordinary