It started when Peanut was exactly a month old. The incessant screaming and crying, as if she were possessed by a demon, at sharp 10:30, night after night, as though she were hooked to some celestial clock. It would go on for an hour, until she pooed. No amount of walking, rocking or massaging would console her. A and I were horrified. Constipation was our first guess. A quick, frantic flip through the Bible What to Expect that First Year saw A was driving to Fred Meyer to get a bottle of prune juice. Apparently a teaspoon of Prune juice in an ounce of EBM will do the deed. In the meantime, the Grandparents suggested home remedies. First, Castor oil was massaged around her belly button. This will do it, they said. Next, the bitter, slightly pungent Gutti was shoveled down her gullet amidst ear splitting protests from her (and me, at the torture my baby was subjected to) and after an hour's struggle and a few stinking digestive exclamations later she had her bowel movement. What a relief! Crap covered Peanut was given a bath and put to sleep, while A thanked the Almighty and proceeded to celebrate with a Mack n Jack.
We were boggled when the screaming and crying started precisely at 10:30 the next night. It was starting to become a nightly thing, when I decided to call her Pediatrician. When I blurted out the entire story to the blockheaded nurse, half expecting her to panic, she shrugged it of, saying "Yeah, it happens...it's normal...their digestive system is developing... it will go away". I wanted to sit on her, except that we were on the phone. When I pestered for some medication, she suggested an ounce of Peppermint or Chamomile tea twice a day. What about gas drops, I queried. "Hmmm...you can try them. They won't help, it's just waste of money", was her nonchalant reply. I thought it was highly uncanny to give a one month old infant, tea. Peppermint or Chamomile at that. Especially when the same will cause projectile vomiting by her mother. Yet, driven by desperation, I promptly called A and asked him to get some Peppermint tea bags on his way back from work. We continued giving tea twice a day as suggested by the nurse. To make it better for my baby I added some honey to it. Thankfully, Peanut gulped down the tea without fussing, making A walk away with the she-takes-after-me look. Mylicon drops was given to her after every feeding. We also gave Gripe water. After a week of greenish black poo, things started looking up. Back to mustard yellow poop thrice a day. No crying or screaming. Just an occasional yelp when trying to push the gas out. The nurse was right after all. It did go away. But boy, whatta week it was.
We were boggled when the screaming and crying started precisely at 10:30 the next night. It was starting to become a nightly thing, when I decided to call her Pediatrician. When I blurted out the entire story to the blockheaded nurse, half expecting her to panic, she shrugged it of, saying "Yeah, it happens...it's normal...their digestive system is developing... it will go away". I wanted to sit on her, except that we were on the phone. When I pestered for some medication, she suggested an ounce of Peppermint or Chamomile tea twice a day. What about gas drops, I queried. "Hmmm...you can try them. They won't help, it's just waste of money", was her nonchalant reply. I thought it was highly uncanny to give a one month old infant, tea. Peppermint or Chamomile at that. Especially when the same will cause projectile vomiting by her mother. Yet, driven by desperation, I promptly called A and asked him to get some Peppermint tea bags on his way back from work. We continued giving tea twice a day as suggested by the nurse. To make it better for my baby I added some honey to it. Thankfully, Peanut gulped down the tea without fussing, making A walk away with the she-takes-after-me look. Mylicon drops was given to her after every feeding. We also gave Gripe water. After a week of greenish black poo, things started looking up. Back to mustard yellow poop thrice a day. No crying or screaming. Just an occasional yelp when trying to push the gas out. The nurse was right after all. It did go away. But boy, whatta week it was.
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