Update: December 28, 2006
CURRENT WEIGHT: 5LBS, 15.2 OUNCES
CURRENT LENGTH: 18 INCHES
Truman had another pediatric appointment today. He continues to gain weight, not quite as fast as last week, but the 20 grams a day he put on this last week was still good.
However, Truman has a diaper rash (presumably caused by the high-calorie breast milk) that has gone from bad to worse to horrible. During his last appointment, a cream was prescribed. That made it worse and it even started bleeding, so we discontinued that a few days back. We had tried leaving Truman open to the air, but that did not go well for him as he really likes his boundaries and managed to stick his arms through his cradle, turn completely sideways, and many other contortions and screams while uncovered. So this week, we were sent home with a tank of oxygen and canula tubes and instructed to put a diaper on him loosely and run the tube into the diaper for an hour three times per day. The doctor joked that the oxygen is for the wrong end of what you would expect for a preemie. They also came up with a concoction of a type of over-the-counter cream mixed with stoma adhesive powder that we are to mix and apply to his bum as well.
It also turns out that Truman's labs from last week show that he is deficient in calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, none of which bodes well for bone growth. So, we are being prescribed a special formula for Truman to take. We will have to mix it 50/50 with expressed breast milk for his bottles. So my goal of my little one being an exclusively breast-fed baby for at least a year will not be met, but we will do what we need to for him. They are recommending that we continue with the nursing sessions. (I currently nurse Truman for half of his feedings and bottle feed the remaining four). I've also been instructed to drink more milk, which for any of you who no me personally is like prescribing me to drink battery acid. Ah, the sacrifices we make for our children.
--Kara
posted by Kara @ 5:14 PM
9 Comments:
Poor Truman- his little bum must be so sore....but it will be well oxygenated :) Keep up with the breastfeeding- it will all work out in the end. It is amazing the sacrifices we make for those we love. Take care and many happy and healthy wishes for the upcoming new year!
Hoping that Truman's bum gets better soon!!
Congrats on still breastfeeding!! It's a tuff thing and I know it's gotta be a TON harder with a little preemie! That's impressive!
I can't believe how well your little guy is doing. You are great parents with a strong little man.
Let's hope the new formula helps with the calcium and such.
I know, I'm still keeping up with your journal..and you don't know me. I hope that's okay.
-Jessica
Awww poor Truman. I wanted to offer an idea to you, please don't take offense. This was given to us at our local Childrens Hospital when my son had a horrible diaper rash.
Its a mixture of Aquaphor and Maalox. Weird mix I know but it works wonders. We got a medicine pill bottle ( a large mouth one) from the drug store and spooned some of the Aquaphor into it and then you just pour a little bit of the Maalox into it. Take a butter knife and "cream" it together. It comes out looking like Desitin.
We could use this one day and he would be better the next day.
Hope you all have a Happy New Year!
I have been reading the blog for a long time, and am so happy you have your little man at home. I haven't ever commented before, and I hope you don't mind my comments now.
My son also had horrible diaper rash when he was a baby. Using Milk of Magnesia on his bottom should help dry things up, as it is a base.
You might want to look into a couple things to eliminate to prevent future rashes. He might be allergic to the dyes in diapers, if the rash corresponds to the areas with color on the diaper. He might also have an allergic reaction to any of the chemicals in the diapers, if it's all over. Cloth diapers can help eliminate that, but are expensive and time-consuming. Seventh Generation diapers on 1800diapers.com might be a good alternative. My son cannot use any diapers with dyes--they create a chemical burn where they interact with his skin, we found out the hard way, after we also figured the rash started because he was allergic to milk and the feces combined with the dyes made his skin just burn off.
A symptom of milk allergy is blood in the stool. Even when my son didn't have blood in his stool, if it was in his feces, it would create a bad diaper rash, especially if we could not change him immediately. The gastroenterologist said that if there is an allergy to milk, there is a 25% chance they are allergic to soy also, but soy milk that I drank and soy formula that he drank did not produce the same reaction.
Truman is still too little for testing (traditional testing in an allergists' office proved useless) with cottage cheese or milk, but when my son had those products, he broke out in hives by his mouth and would have more blood in the stool. When he has snuck some milk products in the past year, he has vomited them up within 24 hours.
I bring this to your attention because our doctors did not seem to make a big connection with the diaper rash and milk allergy, and other diaper rash treatments did not work because he was still having milk products from my breastmilk come out in his feces, which started it all again. Boudreaux's Butt Paste worked well, as well as the Milk of Magnesia when it was really bad. Baking soda in the bath helped to remove the acids and soothe his skin, and switching diapers and cutting out milk made all the difference in the world.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope it helps. Your story is truly remarkable, and it is such a pleasure to read about you all and have an insight into the love you share.
Peej
Peejforprez.com
We know the cause of Truman's diaper rash. It is the high-calorie milk he drinks to help him grow. These nasty diaper rashes are pretty common among babies who have fortified breast milk. We are cloth-diapering parents, which has helped. He was initially too small, so we used disposables for the first week. He requires a lot less scrubbing with cloth diapers, which I think helps at least make diaper changes more pleasant.
Another awesome diaper cream is one called "Triple Paste." You can call your local pharmacies to see if they carry it. If they don't they can order it for you. It is rather expensive, but works miracles on those bloody, raw diaper rashes. You don't need a prescription for it. You just have to ask. It is an amazing wonder recommended by one of our pediatricians. You can google it to get the info you need.
I am glad to hear that Truman is doing well. I hope you both enjoyed your first Christmas at home with him!
Laurie
So glad things are going well for Truman! YAY! Kara, don't worry too much about the b-feeding. You may have to supplement for now, but in the future you may be able to b-feed exclusively - once he gets a bit older. I had to supplement Alena quite a bit at first, and by the time she was about 4 months was b-feeding exclusively. It's amazing that you have kept your supply up so long - all that pumping - I know how hard that can be!
Alena also had horrible bleeding diaper rash when she was a newborn - it went away by the time she was about a month and a 1/2 old. We used to put her on her play mat/gym thingy without a diaper, but a lot of cloth diapers under her. We also took her outside w/out the diapers, which helped some, but had to make sure whoever was holding her was dressed in old clothes!
I can't tell you how amazing Truman is, and know that you two are GREAT parents! It's hard though isn't it!
The Ezermans
Congratulations on your little man, it's really been amazing watching his progress.
FYI: the only thing that helped my daughter's diaper rash was bagbalm. That stuff they sell in a green square can...its for cow's udders! lol, but it worked great. I still use it occassionally for rough winter skin.
Sorry if you are getting more advice than you need, so feel free to ignore that above!
I'm so glad that Truman is home and eating!!
I thought you might like to know about a new little baby with ties to Sulphur Springs, (James and Donna Nelson's granddaughter) was born at 24 weeks on Dec. 19. They are just beginning their journey through the NICU, which I'm sure you can appreciate.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/graceelizabeth
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