So I don’t know if you all know this or not, but something pretty important is going on in February! It is Anna’s first birthday!!! 😜 hard to believe that a year has gone by already from welcoming our sweet girl into this world! I want to thank you all for being so great with welcoming her into your lives as well and getting to share in mine and Kyle’s joy of watching her grow up! Hasn’t it been fun?
Kyle and I have learned a lot about being parents this past year and about how to raise a child naturally. We have had a few sleepless nights, sent each other pictures of poopy diapers wondering if it looks weird, questioned if she had an ear ache or if she was just teething and watched her learn to roll, crawl, sit, stand and now walk! It has been a fun journey and I am so thankful that I have so many resources to learn from as we have gone through this process. What I want to share with you all are some of the things that we have learned in how to raise a child naturally!
Sleep! Something we all need, but as new parents, it can be hard to get good, consecutive hours of sleep, which we all know leads to some rough days. Here is how much sleep your child needs:
Did you know that if your child is not sleeping well, it may be a sign that they are subluxated? Chiropractic care has been shown to be very beneficial in helping kiddos sleep better, which also allows for parents to feel sane again! Anna has mainly been a great sleeper, but we have had our nights. We found that by sharing the responsibility of getting up with her, we were able to get some decent rest. We also learned quickly that naps can be very beneficial, and I don’t just mean for Anna! A good mid day nap makes such a difference in all of our moods!
One thing that Kyle and I have been amazed with is how much we now talk about poop… 🤷 We talk about Anna’s poop daily and I will admit, I have taken a few pictures of it to show to Kyle to see if he thinks it looks weird, or if I am over analyzing it, usually the latter…
So, what is healthy baby poop? In a breastfed baby, poop should be yellow and speckled with little seeds and the baby usually poops multiple times a day. A formula fed baby’s poop will be tan, yellow or green and it is typical for them to only have one poop a day. If your baby seems to be straining or uncomfortable while having a bowel movement, this is a sign that they may be constipated and that they may benefit from chiropractic care. There were a few days that Anna would not have a bowel movement, I would check her for subluxations, adjust her and it was not uncommon for her then to have a dirty diaper within the hour. It is amazing what happens when their nervous system is functioning properly! And this is not only true for kiddos, but I hear similar stories from my older patients as well.
Oh the joys of teething! Anna just got in her 6th tooth… this has come along with a runny nose, tugging on her ears, a little cough, changes in her poop (see, I told you we talk about it a lot), and her not sleeping as well. What else does that sound like? The common cold, maybe flu like symptoms… thankfully all of these symptoms have been mild and usually go away within a few days which reaffirms to us that it is teething. When the teeth are pushing through the gums, it results in a lot of changes. There is an increase in mucus, which will result in a runny nose or congestions, which that in turn can lead to a cough and changes in dirty diapers! There is also a lot of pressure as the teeth cut though, which can result in a baby tugging on their ears. As long as they do not pull on them for longer than 72 hours according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is usually the result of teething. And then lets face it, I would be irritable and maybe al little more fussy if I had teething breaking though my gums, which explains why there are changes in sleep patterns. I think about that often, how would I be handling this if I were cutting teeth? Honestly, probably not near as well as Anna does, we can still get smiles and giggles out of her 😊
Isn’t it fun watching a baby learn to move? I still remember when she was first learning to roll over and I would get so excited when I thought she was about to roll, and then she wouldn’t quite get it… but she just kept trying! And now she is walking around! Crazy how fast time goes and how persistent these little kids are! But as they are going through this learning process, they tumble and fall A LOT! This is why having your child checked for subluxations periodically is vital! This will help them continue to develop properly and grow into strong, healthy adults! Here are a few critical times to have your child evaluated by a chiropractor!
After birth
Rolling over
Crawling
Walking
Standing
After falls
Before starting school
Before and after dance recitals/ gymnastic competitions
Before and after sports seasons
Any time your child has a major growth spurt
Children grow so rapidly that it is important that they develop properly to have the best heath and function possible. We love being part of this awesome journey with you and I thank you for entrusting the well being of your child with me!
I hope that you all have enjoyed this past year as much as we have, and I just ask that if you found this information useful, let me know, and if there is someone who you think may benefit from this, please pass it along to them.
We will be having a party in the office on Anna’s birthday, Thursday, February 22! We will have cupcakes and snacks, games for the kiddos, and a new patient special!
New Patient Special: The cost of the initial evaluation (range of motion study, digital postural analysis and chiropractic spinal evaluation) will be $22 (a $75 value)! There will be an additional cost, if x-rays are required.