Torticollis

Hi!  My name is Chelsea and my daughter has congenital torticollis. 

I feel like I'm admitting to a secret or something.  And it's not a secret at all!  I just wanted to post about torticollis because I had NEVER heard of it before Stella was born.  It's actually very common.  If you're interested in learning more, here's some information on webmd, just click here! 

We aren't sure what caused Stella's torticollis.  It could have been how she was positioned in utero OR it could have been related to trauma during birth.  We did have one little issue during birth.  Stella's left arm started to come out beside her face.  My doctor had to push her arm back inside.  I remember my doctor saying her left arm was "compound."  I remember her telling the nurse to "Check Stella's left arm!"  Everything with her arm was fine but I think whatever happened might have injured her neck instead; therefore, causing torticollis?!?!

When Stella was around eight weeks old we made an appointment with her ped because we were having tons of issues with breastfeeding, well, just feeding in general.  After lots of discussion, her ped said it sounded like acid reflux.  Stella started Zantac and WOW, it did wonders!  If we ever missed a dose, the crying would start back within minutes.  Stella just recently stopped taking Zantac.  Her ped said sometimes babies outgrow acid reflux around four to six months.  He said we could try lowering her dose and then just stopping it all together.  We did both and she's been just fine.  She's officially off Zantac now.

So at the end of that appointment, her ped told us that she had torticollis and we needed to stretch her neck several times a day (like each time we changed her diaper).  We were both like, okay, what is TORT-A-COLLIS?  As soon as we got home I did some googling and completely freaked out.  I couldn't believe her ped hadn't noticed it sooner.  By the way, we've switched peds since then!  But it made sense, Stella did prefer to turn her head to one side. 

Here are a couple pictures of Stella when she was a newborn:

We never really noticed that she preferred that side until her ped brought it to our attention.  But now when we look back at pictures, we really notice it.  We started the daily stretching which you can check out, just click here!

I really started worrying about Stella's torticollis when it didn't seem to be improving with the stretches.  Josh and I didn't feel comfortable doing the stretches.  Our ped didn't make a big deal about it and we just didn't know what was going on or what we should be doing.  I did some more googling and read that physical therapy is very important in correcting torticollis.  Research shows that an infant's torticollis can be completely resolved by twelve months of age if physical therapy is implemented.  I called a physical therapist in our area.  After her brief initial consultation, she said Stella's torticollis was extremely mild.  She said it would be resolved within a couple months.  She only recommended home stretching and no weekly or bi weekly phyiscal therapy.  She showed us how to do the stretches a little better so we felt more comfortable. 

Two months later we still noticed Stella's torticollis.  I found a new physical therapist in our area that specializes in torticollis.  She is AMAZING!  She did an awesome initial evaluation that was super detailed.  It was neat to see how well Stella scored on her developmental milestones.  She's right on track and even above on some.  We are thankful that she is developing well even though she has torticollis.  So the new plan includes at home stretching with bi weekly physical therapy appointments.  During these appointments Stella's neck is stretched really well, and no, she does not like it.

I think Stella's torticollis has improved drastically.  We are going to continue bi weekly physical therapy appointments for a few more months.  Her ped recommended it as well.  We do not want her torticollis to regress. 

Any advice, suggestions or stories?

In Home Day Care

I think a few of you are wondering "How do you take care of four babies?"  Everyone always asks "What do you do when they all starting crying?"  First of all, they do not all cry at the same time.  And second of all, I take care of really good babies.  I'm lucky!  They are sweethearts.  I'm sure my background in education and classroom management has helped.  I was always a super organized teacher with a strength in classroom management.  I was a very calm teacher even though I really wasn't calm inside my mind.  So anyway, I'm always looking forward to spending my week days with babies.  I used to dread the week days.  And my weeks at work used to go by so slow.  Now my days fly by and my weeks are over in a flash.  I've never loved a job so much that I would do it without pay but I love this job so much that I really would do it without pay.  But right now we need the money, so yes, I'm being graciously paid by some awesome parents.

So what does it take to have an in home day care?

You must:
-have a sincere love for babies.
-have a calm demeanor.
-have patience and understanding.
-have lots of fun baby gear.
-have a good sense of humor.
-be happy and smile.
-be able to plan and organize.
-be able to pick on the first cues of hunger, tiredness, etc.
-be creative, silly and fun
-be able to read books, sing songs and dance with enthusiasm all day.

I'm sure I left out several things but those are the first few thoughts that came to my mind.  If you have any questions, just ask!

My New Calling

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a kindergarten or first grade teacher.  Younger children have always melted my heart.  They are so sweet and innocent.  They are sponges that want to soak up the world around them.  My heart always smiles when I see little kindergarteners in the hallway.

I was a teacher cadet in high school.  I went straight to college and quickly declared my major in education.  I had awesome internships and student teaching experiences in college.  I graduated with high hopes and excitement.  I was ready to change the world, one student at a time!  Oh, and let's not forget that my grandmother and mother are both educators.  Teaching comes natural in my family.

Well...

I'm not going into details but now I completely understand why most new teachers (usually very talented teachers) leave the profession within the first five years.  It's just too much!  I love teaching and I love children but it's everything else that drives you out of the profession.

So yes, I'm finally out of the teaching profession.  I am very thankful.  I feel very lucky.  I taught first grade for four years.  I resigned on June 21st.  It was my 26th birthday and the best birthday gift ever!  It was one the BEST days of my life.  I'm serious!  I felt so liberated as I walked out of that school building for the very last time.  I knew I was going to love my new life as a Mommy and caregiver to my friends' babies but I didn't realize how much I was going to love it.

My life just seems too good to be true.  I love being home with Stella each day, and I love taking care of my friends' babies.  I'm just soaking in every moment!  Last week I sent Josh a text that said "I love my life with you and Stella.  It's perfect." 

It's interesting to think about my life when I was teaching and when I was going through fertility treatments.  I was in a very different place than I am now.  My best advice to anyone who is struggling with life -- trust in God's plan for you!  I wish I had been more trusting during the last few years in my life.  Instead I was questioning everything: Why me?  Why us? 

Okay so pictures from a typical day at my house:

Morning Stroll in our Quad Stroller

Morning Play

Story Time

Afternoon Play

Sweet Toes

Sharing a Book

Afternoon Group Play

Our First Experience with Pumpkins

Happy Fall!

Flexible Schedule

I loved all of the baby books that I read when Stella was in the oven.  They enlightened me!  I highly recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block.  It was one of my favorites.  I think it's a great one to read before your little one arrives.  Right now I'm reading weekly updates on Stella's growth and development from Your Baby's First Year, Week by Week.  I've really enjoyed this book.

Okay, so here's what I've learned from Stella about schedules...

When Stella was very young I thought she needed to be on a strict schedule.  I used to stress myself out about her little schedule.  I quickly realized that it was okay if she didn't stick to an exact schedule.  Instead we just follow the eat, play, sleep routine throughout the day.  It works very well for our family.  We let Stella call the shots on long she wants to eat, play and sleep.  It works out perfectly!  So here's Stella's flexible schedule at six months.  By the way, Stella's playmates seem to follow the same schedule as well.  It's interesting that all of the babies are on the same schedule even though I didn't try to put them on a schedule. 

7:00 - 7:30
Good Morning -- Stella wakes up talking in her crib!
First Bottle (6 ounces)

7:30 - 8:00
Playmates Arrive

8:00 - 9:00
Play Time

9:00 - 10:30
Nap Time

10:30 - 11:00
Brunch (1 or 2 jars of fruit and 1 or 2 tablespoons of oatmeal)

11:00 - 12:30
Play Time

12:30 - 2:00
Nap

2:00 - 2:30
Second Bottle (6 ounces)

2:30 - 4:00
Play Time

4:00 - 5:30
Nap Time

5:30 - 6:00
Dinner (1 or 2 jars of veggies and 1 or 2 jars of rice cereal)

6:00 - 7:30
Play Time

7:30 - 8:00
Bath Time -- Stella's favorite time of the day!

8:00 - 8:30
Bed Time Routine (massage, lullabies, book)
Last Bottle of Day (6 ounces)

8:30 - 9:00
Good Night -- Stella falls asleep talking in her crib.

Sometimes Stella will go to sleep earlier or later.  It just depends on her day.  We have never let Stella cry it out.  We do not believe in that method.  But if you do, that's great!  It just doesn't work for our family.  I am happy to say that Stella goes to sleep on her own and sleeps through the night without crying.  Stella loves being in her crib.  I think she feels safe and secure in it.  We started putting her in it to nap when she was just a few weeks old.  She also spent a lot of time playing it (well actually looking at her mobile) when she was tiny.  I think her bed time routine helps.  She gets really relaxed and ready for sleeping. 

You do not have to let your baby cry it out.  Okay, maybe I'm wrong about that one.  Maybe you do with some babies?  I'll admit.  I'm not an expert.  But anyway, Stella is proof that babies can learn to self soothe and go to sleep on their own without crying it out.  I'm not exactly sure what we did to teach her to self soothe -- other than always being there for her.  I guess she trusts us and knows she is safe.  We want her to feel that way.  We don't want her to be unhappy, scared or worried before she takes a nap or goes to sleep at night.

*For updates, check out my comments -- not every day is exactly like the schedule above.  Sometimes her play times and naps are shorter or longer.  Like I said, it's flexible.  Her bottles and meals are flexible too.  We're just a flexible family.  We just do whatever works best for Stella.

Breastfeeding Advice

I was determined to breastfeed Stella for the first year of her life.  I knew the amazing benefits of breast milk and the special bond we would have from the experience.  I did not want Stella to have one ounce of formula.  In my mind, formula was poison.  It makes me laugh to think about how crazy my feelings were about formula.  But at the time, I didn't think I was crazy!  Now Stella is formula fed, and she loves it.  It has helped her grow healthy and strong since she was eight weeks old.  It also gave me the opportunity to be a rested, happy mother.  Formula gave me back my sanity!

I wouldn't recommend being so determined about breastfeeding.  I would recommend being flexible.  If I had been flexible then maybe I could have breastfed a little longer while also giving Stella formula.  But no, I could not give her any formula!  The result of this extreme determination turned into stopping breastfeeding cold turkey after eight weeks of exclusive breastfeeding.  The reason I would recommend being flexible is because breastfeeding really doesn't always work out.  It's okay if it doesn't work out.  It's not the end of the world.  You can't consider it "quitting" or "giving up".  Especially if no matter how much hard work, effort and determination you give it, it will not work out.

So back to the first few days of breastfeeding...

I didn't get to breastfeed Stella right away because of my retained placenta.  When I finally got to breastfeed her, she didn't latch on.  The nurses were not helpful.  The first experiences with breastfeeding still haunt me.  I wish I had delivered at a hospital nearby that had our heaven sent lactation consultant.  If you really want to breastfeed, please deliver at a hospital with a good lacation consultants or get your own lacation consultant BEFORE you deliver!  The nurses were not able to help us figure out breastfeeding at all.  The only thing they recommend was a nipple shield.  Why, oh why?  I should have never been given a Medela nipple shield.

If you get anything from this post, DO NOT start using a nipple shield unless you truly need one!  Most women DO NOT need them.  They are the "easy" way out for nurses to help you with latching on.  Once a baby starts latching on with a nipple sheild, he or she will not latch on without it.  Enough said!

So my milk didn't come in for 6 or 7 days.  Everyone thought Stella was starving, which she probably was starving.  Even the nurse at the pediciation's office was like "She crying because she's hungry!"  I felt awful but what do you do when you want to exclusively breastfeed?  Josh finally found our heaven sent lactation consultant.  She was AMAZING!  She had breastfeeding support groups and all.  Gosh, I love her!  She gave us words of encouragement and advice during those first few days.  She helped me get Stella off the nipple sheild, which is unheard of.

Even though I had her support, breastfeeding just wasn't going like it was supposed to go.  Stella was breastfeeding every hour or every hour and a half.  I'm not sure how I functioned with no sleep for eight weeks.  I was up with her all night, every night.  It was hard.  It was really hard.  I felt like I was falling apart.  But I couldn't stop because I was so determined.

Finally after my third round of mastitis (infection of the breast, due to breastfeeding), I stopped breastfeeding.  I had a fever, AGAIN.  I was so weak I could barely hold Stella.  I called Josh at work and told him that he needed to come home because I was so sick and weak that I coudn't function or take care of Stella.  He was home within minutes.  We gave Stella her first bottle of formula.  I cried.  My heart was breaking.  I finally came to realization that I had to take care of myself so that I could take care of Stella.  I had to be the best Mommy ever, and that wasn't possible with breastfeeding.  We put my breast pump in the closet and never took it back out.  Stella started sleeping through the night within three days of starting formula.  Within a week, I felt like an amazing Mommy!

I missed the closeness of breastfeeding.  I breastfed Stella a few times at night and in the mornings.  But my milk supply decreased drastically.  I only breastfed her for the closeness, not for food.  I finally stopped all breastfeeding after my D and C.  Now I realize that I probably had milk supply issues due to my retained placenta.

I hope to breastfed Stella's brother or sister one day ( no, I am not pregnant).  I have a lot of knowledge of breastfeeding now and hopefully it will go a lot smoother next time.  If not, it will be okay!  I'll be more flexible next time.

Retained Placenta

Okay, so if you read my birth story post, you read about my retained placenta.  It's one of those things you never know could happen, or one of those things no one ever tells you about -- probably because it isn't common.  So apparently my placenta was really calcified when most of it came out.  I remember looking at it and seeing white spots on it.  I think that was the calcification, maybe?  My doctor said that a calcified placenta just means that the placenta is finished doing its job.  My doctor had to manually take out the rest of my placenta.  She used her hands and yes, it was a little painful.  I remember her saying "I'm sorry but I must get all the pieces out!"

Well...

Twelve weeks later we realized she didn't get all the pieces out!  I was still bleeding at eleven weeks post partum.  I finally called my doctor and she had me come in right away.  I should have called sooner but at my seven week post partum appointment, my doctor told me I was just over doing it and that was the cause of the continual bleeding.  I believed her.

During my appointment I had an ultrasound that revealed  the piece of placenta.  My doctor scheduled a D and C with a hysteroscopy.  That was a scary experience!  It was outpatient but still, being rolled into an operating room is frightening.  As they were putting me to sleep, I kept thinking about Stella and hoping everything would go just fine so I could see her again. 

Does anyone remember what happened after my egg retrieval?  Click here!  I will always be scared of anesthesia medicines after that experience.

The D and C with a hysteroscopy went fine.  Of course I'm concerned about my future fertility!  My doctor says not to worry though.  She did say there was chronic inflammation from that piece but I guess that's gone now.  I went back for another ultrasound about a month after my D and C and everything looked great.  I was having on and off bleeding again -- that's why I went back a month later!  My doctor suggested one month of BC pills, which I did NOT want to take, but I complied.  Now my cycles are back to normal, or at least the last two cycles have been normal.  My doctor also said the pathology reports came back stating that the pieces removed from my uterus were all "old" placenta pieces.  They weren't muscle from my uterus.

So all that to say -- I think that's why I had trouble breastfeeding.  My body didn't realize that I wasn't pregnant any more because that piece of placenta was in still in there.

Six Months

I just wanted to share a few pictures from the last month or so.  They are just random pictures.  So enjoy!

Fun in the Sand

First Coloring Experience

Watching the Sunrise

First Time in a High Chair at Moe's

After Church

Sippy Cup

Princess with a Mohawk

Stella's Christening

Stella was christened at our church a few weeks ago.  It was a joyous occasion!  I loved her gown and bonnet.  Stella's grandmother gave it to her.  Hopefully Stella's little girl will be able to wear it one day when she is christened.  Some of our family members came to celebrate with us.  We had everyone over for lunch.  Stella wore the same dress that I wore at my first birthday party.  It was a weekend we will always cherish. 

Good Morning Smiles

Stella smiles all day, every day!  She smiles at all people no matter where we are or what we are doing.  Her "Good Morning Smiles" are my favorite! 

 

Apple Festival

Stella went to her first apple festival in Hendersonville, North Carolina.  My Mom, sister and I took her to pick apples after the festival.  We had a great day together.  Stella went to the festival and went to pick apples with us last year when I was pregnant with her.

Memories

Wow!  Does this post bring back memories?  It does for me!

http://ajourneytoourbaby.blogspot.com/2010/09/ivf-day-3-my-husband-says-i-am-becoming.html

March 20, 2010

Okay, so I'm going to post Stella's birth story.  I know!  It's past due by a few months.  But hey, better late than never. 

Stella was born on Saturday, March 20th.  My last day at work was Wednesday, March 17th.  I can still remember walking in that school each morning, and walking out each afternoon.  I kept hoping each day would be my last.  Those last couple weeks at work were difficult.  Stella was the only thing on my mind!  My friend Q took me out to lunch on Thursday to celebrate my first day off work.  We spent lots of time walking around in Target.  My parents came down on Thursday evening.  Mom and I went out to lunch and shopped around on Friday.  We were determined to get my labor started.  We went to the grocery store and bought some Red Raspberry Herb Tea.  I drank a couple glasses and then we took a very long power walk.

Okay, so the good part:  I woke up at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning with some cramps.  They didn't really hurt but I felt them every 15 - 20 minutes.  I couldn't go back to sleep because I kept thinking "Is this labor?"  I woke Josh up at 5:30.  We took showers and made sure our bags were ready for the hospital.  Of course they were ready!  They had been packed for months.  I woke up my parents around 7:00.  By this time, my contractions were every 7 minutes.  Josh and Mom were jotting them down for me.  I thought it was interesting that they really came EVERY 7 minutes.  Isn't it crazy how our bodies work?  The contractions still weren't that painful.  They just felt like really bad menstrual cramps.  Josh and I decided that we should go to hospital to see if I was in labor.  I ate half of a banana before we left.  I remember thinking "I bet this isn't even labor.  I bet I'm not even dilated."  The contractions were hurting a little.  I couldn't sit still or stand still with them but let me tell you, they weren't bad at all.

On our way to the hospital, we were pulled over by a cop for speeding.  Yes!  Can you believe it?  Here's the funny thing: we really weren't speeding!  Okay, so maybe 5 over but that was it.  Josh told the cop that I was in labor.  He actually pulled us over in the hospital parking lot.  He said "Okay, I'll let the hospital know you are coming."  When we walked in labor and delivery, I was the only patient there.  Every single nurse and doctor knew that we were coming.  The cop had really called to let them know. 

We checked in with the antepartum nurse around 9:00.  She hooked me up to the monitor.  I just had one contraction.  It wasn't even a big contraction because I barely felt it.  I could tell the nurse thought I wasn't in labor.  I was starting to think I wasn't in labor either.  She checked me and her face lit up.  She said "You are going to have a baby today!"  I was 6 cm dilated. 

The nurses took me to Stella's delivery room.  Everything was a breeze!  They hooked me up to monitors, started my IV, etc.  It was such a relaxing and calm experience.  I decided to go ahead and get an epidural while I wasn't in pain.  OMG.  It was like a joke!  I didn't even feel the needle.  The doctor was super nice and joked around with me during the procedure.  I could feel my legs during the entire birth but I didn't feel any pain or contractions after that epidural.  They gave me a button to push for epidural but I only pushed it once. 

Our doctor came in to check on us every hour or so.  I was dilating 1 cm every hour.  It all happened so quickly.  I remember being 9 cm and the doctor saying she would be back in an hour so I could start pushing.  I thought "What?  Stella will be here in just an hour or so!"  I started to get nervous.

Our doctor came back an hour later.  I started pushing.  I think I pushed for about an hour or two.  It FLEW by though.  I can't believe I was actually pushing that long.  Pushing wasn't bad at all.  I couldn't feel my contractions so the nurses would look on the monitors to see when I was contracting.  When they saw a contraction coming, they would say "Okay, here we go!  Let's push!"  By the way, we didn't use any of those breathing techniques we learned in our classes.  We just let things happen and it worked out just fine!

Stella Grace was born at 2:04 PM.

My placenta had to be manually removed because it didn't come out on it's own.  It was really calcified which means it was finished doing it's job.  Unfortunately I didn't get to try breastfeeding right away because my doctor was literally taking out my placenta, piece by piece, with her hand.  I felt a few pains but it wasn't that bad.  I couldn't take my eyes off Stella. 

Josh and I spent an hour with our Stella before any family came in to see her.  It was a special time.  We were ready to show her off when all the family members walked in.

Okay, the nasty part:  I had a few tears which were painful for a few weeks after delivery. 

I'm going to post about my breastfeeding experiences, and my retained placenta later.  That's another whole post or two.

Here are some more pictures to share:

First Night with Stella - I held her all night!

First Dress

In True Love

Our New Family

Taking Stella Home