My Story - Part One

It was early 2021, pandemic restrictions were still mostly in effect. I was a new mom desperately trying to find answers to my questions about my baby:

"Why is she crying all the time? What is causing her to be so uncomfortable? Is this much spit up really normal? Why can't she latch to breastfeed? Is there something wrong with me? Is postpartum and the newborn stage supposed to be this hard? Is this colic? Do we really have to just wait for her to outgrow colic? What can I do to help her? What do I search for? Where do I even start?"

There had been red flags from the beginning: my daughter had been in one position in utero for most of the 3rd trimester - the cord was supposedly around her neck keeping her from moving (according to the biophysical we did the day before she was born). At birth, she was unable to latch on my left side to breastfeed. It was suggested that it was probably because my left nipple was inverted. We were given a nipple shield and told, "Some women use one their whole breastfeeding journey". The next day, she wouldn't latch onto either side. She was extremely hard to settle and cried most of the time. She nursed non-stop (I later learned that nipple shields can cause low supply, so she was nursing constantly to try to get enough). She was spitting up after feeds so much so, that I had to carry a towel around with me to catch it all. She was so bloated and gassy - her poor little tummy always looked like a balloon. She would scream in pain before pooping. Containers of any kind were useless. She screamed until she was red the moment she was put in her car seat. Cries would start as soon as I set her in a bouncer, stroller, or carrier. Nothing could comfort her except being walked/bounced around the house while being perched high up on my shoulder. It seemed like she could never get high enough - always trying to clamber higher.

Nothing I tried was working. I felt like a failure and completely helpless - listening to her constant crying - unable to do anything to soothe her.

We tried: chiropractic adjustments, homeopathic remedies, probiotics... I exhausted all the general tips for colic and reflux (tummy massages, gas drops, keeping upright after feeds, frequent burping, smaller, more frequent feeds).

No change - for 3 months.

I was exhausted and both of our nervous-systems were shot. In addition to what my daughter was going through, I had many symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety.

At some point, during my countless hours of searching for answers, I read about tongue-ties. Our birth provider had looked for them, but found none. So I dismissed it as a possibility – at first. The more I researched symptoms, the more I realized my baby checked every box for ties.

I decided to call a local pediatrician and ask if they could check her for ties. I was lucky that the one I called just so happened to have additional training in Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs). They did a full, functional exam (which I later learned is extremely important for diagnosis). My daughter was diagnosed with 3 ties - a posterior tongue-tie (one you can't "see"), an upper lip tie, and a cheek tie.

The relief that I felt to finally have answers after all our struggles... I thought for sure this was it. I brought her in for a laser release the next day. We did the after-care stretches as prescribed and I was hopeful. But weeks went by and our breastfeeding challenges remained. She still had reflux, cried often, and her body felt so incredibly tight. I later learned how important preparation is before considering a release (you’ll see how this changes my approach with my son).

I felt defeated. We were back to square one.

Hope and Healing

Eventually, my sister-in-law told me about the amazing results she was experiencing after sessions with a particular bodyworker. She said, "Hey, I'm pretty sure they treat babies, maybe give them a call." At this point, we didn't have anything to lose, so I called and told them what my daughter's symptoms were. They scheduled us right away.

My husband came with me to the appointment - it was a 30-minute drive away. It might not seem far to most, but anyone whose baby "hates their car seat" knows... a 30-minute drive is almost impossible when you're listening to your baby scream in agony the entire way.

The bodyworker was a Bowen Therapist. I had never heard of this therapy before, but they assured me that it was very gentle and the session would take no more than 15 minutes for an infant. The first thing that struck me was that the therapist asked me for consent to touch my baby and then talked to my 4 month old daughter to tell her what she was going to do. I was immediately more at ease. From my perspective, the therapist gave my baby a few light touches and "adjustments" then told us that was it! I'll be honest, I was a little skeptical.

Well.

As I buckled her into the car seat, I was mentally preparing myself for the screaming that was about to start. It never came. And guess what... she actually SMILED. Then she started cooing. Then she pooped (which had always been another struggle). I was blown away. My husband was blown away.

When we got home, we laid her out on the bed to change her. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. She normally started to cry whenever she was laid down on her back- but that didn't happen this time. My husband remarked how different she looked. She even felt different. Instead of being up in a tight ball with fists clenched, her little body was stretched out with her arms, legs, hands and feet completely relaxed. When we held her, she was so soft and squishy - she melted into us. I was so used to her feeling as stiff as a board - I didn't realize that wasn't how newborns were supposed to feel.

Over the next few weeks, we weaned off the nursing shield, car rides and walks in the stroller were actually fun now, and her reflux reduced by 90%.

From 5 months old and on, she thrived. She was so smiley and giggly all the time. She met every milestone easily. Her language and vocabulary exploded and she became extremely articulate. To this day, I’m often told how bright, alert, and coordinated she is. She rarely gets sick and when she does, it passes quickly. I don’t know if that would’ve been the case if we hadn’t found help for her. If I had just let her “outgrow it” who knows where we’d be and the kind of compensations that would be happening. I’m so thankful to have found answers for her.