1. How to ensure proper nutrition as Adara continues to transition to real food-should she be taking any vitamins/supplements?
2. Our whole family has been breaking out in hives, and we think it's because we're allergic to the trees-could that be what is bothering Adara too?
3. Recent articles about vaccines and outbreaks-like with whooping cough. Is there cause for concern, since we aren't vaccinating Adara?
We arrived at her appointment a half hour before her appointment-the pediatrician is in Cool Springs, so I always leave early in case of traffic. We got into the office half an hour after the scheduled appointment time. Good thing Adara likes toys and other kids.
She DID NOT like the nurse or pediatrician touching her. Normal developmental milestone of stranger anxiety. I don't remember how tall she is, but it's in the seventy-somthing percentile, and her 19 lbs 8 oz is in the forty-something percentile. She's not such a chunky baby anymore, since she's walking all over the place. The nurse had to prick her toe to check her hemoglobin levels, so I ended up nurse Adara to keep her still. The levels came up much lower than they should be, so the nurse checked with the other toe just to be sure. That level came up even lower than the first! Adara loved her pink band-aids on her toes.
I explained to the pediatrician that I'd stopped taking my prenatals, since I eat plenty of meat and a pretty healthy diet. She explained that a pregnant or lactating mom only gets about 1/8 the amount of iron needed through diet alone. Now, she said, my body and the baby's were depleted, and we need to get a supplement for now to get the levels back up. She said they would check her levels at her 15 month appointment. She recommended a supplement that they conveniently sell at their office-for both of us to take. She said I should never stop taking something without checking with a physician first. She also said the Whole Foods brand prenatal as the cheapest one she could recommend.
So we got it, and almost a month later I am happy to report that we are both feeling and acting much better. Honestly, I haven't noticed a huge difference with Adara, but I know that I feel SO much better-I feel like I have my brain and energy back! That stuff is NOT cheap, but we started ordering the larger bottle online, so that saves a little bit, and it definitely seems to be worth it.
The iron issue covered my nutrition question for the most part. The ped. said that I am doing great still nursing 5 or 6 times a day, and to keep focusing on whole foods for Adara to eat. We have some days where she acts like she loves food, and other days where all she wants to do is nurse. Typical.
2) Hives. Probably a virus, since we all also got sick (said the ped.). Alex now suspects it was because we were in ketosis with our diet. We're now adding in (somewhat healthy) carbs to see if that helps.
3) I asked about the vaccines. Now, I don't remember the stats exacts, but she said something like 80% of those who get whooping cough are those who are already vaccinated. She said that, just like the flu, some vaccines need to be updated because the strain mutates. She said that the pertussis vaccine is simply outdated, and that "herd immunity" is simply a theory, not a proven fact. The pediatrician didn't seem concerned, so neither am I.
I go back in February for her 15 month appointment, and they will check her iron levels again. It has been a challenge to get her to take it, but Alex does it best by playing with her and giving it to her in small amounts.
Here's to keeping a healthy baby girl :)
