My doctor thinks DD is abnormal? I'm so worried?!

DD saw her doctor for her 6 months visit two days ago. She now weighs 7.8kg. Apparently, she's now in the 75th percentile where she used to be in the 25-50th percentile. At first, the doctor didn't say much about DD... and continued to assess her. Then she noticed that she's still got a little cross-eye. She asked me if they have always been crossed. Well, I know that she gets them mostly when she's tired, or looking at something really close. DD's eczema has been under control but still scratches herself till she bleeds so she can only wear long sleeves and pants in order to protect her from scratching. But of course, her forehead and face sometimes get those scratches because it doesn't seem like she knows that she's scratching herself very painfully leading to bleeding. Also, I mentioned to my doctor that she does some funny movements like moving her legs up and down as if they were really bothering her and also turning her wrists until the skin becomes so red and fragile.

With all that, my doctor said that something is wrong with DD so she insisted that I get a consult with a pediatrician.

Has anyone of you and your babies experience any of these things while your dear one was 6 months old? I feel so lost and don't know what to expect when I go see the pediatrician which is in 1 1/2 months.... SIGH

Sweetie, I don't know what to say about your DD, exactly, but I wanted to offer a :hug: and a listening ear. It's good that your doctor is taking the time to get you referred, rather than just brushing your concerns off. I have heard of other babies with crossed eyes, and they just outgrow it. Here's hoping the rest is also easily fixed! :hug:

Hi carmen :)
I'm sorry to hear that you're a little scared :hug:
I don't think it could hurt if the docotr looks at her, at least then you can put your mind at rest.
I have crossed eyes, when I was born it was so far in you could barely see my left iris at all! I had several operations as a baby, all of which did pretty much nothing, and I have been wearing glasses since I was 11months old. And there isnothing wrong with that! it's pretty cool actually! lol I was terrified that Charlotte would have the same eye problems, but she is fine...and she does cross her eyes sometimes and her legs never stop moving and jolting...hmm...let me know how you go!

So try not to stress, even though you have to wait so long to see the doctor.
Alexis :)

Carmen, I'm going to move this to baby and toddler general discussion.

The thing with GPs is that they don't specialise in babies. Some are definitely better than others, but there is so much they don't know as they just can't know everything about everyone. So usually if they come across something which they are not familiar with, they will refer you to a specialist. This doesn't mean anything is necessarily wrong, it's just a precaution, as they'd hate to miss a real problem. I would wait until you see the paed before you start worrying, there could well be no problem at all. And TBH, I think mummy's instincts are usually pretty good in this area, if you didn't think anything was wrong before he said that, then I think that says a lot. So many times we get all worried after a comment from a GP or MCHN even though there is nothing wrong at all.

Hang in there hun, big hugs to you.

MantaRay, Thanks for moving my thread... sorry for posting in the wrong section.

You are right about the mother's instincts. TBH, I really don't know if I should trust mine anymore. I think being a first time mommy has a big impact because I am learning everything. At the same time, when something goes wrong, I tend to overstressed and not look at things from the brighter side.

Things haven't been so smooth for me for the past few weeks. Sigh, because of the ups and downs I get from over worrying, DH and I have been getting into fights almost every once a week. When it gets so bad, I just slam the door and walk away feeling so guilty but boy, I have to admit, slamming that door did give me a little vent.

At the same time, my MIL has been calling and giving me heaps of pressure for not wanting to fly back to Asia to see them... DD is 6 1/2 months old now and is safe for flying... but I live in Canada and my in laws live in Thailand so flying back there would be a 26 hours trip including transit time. To me, that's a lot of hassles because I can definitely imagine how fussy DD would get on a plane (she's already one fussy baby at home, imagine on the plane where I have no where to hide with her crying). Also, I would have to carry many glass bottles with me since I don't have access washing them on the plane nor do I feel safe washing them in the airport bathrooms or airplane's sink. DH has been feeling guilty of us not wanting to bring DD back so you can only imagine how crappy I must feel as his wife.

Thirdly, there's been a virus in Asia causing the deaths of several babies/young infants.

Also forgot to mention, Canada's summer is in the high 20 celsius and in Thailand, we're talking about 40 degrees celsius. DD has eczema, and I don't think that drastic temperature change would be such a great idea!

WIth all that said, I have basically felt the need to delay our plan to fly back this summer.

I discussed this going back issue with DH and he's pretty neutral (on the outside) but I can tell that he really would like us going back to see his parents... so, I haven't really been bringing up this issue since, but my MIL is still calling us every week asking us when we will be flying back!

SOrry for this tremendously long vent... this is the only place where I could really pour it all out and not thinking what others would feel....

:

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Carmen, I'm going to move this to baby and toddler general discussion.

The thing with GPs is that they don't specialise in babies. Some are definitely better than others, but there is so much they don't know as they just can't know everything about everyone. So usually if they come across something which they are not familiar with, they will refer you to a specialist. This doesn't mean anything is necessarily wrong, it's just a precaution, as they'd hate to miss a real problem. I would wait until you see the paed before you start worrying, there could well be no problem at all. And TBH, I think mummy's instincts are usually pretty good in this area, if you didn't think anything was wrong before he said that, then I think that says a lot. So many times we get all worried after a comment from a GP or MCHN even though there is nothing wrong at all.

Hang in there hun, big hugs to you.

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Carmen, its not good having family spread all overis it? My IL's are in New Zealand, and my family is all on the other side of the country! Which is obviously nothing like flying for 26 hours, but it is a big long expensive trip....especially with a young one.

Maybe you could bring his parents out to see you in canada? then they could see DD and you can not have to carry bubs all across the otherside of the world?

As for the fights with DF, I think that it is a massive task to adjust to life with a child at all, and then life with a baby is a lot of work, physically and emotionally. It is natural tht with little sleep, high stress and general day to day concerns that you two are going to butt heads. It will settle down though :) I think just about everyone goes through it in some way. So hang in there, slam some more doors and stand your ground with the IL's! You have to do what you think is best for DD and not be pressured into things you don't wat to do .

And when there are no more doors left to slam - there is always us!! :)
:hug:

TC Alexis

Carmen, maybe she is moving her limbs around like that because of the itching? As for her turned eye, my eldest DS developed a turned or 'lazy' eye when he was around 7-8mths old and it was quite bad when he was tired, otherwise it was fine. We didn't think anything of it because he never had problems with co-ordination or fine motor skills and once at school he never got headaches from eye strain, but as it turns out he is severely long sighted - about as long sighted as a person can be and had been like that since birth - and the turned eye was a symptom of that because when he was a baby and was learning to do all the normal things (like pick up small objects, stack blocks etc) he had to strain his eyes so hard to be able to focus that it caused the eye to turn in. he now wears glasses all the time to correct it and when he is an adult he can have lasik surgery to correct it.

So it may seem innocent (and loads of kids have turned eyes with no vision problems) but that has been our experience with it so it will be worthwhile getting it checked out at least.

I agree - is there any way for your in-laws to come to Canada? They don't have a baby to tote!

As far as the fighting/arguing goes - can you and your DH take a little time away to relax and become closer? Or maybe try to have some regular dates? My DH and I have also had some more arguments than normal lately, and I think it is because we are both tired and very busy, and we end up being frustrated with each other. Otherwise, maybe you could go through a good book for couples together or something like that. Ken Sande has a great book called The Peacemaker, which I am thinking of reading with DH.
Anyways, I hope you are able to come to a good solution for all of you. Stress in the family is soooooo exhausting! :hug:

I agree - get in in-laws to visit you, surely it must be a lot easier for them to travel than for you?

My DD also has an eye that turns in, and is more noticable when she is tired. Our GP reckoned to wait till she was 12 months old to see if it would correct itself at all, and then when it hadn't, has given us a referral to see a paediatric opthalmologist - just waiting for that appointment to come around. But the GP reckoned that a lot of kids eyes do fox themselves, but to really wait until 12 months to see if they do. Then if it hasn't, they can either do surgery, or wear an eye patch, depending on its severity.

Sorry, can't help you with her weight, or her excema.

And I also agree with MantaRay - GPs don't know everything, and if they think something might be wrong, then that is when they give you a referral to see a specialist - you never know, the specialist might tell you that all is fine with your DD!

Hope you get all of your problems sorted out soon!

Why don't you explain to your IL's why you do not want to travel with bubs at the moment? You have very valid reasons for not wanting to travel and if they know why you don't want to, that should stop the frequent requests. If it doesn't, simply ask them to stop as their request is not reasonable and invite them to visit you. Try and make them see they are being unreasonable.

Otherwise try and wait until you see the paed before you start worrying. Hard I know!!

If it wasn't all the encouragements I got from BB, I wouldn't have the guts to speak up to my ILs.

So, I have finally told them this morning that "I" have decided not to go back this year because of the reasons listed. I could tell at first they weren't too pleased because they were expecting me to say "the date of my arrival." At first, I felt a little scared because I didn't want to put DH in a tough position. He, on the other hand, actually stood on my side. I was pleased. I offered to pay for my ILs plane tickets to come see DD, but they are currently too occupied so I guess they'll come later or we'll fly back when she's older. At least this is somewhat settled.

THe problems between DH and I are definitely caused by fatigue and lack of communication. We have sat down and analyzed the sources of our arguments and came to one conclusion; no matter what the circumstance is, when one gets upset, the other should not start another fire... instead, s/he should walk away. Hopefully this will help to settle some problems. I lost track how many fights we've had since DD's birth. Some times I feel so discouraged and wonder if this will get worse day by day... DH and I hope for the best for DD so we have made a vow to each other that we will be more sensitive.

TBH, I am not very worried about her eyes. In fact, many infants learn to coordinate their eye movements in later weeks or months. I understand that it's a big task for DD learning everything at once.

My GP called me this week and asked me if I have booked an apointment with the paed yet. She seemed really concerned about DD. I tried to tell myself that it's probably a normal followup by the GP to all their patients. In the mean time, there's nothing I could do to change the apointment any sooner since the paeds are so overbooked.

I try not to worry myself out but easier said than done especially after the call from my GP. I wish these cloudy days would go away soon.

Sorry for the long vent... I must tire you all! Thank you for being such good listeners.

Carmen - If your GP is worried then she should be able to contact your Paed. which will often result in an earlier appointment, especially if she is rigning you to ensure you have made an appt. Did she mention this? PLease keep us updated onhow you get on.

Also, well done about dealing with the inlaws and communicating with your DH. Having a new baby can be such a strain on a relationship can't it? Sounds like you are doing a awesome job in somewhat stressful circumstances.

Jac,

I asked her if she could get me into a paed ealier but apparently it doesn't work like this in Canada... She does't have a specific paed to refer me to so I basically have to go to the CHildren's Hospital here to get an apointment... so, long waiting list.

It took a lot of courage to speak up and make things work in difficult times. It's not easy especially I've got a handful with DD. I don't want DH and my arguments to affect DD so we're making the best out of the "arguing" moments.... no matter what happens, not one of us can pick a fight in front of DD! I think this will somewhat help to create a better and less stressful environment for her!

*Men should go through the whole 10 months of pregnancy then giving birth... the hormones act up so bad especially when sleep is deprived! Too bad there's not a placebo pill to give them this experience... if yes, I am sure they would be more understanding!:dance:

Oh yay for you Carmen! Things seem like they are going well, its lovely to hear you and DH working together. It can be sooooo hard after the new baby comes but when you come out the other side, and you both put in the effort not to argue (I am a door slammer myself!) - your relationship will be stronger for it. Well done to you!

Don't worry about tiring us all out - thats what this place is all about, I'm always biatching about one thing or another......:lol:

Good on you carmen!! Imso glad you were able to express how you were feeling and it wasnt as difficult as you thought - And if they are too busy to come over then you save yourselves some money too! lol
And I hope you and DH work out your communications - it sure sounds like you are on the right track anyhow :)
Good luck and keep us posted with the paed's visit :)

PS: Power to the Crossed eyed chicks!!! mwahahaha

Yeah, lulu... glad to know I'm not the only door slammer here! Athough there are still doors left to be slammed, I am telling myself that I should control my anger... Apparently, when I am upset, DD feels tensed too. And because of the bad effects of my temper... I will stop being so silly... instead I could slam doors when she's not around (well, don't think this is happening any time soon so guess I'll have to forget this habit of mine) I'll share with you if I find some other ways of throwing my anger at!:rolleyes:

Being a mom is not an easy task because I can't no longer do what I want without thinking the consequences. I enjoy motherhood because it has made me more mature. At the same time, it has given me many lessons.

1 more month till I see the paed! I can't wait till these days go by so I can stop worrying. I'll keep you all updated as soon as I see the paed. It could very well be nothing, but it's best to get it checked out!

LimeSlice, DD's cross eyes seem to get better. They are not so great only when she's staring at an object closely. I am not so worried about this right now because I know that most babies do go through this stage and they might just grow out of it when they learn how to coordinate their eye/hand movements... So, hurray for the cross eyes!

I feel so great being able to express my feelings in BB especially when most of the members are in the same boat (mothers). I think I should make DH read some of the posts, that way, it might give him an insight of motherhood and the things we go through! :dance:

I really think that even the best of men don't understand what it's like to be a mother. I have a wonderful DH, but if I let myself dwell on it, I end up hugely frustrated because he sometimes just DOES NOT SEE when I need help! So I try to focus on the good parts - and sometimes reading through the relationship posts here on BB can make me pretty thankful for what I've got! And, if there is something in particular that I really would like him to do/not do, then I try to find a quiet, non-stressful time to gently talk to him about it.
I'm not telling you to ignore your issues with your DH - just don't let them become bigger than they need to be. I don't know what the trouble exactly is in your case, but don't let it ruin your relationship if it doesn't have to. :hug:
And, for what it's worth, WE understand what mothers go through! We'll sympathize with your worries and stresses, and really know what a mother's day is like with little ones.
All the best for your DD's appointments, and you and your DH. :hug:

Cricket, I think you have made a point here. For whatever things DH and I argue about, I should not let it ruin our 4 years of marriage. TBH, DH is a really good guy with many good qualities but some times, like you mentioned, they just don't see when we really need the help.

I would definitely take you as an example... choose a moment when I am not tense to speak to him what I woud like of him instead of blabbling it out when we are arguing. This will most likely lessen our arguments.

Motherhood is a huge challenge with many rewards, and I will never forget the joy of the whole course. And because of that, I have made myself a promise (I will not dwell on getting angry over little things because I have such a huge reward in front of me... instead I should look at the happy things and be merry so that DD and I will be joyful at the same time instead of poor DD having to look at me with a sour face)!

THank you for being for understanding and supportive. If I feel like I need some more, I will shout here to all you girls! :hug:

Finally.... the visit at the paed has come and gone. So, it was a long visit. Bear with me with the long details to follow.

When we saw the paed, I mentioned to him several problems....

1-odd sleep behavior
2-fuss at meal/bottle time
3-constant itching
4-cross eye
5-(most recent problem) vomitting

The paed said that her problems are mainly the cause of reflux problem... well, i don't know what to say but she started the vomitting about 1 month ago... no sign of vomitting before that.

So, she was put on Zantac (Ranitidin) for 1 month but visit at the doctor every 3 days or so for checkup. The paed also mentioned that her sleep problem is related to reflux since the food goes back up to her esophagus therefore causing acids backflow creating severe discomfort during sleep time. At the same time, he also have DD take Atarax to get her some sleep and ease her itching related to her eczema.

Well, not until the recalls of the plastic bottles in Canada did I find something rewarding.... DD's eczema is a huge cause of using plastic bottles (so, I highly suggest all mom who experience DS/DD eczema related problem to try glass ones). For DD, her eczema cleared up almost instantly. I feel much better. Occasionally, she still gets a rash here and there but mostly it's caused by her habit of itching during her eczema times.

So far, things have been settling down a bit... we're still getting followups with the paed to see if there's any improvements in her reflux issue which I'm not too worried about. I've been asking myself if I have fed her too much leading her to reflux.... she is almost 8 months and weights 19lbs3oz. I tried to feed her 30ish oz /day plus 2-3 meals (mixture of pureed meat, veggies, fruits, and cereal). How much of food in each group should a 8 month old eat? I'm a little confused because every other doctor is telling me differently... the silly thing is that most of them don't have any kids so I guess they follow whatever the book tells them. Also, how much should a 8 month old drink (formula)?

Oh, I almost forgot to mention about her cross eye issue. Well, she still has a little cross eye from time to time, but I would say it's gotten much better. I think time will solve the issue but if not, I'll get her to see a paed optholmologist just to make sure things are okay and if she needs any glasses given both DH and I wear glasses/contacts.

She's been a little clingy these days... I think it's her teething... well, I guess it's about time. She's been drooling like a bucket every hour, chewing on everything she could grab ahold of if not it's her hands or my fingers!, quite irritable, sucking bottom lip, and making gnagging sounds .... hopefully her teeth will cut out soon!

Wow Carmen, that's great news that things are so much better. It must be such a relief for you!