Consistency

consistency : condition of adhering together : firmness of material substance b: firmness of constitution or character 2: degree of firmness, density, viscosity, or resistance to movement or separation of constituent particles
3 a: agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole. ability to be asserted together without contradiction b: harmony of conduct or practice with profession

As I was up changing B's diaper a few minutes ago, I realized how one word has defined the last nine months of my life. Consistency. Truly I couldn't think of a better word. In the beginning it started out with Brinnon's poop. Her stool had the look and consistency of mustard with cottage cheese. However it was never really consistent in its texture. After a few months, Brinnon's poo turned somewhat mucousy and really watery, which was a different consistency than what most infants have. B had consistent blow-outs (changing outfits EVERYTIME she pooped). We were told from her pediatrician there was not too much cause for alarm since she was still 'chunking out'. We went with it and just thought our B was a big pooper, we were proud of our little darling. About two months ago she started to have blow-outs 5 to 6 times a day. Since she was eating solids (or foods that had a pureed consistency) we didn't think an infant should be having stools with this consistency. Finally a month ago we brought her in to our pediatrician and discovered Brinnon may have a milk allergy or sensitivity. It was a scary time since she had lost a pound and had WBC and sugars in her stool, meaning malabsorbtion of her food. Our doctor put me on a strict no dairy/no soy diet to get Brinnon's stools back to a consistency of a nine month old who was eating solids. If this worked and I could be consistent with my diet, we could determine if this source was wreaking havoc on our little B's gut. Why did B's doctor think of this?
Brinnon got really sick two or three times this winter and the virus could have stripped her lower intestine of the enzyme 'lactase' which digests the protein 'lactose' (milk protein). With this information we now understand why B screamed and was frantic at the breast, why she had so many blow-outs, and why she was losing weight. Without the ability to produce lactase, her body viewed the milk protein (and soy mimics the milk protein which is why I had to cut soy) as invasive or foreign body. This created her lower intestine to shed (hence mucus) layers and rid itself of anything in her gut the minute it entered her digestive system. Poor poor little girl!
To test our doctor's theory I had to cut milk and soy for a month because I am breastfeeding. The cows milk protein goes into my breast milk and therefore into Brinnon. To find if this was the culprit, I had to remove it too. With the elimination of both dairy and soy we hoped to see an improvment in Brinnon's behavior and stool. We saw both! Within two and a half weeks we started seeing formed stool and a little girl who enjoyed breastfeeding again.
Allowing her body to heal in this month could also give the intestinal tract a chance to recreate lactase. We are now in the slow reintroduction phase of dairy, to see if B can digest it now or to see if the protein will again create havoc. The future will tell. I have to note how lucky I feel to be at this point. Today I had creamy whole milk yogurt with my favorite granola. Every bite was cherished...Oh how I missed you Brown Cow!
Eliminating dairy and soy from the American diet takes true dedication. Soy is in every processed food as a thickener/binder and dairy...well...they are both in everything quick and easy. The month went slow..................................................
Consistency also plays a huge role in our parenting. I feed Brinnon on a consistent schedule, or most days. She naps at consistent times and has a consistent bedtime. Her food has the consistency of apple sauce and is slowing getting more texture. Her stools are getting to be more consistent with a normal consistency. She is consistently getting cuter and more fun to be with and our love for her is definitely and unconditionally consistent!
What can we say? Our lives are finally defined! Thanks Brinnon! :)
And by the way, it's been day two with dairy in my diet and so far so good! No blow outs! YEAH!