Colic – Ben’s Story
To really understand my story and Ben’s story, I need to take you back to the day before he was born. I was past due and had gone in for a check up. With the heart rate belt on, it became clear that something was wrong. Instead of my little one’s heart rate going up when he kicked, it went down. I met my husband at the hospital. Our little one’s heart rate sent alarms sounding. To make a 24 hour story short, he required a vacuum, some strong hands, and a lot of tugging to come into this world. When he finally arrived, it was clear why his heart rate had been plummeting. His umbilical chord had wrapped around his neck three times and around his feet twice. He was literally hog-tied. Luckily, he was perfect in every sense of the word. We left the hospital and I forgot all about his dramatic delivery.
About five weeks later, my sweet, snuggly little baby changed into a crying, sleepless mess. I read every colic book I could get my hands on and I tried every suggestion that I read. White noise, changing my diet, swaddling; the list went on and on. He would only sleep for an hour and a half at a time. I was lucky if he slept two hours. He wouldn’t sleep anywhere but on me and I apparently was only allowed to sleep on the sofa. He cried or whimpered incessantly from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM every single day. The crying so unnerved my husband that he couldn’t stand to be home when our son was crying. I felt like my marriage was in danger. I felt that I was doing something wrong as a mother. Life was far from blissful.
After seven weeks of this and when Ben was three months old, my husband began to have back trouble. I scheduled him an appointment at the closest chiropractor to our home. Honestly, neither he nor I had ever been to a chiropractor before and didn’t know what to look for in a new doctor or clinic. Luck was with us when I just happened to schedule him at the Comprehensive Health and Chiropractic Center with Dr. Russ. He went to his appointment. My husband returned home as a full believer in the benefits of chiropractic medicine. In fact, he told me that he had scheduled an appointment for Ben that very afternoon.
I stopped dead in my tracks. Ben? My little Ben at the chiropractor? Of course, I hadn’t been to a chiropractor. My head was filled with the scene you would expect to find in a medieval torture chamber. The rack, the hammers, the mallets. And they wanted to work on my three month old baby? Like any modern mother, I hit the internet. I read every article I could find regarding babies and chiropractic care. I was shocked to find all the research, testimonials and recommendations that supported this holistic way to help your baby. Slowly, I began to piece the puzzle together. Ben had literally been twisted up in my womb, tied in place, then he was contorted, pulled and stretched in delivery. My back would be a mess too!
That afternoon, I walked into CHCC and met with Dr. Russ. His familial manner and empathetic nature put me at ease immediately. He had me hold Ben while he gently felt along his back and hips. As he made little adjustments with his fingers, Ben didn’t make a fuss. He just watched as Dr. Russ worked his magic. Everything Dr. Russ did was so minor, I almost wondered if it had any effect at all. From Dr. Russ’ office, we walked across the hall to Dr. Kimberley’s office. She gave him some light acupressure as I nursed him. At no time during these procedures was Ben out of my arms, nor did he show any sign of discomfort or pain.
When we got home, I laid Ben down for his nap. He slept for almost six hours. I had to check on him several times to make sure he was still breathing. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Do you mean I can take a nap too? Three cheers for CHCC!
Now firm believers, Ben, my husband and I all have become weekly visitors to Dr. Russ’s office. Ben’s colic disappeared over the next three weeks and is now a distant memory. As a first time mom of a very colicky baby, I can’t describe to you just how nervous I was before our first visit. If my husband had not scheduled the appointment for me, I don’t know that I ever would have gone. But after that first session and first miracle nap, followed by another session and even longer naps, I became and still am an advocate for infant chiropractic care. Ben is now almost three years old. We still visit Comprehensive Health and Chiropractic Centre. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.