Good Ridance

When we decided that it would be best for me to quit nursing Riley and move her to formula, I don't think that either Blake or I imagined that the 2 weeks that followed would be so difficult. In fact, we made the move in order to simplify - to relieve stress and help our little girl with her weight gain. Instead we spent about 2 weeks struggling with a baby that would cry for hours on end, spit up everything that she took in, and had a cracked and bleeding bottom from the number of dirty diapers she was having in a day. After trying several formulas for sensitive tummies our pediatrician recommended/instructed us that Riley was going to have to go on Nutramigen by Enfamil. I could hear the sympathy in his voice when he called me back with the instructions... Sympathy I understood as I stood on the formula isle and stared at the price for a can. It was twice as expensive as a regular can of formula! Nutramigen is a special formula that has removed milk proteins - which many babies show an allergy or intolerance to. While they don't believe that Riley had an allergy to the proteins, her little infant belly obviously has issues processing them.

What a blessing it has been, though! Within only a few days Riley's entire personality changed! We had thought of her as a fussy, difficult baby... In a few days she was calm and mild mannered and even began smiling shortly after! She slept better and went longer inbetween feedings - Blake and I looked at eachother after a week on the formula and both agreed that the cost was well worth the baby we had in return! And since then Riley has only continued to grow more kind and good natured! We are so thankful that God provided a type of formula that gave us our precious, kind baby back...

We are also thankful that the pediatrician told us that it was time to try her on regular formula! Riley just finished her last(lots of prayers!) bottle on Nutramigen! Please pray that her tummy can not handle something that it has to work a little harder at to process. Nutramigen is so broken down that she hardly has to do anything so this will be an adjustment. Blake and I are both prepared to put her right back on it if she has any problems, though! As parents we simply want what is best for her - no matter the cost! But for now we are saying "good ridance!"