At George’s early health visitor visits concern was expressed that George was not gaining weight at the expected rate. We spent months back and forward to breast feeding councillors and Drs trying to improve his milk intake, we topped him up with expressed milk and eventually formula, to no avail. George was a very sicky baby and would scream for long periods of time. We investigated reflux and a scan revealed it was borderline. By this time we were seeing a paediatrician at the hospital. We were observed feeding and kept in a ward for the day for observation. The paediatrician decided the next thing to rule out was Cystic Fibrosis, George had been born before the routine testing for this was included in the newborn heel prick test. After weeks of yet more worry we got the all clear. George was by now 6 months old. We celebrated the good news and settled down to finally enjoy our son.
We began weaning at 26 weeks and slowly George gained weight and was fully discharged from the paediatrician team. George was still a very unsettled baby, refusing to nap during the day and still spending long periods crying. During this time I experienced being asked to leave a supermarket because of his crying, being aggressively shouted at on the bus and general comments and tutting wherever we went. I don’t believe in leaving babies to cry so life wasn’t always easy. I would have George in a sling or in my arms so he felt comfort when he was in this state of distress, we’d spend hours walking the park or pacing up and down at home.
Eventually George began to develop more and with his new independence was a bit more settled, we were able to join baby and toddler groups and things seemed to be looking up.
