When I welcomed my daughter into the world, I initially chalked up her constant fussiness to her personality. It seemed like she was perpetually unhappy about something, and given my own fiery nature, it wasn’t shocking that I ended up with a spirited little one. However, as she turned one month old, a nagging sense began to grow within me—maybe it was more than just typical baby grumpiness.
I distinctly recall one particularly challenging night. Despite our best efforts—multiple car rides, nursing sessions, pacifiers, singing, and even vacuuming—nothing seemed to soothe her. In that moment, I felt utterly helpless. I turned to my partner, saying, “What if something is actually wrong with her?” To my relief, he had been contemplating the same thought. After all, babies shouldn’t be this perpetually irritable.
I quickly brushed aside my concerns, convincing myself that this was just our reality. As a first-time mom, I often struggled to trust my instincts amidst the chaos of new motherhood. But I should have listened to that inner voice—my intuition was trying to tell me something significant.
It wasn’t until she reached two months that the reasons behind her distress became clear. One typical Monday morning, clad in the same sweatpants I’d worn for days, I was changing her diaper when I noticed something alarming: a strange color mixed in with her baby green poop. It was a shockingly vivid hue—one that will forever remind me of those early parenting days. But this wasn’t just any color; it had red, slimy specks. I knew immediately what it meant: blood.
My mind raced back to my sister’s experience with her daughter, who had been diagnosed with several food allergies—notably dairy, soy, and eggs. The similarities between our children’s symptoms were uncanny. How could I have overlooked this connection sooner? I quickly dismissed my feelings of guilt and called our pediatrician for an urgent appointment. Then, as I laid my daughter down for a nap, the tears flowed freely. I had sensed that something was amiss, yet I had dismissed it, afraid of appearing like an overly anxious first-time mom. In reality, my daughter was suffering, and I had ignored the signs.
Feeling like a complete failure, I wondered how I could have missed these critical warnings. Our pediatrician wanted to rule out other possible issues, so we collected stool samples for testing. Once those results confirmed no other conditions, we shifted our focus to potential food allergies.
After assuming that dairy, soy, and eggs were the culprits, I made an immediate change to my diet, ensuring that these allergens didn’t pass through my breast milk. It wasn’t easy—reading labels, researching hidden ingredients, and meal prepping became my new normal. But after about four weeks, we finally began to see a transformation in my daughter. Almost overnight, she blossomed into a joyful, energetic baby who slept well and thrived.
While she still has her spicy moments, I couldn’t be more grateful for her improved health and happiness. Looking back, I realize that my hesitation to trust my instincts delayed our journey to this point. I’ve since become quite familiar with our pediatrician’s office, but I’d rather be seen as overly cautious than risk missing something vital for my child’s well-being.
So, to all mothers out there—whether it’s your first, fifth, or eighteenth experience—don’t ignore your instincts. They are powerful and worth listening to. For more insights on this journey, check out another one of our blog posts here.