restless fussy baby/sleep deprivation, continued discussion

[Guest guest]

Dear Tracey;

Based upon what I'm hearing, I don't know how much cranio will help

either in a lasting way, unless we have missed an additional

structural factor beyond the discussion below. It certianly would

need to be someone with broad experience with this and some related

techniques, in my opinion, but again, here's what I'm looking at next:

 

> i am wondering whether to cancel my naturopath appointment for next

> week and use that money instead for craniosacral therapy.

>

1. Pitta reducing diet combined with blood cleansing herbs in

wintertime may be very inappropriate now. Why are you doing it at

this time? Ayurveda is very seasonal in recommendations, not only

weather but of course your imbalances, but recs will change as the

weather does usually, for the same imbalance even. In particular,

neem and the turmeric unless very well balanced will increase vata,

restlessness, dryness, feeling unsatisfied, and makes the milk

thinner. Did you say she is a Kapha baby? Then she needs more

warming spices in her/your foods anyway. The turmeric can be used,

along with others like ginger and a little pepper or cayenne and the

middle of the road spices of course. More dairy for soothing and

nourishment also. What was the blood purification needed - do you know?

 

> yes, the sleep problems began around june

 

Your herbs started in May? This alone can be part of the baby's lack

of ease, combined with

 

2. > How much is she nursing?> every hour in the night, every 2-3

hours in the day.

 

Ayurveda takes a different approach from that recommended by all

others I hear, such as La Leche League in the US. AFter an infant is

about 2 weeks old/nursing is established well, due to the length of

time it takes Baby to digest milk and to avoid incomplete products of

digestion which can cause very uncomfortable tummy and disturbed

appetite, confusion about how to feel satisfied when it is difficult

to identify cause - we say to be sure to take at least 2 hours from

end of one feeding to beginning of another. I believe this and your

strong drying (also considered depleting in excess) herbs together may

be the issue here. It takes a little time to clear the system of ama,

but your diet has been quite good in many ways so might turn around

pretty quickly. Feed her well, then insist on 2 hours. Growth

spurting pitta babies push the envelope a bit, but not every hour, it

only complicates for you and her both.

 

> legs drawn up under her, and it also seems the more i nurse her at

> night, the more she wakes crying, so i was thinking maybe some kind

> of digestive problem.

You are right! Some relieve temporarily can be achieved usually from

things like fennel seed tea (tsp per cup, steep till cool enough, make

fresh daily), fennel or dill seed oil on the tummy, and other

products. I do not know the strength or appropriateness of what you

have, but if the source continues, the problem will continue.

 

It sounds like you have been on a very purifiying program for a long

time, with a strong spiritual intent and will to do the best for you

and your family. Sometimes this can backfire with austerities and

then giving of yourself where it depletes without knowing the balance

(no blame). We have also to recognize the need for creating more

comfort, celebration and honoring of the Divine Play in the present as

well as doing things to bring the enlightenment in the future some

time. It is about balance; Ayurveda is about creating balance in an

everchanging life; Dr. Saraswati Buhrman calls it, " knowledge of how

to surf the everchanging waves of life successfully " . Certainly we

need sufficient comfort and ease in life to support higher

consciousness, if you don't mind the comment I find sometimes

important to give attention here.

 

You are of the Hare Krishna community, or is avoiding garlic due to

the pitta? Of the onion, garlic, chilies collection, the only one I

would recommend here is browned garlic, that is used with mothers

after childbirth even among devotees according to Dr. Sarita Shrestha,

for support restoring needed balance including the high vata and

insufficient ease in the body or ungrounded conditions natural at this

time. Garlic is used in Ayurveda as a temporary but very valuable

medicine even for those who spiritually are on a path which avoids its

use. It may be there are such lingering imbalances for you, we might

need further discussion here, and it can be used in your situation to

speed the return to balance for your little one.

 

You are doing many very good things for yourself and family. I'd like

to support Fine tuning which is more important the more we give

ourselves to purifications. Such as, food combining of (fruit with

anything else except dates are probably fine). Apple with oats is not

recommended by Dr. Lad. Variety IS recommended - different grains,

and more proteins in your diet look indicated. If you are a nursing

mother, you will need to be taking in more to provide satisfactory

milk for your baby and energy for yourself to feel content and pass

that feeling on to your baby. I would suggest milk and some seeds or

nuts also in the am.

 

Normally we start the babies on the water from boiling basmati rice

first, then from dhal after a week or so with a little ghee and basic

cumin/turmeric type spicing (gradually increasing thickness/solids as

the digestion and bowel movements support it). Is she taking the

yoghurt cold or thinned at all in lassi? At her age she may do very

well with the ayurvedic milk formula, I'll have to look up the recipe,

using unhomogenized whole milk, water, succanat or rapadura for

minerals/sweetness, and 4 spices for digestive support. Tahini milk

(no dairy) may also be very supportive for stabilizing her with more

nutrition. Taken warm, like mother';s milk.

 

she is not a big eater, except when it comes to yoghurt which she loves.

Indicating need for both more protein and more vata soothing food.

 

from the lack of sleep (i think) i have been feeling a bit nauseous,

dizzy and aching tummy. also aching arms, legs and hip and back pain.

(hip pain i think is from carrying her a lot).

 

Your diet and herbal cleansings can also put you into this mode on top

of your needs for both sleep and nursing. These are vata and possibly

some pitta symptoms. Did you loose weight quickly after childbirth,

and how is your weight/height now? I am concerned for you

nutritionally getting enough. Nursing is like running 10 miles a day,

not counting your other needs!

 

> the house is very quiet and peaceful, our marriage is happy.

Congratulations!

 

> i am giving her 1/2 cap of brahmi and 1/2 cap ashwagandha after

lunch and dinner. i don't really know what i'm doing here, just

> trying different things out of desperation

 

This is a large dose for a little one, in my opinion, and without

proper digestive support for these herbs can create more ama and tummy

discomfort. Some say if YOU drink the herb tea, in 5 minutes or so it

will be in your milk. I'd advise for you to use these plus some

others when we get to it also, in a properly designed formula, before

bedtime in your warm milk tonic. Add ghee to your milk, 1 tsp.

 

If you can arrange for help over the weekend, also arrange for ample

for you - and her - of this soothing hot drink or warm almond milk

with ghee and saffron (for variety, and even in the night when waking)

to ensure sufficient minerals, proteins, and long burning energy to

support your ease. It is not just about your hormones, although for

sure you should have shatavari in your formula, for both nourishing

pitta (not cleansing now!) and hormonal balancing.

 

We can still consider giving her a small sleep dose or one of the

tinctures in short term, but these other things are more important.

 

> mentat is used to help children with ADHD it apparantly helps calm

> and also helps to sleep. it has valerian and other herbs

 

temporary/patchwork probably fine to use instead of tincture or

tagara. Does not address cause. Dies it have some pippali or other

warming digestive in it? She likely will need.

 

she drinks and then is ready to keep moving and crawling,

> playing etc. even when she was very little, i dealt with a huge

> oversupply which made her gag and choke the milk came so fast, so

she has never fallen asleep while nursing (unless exhausted). even

in > the middle of the night she will finish, turn over and go back to

> sleep.

THis is fine! and partly of the overfeeding syndrome also.

>

> talking on the phone is difficult for me, if she is awake she

> requires my undivided attention, if sleeping even the slightest

noise wakes her. is it possible that you can help me by email?

 

So from your experience many can learn. Let us know how this helps,

and perhaps a bried conversation on the phone can give me what I need

for an herbal formula for you, and we can discuss her diet/milk

options also. Donations gratefully accepted It is some signif time

on the computer here - and I cannot promise others to take this time

with attention to their situation as the group gets larger. But it is

my pleasure -

 

Many Blessings;

Martha

[Guest guest]

Hi Martha,

sorry I am just getting to reply to this now, things are hectic as we

are leaving soon to go overseas for a while.

 

 

> 1. Pitta reducing diet combined with blood cleansing herbs in

> wintertime may be very inappropriate now. Why are you doing it at

> this time?

 

i saw an ayurvedic doc in may as i was getting canker sores

repeatedly in my mouth. about 10-20 (or more) at a time

continuously, on the roof of my mouth, throat, cheeks etc. and i had

this ongoing for about 2 years and no doctor (western) knew why.

after about a month of the program the doctor put me on, everything

cleared up. after my daughter started having sleep problems, i

thought, let me stop all the herbs and see if that has an impact. i

stopped them for one month (continuing the diet) and the sores came

back. not as bad, about 20% of what it used to be.

the main reason i follow such a strict diet is, if i even eat one

little thing different (like different spices etc) then the sores

come back. so that is why i am taking the blood purifying medicine

and why i am eating such a restricted diet. even a little pepper

aggravates it. a little fresh ginger is ok tho.

 

these past few days i have altered Kalyani's diet to include heavier

foods, less fruit and more foods like paneer. i think this is having

a positive impact as she seems calmer and less hyper. i have stopped

giving her the herbs and am now just rubbing brahmi oil into her

head. (i've noticed this has helped). one other thing i tried was

to drink the " yogi sleepytime tea " which has things like skullcap,

passionflower and valerian. and the last 2 nights, she has slept much

better, waking only every 2-3 hours, not hyper when she wakes and

only making a few small crys instead of screaming.

 

 

> You are of the Hare Krishna community, or is avoiding garlic due to

> the pitta?

 

my husband is indian, so we attend both the hindu temples and the

iskcon temples. ever since i was small i could not stand the smell of

onions or garlic (i think because it reminded me of meat, i don't

know) but to this day, the smell is nauseating to me and i can't have

them in the house!

 

Did you loose weight quickly after childbirth,

> and how is your weight/height now? I am concerned for you

> nutritionally getting enough.

 

yes, i gained a lot of weight in pregnancy (about 50 pounds) and lost

a lot afterwards (about 60 pounds). now my weight is around 100

pounds. i am trying to eat more and i eat until i feel very full 3-4

times a day, but i am not having any luck with putting on weight.

 

so in a week we are off to new zealand and the cook islands to visit

my family. It will be interesting to see how she does in the warmer

weather and ocean breezes.

 

When we come back, I will let you know if there is any improvement

and maybe we can talk on the phone then. Your help is much

appreciated!

 

blessings and thanks

tracey (and kalyani)

[Guest guest]

Dear Tracey;

Although I do not know if you will read this before you leave, I'd

like to share something more about the pitta/cold sores. It came to

me rather sideways. I had to deal with breast cancer which I

discovered rather after the fact for me was more viral. The medical

intuitive I worked with (in addition to some wonderful ayurveda and

essential oils support I learned!) did not know why at the time he

recommended it, but he put me on very large doses of an olive oil

infusion of St. John's word in olive oil over about 2.5 months. AFter

3 months the thermogram came out squeeky clean! If I were you I'd be

doing this also, realizing however for some the issue of ingesting

geletan based capsules for that medicine would have to be dealt with.

Flora Brand. It has a much different effect than St. John's wort

alone, although that is the antiviral.

 

And, although even better to have someone identify an ideal protocol

sequence of nutrient/supplementation.

 

Otherwise I have found essential oils of Ravensara mixed with

chamomile (others optionally) very helpful as cooling antivirals which

can be dropped 6 - 10 drops into veggie capsules just before

ingesting, 3X daily for some time is how I would recommend if you were

my daughter or sister.

 

I am so happy to hear your little Kalyani is responding to her dietary

shift. Now to take better care of you! Sweet dairy (ie milk and

fresh cheeses) are likely to support you well (more than sour versions

because of their pitta increasing properties). Frequent use also of

coconut oil which is very high in an antiviral agent now also isolated

and sold in pills (as usual ..) and is very cooling will be especially

supportive for you - also as you are going to be in warmer clime.

Enjoy as many of those fresh young watery coconuts as you can ...

hopefully they suit you otherwise? And generous use of cilantro,

which has antimicrobial and chelating properties in addidion to being

awesome to any skin inflammations and pitta aggravations. Speaking of

chelation, do you have mercury filings, or more aggravating, some

mercury and some gold or other metal in your mouth? The research is

showing increase of viral activity with this situation.

 

I am sure the warm gentle moist climate you are traveling to will be

very soothing to all of you. Thank you for sharing, and I hope you

get this last note!

 

Bon Voyage!

Martha

[Guest guest]

hi Martha! thanks for your reply

 

you mentioned about the flora brand olive oil with st johns wort,

would i find this at natural health stores?

 

> like to share something more about the pitta/cold sores.

 

they are not cold sores, but sores inside the mouth mostly in the

back of the throat, cheeks, gums etc..white with a red rim. i think

canker sores. do you still recommend the olive oil caps?

 

 

> Otherwise I have found essential oils of Ravensara mixed with

> chamomile (others optionally) very helpful as cooling antivirals

which

> can be dropped 6 - 10 drops into veggie capsules

 

 

do you know where to buy this essential oil? and the veggie caps?

 

 

> I am so happy to hear your little Kalyani is responding to her

dietary

> shift.

 

for the last 2 nights she has slept a 5 hour stretch, waking only

once in that time and putting herself back to sleep! because we're

making some progress i've postponed the naturopath appointment. i've

also found an ayurvedic doctor in auckland right near my parents

house so we will hopefully go to see him while we are there.

 

Now to take better care of you! Sweet dairy (ie milk and

> fresh cheeses) are likely to support you well (more than sour

versions

> because of their pitta increasing properties).

 

is ricotta counted as a fresh cheese? i know cottage cheese is, but

i'm not sure what other cheeses would be ok.

 

And generous use of cilantro,

> which has antimicrobial and chelating properties in addidion to

being

 

i always use a lot of fresh cilantro, but i was wondering, i used to

add it to the dal at the end of cooking where it would go kind of

soggy. lately i've been sprinkling it fresh on top just before

serving. what is better?

 

> awesome to any skin inflammations and pitta aggravations. Speaking

of

> chelation, do you have mercury filings, or more aggravating, some

> mercury and some gold or other metal in your mouth? The research is

> showing increase of viral activity with this situation.

 

ah yes, 3 or 4 old mercury fillings from back when i was in high

school. no fillings for the last 10 years or so tho.

 

thanks again for you help,

i will post when we return,

 

blessings,

tracey