The Good with GERD

As you all know Ruth has been diagnosed with Acid Reflux (or GERD) and I am sure that you have heard all the negative press about acid reflux in children. To be fair there are some up sides to a baby with acid reflux:

1) Heightened Startle Reflex. I must say that I really enjoyed her startle reflex. I will admit that it severely impeded her ability to take naps but I found it hilarious that her arms would shoot up in the air at the slightest noise. It looked like she was getting robbed in an old spaghetti western. We started telling people she was praising the lord. It has gone away as she has gotten older and the medicine has started working, but if it were still going on I would think those would be her first words since I would say it every time it happened (ask Natalie if you don't believe me).

2) Zegerid Tastes Good. Zegerid is the medicine that the doctor has put her on for her reflux. It comes as granules that we mix with water and then try to shoot down her throat. She is surprisingly crafty about spitting it out. She actually holds it in the back of her throat instead of swallowing it. She will even cry through her nose so that it doesn't interfere with her not-so-peaceful resistance. Sure, that part of it is traumatizing for us as parents but the Zegerid has a nice peachy-salty flavor (it has sodium bicarbonate in it which makes it salty). That means that after you give her the medicine when you give her a kiss her cheeks taste all peachy. She tastes like a little fruit pie (mmmmmm.....fruit pies).

3) Weight Control. Sure this sounds bad but I am sure none of you wished for a morbidly obese child. In this Obesity Epidemic America we live in having a child who doesn't want to eat insures there will be no over eating. Yes she has quite bit of chub on her legs but if you look at the rest of her she is svelte. I am going to be putting extra locks on the door when she hits adolescence. I am already preparing to install GPS in her car so I can monitor her movements on "dates".





4) A Constant Opportunity for Interaction. When you have a baby that won't nap then you have ample time to play with them. That is great when you just can't get enough of your babies attention but it can be hard physically. For example, Ruth likes rattles. So now my forearms look like Popeye's from shaking Rupert so much. If only she liked working out....

5) I never have to worry about oversleeping for anything anymore. There is really nothing more to add to that.



Acid Reflux can really be strenuous on new parents when you aren't sure what your child needs of how to provide it. It is hard enough for parents of a "normal" baby but we have persevered. This is just my way of looking at the positives that go along with a non-terminal illness. Since we have had Ruth on medication she has eaten better, slept better, and has been all around more supportive of us as new parents.