Trusting Your Mommy Gut

Tonight I learned a very important lesson in trusting your mommy gut. My daughter is on a prophylactic antibiotic for a year in hope that her kidneys will begin to work correctly (she currently has issues with reflux). The medication she is on is this horrendous banana flavor - say it with me, "yuck".

Why they ever decided to make infant meds this flavor is beyond me. Cherry, strawberry, grape I can understand, but BANANA? COME ON! You just can't reproduce that flavor - trust me I tried it and gagged. In order to get her to take her daily dose, we have been "hiding" it in her food, all ninja-like. Her bananas, rice, avocados, sweet potatoes and green beans have all had their chance at ninja duty. We share the wealth since they don't like their flavors altered with that nastiness. They told me so.

Well, little miss always sqinches up her face and sticks out her tongue at the first taste of the not-so-stealth food - her food needs additional ninja training apparently. Either that or nothing is that good - which is my guess. In the past couple of days she has decided that she will fight with all her might to not eat the particular item her meds are in. I guess she doesn't know that it will help her, just that it tastes disgusting. I've tried telling her, honest.

Today my wonderful husband decides that we should try just giving it to her straight up. So since she didn't get her dose in her lunch (she is a stubborn thing, that girl), I decided I should try it tonight. Of course I decide this on a night he is on duty (though it seems like he always is lately, but that's for another post). Anyway, as soon as she is finished eating her entire dinner - let me say she did a wonderful job at it too, she must have been hungry - I get up, walk to the medicine cabinet, fill her dropper, walk back to her high chair, bend down and start by dropping about 1/3 into her mouth. All the while, I'm telling myself, "This is NOT going to end well. I should just leave it be for the night and let her enjoy her after-dinner drink [aka water]."

I should have listened to myself. When will I learn?!? As soon as it hit her throat (I put it as far back on her tongue so as not to have her taste it as much) she started gagging. Aaaand....up came what looked like all of her dinner. Yum. So, I spend the next few minutes cleaning her up, calming her down and holding her as I wash off her tray. I'd be having a fit too if I had were her.

I totally just want to take her off this friggin' medicine and call it good. I just know though that if she were to get another kidney infection, I would never forgive myself because I would be the one taking her off her meds. The only other option is to change her to a higher strength antibiotic, but I really don't like that idea either.

As I sit here with my baby girl asleep on my chest, I realize that I should never doubt my intuition. God blessed me with mothers' intuition and I didn't use it. He instilled me (and other women) this gift of feeling, or heart or gut or whatever else you want to call it. I did learn that I need to use that gift to help my children. However, because I failed this time, I won't (in this situation at least) next time.

So moms, trust your gut. He gave you instinct, use it.

I do want to say too, that it was a good idea my husband had. We needed to try it to see if it would work. When we try again, it will be on an empty stomach though. Either that or my husband can clean up her mess, cause that was just nasty.