When I was pregnant with Em, there were a lot of things we were prepared for. Short lifespan, blindness, deaf, immobility, brain surgery, these were all things that we knew we would be up against, and went in full speed ahead, embracing whatever challenges came our way. As most of you know, miraculously, most of those things never became our reality, and for the most part Em had an unexpected, but very welcomed, healthy infancy.
One thing we weren't expecting were all all the food and stomach problems that she currently has, and has had since she was very small. Along with Syntelencephaly, Em's major health "concern" is low muscle tone. It's pretty vague terminology, but basically means she has a week muscular system which is why she still cannot walk. The idea is that by doing physical therapy, those muscles will become strengthened and she will eventually one day (hopefully this year?), walk.
As is turns out, kids with low muscle tone tend to have stomach issues because their abdominal muscles aren't strong enough to pass stool through their intestines, which can lead to extreme constipation. Em spent most of her infancy very constipated, and in a lot of pain, which means we relied heavily on infant formulas that were gentle enough on her system so that she could get both the nutrients she needed, and the ease that her body desperately desired.
Gerber Good Start Soothe formula is specially designed to ease excessive crying, colic, fussiness, and gas, while providing complete nutrition. This was such a game changer for us because there are a lot of formulas out there on the market, and even though we had our favorites with Jay when he was a baby, they didn't always work for Em. Her body is different, and needed to be fed differently. But I'm grateful to know that there are products out there to help all babies, no matter what the situation, get the nutrients they need. Formula wasn't the only piece to the puzzle for Em, and to this day she is still on a laxative regimen to help with constipation, but during her infancy where it seemed like she was non-stop crying, and always in pain, Gerber Good Start Soothe Formula played such a large roll in getting her just a little bit more comfortable at nighttime.
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