Toddler with Recurring Ear Infections, Sinus Issues, Asthma
Mila’s mom made her an appointment when she was 18 months old because she had recently been through two double ear infections in a row, and was hospitalized for one of them, that resulted in a ruptured eardrum. (Poor baby!) Even though she had recovered from the infections, she still had fluid in one of her ears. In addition to this, she also had sinus allergies, and asthmatic symptoms of coughing and wheezing. At under two years, she was already taking antihistamines and using Albuterol (asthma medication) regularly. She was also having issues with constipation, only going every other day, and wasn’t sleeping well.
As I assessed her, I noticed that Mila had a lot of tension at the base of her skull and neck, and through her lungs and respiratory diaphragm. Her ears, as you can imagine, were very sensitive and she disliked any touch in that area.I worked with her gently and playfully, releasing the tension in her chest, ribcage, and respiratory diaphragm, and showed her mom some percussion techniques she could use to help her clear her lungs. I also worked with the tension in her head and neck, and used some light techniques on her head to help her sinuses drain.
Mom reported back to me a few days later that she had been clearing a lot of junk from her head and lungs for about 24 hours after the appointment, and was now breathing much better both in her lungs and sinuses, and that she had begun pooping daily, as well. Awesome!!
I heard from her mom again 3 weeks later, and she said that, although her daughter had recently gotten a cold, she did NOT get an ear infection with it! In addition, for the last three weeks, she had continued to sleep better at night, and go to the bathroom daily. She has been able to reduce her antihistamines significantly, and only needed the Albuterol during her cold. Her mucus had cleared up a lot prior to her cold. I imagine that having correct drainage in her had and chest really improved her experience of getting of being sick, and kept it from going into her ears this time.
When a child is breathing, sleeping, and digesting well, life is SO much better for everyone! I am so glad that her mom brought her in, and that I had the fun privilege of helping this sweet little one.
Over the years, I have worked with many, many babies and children. It brings me so much joy to help ease the huge transition a family makes as they bring new humans into the world, and to help these sweet ones adjust to it all. My favorite issues are still working with sleep problems and generally unhappy babies, because it continues to redeem my own experiences with my little one. Mine also had an undiagnosed, severe oral tie that greatly impacted our breastfeeding journey, so I have put in a lot of work to learn how to help babies and moms who need support with nursing and oral ties. I understand that this is a time when everything can feel so hard, and that the right support makes all the difference in the world.
Something that has really made my heart swell is that many of the children who come in for help begin to understand their own bodies, and know when to ask their parents to make them an appointment. I think it’s just amazing that they can feel supported and that help is available from such a young age– this is something that can be hard even for adults to do! Babies are whole, present humans even before they are born, and come into the world as fully formed people. Working with adults, I have come to understand that many of the issues we carry came from our birth experiences or traumas or injuries in our tender years. How beautiful to help release these issues as early as possible!
