And so it begins...allergies!

Layla was supposed to have a photo shoot for a friend's new photography studio but she got constipation from these iron supplements (I despise them! They gave her such a hard time. I never thought that hearing a baby poop or at least fart would bring us so much joy! I think the mother, if breastfeeding, should be the one taking the iron supplements to pass on to her baby.), plus she got the rashes. Poor kid.

At four weeks, Layla was diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis or skin asthma. I thought that they were just the usual baby rashes from the heat, but I noticed that the rashes were spreading to her chest and back; and I couldn't stand watching her scratch her face (she was hurting herself, so now she has mittens on for most of the day). She was in agony. Plus she kept hitting her face. Later on I realized that she was actually hitting and scratching her nose because it was probably itchy. First thing that came to my mind: allergy. But I couldn't pin point what it was in my diet that was giving her one (because she's breastfed, so the allergen was coming from my milk).

So I took Layla to Dra. Paulino, her new pedia, and not only did she have skin asthma but also an allergic reaction to cow's milk (indicated by the rashes on her ears).

Ugh, my nightmare. I drink cow's milk everyday! And I eat cereal every single morning!

I had to buy soy milk as a substitute for the cow's milk, and I was put on a very strict diet...my God, I felt like I was pregnant again, except this time they added dairy and wheat to my DO NOT EAT list.

Layla's skin asthma may last for only a few months and clearing up her skin and nasal passages everyday takes a lot of time. Her rashes also spread to her scalp and they hardened up, so combing her hair was like combing sand paper; but I fix that up everyday, too, with petroleum jelly (According to Dra, baby oil will make her feel hotter, so petroleum jelly's better). That's all I do everyday, plus some work when she's asleep. I must admit, though, that cleaning your baby's ears and nostrils and every fold on her body can be pretty fun and fulfilling. Layla gets a little fussy sometimes, but most of the time she thinks we're just playing. Hehe.


Now her skin's all cleared up and her scalp just has a few flakes. Yippee! So Layla's a happy, healthy baby again and we can't get over how pretty she looks. But I still can't get a nice picture of her smiling! Come on, baby, smile!