taking Ezekiel to the chiropractor

Ezekiel has been crying so much since he was born that I finally took him to the pediatric chiropractor last week. I had tried to get him to the chiropractor about half a dozen times sooner, and it just never worked out, but having him scream for an hour straight one evening finally made me decide it was worth it to make the hour and a half drive by myself with the three little ones, even if we got nothing else accomplished for the day. Just the drive there took three hours, because we had to stop six times (I refuse to let my babies cry uncomforted in the carseat; I just can't handle it), but we made it. And sure enough, Ezekiel's back and particularly his neck was causing him a tremendous amount of pain. We've now made four trips within eight days, and the drive there takes us at least two hours every time, and each trip from start to finish has taken a minimum of seven hours, and so that has been rather grueling. I love our routine at home and I hate dragging the children around so long that they can't help but be cranky and disobedient.

But Ezekiel is feeling so much better that it is worth it. Before, he was rigidly tight all through his torso. He would often cry when I shifted him, whether nursing him or setting him down on the floor or picking him up from his carseat or really just anything. He sputtered and choked often while nursing, not because he was getting too much but really, I think, because he was having trouble swallowing well. He was favoring his left hand, which may mean that he is going to be left-handed but at three months, I don't think he should be favoring one hand so strongly. He would arch his back stiffly even during tummy time, so that his legs didn't ever really relax and rest on the floor.

Now he's not tight at all but in two places, one spot in the middle of his back and and then the really painful spot in his neck (he is shifted over on his left atlas, if you know what that means). He is so much happier. No pain when I move him and no crying for mysterious reasons. Nursing better and in general just seeming quite a lot happier. I am so relieved, and of course still feeling terrible for not bringing him to the chiropractor sooner. I knew there was something wrong and I knew better than to wait so long. Of course I'm glad that he's doing better now but I'm regretting not listening to my mom instinct sooner.