Tough day as a mom!

[BensMom]

Today I had to take DS in for a special hearing test. He had a test in the booth but seemed to be missing certain sounds consistently and they weren't sure if it was due to toddler distractbility or an actual hearing problems. So they scheduled a test called an ABR this morning. Basically, he naps (with the help of a mild sedative), they attach electrodes to his head and earplugs in his ear, and measure his brain's response to sounds.

The good news is that his hearing is fine. Chalk one up for toddler fickleness.

The bad news is that it was soooo hard to get him to sleep. We woke him at 5:30am, so he would be tired by 9ish for the test. We also could not give him food or drink for 3 hours prior. So we nursed at 5:30am, but that was it.

The sedative made him disoriented and being in a strange room made him fight sleep so bad. I walked him, rocked him, put him in the sling...to no avail. He just cried and cried. I sung, bounced and even lost my temper a few times as he pulled my hair and hit me. He thrashed and kicked and my back and arms are killing me. I was in tears at one point. All I wanted to do was nurse him. And he kept signing "Please" and "Nurse" and I was so sad that I had to say No. (Needless to say, I will not be initiating weaning any time soon!)

Eventually they gave him another 1/2 dose and I put him in the stroller (crying) and walked him up and down the hall. 5 mins later he was out cold (an hour total).

I felt so bad for the poor guy. He doesn't seem to have suffered permanent damages, as he was his normal happy self all afternoon. But geez! How do people do CIO by choice? Granted in this case, holding him didn't help, but when you know it will, how do you just let them cry? That was enough crying for me for a long time!

Anyway, just wanted to vent to an understanding bunch of moms.

Jenn

[sozobe]

That does sound tough. Much sympathy to you.

If I can interject a little side note, your post was incredibly encouraging to me for one reason -- the fact that while your son turned out to not have a hearing problem, you have been signing with him anyway. This is really revolutionary; historically, kids have only had their hearing loss discovered when they fail to start talking, and even with early screening these days (which I'm all for), there's usually a big gap in the child's exposure to language before the parents start signing with him/ her.

90% of deah/ hh kids have hearing parents, and up until very recently, that meant major language delays since the parents, almost without exception, didn't know sign. I'm really interested in how widespread signing with babies is becoming, in and of itself, but that's a possible huge side benefit -- that the kids who do have a hearing loss have this early exposure to language that they've historically been without. (I'm deaf and my master's is in Deaf Education.)

Anyway, glad that your horrible day seems to have had a happy ending.

[dentente]

Man, that had to suck. I'm sorry you guys had to go through such a raw deal. All for the best. Good with the bad. I think it is awsome that people sign more now.

I began signing wih my daughter in earnest at 7 months and she picked it up fairly quickly. She was able to sign back at 9 months and by a year she had about 15 signs she used consistently. She began to talk at 14 months and now at nearly 20 months she mostly speaks but resorts to signing when she is tired or desperate.

Denny

[Kate]

Sozobe,

There was recently a thread about signing with babies that mentioned a couple of different websites. (Was this thread on the toddler board, or somewhere else here at MDC? Does anyone remember?) We use a book called "sign with your baby" that is pretty good. We've found signing to be a good supplement to DS's words.

[Kate]

Sozobe,

There was recently a thread about signing with babies that mentioned a couple of different websites. (Was this thread on the toddler board, or somewhere else here at MDC? Does anyone remember?) We use a book called "sign with your baby" that is pretty good. We've found signing to be a good supplement to DS's words.

Oops, forgot to say to BensMom, that must have been so hard! I know just what you mean when you ask how on earth can people use CIO by choice? On the rare occasions when DS is inconsolable, I am beside myself. It's so hard to listen to him cry, even when I'm doing everything I can to help him!