Binky woes

Right now: Jake crying inconsolably.
Reason: Removal of binky.

So we've decided once and for all to ban the binky. I know many may think that's a little harsh, that he's only 14 months and still needs it, and why don't we just relegate it to use only at bedtime. I agree one hundred percent. However, when both our pediatrician and cardiologist suggested that the binky may be related to a slight behavioral problem we have been experiencing, it was enough to convince us once and for all to ban the binky for good.

What behavioral issues could be caused by a binky? Try breath-holding spells. What is a a breath-holding spell? According to Wikipedia, breath holding spells are the occurrence of episodic apnea in children, possibly associated with loss of consciousness, and changes in postural tone that occur in 5% of the population. Basically, Jake wakes up in the middle of the night, sits up and begins to cry inconsolably, we rush in and pick him up, he cries so hard he can't catch his breath, he passes out, goes into a "seizure-posture", and looses consciousness for up to a minute. He's had about 15 of these such episodes since March. The episodes are terrifying and the hardest part is that they are benign. Despite that they have still resulted in me performing CPR, calling 911, and spending 3 days in the hospital.

When these episodes started to increase in frequency, our cardiologist became even more convinced that these were behavioral. She instructed us to put Jake back into his own room (we practically were sleeping in shifts with Jake in between us), and when he woke up crying, not to do anything. You mean like not even go into his room to make sure he's OK? I asked. Nothing.

It was incredibly difficult to stomach, but like clockwork, Jake woke up crying at 4am. Greg and I hovered outside his door, wringing our hands with concern and peaking through the open crack. Sure enough, when neither of came in to settle him, he lay back down and went to sleep. Amazing!

So problem solved, right? Wrong. It's incredibly hard not to run to your child when they are crying, regardless of the cause. So somewhere along the way, we started running back into his room to stick the binky in his mouth as soon as we heard a peep. It was a gradual progression but a few short weeks later he was back to his breath holding episodes again.

This time, our pediatrician concurred. Get rid of the binky. So here we are again, though this time we're sticking to our guns. So far, it kinda sucks, but as I finish typing I hear the cries softening and am hopeful that as I peak in, he will be sound asleep and stay that way until morning.

Jake and Binky: A History