Ok, so I am SOOO gung ho with breastfeeding, but my Lord, I swear this child is going to kill me. I think because she is hitting her 2 week growth spurt, she just feels compelled to eat all the time. My nipples are killing me and I've noticed a jump in my supply. Thing is, she still sleeps ALL the time during the day.
We had a follow up visit with the pediatrician last Thursday and I was praying that she was back to birth weight since she was nearly 2 weeks old. Well, on 8/20 she was 7 lbs 12 oz and last week she was 8 lbs 6 oz! It was 4 oz shy of her birth weight, but the pediatrician said that she made awesome progress gaining that week, and that I do not need to supplement with formula. That made me happy!
I weighed her yesterday with a clean diaper on and a pair of pj's and she weiged 9 lbs 4 oz, so taking off 1/2 oz for the diaper and maybe 2 oz for the jammies, she must be at least 9 lbs 1.5 oz or so. That is great gaining for 6 days since her last weigh in!
It's awesome seeing her little thighs fill out. She still has chicken legs and is still in newborn Pampers, but you can see little creases forming in her thighs :)
Sometimes you need a break. I gave her 1 oz of pumped milk last night. I managed to pump 1 oz in the course of 2 days last weekend. I'd try to pump more but she sucks me dry right now. Pumping will have to wait I guess! She drank the 1 oz and then still latched on to my left side for about 8 minutes. When she was done, she was awake, so we did tummy time on the floor and then I turned her over and she was just so content looking around. It kind of made me wonder if I should just try to pump 1 oz daily and give it to her as a special "treat" lol It was just so great seeing her lay there, looking around wide eyed at all of us. She's such a blessing. It's what keeps me going with breastfeeding- knowing that she loves it, and that we both enjoy the closeness. There is just something special about knowing that she needs me, and only me, at that moment.
I sometimes have to wonder though, if my husband is jealous though, of all the baby & me time. I mean, I make sure to allow him time to bond by changing poopie diapers, etc... (LOL)
I guess the moral to my rambling is, although I feel I need a break because this is so overwhelming to me (its been 5+ yrs since I've last breastfed), when I look at my precious bundle in front of me, I know that I have to suck it up and move on til the next feeding. If she eats every 2 hours, then that is my break. I get 2 hours to have to myself, to enjoy a cup of coffee, or to shower. My baby needs me. She needs the mommy and Emmaleigh time that we are having. It's what helps her thrive and grow.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and feel that you just want to quit, take a deep breath. Go grab a cuppa somethin. Have a cry if you need to, because God knows I've cried several times during her crying fits at 2 am when she just wanted to stay permanently attached, yet I needed sleep!
It will all blow over soon. Know that it WILL get better. This, I promise you!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Another great night!!
Seems Ms. Emmaleigh is having a growth spurt. She was nursing about every 2 hrs last night. She usually never wakes up to eat, I have to wake her to feed her. Last night, she woke on her own, about every 2 hrs like clock work. She actually ate from both sides as well, which is great for my supply.
I decided to take 3 Fenugreek tablets last night to give myself a little boost in the milk department. Be sure to check out the link on the sidebar on Fenugreek dosage for tablets, teas and tinctures.
Her jaundice is beginning to go away, so maybe that has something to do with her waking up to eat. She's having the normal, nasty breastfed baby poops and wet diapers, so that is all a good sign of her getting enough.
Speaking of getting enough, little Ms. is up from her nap. Must go change her diaper and feed her!!
I decided to take 3 Fenugreek tablets last night to give myself a little boost in the milk department. Be sure to check out the link on the sidebar on Fenugreek dosage for tablets, teas and tinctures.
Her jaundice is beginning to go away, so maybe that has something to do with her waking up to eat. She's having the normal, nasty breastfed baby poops and wet diapers, so that is all a good sign of her getting enough.
Speaking of getting enough, little Ms. is up from her nap. Must go change her diaper and feed her!!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Lactation Cookies Recipe
For this recipe, you need to visit a health food store to find the brewer's yeast. It is NOT the same yeast you use to make bread. It's around $11-14 for a huge jar.
Also, you want to use thick cut oats, not the quick cook ones. You can find those in your grocery store's natural food section, or maybe even in with the cereal/oatmeal. The brand I have is Bob's Red Mill and I bought it at Whole Foods.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast
Directions
1Preheat oven to 350°.
2Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
3Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.
4Add eggs and mix well.
5Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
6Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
7Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
8Stir in oats and chips.
9Scoop onto baking sheet.
10Bake for 12 minutes.
11Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.
Also, you want to use thick cut oats, not the quick cook ones. You can find those in your grocery store's natural food section, or maybe even in with the cereal/oatmeal. The brand I have is Bob's Red Mill and I bought it at Whole Foods.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast
Directions
1Preheat oven to 350°.
2Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
3Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.
4Add eggs and mix well.
5Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
6Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
7Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
8Stir in oats and chips.
9Scoop onto baking sheet.
10Bake for 12 minutes.
11Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.
I ended up in Urgent Care
First, let me say that I posted this the other day and for some reason it didn't post, so here I am again.
I've been having shortness of breath, chest tightening, headaches, and its been hard for me to catch my breath. I finally decided to go to the urgent care to check for clots, because my legs also are really swollen from the c-section.
We were there for like...4 hours. It was terrible!! I did an EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, and a CT Scan. I was hesitant to do the CT scan because it was with contrast. I had my husband look up CT Scan and breastfeeding while I was back there waiting, because they told me that I wouldn't be able to nurse for 2 days.
I at first declined the test. When they told me I would have to pump and dump for 2 days, I began crying. I said there is no way I would do that. I can't pump very well. Not only that, I just knew that would be it. Once she got a bottle, she wouldn't want mommy anymore! We've worked so hard to get to where we are (had a horrible time latching in the beginning and I was in SO much pain!)
The urgent care doc was really nice. She said she fully understood that nursing was important and that she wouldn't make me do the test. She took the time to Google an article by Dr. Jack Newman who basically specializes in breastfeeding. The article stated that so long as no radioactive dyes were used, I wouldn't have to stop nursing the baby.
I also whipped out my BlackBerry and went to KellyMom.com and read an article on the use of radioisotopes during nursing, and even they stated that its OK to continue nursing. So, that's what we did.
So, if you ever need to get a CT scan, God forbid, know that its ok so long as the contrast used is classified as an L1 or L2. See the link above for Kelly Mom for more info on the dyes used. The one that they used for me was Omnipaque. I was sure to have the RN phone radiology to double check. It's iodine based.
So anyhow, after all of that, everything came up ok. I have no idea what is going on with me. Maybe its all just a side effect of the spinal anesthesia or something. The doctor told me to just continue taking my prescribed meds because the pain in my chest could be from an inflamed chest wall, and the ibuprofen will take that inflammation down.
I don't even want to see the bills from this visit!!
I've been having shortness of breath, chest tightening, headaches, and its been hard for me to catch my breath. I finally decided to go to the urgent care to check for clots, because my legs also are really swollen from the c-section.
We were there for like...4 hours. It was terrible!! I did an EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, and a CT Scan. I was hesitant to do the CT scan because it was with contrast. I had my husband look up CT Scan and breastfeeding while I was back there waiting, because they told me that I wouldn't be able to nurse for 2 days.
I at first declined the test. When they told me I would have to pump and dump for 2 days, I began crying. I said there is no way I would do that. I can't pump very well. Not only that, I just knew that would be it. Once she got a bottle, she wouldn't want mommy anymore! We've worked so hard to get to where we are (had a horrible time latching in the beginning and I was in SO much pain!)
The urgent care doc was really nice. She said she fully understood that nursing was important and that she wouldn't make me do the test. She took the time to Google an article by Dr. Jack Newman who basically specializes in breastfeeding. The article stated that so long as no radioactive dyes were used, I wouldn't have to stop nursing the baby.
I also whipped out my BlackBerry and went to KellyMom.com and read an article on the use of radioisotopes during nursing, and even they stated that its OK to continue nursing. So, that's what we did.
So, if you ever need to get a CT scan, God forbid, know that its ok so long as the contrast used is classified as an L1 or L2. See the link above for Kelly Mom for more info on the dyes used. The one that they used for me was Omnipaque. I was sure to have the RN phone radiology to double check. It's iodine based.
So anyhow, after all of that, everything came up ok. I have no idea what is going on with me. Maybe its all just a side effect of the spinal anesthesia or something. The doctor told me to just continue taking my prescribed meds because the pain in my chest could be from an inflamed chest wall, and the ibuprofen will take that inflammation down.
I don't even want to see the bills from this visit!!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thrush Prevention Recipes
If you suspect that your baby has thrush, try this natural method of cleansing. First, be sure to check that the white spots on the tongue and cheek do not wash off with a gentle rubbing with a clean damp rag. Once you've established that it is thrush, you can do the following:
1/4 tsp baking soda into 6 oz water. Mix well. Dip a cotton swab into the solution and gently swab the baby's mouth wherever you see white. Do NOT double dip the same cotton swab. If you need more solution, you need to use a fresh swab each time. You cannot keep that batch of solution to use the next day. You need to dump it out and make a new one every day.
For mom's breasts:
As a yeast preventative:
1 TBSP vinegar to 1 cup water. Cleanse your nipples and surrounding area 4 times per day. Allow to dry thoroughly before applying any lanolin or nipple butters.
1/4 tsp baking soda into 6 oz water. Mix well. Dip a cotton swab into the solution and gently swab the baby's mouth wherever you see white. Do NOT double dip the same cotton swab. If you need more solution, you need to use a fresh swab each time. You cannot keep that batch of solution to use the next day. You need to dump it out and make a new one every day.
For mom's breasts:
As a yeast preventative:
1 TBSP vinegar to 1 cup water. Cleanse your nipples and surrounding area 4 times per day. Allow to dry thoroughly before applying any lanolin or nipple butters.
Emmaleigh Claire is here!!
Sorry that I haven't been updating the blog, but I've been too busy babymooning with my new daughter!!
Emmaleigh Claire arrived via c-section on August 7th at 9:55 am. She weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz and was 19 3/4" long.
She came out crying and sucking on her hands. Ok, maybe crying is too nice of a word. She was screaming her brains out for about 15 minutes. LOL
Since I had a c-section and don't do well during recovery, I couldn't sit up straight all the way, but the nurse in the recovery room was nice enough to come lay Emmaleigh on my chest, skin to skin. I was amazed to see that when she was placed on my chest between my breasts, that she maneuvered her way over to my left breast- all from smell- and attempted to latch on!! It's called a Breast Crawl. Once she was there, we latched her on and she suckled and was comforted for about 45 minutes. It was amazing!
Needless to say, my Em is a breastfeeding pro, right from the womb. I am blessed that we haven't had any issues thus far.
Emmaleigh Claire arrived via c-section on August 7th at 9:55 am. She weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz and was 19 3/4" long.
She came out crying and sucking on her hands. Ok, maybe crying is too nice of a word. She was screaming her brains out for about 15 minutes. LOL
Since I had a c-section and don't do well during recovery, I couldn't sit up straight all the way, but the nurse in the recovery room was nice enough to come lay Emmaleigh on my chest, skin to skin. I was amazed to see that when she was placed on my chest between my breasts, that she maneuvered her way over to my left breast- all from smell- and attempted to latch on!! It's called a Breast Crawl. Once she was there, we latched her on and she suckled and was comforted for about 45 minutes. It was amazing!
Needless to say, my Em is a breastfeeding pro, right from the womb. I am blessed that we haven't had any issues thus far.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Let the journey begin!
Wow! As I sit here typing this all out, I have come to realize that I will begin yet another breastfeeding adventure in 2 days! I haven't nursed a baby in...5 years!! At least I know this time the challanges that may lay ahead of me.
Thinking back to 2004 when I had my son, it was so unfamiliar. Thank GOD that I had taken time to actually sit and read up on breastfeeding. The La Leche League Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book was on my coffee table, and I used it religiously. Everytime my son would squeak or fuss at the breast, I'd have to thumb through the book to see what could be wrong.
"Why is he eating every 5 minutes!?" (running to consult the infamous book). Of course, I didn't take everything in that book seriously. I mean, even for me, that book was a little too serious and even ridiculous at times.
Why am I making this blog? Well, as a huge pro-breastfeeding mama, I wanted to sort of document my breastfeeding trials and tribulations. I wanted a place where people can read about the ups and downs, and get straight forward answers to questions from a 'real' person and not medical mumbo jumbo that has been Googled.
I am taking classes through Childbirth International to become a breastfeeding counselor. I am studying the composition of breastmilk, how breastmilk is made by the body, and everything else that comes along with it. It's sort of become a passion or obsession (if you want to call it that) to expose others to breastfeeding.
I wasn't always a breastfeeding mama. In fact, my 1st two children were bottle fed, formula babies. I was 22 when I had my first child. I didn't read up on nursing, but I knew that I wanted to do it because afterall, its best for babies! Yeah. I made it maybe one day in the hospital nursing, then cried desperately to the nurses to give me formula. My baby was big ( 9 lbs 2 oz) and was seriously crying at the top of his lungs, even right after feedings. As soon as he got that bottle of Similac, a hush fell over the room, and this first time mama was happy!
Because of that experience, I didn't even attempt to nurse baby #2 19 mos later. Eventhough by the time my milk had come in after having her, I could've probably fed an entire small village somewhere, I wasn't about to try it. I was scared.
Baby #3 was a breeze. Now, I will admit, I did have my 'Oh my God, he's wanting to eat every hour' freak out moment. I did call my husband from the hospital at 1 am crying because eventhough the baby had just eaten, he was crying again to eat. I was 7 hours post partum. I needed sleep! In reality, what was my husband going to do? Come to the hospital and nurse the baby? I just needed someone to vent to. Someone to gripe to. At 1 am, who else was I going to call (that wouldn't mind me calling at 1 am)?
After my new mama again freak out mode passed, I was able to successfully nurse him for 16 months. I am sure we would've had a longer nursing time, but it was my desire to persue becoming a surrogate mom, so we needed to wean in order to begin that process.
Speaking of becoming a surrogate mom- after I had my surrogate daughter, I did pump for a short time for her. I was able to ship her 480 oz of frozen breastmilk!
Now that I am getting ready to give birth in 2 days to my 4th child, I want to be sure to document every moment of our nursing experience.
My blog is entitled "Breastmilk is the best milk". I have bought a domain that I will also be making to encorporate a link to my blog, as well as post email questions and answers to breastfeeding questions onto the website. As I sit around "nak" (nursing at keyboard) when time allows, I plan on creating a website for new and seasoned breastfeeders to come to, to get advice, to chat with other nursing moms, to obtain the answers they are looking for, and possibly even find a needed milk donor or a milk recipient for their breastmilk!
I ask you, to make this a success, PLEASE pass on the link to my blog! Please become a follower! If you have any questions related to breastfeeding, please email me and ask me. I will take all emails and compile them into a Q&A session where I will post my answers every Friday for the week.
I hope you enjoy following my journey!
Thinking back to 2004 when I had my son, it was so unfamiliar. Thank GOD that I had taken time to actually sit and read up on breastfeeding. The La Leche League Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book was on my coffee table, and I used it religiously. Everytime my son would squeak or fuss at the breast, I'd have to thumb through the book to see what could be wrong.
"Why is he eating every 5 minutes!?" (running to consult the infamous book). Of course, I didn't take everything in that book seriously. I mean, even for me, that book was a little too serious and even ridiculous at times.
Why am I making this blog? Well, as a huge pro-breastfeeding mama, I wanted to sort of document my breastfeeding trials and tribulations. I wanted a place where people can read about the ups and downs, and get straight forward answers to questions from a 'real' person and not medical mumbo jumbo that has been Googled.
I am taking classes through Childbirth International to become a breastfeeding counselor. I am studying the composition of breastmilk, how breastmilk is made by the body, and everything else that comes along with it. It's sort of become a passion or obsession (if you want to call it that) to expose others to breastfeeding.
I wasn't always a breastfeeding mama. In fact, my 1st two children were bottle fed, formula babies. I was 22 when I had my first child. I didn't read up on nursing, but I knew that I wanted to do it because afterall, its best for babies! Yeah. I made it maybe one day in the hospital nursing, then cried desperately to the nurses to give me formula. My baby was big ( 9 lbs 2 oz) and was seriously crying at the top of his lungs, even right after feedings. As soon as he got that bottle of Similac, a hush fell over the room, and this first time mama was happy!
Because of that experience, I didn't even attempt to nurse baby #2 19 mos later. Eventhough by the time my milk had come in after having her, I could've probably fed an entire small village somewhere, I wasn't about to try it. I was scared.
Baby #3 was a breeze. Now, I will admit, I did have my 'Oh my God, he's wanting to eat every hour' freak out moment. I did call my husband from the hospital at 1 am crying because eventhough the baby had just eaten, he was crying again to eat. I was 7 hours post partum. I needed sleep! In reality, what was my husband going to do? Come to the hospital and nurse the baby? I just needed someone to vent to. Someone to gripe to. At 1 am, who else was I going to call (that wouldn't mind me calling at 1 am)?
After my new mama again freak out mode passed, I was able to successfully nurse him for 16 months. I am sure we would've had a longer nursing time, but it was my desire to persue becoming a surrogate mom, so we needed to wean in order to begin that process.
Speaking of becoming a surrogate mom- after I had my surrogate daughter, I did pump for a short time for her. I was able to ship her 480 oz of frozen breastmilk!
Now that I am getting ready to give birth in 2 days to my 4th child, I want to be sure to document every moment of our nursing experience.
My blog is entitled "Breastmilk is the best milk". I have bought a domain that I will also be making to encorporate a link to my blog, as well as post email questions and answers to breastfeeding questions onto the website. As I sit around "nak" (nursing at keyboard) when time allows, I plan on creating a website for new and seasoned breastfeeders to come to, to get advice, to chat with other nursing moms, to obtain the answers they are looking for, and possibly even find a needed milk donor or a milk recipient for their breastmilk!
I ask you, to make this a success, PLEASE pass on the link to my blog! Please become a follower! If you have any questions related to breastfeeding, please email me and ask me. I will take all emails and compile them into a Q&A session where I will post my answers every Friday for the week.
I hope you enjoy following my journey!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
