Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Diary of a lupie pregnancy: Chapter 4
Words from Mama Brittany:
Well folks I'm 28 weeks into this pregnancy and guess what?! Today I graduated from the heart sonograms because 28 weeks is the cutoff date if anything was going to happen it already would have. I asked my high risk ob what our plan of action was from here on out and he replied with a smile "Have a normal pregnancy? You'd like that right?" so there we go my first big battle is won and I'm confident that I will stay healthy and carry this baby full term. I want to thank Dr. Brewer, because of your diet I've gained about 30 pounds and for someone who struggles to put on weight it's a great feeling! As I was leaving the sonogram today the lady said " congratulations again, oh and the baby is measuring 2 pounds 12 ounces." I froze, Oliver was born 4 weeks from today weighing 2 pounds 14 ounces. Craziness, I just feel so blessed. Oliver is my miracle and I know that every single day, but some days it hits home more than others. Today was that day.
Sometimes when life doesn't make sense- we have to take time to step back and understand that we usually can't see the big picture. In time I've learned that everything happened for a reason and it's made me who I am
And where I'm meant to be. And I'm thankful <3
Be loved and Cherish life, it's precious.
Pregnant breastfeeding.
Words from Mama Brittany:
When I found out the big surprise that I was expecting again, My first thought was "Oh no, will I have to wean Oliver?" I was so excited to be pregnant again, but it wasn't in my plan. I planned to nurse Oliver for 30 months minimal and then allow him to self wean, after 30 months I decided it would be ok to get pregnant again because I would have met my breastfeeding goal.
I got pregnant when Oliver was 20 months old, and still very dependent on breast milk. He would nurse a lot for comfort as well as for nutrition. I was very nervous yet determined to allow him to self wean as long as the pregnancy went well and the baby and I were healthy. I did tons of research and debunked all ideas of continued breastfeeding through pregnancy causing harm and made the informed decision to continue.
Here I am at 28 weeks still nursing! The baby and I are healthy and both gaining weight. My milk dried up from 19-23 weeks but Oliver just kept on nursing. I was so happy to have colostrum come in because dry nursing can only be described as a feeling of sand coming through your nipples. It was quite painful and not enjoyable but the comfort it provided for my son did make it all worth it.
Many woman set limits on nursing because it becomes unbearable, there have been times I've said no, or only allowed him to nurse for short periods. All in all I think my experience with nursing through pregnancy has been relatively uneventful and mostly pleasant.
I am excited to know what it will be like to nurse two babies at once. Or should I say a toddler and a baby? I'm sure it will be a fun adventure and I'm looking forward to it!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Nursing a toddler Vs. nursing a newborn
Words from Mama Brittany:
I am 27 weeks pregnant and nursing my 27 month old toddler. I was thinking today that in a short few months I will get to nurse a squishy sweet newborn again! I am getting so excited to be a tandem nursing Mama and be able to bond with both of my boys in such a special way.
As I looked back on my adventure of nursing Oliver I've realized that so much has changed in his nursing habits! Newborns nurse so sweet and innocently, they seem so happy to just nurse and get a full belly. As they approach the four to six month range they begin pulling off more and becoming what I like to call nosy! Oliver was so nosy and had to see what was going on! That's about the time the movement started, the kicking his legs, pulling my hair, twiddling at the other nipple, and grabbing at my shirt. All of this happened so gradually I sort of just went with it and was happy to keep on nursing.
It wasn't until recently while thinking of having a newborn to nurse did I realize how very different nursing a toddler and nursing a baby are!
I still cherish my crazy nursing toddler, the pulling my hair, hanging onto my shirt straps, little teeth marks in my nipple from the toddler gnawing. But i am so looking forward to nursing a gentle little newborn again! Looks like my adventure of nursing is about to get a whole lot more sweet!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Breastfeeding is love.
Words from Mama Brittany:
So it's Valentine's day! I thought I'd do a little blog about something I love! Can you guess what that is? Oh come on you can guess! Your right it's about breastfeeding! I wanted to write a little bit about the behind the scenes of my love for breastfeeding and how I became so passionate about it. It's not just because the stuff is freaking amazing, breastfeeding is about so much more than the milk!
A long time ago there was a little girl who absolutely loved babies. I was four years old when my two baby cousins were born. I remember helping take care of them, and how much fun it was! My Mum would pick me up from pre-school and little Ashley would be sitting there waiting for me, I loved helping my mom take care of her and watching her grow! I had many other little cousins and babies come into my life and I enjoyed caring for them all. I practically moved into my neighbors home to help her with her three boys. When I was thirteen I worked at my first daycare, and then began some part time nannying and babysitting jobs. I knew ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to work with children. I used to tell my Mom that I was going to adopt all the children around the world that didn't have Mommies to love them, and that I would be their Mommy.
So it's quite easy to see babies are kind of my thing, but how did working with babies lead to my breastfeeding obsession? Some of the children that I cared for were breastfed, but most were actually formula fed. It wasn't until I worked at The Goddard School as the newborn teacher that I really got introduced to breastmilk. I remember asking one mom "When do you plan on giving her real food?" She looked at me puzzled and asked what I meant. I asked her when she would give her daughter formula because I thought breastmilk was only good for the first few months! Thank God this Mama laughed and said " OH Mrs. Brittany, she will never get formula!" Oh how far I've come!
After Jacob and I married I needed a new job and I went back into the Nanny field. By the way can I just say being a nanny was the best job ever! I was really lucky that I got some amazing families to care for! Anyways I nannied for four wonderful children, the youngest were twin babies who were exclusively breastfed. It was an amazing thing to watch those babies grow on just their Mama's milk! So between it all I started becoming very interested in breastmilk. I knew I would breastfeed one day.
When I got pregnant with Oliver I was prepared to breastfeed, as you know Oliver was born via emergency c-section and I was asleep for his birth. I didn't meet Oliver until he was over 48 hours old. He was less than three pounds. I knew I would give him my milk, the nicu was glad they didn't have to convince me! I couldn't hold Oliver too much in those early days, but I could pump my milk and give him the best of me. Pumping my milk for him was something I could do, it made me feel like I was truly a mother.
After we brought Oliver home I had to continue to pump and allow him time to practice and learn at the breast, it took a lot of work and a lot of practice! During this time I was so sick from Lupus but didn't really know it. I was also battling hypoglycemia very badly. My health was not in a good place and on top of it all I got mastitis. I thought about giving up so many times. My body felt so sick and it took a long time for healing. I set out on a journey to find my health again, that led me to be the super crunchy: non vax, co-sleeping, baby wearing, anti circ, organic food eating, gentle parenting Mama that I am today!
As my physical healing was taking place so was my emotional healing. Breastfeeding did that for me. I remember after Oliver's birth I felt so broken, I felt like I had failed my baby for not being able to give him the growth that he needed. He was starving on the inside, so I was determined to nourish him on the outside. For me breastfeeding helped me work through my sadness and guilt. I was in such a dark place for so long but bonding with Oliver and connecting to him by giving him life sustaining milk helped bring me out to a place of healing and freedom. God was smart when He made us to feed our babies in this way, He knew how it would make us feel, and that His babies that He sent us would know all the love in the world.
I can't describe what it's like to breastfeed your child, if you have been one of the lucky Mama's who have experienced it then I need not explain. It's the most magical wonderful thing in the whole world. I am so happy that Oliver is still breastfeeding at two years old. I cannot wait until him and this baby breastfeed together and share in that special bond of love. For a mother to share her milk with her baby, or another baby is an act of love in itself <3
Breastfeeding=Love, and love my friends makes the world go round <3
So it's Valentine's day! I thought I'd do a little blog about something I love! Can you guess what that is? Oh come on you can guess! Your right it's about breastfeeding! I wanted to write a little bit about the behind the scenes of my love for breastfeeding and how I became so passionate about it. It's not just because the stuff is freaking amazing, breastfeeding is about so much more than the milk!
A long time ago there was a little girl who absolutely loved babies. I was four years old when my two baby cousins were born. I remember helping take care of them, and how much fun it was! My Mum would pick me up from pre-school and little Ashley would be sitting there waiting for me, I loved helping my mom take care of her and watching her grow! I had many other little cousins and babies come into my life and I enjoyed caring for them all. I practically moved into my neighbors home to help her with her three boys. When I was thirteen I worked at my first daycare, and then began some part time nannying and babysitting jobs. I knew ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to work with children. I used to tell my Mom that I was going to adopt all the children around the world that didn't have Mommies to love them, and that I would be their Mommy.
So it's quite easy to see babies are kind of my thing, but how did working with babies lead to my breastfeeding obsession? Some of the children that I cared for were breastfed, but most were actually formula fed. It wasn't until I worked at The Goddard School as the newborn teacher that I really got introduced to breastmilk. I remember asking one mom "When do you plan on giving her real food?" She looked at me puzzled and asked what I meant. I asked her when she would give her daughter formula because I thought breastmilk was only good for the first few months! Thank God this Mama laughed and said " OH Mrs. Brittany, she will never get formula!" Oh how far I've come!
After Jacob and I married I needed a new job and I went back into the Nanny field. By the way can I just say being a nanny was the best job ever! I was really lucky that I got some amazing families to care for! Anyways I nannied for four wonderful children, the youngest were twin babies who were exclusively breastfed. It was an amazing thing to watch those babies grow on just their Mama's milk! So between it all I started becoming very interested in breastmilk. I knew I would breastfeed one day.
When I got pregnant with Oliver I was prepared to breastfeed, as you know Oliver was born via emergency c-section and I was asleep for his birth. I didn't meet Oliver until he was over 48 hours old. He was less than three pounds. I knew I would give him my milk, the nicu was glad they didn't have to convince me! I couldn't hold Oliver too much in those early days, but I could pump my milk and give him the best of me. Pumping my milk for him was something I could do, it made me feel like I was truly a mother.
After we brought Oliver home I had to continue to pump and allow him time to practice and learn at the breast, it took a lot of work and a lot of practice! During this time I was so sick from Lupus but didn't really know it. I was also battling hypoglycemia very badly. My health was not in a good place and on top of it all I got mastitis. I thought about giving up so many times. My body felt so sick and it took a long time for healing. I set out on a journey to find my health again, that led me to be the super crunchy: non vax, co-sleeping, baby wearing, anti circ, organic food eating, gentle parenting Mama that I am today!
As my physical healing was taking place so was my emotional healing. Breastfeeding did that for me. I remember after Oliver's birth I felt so broken, I felt like I had failed my baby for not being able to give him the growth that he needed. He was starving on the inside, so I was determined to nourish him on the outside. For me breastfeeding helped me work through my sadness and guilt. I was in such a dark place for so long but bonding with Oliver and connecting to him by giving him life sustaining milk helped bring me out to a place of healing and freedom. God was smart when He made us to feed our babies in this way, He knew how it would make us feel, and that His babies that He sent us would know all the love in the world.
I can't describe what it's like to breastfeed your child, if you have been one of the lucky Mama's who have experienced it then I need not explain. It's the most magical wonderful thing in the whole world. I am so happy that Oliver is still breastfeeding at two years old. I cannot wait until him and this baby breastfeed together and share in that special bond of love. For a mother to share her milk with her baby, or another baby is an act of love in itself <3
Breastfeeding=Love, and love my friends makes the world go round <3
 |
| Breastfeeding is about so much more than the milk. I am 20 weeks pregnant here and my milk supply is pretty much gone, but look how happy my baby is?!? It's all about the love! |
Sunday, February 5, 2012
I'll stand for what I believe in, even if I stand alone.
Words from Mama Brittany:
In case you have been living under rock and have not yet heard about the deal with facebook and breastfeeding mothers, check out here for some more information.
First, I want to mention the breastfeeding incident at Target. A mother was nursing her baby and was asked to go into a fitting room where she could breastfeed in private. It happens all the time in Western cultures, but why? Why is it a big deal to see a woman breastfeeding her child? Why do we have to shame mothers into feeling dirty and bad for giving her baby the absolute best nutrition that's available on the face of the planet. One does realize that nothing compares to breast milk and nothing ever will. EVER. Now, we have moved on to Facebook, mothers are having their pictures being taken down, and accounts closed because the pictures are "inappropriate." On February 6th, 2012 Mothers will gather around the globe to protest Facebook's breastfeeding photos policy. If you can't make the protest, simply change your picture to one of you and your babe breastfeeding, or this photo here:
I know I am extremely passionate about breastfeeding and I do not apologize for it. I will stand up for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. And for the record I don't stand alone, I stand with gazillions of other wonderful radical milky mamas around the globe and together we will change the world! Nothing has made me feel more alive than being a mother and nothing makes me feel more like a mother than breastfeeding. I couldn't have one without the other.
I want to challenge you today to open up your mind and step outside of your comfortable box that you've put around yourself. I want you to imagine for a moment that there is indeed a great big world out there and not everyone does things or thinks things the way that you do. Let go of the judgments and allow people to have freedom even if you don't agree with it. You can only take care of you, so for the sake of the world stop judging us, breastfeeding mothers. Stop assuming our motives are to turn on your husbands and get people to oogle over our boobies. Stop telling us to keep it in private because no one wants to see it, or because its gross. It's not your body, its not your baby. The point is we need to stop telling other mama's that if you're a nursing mom who likes to cover up, then cover up--do your thing. It doesn't mean we all have to feed our babies under blankets, we have freedom to choose and I thank God for our freedom. Men and woman are giving their lives for our freedom.
Let's look at two scenarios. If you have seen the movie "Babies," you'll remember a
scene of the African Mum walking to the village. There, she is heading to the
"market" with toddler in tow. Not so very different than us Western Mama's who are...oh
say heading off to Target. Her little boy starts throwing a temper tantrum and
what does she does do? She immediately offers him some milk--from her breast.
Nobody around seems to notice or care, the village goes on, the men don't get
google eyed and nobody gives it second thought that this mother is offering her
baby some milk and comfort.
Now picture this scenario. Mom and babe in Target, mom trying her best to hurry
before a meltdown occurs, finally gets in line (of course there is only one lane
open) and the toddler begins to melt down, people around mother begin to stare, they
want her to shut up her kid. Mother breaks out a sippy cup/bottle/etc. Let's
just say the kid takes it, great everyone in line smiles and all is well. Wait,
wait hold on...nope this kids name is Oliver. He has had a rough start in life- he
came into the world early and had a very traumatic birth, he didn't meet his
mama for a few days and their bonding, their attachment is crucial to his
development. This mama fought hard and long to give her baby the best- formula
wouldn't do, bottle feeding wouldn't simply do. So there they are in Target's
checkout and Oliver is overwhelmed and stressed out, crying for boobie, for
comfort, for a meal and a drink. Mama wants to comfort her baby, to feed her
baby. But can she? Will she?
Why is it so different for the Mom in Africa? Why was it different when I
whipped out a formula bottle or a sippy cup? Why then when I wanted to give my
son what's physically and emotionally the best I hesitated.
Oliver didn't need to be premature to need my milk, but I wanted to stress the
fact that I know my baby best and what his needs are. Full term babies deserve
the same thing just like the little African child. When will we live in a world
when pulling out a boob to feed a child is smiled upon and not frowned upon? We
know breast is best, we know formula feeding is 4th best, yet we don't practice
at all what we preach. We are unsupported and judgmental, yet if a mother fails
at breastfeeding than we're not allowed to judge because that makes her feel
"guilty"
Anyone else seeing this backwards pattern here? Why?
Now let's talk about this picture:
OK for a Native American mother to feed her toddler, but its not okay for an All-American mama to feed her toddler? Is it because I'm standing in a kitchen where I could have just given him a drink or some food? Is it because I don't have paint all over my face? Is it because I am 20 weeks pregnant? I have to say I may not look as rad as the Native American Mama, but feeding my toddler and being pregnant makes me pretty darn cool in my book.
I'm going to stand for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. I'm going to post pictures of myself breastfeeding, and I'm going to share them with the world. Would you like to know why? Because I am dam proud of breastfeeding- that's why! It's not easy- it took a lot of dedication and work, sleepless night after sleepless night, dealing with Lupus and hypoglycemia, being a working full time mom and working mom, committing myself to my baby to give him the very best even when it wasn't easy. And you know what I'm proud of myself! I am a rock star mom! I'm going to pat myself on the back because I know what I have done for Oliver is give him the very best of me. I won't apologize for that and if you don't want to see me in my celebration of life and love, then you don't have to look. Too long has breastfeeding been deemed something dirty or naughty, it's not so cut the crap. We need to see breastfeeding for it to become normalized, the more we see it the more normal it becomes and one day this won't be an issue. One day I'll look at my grandchildren and watch them nurse wherever, whenever for however long they want. And nobody will think twice, and then I'll remember the days I fought for their freedom to be able to be given the best. And I'll smile knowing I helped in some small way <,3
I want to leave you with some other photos of me feeding my baby <3
In case you have been living under rock and have not yet heard about the deal with facebook and breastfeeding mothers, check out here for some more information.
First, I want to mention the breastfeeding incident at Target. A mother was nursing her baby and was asked to go into a fitting room where she could breastfeed in private. It happens all the time in Western cultures, but why? Why is it a big deal to see a woman breastfeeding her child? Why do we have to shame mothers into feeling dirty and bad for giving her baby the absolute best nutrition that's available on the face of the planet. One does realize that nothing compares to breast milk and nothing ever will. EVER. Now, we have moved on to Facebook, mothers are having their pictures being taken down, and accounts closed because the pictures are "inappropriate." On February 6th, 2012 Mothers will gather around the globe to protest Facebook's breastfeeding photos policy. If you can't make the protest, simply change your picture to one of you and your babe breastfeeding, or this photo here:
I know I am extremely passionate about breastfeeding and I do not apologize for it. I will stand up for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. And for the record I don't stand alone, I stand with gazillions of other wonderful radical milky mamas around the globe and together we will change the world! Nothing has made me feel more alive than being a mother and nothing makes me feel more like a mother than breastfeeding. I couldn't have one without the other.
I want to challenge you today to open up your mind and step outside of your comfortable box that you've put around yourself. I want you to imagine for a moment that there is indeed a great big world out there and not everyone does things or thinks things the way that you do. Let go of the judgments and allow people to have freedom even if you don't agree with it. You can only take care of you, so for the sake of the world stop judging us, breastfeeding mothers. Stop assuming our motives are to turn on your husbands and get people to oogle over our boobies. Stop telling us to keep it in private because no one wants to see it, or because its gross. It's not your body, its not your baby. The point is we need to stop telling other mama's that if you're a nursing mom who likes to cover up, then cover up--do your thing. It doesn't mean we all have to feed our babies under blankets, we have freedom to choose and I thank God for our freedom. Men and woman are giving their lives for our freedom.
Let's look at two scenarios. If you have seen the movie "Babies," you'll remember a
scene of the African Mum walking to the village. There, she is heading to the
"market" with toddler in tow. Not so very different than us Western Mama's who are...oh
say heading off to Target. Her little boy starts throwing a temper tantrum and
what does she does do? She immediately offers him some milk--from her breast.
Nobody around seems to notice or care, the village goes on, the men don't get
google eyed and nobody gives it second thought that this mother is offering her
baby some milk and comfort.
Now picture this scenario. Mom and babe in Target, mom trying her best to hurry
before a meltdown occurs, finally gets in line (of course there is only one lane
open) and the toddler begins to melt down, people around mother begin to stare, they
want her to shut up her kid. Mother breaks out a sippy cup/bottle/etc. Let's
just say the kid takes it, great everyone in line smiles and all is well. Wait,
wait hold on...nope this kids name is Oliver. He has had a rough start in life- he
came into the world early and had a very traumatic birth, he didn't meet his
mama for a few days and their bonding, their attachment is crucial to his
development. This mama fought hard and long to give her baby the best- formula
wouldn't do, bottle feeding wouldn't simply do. So there they are in Target's
checkout and Oliver is overwhelmed and stressed out, crying for boobie, for
comfort, for a meal and a drink. Mama wants to comfort her baby, to feed her
baby. But can she? Will she?
Why is it so different for the Mom in Africa? Why was it different when I
whipped out a formula bottle or a sippy cup? Why then when I wanted to give my
son what's physically and emotionally the best I hesitated.
Oliver didn't need to be premature to need my milk, but I wanted to stress the
fact that I know my baby best and what his needs are. Full term babies deserve
the same thing just like the little African child. When will we live in a world
when pulling out a boob to feed a child is smiled upon and not frowned upon? We
know breast is best, we know formula feeding is 4th best, yet we don't practice
at all what we preach. We are unsupported and judgmental, yet if a mother fails
at breastfeeding than we're not allowed to judge because that makes her feel
"guilty"
Anyone else seeing this backwards pattern here? Why?
OK for a Native American mother to feed her toddler, but its not okay for an All-American mama to feed her toddler? Is it because I'm standing in a kitchen where I could have just given him a drink or some food? Is it because I don't have paint all over my face? Is it because I am 20 weeks pregnant? I have to say I may not look as rad as the Native American Mama, but feeding my toddler and being pregnant makes me pretty darn cool in my book.
I'm going to stand for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. I'm going to post pictures of myself breastfeeding, and I'm going to share them with the world. Would you like to know why? Because I am dam proud of breastfeeding- that's why! It's not easy- it took a lot of dedication and work, sleepless night after sleepless night, dealing with Lupus and hypoglycemia, being a working full time mom and working mom, committing myself to my baby to give him the very best even when it wasn't easy. And you know what I'm proud of myself! I am a rock star mom! I'm going to pat myself on the back because I know what I have done for Oliver is give him the very best of me. I won't apologize for that and if you don't want to see me in my celebration of life and love, then you don't have to look. Too long has breastfeeding been deemed something dirty or naughty, it's not so cut the crap. We need to see breastfeeding for it to become normalized, the more we see it the more normal it becomes and one day this won't be an issue. One day I'll look at my grandchildren and watch them nurse wherever, whenever for however long they want. And nobody will think twice, and then I'll remember the days I fought for their freedom to be able to be given the best. And I'll smile knowing I helped in some small way <,3
I want to leave you with some other photos of me feeding my baby <3
 |
| One of the first times I breastfed Oliver, about 3 pounds and with a feeding tube in his nose/down his throat as well as wires hooked up in various places to monitor his heart and breathing. |
 |
| Cuddled up with Mama only two days old, right after he breastfed for the first time (He licked my nipple, then fell asleep :) |
 |
| Oliver down my shirt keeping warm after eating <3 |
 |
| 18 months old, had to have a drink right then! |
 ` |
| nursing on Oliver's 2nd Birthday- Mama is about 4 months preggo :) |
 |
| 25 months old nursing to sleep still <3 |
 |
| 25 months old, Mama 21 weeks pregnant <3 |
To learn more and to find out how you can help check out: Facebook.Com/StopHarassingKwasnicaAndALLBreastfeedingWomen
Monday, January 30, 2012
3 Years & Counting.
Word's from Umma Nelly:
I know this blog is mainly geared towards babies and everything about them, but I wanted to take a few minutes to tell YOU, how grateful I am for my husband, Matthew.
In less than an hour, Matthew and I will have been married for 3 years. Happy Anniversary, Matthew ;)
I'm starting to reminisce about what we have been through; the good and the bad. Every moment that we have been through, together, has brought us to where we are now. We've been covered by God's grace, and we're still crazy and madly in love. We have our up's and down's, but what marriage doesn't? My mother always tells me, "after you have been married for 100 years, you're golden." In other years, there will always be beautiful moments, but there will still be battles.
Matthew and I have been through battle after battle in our first year of marriage. I was ready to take back my vows that we said in front of family and friends on Jan. 31, 2009. I was ready to get a lawyer and just divorce him. God had other plans.
In one-long-compound sentence, this is what we went through our first year:
We got married on Jan. 31, but I was still in Lakeland while he was in Jacksonville because I was still attending Southeastern which meant we only saw each other on the weekends; but I did graduate in May and that's when the traveling stopped, however, we were living under the same roof as his parents and then we found out that our first son was going to be born with a serious heart condition, our son was born on July 14 and we were blessed with 23 days with him until the GOOD Lord took him to Heaven, then we had to deal with losing a child while living with his parents, but only a little over a month later to find out that we're expecting again. How did we survive all of that? All of our counselors will immediately tell us that we deserve a gold medal. I have to praise God on this one, because we wouldn't still be Mr. & Mrs. if it wasn't for His intervention.
Do you understand why I wanted a divorce?
Our second year of marriage was the year of blessings. We finally took the plunge and moved out on our own on Feb. 19 and prepared for our second baby boy, Josiah. Don't get me wrong, we still had intense battles to overcome. We were still covered by grief because we missed our son, and we were learning on how to be parents. It was a complete disaster trying to figure out what works for us and what didn't. It was like a hurricane went through our marriage when we were trying to compromise on certain parenting topics.
Our third year of marriage, we realized we made a commitment three years ago and we want to stand faithful on the promises that God has for us. We're together and we're in this for the long run. I want to be married for 100 years and counting. I hope we get to share a little house together in Heaven ;) I adore my husband and I am proud of him finding his dream career. I'm proud of the sacrifices he has made for our family to give us a better life. I'm proud of how hard he works every day at police academy, because God has blessed him with a dream job especially in this tough economy. My husband is perfect for me. :)
Marriage was never meant to be easy-peasy. It is full of intense battles, but it makes you stronger. We scream, we fight, things even go flying in the air, but we're running after our 100 mark. We got this, because God has our back.
My husband, Matthew, gets me and I get him. We know more about each other than the other realizes; yet, we still have so much to learn.
Baby, we got this! We're still young, and the clock is still ticking. Rain or shine, our marriage is beautiful. We make it work, because we choose to make it work.
MG + JG = <3
I know this blog is mainly geared towards babies and everything about them, but I wanted to take a few minutes to tell YOU, how grateful I am for my husband, Matthew.
In less than an hour, Matthew and I will have been married for 3 years. Happy Anniversary, Matthew ;)
I'm starting to reminisce about what we have been through; the good and the bad. Every moment that we have been through, together, has brought us to where we are now. We've been covered by God's grace, and we're still crazy and madly in love. We have our up's and down's, but what marriage doesn't? My mother always tells me, "after you have been married for 100 years, you're golden." In other years, there will always be beautiful moments, but there will still be battles.
Matthew and I have been through battle after battle in our first year of marriage. I was ready to take back my vows that we said in front of family and friends on Jan. 31, 2009. I was ready to get a lawyer and just divorce him. God had other plans.
In one-long-compound sentence, this is what we went through our first year:
We got married on Jan. 31, but I was still in Lakeland while he was in Jacksonville because I was still attending Southeastern which meant we only saw each other on the weekends; but I did graduate in May and that's when the traveling stopped, however, we were living under the same roof as his parents and then we found out that our first son was going to be born with a serious heart condition, our son was born on July 14 and we were blessed with 23 days with him until the GOOD Lord took him to Heaven, then we had to deal with losing a child while living with his parents, but only a little over a month later to find out that we're expecting again. How did we survive all of that? All of our counselors will immediately tell us that we deserve a gold medal. I have to praise God on this one, because we wouldn't still be Mr. & Mrs. if it wasn't for His intervention.
Do you understand why I wanted a divorce?
Our second year of marriage was the year of blessings. We finally took the plunge and moved out on our own on Feb. 19 and prepared for our second baby boy, Josiah. Don't get me wrong, we still had intense battles to overcome. We were still covered by grief because we missed our son, and we were learning on how to be parents. It was a complete disaster trying to figure out what works for us and what didn't. It was like a hurricane went through our marriage when we were trying to compromise on certain parenting topics.
Our third year of marriage, we realized we made a commitment three years ago and we want to stand faithful on the promises that God has for us. We're together and we're in this for the long run. I want to be married for 100 years and counting. I hope we get to share a little house together in Heaven ;) I adore my husband and I am proud of him finding his dream career. I'm proud of the sacrifices he has made for our family to give us a better life. I'm proud of how hard he works every day at police academy, because God has blessed him with a dream job especially in this tough economy. My husband is perfect for me. :)
Marriage was never meant to be easy-peasy. It is full of intense battles, but it makes you stronger. We scream, we fight, things even go flying in the air, but we're running after our 100 mark. We got this, because God has our back.
My husband, Matthew, gets me and I get him. We know more about each other than the other realizes; yet, we still have so much to learn.
Baby, we got this! We're still young, and the clock is still ticking. Rain or shine, our marriage is beautiful. We make it work, because we choose to make it work.
MG + JG = <3
Monday, January 23, 2012
My Kid Lives in a Bubble.
Words from Umma Nelly:
Josiah is now running to get to the age of two. I still have a few more months and thanks to Pinterest, I am already planning his second birthday party. How did I survive to this next milestone? I remember my parents constantly telling me that he's okay or don't worry. I remember the HUGE "oh-my-goodness" moments. How did I not have a minor heart attack by now? God's grace. Yep, for sure.
Do you know what my little bug is doing now??? He is jumping off the couch! I screamed one time because I thought he was going to snap his neck! (No, I didn't scream at him, I just screamed--out loud). I told him he can wear a helmet and knee pads. However, I did see a real cute helmet at Wal-Mart. ;) I bet my grandmother would say, "oh my heavenly stars" to him over and over. He is adventurous and likes to push his limits in all he does.
I never want to limit my son from being fun and unique. No, I don't want him to be the bad kid that everyone shakes their head at in disbelief. I want him to be the kid that is daring (in a safe manner) and wants to go on crazy adventures with his dad like hike the Appalachian Trail with him. I want him to be spontaneous and live in the moment. I want him to be passionate about the things he loves. I want him to try new things, even if it means me screaming--out loud.
My son doesn't really live in a bubble. Sometimes, I wish he did but I know deep in my heart, I would never want that sort of lifestyle for him. I know I can only protect him from so much, but I have to lean back on God and have faith that He will take care of the rest. He is our protector... I want my son to be the adventurous little boy that he was meant to be. I always prayed for my son to be the crazy, hyped up kid (but not in a bad way). I love everything about him. It's okay that my son doesn't live in a bubble, because then he wouldn't be the little boy that God created him to become.
I realized that I do most of my blogging close to midnight. I guess it's due to my second wind kicking in and not wanting to wrap myself like a caterpillar in my blankets. I know I can be the worst blanket hog; however, so can my husband. Sometimes, we even sleep with two comforters. I guess we have sharing problems. ;)
Anyways, my sleep issues and insomnia have nothing to do with this blog.
The true meaning behind this blog is how Josiah lives in a bubble--not literally. I've been MUCH more relaxed than I was when Josiah was first born. Even when he was only two days old in the hospital and I couldn't reach him because I was still connected to all this "junk" to monitor my breathing and etc, I quickly dialed the nurses station and told them to come IMMEDIATELY to my room to help me pick up my son, 'cause I thought he was "choking". I know you're probably wondering what I thought he was choking on, but at the moment, I seriously thought he was choking on something. The nurses didn't even budge. Well, they did peek in my room about an hour later. When I realized no one was coming, I mustered all my energy and I didn't care what lines I pulled, I was determined to get my son--myself.
We made countless trips to the doctor because I was worried something was wrong. There was tons of nights where I was searching the web because I wanted to know if this or that was normal. It took me FOREVER to pick out his car infant seat. I wanted top of the line for safety. I think I spent MONTHS looking for his convertible car seat--no joke. (Side Note: In case you're a mom-to-be, I ended up with the Grace Snugride 35 and The First Years True Fit Recline Convertible Car Seat.)
Josiah is now running to get to the age of two. I still have a few more months and thanks to Pinterest, I am already planning his second birthday party. How did I survive to this next milestone? I remember my parents constantly telling me that he's okay or don't worry. I remember the HUGE "oh-my-goodness" moments. How did I not have a minor heart attack by now? God's grace. Yep, for sure.
Do you know what my little bug is doing now??? He is jumping off the couch! I screamed one time because I thought he was going to snap his neck! (No, I didn't scream at him, I just screamed--out loud). I told him he can wear a helmet and knee pads. However, I did see a real cute helmet at Wal-Mart. ;) I bet my grandmother would say, "oh my heavenly stars" to him over and over. He is adventurous and likes to push his limits in all he does.
I never want to limit my son from being fun and unique. No, I don't want him to be the bad kid that everyone shakes their head at in disbelief. I want him to be the kid that is daring (in a safe manner) and wants to go on crazy adventures with his dad like hike the Appalachian Trail with him. I want him to be spontaneous and live in the moment. I want him to be passionate about the things he loves. I want him to try new things, even if it means me screaming--out loud.
My son doesn't really live in a bubble. Sometimes, I wish he did but I know deep in my heart, I would never want that sort of lifestyle for him. I know I can only protect him from so much, but I have to lean back on God and have faith that He will take care of the rest. He is our protector... I want my son to be the adventurous little boy that he was meant to be. I always prayed for my son to be the crazy, hyped up kid (but not in a bad way). I love everything about him. It's okay that my son doesn't live in a bubble, because then he wouldn't be the little boy that God created him to become.
Diary of a Lupie Pregnancy: Chapter 3
Words from Mama Brittany:
I wanted to give everyone an update on how things have been going thus far. Good news I'm 19 weeks- almost half way!!!! I see the midwives every six weeks and I have scans every week that started at 16 weeks. So far every week the baby has been doing wonderfully! The heart is beating and developing normally and the baby is growing right on track! Mama is even gaining weight too and I could not be more excited about it! I have been doing the brewers diet and so far so very very good! I am actually starting to look pregnant and watching my belly grow is truly amazing! Oliver is completely in love with his baby and always kisses, hugs, and rubs my belly. Before bed each night, he rubs my belly as he nurses and when he is finished he pulls my shirt down,and tells the baby "night night" I know Oli will be the best big brother ever and I am so looking forward to tandem nursing!!!
In case I failed to mention, or you failed to notice I am "The Boob Lady" and I am still nursing my two year old son. It's been quite a fun adventure and I wouldn't have it any other way! I am reading Hilary Flowers, "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" and its blowing my mind! It says weaning is a time of winter, and when breastfeeding through pregnancy you only really go through a mild winter. I actually weaned Oliver off of my small breast and He now only nurses off my larger breast that is still producing a wee bit of milk. He calls them "little bad boobie" and "good big boobie"! Haha! I am so thrilled that I can still nourish his needs and the little baby growing inside of me. I would love to trot back into my old OB's office with Oli nursing away and say " LOOK, I'm pregnant and I'm nursing my toddler! OH and the baby is growing perfectly- actually the baby is measuring big even!" Well I feel better just writing it on here, so I guess that's good for now.
Not much is happening on the Lupus front, which is a very good thing! I have the usual aches and pains which remind me I have this little friend of mine; but other than that, its been pretty quiet. I see the vampires (the people who take my blood) later this week and then we will see what disease activity is going on, if any. I highly doubt anything will turn up and that's just the way I'd like to keep it!
Oh, as some of you may know, I am planning on eating my placenta. I would like to explain this in a little more detail because I think some members of our society have shut their minds off and automatically assume its disgusting and that I am indeed a weirdo, disgusting, hippie freak, part of that is true and I'm proud of it, but I do not think I'm disgusting. Having lupus most woman are OKAY during pregnancy and can even carry to term with no lupus issues. The problem the doctors worry about is postpartum flares. All those hormones coming out of your body so fast, its no wonder woman get things like the baby blues and postpartum depression. Placenta encapsulation puts some of that back into your body, at first when I heard of woman eating their placenta I thought it was really gross myself. When I began researching it I realized that it might actually really help me, it may be just the thing from keeping my lupus quiet and allowing me to remain healthy after my pregnancy. So for me its a no brainer, I'm going to try it and hope that it helps me like it has helped so many of my friends who have done it. I'm not asking you to agree with me, or even support me but I hope you can at least get somewhat of an understanding as to why on earth I would do this. I was so sick after Oliver was born and it took a very long time for my body to heal, I won't have that time this time, I will have a two year old and a newborn to care for as well as pursing my dreams of becoming a international board certified lactation consultant. So I've got to be feeling my best!
Currently,I am in school working towards my IBCLC and am doing some volunteer work around town with breastfeeding. I absolutely love it, the more I learn about breast milk the more amazed I am, it truly is liquid gold! It was hand made by God to feed human children, yes children not just babies! I am so excited that I get to help woman be able to bond with their children in such a way, I do not believe there is any greater gift of being a mother than being able to breastfeed. It is a truly beautiful thing and I am super excited that in a few months I get to have my second "nursling"!
OK friends enough about breastfeeding, Lupus, and eating my placenta. Hopefully my blogs continue to be boring because that will mean everything is going great! And before I sign off can I just say a very happy 30th birthday to my wonderful hubby! He truly is my greatest gift, I have never met another human being like him! He is gentle, kind, patient, and always loving. He never gets angry with me whenever I do blonde things such as leaving my headlights on and having my car die and getting stranded and not remember that I left the head lights on until days later even though Jacob knew I left them on but he didn't want to tell me that because he didn't want to hurt my feelings, or the time I forgot to put the van in park and it went rolling backwards and almost hit other cars and my church building- whoops!, or the time I put the wrong burner on and almost caught the house on fire and burned Jacob in the process, or well you get the picture! He has never been angry with me or made me feel like an idiot ever. He always laughs and tells me its OKAY. When Oliver is being crazy, he is always calm and cool. He comes home from working all day and plays with Oliver and even will cook dinner. I seriously have a winner!!! I wish I could clone him and give him out to some girlfriends of mine who need a good man. I sure am blessed! I love you Jacob and I'm so glad you chose me to be your life partner, its so much fun growing older with you, and the older you get the hotter you look by the way! I'm enjoying those little wisps of gray ;) OKAY If I don't stop, he may be embarrassed, well he probably already is but oh well. He deserves to know how fabulous he is to me!
And also I wanted to give a shout out to My Mama, who takes time out of her busy schedule to come to the baby visits with me, and even treat me to lunch! Love you lots MOM!
Take care friends and enjoy the rest of January!!
Be Blessed, be loved, be cherished <3
I wanted to give everyone an update on how things have been going thus far. Good news I'm 19 weeks- almost half way!!!! I see the midwives every six weeks and I have scans every week that started at 16 weeks. So far every week the baby has been doing wonderfully! The heart is beating and developing normally and the baby is growing right on track! Mama is even gaining weight too and I could not be more excited about it! I have been doing the brewers diet and so far so very very good! I am actually starting to look pregnant and watching my belly grow is truly amazing! Oliver is completely in love with his baby and always kisses, hugs, and rubs my belly. Before bed each night, he rubs my belly as he nurses and when he is finished he pulls my shirt down,and tells the baby "night night" I know Oli will be the best big brother ever and I am so looking forward to tandem nursing!!!
In case I failed to mention, or you failed to notice I am "The Boob Lady" and I am still nursing my two year old son. It's been quite a fun adventure and I wouldn't have it any other way! I am reading Hilary Flowers, "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" and its blowing my mind! It says weaning is a time of winter, and when breastfeeding through pregnancy you only really go through a mild winter. I actually weaned Oliver off of my small breast and He now only nurses off my larger breast that is still producing a wee bit of milk. He calls them "little bad boobie" and "good big boobie"! Haha! I am so thrilled that I can still nourish his needs and the little baby growing inside of me. I would love to trot back into my old OB's office with Oli nursing away and say " LOOK, I'm pregnant and I'm nursing my toddler! OH and the baby is growing perfectly- actually the baby is measuring big even!" Well I feel better just writing it on here, so I guess that's good for now.
Not much is happening on the Lupus front, which is a very good thing! I have the usual aches and pains which remind me I have this little friend of mine; but other than that, its been pretty quiet. I see the vampires (the people who take my blood) later this week and then we will see what disease activity is going on, if any. I highly doubt anything will turn up and that's just the way I'd like to keep it!
Oh, as some of you may know, I am planning on eating my placenta. I would like to explain this in a little more detail because I think some members of our society have shut their minds off and automatically assume its disgusting and that I am indeed a weirdo, disgusting, hippie freak, part of that is true and I'm proud of it, but I do not think I'm disgusting. Having lupus most woman are OKAY during pregnancy and can even carry to term with no lupus issues. The problem the doctors worry about is postpartum flares. All those hormones coming out of your body so fast, its no wonder woman get things like the baby blues and postpartum depression. Placenta encapsulation puts some of that back into your body, at first when I heard of woman eating their placenta I thought it was really gross myself. When I began researching it I realized that it might actually really help me, it may be just the thing from keeping my lupus quiet and allowing me to remain healthy after my pregnancy. So for me its a no brainer, I'm going to try it and hope that it helps me like it has helped so many of my friends who have done it. I'm not asking you to agree with me, or even support me but I hope you can at least get somewhat of an understanding as to why on earth I would do this. I was so sick after Oliver was born and it took a very long time for my body to heal, I won't have that time this time, I will have a two year old and a newborn to care for as well as pursing my dreams of becoming a international board certified lactation consultant. So I've got to be feeling my best!
Currently,I am in school working towards my IBCLC and am doing some volunteer work around town with breastfeeding. I absolutely love it, the more I learn about breast milk the more amazed I am, it truly is liquid gold! It was hand made by God to feed human children, yes children not just babies! I am so excited that I get to help woman be able to bond with their children in such a way, I do not believe there is any greater gift of being a mother than being able to breastfeed. It is a truly beautiful thing and I am super excited that in a few months I get to have my second "nursling"!
OK friends enough about breastfeeding, Lupus, and eating my placenta. Hopefully my blogs continue to be boring because that will mean everything is going great! And before I sign off can I just say a very happy 30th birthday to my wonderful hubby! He truly is my greatest gift, I have never met another human being like him! He is gentle, kind, patient, and always loving. He never gets angry with me whenever I do blonde things such as leaving my headlights on and having my car die and getting stranded and not remember that I left the head lights on until days later even though Jacob knew I left them on but he didn't want to tell me that because he didn't want to hurt my feelings, or the time I forgot to put the van in park and it went rolling backwards and almost hit other cars and my church building- whoops!, or the time I put the wrong burner on and almost caught the house on fire and burned Jacob in the process, or well you get the picture! He has never been angry with me or made me feel like an idiot ever. He always laughs and tells me its OKAY. When Oliver is being crazy, he is always calm and cool. He comes home from working all day and plays with Oliver and even will cook dinner. I seriously have a winner!!! I wish I could clone him and give him out to some girlfriends of mine who need a good man. I sure am blessed! I love you Jacob and I'm so glad you chose me to be your life partner, its so much fun growing older with you, and the older you get the hotter you look by the way! I'm enjoying those little wisps of gray ;) OKAY If I don't stop, he may be embarrassed, well he probably already is but oh well. He deserves to know how fabulous he is to me!
And also I wanted to give a shout out to My Mama, who takes time out of her busy schedule to come to the baby visits with me, and even treat me to lunch! Love you lots MOM!
Take care friends and enjoy the rest of January!!
Be Blessed, be loved, be cherished <3
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Breastfeeding 101. What the doctors don't tell you, and most new Mama's don't know.
Words From Mama Brittany:
I have several pregnant friends right now. All of whom have told me they would like to breastfeed. I can't help but smile and think I had a bit to do with their decision, but I don't want to toot my own horn. What I want to do is tell you about breastfeeding. Things no one will tell you, and to prepare you for what may be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. Breastfeeding was the hardest thing I've ever done; but after about 4 months, it was the BEST thing ever. Breastfeeding is hands down one of the best decision's I've ever made.
A few weeks ago I was chatting with a dear friend of mine. We were talking about breastfeeding and the early days, and we both brought up a similar topic. We began talking about people's good will, we talked about new moms who wanted to try breastfeeding. The thing is this: When I hear a new Mom say something like "Oh yeah I'm going to try breastfeeding." I know right away the chances of her actually sticking to it are slim to none. Now some of you may disagree, and that's fine. But this is my blog and my friends that I'm giving advice to and I'm sorry but I'm going to tell you straight up, the way I wished someone would have told me.
The key to your breastfeeding relationship is: DETERMINATION. If you want to just try breastfeeding, well then great have fun with that, but if you actually want to breastfeed then your going to need to be 110% determined or I'm telling you it isn't going to work! It's going to be 3 O' clock in the morning, you won't have slept for weeks, the baby will be screaming and you'll go to that extra formula that you had just in case and you'll use it. (Side note: as tempting as formula was (yes even for me) I always remembered this: Two main ingredients in formulas are vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup. That was enough to keep me breastfeeding)
Are you determined? Are you committed to doing the research, doing the work and figuring out all that you can so that you can be successful at breastfeeding. I don't want this post to overwhelm you or discourage you, if your determined to breastfeed your baby than without a doubt I believe you can overcome anything and do it!
I could not have written this post alone, I got the help of My milky Mama friends from all around the world and I asked them one simple question. "What do you wish you would have known or wish someone would have told you before you began breastfeeding?" Here I post their answers:
I have several pregnant friends right now. All of whom have told me they would like to breastfeed. I can't help but smile and think I had a bit to do with their decision, but I don't want to toot my own horn. What I want to do is tell you about breastfeeding. Things no one will tell you, and to prepare you for what may be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. Breastfeeding was the hardest thing I've ever done; but after about 4 months, it was the BEST thing ever. Breastfeeding is hands down one of the best decision's I've ever made.
A few weeks ago I was chatting with a dear friend of mine. We were talking about breastfeeding and the early days, and we both brought up a similar topic. We began talking about people's good will, we talked about new moms who wanted to try breastfeeding. The thing is this: When I hear a new Mom say something like "Oh yeah I'm going to try breastfeeding." I know right away the chances of her actually sticking to it are slim to none. Now some of you may disagree, and that's fine. But this is my blog and my friends that I'm giving advice to and I'm sorry but I'm going to tell you straight up, the way I wished someone would have told me.
The key to your breastfeeding relationship is: DETERMINATION. If you want to just try breastfeeding, well then great have fun with that, but if you actually want to breastfeed then your going to need to be 110% determined or I'm telling you it isn't going to work! It's going to be 3 O' clock in the morning, you won't have slept for weeks, the baby will be screaming and you'll go to that extra formula that you had just in case and you'll use it. (Side note: as tempting as formula was (yes even for me) I always remembered this: Two main ingredients in formulas are vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup. That was enough to keep me breastfeeding)
Are you determined? Are you committed to doing the research, doing the work and figuring out all that you can so that you can be successful at breastfeeding. I don't want this post to overwhelm you or discourage you, if your determined to breastfeed your baby than without a doubt I believe you can overcome anything and do it!
I could not have written this post alone, I got the help of My milky Mama friends from all around the world and I asked them one simple question. "What do you wish you would have known or wish someone would have told you before you began breastfeeding?" Here I post their answers:
- Don't supplement at all in the first several weeks. Your body will naturally adjust to how much milk your baby needs.
- Keep your bra on! The first few days you'll leak like crazy and you'll need something to hold your breast pads on!
- Having Lactation consultants forcefully shoving your breast into your baby’s mouth is NOT going to help anything. Would you want someone shoving food in your mouth? If you have an LC that uses this approach, ask for a new LC or a new approach.
- Spend as much time skin-to-skin as possible.
- Feed them before they get hungry, and they won't come at you like a little piranha.
- Keeping formula "just in case" is probably the biggest Booby Traps out there.
- Just one little bottle of formula won't hurt (myth)
- Hanging out in bed and letting others help you and help around the house is about so much more than recovery from birth, it's also about bonding and establishing your breastfeeding relationship. Even if you feel "fine", take the help and sit in bed!
- Not everyone will support you in BFing or how long you want to BF. Do what feels right to you. You're the mom.
- I wish someone would have told me that it's perfectly normal to have a newborn attached to my breast all the time, and that they could want to eat every hour. I thought I had supply issues. Turns out I just had a normal newborn.
- I tell everyone I can that cluster feeding is normal. I am a mod on a forum in the breastfeeding support and I make sure everyone knows that just so they don't think they have supply issues. I learned that with my first because he was constantly on the breast.
- Whenever moms post about supply issues, I tell them to do a "nurse-in" and to do nothing but snuggle skin-to-skin with the baby and nurse (and obviously eat and drink fluids, too, but that's a given).
- Not every newborn is going to be at the breast for 45 minutes at a time, if you have the combination of a fast letdown and a good latch they may still transfer enough milk in five minutes to gain faster than average.
- The amount you can pump does not indicate how much milk baby is getting at the breast. I got so frustrated with both babies because I couldn't pump more than fractions of an ounce at a time. I struggled, thinking that must mean I wasn't producing enough milk. I eventually learned about hand expression, and really saw my milk "fly".
- Their bellies are little!! But then they get bigger and will eat fuller feedings and won't eat all the time.
- 5 ounces is a FULL MEAL for a full term newborn. Guess what they serve at the hospital? 2 ounces! No
- That successful breastfeeding starts before birth. Choices made during birth and interventions during the first few hours after birth can have lasting effects on breastfeeding.
- Circumcision effects breastfeeding. Also read this
- Doctors and pediatricians know very little about breastfeeding.
- Join a local Le Leche League, Breastfeeding USA or reach out to online support groups like Kellymom.com
- Know that formula is 4th best, and thanks to human milk for human babies if you need it you can get donor milk.
- If given I.V’s in the hospital it can effect babies weight at birth, some nurses will say your baby needs formula because they have lost too much weight, but that’s crap.
- "Tummy to Tummy, Chest to Chest, Mouth and Chin must touch the breast" this helps moms remember how to line baby up for the boob!
- Sandwich (just like you'd eat a sandwich to line the breast up with babies mouth). Nose to nipple (let them reach for it. It nestles the chin into the breast & gives them more tissue to work with (re: tongue gums as the jaw is doing most of the work). Then roll the breast tissue onto the tongue. It takes a good 1.5" to 2" of breast tissue for baby to be able to combine suction with tongue massage to express the milk.
- It’s normal to have some pain as you get the latch established, it should go away in a week or so, get help if needed, the"myth" is that it doesn't hurt at all...that comes in time!
- If you have a momentary sting the second you latch the baby, that may be normal at first, but pain throughout the entire feed, something may be wrong, consult an LC.
- Sometimes babies just don't latch right away. Doesn't mean anything is wrong or that you can't breast feed, just means the two of you need to figure out what works.
- If the latch isn't right it should be evaluated and adjusted right away. It's not something to just wait and hope will fix itself. Sometimes it will, but sometimes it will only get worse. One shouldn't wait to see if it gets worse.
- I've heard moms say, well, it was uncomfortable, so i stopped...wait a minute? Did you have the latch evaluated? No, well then, the latch was probably wrong. Too many women think it's not supposed to hurt at ALL, and it can, as you figure it out...it shouldn't, but how many of us have had cracked nipples in the beginning as it gets sorted out?
- I got a perfect latch the first time 3 minutes after birth... but I didn't get it again for weeks afterwards. It takes a while! You and baby aren't born KNOWING what to do... so it's a learning curve.
- Let’s differentiate between pain because our nipples aren't used to having a vacuum on them 8-12 times/day...and pain because the baby is not latched correctly. The first is normal and will go away as soon as your body adjusts. The latter needs help to fix the problem. Then the pain will go away.
- The point is, don't give up if it hurts...it is normal, if not correct, to have some pain, especially if the latch is wrong....plus, some people have sensitive nipples, I don't care how my babes latch, it doesn't feel "good" until a week or so out.
- If it hurts, it's better to have a mother seek help and support rather than wait some random amount of time expecting it to get better. Saying that it will get better hurts the breastfeeding relationship too, because sometimes it doesn't get better and mothers give up from the pain and frustration or wait too long to seek help and have hurt their supply. If a mother has any question about how breastfeeding is going, they should seek help.
I would like to thank all of the wonderful Mama's who contributed to this post, and for contributing to my everyday life with your advice and wisdom. I could not be the Mama I am without you all. Truly <3
So do you still want to breast feed? You can do it! Yes it takes work in the beginning, and sometimes months to get things running smoothly, but once you get the hang of it, it is one of life's most precious gifts. I know that I could not parent aside from breastfeeding. I understand that that is a bold statement. Here is the thing, as a baby when Oliver cried, I gave him the boob=silence, as Oliver was learning how to crawl and would fall and cry, I gave Him the boob=silence. If Oliver has a nightmare, I give Him the boob=silence. If Oliver, well you get the picture. Even my husband will come running with him crying and say He needs boobie He just fell down outside, or He this or that and boom give Him the boobie and all is well in His world. Boobies are magic, Boobies are love.
So whats the next step for you? I'm a big fan of informed choice. I can sit here and tell you the sky has turned bright green, but unless you go outside and look for yourself you will never really know. I can tell you breastfeeding is super wonderful and awesome and if you just push through it will be the most amazing thing in the whole universe, but unless you my friend experience it for yourself, do the work yourself, search it out and fight for it yourself, well then you will never know.
I'm going to leave you with some links to check out, (spread your wings and fly Mama's! or more appropriately: Take your shirt off and breast feed :-)
(.Y.)=<3
Breastfeeding Place that saved my bum lots of times!
Breastfeeding in other cultures
Merry Belated Christmas
Words from Mama Brittany:
Since Umma Nelly shared a quirky fun post about Christmas, I thought I'd share a little adventure of my own. Being a first time mom nobody cared to warn me about the week before Christmas. Nobody told me that my sweet little boy was going to turn into crazed child whom I'd never met. I was extremely unprepared and quite taken by surprise.
The entire week leading up to Christmas Oliver was out of control, not listening or seeming to care about usual things. All He wanted to do was act as crazy as possible and throw multiple tamper tantrums. My classic time In's were not working and I found myself counting forwards and backwards to try and win my little angel back. In the end I continued to love him because when Oli acts out its usually because He needs and extra hug or cuddle.
We survived the week and made it to Christmas eve. He was quite hyper all day and managed to eat cookies and treats throughout the day. I figured it was a special night so I relaxed a bit on the nutrition. We had my husbands family over for Christmas eve so we got the house ready and set before heading out to church. Oliver wanted some milk so we gave him some for the car ride and off we went.
We live out in the country, and the roads are twisty, turning, and hilly. Oliver has been getting car sick recently but he had only thrown up once, so we didn't think anything of the fact that He had eaten sweets and was now drinking his sweet almond milk as we went around a circle, down a hill, and around a bend. Next thing we know he barfs everywhere. We quickly turn onto a side road and throw on our flashers. I myself get carsick and was feeling queasy from the twists and turns so I know poor Oliver must of felt awful. As I'm trying to get him out of his seat he continues to projectile vomit, it just kept coming and coming. Here I am pregnant and nauseous myself, his vomit didn't smell bad, it actually smelled like his almond milk, and thank God because if it would have smelled like yak, I would have yaked too.
Church was a no go, Oliver needed a bath so off we went back home. As soon as we got him out of the car he asked for dinner! Poor little guy! After his nice bath we made sure everything was set and cooked him some food. As Daddy was setting up Oliver's tray He accidentally whacked him in the face with it. Poor Oli, finally we got him settled and his tummy full and He was a happy boy. He got down and ran into the living room only to slip, fall on his butt, and then fall back and bang his head on our hard woods. Really by this point I was thanking our lucky stars we didn't have to go to the hospital. But just then Oliver ran back into the kitchen only to slip again but this time knocking his head into the door frame and making a huge goose egg on His forehead. Now I thought we surly will need to have this looked at, I nursed Him and He allowed me to put ice on it, but Oh poor baby. I wish I could say that was the last of it but He ended up falling several more times and banging his head, nose, and has two bruised knees and a bloody lip.
Christmas time is a magical time, it's also a crazy time when kids turn into these little silly geese and who knows what can happen! I would like to say I'm going to be prepared for next year, but next year I'll have two kiddo's to be crazy! I guess I will just take it one day at a time. All is well and Oliver stayed out of the ER. He enjoyed the season and all the presents He got. I hope you and yours are happy and healthy. Merry Christmas, and Happy Happy New Year!
Since Umma Nelly shared a quirky fun post about Christmas, I thought I'd share a little adventure of my own. Being a first time mom nobody cared to warn me about the week before Christmas. Nobody told me that my sweet little boy was going to turn into crazed child whom I'd never met. I was extremely unprepared and quite taken by surprise.
The entire week leading up to Christmas Oliver was out of control, not listening or seeming to care about usual things. All He wanted to do was act as crazy as possible and throw multiple tamper tantrums. My classic time In's were not working and I found myself counting forwards and backwards to try and win my little angel back. In the end I continued to love him because when Oli acts out its usually because He needs and extra hug or cuddle.
We survived the week and made it to Christmas eve. He was quite hyper all day and managed to eat cookies and treats throughout the day. I figured it was a special night so I relaxed a bit on the nutrition. We had my husbands family over for Christmas eve so we got the house ready and set before heading out to church. Oliver wanted some milk so we gave him some for the car ride and off we went.
We live out in the country, and the roads are twisty, turning, and hilly. Oliver has been getting car sick recently but he had only thrown up once, so we didn't think anything of the fact that He had eaten sweets and was now drinking his sweet almond milk as we went around a circle, down a hill, and around a bend. Next thing we know he barfs everywhere. We quickly turn onto a side road and throw on our flashers. I myself get carsick and was feeling queasy from the twists and turns so I know poor Oliver must of felt awful. As I'm trying to get him out of his seat he continues to projectile vomit, it just kept coming and coming. Here I am pregnant and nauseous myself, his vomit didn't smell bad, it actually smelled like his almond milk, and thank God because if it would have smelled like yak, I would have yaked too.
Church was a no go, Oliver needed a bath so off we went back home. As soon as we got him out of the car he asked for dinner! Poor little guy! After his nice bath we made sure everything was set and cooked him some food. As Daddy was setting up Oliver's tray He accidentally whacked him in the face with it. Poor Oli, finally we got him settled and his tummy full and He was a happy boy. He got down and ran into the living room only to slip, fall on his butt, and then fall back and bang his head on our hard woods. Really by this point I was thanking our lucky stars we didn't have to go to the hospital. But just then Oliver ran back into the kitchen only to slip again but this time knocking his head into the door frame and making a huge goose egg on His forehead. Now I thought we surly will need to have this looked at, I nursed Him and He allowed me to put ice on it, but Oh poor baby. I wish I could say that was the last of it but He ended up falling several more times and banging his head, nose, and has two bruised knees and a bloody lip.
Christmas time is a magical time, it's also a crazy time when kids turn into these little silly geese and who knows what can happen! I would like to say I'm going to be prepared for next year, but next year I'll have two kiddo's to be crazy! I guess I will just take it one day at a time. All is well and Oliver stayed out of the ER. He enjoyed the season and all the presents He got. I hope you and yours are happy and healthy. Merry Christmas, and Happy Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Addicted.
Words from Umma Nelly:
I am completely addicted to a lot of things. I love trying out new things and usually become addicted to them. I'm usually game for trying almost anything. I'm still trying to talk myself into jumping out of plane. My recent addiction is PINTEREST! Are you on it? We should totally follow each other!!! HOLY COW!!! IT'S AMAZING.
My best friend, Rae Ray, should have NEVER shown me this pure bliss!!! I can waste hours just looking through it. It's simply...sad. I know. I actually do some of the crafts and try to pull some of the ideas together. I think Rae Ray follows through with her findings than I do. Well, I wanted to put my addiction to a good use. I want to share with YOU some crazy (yet easy) craft ideas to enjoy with your kiddo's. Step away from the box, and enjoy some art especially since snow has decided to come for some of you.
Here are my top FIVE favorite crafts to do with your kids :)
I am completely addicted to a lot of things. I love trying out new things and usually become addicted to them. I'm usually game for trying almost anything. I'm still trying to talk myself into jumping out of plane. My recent addiction is PINTEREST! Are you on it? We should totally follow each other!!! HOLY COW!!! IT'S AMAZING.
My best friend, Rae Ray, should have NEVER shown me this pure bliss!!! I can waste hours just looking through it. It's simply...sad. I know. I actually do some of the crafts and try to pull some of the ideas together. I think Rae Ray follows through with her findings than I do. Well, I wanted to put my addiction to a good use. I want to share with YOU some crazy (yet easy) craft ideas to enjoy with your kiddo's. Step away from the box, and enjoy some art especially since snow has decided to come for some of you.
Here are my top FIVE favorite crafts to do with your kids :)
I've seen my friends do a couple of them with their kids and I've done a few with Josiah. Josiah LOVES crafts! Don't forget, if you have a Michael's Craft Store near you, you can check their class schedule and see if they have FREE kid art classes for ages 3 and up! I can't take Josiah yet, but once he turns 3, OH YEAH! Home Depot even has some free kid classes too!
I double dog dare you to try something new with your kid's this week. I'm all about creating new memories for Josiah. Step away from Facebook (or even Pinterest) and enjoy listening to your kid laugh as you smear shaving cream everywhere ;) Be creative. Think outside the box. Make your kid smile.
Josiah and I are going to make a blueberry basket this week!
Love wins.
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