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