Breastfeeding Sucks {and other things they don't tell you about about the first week postpartum}

 1. Breasting is beautiful and natural and fucking painful. Every lactation consultant will tell you it shouldn't hurt. But they're lying. I've yet to meet a mom who's nipples were made of steel. And even after two years of breastfeeding my daughter and sunning them the week before the birth I still have to wince when my newborn latches. She's so strong which I'm grateful for, but that doesn't mean it's painless. The strength is great because she does the most with the time she has at my breast but my left side hardly ever eases up and were working on correcting that. It's a lot of effort to breastfeed. But I choose the pain over formula and I know by pushing through the next few weeks it will slowly get more comfortable. I don't want women to think they're doing it wrong because it hurts. With that said, don't deal with it in silence. Talk to a lactation consultant and make sure it's normal pain or something more serious. Get advice on various potions and latch techniques. Find support from other mamas and don't give up.

 2. After birth pains. So baby is out and the pain is over right? No. Sadly, no. After birth pains are the contractions after the birth. The uterus is returning back to normal and contracting. It feels much like intense menstruation cramps and they come frequently specifically while baby is nursing. This is because nursing releases Oxycontin which stimulates the uterus and causes contractions. This usually stops with a day or two. My most painful day was day two. My advice is to liberally consume cramp bark and use a heating pad to relax the muscles surrounding the uterus.

 3. Engorgement is natures boob job. Engorgement is when the breasts are so full of milk they become painful and hard. Like rock hard. Like boob job hard. They're painful and the only relief is to release the milk either by nursing, expressing or pumping the milk. It takes a few days for the body to figure out the right amount of milk to make for baby. Learning some hand expression techniques is very useful in releasing excess pressure, where as pumping will tell the body it's a "feeding" leading to future milk production at that time.

4. Postpartum Bleeding. Nothing is worse than making up all those missed periods all at once.  I am so over blood.  It's messy and uncomfortable and mostly just gross.  And it would, maybe, be okay if it weren't for the blood clots.  I can't think of anything grosser than looking in the toilet after peeing, only to find a blood clot the size of a small organ.  Gross, Scary and Normal.


anyway...
I'll be back with some posi posts later.  Right now, I'm thinking a nap sounds good though.

-Jenn

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Pregnancy Round 2 {15 & 16 Weeks}

Checking in for my bi-weekly pregnancy update {Sorry. no photo this week}

Week 15 was a good week.  Not much to update on...  I don't know if I mentioned that we're still breastfeeding at night.  It usually only takes a few suckles before my Sweet Sonja is out, but it's been painful and I'm sort of over it, but also sad to end it.  So, I've just sort of been letting it continue, and I'm not sure how much longer I will.  I guess I thought it would be good to document here, in case I forgot how long I nursed during the pregnancy, later on.

I felt a real solid flip or kick from baby this week.  Before, I was thinking I felt something but knew it was early so I wasn't focusing on them, but this week a real solid kicking sensation caught me while I was resting on the couch.  Such a weird sensation I was sure I wasn't going to feel again after Sonja {I really, really only wanted to be pregnant once, but I guess things change and we do what's right for ourselves in the moment, and trying for another baby was right for us!}

I finally felt like everything was returning to normal.  I can walk outside without the overwhelming heat making me want to vomit or pass out.  I'm feeling like I can eat all the foods I want but in small amounts (since my stomach is moved up and closer to my ribs).  I feel generally good most of the time with the exception of minor heart burn and the urge to burp{which I can not do on command} and sometimes when I sit up too quickly I feel a reflexitory urge to vomit, but I never do and it passes instantly.  It's not nausea but more of a stomach contents are so high and close to my esophagus they might just fall out.  It's not a pretty image, but it's real.  And I think that kind of info. makes these posts more educational for other expectant mothers.

Week 16
The only concern I had this week was when I realized wormwood was in an anti-candida supplement I've been taking.  I'm still trying to clear my body yeast completely and it seems this potassium permanganate I've been using is doing a pretty good job, but I'm taking herbs and supplements too.  The one I thought was safe actually has wormwood in it and I'm still not sure how I missed it!  Anyway, the biggest issues I could find was that it's a uterine stimulant {causes contractions} and can lead to miscarriage and birth defects, although I was unable to find out the exact birth defect it can cause.  I started taking it around 8 weeks and haven't had any symptoms or side effects often associated with wormwood, so I think I'm safe.  I hope.  I also couldn't find out the "high doses" amount all of the sites kept referencing, they all said it could cause miscarriage or birth defects in high doses, but then didn't list any mg or source.  VERY frustrating when you're trying to convince yourself that everything is fine.  Which, after consulting my husband and midwife, I think it is.  Needless to say, I stopped taking it immediately.

The interesting thing is; the only reason I noticed it was because Sonja and I have developed a bedtime ritual of taking our multivitamins and supplements together before bed.  She kept asking to have some of my prenatal vitamins.  So, I got her some of her own {sour gummy vegetarian bears} and on Monday night, she was asking what each supplement was.  I got to the candiacin and when she asked, I started to read all the individual herbs and that's when I saw the wormwood.  So, thanks to big sis for looking out.  I really do hope everything is okay because this little baby keeps kicking me and it's making me more and more excited to meet him or her.  Please send your positive thoughts our way.

Oh and on a positive note, I felt the baby kick me strong enough to be felt from the outside!  I was laying in bed with Sonja with my hands on my tummy when baby bumped into it.  Such a sweet moment.

Other bodily changes for week 16 include this sensation of fullness.  Which is a super annoying and bloated feeling in my upper abdomen.  Unless I'm laying on my left side, I feel like my stomach is going to burst.  I know I have a lot more room in there and am going to get a lot bigger, but this past week has been really uncomfortable in terms of stomach and abdomen stretching. Also, in that same realm of discomfort is my inability to stop burping.  I actually can not "burp"; so, I just have these air bubbles floating up and out of my mouth all day long. I wish I could just free up some space by letting out one good belch, but alas my body never learned how to force out a good burp...  Other than that I feel really good and I should note I worked out both this and last week.

Oh! AND we're all out of milk.  Wow, I guess that's a lot of changes for week 16.  This past week while nursing Sonja to sleep as I've done EVERY night for the past 2 years, she latched and said, "milk all gone."  And that was it.  I've had a slightly harder time getting her to sleep now.  I have to sing or rock her, but it sort of solved the weaning problem on its own.  Now, when she's asked this past week for "night night chi chi," I've just reminded her that the milk is all gone.  She usually replies with, "I drink it all," or "New baby has all the milk."  She's taking it much better than I expected.  I still haven't decided if I want to let her drink milk again when the baby gets here.  Part of me thinks, why not? If I have extra she could get some extra antibodies.  The other part of me thinks, she never had to share milk or bonding time with anyone else, so why shouldn't this baby get 100% of my milk... I guess I'll let you know once the baby gets here {mid March}

Thanks for following along with my pregnancy journey.  

If you have any mommy to be questions feel free to leave them in the comments!

-Jenn

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Pregnancy Round 2 {13 & 14 Weeks}

Week 13 was so normal and simple I almost have nothing to write about.  We had a prenatal with our midwife, the same one who caught our first baby, and all was well.  Her team {with her in the room} checked my heart rate and left the baby alone since we opted out of doppler or ultrasound equipment unless medically necessary.  We should be able to hear the heart beat again {we heard it at 8 weeks with doppler just to make sure all was well} with fetal scope at our next appointment probably around 18 weeks.
I worked out with my mom on Wednesday.  Nothing major, but it's nice to get "alone" time to work up a sweat and stretch.  I wish I could go more often, but evenings and weekends are my only Husband time, and it's hard to pass that up just for a quick workout.  But I do plan on increasing my weekly work outs to at least twice a week now that I'm feeling better along with my Sunday morning yoga.

Week 14 was super busy with party planning and life in general.  I planted some pumpkins in our backyard garden.  I missed my weekly workout because of poor timing and a headache, but otherwise a generally great week.  Thank goodness the morning sickness seems to be gone and I can function like an actual person again.  We've been trying to take weekly walks without much success but it's on our list.  I guess that's all for now.  I can't complain, I'd rather have two dull happy weeks than 2 dramatic ones, each deserving their own post.

I'll update you again at 16 weeks.

Thanks for following along!
Jenn

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Why Traveling with a Toddler is EASIER than Traveling Alone...

... or at Least I Didn't Cry, This Time.

I type this on the plane and with the normalcy of the keyboard at my fingertips it’s almost as if I’m not soaring tens of thousands of feet above The Earth.  {eep!}  But I’m thankful my anxiety has calmed since take off, that’s always the worst part for me and with that note, let me lead into my list of reasons flying with a toddler is actually EASIER than flying alone…

1. Take off.

Because I was so focused on keeping my daughter from crying, I was too distracted to do the what if game in my head.  I had to keep her calm and therefore keep myself calm. 

Nursing helps, I’m so thankful that we’re still nursing at 14 months because I was able to calm her with a chi-chi {as we call it in our house hold} and while that place of comfort was soothing her, the Oxytocin produced from expressing milk calmed me too.  Oxytocin is a powerful drug, often called the love drug, it’s the hormone released at any moment of pleasurable skin to skin contact, including but not limited to hugs with parents, kisses with partners or during orgasm.  So not only was that my form of medication, as opposed to my usual anti-anxiety prescriptions, but it also served a physical prevention for clogged ears.  The Cupcake’s suckling actually works her jaw in a way similar to when you chew gum on take off, allowing for your, and in this case her, ears to pop naturally and acclimate to the pressure change. 

2. Boarding.

When traveling with a small child they let you board early, ensuring that all your carry ons find a nice safe place on the flight and of course the whole not having to climb over everyone and their luggage.  Score!

3. Baggage assistance. 

When we arrived at the curb with our luggage there was someone ready and willing to help us cart it through the airport to the ticketing counter.  Normally, I have to carry and drag all my crap by myself, not today!  The kind guy loaded and unloaded all our bags for us, which was super helpful, since Hubs hands were full of baby and mine were busy searching for boarding info and credit cards.  And because we don’t suck, Hubs. gave him a few bucks for his help, which was much appreciated.

4. Security and Body Scanners!

There’s a special line for families!  Not that there was much of a line at the time, but it was nice to jump to the front and get expedited service as opposed to waiting for an hour with a squirming baby.  Also, normally, I have water bottle issues.  I always forget to empty my water bottle before getting in the security line, but today I remembered!!  Except I forgot Sonja’s water bottle was in my purse as well.  BUT, instead of making me dump the whole thing and come through the line again, they simply poured a few drops of it onto testing paper to make sure it really was water.  Another perk of traveling with a little one.
Because I had to hold my daughter as we walked through the metal detector, I couldn't hold my arms up and freeze in the same position as necessary for the full body scanner and therefore, without question, was excused.  Thankfully, because, I had no desire to get those x-rays blasted into my
bones.


And there you have it, my 4 reasons for why traveling with a baby is actually easier than traveling alone.  I will be posting lots of images and things to do while in the Seattle or Portland area over the next week. So, be excited for that!

Speaking of excited, I'm so stoked the Mother Nature Mama is offering a giveaway her on my blog so please check out the post here and enter!!  

Momma Monday No. 53

Well, apparently fate thought I needed another week of summer, and I have to admit... I agree.

I was supposed to start teaching this week with an after school drawing program, but the fliers didn't go home with the kids on time and so we're starting a week later.

For my High School, we were supposed to start Wednesday, but 2 teachers resigned last minute so that got pushed back to next week too.

My family was still in San Diego from that beautiful wedding I mentioned last week.  So, I didn't have to go into my office job since my boss {my uncle} wasn't there.

Monday was a recovery day from our vacation, you know that; unpack, wash everything, go grocery shopping type day.  Followed by Breakfast for dinner with my BIL and future Sister-In-Law.  We drank this cucumber juice with tequila drink he made, and if you're into a refreshing alcoholic beverage, this is it.  yummy. Although, I only got to drink a sip since I'm still trying to avoid alcohol for the anti-candida diet.

Sonja and I spent Tuesday running a few quick errands and then she slept for most of the day, letting me work on some artwork, lessons, birthday invitations {my mom's, sister's and Sonja's} and blogging.

My sister came over on Wednesday, like usual.  We got crafty and finished the invitations for her birthday and Sonja's {I'll be posting a more detailed DIY for both so keep an eye out}.  September is creeping up on us and that is birthday month in our family.  We've got 5 birthdays!  That's more than one a week!

Sonja's

My sister's

Speaking of Birthdays, Wednesday night was my Brother-in-Law and Nonnie-in-Law's birthday dinner.  Yummy pizza and salad!  I brought my camera but in all the chaos that is Sonja I forgot to take pictures. opps.

Latch On America stopped in Phoenix on Thursday at Midwives Rising {my Midwife's office} and connected breastfeeding mamas, advocates, supporters and organizers together. Check out the turn out!

  

 

Thanks to my Uncle for donating the water jug!

This sign is seriously impressive.

Take a close look at what breast {human} milk has to offer and then what formula has.

Huge difference!!

My friend Angie and I talked to people about Eats on Feets ~ Central AZ.  Angie, the social networker, was busy talking to healthcare professionals including the head of a local NICU unit.  She's also planning presentations for health care professionals regarding Eats on Feets, and getting human milk to human babies!

On Friday, I went to my classroom for a bit while my BIL watched Cupcake. I got a lot of my supplies unloaded and unpacked.  Photos of my classroom coming soon.  I share the room, but I also take over the wall space, maybe I should document it as the walls get more and more covered...

That afternoon I attended a vaccine lecture at Babymoon inn with NMD Philip M. Wazny from integrative health.  I learned a few interesting fact {I showed up a little late}, like, did you know if you delay vaccines and wait until your daughter is five (seven for boys) to start any, you increase her risk of M.S.?  I didn't, anyway I plan on doing a more extensive post on vaccines and why we're not, but also some information about your choices if you DO want to vaccinate.

In the evening I met my friend Jessica for coffee. Sonja slept on me most of the time, we discussed annoying people, like the girl at the register who didn't want to do two transactions for the coffee and tea.  And some very exciting weddings of our friends that are coming up!  It's really great to have a weekly monthly meet up for some girl chat.

We went to the farmer's market on Saturday for cupcakes and produce.  I love treehouse bakery, vegan sweets for Sonja's birthday are in the works!  This week she had rocky road cupcakes and marshmallows, sooo good.

After buying cupcakes, I went and baked some, with my friend Katie.  We decided to get together at her house to have a play date. I made chocolate banana cupcakes for my brother in law's birthday party that night.

His birthday party was a fun time full of food and swimming, Sonja enjoyed pool time with Daddy and I ate my fill of cupcakes and fruit salad.

Sunday, I took engagement photographs of my friends at the abandoned Phoenix Trotting Park race track.  I'm loving them, the location was disturbing and surreal.  See?

yes, he's laying in a pile of broken glass.

hide and seek?

We ended the weekend with some yummy pizza from Spinato's with our old room mate.

I'm exhausted.  I hope I can keep up with this coming week, office work, art classes and first days of school.

Hope you had a great week and here's to another good one!  Happy Momma Monday!

D.I.Y. Treating Thrush

MY How-To Guide on Treating the Yeast Multiplying "Disease"

If you've been following my blog, you know I've been ranting about this Thrush shit for a few weeks now.  I wanted to share some of the things I learned and how I {ME} handled it.  I'm not a doctor, but I am a mother, and I have common sense {I think} and this is what we did ourselves to battle it.  You can use this information as a jumping off point if you're also battling Thrush {the baby mama version, not the adult version or the vaginal version}.  You can tell me what advice I'm giving is awesome or awful.  You can do what you want with it. But here is what we did.

Our treatment

Baby
baby probiotics (acidophilus specifically)
lots of apple cider vinegar to rub on her tongue (you can dilute we use full strength because it works better, risk of burning at full strength though) must wipe off skin to avoid reness
yeast beaters liquid dropper 2-3 times a day
NO SUGAR or fruit, no carbs, no dairy (except breastmilk)
*ultimately, I had to give in and use Nystatin a prescription medication, it worked great.  We fought the thrush with the natural remedies for 2 weeks and had great improvement, but we were traveling and I couldn't risk the situation getting worse, if we were not traveling I would not have used the prescription, and even while using it, I continued the probiotics and yeast beaters droppers to ensure it would not return! 

Baby Toys
vinegar spray everything
sun everything

Mama
probiotics (I bought the vaginal health one since it's the same type of yeast, it prevents yeast overgrowth and it's helping now that I'm actually taking it again after being sick with the flu)
diluted vinegar wash nipples after EVERY feeding (1 tablespoon vinegar 1 cup water)
I also used hydrogen peroxide to wash after feedings once I got a cracked nipple, I needed to clean the wound and it did heal.
coconut oil on nipples before feedings and after vinegar wash is dry
sunlight! leaving nipples exposed in the sun will kill the yeast
disposable nipple pads, the yeast can live in bras so you have to wash them in HOT water and sun dry them. but I only have 1 or 2 bras so I had to invest in the disposable pads so I could function.
anti-candida diet, I followed it as best I could as a vegetarian it's hard to cut out more food groups.
supplements to ensure a healthy immune system- see photo.

***UPDATE: We've been though more yeast fighting with my current pregnancy and I've found washing the affected area with Potassium Permanganate is the MOST helpful of all of the treatments!  I drop 10 black crystals into 8oz of water so it turns light pink and then I soak and wash affected areas.

I've also been using Candicin and Alli-Cinn for preventative treatment.***

My daily dose includes, pre{post}natal multi vitamin, glucoseamine{for back, not thrush}, garlic anti-candida formula, yeast beaters pills, vitamin C for immune support

Here are a few links about yeast and what it does to YOUR body, it's already there and if you want to avoid Thrush or ANY yeast infection you should read this, this and this.

Tips.
Do not wait until it gets bad in the baby's mouth to do something, ACV {apple cider vinegar} that shit right away, don't dilute it, just kill it full force, or at least that's what we should have done right away.
Do not wait until nipples are cracked, bleeding, sore, vinegar wash them right away, coconut oil then right away, PREVENT serious mama thrush by being proactive!
OH and make sure to continue treatment for 2 weeks AFTER the symptoms are gone!

Best of Luck!

If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments for other mamas or god{goddess} forbid if it happens to us again.

10 Months of Breastfeeding...

...and hopefully at least 10 more.

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week and all the breastfeeding posts I've been seeing I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on Sonja and I's experiences with breastfeeding.

My experience with breastfeeding started BEFORE birth.
My midwife's office was hosting a class with Lori J. Isenstadt, IBCLC, RLC. for expecting mamas.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to go since the class was $30 and to me breastfeeding sounded simple enough.  Insert nipple into baby's mouth. the end.  But after talking to my midwife, I thought I could learn something from the class so I went.
It was a very informative class.  Simple. Direct.  We watched short videos, we talked about our expectations, Lori told us what was "normal" what was not and so on.  It was the best $30 I could have spent.  Instead of waiting until I had problems with my baby, I knew what to expect and how to handle them.  I also wasn't a scared hormone shocked new mama being force fed info with a new baby in my arms.  I was attentive.  I was able to listen and learn.  I doubt I would have had a good experience if I had waited until Sonja was in my arms to get positioning or latching advice.
My advice to expecting mamas GET HELP BEFORE THERE'S A PROBLEM!

After Sonja's birth, our midwife waited about an hour then suggested everyone including Daddy leave the room.  As much as dads should be included in all things baby, breastfeeding is between the mother and baby.  And therefore, I believe Dads should wait to be involved with breastfeeding until it's well established, then he can watch baby eat, hold baby's hand, support mom.  Until it's well established, he's just a distraction.  Anyway, my lesson from the group class kicked in, Nose to Nipple, Big Open mouth, LATCH!  it worked.  It was exciting, weird and painful. But it wasn't supposed to be, that's what EVERYONE said.  It should not be painful.  I thought we were doing something wrong.  and before I knew it she was off.  was she full?  was any milk coming out?  did we do it right?!  

I was concerned.  Luckily, my midwife was in the next room so after a few moments of letting us experiment, she came in and asked if we need support.  I asked her everything and she answered.  Everything looked normal.

For the first 2 weeks I was in a lot of pain, engorged and sore.  I asked EVERYONE to check her latch, and everyone said it looked good.  but it hurt.  My mom gave me the best advice, she told me her doctor told her the first 2 weeks are the hardest, but if you make it through that you'll have great success.  So, we powered through.  I was making so much milk I was leaking through all my nipple pads.  I hand expressed a lot of milk, which I ended up dumping! because I didn't know how to store it properly :( 

I also found the book, Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding, extremely helpful. I think all new moms should read at least one breastfeeding book.  There is just too much information to not have a reference for questions!

After the first 2 weeks it got better, no more pain, no more wishing I could just give her a bottle, no more extreme leaking, although I was properly hand expressing and storing after that.  

I breastfed...

at the park

at the mall

in the kitchen

in the living room

at the tattoo shop

on the street corner

on the beach

at the midwives office

in the car

in the back yard

in the front yard

at the grocery store

at the farmer's market

I breastfed...

standing up

sitting down

walking

laying down

football hold

cradle hold

I also started saving my milk to store and donate to Eats on Feets.  My midwife, Shell Walker, started a page on facebook to connect moms with milk with moms without.  It's become a global success and I wanted to help.  Sometimes moms can't make enough. Sometimes they can't make any at all.  Sometimes the moms were never pregnant (adoption) so they need milk.  Sometimes gay dads want milk for their babies.  Whatever the reason, breast is best.  So, I found a one time recipient and offered her my milk, her and her adopted daughter and family were visiting the Phoenix area and she needs a few day's supply.  Now I'm no over producer, just a little more than necessary producer so I saved the milk and gave them a 30oz stash.

I was working for about an hour to two a day just three weeks after giving birth.  I'd hand express a few ounces everyday for the next day and keep it in the fridge, sometimes she'd drink it sometimes not.  I wasn't sure why she didn't like it.  I thought maybe it was the bottle's nipple or the temperature or maybe she just wasn't hungry.  But I didn't worry about it since it was such a short time that she needed it.  It wasn't until a vegan friend of mine tried my milk (sort of as a dare, since he hadn't had milk in three years!) and mentioned it had a strange after taste that I thought I should look into it.  I tasted a sip myself and realized why she didn't like the bottles.  It tasted like soap.  Excess Lipase. After 24 hours in the fridge the milk would usually get too much lipase causing a soapy taste.  I wouldn't want to drink it either!  Anyway, by the time we figured it out it was almost summer so we didn't treat the milk, I just stopped storing it in the fridge for longer than a few hours.  During the summer, she never had a bottle, and I'm interested to see how she does with me teaching again this fall.  It will be such a short time, she shouldn't even need milk during it...

Recently, at a local Eats on Feets meeting I was able to breastfeed not only one but two babies!  It was great to fill a belly of another baby.  I love my Eats on Feets mamas.  They are such caring loving women.  They want the best for their babies.  Some of them are moms who can't make milk, some of them are adoptive parents.  Some of them donate their milk.  Some of them support other moms donating milk.  I feel so blessed to have a supportive community to share milk with.  If you're interested in Eats on Feets, comment or send me an email (DIYCupcake@yahoo.com) and I will tell you everything I know, I can also get you in contact with the admins so you can start a chapter in your area!

Sonja got jealous, so I got to practice a tandem nurse!

And here we are, 10 months of sweet success, now battling Thrush.  I'm so thankful that we've had such a great experience in the past, I think it will make this hurdle so much easier.  I'm also thankful to not have experienced mastitis, although even moms who choose to formula feed can get breast infections from engorgement during the drying up process.  I'm also thankful I knew my rewards from breastfeeding, a baby with a strong immune system, a lowered risk of breast cancer for myself, and a FREE food source for my daughter for the first year of her life!  

If you've breastfeed for a day, a week, a month or year, I'd love to read about it.  Link up your story below!

and please feel free to vote as often as once a day...