We each have a story to tell about how our children were born into our lives. Not every story is filled with details of exactly how we wanted it to go. None the less, it's our own personal story. Share yours, write it down so that when your children are old enough to read it and understand the journey you went on with them, your memory is not all you have to rely on.
This is my friend's story. Stephanie Milligan shares her journey through the giving of her body to a baby for 23 months. It's beautiful and honest and brought me to tears.
http://reallyreallyrealadventures.blogspot.com/2011/11/bye-bye-boobies.html?spref=fb
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Creative Baby Shower Gift
So many choices, blankets, bibs, bedding, bottles, wait... no bottles! Instead of giving bottles support Mom's desire to breastfeed with a gift certificate from Valerie Miller, A Mother's Benediction. Breastfeeding Support and Education on call is one of the best ways to say congratulations and welcome to motherhood. When Mom has a gift certificate good for one, two, three or more hours of time she won't strain her brain to think of who can help her at 8pm on Saturday night. She won't second guess what baby or her body is doing and wait too long before asking for help. When she is exhausted, emotional and stressed that this was not quite like she had planned, she will have someone on call to talk with and she won't give up. You will have given Mom and Baby the very best gift to start a baby's life! This is also perfect for a group of people to purchase together, Mom's groups, Bookclubs, really close co-workers (:).
Purchase and pay for one hour up front. If you would like to give Mom more than one hour's worth of support time I will create a gift certificate that says "up to 3 hours of support" and if for some reason that Mom does not use hours 2 or 3 you will not be charged. However I will charge with notification to you first if we go into the 2nd or 3rd hour as needed. Time is billed by the hour or any part of the hour.
What a great way to support a mother's desire to breastfeed, especially our first timers or Mom's that have expressed prior struggles with previous babies.
Purchase and pay for one hour up front. If you would like to give Mom more than one hour's worth of support time I will create a gift certificate that says "up to 3 hours of support" and if for some reason that Mom does not use hours 2 or 3 you will not be charged. However I will charge with notification to you first if we go into the 2nd or 3rd hour as needed. Time is billed by the hour or any part of the hour.
What a great way to support a mother's desire to breastfeed, especially our first timers or Mom's that have expressed prior struggles with previous babies.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Can you take that medicine when you are pregnant or breastfeeding?
We all ask this question right? It's so important to tell any Doctor you are seeing that you are breastfeeding. While many medications are safe to take, some can cause a reduction in milk supply while taking them. Some can cause problems with your baby as the medication crosses into the breastmilk. Do your research here on Lactmed, be sure to talk to the Doctor about side effects and always look into an alternative when what you might need is not safe to take while breastfeeding.
There is an "ap" for this site as well. This can be really handy when you are standing in the medication aisle, stuffed up, coughing, feverish and about to lay down right there on the floor of the store and nap. Look up meds on your phone before you walk out with something that might not have been the best choice.
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT
There is an "ap" for this site as well. This can be really handy when you are standing in the medication aisle, stuffed up, coughing, feverish and about to lay down right there on the floor of the store and nap. Look up meds on your phone before you walk out with something that might not have been the best choice.
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT
Friday, July 1, 2011
What about my story?
I spend so much time talking to others about their breastfeeding stories I often forget I don't share mine.
I have three children, all of which were breastfed and each one taught me just a little bit more.
Rylee was my first. I had a supportive Mother who had breastfed me and going into this whole motherhood deal, I just knew breastfeeding is what we would do. My now ex-husband and I went to some birthing classes and 1 breastfeeding class. For the life of me, I can't now recall 8 years later if he went with me to the breastfeeding class or not. I would now encourage that every Mom bring a partner to those classes. A second person to get that info and store it in their brain never hurts. Rylee was jaundiced, she went home on time but had to spend about 4 days in a billi light bed. This was devastating. I could not hold her, I could get her out to nurse her, but then put her right back in. I was lucky to have Kaiser insurance at that time and a visiting home nurse who was also an IBCLC was coming to the house each day to check her bilirubin levels and really encouraged breastfeeding. "She will get better faster the more she eats". My milk with Rylee was slow to come in. On the fifth day my Grandmother said "drink a beer, your milk will come in" By this time I was using a syringe and a tube with formula (GASP, I said formula) in it to place at the nipple to encourage her to eat there, but to also get something in her stomach. I drank 1/2 a beer that day, within hours my milk was in. I swear by that theory! The rest was rather smooth sailing until about 4 months when I finally was diagnosed with a gall stone. I had my gall bladder removed and after a 3 day hospital stay my milk supply even after pumping had really taken a hit. I did not ask for LC help at that time, I went home and figured I could not make enough milk, I had to give her formula. I never asked for help and that was my biggest mistake. I thought at that time it was all or nothing, I did not realize that I could have given her what milk I was able to produce and supplement the rest of her diet with the formula. I also did not realize at that time that had I put her back to the breast or pumped I would have had a much better chance at getting a healthy milk supply back.
Gavin came along 18 months after Rylee. Between these two babies I had met some La Leche ladies. I learned alot more and I wanted to nurse my second baby alot longer than 4 months. My milk came in faster, my delivery was about 6 hours long and I pushed for 9 minutes. Rylee's delivery was only 8 hours long, with about 90 minutes. of pushing. I was lucky and had easy births. Gavin also went home on a billi light bed. Only this time I understood better about that process and how we could get him out faster. Gavin nursed like a champ and 13 months later he decided it was time for him to stop. I was happy that we had made it that long and that it was his choice not mine.
Fast forward another almost 5 years. I remarried and have been blessed with Felix, my third child. My husband Brian is my biggest breastfeeding supporter and probably now knows more about breastfeeding and how to beat the challenges than the average dude! Felix nursed like a champ from the moment he arrived. A 3 hour labor, 20 minutes of pushing and drug free I am proud to say! Felix was a nipple tugger and with the help of an IBCLC I learned that when babies start doing that, they are just done with the feeding. I learned how to share with mom's that they need to be in tune with their babies. Learn what behaviors mean what and don't allow the tugging to continue. I learned how to care for sore nipples more with Felix than with the other two, but I also learned after two times of that happening that I could prevent it with a little more watchful eye!
Felix stopped nursing on his own also at about 13-14 months. He was down to just nursing in the middle of the night and after a few weeks of only doing that he just stopped. I was sad, I am still sad. The end comes so fast I swore I would cherish it more, journal about it more, inhale and savor the moments more... but the end just comes. Again, however, it was his choice and I was so thrilled I had given another child of mine the very best I had to offer.
I have three children, all of which were breastfed and each one taught me just a little bit more.
Rylee was my first. I had a supportive Mother who had breastfed me and going into this whole motherhood deal, I just knew breastfeeding is what we would do. My now ex-husband and I went to some birthing classes and 1 breastfeeding class. For the life of me, I can't now recall 8 years later if he went with me to the breastfeeding class or not. I would now encourage that every Mom bring a partner to those classes. A second person to get that info and store it in their brain never hurts. Rylee was jaundiced, she went home on time but had to spend about 4 days in a billi light bed. This was devastating. I could not hold her, I could get her out to nurse her, but then put her right back in. I was lucky to have Kaiser insurance at that time and a visiting home nurse who was also an IBCLC was coming to the house each day to check her bilirubin levels and really encouraged breastfeeding. "She will get better faster the more she eats". My milk with Rylee was slow to come in. On the fifth day my Grandmother said "drink a beer, your milk will come in" By this time I was using a syringe and a tube with formula (GASP, I said formula) in it to place at the nipple to encourage her to eat there, but to also get something in her stomach. I drank 1/2 a beer that day, within hours my milk was in. I swear by that theory! The rest was rather smooth sailing until about 4 months when I finally was diagnosed with a gall stone. I had my gall bladder removed and after a 3 day hospital stay my milk supply even after pumping had really taken a hit. I did not ask for LC help at that time, I went home and figured I could not make enough milk, I had to give her formula. I never asked for help and that was my biggest mistake. I thought at that time it was all or nothing, I did not realize that I could have given her what milk I was able to produce and supplement the rest of her diet with the formula. I also did not realize at that time that had I put her back to the breast or pumped I would have had a much better chance at getting a healthy milk supply back.
Gavin came along 18 months after Rylee. Between these two babies I had met some La Leche ladies. I learned alot more and I wanted to nurse my second baby alot longer than 4 months. My milk came in faster, my delivery was about 6 hours long and I pushed for 9 minutes. Rylee's delivery was only 8 hours long, with about 90 minutes. of pushing. I was lucky and had easy births. Gavin also went home on a billi light bed. Only this time I understood better about that process and how we could get him out faster. Gavin nursed like a champ and 13 months later he decided it was time for him to stop. I was happy that we had made it that long and that it was his choice not mine.
Fast forward another almost 5 years. I remarried and have been blessed with Felix, my third child. My husband Brian is my biggest breastfeeding supporter and probably now knows more about breastfeeding and how to beat the challenges than the average dude! Felix nursed like a champ from the moment he arrived. A 3 hour labor, 20 minutes of pushing and drug free I am proud to say! Felix was a nipple tugger and with the help of an IBCLC I learned that when babies start doing that, they are just done with the feeding. I learned how to share with mom's that they need to be in tune with their babies. Learn what behaviors mean what and don't allow the tugging to continue. I learned how to care for sore nipples more with Felix than with the other two, but I also learned after two times of that happening that I could prevent it with a little more watchful eye!
Felix stopped nursing on his own also at about 13-14 months. He was down to just nursing in the middle of the night and after a few weeks of only doing that he just stopped. I was sad, I am still sad. The end comes so fast I swore I would cherish it more, journal about it more, inhale and savor the moments more... but the end just comes. Again, however, it was his choice and I was so thrilled I had given another child of mine the very best I had to offer.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hospital Lactation Staff
I sadly hear too often "I did not like my hospital lactation nurse or staff person". Why is this ladies? What have your experiences been and what would you have liked to have seen done differently?
Were they too rough, did they not come soon enough, often enough? Did you feel like they left out some important information that would have made all the difference once you got home?
Share with me your thoughts, experiences both good and not so good.
Were they too rough, did they not come soon enough, often enough? Did you feel like they left out some important information that would have made all the difference once you got home?
Share with me your thoughts, experiences both good and not so good.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Reducing Childhood Obesity- Show me the breast
Most of us are well aware of most of the benefits of breastmilk for the child that is currently at the breast feeding. Did you know there are benefits that go way beyond those months, years as well?
Breastfed babies are a lower risk for childhood obesity, something society does a darn good job at fostering.
Check out this article.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/06/23/want-to-prevent-obesity-in-the-littlest-kids-breastfeed/
Breastfed babies are a lower risk for childhood obesity, something society does a darn good job at fostering.
Check out this article.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/06/23/want-to-prevent-obesity-in-the-littlest-kids-breastfeed/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Reflections on Breastfeeding
I love this video. It speaks volumes about what breastfeeding means to women.
Take a look and share with me some of your own reflections, the good the bad and the good again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axUEYbf_K8k
and if that one did not make you cry, this one might.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taDqKWWPDAY
Take a look and share with me some of your own reflections, the good the bad and the good again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axUEYbf_K8k
and if that one did not make you cry, this one might.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taDqKWWPDAY
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