Baby Talk :: Accepting the Drought

Happy Tuesday mamas....it's time for another addition of BABY TALK!

Here's the rules:
{1} Write a post on ANYTHING baby related...pregnancy, parenting, products, stories, advice, you name it!
{2} Grab this button and put it somewhere, anywhere in your post!

<div class="BUSY-BEE-button" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://fawver.blogspot.com"> <img src="http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/knfawver/baby-talk-button_zps829f6bd6.jpg" alt="BUSY BEE" width="250" height="250" /> </a> </div>

{3} Publish your post on Tuesday!
{4} Come back and enter your post in the super neat link-up tool found at the bottom of every Baby Talk post.
{5} Check back and read the other blogs who have linked up!

Easy as pie!

-----------

As I'm sitting here thinking of how to write this post I have tears welling up in my eyes. This shouldn't be a sad post, but it's making me feel that way.

A little over a month ago I started to notice a severe decrease in the amount of breast milk I was pumping each day at work. Since returning to work just six weeks after Kenley was born I have been pumping 15-20oz each day. Kenley goes through three 5oz bottles while with her grandparents during the day, so I was pumping just enough to get her through plus a little more to store.

I think everything started to go down hill after our trip to Colorado in February. I emptied our entire breast milk supply for the trip because 1. We needed it so that I didn't have to be bound to the baby and could enjoy my vacation and 2. because I assumed I'd have no issues re-stocking the freezer when we got home.

Since then it seems every day is a bigger challenge than the day before...in the breast feeding department that is. It's been a slow progression but where we stand now I am only pumping 1-3oz while at work. ONE to THREE ounces a day. In THREE pumping sessions. Obviously, that's not enough to feed Kenley during the day so we've had to supplement formula. In addition to that, my supply is SHOT by the end of the day. I tried and tried to nurse Kenley when I'd get home from work but she would work so hard for nothing which would send her in to hysteria which of course sent me in to hysteria.

Of course, I took to the web to do some research. I needed to find out what was causing this decrease and what I could do to fix it.

The common causes are as follows:
-Fatigue
-Illness
-Caffeine
-Smoking
-Alcohol
-Medications
-Stress
-Herbs & Spices
-Birth Control Pills
-Pregnancy
-Diet & Hydration

My baby has been sleeping through the night since she was 5 weeks old, so I couldn't blame fatigue. Caffeine makes me sick so if I have any it's in small amounts. I don't smoke. I have an occasional cocktail but I don't think enough to have an effect. I'm not on ANY medication (not even taking any advil). The only stress in my life is this low milk supply. I use some spices in cooking but I can't imagine adding oregano to my spaghetti sauce is causing this decrease. I am not on the pill and I am certainly not pregnant. So, I figured that the cold I had for three weeks and my diet / hydration had to be the culprits.

So then I looked up what to do to increase my supply:
-Increase nursing sessions
-Pump more frequently
-Drink more water
-Eat a balanced diet
-Eat a lot of Oatmeal
-Take Fenugreek supplements

I did all of it. Everything. I took three Fenugreek vitamins a day, counted calories and chose healthier food options, downloaded an app to track my water intake, pumped three times a day at work and added a pumping session before bed, nursed Kenley on both sides at every feeding I could, tried more skin to skin contact and ate a shit ton of Oatmeal.

It didn't work. 

You guys, I can't even tell you how many times I've cried over this. I felt like my body was failing me and that I am failing my baby. I would actually get sick to my stomach feeding Kenley formula.

You don't have to tell me how irrational this sounds because I know, believe me, I know it's ridiculous. I know that I was able to exclusively nurse my baby for nearly 6 months despite all the issues I had in the beginning. I know that I did the best I could and my baby is thriving because of it. AND, most of all, I know that formula isn't poison and that billions of perfectly healthy babies rely on formula every day. I know. I know it all. But still it all made me feel so sad.

I don't know why there has been this stigma or pressure or expectation put upon moms about breastfeeding. It wasn't too long ago that breastfeeding was frowned upon and formula was the recommended source of nutrition.

The point of this is that I am sad that I have come to this crossroads. I am not mentally or emotionally ready to be done breastfeeding but for some reason my body is putting on the breaks. I had to talk all of this through with Carolyn {she's my person} and I asked her....do I stop before I'm ready or do I continue to bust my ass to increase my supply, and per usual, she gave me the best advice:

"a non-stressed mommy is more important for Kenley than formula vs breast milk"

and she is so, so right. Trying to fight through this is just going to stress me out and disappoint me, and that's not what I need OR what Kenley needs.

I also reached out to my friend Andrea whose son, Vincent, is 10 months old. She had pretty much the same issue as me and was a huge help! She had the same feelings I was feeling but after giving in and realizing it was time to stop she was doing great and feeling great and she said something that I will forever remember and share with my breastfeeding friends,

"You've done a huge, great thing for Kenley by getting this far and no one will ever be able to tell on the 1st day of Kindergarten which babies were breastfed for 6 months, a year or not at all.  You're going to do so much for her throughout the years so don't worry if this didn't turn out exactly how you wanted. "

I think what I needed more than anything was someone who understood how important this was to me to listen and to tell me it was OK. {thanks friends!}

Even though it was hard and emotional to stop, I've got to say not breastfeeding is pretty nice! I finally feel, after 15 months, that my body belongs to me again. I loved growing my little nugget and loved breastfeeding but it's nice to be able to count calories again, not feel guilty having a glass of wine or three and to NOT have to be hooked up to that damn pump for an hour a day is pretty amazing!

AND....


Before I go, I have to wish a very very Happy Birthday to my dad!!! 

Love you!

Baby Talk :: Accepting the Drought

Happy Tuesday mamas....it's time for another addition of BABY TALK!

Here's the rules:
{1} Write a post on ANYTHING baby related...pregnancy, parenting, products, stories, advice, you name it!
{2} Grab this button and put it somewhere, anywhere in your post!

{3} Publish your post on Tuesday!

{4} Come back and enter your post in the super neat link-up tool found at the bottom of every Baby Talk post.
{5} Check back and read the other blogs who have linked up!

Easy as pie!

-----------

As I'm sitting here thinking of how to write this post I have tears welling up in my eyes. This shouldn't be a sad post, but it's making me feel that way.

A little over a month ago I started to notice a severe decrease in the amount of breast milk I was pumping each day at work. Since returning to work just six weeks after Kenley was born I have been pumping 15-20oz each day. Kenley goes through three 5oz bottles while with her grandparents during the day, so I was pumping just enough to get her through plus a little more to store.

I think everything started to go down hill after our trip to Colorado in February. I emptied our entire breast milk supply for the trip because 1. We needed it so that I didn't have to be bound to the baby and could enjoy my vacation and 2. because I assumed I'd have no issues re-stocking the freezer when we got home.

Since then it seems every day is a bigger challenge than the day before...in the breast feeding department that is. It's been a slow progression but where we stand now I am only pumping 1-3oz while at work. ONE to THREE ounces a day. In THREE pumping sessions. Obviously, that's not enough to feed Kenley during the day so we've had to supplement formula. In addition to that, my supply is SHOT by the end of the day. I tried and tried to nurse Kenley when I'd get home from work but she would work so hard for nothing which would send her in to hysteria which of course sent me in to hysteria.

Of course, I took to the web to do some research. I needed to find out what was causing this decrease and what I could do to fix it.

The common causes are as follows:
-Fatigue
-Illness
-Caffeine
-Smoking
-Alcohol
-Medications
-Stress
-Herbs & Spices
-Birth Control Pills
-Pregnancy
-Diet & Hydration

My baby has been sleeping through the night since she was 5 weeks old, so I couldn't blame fatigue. Caffeine makes me sick so if I have any it's in small amounts. I don't smoke. I have an occasional cocktail but I don't think enough to have an effect. I'm not on ANY medication (not even taking any advil). The only stress in my life is this low milk supply. I use some spices in cooking but I can't imagine adding oregano to my spaghetti sauce is causing this decrease. I am not on the pill and I am certainly not pregnant. So, I figured that the cold I had for three weeks and my diet / hydration had to be the culprits.

So then I looked up what to do to increase my supply:
-Increase nursing sessions
-Pump more frequently
-Drink more water
-Eat a balanced diet
-Eat a lot of Oatmeal
-Take Fenugreek supplements

I did all of it. Everything. I took three Fenugreek vitamins a day, counted calories and chose healthier food options, downloaded an app to track my water intake, pumped three times a day at work and added a pumping session before bed, nursed Kenley on both sides at every feeding I could, tried more skin to skin contact and ate a shit ton of Oatmeal.

It didn't work. 

You guys, I can't even tell you how many times I've cried over this. I felt like my body was failing me and that I am failing my baby. I would actually get sick to my stomach feeding Kenley formula.

You don't have to tell me how irrational this sounds because I know, believe me, I know it's ridiculous. I know that I was able to exclusively nurse my baby for nearly 6 months despite all the issues I had in the beginning. I know that I did the best I could and my baby is thriving because of it. AND, most of all, I know that formula isn't poison and that billions of perfectly healthy babies rely on formula every day. I know. I know it all. But still it all made me feel so sad.

I don't know why there has been this stigma or pressure or expectation put upon moms about breastfeeding. It wasn't too long ago that breastfeeding was frowned upon and formula was the recommended source of nutrition.

The point of this is that I am sad that I have come to this crossroads. I am not mentally or emotionally ready to be done breastfeeding but for some reason my body is putting on the breaks. I had to talk all of this through with Carolyn {she's my person} and I asked her....do I stop before I'm ready or do I continue to bust my ass to increase my supply, and per usual, she gave me the best advice:

"a non-stressed mommy is more important for Kenley than formula vs breast milk"

and she is so, so right. Trying to fight through this is just going to stress me out and disappoint me, and that's not what I need OR what Kenley needs.

I also reached out to my friend Andrea whose son, Vincent, is 10 months old. She had pretty much the same issue as me and was a huge help! She had the same feelings I was feeling but after giving in and realizing it was time to stop she was doing great and feeling great and she said something that I will forever remember and share with my breastfeeding friends,

"You've done a huge, great thing for Kenley by getting this far and no one will ever be able to tell on the 1st day of Kindergarten which babies were breastfed for 6 months, a year or not at all.  You're going to do so much for her throughout the years so don't worry if this didn't turn out exactly how you wanted. "

I think what I needed more than anything was someone who understood how important this was to me to listen and to tell me it was OK. {thanks friends!}

Even though it was hard and emotional to stop, I've got to say not breastfeeding is pretty nice! I finally feel, after 15 months, that my body belongs to me again. I loved growing my little nugget and loved breastfeeding but it's nice to be able to count calories again, not feel guilty having a glass of wine or three and to NOT have to be hooked up to that damn pump for an hour a day is pretty amazing!

Baby Talk :: Starting Solids

Happy Tuesday mamas....it's time for another addition of BABY TALK!

Here's the rules:
{1} Write a post on ANYTHING baby related...pregnancy, parenting, products, stories, advice, you name it!
{2} Grab this button and put it somewhere, anywhere in your post!

<div class="BUSY-BEE-button" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://fawver.blogspot.com"> <img src="http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/knfawver/baby-talk-button_zps829f6bd6.jpg" alt="BUSY BEE" width="250" height="250" /> </a> </div>

{3} Publish your post on Tuesday!
{4} Come back and enter your post in the super neat link-up tool found at the bottom of every Baby Talk post.
{5} Check back and read the other blogs who have linked up!

Easy as pie!

-----------

As I mentioned yesterday, Kenley hit a major milestone over the weekend - Starting Solids! 

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months, so after committing to breastfeed I knew that I didn't want to start Kenley on solid foods before then. I was reassured after Kenley's 4 month check up when she was gaining weight and growing as she should - our doctor told me there was no reason to start her on solids unless we wanted to.

Over the past few weeks it's become clear that Kenley is not satisfied on milk alone. She has been waking up earlier that normal and is quite angry when she polishes off a bottle, so we decided that it was most definitely time to start our little one on something more substantial. 

Once it came time to start thinking about solid foods, I did my research. Our pediatrician gave me some great resources and I also found this fabulous website: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ 

I had decided a while ago that I wanted to make my own baby food, and this site really put my mind at ease in terms of the time and commitment that it takes. Being that I am only a few days in to solids, I can't say much more on the subject but I definitely plan on doing a post down the road on how it works for us {whether it works or not}. 

So after learning all I needed to learn, I devised a plan for introducing Kenley to solids:

While it's possible to start babies on foods other than Rice Cereal, I decided to stick with the tried and true to start. I also listed out all of the "first foods" and then created a schedule of when we would try each of the foods alternating between fruits and veggies and also adding in the Rice and Oatmeal Cereals. It's important to wait at least three days after introducing a new food so that if your baby has an allergic reaction you are able to pinpoint which food is causing it. So, with that in mind, here's what I came up with:

This first month will allow us to introduce Kenley to the first foods and then next month we can start experimenting with different combinations and recipes. We'll stick to these foods until Kenley turns 8 months and then we'll start to introduce the second foods.

While Kenley adjusts to these new foods as well as eating with a spoon we are keeping her menu and feeding schedule simple. Her diet is still mostly comprised of breast milk and formula {more on that later} and will continue to for the next several months. For now her daily menu looks like this:

Wake Up :: Nurse
9:00am :: 5oz formula
12:00pm :: 5oz formula & 2tbsp Rice or Oatmeal Cereal mixed with 1oz breast milk
3:00pm :: 5oz Formula
6:00pm :: 5oz Formula & New Fruit or Veggie
Bedtime :: 5oz formula

Do any of you mamas have any words of wisdom on starting solids OR making your own baby food?

Baby Talk :: Starting Solids

Kenley hit a major milestone over the weekend - Starting Solids!

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months, so after committing to breastfeed I knew that I didn't want to start Kenley on solid foods before then. I was reassured after Kenley's 4 month check up when she was gaining weight and growing as she should - our doctor told me there was no reason to start her on solids unless we wanted to.

Over the past few weeks it's become clear that Kenley is not satisfied on milk alone. She has been waking up earlier that normal and is quite angry when she polishes off a bottle, so we decided that it was most definitely time to start our little one on something more substantial. 

Once it came time to start thinking about solid foods, I did my research. Our pediatrician gave me some great resources and I also found this fabulous website: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ 

I had decided a while ago that I wanted to make my own baby food, and this site really put my mind at ease in terms of the time and commitment that it takes. Being that I am only a few days in to solids, I can't say much more on the subject but I definitely plan on doing a post down the road on how it works for us {whether it works or not}. 

So after learning all I needed to learn, I devised a plan for introducing Kenley to solids:

While it's possible to start babies on foods other than Rice Cereal, I decided to stick with the tried and true to start. I also listed out all of the "first foods" and then created a schedule of when we would try each of the foods alternating between fruits and veggies and also adding in the Rice and Oatmeal Cereals. It's important to wait at least three days after introducing a new food so that if your baby has an allergic reaction you are able to pinpoint which food is causing it. So, with that in mind, here's what I came up with:

This first month will allow us to introduce Kenley to the first foods and then next month we can start experimenting with different combinations and recipes. We'll stick to these foods until Kenley turns 8 months and then we'll start to introduce the second foods.

While Kenley adjusts to these new foods as well as eating with a spoon we are keeping her menu and feeding schedule simple. Her diet is still mostly comprised of breast milk and formula {more on that later} and will continue to for the next several months. For now her daily menu looks like this:

Wake Up :: Nurse
9:00am :: 5oz formula
12:00pm :: 5oz formula & 2tbsp Rice or Oatmeal Cereal mixed with 1oz breast milk
3:00pm :: 5oz Formula
6:00pm :: 5oz Formula & New Fruit or Veggie
Bedtime :: 5oz formula

Do any of you mamas have any words of wisdom on starting solids OR making your own baby food?

Link up every Tuesday!

Baby Talk :: There's an APP for that

We live in a digital age where we have SO much information literally right at our finger tips. Sometimes having all this information can be overwhelming! In fact, I read an interesting article on BabyCenter about the best and worst things about being a mom in our time. Check it out HERE if you're interested. 

While I do think that SO much information and SO many opinions right in front of us all day every day can make things more difficult for us mamas, I do think that there are some definite advantages to having such advanced technology. One BIG advantage in my book is all the apps out there to help make mamas life a little more organized and a little easier. 

I have a whole folder of "baby" related apps that I've used since finding out I was pregnant and today I'm going to share with you my favorites. 

Sprout

I signed up to get the weekly updates from BabyCenter and TheBump, but for me, there was no such thing as too much information. Sprout basically gives you week-by-week updates on your baby's growth and also has a "the doc says" section with information on different things that may be happening to you or the baby. Very similar to the updates from BabyCenter, but again, I couldn't get enough. My favorite thing about the app, however, is the realistic illustrations of the baby. I loved getting a realistic view of what my little nugget looked like swimming around in there. There's a lot of different week-by-week apps out there (and I downloaded a lot of them) but this one is definitely my favorite. 

Checklist for Baby Birth

If you're a type-A planner mama like myself, then you will love this app! I am a checklist fanatic so having a comprehensive checklist on my phone for all the baby stuff we needed to get was GREAT! They have a pre-set list for you but allow you to add additional items or remove the ones from their list that you don't want or need. I got such a sense of accomplishment each time I'd check things off and my "done" percentage would get higher and higher. 

Baby Kicks

A few weeks in to my second trimester, my doctor told me to start keeping track of the baby's movements. She told me to count how many times I would feel the baby move in one hour and to do that once a day...enter the Baby Kicks app! Once or twice a day I would pop open this app and simply give it a tap each time I'd feel Kenley move. Once it got up to 10 the timer would stop and would keep a list of each time I tracked. So simple but so helpful. 

Labor and Contraction Timer

Ahhh, the good old Labor & Contraction Timer. This bad boy was AWESOME. Once I started feeling contractions I used this guy to time them. I'd simply tap "Start" when I'd feel a contraction starting and hit "End" once it was over. Once they started getting more and more painful and closer together I handed my phone off to Jason and he kept track for me. It lists all of your contractions as well so you can see when they're coming every 5 minutes and lasting a minute for an hour....time to call the doctor! 

Baby Care Master

Finally, once Kenley was born I relied BIG TIME on this Baby Care Center app. I don't use it anymore but it was super helpful the first few weeks of Kenley's life. I was able to track when she was eating, how often she was wetting or soiling a diaper, how long she was sleeping AND most key which side she was nursing on. Let me tell you...when you are exhausted and feeding that bambino every couple of hours it is not easy to keep track of which side you nursed on last. I always have my phone with me so while Kenley was eating I would open this app and note which side she was on. It was also super helpful for her doctor's appointments, they always want to know how often the baby is eating and peeing and pooping and sleeping and instead of trying to keep the stats in my mom brain, I relied on this handy little app. 

Do you have any "must use" mama apps that you could recommend?

Don't forget to link up EVERY Tuesday!

Boob Chat.

I am so excited!
Today I am guest posting over at Julie's blog, the girl in the red shoes!
Julie's darling son Hudson is two months older than Kenley and it has been so wonderful for me to follow along with Julie during her pregnancy and now during her new mama adventures.

Recently, Julie did a series on her experience with breastfeeding.

Part 1: Getting Started
Part 2: First Days
Part 3: Getting Established
Part 4: Pumping and Working
Part 5: Moving Forward

These posts are so personal and informative and relatable, which is why I'm thrilled to tears to be able to share part of my story on her blog today! If you are breastfeeding or someday plan to, you NEED to check out her posts!

Now head on over there to read my post! Then come back here to read my breastfeeding tips!

.............

If you did as you were told and read my post on Julie's blog, then you know that breastfeeding was a little hard for me to start. I stuck with it and made it work and using the following tips, tricks and methods I now consider myself a successful breastfeeder. 

*Engorgement is no joke. It's a little shocking when it first happens and you suddenly look like a porn star. A porn star that wears a bath robe with sweatpants and has mascara all over her face from crying over nothing.

*Engorgement doesn't have to hurt as bad as they say. If you don't get those boobies completely drained you continue to get engorged and getting engorged on top of being engorged on top of being engorged for days will hurt so bad that you will be certain there's a tumor in your boob. Is this a little irrational? Yes. But when your boobs hurt that bad and you haven't slept for weeks, all rationality is out the window. TIP: When you are super engorged (or have a plugged duct) it works wonders to massage the breast where it hurts while feeding.

*Keep water on hand! I'd heard a million times..."drink lots of water if you're breastfeeding." What people don't tell you is that you have no choice.  I would literally get so thirsty while nursing that I'd have to yell for Jason to fill up my water because if I didn't drink something that instant I was surely going to shrivel up and die. Note--it's been almost 5 months and this still happens.

*Use what you've got! If your baby is part piranha (like mine) your nipples will crack and they will bleed. If your nipples crack and bleed breastfeeding will hurt really bad. I tried two different nipple creams (Meleda & Lanolin) but found that using expressed breast milk made them heal quicker and feel better faster.

*Get help! I met with a lactation consultant in the hospital, who told me I was doing everything right and that Kenley's latch was perfect. 4 weeks later when I was at my wits end and ready to throw in the towel, I went and saw the lactation consultant at our pediatrician who also told me I was doing everything right and that Kenley's latch was perfect. Well then why the hell does it still hurt so bad? The LC told me that my nipples were still healing from being so cracked, she told me it would get better, that I was taking amazing care of my baby, my baby was gaining weight just as she should be and was doing wonderfully. It was exactly what I needed to hear. 

*Nipple confusion is a crock of shit (at least for us it was). Kenley HAD to have a bottle at 8 days old because I had to have an MRI with contrast dye and therefore could not breastfeed for 24 hours. She took to the bottle no problem. She went back to the boob no problem. She's also had a pacifier from almost the start and, again, has had no confusion. In fact, the pacifier & bottle have been life savers because they give my poor nips a break (again, my baby is a piranha).

*Have formula on hand. GASP! I know, I know...everything you read in support of breastfeeding makes formula out to be the devil. But guess what, tons and tons and tons of babies have survived on solely formula and have turned out JUST FINE. No matter how passionate you are about exclusively breastfeeding your baby there may come a time when you need to supplement... because you get sick and your supply decreases (guilty), because you have a medical situation where you can't nurse (guilty) or because you desperately, desperately, desperately need a break (guilty). It is NOT going to hurt your baby if you supplement formula...in fact, I believe it helps make them more adaptable (but I'm not a doctor). If you are going to supplement, just make sure you are still breastfeeding/pumping consistently so that you don't mess with your supply.

One more thing to add, so people don't get their feathers all rustled -- I am pretty passionate about the benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby which is why I stuck with it, BUT, I have absolutely no judgement against those who decide not to nurse. This mom business is tough stuff and getting judged and criticized for your decisions is NOT cool -- as long as that baby is getting fed, it doesn't matter if it's from a boob or a bottle!

I'm definitely not an expert, but I went through a lot trying to get established as a successful breastfeeder, so if you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

Boob Chat.

I am so excited!
Today I am guest posting over at Julie's blog, the girl in the red shoes!
Julie's darling son Hudson is two months older than Kenley and it has been so wonderful for me to follow along with Julie during her pregnancy and now during her new mama adventures.

Recently, Julie did a series on her experience with breastfeeding.

Part 1: Getting Started
Part 2: First Days
Part 3: Getting Established
Part 4: Pumping and Working
Part 5: Moving Forward

These posts are so personal and informative and relatable, which is why I'm thrilled to tears to be able to share part of my story on her blog today! If you are breastfeeding or someday plan to, you NEED to check out her posts!

Now head on over there to read my post! Then come back here to read my breastfeeding tips!

.............

If you did as you were told and read my post on Julie's blog, then you know that breastfeeding was a little hard for me to start. I stuck with it and made it work and using the following tips, tricks and methods I now consider myself a successful breastfeeder. 

*Engorgement is no joke. It's a little shocking when it first happens and you suddenly look like a porn star. A porn star that wears a bath robe with sweatpants and has mascara all over her face from crying over nothing.

*Engorgement doesn't have to hurt as bad as they say. If you don't get those boobies completely drained you continue to get engorged and getting engorged on top of being engorged on top of being engorged for days will hurt so bad that you will be certain there's a tumor in your boob. Is this a little irrational? Yes. But when your boobs hurt that bad and you haven't slept for weeks, all rationality is out the window. TIP: When you are super engorged (or have a plugged duct) it works wonders to massage the breast where it hurts while feeding.

*Keep water on hand! I'd heard a million times..."drink lots of water if you're breastfeeding." What people don't tell you is that you have no choice.  I would literally get so thirsty while nursing that I'd have to yell for Jason to fill up my water because if I didn't drink something that instant I was surely going to shrivel up and die. Note--it's been almost 5 months and this still happens.

*Use what you've got! If your baby is part piranha (like mine) your nipples will crack and they will bleed. If your nipples crack and bleed breastfeeding will hurt really bad. I tried two different nipple creams (Meleda & Lanolin) but found that using expressed breast milk made them heal quicker and feel better faster.

*Get help! I met with a lactation consultant in the hospital, who told me I was doing everything right and that Kenley's latch was perfect. 4 weeks later when I was at my wits end and ready to throw in the towel, I went and saw the lactation consultant at our pediatrician who also told me I was doing everything right and that Kenley's latch was perfect. Well then why the hell does it still hurt so bad? The LC told me that my nipples were still healing from being so cracked, she told me it would get better, that I was taking amazing care of my baby, my baby was gaining weight just as she should be and was doing wonderfully. It was exactly what I needed to hear. 

*Nipple confusion is a crock of shit (at least for us it was). Kenley HAD to have a bottle at 8 days old because I had to have an MRI with contrast dye and therefore could not breastfeed for 24 hours. She took to the bottle no problem. She went back to the boob no problem. She's also had a pacifier from almost the start and, again, has had no confusion. In fact, the pacifier & bottle have been life savers because they give my poor nips a break (again, my baby is a piranha).

*Have formula on hand. GASP! I know, I know...everything you read in support of breastfeeding makes formula out to be the devil. But guess what, tons and tons and tons of babies have survived on solely formula and have turned out JUST FINE. No matter how passionate you are about exclusively breastfeeding your baby there may come a time when you need to supplement... because you get sick and your supply decreases (guilty), because you have a medical situation where you can't nurse (guilty) or because you desperately, desperately, desperately need a break (guilty). It is NOT going to hurt your baby if you supplement formula...in fact, I believe it helps make them more adaptable (but I'm not a doctor). If you are going to supplement, just make sure you are still breastfeeding/pumping consistently so that you don't mess with your supply.

One more thing to add, so people don't get their feathers all rustled -- I am pretty passionate about the benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby which is why I stuck with it, BUT, I have absolutely no judgement against those who decide not to nurse. This mom business is tough stuff and getting judged and criticized for your decisions is NOT cool -- as long as that baby is getting fed, it doesn't matter if it's from a boob or a bottle!

I'm definitely not an expert, but I went through a lot trying to get established as a successful breastfeeder, so if you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

Weighing In, part 2

Losing baby weight is weird. In fact, gaining baby weight is weird. It's so crazy to me how different the pregnancy experience is for everyone...I have a friend who gained 10 pounds during her pregnancy and I have a friend who gained 90 pounds (no joke). Some people lose all the baby weight in just weeks and others never really lose it. And despite what you think, gaining less weight during pregnancy doesn't necessarily make it easier to lose. 

There's just too many damn factors! 

I am finding that I fall smack dab in the middle. I gained 34 pounds while growing my KennyCakes which is between the recommended amount (women who are considered "regular" in terms of BMI are recommended to gain between 25-35 pounds), I lost 10 of that within the first week of giving birth...the rest is coming off slowly but somehow surely. 

Word on the street is that if you chose to breastfeed, you will lose the baby weight faster. I don't think I believe this rumor. There's no doubt that breastfeeding burns calories...and a lot of them...but breastfeeding also requires you to eat more calories to keep your milk supply up and make sure your baby is getting the proper nutrition, not to mention you need that energy to function. While breastfeeding, your body will also hold on to some extra fat as a back up, ya know the whole "Starvation Mode" theory, so if that's true, you can't really lose ALL the weight until you're done breastfeeding. Again, I'm sure this is different for everyone. 

Basically, what I'm taking the long way to say is that losing baby weight is hard. There comes a point where you really need to stop stressing about it, except it and realize that your body looks like this because of your baby and for your baby. And unless you hate your baby (and who hates their baby?), you're probably OK with that. 

Sure celebrities are somehow able to look smokin' hot two months after giving birth, but they get paid for it. I guarantee you that if someone offered me half a million dollars, I had a chef, a cleaning lady, a nanny, a personal trainer and all day to do nothing but eat healthy and work out...sure, I could have been down to my pre-baby weight real quick. But it's not realistic and frankly, I don't think it's healthy. 

That's not to say that I'm going to just sit back and let my body be. No, No, No...that sounds like a fast track to mom jeans and moo-moos. I've had to find a way to lose weight that works for me (and my baby). I've also had to accept that unless I want to give up all the foods I really love to eat and workout all the dang time, this is going to take a while. You know what they say, "9 months up and 9 months down."

I don't like to work out. Well, actually I love to work out -- after it's over. It's been over 4 months and I still haven't found a way to incorporate gym time in to my weekly routine. I know I could find the time if I really wanted to...but right now, what I really want is to spend time with my little family and I'm not going to feel bad about that. Plus, once it's nice out, I will be pushing that stroller and be swimming in that pool all-the-time. So, what I'm working hard on now, is my diet. 

I thought about Yeast Free because I've seen it do amazing things for Steph & Kristen, but I know that it wouldn't work for me. YF isn't just a quick fix, it's a lifestyle change and a serious one at that. I know myself and know that I wouldn't and couldn't give up all yeast yielding foods. What I have done, however, is become more aware of foods with yeast and gluten and sugar and I've significantly reduced the amount that I eat. I used to live on carbs and cheese, now I live on protein, fruits and veggies with small amounts of dairy & carbs mixed in. I also gave up sweets for lent, which has been probably the hardest thing I've ever given up but it's really helping to reduce that sweet tooth! More on my healthified diet later! 

After 18 weeks, here's where I stand: 

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 25.4 pounds

Pounds to go: 16.6 pounds

Getting there!

See my first Weigh In post HERE.

Weighing In, part 2

Losing baby weight is weird. In fact, gaining baby weight is weird. It's so crazy to me how different the pregnancy experience is for everyone...I have a friend who gained 10 pounds during her pregnancy and I have a friend who gained 90 pounds (no joke). Some people lose all the baby weight in just weeks and others never really lose it. And despite what you think, gaining less weight during pregnancy doesn't necessarily make it easier to lose. 

There's just too many damn factors! 

I am finding that I fall smack dab in the middle. I gained 34 pounds while growing my KennyCakes which is between the recommended amount (women who are considered "regular" in terms of BMI are recommended to gain between 25-35 pounds), I lost 10 of that within the first week of giving birth...the rest is coming off slowly but somehow surely. 

Word on the street is that if you chose to breastfeed, you will lose the baby weight faster. I don't think I believe this rumor. There's no doubt that breastfeeding burns calories...and a lot of them...but breastfeeding also requires you to eat more calories to keep your milk supply up and make sure your baby is getting the proper nutrition, not to mention you need that energy to function. While breastfeeding, your body will also hold on to some extra fat as a back up, ya know the whole "Starvation Mode" theory, so if that's true, you can't really lose ALL the weight until you're done breastfeeding. Again, I'm sure this is different for everyone. 

Basically, what I'm taking the long way to say is that losing baby weight is hard. There comes a point where you really need to stop stressing about it, except it and realize that your body looks like this because of your baby and for your baby. And unless you hate your baby (and who hates their baby?), you're probably OK with that. 

Sure celebrities are somehow able to look smokin' hot two months after giving birth, but they get paid for it. I guarantee you that if someone offered me half a million dollars, I had a chef, a cleaning lady, a nanny, a personal trainer and all day to do nothing but eat healthy and work out...sure, I could have been down to my pre-baby weight real quick. But it's not realistic and frankly, I don't think it's healthy. 

That's not to say that I'm going to just sit back and let my body be. No, No, No...that sounds like a fast track to mom jeans and moo-moos. I've had to find a way to lose weight that works for me (and my baby). I've also had to accept that unless I want to give up all the foods I really love to eat and workout all the dang time, this is going to take a while. You know what they say, "9 months up and 9 months down."

I don't like to work out. Well, actually I love to work out -- after it's over. It's been over 4 months and I still haven't found a way to incorporate gym time in to my weekly routine. I know I could find the time if I really wanted to...but right now, what I really want is to spend time with my little family and I'm not going to feel bad about that. Plus, once it's nice out, I will be pushing that stroller and be swimming in that pool all-the-time. So, what I'm working hard on now, is my diet. 

I thought about Yeast Free because I've seen it do amazing things for Steph & Kristen, but I know that it wouldn't work for me. YF isn't just a quick fix, it's a lifestyle change and a serious one at that. I know myself and know that I wouldn't and couldn't give up all yeast yielding foods. What I have done, however, is become more aware of foods with yeast and gluten and sugar and I've significantly reduced the amount that I eat. I used to live on carbs and cheese, now I live on protein, fruits and veggies with small amounts of dairy & carbs mixed in. I also gave up sweets for lent, which has been probably the hardest thing I've ever given up but it's really helping to reduce that sweet tooth! More on my healthified diet later! 

After 18 weeks, here's where I stand: 

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 25.4 pounds

Pounds to go: 16.6 pounds

Getting there!

See my first Weigh In post HERE.