Support the Mammas

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Suzanne

This post is part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by The Slacker Mom and co-hosted by Happiness Redefined and The Gnome’s Mom.

Today’s topic for the Breastfeeding Blog Hop: Support with Integrity

Support with Integrity

I took the pledge to Support With Integrity!

Support is so very VERY important when it comes to breastfeeding!!!!!!

Personally, I have had lots of support from family and friends.  I can say that most of it falls under the category of “Support with Integrity.”  We have had our fill of challenges and I often questioned if I could make it one more day, week, or month.  The biggest support I got was from those who simply CHEERED me on when things weren’t going the “right” way.  You can read about our pump & dump experience here.

I still remember a few supportive comments that made me feel WONDERFUL.   I also remember the ones that made me feel terrible.

I don’t care if your goal is 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years I will CHEER you on and keep my own ego in check!

 

This is the pledge I have taken.  If you agree go SIGN THE PLEDGE!

• I PLEDGE to use my energy to help defuse dogmatic battles about what technique, position, frequency, equipment, duration or organization a woman chooses for breastfeeding. I affirm that my time is best spent directing my positive, encouraging support toward helping mamas successfully breastfeed.

• I PLEDGE to keep my ego in check, while treating other breastfeeding boosters, lactation facilitators, breastfeeding organizations, and mothers respectfully, knowing that we’re all working toward the common goal of providing breast milk for babies. I also welcome respectful disagreement with my own opinions and accept that disruptive disagreement is counter to the goal of helping mamas feed their babies.

• I PLEDGE to agree that there are many right ways to breastfeed a baby. A breastfeeding mother should not feel pressure or judgment to perform a specific way. There isn’t a “wrong way” as long as the breast milk is flowin’ and the baby is growin’.

By displaying the Support with Integrity badge and signing the pledge, I agree to hold hands and help mamas get what they need to make breastfeeding work for them, no matter how they choose to do it. If a mama and baby are making it work, I’ll stand and cheer them on from the sidelines.

Caveat: This is not a place to judge those who choose not to or cannot breastfeed. This is a pledge to be supportive of all those who choose to support breastfeeding.

 

To make our nursing relationship work my son and I had to find our OWN WAY!  We are 7 months and still going strong!

Do you support with integrity?  Do you have any memorable supportive comments?

Interested in the Breastfeeding Blog Hop?  Add your link and join in!

Categories: breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Blog Hop, support | 1 Comment

Scary Walk

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Suzanne

OMG!!!!  I just want to cry, vent, and scream all at the same time!

I was chased and scared to death my two dogs today while walking with my son around the neighborhood.  I’m NOT a happy mom!!!!    I don’t think I’ve ever been so upset…..

I had just left my house and turned onto another road to make the block with my son in the ergo carrier.  These two dogs jump a wooden fence around the side of a house then start barking, snarling, and running toward me.  I stopped and YELLED at them to “GO HOME!”  I know if you run from dogs it makes them chase you.  One dog was a lab and it went back to the yard.  The other an american bulldog kept snarling, growling, barking….getting CLOSER!   I started backing away as fast as I could without taking my eyes off him.  Thankfully, a neighbor pulled out and put her car between us and I was able to scurry around the corner without the dog following.

I was so upset and angry I called my poor husband at work.  He came home and spoke with the owner of one of the dogs.  The guy says the lab is his, but the other dog is not.  The american bulldog comes from somewhere else, jumps his fence, and gets his lab to follow him out of the yard.  Ummmm….. does that sound fishy to anyone else?!   It does to ME!

I’m not sure what to do…..  We don’t live in the city limits so there are no “leash laws.”  I don’t want to have to carry pepper spray, a huge stick, or any other sort of nonsense to walk around the block!  This neighborhood is full of families and kids we should not have to deal with this.

Today was probably the best winter day (65 degrees) and I wasn’t able to enjoy a nice walk!  I did play with my son on our deck, but that’s not the same.

My next trips out will probably be with friends or my hubby just until I get my nerves back again.

Why don’t people have respect for others?  If this guy knows his dog gets out of the fence why not FIX THE PROBLEM? 

Categories: parenting | Leave a comment

Dairy Free Test Update

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Suzanne

Cheese here I come!

After 108 days of being dairy free I had my first graham cracker.   Normally after eating anything with dairy my little one would have cried for hours, but this time no effect!  I allowed 48 hours for the test, just in case.

Now I’m excited at the prospect of getting to eat real food again!  :)

We are going to take this nice and slow.  For the next few weeks I’m going to eat foods with diary at the very end of the ingredients list .  Then if there is no crying, crazy diapers, or extreme gas we will move on to baked goodies.  YUMMY!  The end of the line will be obvious dairy, think – cheese pizza, milkshake, etc.

I see a visit to the MSU Cheese Store at my alma mater for a little muscadine ripple or sweet potato ice cream in my future!

That’s my plan!  I’ll keep you all posted on our progress.

 

Was your baby intolerant of any foods?  How did you handle it?  When did they outgrow it?

Categories: dairy free | Leave a comment

Dairy Test #1

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Suzanne

I finally decided to test the diary intolerance issue again.

With breakfast I ate a graham cracker that does contain dairy (whey specifically). I’m SUPER nervous! If he starts crying I will know it’s my fault.  Talk about “mommy guilt” it’s going to crush me if he cries and is upset over this.

I just want to be NORMAL again!  To eat normal food and be able to go out to eat with my friends or husband.  It would be great to be able to order a pizza when we’ve had a bad night instead of having to cook something every single night.

If this “test” works and he doesn’t object in any way.  I’m still a long way from getting that cheese pizza or milkshake, but it’s a start.  Hopefully it means I won’t have to analyze the ingredients list of everything we buy at the store.  Read about our dairy free journey.

CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!!

Categories: breastfeeding | 4 Comments

Pump Paraphernalia – WTH?

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Suzanne

This one is for you working mommas out there!

This was just TOO funny to keep to myself.  Thank you to my guest writer “B-MansMom”  for taking the time to share.

A little background before the story B-MansMom works full time for a financial firm and after I had been having a really rotten day she decided to share this HILARIOUS event with me.  I laughed for hours!  I hope you do too!!!

 

As a working mom, Friday just can’t come soon enough!  It’s the light at the end of a long week for me.  On my way home, I see those blue lights flashing… “Great! Now WHAT?!”  My mind racing to the baby I knew was home crying and my husband counting down the minutes to my arrival.

The officer pulled me over for a headlight that is out.  His light shining in my car window he asked for the usual (license, registration, etc).  The problem is I moved my wallet into my pumping bag .  I figured it would be a nightmare trying to keep up with a purse, a diaper bag, and my huge electric pump bag.  I just cram everything into the pump bag and leave the diaper bag in the back seat.

So here I was trying to find my wallet, but also trying to hide all my pump parts in the dark! I didn’t want to yank out my tubing, expressed breast milk, and breast pads along with the wallet.  I like to keep some things private. I mean being topless at work and pumping in a loan booth is bad enough.  My male boss doesn’t make eye contact with me for at least an hour after I pump – it’s awkward.   I was just trying to avoid more awkwardness with this male police officer.

Silly me!  Cops are trained to recognize when someone is trying to hide something!!!!!  It was SOOO obvious that I had something in that bag I was trying to hide.   With a flashlight directly in my eyes he notes that my eyes are super red, puffy, with circles under them.  The minute he said “step out of the car”  I knew he thought I was under the influence. That is kinda how you look when you are working full time and up all night with a colicky 8 week old!!!!

“Just leave that bag on the seat and we will talk about that bong in a minute.”   I was so shocked it was all I could do to stammer “It’s just my breast-pump officer!”  His turn to be embarrassed!  I opened it up just hoping I was going to make it home before my son had a total meltdown.   He had seen the weird parts and the tubing and thought I was hiding my bong. He was very embarrassed when I pulled out my expressed milk to prove that I was not hiding anything, but breast milk. Now we are back to the awkward thing from earlier.

  • Note to self….. breast pumps look like bongs!!!

FYI: no ticket either guess he was just too embarrassed!

 

Do you have a funny story to share with other moms?  Post it below or add a link to your own story. 

With humor we really can move through the stressful times a bit faster!

Categories: breastfeeding, humor | 5 Comments

Welcome to the Nurse-athon

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Suzanne

This post is part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by The Slacker Mom and co-hosted by Happiness Redefined and The Gnome’s Mom.

Today’s topic for the Breastfeeding Blog Hop: Reverse Cycling

 

The first thing I thought of when I saw this topic was “I don’t know anything about reverse cycling.”   After reading the first 3 posts it hit me like a mac truck that I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF REVERSE CYCLING!!!!  I almost bawled my eyes out when I saw my days/nights written out word for word over at theslackermom.  I’ve never met this person in my life and yet she knows what I’m going through.

At first I thought my 6 month old was fussy at night because we had started solids.  Then I decided it was because he was learning to crawl.  I even blamed it on a growth spurt!  I posted Monday about being up every 45 minutes ALL NIGHT LONG called “A New Chapter in the Sleep War.”  I even say he’s not awake or hungry…..of course he couldn’t possibly be hungry every 45 minutes.

I was WRONG he is HUNGRY!  When I nurse him I can hear him swallowing.  He will continue to fuss and cry until he is nursed and put back into bed.  That’s the only way he will go back to sleep.  It’s a nurse-athon around here as soon as the sun goes down!

Yet another thing my breastfeeding books & friends forgot to mention!  How are we handling it?  I’m NOT! 

*deep breathe* “I’m handling it…..this will pass….please make it pass!”

During the day he’s WIDE AWAKE and busy!  Sometimes he will have a fussy moment or two, but nothing I do will make this kid nap.  This kid has got places to go and things to do since he started crawling!  I have tried nursing and then rocking for HOURS (literally 2-3 hours) nonstop, there is no nap.  I’ve even put him in his crib and told myself he will sleep— he plays… totally happy but awake.  I even tried napping with him, but that doesn’t always work either.

The last two days I’ve tried nursing him every hour from 5 pm until bedtime 9 pm.  I offer, but he’s just not interested he would rather play with dad!  We implemented a bedtime routine that I’m clinging to like a swimmer lost at sea.  This all seems to help, but has yet to FIX the problem.  I am still up every hour all night!

There is just too much going on in the world for my active baby!

Since he doesn’t sleep in our bed I do have to get up and get him from his crib.  Thank goodness it’s in our room or I would have slept in the nursery floor by now!  I nurse him with little light, when he’s falling back asleep I turn out the light, and put him back to bed.  I have enlisted my poor husband to assist a few times a night to put the baby back to bed or bring him to me!  Bless Don’s heart he’s been such a trooper through all of our breastfeeding battles!

 

After reading over the blogs linked up below and kellymom.com I have decided to try:

  • nursing him with ZERO distractions
  • to be patient the 5th time he comes off when I know he should be hungry
  • continue to offer during the day as often as possible

I have no answers for you …. just my story to know that you are NOT ALONE.  This is a phase and it will pass.  I’m not 100% sure it’s reverse cycling, but it sure sounds like my very active baby, our 2-3 minute daytime nursing, and million night nursing sessions.

Did your baby go through reverse cycling?  Had you ever heard of reverse cycling?

Categories: breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Blog Hop, sleep, trouble | 11 Comments

Moms and Babies, Oh My

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Suzanne

I invited people over!

We spent the entire weekend baby proofing the house.  OK….. not the entire house, but the main rooms.

My little one has decided to learn to crawl.  He was “army crawling” and now he is able to get one knee under him so it won’t be much longer and he’s on all fours.  Sure this new mobility inspired more childproofing, but the real reason is…. I invited people over!

To understand why this strikes a little bit of panic in my heart.  I NEVER have people over.  EVER!  Sure we have had family over, but I never just invite friends over.

The winter blues have set in, I can’t get out and walk, and I obviously can’t meet people in the park.  This SAHM thing is OK, but I need ADULT CONVERSATION!!!!  So I bit the bullet and invited all the new moms and babies I know over for coffee and brownies.  Hopefully of the 12 moms & 13 babies invited a few will be able to make it.  I just hope someone comes otherwise I’ll be eating the whole pan of brownies!  :)

What’s better than hot coffee & brownies in the middle of winter?!

 

Do you have any ideas for winter activities for older babies (6-10 mo)?  

Categories: support | 2 Comments

A New Chapter in the Sleep War

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Suzanne

The swaddle is GONE!!!! 

It wasn’t the peaceful removal that I expected, but it’s gone now and not coming back.

Thursday night was TERRIBLE in terms of sleep around here.  He woke up crying every 45 minutes… you read that right EVERY 45 minutes from 10pm-6am!  We don’t “cry it out” and besides there was something about this cry that would not have let me do that anyway.  About halfway through this horrific night I gave up on the swaddle since he’s only wrapped around the chest and legs.  Friday night was pretty much the same but instead of every 45 minutes he was awake every 1-1.5 hrs!  I never even bothered with the swaddle.
Where did my baby go that slept 5-7 hr stretches without interuption?  I don’t know.  He’s achieved some major developmental milestones in the last week and I suspect this was the cause of our lost sleep.  He started solids and has prefected the army crawl all in ONE week!

 

I decided that the solid food might be bothering his stomach so we aren’t doing solids this weekend.  I also realized that we had messed up our bedtime routine… rather we gave up on it.  Last night I started the routine up again and he only woke up 4 times (YEA!!!).  The thing is he’s not waking up hungry …… he’s not waking up at all!   He’s just screaming, crying, tears flowing but totally alseep.  Last night when I picked him up my husband noticed this so we sang his favorite songs until he was awake and were rewarded with a smile!  He nursed back to sleep and that was it.

I don’t have the answers but I’d love to hear some other experiences.

Do babies have nightmares?  Is this all do to the new development? 

 

Categories: sleep, trouble | 5 Comments

Knowledge is Power- Older Baby Tips

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Suzanne

This post is part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by The Slacker Mom and co-hosted by Happiness Redefined and The Gnome’s Mom.

Today’s topic for the Breastfeeding Blog Hop: Tips and Tricks to Breastfeeding an Older Infant or Toddler

 

* My best advise is to Be Patient!  At 6 months my baby gets VERY distracted by other people, loud noises, or new things around him!  During these distracted moments I have found it’s best to either turn off the distraction or go to another room.

  • The best example I can give you was over the holidays…. with family around to play with him he simply forgot to nurse.  After the first family Christmas where he went 4 hours without nursing one morning and then spent most of the night making up for it.  To put a stop to that, I started watching the clock again.  Yea, I know you’re supposed to watch the baby not the clock, but he eats every 45min-2hrs on normal days. With my mom dad sister & friends I had no problem snatching him away and walking off to a quiet room to nurse.  With some family and friends it was a bit more difficult because they are unfamiliar with nursing and I felt SO GUILTY grabbing a perfectly happy child to “make him eat.”  Trust me this saved me from nursing every hour through the night!

*Around 4 months we had to drop the cover!   When he started fighting the cover it looked like I was forcing him to eat!  I try to layer my shirts, but I’m not very fast with that yet and we both get frustrated.  Sure there are nursing tops and I even have several, but I just want to wear NORMAL clothes.

*Welcome the nursing rodeo.  The arms flailing, legs kicking yes that is our new style of nursing.  If it gets out of control I just stop, burp him, and then go back.  That seems to fix it most of the time.  I received a “teething” necklace for Christmas and that gives him something to do with those hands.  It has been VERY useful!

*Find support!  Reach out to friends who nursed, join a support group, find an online group……do whatever it takes to meet other women to talk about nursing older babies.  It’s wonderful to have a person to talk to who has nursed or is currently nursing an older baby.

 

The POSITIVES of “older babies”!!!

Most of the time he’s fast!  I’m talking a nursing session of 4-10 minutes.  I think he does that because he wants to go back to his toys or crawling all over the floor.  I really miss those long sessions when he was itty bitty.  I do still get a few 30 minute feedings, but those are usually just before nap or bed.  I try to remember to treasure them and be in the moment because I know that at some point he just won’t need me like this anymore.

I saved the best for last – YOU ARE IT!  As baby gets older he has become more aware of his surroundings and who his favorite food comes from.  As much fun as baby has with dad, grandparents or the babysitter you are the best thing in his life because only you can feed your baby. It’s not only about the milk, it’s about that special cuddle time and unique bond that only you and baby have.

 

Don’t just take my word for it!  Read the links in the Blog Hop to get more personal experiences on breastfeeding older babies and toddlers.  The more you know the better prepared you will be.

Want some more facts check out what Dr Saenz at the Mississippi Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic has to say about As They Grow and Nursing After the 1st Birthday.

 

Do you have any tip or tricks when it comes to breastfeeding older babies or toddlers? 

 

Check out the rest of the links in the Breastfeeding Blog Hop for more Tips & Tricks or add your link and join in!

Categories: breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Blog Hop, support | 4 Comments

Links I Refer To Daily

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Suzanne

I *wish* I had discovered these helpful links & information BEFORE baby.

General Info

kellymom.com  There is a TON of information here on ALL things baby.  Just type in what you are are wondering and read until your heart is content.

  • My favorite is this article on sleep and the nursing baby.  I ran into the same problem my 4 month old started waking up to feed in the middle of the night after two months of sleeping great!

 

Mississippi Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic – Tips from the Trenches (under notes) is a gift to the entire breastfeeding community.  It’s FREE access to a breastfeeding doctor’s notes that she gives to her patients.  No booby traps here!

(Not familiar with booby traps it’s advise that is highly unhelpful given by everyone)

 

Medicine Info

Infant Risk Center is run by Dr. Hale (THE Dr. Hale) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  If you want to talk to someone about a medication you need to take or have been told to take, they are open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm central time.  The lady that answered my call was very friendly and fast!   This is a great resource for both pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

They also have an app for iPhone & Android.  I haven’t installed it on my phone, but if I’m ever in a late night or weekend situation you can bet that I’ll be downloading it no matter the cost!  To have that info 24/7 is really great.

 

My husband just asked “that’s it in a nutshell?”…. Yep, everything I’ve needed is contained in those pages.  Sometimes it requires a little digging, but I do believe that it is all there. The only other page I refer to is a dairy ingredients list because I’m still avoiding dairy. You can read more about that here.

Like most people, we spent a lot of time googling our breastfeeding questions, concerns, and problems only to find inaccurate information. These links were our savior from those booby traps and many other things that could have led us away from nursing.

Do you have any resource links that you refer to?  Or books?

Categories: breastfeeding, MS Breastfeeding Med Clinic, resources | Tags: , , | 1 Comment