Pumping (the second time around)

The first time I pumped after Paul's birth was June 26, 5 days after he was born. I got a full 2 ounces! I was not prepared for this! I was even more so not prepared when I pumped a complete 8 ounces justa few days later (June ?). This was deffinetly different than how it was with Erin. with her I was barely getting .25 of an ounce that first bit. it took forever for me to pump a full 8 ounces! Like 4-6 months! It hasn't been a regular event, but I do get around 4 ounces at a time right now. I'm so not used to this. It must be because I got pregnant so close to stopping breastfeeding Erin... I was actually a number of months pregnant (4, I think) when I stopped nursing her. I don't know, it might just be how it is with consecultive pregnancies.

Best birthing advice

I was thinking about some of the best advice/nuggets of wisdom I've received over the course of my pregnancies and thought I would share some (if you can think of any that I missed please feel free to add it in the comments). Now I know I've only had c-sections, but I did have my water break on it's own with this last one and with the first I did start to have her vaginally. So I realize I can't speak for all types of labor other than the fact that some of the advice was from my first pregnancy (when everyone thought it'd be naturally) and from what I heard from other recent first timers that did it that way:
You will shake uncontrollably after giving birth - this one is true for both types of delivery. I know after my cesarians they took me to the recovery room and smothered me with warm blankets to help but both the nurses and I knew I wasn't shaking from the temperature of the room. Your body will go into shock and shake.
Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt... Ever - this advice came from multiple professional sources: LLL personnel, LCs, and nurses. It was bard for me to believe at first because all the people telling me to be sure and toughen up my nipples to be prepared. But after the first time of getting my little girl attached I was estatic with the fact that it didn't hurt. All that worry for nothing. But then I for lazy in my positioning (mainly because how long I was letting her nurse for) and it started to hurt. It was hard getting her off and repositioning so I just beared with it. But if I had corrected her I wouldn't have had all the problems I did. My muscles were so weak and I was just not willing to hold her properly for the full amount of time. I guess if this advice doesn't ring true with you take the other side of it and toughen things up.

Breastfeeding may not protect moms against MS relapse

Wed, Jul 6, 2011 (HealthDay News) -- Hopes that breastfeeding can reduce flare-ups of multiple sclerosis have been dimmed by recent research in Italy.
Researchers at the University of Florence found no support for prior studies connecting breastfeeding with lower disease activity for women with the degenerative nerve disorder commonly known as MS.
Instead, they determined that women who were sicker tended not to breastfeed, leading to the conclusion that some breastfeeding mothers had fewer relapses simply because they were healthier.
"Breastfeeding should not be encouraged as a protective factor without an accurate evaluation of the specific patient characteristics," said Dr. Emilio Portaccio, lead author and neurologist in the university's department of neurology. "Our study is important due to a lack of a consensus on whether breastfeeding should be advised against in order to resume therapy soon after delivery."
Women with MS are cautioned not to take medications while breastfeeding. The findings suggest that nursing may not be possible for women "with high disease activity," said Portaccio. Those women should be counseled that MS drug treatment soon after delivery should be an option, the authors said.
Multiple sclerosis, a progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by deterioration in physical coordination, affects about 400,000 people in the United States. It strikes women twice as often as men, with symptoms varying greatly from one person to another, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Typically, the disease goes into remission, sometimes for long periods of time, and flare-ups during pregnancy are rare, according to the society.
"The reason is not yet fully understood," said Portaccio.
But the effect of pregnancy on the course of the disease is "at best neutral," Portaccio said, noting that other autoimmune disease activity also declines while women are carrying children. During that time, an immune system "switch" changes from a "pro-inflammatory status to an anti-inflammatory status that promptly reverts after delivery." Symptoms then increase to an "even higher" level for a few months. Pregnancy is not believed to cause any long-term worsening of the disorder, however.
Several drugs are used to fight MS, which attacks myelin, the protective covering of nerve cells, causing inflammation. They are not considered safe for use during pregnancy, however.
For their study, the researchers looked at 298 women with full-term pregnancies from 2002 to 2008 at 21 MS treatment centers throughout Italy. Of those, about 34 percent breastfed their babies for at least two months. The remaining mothers, who breastfed for zero to two months, were labeled the non-breastfeeding group.
Follow-up lasted for a year. After adjusting for factors such as age and level of disability, the researchers found no significant difference in relapse rates between the breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding groups.
The only predictor of postpartum disease activity was the number of relapses before and during pregnancy, the researchers found.
The study, published online July 6 in Neurology, was conducted on behalf of the MS Study Group of the Italian Neurological Society.
The findings are "in line with what one might expect," said Dr. Fred Lublin, a neurologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "Healthier women tended to breastfeed."
The study "did not resolve the issue of breastfeeding," added Lublin, who is also director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai. "These studies are all observational and it's hard to draw a conclusion of cause and effect from an observational study." A controlled study is needed, he said.
One expert expressed concern about the study's methodology. Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, a neurologist at the University of California San Francisco Multiple Sclerosis Center, said that grouping women who had breastfed for less than two months with those who did not breastfeed at all could have affected the findings.
"Breastfeeding affects hormone production," which could affect disease activity, said Waubant, who is also an associate professor of neurology at the university.
But Lublin, who did not share that concern, said the researchers had used established criteria for group selection set by the World Health Organization.

-- Ellin Holohan

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Pooh on pooh

They say that breastfed babies rarely get constipation. Well, I think Paul is constipated and he is breastfed. Yes he has dirty diapers but that's not what it means: with babies it's about the consistency and ability to push it out. Paul's is very hard, when it should be runny and he definitely has a hard time pushing it out. It seems to hit him worst at night... In the middle of the night.

Officially Teething

Erin is officially teething. She's been lethargic all day, and has been sleeping like magic (took a three-hour nap today). She's drooling and refusing food (so I've been nursing her a lot more). She's currently got a fever of 101.3... but since she's older than 6 months we're not supposed to call unless it reaches 103. We're worried about her, but are pretty sure it's just teething. Poor thing.

Erin's First Air Travel

Chris and I were given the opportunity to take Erin on her first plane ride today. Yes, it was for a very sad occassion, but I am greatful I was able to take her on her first trip alongside Chris.

Erin helped me do some last minute packing:


Our timing to the airplane was a bit off, but we still made it to the airport with time to spare. Erin decided to chill out with her toys, but waited wide-eyed with anticipation.


We were lucky enough to be able to board before most people, which was nice, because then we were able to sit in the same seat on every flight (the second to last seat in back left). Every flight was sold out (but luckily in the second one somebody didn't show, so we got a free seat next to us) there and back. But I took some pictures on the first one before everyone got seated:

Chris shared some water with her:


I nursed her on the way up and on the way down on all flights, but normally when I cover her while nursing she tries to expose me, so we decided to "bind" her hands by putting her in this really cool swaddle called a "Woombie". She ended up falling asleep durring the second flight, so we laid her in the extra seat for a minute or two.

While she was awake she played a lot... she was very squirmy towards the end.



She did really well, didn't cry at all! A major success. The only thing was when she started getting squirmy from being couped up all that time.

Amazing Liquid Gold!

I get daily emails from whattoexpect.com and this was today's informative article. It was written a couple of years ago, but it's definetly worth a second posting!

whattoexpect.com
12/16/2008 11:30:00 AM

Breast Milk: It's Some Pretty Amazing Stuff!

We've all heard that breast is best. While I believe that formula fed babies thrive and do just fine, I still do my best to give my kids breast milk as long as I can. Zander was the only one of my children that I nursed passed the one year mark. He has never had an ear infection, and to this day he rarely gets sick. I have no idea if it was the breast milk or if he's just very, very lucky.

Breast milk isn't just for feeding babies. Did you know that you can actually use breast milk as a homeopathic remedy for certain things?

Breast milk is an excellent healing agent for sore, cracked nipples. Simply express some milk, rub it on your nipples, and allow it to air dry. Do this often - especially after each feeding.


Breast milk is also known to cure pink eye! Express it into the affected eye. If baby or child won't let you do it while they're awake, do it while they're sleeping. Drip breast milk onto the creases of a closed eye, then open the eye slightly to allow milk to seep into the eye.

Breast milk is also great on cuts and scrapes. Apply to the wound, and allow to air dry. Do this often to prevent germs from growing.


Those are all the things that I have personally used breast milk to treat. However, I have also heard that it can be used to treat stuffy noses, sore throats, ear infections, mosquito bites, diaper rash, eczema, and can even be used as a facial cleaner and is great for removing make up!

I also have a friend who cooks with breast milk instead of cow's milk. Now, I have not been brave enough to try this. I think my husband would freak out if I told him his mashed potatoes were made with breast milk. Of course, the look on his face might be worth it! My friend swears by cooking with breast milk, though, and her family doesn't mind at all!


Who knew that there was so much you could do with breast milk? I find it simply amazing.

These are some of the comments that followed:


astrotq said on 7/25/2009 11:22:00 AM:
haha! yeah i think my husband would flip if i ever slipped breastmilk into his food! he is one of those men that is more horrified than fascinated by my boobs and milk coming out of them, (though he is totally supportive of breastfeeding our baby.) however, he shall have to suffer with his scrapes and mosquito bites, while my daughter and i will be cured, lol!

julesddd said on 8/1/2009 1:20:00 PM:
I donate to a milk bank that uses the milk to treat burn victims. So when I got a sunburn last week, I got the bright idea to use a little of my own milk in addition to the aloe lotion. My burn went away in record time! Add burn treatment to the remedy list.

Kati8009 said on 8/2/2009 12:20:00 PM:
Do you think it would work on poison ivy? I don't know anyone who has it right now but my husband has gotten it pretty bad in the past, might have to see if that works

kelsters99 said on 9/5/2009 12:30:00 PM:
My little boy suffers from a stuffy nose all the time almost since the day he was born (5 months old). How would you use breast milk for that? I have used it for all kinds of things like baby eczema, cuts and scrapes, and sore nipples. Would love to help him with his stuffy nose besides having to suck at what little snot I get when I use the aspirator.

harmsgerm said on 9/8/2009 10:32:00 AM:
There has been some research done linking breastmilk to killing cancer cells. I think the research is fairly new, but if its accurate, I'd add a couple more exclamation points after amazing. :)

ladygarnetoak said on 9/22/2009 1:15:00 PM:
yes it does work on diaper rashes (except for ones caused by yeast), works wonders on teen acne ( i have a 13 yo also) and i used it on my face just to see what it would do and my skin became softer. oh yes the stuff is liquid gold!!!!

missmargarita said on 10/28/2009 9:23:00 PM:
I think breast milk was being used as a cancer treatment in the 80s, but didn't know it was still being used.
I did try putting breast milk in my coffee, but found it pretty yucky (I think the smell was the main cause. It reminded me too much of the smell of her spit).
A few days ago I was clipping my dd's nails while she was awake (silly wabbit) and accidentally knicked a cuticle that seemed like it wouldn't stop bleeding (it eventually did). I remember thinking that if it looked like it might get infected, I'd put some breast milk on it. Thankfully it healed before I got to test my theory. Had it been me who got cut (and I certainly have on more than one occasion, usually when chopping veggies), I wouldn't have paid much attention to it, but she's my baby and I just felt awful to have hurt her, even if it was minor and an accident.
Jules, I think it's wonderful that you donate your milk to help burn victims.

avonfeldt0107 said on 11/2/2009 11:27:00 AM:
how did you get intouch with a breast milk bank? I have it stockpiled. My plan is to keep my son on breastmilk until he is 1, but at the rate we are going, I will have plenty more after that.

kstuhld said on 11/9/2009 12:42:00 PM:
So I went on a date with the hubby and had a couple glasses of wine. I pumped and dumped. If we ever get the opportunity to go out again, do you think I could save the milk for these other purposes or will the alcohol render it useless? Also, how in the world are you ladies getting enough milk to store and donate? I am barely making enough for my little guy to eat. I pump every morning and get maybe and additional ounce or two. Thanks for any feedback.

jkweldon78 said on 11/28/2009 9:33:00 AM:
I agree with everyone that breastmilk is awesome! I have used it in my baby's eye if it gets a little red or weepy and it takes care of it right away. It also definitely works on stuffy noses if you use a dropper to put a few drops in each nostril. Then the aspirator will be more effective. I had never thought to try it on burns or sunburn but I will now! To the person who asked about how to get connected with a milk bank, go to www.breastmilkproject.org and you can find a milk bank in your area. I too have tons of breastmilk stockpiled in my freezer because I always pump before I go to bed at night (my daughter sleeps for 10 to 12 hours overnight and pumping helps me keep from getting engorged). I will be donating it all as soon as I finish the screening process!
Ann2100 said on 11/30/2009 10:08:00 AM:
Wow breast milk is really great. i must try it for those uses

practiceactress said on 12/5/2009 2:50:00 PM:
A good alternative to a milk bank if anyone is interested, is a site called Milkshare.com. It links you to a yahoo group of women who need/want breastmilk for their babies and have either adopted, had surgery, or has a low/no milk supply for some other reason. I had a breast reduction surgery back in 1999 and only make about %50 of my daughter's needs. With the help of Milkshare, I have been able to keep my daughter completely on breastmilk, and I supplement her at the breast with a device from Medela called and SNS (Supplemental Nursing System). We have even been able to get milk in other states while traveling, thanks to this group. So, if you are interested in a more "personal" way of donating, and a less vigorous screening process than a milk bank, definitely check it out. Not enough people know about Milkshare, and it is such an amazing resource. We have a very special relationship with our milk donors... and I think it is nice for them to watch the baby that they are helping to grow get bigger every month. Just thought I would share! :)

Solids on Cereal

So today we started the cereal, one day shy of her 5 month birthday. It gives me mixed feelings. I'm glad, and I know she's ready for it (probably has been for a while) because all the signs are there. But I'm also sad because it's another step of her growing up so quickly. I'm not ready for this day, but Chris has been hounding me (slightly pressuring me) to let her eat solids. So... today has come. I've let her eat the one rice rusk for the last few days, so she's ready.
I'm sad because Chris wasn't there to witness it, and I didn't take video. I'll have to video her later. It wasn't really a full meal, it was just a taste.

POST NOTE (7/10): Erin only ate a few bites yesterday, and today she ate the whole bowl, daddy was home to witness it after we started... still no video.

PPD

Okay, so it's been hitting me hard this week. There are times when I just want to scream and yell at Erin to shut up! Times when she's so tired (and I'm so tired) that she won't go to sleep and she just cries so hard. It scares me what I will/can/do do. I try not to think about it, I try not to act on things... but it's hard. I love her so much, but I get so frustrated. I don't know how to explain it, because I'm trying not to think about it.

It started last Thursday and has lasted through this week. It got so bad that by Sunday I was ready to just hand her over to whomever. I just wanted to drop her off and never come back. Monday I went to see Dr. Janet. I told her my feelings. oye. It's hard. I've calmed down but I still... oye.

And being depressed I haven't eaten as well as I should or drank as much as I should, and it was affecting my milk supply. I told Chris my milk was low and it was hurting to nurse her. He made me feel so guilty. It's not like I knew what I was doing! I don't want to hurt her... and I didn't mean to if I did. And I hate how Chris made me feel about the low milk. I didn't realize I wasn't eating or drinking enough until today. I mean, I was depressed! I didn't notice. So now I have to really watch it.

On-Demand Feeding

Last night was the last straw… no more “on demand” feedings! I know it’s recommended, but in my opinion she’s not getting enough to eat. Last night she slept for over 6 hours, and she would have slept longer if I hadn’t woken her up. It was pretty ridiculous! Because then she ate for over 2 hours. Yesterday she ate a total of four times, which is half of the recommended amount. We’re going back to the schedule. We’re not going to be ridgid on it, but we are going to go every 2-3 hours of feeding during the day, and no more than 4 hours between at night. I think that’ll help out a lot. Yesterday during the day she went 4+ hours between feedings during the day. No wonder she was so hungry when she ate! Ugh, it was just not good. I mean, I understand the whole feeding on demand thing, but it just doesn’t work all the time. At first it was working because her demand put her at every 2-3 hours. But now it’s just not.
Also I’ve decided that at night I’m going to move her into the nursery to feed her, because it’s been really uncomfortable how comfortable it is when feeding her in bed. It worked well when I was first needing it, but now that I’m feeling better and she’s falling asleep more during feedings, it’d be good to be in the nursery to change and burp her easier as well as be able to turn on the lights and sounds. I know that Patty said not to turn it on and just go in and do it quickly and quietly, but the problem is she just falls asleep while feeding and doesn’t get enough, which keeps me awake because each time I burp her she wakes up enough to realize she wants more. There’s a point when she’s too tired to suck, and I just don’t want that happening any more either. So that suggestion is also out the window, Sorry.

Deny Deny Deny

Last night I denied Erin food. I feel aweful about it! “I’m such a bad mother… bad wife” bad mother because I fed her for quite some time, and I was sore because she latched on so heartily in the wrong way, so my nipples were really really sore. And after the dinner feeding I didn’t think I could handle another long feeding, and I had finally passed the massive pooh… after Chris had to do the mineral oil suppository. I felt so bad for him having to do such a thing. But I’m very greatful for it! It is something I will have to remember. I think the combination of that and the previous feeding wore me out so much. But she just kept crying and rooting for me. I thought she’d stop once she calmed down, but I guess it took Chris forever to calm her down. I didn’t realize it until I got up that he had taken her into the living room and had to place her in the swing. To keep an eye on her he slept on the couch. What an aweful selfish person I am! I denied my child food and my husband sleep, aweful feelings fall on me now. I was just so tired… not an excuse. It won’t happen again. I promise to never deny her food again!
After saying that, we had the longest feeding ever. On 1 breast at 1 time over an hour (66 min), and almost half an hour on the other. It was a good feeding… no soreness or anything. Great placement, which was good, because I was so engorged from denying her. In fact, I was still able to pump almost 2 oz in each breast (after just 20 minutes… I was going to go a full 30, but I was already at 50 ml! I just can’t believe there’s more left! It’s noon and I’m already starting to fill up again! Just a few more minutes till feeding time anyway.
Still applying diaper rash cream, and noticed a bit of dryness on her stomach around the diaper area. I’m guessing it’s from the alcohol. We should apply the skin cream the doctor told us about.
I was looking at the hearing test thing, and the dogs barking doesn’t bother her… should this worry me? She recognizes voices and looks towards nois, just doesn’t worry with the dogs. I guess it’s a good thing, because we don’t like to kee pt he house quite with her around. It’s good, I guess. Just a bit of a worry wart.
As far as other milestones – Erin has been smiling since day one.
Figuring out this whole breastfeeding thing. Do I feed on demand or on schedule? Was doing schedule, but thinking on demand is probably best.

Pregnancy Resource Center

There's a pregnancy resource center in Owasso, and it is awesome! The people there are super sweet and helpful. I went yesterday and set up an apt for today and did my first (and second) class.
One of the girls from McD, Joy, told me about it, and I'm really glad she did. It's got some really good resources and is Christian based (but they don't push that on you or anything).
So I'll be going once a week every week that I can. I can do so until LBG is 6 months old, then it's once every two weeks. But I take classes each week; basically watch a video and fill out some worksheets while I do so. Then I take home some homework and bring it back the next week. There are just about 55 classes I can take, but I've already missed a few because I'm so far along.
For each lesson I can earn "mommy money" (MM) and get free items (like diapers, clothing, even car seats!) for the MM I earn. I get $1 in MM by watching the video, completing the worksheet, completeing the homework, bringing in other people, and some other ways. But it's way awesome!
This weeks lesson was on breastfeeding. I watched a video, filled out some information from it, and have some homework. But they also had another class going on while I was there and let me take that one too! It was on dental health. The OU Dental Medicine school was doing it, which was cool. So I took that class too, and earned points. They do teeth cleaning, which I'm going to make Chris and I go to sometime, for $15! With or without insurance! So that's really nice.
So by the end of today alone I had $7 in MM. I was able to get some diapers and wipes, a much needed mattress pad, and some mittens and hats... and I had MM left over! It was great! Oh, I even got nursing bras for free, because the class I'd gone through.
The people were super helpful and answered my questions on a lot of stuff. I'm really excited about this place. They're providing me with so much information and making things available to me a lot. I'm excited to go back next week.
I'm going to have a normal class, I forget what on next week, but then they also have a birthing class at 6pm that I sort of signed up for, but I've got an Infant CPR class on that same day and time. So I'm not sure which to cancel. I'm going to talk it over with Chris and see which one he thinks.
Anyway, it's totally made my day and am super excited about the whole thing. Thank yous go out in general to Joy, the people at the PRC and God.