Time keeps passing, crap keeps happening, and I never get anything done!

Well.

That's what it feels like sometimes. I broke my commitment. I need accountability or something! I really want to relate the rest of what happened with my journey to breastfeed my, now, 8 month old baby girl.  I really want to encourage someone somewhere who may be going through it too. Ironically, my dear girl hates when I NAK (nurse at the keyboard).

I could write it right now. I could. I could stay up for another few hours while the house is still and quiet (ahhhh bliss) and write. Then, I will be SO tired and finally creep into bed and then I will close my eyes and the baby will wake up. On cue. She's amazing like that.

Aren't kids fun??

I am going to debate the pros and cons of blogging vs. sleeping. The winner will be obvious. ;-)

g'night......zzzzz

World Breastfeeding Week

The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding

Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice “rooming in”-- allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic

I love this campaign by the World Alliance For Breastfeeding Action (WABA) because it puts the responsibility of nurturing new moms and babies onto the community. The healthcare industry that claims to want the best for us, tells us that breastfeeding is best, but has no adequate policy to help moms learn how to. Says me, just from personal experience 

:-P.

So, in honor of the campaign, I am going to make a commitment to finish writing my story this week, in hopes that I can encourage others who may be experiencing beastfeeding challenges too. 

I also want to announce that my husband and I have started a new little "work from home" business venture called Green Baby Bottom. (That is why I have been slack on the blogging front.) Our etsy shop is here: greenbabybottom.etsy.com and we have a new line of nursing covers we call "Milk Drunk" which are all about FUN and just perfect for this week! 

So, keep your eyes peeled and hold me accountable, "part 3" of my breastfeeding story is coming...

Bebe au Lait Nursing Covers at Zulily

So the Bebe au Lait nusing covers are at Zulily startng today for $21.99! Their organic line is also included for the same price. Check it out here.

Adventures In Dysfunctional Breastfeeding Pt.2

Two kids was plenty, so we decided we were done. The drain of working full time and birthing two kids in two years was enough for me. Also, we had a girl and a boy.. that "perfect pair"and popular commentary seems to be if you have both you must be done and if you don't you must keep trying. Strange.  I digress.

My husband got a vasectomy.  His idea, really! So in the fall of 2008 it was done and we were done. The day before my husband turned 52 years old, in April of 2009, I found out we were wrong.
Oh crap wrong.

I am not going to digress into the impact of unplanned pregnancy. It's deeply personal and terribly complicated.  I changed jobs to work from home, pulled the kids from full time daycare and we moved our family to the coast. We were making lemonade. Fast forward to November 2009, in a new town with a new doctor and a different hospital. I did very little to prepare for this baby since I had done it twice already and figured it would be fine. Or it would be whatever.

I did know in my heart and head that I was going to *try* to breastfeed. I didn't read or research. I didn't seek support. I didn't know jack. I knew I was going to be home with her so I knew I had to try, but that was all I knew. I was fearful and nervous and basically dreading it.

I woke up the day after Thanksgiving and felt off.  Well, the next day we were home again, with baby in tow. (THAT was quick) It was my third unmedicated delivery and I remember right after the delivery I was so relieved she was out but also knew my work wasn't done. "Oh God, (help me), now I have to learn how to breastfeed!"

In the mandatory twenty four hours we were there with the baby, the nurses and doctors seemed to encourage the breastfeeding, but in a "good for you, good luck with that" sort of way. There were no lactation consultants on staff. The nursery called (on the phone) to check on the babies feedings and said if my nipples hurt to ask a nurse for a nipple shield. I did. She gave me one.  "Good luck with that".  By the time I got home I was in pain. I was nursing her all the time and it hurt every time. I thought that was because it just does hurt the first few weeks. So, I took my painkillers like a good mommy and kept on.  I  thought "I am going to get this, I am going to be one of those really cool nursing mama's, dammit".

I was very lucky to have my mom in town for a few days while my husband was back at school for finals (yup, good timing huh?). She helped keep my other two children distracted. I was learning how to be comfortable with breastfeeding and trying to teach my kids to be comfortable with it too. It took some time to adjust them to the fact that their mommy was the baby's bottle. My almost five year old was insatiably curious. She was also trying to help. "Mommy are you okay? Does that hurt? Its going to get better right?" She's my little care taker.

By day four I thought I was doing okay. It was hurting like hell, but I was getting adjusted to it and she was eating and not fussy at all. My milk was in and the baby had gotten the thumbs up from her doctor that her weight gain was perfect. I was learning how to nurse while laying down which was a great relief to me because I could rest (thank you God!) and be off my still sore bottom (thank you God, for natural child birth, LOL). I thought I was awesome.
Then I got a cut. I was mortified. I knew what it was because I had experienced it with my first baby years before. I felt a stinging pain and detached her to check it and it was ugly. I just sat there thinking "I have to feed her, what am I going to do?" I don't even remember what I did next. Probably put her on the other side to eat once I calmed down. I had a ton of questions about what I should do and spent all my spare time online searching for answers.
I should've called a lactation consultant, but was really apprehensive about getting a lactivist and also wondered how we'd pay for it.  So, the internet it was.
I ended up using a shield and nursing on the "good" side only while pumping the other side to sustain milk production as best I could. After a week or so I was able to nurse on the cut side again, with the shield on of course. I used the shield from then on. I couldn't bare the anxiety of another injury. I felt protected and my baby's doctor said it was fine. So I went on like that for a while. As she got older I notice that our nursing sessions seemed to go on longer, not shorter. I didn't really know what was normal and I read that "cluster feedings" were common. So I didn't worry, I just resigned myself to it. At her two month check up she was 9lbs, just perfect for a breast fed baby.

I was so proud. By three months I felt like I was doing alright. I was trying to learn how to be mobile with her. I was pretending to be comfortable while nursing in public or with guests over. I just knew I was going to get to exclusively breast feed my baby for the six month recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I was getting my back patted (for once) and felt like I really had mastered being a good mom. Until her four month check up, that is. My heart sank when they weighed her. I was shocked and confused. She had lost weight.
Pride gone. Anxiety and disappointment enter. Here we go into Phase II of my adventures in (dysfunctional) breastfeeding.

To Be Continued...

You Know It's Bad When You Can't Even Update Your Facebook Status....

That is how little time I get alone with my computer. I have half written the rest of my nursing saga, but, alas, I am still in the middle of my nursing saga. Just wanted to stop in and say hi.

Hi Web.

Well, it was fun catching up. 'Nighty night.

Yo (tired and crunchy) Mama

Adventures In Dysfunctional Breast Feeding Pt.1

So, I posted here about how my baby needed me right now and I haven't had much time to post. Things have settled down a little since then and I am getting a little be more time in my days. Hallelujah. I have been learning a lot about the trials of breast feeding in a formula world (society, actually).

My newest little girl was born the day after Thanksgiving last year. She was early and perfectly on time. I was back home from the hospital 26 hours after checking in. The baby came quick. I knew I was going to try and breast feed.

First some history. My attempt to breast feed my first child was, um, well, excruciating. And the first of many lofty expectations I had about motherhood that got blown to bits. I was working full time when she was five weeks old and barely held it together enough to pump for, what felt like, three long months. The day I gave up I felt completely relieved and defeated at the same time. I feel bad for that new mom that I was. It felt so hard. I ignored all information related to nursing and breast milk after that, since it "didn't relate" to my life anymore. Really, I just didn't want to be reminded of my failure.

When baby number two came along I was working at a new job which was our only income at the time. I knew I'd have to go back to work early. I started back part-time at two weeks and full-time at four weeks. I knew I'd have no time with my dear boy and I knew there was no possibility for pumping on the job so I put him straight on formula and tried to enjoy our first weeks together. It was a joy.

With this history, its a wonder I am here writing about actually breast feeding a child. ME. With my "perfectly fine" formula babies. Why would I dare drag myself through the breast feeding trenches again? So many reasons not to. Only one reason to.  One reason precious enough that I knew I just had to try again. 110%.

To Be Continued....

Stay Tuned, and feel free to ask questions. I want my experience(s) to be of some help to someone somewhere. Someday maybe? ;-)

Adiri Natural Nurser DEAL - Today Only!

Shnoop is another "daily deal" site that offers odds and ends at super steep discounts. Its pretty hit or miss on the items here, as most of them aren't very useful to the eco mom, but today is an exception! Check out this deal for six (6) ADIRI bottles (choose stage 1,2 or 3) and pay $25.95 with FREE shipping. Get yur bottle on.