When my pregnancy progressed into the 9th month i began to worry about breastfeeding. It was something very important to me and i was determined to make sure my child was breastfed. I just assumed that nature would take over once baby was born and i would simply pop on baby and everything would work out perfectly. I had heard horror stories but i figured my experience would be a positive one and my problems would be minimal. I have never been so wrong in all my life.
My labor experience was less than perfect and after 7 hours of laboring the doctors thought it best to induce me with Oxytocin. I was pumped full of synthetic drugs, antibiotics and IV saline for 9 hours without pain meds. Finally after 16 hours and screams ricocheting in every nook and cranny of the foothills maternity ward i was given 5 mg of morphine. It was useless, like taking a Tylenol for an amputation. Needless to say it wasn't good it was the worst and best day of my life. Once Phineas arrived a whole gamit of issues developed the major one being breastfeeding.
My Doula, (http://www.swellmama.com/en/doula) had mentioned that breastfeeding may be more challenging if a woman's labor is difficult. In my case it couldn't have been more true. Phin wasn't able to latch properly, my milk didn't come in and everything went down hill from that point on.
For 8-10 weeks breastfeeding was a nightmare. I saw almost every lactation consultant in the city on a weekly basis with little to know improvement. I fought secondary nipple infections, thrush for over 2 months, Reynaud's syndrome, mastitis...the list goes on. Many people would look back at my story and wonder why i even bothered continuing but the truth is for ME there was no other option. I wanted what was best for my baby and to me that was breast milk. It didn't matter how many times people tried to convince me formula was just as good, i had it in my mind to breastfeed so i did everything i could to make it happen. I became insanely jealous of women i would see at the mall who were breastfeeding with ease and i would watch videos where it all looked so simple but for me it was a real sore spot. After a couple months of being on Domperidone (drug for low milk supply) and a list of other meds i was on the verge of depression when i finally saw Dr. Woolgar at the Alex breastfeeding clinic. To be completely honest she is a miracle worker and she saved us. In 10 minutes she figured out our latch issues and in a couple weeks i was off all medications and breastfeeding was a breeze. Phin no longer needed supplements and i finally felt whole again. The ideal image of mother and baby breastfeeding was finally a reality for me and looking back i am so glad i didnt give up on either of us. Now, i must make it clear that i do not judge women who end up using formula when breastfeeding just isn't working. The most important thing is that babies are fed, loved and nurtured and as mothers you do what you have to do. I am writing this post for those who may be struggling themselves and looking for support or have a friend who might be. I am writing this for the woman who is expecting, who may not know all the challenges that can arise when it comes to breastfeeding. I found the process really isolating and depressing to go through when your already overwhelmed and exhausted with the many other issues that arise when baby is born.I hope my experience can shed light on the difficulties of breastfeeding and encourage new moms who are struggling to stick with it. My son is almost a year old and breastfeeding has been enjoyable and successful for the past several months.
Below are some tips and solutions for problems i encountered along the way:
Firstly, join a La Leche League and attend a meeting in your final trimester or immediately after baby is born if you are experiencing issues. This woman to woman support group will help you with so many things. The leaders are excellent and can often help you with issues over the phone, by email or in person. I found comfort hearing accounts from other women who were experiencing the same issues as me.
http://www.lllc.ca/
Latch issues: Videos definitely helped me and Dr. Sears has plenty. His website offers parenting advice on all kinds of topics bookmark it!
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding
Another great go to website for all kinds of breastfeeding tips and parenting tips is Kelly Mom again please bookmark it.
http://kellymom.com/
Remedies:
Milk Supply: If your milk doesn't come in see a breastfeeding Dr. right away to see if you can help the issue with a better latch, position or herbal remedy before starting prescription meds. I used Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (both available at health food stores) and within 48-72 hours my supply had nearly doubled. Oatmeal is rumored to help with supply as well however i didn't find it particularly beneficial.
http://www.lowmilksupply.org/
Thrush: below is a link that tells you all about it along with a list of symptoms. Thrush was excruciating and felt like razor blades cutting your breasts. It is incredibly difficult to get rid of because you need to treat yourself and baby. Often if you get it in one breast it spreads to the other through baby and is a huge hassle. See your doctor right away if you experience burning after feeds or feel razor sharp pain during and after feeds. I was given a prescription that did help after a couple days however it came back with a vengeance. It wasn't until a friend i met at a La Leche League told me about GSE. Grapefruit seed extract is a homeopathic remedy that works for all yeasts in the body. I would make a tonic out of it mixing it with a splash of grapefruit juice or soda. It is incredibly bitter but i would drink it about twice a day until the symptoms decreased. You can also treat baby by dipping a cotton swab with it and sweeping the inside of their cheeks and tongue. Within 24 hours my symptoms were nearly gone. I swear by this product.I also recommend taking a probiotic and health food stores sell them for infants as well.
http://www.thewomens.org.au/breastandnipplethrush
Mastitis: This is an infection in the breast and again incredibly painful. It usually starts with a fever along with pain and swelling. I experienced a terrible aching pain in my armpit and shoulder. If you start to feel any of these symptoms see a Dr. immediately as it moves very fast and in just a few hours can worsen dramatically. The quicker you get it diagnosed and on antibiotics the better. Once antibiotics are prescribed you can try cabbage leaves as they cool the breast tissue relieving the pain and they apparently draw out infection. Rest lots! As painful as it is continue to feed baby on the infected breast or breasts it helps with the swelling and gets the infection out without harming baby. If you can't stand the pain from feeding baby then pump to drain the breast.
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-BD-M
Nipple infections/cracking: This goes without saying-PAINFUL! Most new moms will get cracking and pain when they first start breastfeeding. However there are degrees of cracking and if left untreated it can progress to infection.I was prescribed a cream with fucidin and IBuprofen which worked immediately and took away the acute pain and swelling. The cream doesn't hurt baby and works well for a variety of issues, ask your doctor about it if you have extreme cracking and pain from latching issues.
Reynauds Syndrome: This is when the blood vessels in your nipples get damaged. Fortunately i didn't need to take medication as Dr. Woolgar was able to fix this issue with a proper latch. It too is very painful and other than keeping your breasts warm and away from the open air i have no advice- it will heal in time.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/4/e360.full
Finally, hang in there! Breastfeeding can be a horrible experience but with the right support and help you can get through anything. Don't beat yourself up if things aren't working follow your instincts and don't feel guilty if breastfeeding isn't working for you. Relax and remember your doing an excellent job as a new mom weather you breastfeed or not!
Please comment! If you have tips or want to share your own experience please don't hesitate.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Arizona Blow out
I swore I would never be a parent who walked around with barf on my shoulder, or remnants of cheerios in my hair or worse listen to children's music while cruising around in my car. Sadly all of the aforementioned items are currently a part of my day-to-day life. I certainly didn't think I would go more than a day without showering and more than anything I promised myself I wouldn't discuss labor pains or baby bowel movements. Again all of these topics are just a part of being a parent. It is something DINKS (double income no kids) cringe at when their parent friends get to talking over dinner. Let me get on with it...This particular episode took place when Phin was about 6 months old while on vacay in Arizona with my sister and father.
We had settled in to a pretty good routine and after a few days of enjoying the pool, sunshine and walks with Phin in the San Tan Valley we decided to take an evening road trip to one of our favorite malls. My sister and I are avid shoppers. I still am its just rather than perusing Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstroms for myself I ditch my sister in designer shoes and head to the children's section. Needless to say Phin has quite the wardrobe. What seemed like a perfectly easy jaunt turned disaster about 20 minutes from home and 15 minutes from the mall. We were en-route singing wheels on the bus of course when Aunty Britty and I heard a commotion in the back. My precious bub dressed in preppy plaid shorts, a collared striped Polo and adorable deck shoes was working hard on an afternoon turd. After a few rumbles followed by a putrid odor we decided to pull into a golf course parking lot and change him before reaching the mall. I would have preferred to wait until we reached appropriate facilities but we were resourceful and the trunk of my dads BMW would work perfectly as a change table. I grabbed Phin and my sister grabbed the diaper bag. I began unfastening Phin from his car seat and could tell it was a bad one. I pulled him carefully from the back seat and suddenly felt a sloppy mess drip down my leg. Just like that I had fallen victim to a blow out resulting in a flood of Phin's turds running down my thigh, then my knee and eventually my shin and loafer. My sister nearly fainted and squawked in horror. There was no turning back we had to push through and deal with the stinky mess. So we did what anyone would do we cautiously began stripping Phin while encouraging each other with every passing second. I was holding Phin in the air under his armpits while Brit carefully removed his soiled clothing as if handling toxic waste. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse she reached in to the diaper bag and finds not only did I forget a second outfit, I had removed the baby wipes earlier that day and they were conveniently sitting on the kitchen table back home. Perfect! In short of crying we gasped with despair and scrambled to find a towel or napkins in my dads car. We found half a bottle of luke warm water and luckily I had 3 extra diapers packed. We wet the diapers and began the scrub down of my leg and then Phin who was now covered head to toe in shizen. From across the parking lot a golfer overheard our commotion, saw a baby squirming in the trunk and two frantic women so naturally he came to our aid. Like a saint he offered us his golf towel and another bottle of water and after a short introduction we learned he had three little girls and was all to familiar with the infamous blow outs.
We cleaned up Phin washed off my leg tossed the soiled clothes and got back on the road. We discussed a game plan as Phin was naked in the back and I was out of diapers and of course wipes. We pulled into the nearest Walgreens and I ran in to stock up on supplies. I grabbed diapers, wipes and saw a rack of clothing...There were three shirts in the kids aisle and only one that was roughly Phin's size and not pink. It was a white tank top not ideal but I was desperate. The sales associate begins ringing in my items and stops at the tank top to comment on how cute it was. I was rather confused thinking its just a tank top how cute can it be, she continued by saying how hilarious it was. I grabbed the top turned it around and couldn't believe my eyes. It read "lock up your daughters" with handcuffs in the middle. Beyond embarrassment I grabbed my items, ran to the car and showed the top to my sister. Together we cried with laughter at the entire situation and the series of events which had just unfolded. After calming down we continued to the mall walked in to Saks with our bundle of joy wearing a diaper and wife beater that said "Lock up your daughters". It's days like these that you really wonder how your going to survive parenthood and yet never in your life have you ever laughed so hard.
We had settled in to a pretty good routine and after a few days of enjoying the pool, sunshine and walks with Phin in the San Tan Valley we decided to take an evening road trip to one of our favorite malls. My sister and I are avid shoppers. I still am its just rather than perusing Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstroms for myself I ditch my sister in designer shoes and head to the children's section. Needless to say Phin has quite the wardrobe. What seemed like a perfectly easy jaunt turned disaster about 20 minutes from home and 15 minutes from the mall. We were en-route singing wheels on the bus of course when Aunty Britty and I heard a commotion in the back. My precious bub dressed in preppy plaid shorts, a collared striped Polo and adorable deck shoes was working hard on an afternoon turd. After a few rumbles followed by a putrid odor we decided to pull into a golf course parking lot and change him before reaching the mall. I would have preferred to wait until we reached appropriate facilities but we were resourceful and the trunk of my dads BMW would work perfectly as a change table. I grabbed Phin and my sister grabbed the diaper bag. I began unfastening Phin from his car seat and could tell it was a bad one. I pulled him carefully from the back seat and suddenly felt a sloppy mess drip down my leg. Just like that I had fallen victim to a blow out resulting in a flood of Phin's turds running down my thigh, then my knee and eventually my shin and loafer. My sister nearly fainted and squawked in horror. There was no turning back we had to push through and deal with the stinky mess. So we did what anyone would do we cautiously began stripping Phin while encouraging each other with every passing second. I was holding Phin in the air under his armpits while Brit carefully removed his soiled clothing as if handling toxic waste. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse she reached in to the diaper bag and finds not only did I forget a second outfit, I had removed the baby wipes earlier that day and they were conveniently sitting on the kitchen table back home. Perfect! In short of crying we gasped with despair and scrambled to find a towel or napkins in my dads car. We found half a bottle of luke warm water and luckily I had 3 extra diapers packed. We wet the diapers and began the scrub down of my leg and then Phin who was now covered head to toe in shizen. From across the parking lot a golfer overheard our commotion, saw a baby squirming in the trunk and two frantic women so naturally he came to our aid. Like a saint he offered us his golf towel and another bottle of water and after a short introduction we learned he had three little girls and was all to familiar with the infamous blow outs.
We cleaned up Phin washed off my leg tossed the soiled clothes and got back on the road. We discussed a game plan as Phin was naked in the back and I was out of diapers and of course wipes. We pulled into the nearest Walgreens and I ran in to stock up on supplies. I grabbed diapers, wipes and saw a rack of clothing...There were three shirts in the kids aisle and only one that was roughly Phin's size and not pink. It was a white tank top not ideal but I was desperate. The sales associate begins ringing in my items and stops at the tank top to comment on how cute it was. I was rather confused thinking its just a tank top how cute can it be, she continued by saying how hilarious it was. I grabbed the top turned it around and couldn't believe my eyes. It read "lock up your daughters" with handcuffs in the middle. Beyond embarrassment I grabbed my items, ran to the car and showed the top to my sister. Together we cried with laughter at the entire situation and the series of events which had just unfolded. After calming down we continued to the mall walked in to Saks with our bundle of joy wearing a diaper and wife beater that said "Lock up your daughters". It's days like these that you really wonder how your going to survive parenthood and yet never in your life have you ever laughed so hard.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
A boy, A girl & a 10 month old
My husband George and I welcomed our bundle of joy into the world last November. He is an absolute joy and with each new day I am constantly amazed with how he grows. His personality is delightful and our home is perpetually filled with baby coos, laughter and very occasionally tears. Phineas (Phin) is a total boy. In to everything, banging, hitting, hammering, clanging and rough housing in general. I have many mom friends now several of whom have little girls. With confidence I can say that moms with girls and moms with boys live very different lives. From what I have witnessed little girls are very sweet, delicate and generally gentle. They play independently, they are gentle with their toys or dolls and most importantly with one another. Boys however are typically busy, bouldering and much more rough than their female counterparts. At playgroups you will find my son pulling pony tails, telling stories in his loudest voice and creating the most racket in a hammer like fashion with whatever objects he can find. In our swimming class he chats away while all the other little peanuts float around quietly with their parents. At daycare he goes for the loudest toy and hoards it from the other children who are often older than him. He flirts with any woman he see's and overall is just full of personality, it oozes from his every pore. Phin has mastered crawling, he is just weeks away from walking, he stands about 32 inches tall with blonde hair, blue eyes, 8 teeth and a huge heart. George and I adore our son and look forward to sharing some of our many stories with you including The good, The bad and The ugly.
Titles, Titles. What's your Title?
Some of you may know me from my first blog "marriedtogeorge" however my life has changed significantly over the past year and with all the new happenings in my life I thought it appropriate to start with a fresh new look. So why the title T. With Milk and Honey...
I am the proud mother of a precious 10 month old boy who is full of energy, giggles, surprises and huge blue eyes. He is quite simply, my life. I no longer spend an hour primping for work, nor do I wear designer dress clothes or heels. I certainly don't go for drinks with colleagues after work and I am lucky if i get a shower, coffee or even full meal in during the day. Because of this new lifestyle I don't have time to sit and enjoy a hot cup of Tea with Milk and Honey like I used to. I have happily replaced this 15 minute occasion with writing, sharing and reflecting on my new world as a mother with each of you. I hope as mothers, fathers, friends and strangers we can connect on the realities of parenthood and get our dose of T. with Milk & Honey from the other avenues in our chaotic lives.
Let the fun begin.
xx
I am the proud mother of a precious 10 month old boy who is full of energy, giggles, surprises and huge blue eyes. He is quite simply, my life. I no longer spend an hour primping for work, nor do I wear designer dress clothes or heels. I certainly don't go for drinks with colleagues after work and I am lucky if i get a shower, coffee or even full meal in during the day. Because of this new lifestyle I don't have time to sit and enjoy a hot cup of Tea with Milk and Honey like I used to. I have happily replaced this 15 minute occasion with writing, sharing and reflecting on my new world as a mother with each of you. I hope as mothers, fathers, friends and strangers we can connect on the realities of parenthood and get our dose of T. with Milk & Honey from the other avenues in our chaotic lives.
Let the fun begin.
xx
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