Adventures in Breastfeeding: Infant Style!

Happy Tuesday, Mamas!!

I know, I know, I've been slacking. For shame, Em! Depriving these people! Truth is, with school starting for me in a couple weeks, and work starting to pick back up, I chose my house and my girls over blogging. (Boo, hiss! I'd rather blog than work)

I had quite the experience yesterday evening at an Infant Massage course offered by our WIC office. (It was free! Another reason to inquire about your local office)
It was the first, all EBF group. There was a 6 week old and a 3 month old who were champion latchers, and their Mamas were just as nonchalant about feeding them in front of everyone. I was bursting with pride and happy as could be! Good for them!

...And then Isabel decided that she wanted to try to nurse sitting up. Yes, my darling little angel was no longer content with the snuggle hold. She refused to lie in my arms, screaming and pushing away whenever I moved her into position. But she would snuggle up against me, standing on my leg, and suck at my chest because she (thought she) was starving. This was not working out. At all.

I call these the 'Four Pointers of Breastfeeding'. 

Both of my girls were 'Across the breast' feeders, which was nice. But, for some reason, things just changed. And it happened on vacation. 

While nursing Isabel the first afternoon we were up there, I was so tired that I just curled right up with her on the bed. We nursed and co-slept for about an hour. After that, it was like she refused to go back to her tried and true feeding ways. Even today, she constantly pulls away from her old latch to look at something, or stare at me and try to wiggle out of my hold. 

Or she tries the 'I'm going to sit up and nurse despite the fact that you have to hold me AND your boob up so I can reach the nipple'. This is exhausting. I was not blessed with the ability to deft gravity, and while my nipples don't point straight down, they are well on their way. No normal bra or ace bandage can keep these (borderline F cup size) puppies up! So, while I'm excited that she wants to nurse and still claim independence, I have no idea how to do that with the position she wants.

I, being a big-breasted woman, am a little uncomfortable with the co-sleeping and nursing arrangement. After she falls asleep, I pick her up and put her back in her bed. Give her fifteen minutes or so, and she is howling. Sure, she's probably confused as to how she got to her bed in the first place, but the minute I get to her bedside, she's in play mode. Rocking doesn't help, and nursing turns into a wrestling match until I give up and just bring her to my bed and snuggle down.

So, my breastfeedin' Mamas... 

What do you do?

#breastfeedinghasgottenharder

Mommy Reality Challenge #4

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been so quiet this week, but work has started to pick back up just a wee bit. I've been writing bits and pieces, but haven't finished an article yet! Well, until now. Today's blog post is another gem for the #Mommy Reality Challenge: SHOW US YOUR SINK!

Ah, the dishes; my most hated chore in the entire world. I wish we ate off of paper plates and used plastic flatware all the time, because I dread the idea of having to do dishes. My husband, on the other hand, thinks the kitchen should be cleaned every day. (He doesn't clean it, though, so it falls to me) I let the counters be for about 2 days, which is average. This is what we have:

 Empty sink? What? I hate having dishes in my sink, getting in the way of things. That's what counters are for!

Oh, countertops. How I love that I can abuse your spaces.

And because I took these pictures, when I did my dishes that evening, I decided to do a little extra:

Almost completely reorganized, and tidy! I'm actually doing a pretty good job keeping it that way, since the coffee pot/ microwave area has even -less- space now. See what I did there? Eh? Eh? Haha.

#MommyRealityChallenge4

#Istillhatethedishes

#Whitecountertopsareevil

Mommy Reality Challenge #3

This challenge is all about capturing a 'Moment of Trouble'. I just might have a couple of those snapped on my old phone...

"Mommy I need your FACE!!" I still have claw marks in my cheeks. This wasn't kissing. This was chomping on my cheekbones.

I hear from behind me, "Mommy, these shoes make me want to pose for magazines!" She started her own version of The Vogue, so I had to grab a shot.

Ah, the baby has started to move around the living room more and more. A mix of rolling and side pulling finally got her to her goal: Bright Puzzle Pieces. Omnomnom, Mommy. They're mine now! (*Puzzles bought specifically for their large piece sizes, which cannot easily be swallow, or even really grasped, by the baby)

Ok, so it might not be super awful trouble moments, but they're mischievous for sure! (After this post, I've tried to keep my phone away from me as much as possible during the day)

#mommyreality

#cutelildevils

#Iwantlikefivemore

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!!!!!! (AiB #6)

(14 lbs 10 oz, 26 inches worth of precious)

I'm so excited!! Baby girl and I have made it to our original goal: Six Months of Breastfeeding!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

It's not going to stop here, though! My tune has changed ("No way am I going to have a teething baby chomping on my nipples!" Me, January 2014) and I'm more confident in The Latch. I bet you're wondering why, though. Why would someone who had their heart set on going for only six months suddenly change their tune?

Answer: I'm lazy.

Oh yeah, you heard me. I'm lazy, and I'm cheap. What's that? You want a list? Wish granted, Mamas!

Awesome Pros:

#1- I don't have to stumble around the kitchen with a sobbing baby at 3a.m.

#2- Said baby is soothed easier at night by simply snuggling up and placing on boob. 

Ok, fine. Night time is a good time to nurse. But what about the rest of the day?

#3- Nursing On-Demand gives me excuses to not do my boring chores. "Sorry, she's just been a piggy all day! I could hardly get anything done!" (Teehee)

#4- I don't have to clean bottles every day!! :D

#5- After about twenty rounds of peek-a-boo, we can take a break with nursing! (And I get to regain my sanity, little by little)

#6- I don't have expensive cans of formula cluttering my already cluttered counter tops. 

#7- I am guaranteed a break at work to pump, even if I have to eat at the same time.

Pesky Cons:

#1- I don't get to sleep through the night. Ever. I really want to kill Daddy in the morning when he says he's tired.

#2- Continually watching my diet has made me paranoid of malnurtrition. I have a running list of what I MUST eat every day. This doesn't count the gallon of water I somehow end up consuming on a daily basis.

#3- A lot more preparation goes into my day if I have to work than if I don't. (Pack the pump, tubes, containers/baggies, marker, cooler bag. Oh, and that's not even counting the diaper bag full of frozen milk)

#4- On Demand Nursing gives me little time to do anything else, including boring chores. (Read as, 'Honey, why are we always out of forks and towels?')

#5- I have a nosy baby, so during the day, she is constantly P-U-L-L-I-N-G my nipples and trying to turn her head at the same time. This is regardless of music or t.v. being on/off.

#6- I feel like I'm more of a pacifier some times, especially before a nap.

#7- ATTACHMENT ISSUES. (Read as, "Please take the baby for five seconds so I can poop." -child begins screaming at the top of her lungs and doesn't stop until you re-enter the room)

As you can see, the list is pretty even. And, while it is a personal preference to breastfeed with every mom, this one has decided to go at it for the long haul!

Thank you for going on this journey with me, and be sure to stay tuned for more nursing adventures!

~Love, Em

July 4th, 2014

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERYONE!

With this wonderful holiday, let's remember to practice safety around our kiddos and furbabies. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Mommy Reality Blogging Challenge #2

Hello everyone! This week's Mommy Reality Challenge is all about Mommy's Meals! 

Now, I wasn't sure how to go about this, simply because I have a 5 month old that's only just started eating solids, and a 6 year old that can (and does, much to my chagrin) make...toast. Waking up at 6a.m. to make toast so mommy doesn't see how much jelly she uses. Yup. Hasn't happened in a while, but you can bet the smell of toast will wake me out of a sound sleep, because I'll think she's trying to burn down the house.

But the challenge is about the not so pretty side of mommy meals, and what we give our kids . Click for more adorable examples!

Anyway, the pictures I've put in today are two of my biggest snack culprits: 

#1: Cheese Curds. Can we say Dairy State? I live 15 minutes from a dairy factory, and these little guys are always there, and available in a few flavor varieties. They come in my favorite flavor, too: Calories. Haha!

#2: These are my go-to 'procrastination' snacks for Beans. After lunch, we have 'quiet time'. Baby Bel goes down for a nap, usually, and Lala and I will read a book, or color, or I'll nap on the couch and she'll watch a Disney movie, curled up at my feet. The granola bar, or 'Chewy' bars, are the most important food group to my 6 year old. Her day is not complete unless she eats like 4 of these. 

The snack packs are an added bonus. They're like a delicious reward for eating all of her nasty green beans at dinner. Or, usually, just a way for me to make her stop talking about the invisible rabbit she has living in her closet (for the millionth time) so I can clean up in peace.

#Mommyrealitychallenge

Adventures in Breastfeeding!! #5

                              THE DREADED BREAST PUMP

That's right! I said it! I hate pumping milk. I loathe it, honestly. It feels like a ridiculous inconvenience to me. I have to stop whatever project I'm doing at work to take 30 minutes (which is usually when I have to eat, too) . At home, and the baby is asleep? She's gonna be hungry when she wakes up in an hour. Why pump?

Manual, Single, Double...I hate 'em all! I know they have their purpose, but I'm not a fan.

But, let me tell you that I am so thankful to have a pump that fits my needs.

Since introducing my little Bel to oatmeal (or peas, because that's her favorite) for dinner, I've had to pump a little extra through the day to make sure it was mixed with breastmilk. Sure,  I get super confused when my left side gives me nothing after  15 minutes,  but turns into a super soaker as soon as Isabel latches on. I'm usually pumping my right,  and managing (while secretly judging and loathing myself) about 3oz worth of milk. That's enough for 1 oz in cereal,  with 2 as a nightcap after her bath. But still, there are times that I soak through my shirt, but when I put the tatas on the pump, I'm drier than the Sahara. Talk about mind-boggling.  

#endofrant

So! I went digging through my bookmarks, back when I first went back to work, and found the sites below. Happy reading!

THIS WEBSITE WAS HELPFUL!

When my supply first seemed to drop off, I scrambled for answers on the internet. The website above not only gave me information about pumping at work, but also about my freezer supply, and how to help my supply work its way back up!

(Don't check the message boards. The last active post was in 2006)

La Leche League

Bookmark this page. Do it. Do it now. It's going to help you while you're cursing yourself under your breath because you have to drag out the stupid pump YET again. Read the articles while you pump. :)