Nursing Your Kids

This is a little off-topic because unless you are sunbathing in the South of France, your breasts are probably pretty safe. However, I came across this excellent article on choosing a sunscreen and I couldn’t resist posting it. It is concise, informative and non-promotional. What I appreciated was a simple, clear explanation of which ingredients one should look for in a sunscreen - including the varying properties of each and which types may be skin irritants. Furthermore, the article even goes on to discuss which lifestyles may need more/less/which type of sunscreen and it does recommend some brands.

Thus far, I’ve gained about 13 lbs and I’m 34 weeks along. At this point, I’m on track to keep my weight gain to around 20 lbs. (she says as she thoughtfully munches her cranberry nut muffin…..) I’ve purposely tried to keep my gain to a reasonable amount simply because I was already overweight before I began all this baby makin’ business. June 21st this year, I will celebrate my 7th Smoke Free Year. Quitting the cigs was simply one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life and therefore, I don’t regret the 20 lb weight gain from that. Actually, I’ve realized that weight has no bearing on my overall happiness because the past 2 years have been my heaviest AND my happiness. However, I would still like to lose that weight eventually and that’s why I’ve tried not to overindulge with the food during my two pregnancies. After I had my son, I lost the 22 lbs I gained with him within 3 weeks and I do credit breastfeeding for that. I went on to lose another 8 lbs down the line - again, I credit breastfeeding and a more active lifestyle now that I stay home full-time.

This article has some useful suggestions for shedding post-pregnancy pounds. I’m not putting loads of pressure on myself to shed the weight as quickly as I did with my son - I will just try to eat responsibly and allow myself a few treats. However, I have given myself an end date for all the indulgences I’ve been allowing myself during this pregnancy.

September 1st - that’s the end of innocence around these here parts. Whole Foods cinnamon rolls and Coca-Cola, you’re on notice!

Toys While Nursing
Previously, I had mentioned a tip that my doctor gave me where she recommended putting together a few baskets of toys for my son play with while I am breastfeeding my daughter. Several commenters also added the great suggestion that reading books to my son while nursing is another great idea. And I agree! I LOVE that idea because it includes him. On a weird, odd, note, I had a similar experience with my cats - they quickly figured out that when I was nursing, I wasn’t going anywhere. Frequently, I had at least one cat by my side while nursing and it ended up being a great way to give them some attention. I think by “including” them it made them less resentful of my son when he was born. To date, we’ve had absolutely no issues with them and they have been very accepting of my son and his “gentle” petting.

Bras
With this pregnancy, I am carrying my daughter pretty high and it appears my ribcage has expanded a bit. Which means my bras no longer fit quite right. I was going to buy some new bras anyway to “treat” myself (ha!), but am hesitant to run just now to buy some - what if my ribcage goes back to normal or not all the way? When I started this blog, I had grandiose ideas that I would go perusing again at Wal-Mart, Target and Motherhood and then provide detailed reviews. However, I just couldn’t get my heart into it. Frankly, my experience with those three places the last time was very, very bad and it was NOT worth saving a few bucks to get cheap bras there - I ended up throwing out about $50 worth of bras and instead, buying some Bravado bras at Shawnee Mission Medical Center’s Mommy and Me store. I want to continue with the Bravado line because they makes such great nursing bras, but am hesitant to plunk over money until I know for sure what my size will be. However, my bras are “cutting” into my ribcage NOW. Bah humbug.

This article lists 5 ways to reduce the toxins in your body (and your breast milk). I’m still more than a little fascinated that I found this in a Dental Health site. What the hell?

Anyway, the 5 ways are fairly straightforward:

1. Eat organic.

2. Drink more water.

3. Eat liver-healthy foods. (This one was really good information - I don’t often think of my poor little liver except after a hard night o’ boozing. They recommend eatings such foods as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, eggs, garlic, onion, peppers, citrus fruits, fish, whole grains, vegetables and green tea.)

4. Aid detoxification through the digestive tract. (They suggest lots of water and fiber. Makes me crave a bean burrito with some guacamole. Margaritas have water in them, right?)

5. Aid detoxification through the skin. (They point out that tears and sweat are great ways to get rid of toxins. AWESOME. The next time I have a good cry, I’m going to tell my husband that I am “in detox”.)

I have previously mentioned my undying love and gratitude for Soothies. My one complaint is the ridiculous cost of them - I’ve had to pay $11 for a pack of 2. They only last 3-5 days (depending how carefully you treat them and store them when not in use.) so if you need them for 2-3 weeks (like I did), then you are looking at some hefty costs. Today, I decided to start stocking my bag for the hospital and I went to Wal-Mart to see if they had Soothies. While there, I discovered that Gerber makes soothing gel pads, too. Of course, maybe Gerber had always been making them, but I was in such a daze with my son that I did not have the time nor the inclination to comparison shop. So, in the process of looking at the Gerber site to provide a link for this post, I noticed a little verbiage that included the word “free” and “sample”. Two of the very sweetest words in the English language. So, I called the number (1-800-4-GERBER) and got set up for some free samples to be delivered. I called at 10pm CDT and was shocked to get an answer. The CSR was super-friendly and my free samples are on their way. Also, I will still buy some Soothies so I can provide a product comparison and additionally, I’m looking into some other soothing gel pads. I will be sure to report back on this when the time actually comes for me to slapping those suckers on my sore tatas! I’d like to provide a nice Benefit vs. Cost analysis.

Have a great weekend and BE SAFE.

I am finally catching up on my DVR backlog and just watched a recent episode of “Notes from the Underbelly”. I am not crazy about this show, but it’s nice to have a light, silly sitcom on the roster. I’ll admit, part of the fun is mentally poking fun at the crazy misinformation this show dispenses. The episode I watched was the one where the 3 gals are going to go out and party - it was the new mom, the pregnant mom and the single gal. The new mom is concerned about leaving her newborn and the pregnant gal says “oh, you can just pump and dump so you’ll be fine.” While I doubt new mothers everywhere are depending on this silly sitcom as a reliable source for breastfeeding information, the line only served to further the myth that you must pump and dump when you’ve been drinking. Sure, if you get so smashed that you can’t breastfeed for half a day, you might want to pump and dump as not to interrupt your supply and to relieve any engorgement, but pumping and dumping doesn’t rid your system of the alcohol more quickly. Of course, I think I loathe the “You can’t drink AT ALL” myth even worse. I like a nice glass of wine (a light Oregon Pinot Noir, pleaseohplease) or a Boulevard Wheat Beer with a slice of lemon in it. I’ll freely admit it and I think it’s sad when folks are so hard lined about clamping down on it. (Don’t get me started on how my doctor thinks Americans are puritanical when it comes to alcohol even during pregnancy and that realistically, a glass of wine enjoyed over dinner isn’t going to harm the baby.)

Anyway, Kelly Mom, per usual, has some great information on consuming alcohol while breastfeeding. I remember just after I had given birth to my son, one of my hardcore La Leche League friends was adamant that I could enjoy my glass of wine. As she put it “breastfeeding doesn’t need to be ridiculously restrictive on you.” And she’s right.

First, I’d like to encourage you to read the comments from yesterday’s post WIC-Friend or Foe? The comments highlighted some very important points about the problems with folks abusing the WIC system. Another commenter pointed out that many of the areas within the WIC program DO provide breastpumps and do encourage breastfeeding. I grew up in two very small Kansas towns and yes, I’ve seen abuses of the program as well. Overall, I have very conflicted, yet cynical feelings about most such programs because often there is little incentive for someone to enable themselves once they start getting benefits. In particular it is difficult when living on government assistance becomes a multi-generational situation and the result is that the 2nd generation doesn’t really know any different kind of life. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring that up in my original post, but yes, I’ve seen clear cases myself where the program has been abused and where clearly some women are just along for the free ride and the government cheese.

Okay - today’s article — it’s stories such as this one in the Guardian that burn me. Seriously. Basically, what happened is that a breastfeeding Ugandan mother in the UK is being detained separately from her children (a 4 week old and a one year old, respectively). We’ve had some similar issues in our own country as well with separating deportees who are breastfeeding their children - what complicates this UK case is that there appears to have been some mental issues with the mother. While I understand that detainees and children maybe can’t be kept together, I think it is unconscionable that a breastfeeding mother wouldn’t be allowed access to even a breast pump in order to keep her milk supply going for when she is reunited with her child. Despicable.

First, I’d like to point out that I loved, LOVED my hospital. I had a great experience there, the room was comfy, it had all sorts of amenities (stereo, whirlpool, etc) and the bed was a queen sized REGULAR bed. I just didn’t care for the food so much. I discovered just mere hours before checking out that there was a “pantry” stocked full of yogurts, cookies, and all sorts of goodies. I had sent my husband back there for milk, but he neglected to tell me about all the goodies. Lesson learned and I will definitely be venturing there this next time around.

Second, I realize I am covering a lot of news and articles around here. When I signed up to do this, I was a bit worried that I haven’t actually started breastfeeding again yet - what the heck would I talk about?? So far, I’ve had plenty to talk about, but I hope folks don’t think that I will just be posting news and articles all the time. After Anjali is born, my goal is to do a 2-3 week Daily BoobLog to document those first few weeks and then from there, my breasts can take center stage (sorta). I’ve noticed even with my son, that I already have the tendency to say “oh, the first few weeks were a hard, but then it was a piece of cake!” I’d like to document exactly just how hard it can be - my hope is that if a new mom comes across this site, she can see some realistic breastfeeding experiences and not feel so alone if she doesn’t have a support group, close friend or family member that she can turn to. I did have a support group, close friend and family member to turn to, so this is my small way to try and pay it forward.

Okay, moving on to today’s article. I am a little shocked by audacity of this one where the author states that WIC funding for formula should be ended. I sorta see their premise on a high level. But. BUT. It could be argued that breastfeeding for working mothers is a privilege (my understanding is that a lot of WIC mothers ARE working, but are financially strapped). First, you need to have a job that is conducive to pumping - many lower paying jobs (I’m thinking retail and production line) would not be conducive to pumping. Every gal I’ve known who has pumped at work has had a difficult time fitting it into their schedule - professionals and non-professionals alike. I can’t imagine how much harder it would be for a lower level worker to push the pumping issue, particularly if they feel their job is insecure anyway. Second, the equipment needed for pumping is often expensive. I bought a cheap electric pump myself and it did not go well with the expressing because the pump was crap. Yes, I realize that overall, formula would be more expensive than pumping, but when a gal is already strapped for cash, she may be hesitant to fork over the big bucks for a pump when she’s not sure how long she will even get to breastfeed. I am not financially struggling, but was hesitant myself to pay even the $50 for an electric pump at a time when I wasn’t even sure how it was going to go yet. I did buy the pump, but I had the luxury to take that gamble. So, I can’t say that I would support a measure that would take formula out of the WIC program. However, I would totally support something within the WIC program that allowed coupons/stipends towards breastfeeding paraphernalia - say, towards a pump, nursing pads, etc..

Updated to Add: Eek. In my rush to get this out, I realize I didn’t really emphasize what I was getting at. I do think the lists can be helpful when there is a problem with a fussy baby and that yes, the lists can assist a mother in narrowing down what the problems might be in her diet. I just hate it when they make it sound like ALL babies are bothered by spicy foods, etc. And for sure, I have yet to see a list include Greek food or gyros which most definitely made my kid squirmy all night long, although I confess, I still partook in a yummy gryros every now and then. Gulp.

When I was in the hospital with Arun, I starved. The hospital food wasn’t bad per se, but it mostly consisted of a piece of meat, a potato, some sort of boiled side veggie and it certainly wasn’t spicy. It didn’t help that I was there for such a short time that by the time I filled out the “menu” card and it got processed, it was time for me to leave anyway. For whatever Fool Head Reason, I turned down all of my husband’s kind offers for bringing me food - a mistake I will NOT be repeating the next time around, believeyoume. The day I went home with our son, I craved something spicy so bad it physically hurt and we picked up some Thai takeout on our way home. Sure, I saw a brief question mark hovering over that Styrofoam takeout container because all the Wise Baby Tomes tell you to avoid spicy food while breastfeeding. However, I quickly brought myself back to reality as I pondered, “What the hell do women eat in Thailand?”, then I promptly dug in and stuffed myself to the gills. And that, my friends, set the standard for what I ate while my son was breastfeeding. If something obviously bothered him, I cut it from the menu - otherwise, it stayed. We cook mostly South Indian at home and primarily other varieties of ethnic when we go out. Sure, we do pizza and some other “American” standards, but primarily, we eat exotic. Which probably explains why my 19 month old is pretty damned close to our level of spicy eating and doesn’t even flinch when presented with a jalapeño on a sandwich.

Regarding “foods to avoid while breastfeeding”, I found this article interesting. Actually, I find most of these types of articles chuckle-worthy because often they are presented as a “complete list”. Furthermore, I’ve seen loads of new moms take them to heart and then kick it up a notch- I knew a gal who didn’t eat peanuts the entire time she breastfed because if her son got a peanut allergy, “she would never forgive herself”. I’m definitely not saying the lists aren’t helpful, but I think they should be presented as a ” keep in mind” sort of thing.

As it turned out, my son was most bothered by milk, soft cheeses and Greek gryo meat (Bonus Sidenote: It’s properly pronounced “yee-ro“). Oh and these days, he calls Pad Thai noodles “pye-pye” and weeps when I put them in the microwave for reheating. Poetic.

Okay. I’ve been resisting this story all week long. The story regarding the British Breastfeeding Mayor - yeah, that one. All week long, a variety of stories have been offered to us. Basically, the former mayor of Trafford gave birth 2 months before she accepted the office.The stories started out by saying that she was simply not allowed to breastfeed in the mayor’s “official” car that is provided by the city to take her to official engagement (articles such as this one - or variations on that one where folks merely complained.) This story is portraying the situation in a different light - one in which attendants basically did not want to take care of the baby and/or be seen as nannies. And this story is providing even more details - such as, she wanted to take her baby with her everywhere for the first 6 months of his life, even to a Palace garden party. Wow.

At this point, it is difficult to even tell what is really going on, but I will say this - if she was truly thinking she could just take her kid with her and have official mayoral attendants take care of her baby, then yeah, that’s just wrong. I will continue to keep an eye on this story, though because I find it fascinating how the details keep changing!

I’ve received my first question! Since I don’t consider myself a breastfeeding expert by any means, I hadn’t really anticipated doing an “advice/answer” section to this site. However, I absolutely welcome questions and will gladly do all the “hoofing around” to get the answer for you. When answers come from a specific source, site or book, I will definitely reference them. When answers emerge from my own personal gray matter, I will certainly make that clear as well by starting off with a trusty “IMHO” (roughly translated as “in my humble opinion” – which truthfully, isn’t all that humble as I am pretty opinionated.)

Alicia asks:
If a mother is pumping primarily to increase her supply, why does she need to wait an hour after her baby has nursed? Wouldn’t it be better to just pump immediately after the baby has breastfed? If you pump right after nursing would your body make more per nursing session or if you were to pump an hour afterwards would your body make more overall?

My Answer:
Great question! I quickly discovered the advice concerning the whole “pumping to increase your supply” issue garners a wide variety of answers which can be very confusing. First, I thought it was interesting to understand how milk is produced and Kelly Mom provides a great explanation of the process. Kelly Mom goes on to recommend that in order to increase production, the mother needs to nurse more frequently AND she should empty the breast as thoroughly as possible. Kelly Mom suggests waiting awhile after the nursing session before pumping and frankly, most of the sites I came across recommended this as well. That’s the answer, right? Ha. I went on searching and found TONS more answers. The Nursing Mom site said “You can also try pumping after you nurse to increase milk supply” which I found to be pretty vague and it didn’t give a specific timeline. Also, the Health Touch site said “……Pump for 10 minutes right after you finish breastfeeding once you have a let-down…….“. I also found the Breastfeed-Essentials site which said “You also may want to add a few extra minutes (5-10) of pumping after the baby has finished nursing.”

Frankly, it seems that a mother would need to experiment a little to find the best pumping scenario for increasing her supply - the best scenario for her, that is.

Water
Breastfeeding 1-2-3 has an excellent post on water consumption! For example, I didn’t know that if you consume too much water it can actually decrease your supply. I remember being CRAZY thirsty in the first few months and definitely believe in the “drink to thirst” methodology. My first few months found me dragging water wherever I went and part of my nighttime routine included carefully putting together a pitcher of ice water for during the night.

Testimonial
I came across this Australian site that has gathered some personal experiences surrounding breastfeeding. The site includes interviews of 49 women and 2 men. I haven’t gotten to dig around it much, but can’t wait to read it. I am working on a little project of my own where I want to interview a variety of women from across the decades starting with my grandma who breastfed in the mid 1940s and probably ending with my step-mom who nursed in the mid 1980s. I am compiling my interview questions now and if there is anything in particular that any of you would like me to ask, let me know!

Random Unsolicited Advice
I love, LOVE my doctor. I don’t always agree with her, but I always take her opinion into serious advisement before making decisions (I’m talking general babycare/lifestyle advice here). I’ve been concerned about my son being jealous while I am nursing my daughter and asked her a good way to handle that. I’ve seen that a new mother nursing her child can create a hot spot for the older child because he/she knows that “mom is busy” and now is a good time to act up while her hands are full. My doctor’s advice was to have a basket of special toys for the older child that are only brought out while nursing. What an excellent idea coming from a mother of 4, tightly spaced children! I’m due in 8 weeks, so over the next few weeks, I am going to put together a few small baskets of some new toys and will mix in some old ones so we don’t break the budget. I thought I’d pass that idea along because I am not sure I would have come up with that one on my own in my current weakened mental state that I refer to as “pregnancy brain“.

Since I am a suburbanite desperately seeking Crunchity Granola’d Enlightenment, I like to read Mothering Magazine. Awhile back, I read an excellent article on how images of bottlefeeding and bottles are prevalent in our mainstream collective – media, entertainment, – hell’s bells….. even down to baby gift wrapping paper. After reading that article, I became increasingly aware of how bottles are always shown as THE method for feeding a baby, but rarely, RARELY is breastfeeding shown. I was mildly shocked and impressed a few weeks back when Notes From the Underbelly, a network show, showed a woman breastfeeding (The Sopranos has shown breastfeeding on HBO, but seriously – did anyone even notice amidst all the footage set within the Bada Bing anyway??) What saddens me is that in my son’s myriad of books, not one single image of breastfeeding is shown. I always just skip over the baby bottles because he doesn’t know what that is for – he would rarely take one and even then, only under duress of starving. Even on Sesame Street, the venerable classic of children’s television programming, I have yet to see any breastfeeding. Why?

Anyway, I can’t find that Mothering article now, but within the article there was a call to the public to come up with a logo for breastfeeding. I recently ran across the winning logo of the contest and seriously – that symbol is AWESOME.

Found a here.

While this is not specifically related to breastfeeding, it IS related to lifestyle and nutrition. I guess it could be argued that you need a positive lifestyle with good nutrition to foster healthy breastfeeding, eh? Therefore, when I saw the site, Healthy Child, Healthy World, I got pretty excited. In addition to this article about toxins and breastfeeding by Isabel Kallman of Alphamom, there are also loads of great tips for nutrition and living green in this site. Anyway, I can’t claim to be Granola, rather I probably fall in category of Wannabe. I still enjoyed this site - check it out!

1. Remedies
The main purpose of the previous post was to just point out different solutions. I know so many gals that used lanolin and it worked for them, but I also know so many gals for whom lanolin did not work. I’ve also heard that skin tone can made a big, big difference (i.e. fair, light-skinned gals may have a harder time initially). My primary complaint is that I wish the gel pads were offered on par with lanolin. I just came across a poll that listed “best gifts for nursing mothers” and gel pads weren’t even an option. I will be curious if I get cracked nipples this time around now that I will be going with Soothies from the very beginning - I’ll definitely report back!

2. Support groups
I came across this article about a group of local women in Canada who have banded together to provide even phone support for new mothers. The article brought tears to my eyes, but perhaps that was merely the pregnancy hormones kicking into high gear. When I was a new mother, I knew I was very fortunate to have such a good support group at my hospital AND my sister on speed dial (#5, Home Phone and #9, Cell Phone!). Since I was so grateful for the superb support that I received, I made an extra effort to continue attending the support group at my hospital long after I really needed it. I am hoping to be able to do so again this time around and am even trying to get a day school slot for my son on the day the group meets so that I won’t be dragging a 20 month old around all those newborns (new moms are a nervous bunch and sometimes don’t appreciate a toddler’s “gentle” touch to their baby’s oh-so-precious soft spot. I don’t blame them, either!). I think it is undisputed that La Leche League is unparalleled in what they have achieved in promoting breastfeeding and supporting new mothers. However, many mothers are very intimidated by the group and are hesitant to attend meetings. Yes, this is sad and I think some of the radical reputation attributed to LLL is unfounded and undeserved. Regardless, it remains a fact that many new mothers aren’t attending LLL meetings and in that vein, I get excited whenever I see alternative options for new mothers.

3. Massachusetts Gets a Clue?
I was very excited to see that Massachusetts is mulling a breastfeeding law! This is personal to me, actually. My husband started a new business a few months ago and for a variety of reasons it is currently based out of the Boston area. If this new business takes off, there is a very likely possibility that we will move to that area next year. Anyway, my breastfeeding experiences in Boston have all been positive, but it would still be nice to see a law out there.

4. Not Quite Sure I Want to Celebrate THIS Celebrity
I saw this bit from Larry the Cable Guy and he is discussing his take on his son’s apparent unappreciative nature towards breastfeeding. It IS funny and I do think the Blue Collar Comedy Tour guys are pretty entertaining. Still….