Nursing Your Kids

When I got pregnant with Sam I was in great shape. I’d been working out 4 or 5 times a week for years, I did yoga a few times a week, and walked all over the city. I was tight, toned, and slightly underweight. By the time I had my first doctor’s visit when I was 8 or 9 weeks pregnant I’d already gained 8 pounds. It never stopped. I kept gaining and gaining despite the fact that I was still working out 4 or 5 times a 50 week and doing yoga. I stopped looking at the scale when I hit 50 pounds gained a month or two before my due date.

Everyone told me I’d have no trouble losing the weight, especially because I was breastfeeding. I heard all sorts of rumors that breastfeeding helps with weight loss. I heard about women who dropped weight without trying and kept losing weight until they were below their pre-pregnancy weight. I heard about women who kept the weight on and lost it all at once when they stopped nursing. I struggled and struggled to lose the weight after Sam was born. When he was six months old I still couldn’t fit into all of my pre-baby pants. By 9 months postpartum I was able to wear most of my old clothes. With the help of two nasty stomach bugs I was back to pre-pregnancy weight by Sam’s first birthday. By the time he was 18 months old I’d gained 8 of those pounds back.

Maybe I would have lost the weight again when he stopped nursing, but I got pregnant again before I had the chance to find out.

So when I hear about people who credit breastfeeding with rapid weight loss I get a little bit bitter. Screw you, Naomi Watts. I’m sure your personal trainer had more to do with your fabulous shape than breastfeeding.

Actress Naomi Watts has said the pressures of motherhood are the reason for her slim post-pregnancy figure.

She said: “Breastfeeding - that’s how you drop weight. Even though you are just eating all the time, he is eating too”.

At least she’s honest about the sleep thing.

She adds: “My son is a true joy, but motherhood is harder than I thought. The biggest surprise was the lack of sleep. He is still struggling to sleep through the night”.

My son is driving me crazy. He is whiny and clingy and demanding and rude. He yells at me constantly to assert himself and throws things when his demands aren’t met. These are not behaviors he sees demonstrated on a regular basis so I can only hope that this is a stage.

I hope this stage is short-lived.

Every 15 minutes or so I find myself reminding him that he needs to speak nicely. He’ll immediately lower his voice to a regular speaking tone and say please, then go right back to yelling and demanding. If I give him a blue fork he’ll scream, “Noooooooo! Green fork!” Offering choices makes things worse. If I offer him the green fork or the blue fork he’ll say green then scream, “Nooooooo! Orange fork!” when the fork arrives.

Bedtime battles have returned. Our formerly 15-20 minute bedtime routine is now back to a full hour and a half. The last month of illness has left him unable to settle himself. I don’t object to staying with him until he falls asleep since I know he’s just not feeling well and his better habits will eventually return, but at seven months pregnant I’m just not that delicate anymore and getting out of bed wakes him every time. When he wakes he’s angry, demanding that I lay down on this particular spot on the pillow, then another spot on the pillow. He screams, “More kisses! More, more, more!” and it would be charming if he weren’t so damn angry about it, flailing his arms like a little dictator.

He wants me to carry him constantly, only wanting to walk when it’s unsafe or inconvenient. He no longer sits in a chair by himself for meals, he needs to sit on, “Mama’s lap!!” I can’t just cuddle him when trying to help him fall asleep, he insists on sleeping, “On top of mama, “ a demand I’m currently unwilling to meet.

He’s truly making me nuts. I’m sort of looking forward to a lumpy, blobby newborn who does little but nurse, sleep and poop all day long.

Last night wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated. He didn’t go to sleep until after 10, but he slept until 6 before waking up screaming. Whatever stomach issue he had seems to be mostly resolved. But I’m still tired so I’m stealing another meme from Ladybug’s Picnic.

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?

1. Produce: from the supermarket? I haven’t gotten produce from the supermarket in a long time. Ummm. Apples are still in season.
2. Bakery: A loaf of Le Bus multi-grain bread
3. Meat: not from the supermarket.
4. Frozen: I’m in the mood for Ben and Jerry’s mint chocolate cookie ice cream
5. Dairy: Cabot seriously sharp cheddar

Let’s say we’re heading out for a weekend getaway. You’re only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what’s in your bag?

I’m assuming that this is in addition to what I’m wearing, so for fall I’d bring

1. long-sleeved t-shirt
2. black cashmere turtleneck sweater
3. clean underwear

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. Not safe
2. Who loves Sammy?
3. Give mama a kiss
4. What time is it? Diaper Time
5. Stupid cat

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn’t get to do, you probably wouldn’t be in the best mood?

1. cuddle with Sam
2. read something- blogs, books, magazines, whatever
3. put toys away at night. I don’t like it, but if they don’t get put away I get irritated when I see them the next morning

We’re talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. Writing/reading blogs
2. watching TV online (we got rid of cable)
3. Cooking something
4. Grooming
5. Water aerobics. I’m all about it these days.

We are going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it’ll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. Primate house
2. Rare animals
3. Giant River Otters- my favorites

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. The Daily Show
2. The Colbert Report
3. America’s Test Kitchen
4. Iron Chef

You’re hungry for ice cream. I’ll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. butter pecan
2. coconut almond fudge
3. Mexican chocolate

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what’s in there?

I’ve still got a diaper bag

1. Diapees/Wipees animal print case with size 5 diapers
2. huge package of baby wipes
3. key chain with a ridiculous number of store cards on it
4. Camelbak water bottle
5. overstuffed wallet

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let’s pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. Food designer
2. yoga instructor
3. writer
4. something to do with film- I was a theater major in college and miss the fun

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?

1. Dating a guy 10 years your senior is a terrible idea
2. Dreadlocks look ridiculous on teenage white girls
3. Smoking makes you smell bad
4. Your father would be thrilled if you lived with him. Don’t let your mother tell you otherwise.

Play along and leave me a comment if you do.

Age 3- We just moved from Connecticut to Pennsylvania. I left my amazing, crunchy granola pre-school where my favorite teacher was a bear-like man with a viking-like red beard and transferred into a Jewish preschool around the corner where the teachers were older Main Line yentas. I didn’t like going to school very much and my mom let me stay home a lot. One day I saw my class take a walk past my house. I said, “Mom, it’s my class.” She asked if I wanted to join them. I didn’t so we stayed in and watched through the window.

Age 6- First grade at a private Episcopalian school. I was one of just a few girls in my class and the only kid who could really, truly read. I had my own private reading group with my teacher and was pulled out to see the reading specialist once a week when I tested at an eighth grade level. The reading specialist yelled at me when she assigned me a story in an anthology to read over the week and I read the whole book. Who tells a kid to *stop* reading? This may be why I eventually became a reading specialist.

Age 9- I’m in fourth grade and I don’t particularly like it. I get demerits for wearing pink socks with my uniform. I get high honors the second trimester and the only boy in the grade who got high honors in the first trimester cornered me and told me I didn’t deserve it. I stole it from him. I felt bad because he was crying.

Age 12- We move from one house to another only the new house isn’t ready. We stay at a family friends house in the woods for a few weeks while they’re away. It’s quiet and idyllic except for the green shag carpeting. After they return we stay at my aunt’s house in the city. It’s fun in it’s own way. I like walking around. I find baker’s chocolate and make brownies from scratch for the first time.

Age 15- I am very unhappy because my mother told me my dad didn’t want me around in order to get me to go to boarding school. Further investigation reveals he said no such thing, but the tuition is paid and the damage is done. I dye my hair blue then get a lead role in a play and have to remove the blue and make it blond again.

check out another NaBloPoMo participant at Wedding Tactics.

Because I’m nothing if not original, I’m starting NaBloPoMo off with a meme seen at Ladybug’s Picnic

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now?
Something blue in a bar for Bob and Dove-like generic bodywash for me.

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?
Sadly it’s out of season, so no watermelon.

3. What would you change about your living room?
The cats destroyed the hand-me-down navy blue leather furniture that I never much cared for to begin with.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?
Dirty

5. What is in your fridge?
Milk, beer, apple cider, butter (salted and sweet), soy milk, bok choy, leftover roasted potatoes and carrots, apples, pears, sour cream, lots of condiments including a jar or mayonnaise that’s way expired (I don’t touch the stuff), a huge head of broccoli from my farm share, leftover sweet potatoes and black beans, spinach tortillas, several kinds of cheese, roast beef for Bob’s lunch, a bunch of kale, and a lot of items I can’t think of right now.

6. White or wheat bread?
Wheat bread

7. What is on top of your refrigerator?
Coffee filters, a cake plate and some junk I can’t remember

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain?
Green ivy

9. How many plants are in your home?
About a dozen and a bunch outside that need to come in for the winter.

10. Is your bed made right now?
No, I’m not good about making the bed.

11. Comet or Soft Scrub?
Neither. I’ve been using baking soda.

12. Is your closet organized?
No. It’s a complete mess.

13. Can you describe your flashlight?
We have a small black metal generic Mag-lite, a large Blue flashlight that has a stand, and a medium-sized black flashlight with a white ring.

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?
Glass.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?
No. We never have iced tea in the house.

16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered?
It is a complete disaster.

17. Curtains or blinds?
Crappy blinds we inherited with the house and haven’t changed.

18. How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two or three. Sometimes I cuddle one.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night?
No.

20. How often do you vacuum?
A few times a week or daily when we’ve got the wood stove running.

21. Standard toothbrush or electric?
Electric

22. What color is your toothbrush?
White. Mine’s got the pink identifying ring.

23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch?
Yes, but it doesn’t say welcome so I guess it’s just a mat.

24. What is in your oven right now?
Nothing.

25. Is there anything under your bed?
Too many shoes, mostly Bob’s.

26. Chore you hate doing the most?
Folding laundry. It often sits for weeks, wrinkling in the basket, but emptying the dishwasher is a close second.

27. What retro items are in your home?
We have many antique items, but retro? I guess Bob’s record player and an old-school juice squeezer.

28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office?
We have an office but we don’t use it. It’s cold and cluttered and the desktop is seven years old and the monitor’s stripy.

29. How many mirrors are in your home?
Three. One in each bathroom and one at the bottom of the front stairs.

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home?
About $300 worth of traveler’s checks and probably just as much in loose change.

31. What color are your walls?
Brown in the living room, yellow in the dining room, green in the kitchen, “spring dust” in our bedroom (yes, it looks like pollen), and a sand color pretty much every where else.

32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home?
I don’t think we do. We (well, Bob, not I) had a gun at some point that he was holding for a friend whose wife wouldn’t allow it in the house. I’m pretty sure he gave it back.

33. What does your home smell like right now?
I don’t know. An old house I guess? Litter box in the laundry room? It smells like basement in the basement.

34. Favorite candle scent?
I can’t stand scented candles anymore.

35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now?
Gherkins and some pickles a friend made.

36. What color is your favorite Bible?
I don’t have a favorite bible.

37. Ever been on your roof?
I’ve put a foot out, but I generally save that kind of work for Bob.

38. Do you own a stereo?
Yes

39. How many TVs do you have?
Two or three. There may be one in the basement.

40. How many house phones?
One with an extra cordless extension.

41. Do you have a housekeeper?
No. We need a cleaning service.

42. What style do you decorate in?
Eclectic. Antiques mixed with newer Ikea crap.

43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints?
I’m too chicken to buy prints.

44. Is there a smoke detector in your home?
Yes, several on each floor.

45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip?
Sam and whatever cats I could grab.

I’m Jackie. I really enjoyed reading Kelli’s take on breastfeeding and I’m excited to take over the blog for her. I also write Kids Dish, a blog where I write about food and children and how to hopefully get my child and yours to ingest more of the foods that are healthy.

My husband Bob and I have one son, Sam, who is currently seventeen months old. He latched on just minutes after his birth and nursed like a champ, but it took longer than expected for my milk to come in which was traumatic for all of us. Then the milk came in with a vengeance. Aside from some overproduction issues, a few bouts of mastitis, and a couple of long-lasting solid food strikes our nursing relationship has been easy. I never dreamed I’d still be nursing seventeen months postpartum, but I am, and I don’t mind it nearly as much as I would have expected.

Sam isn’t nursing every day or even every week. We’re currently in a “don’t offer, don’t refuse” holding pattern where we’ll go days or weeks without then he’ll look up at me and make the ASL sign for “milk.” When he asks I look at him carefully and ask, “Are you sure? Would you rather have something to eat or drink?” He usually signs for milk again and start lifting my shirt up to get it himself. This tends to happen first thing in the morning, though occasionally he’ll want to nurse when he wakes up in the middle of the night. All things considered it’s not so bad.

As for my parenting philosophy I don’t consider myself an follower of attachment parenting, though I certainly am attached. Nor do I consider myself a lactivist, though I am (obviously) very pro-breastfeeding. I just try to keep myself and my family happy, healthy and safe by whatever means necessary. Sometimes whatever means necessary involves popsicles for breakfast.

Last night, I went to the La Leche League fundraiser to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. I didn’t know a soul there, but at a minimum, I thought my son would have fun. We had a great time and I met some new people. I will definitely be looking into joining one of the chapters in my area.

Before I had children of my own, I had a distorted perception of the La Leche League. Some of this perception was based on media, some based on personal experiences. By the time I figured out that the League would actually be a good fit for me, I was already involved in the breastfeeding support group at my hospital. I didn’t really have the time to get involved in something else an the support group was enough for me. However, this time around with my daughter, the support group at my hospital probably won’t work for us unless I can get my son into a specific day for his mother’s day out program. Simply, it’s too difficult to drag an active toddler to the support group. The support group is comprised mostly of new mothers and frankly, most new mothers are leery of a grabby toddler around their newborns. I understand that and to be respectful, don’t feel comfortable taking Arun there now. So, I will be looking into the La Leche League as an alternative. And after last night’s activity, am looking forward to joining something new.

I wonder what other ill-conceived perceptions have held me back from new experiences?

Around Friday, I could definitely detect a downswing in my mood. No, I’m not talking post-partum depression, but I was afraid I was facing a case of the Baby Blues. It hasn’t gotten too bad and I am just trying to keep on top of it so that it doesn’t get the best of me. How do I do that? It’s the little things. Everyday, I make a few goals for myself - it might be just a small laundry list of household chores and errands, but for me, having a definable list of things to do makes me feel good. To accomplish a small set of things allows me to relax later in the day when they are finished. I also bought a load of Choxie Chocolates when I was at Target - quality chocolate for not a large price. They come in small packages, so I don’t go overboard - a few pieces here and there with a glass of milk is a treat, but not a guilt-laden one. On Saturday, I bought some flowers - nothing expensive, they were $9 and the type to last at least a week. I am doing my best to keep the house reasonably clean because I know a mess gets me down - really DOWN. I’ve been scheduling outings with friends and family. I’ve also been carving time for my favorite hobbies that relax me - my books and my knitting. Conversely, I’ve limited my TV time and let the DVR fill up because I know that TV generally doesn’t make me feel good.

And most importantly, I am making a point to just sit and hang out with my kids. When I am breastfeeding, I really use that time to talk to my son (even if he is watching TV, I’ll talk about what is going on in the program), read books to him or just snuggle with both of them. This is when I really, really appreciate being able to exclusively breastfeed, because it forces me to sit down and focus on my kids. The dishes, laundry and the bazillion other things can wait.

So, no - I don’t see post-partum depression lingering, but possibly some garden-variety Baby Blues. This happened with my son and I know from experience that it needs to be cut at the quick before it takes over. And for me, it’s the little things that keep my head above water while I tread the current moves me to safer water.

One of the benefits touted regarding breastfeeding is the fact that it can help you lose your baby weight more quickly. With my son, I gained 22 lbs and was back to my pre-pregnancy weight by 3 weeks post-partum. With my daughter, I gained 19.5 lbs and am back to my pre-pregnancy weight at 2 weeks post-partum. However, the body does get all “shifty” on you after having a baby AND my uterus still has not shrunk all the way. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say the capris I am wearing aren’t a teeny bit snug. Still, I can’t complain. To be able to shed maternity clothes this early in the game is a HUGE boost for tackling the Baby Blues Funk I feel coming on. More about that next week………

Apparently, my induction was scheduled for 7 PM which is significantly, completely and utterly different than AM.

Specifically, one is in the MORNING and the other is in the EVENING.

Now that I am done freaking out and we have figured out who is going to take care of Arun tonight and tomorrow because in other news, our plans for him fell through, I am doing okay. Actually, I’m lying.

I’m still totally freaked out.

I apologize for these departures from “breastfeeding”, but it is difficult to wrap my head around the topic of breasts until I get this “birthin’ part accomplished. Bear with me.

I am getting induced bright n’ early tomorrow morning. My son has already been informed that his contract for the position of Head Honcho is up for renegotiation and that his new terms aren’t looking so hot.

Will return Wednesday - I will be taking copious notes on how the early days go with breastfeeding. Those entries will be in a category called “Dear Diary” and I am planning to do at least 2 straight weeks’ worth, but would really like to do 3 weeks. In the meantime, let’s end this on a lighter note, shall we?

Friday, 7/6/07 - Anjali’s Due Date
With no baby imminently showing the whites of her eyes that night, I thought that I would splurge and get a vanilla malt. I love malts and HATE milkshakes - but I rarely get malts because they are what? A squillion calories or something? Anyway….. So, I go to Sheriden’s then drive merrily on my way home. I pull into the garage, reach for the malt and it’s not there. I realized with a slight horror what I had done. I had basically chucked a $20 bill at the kid in the drive-thru window at Sheriden’s - then, I drove off. DUDE. I didn’t even get my change, much less my malt. So, yeah. I sheepishly drove back to Sheriden’s to retrieve my money and malt. Sadly, they were fresh out of Dignity and Pride.

I may not have birthed a baby on my due date Friday, but apparently I birthed my brain.

However. There’s even more.

My husband was the IN THE CAR WITH ME THE ENTIRE TIME.

Innernets, I ask of you - - - What’s HIS excuse??

Talk amongst yourself.

When I found out in early Feb of 2005 that I was pregnant with my son, I knew that some of my hobbies would probably have to bite the dust (at least for a few years). To be equitable, I laid off all of them and made them reapply for their old positions, with decreased benefits and lowered pay scales, of course.

Hobbies That Made the Cut
Reading - This was the first hobby to get re-hired. While I knew that I wouldn’t be able to read as much as before, I knew that I could never completely give up reading. One of the great perks of co-sleeping in the early months, is that I would go to bed with my son around 8:30pm, then read for a few hours while he slept. I was probably one of the best read new mothers around because I was kicking back at least a book per week in those days.

Knitting - This was another hobby that I knew I couldn’t give up entirely. Again, my knitting has waned quite a bit and I have to keep myself to simple projects that can be picked up/put down quite easily. What I miss most is taking knitting classes - I loved learning new techniques and meeting new people in classes. I also miss doing complicated projects, but it is too hard to knit with a toddler AND keep careful count of rows and stitches. So, hats, blankets and scarves it is, then.

Blogging - Oddly enough, I actually blog more now that I am a mother than before. Blogging is a very easy hobby for me because of the fact that it can easily be picked up/put down (are you detecting a theme here?). Also, the community aspect has been heightened for me as I have met more and more Blog Friends - some of which have become Real Life friends. I’ve always compared blogging to pen pals, with more instantaneous results - no buying stamps and no waiting for a response, eh?

Traveling - I love, love traveling. My favorite trips are the long weekends, with a focus on a particular city. I usually don’t have extensive agendas, just a short list of “must-sees”, then everything else is spontaneous. I traveled throughout my pregnancy with my son and I knew that I wouldn’t want to stop traveling just because I had a kid, so I was very careful in my selections of stroller (A Combi City Savvy worked well for us) and baby carrier (our Baby Bjorn Active Carrier has seen many miles through airports). My #1 piece of travel advice with a kid is “less is actually more“. I limit myself to one carry-on, for example. Not trudging loads of stuff around leaves me less stressed and I can focus on paying attention to my son. And for sure, breastfeeding is an advantage while traveling because you don’t have to tote bottles, formula, etc. I’ve really enjoyed traveling with my son - we went on about 9-10 trips before I was grounded from traveling due to illness in my 2nd trimester. I am hoping to get back in the game this fall and have purchased the double version of the Combi City Savvy towards that end.

Hobbies That Were “Reassigned”
Raku - Raku is an ancient form of Japanese pottery. I can’t say that I was particularly talented at it, but I did enjoy digging down in the clay and getting dirty. And I decorated a bit of my house for minimal cost. I still miss opening a brand new hunk of clay, cutting a thick wedge of it and rolling it - all while I try to imagine what it is I want to make. I wrote about how raku came to an end for me here on my personal site, Rancid Raves.

Communiversity Classes - In Kansas City, we have a community college thingie called Communiversity. I was pretty into it for awhile and took a wide variety of classes for total kicks - wreath making, water colors, basket weaving, baking, cooking, etc. I had so much fun taking classes and even discovered some great new hobbies - such as raku. I miss taking random classes for fun. It was a period of my life that I will always remember with fondness - learning new things and meeting new folks.

Television - Oh sure, I still watch TV, but I am watching FAR less of it and am now very picky about what I do watch. New shows get a 3 episode minimum and my standards are pretty high for keeping a show on the DVR’s recording list.

Movies - This one? I do miss. I think I have seen ONE movie in the theatre since my son was born. ONE. The problem is not a matter of time, but rather that of priority. I have ample babysitting time - that’s not an issue. The issue is that we have an awesome TV with surround sound - it’s hard to justify burning precious, precious babysitting time sitting in a theatre for 2 hours, when I could be doing other things. Ironically, I think the last movie I saw in the theatre was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Of course, I will be using precious, precious babysitting time for new movie coming out, because Hello! Harry!Potter! But, um, yeah…..yeah - my movie theatre habits are pretty pathetic since I’ve had a kid.

I know that someday, I will be able to pick back up some of these hobbies and there are even more hobbies for me waiting to be discovered. So, in the meantime, I will just hang out and wait for my old pal Free Time to come around again.

I think I am going to devote the rest of this week to ME. Everyone is all about “the baby this” and “the baby that” these days. Dude, what about ME? One of the things about having a “topical” blog, is that I fear the folks reading this aren’t getting to “know” me. Someone reading this site might think that all I do in my spare time is ponder the subject of breastfeeding. Don’t get me wrong - I am enjoying this site and am excited by all that I have learned as I’ve researched the topic, etc. But, I do have other interests than breastfeeding. So, this week, I am going to write about some random-ish topics for the fun of it……

A Blog Friend from Denver is driving through Kansas City tomorrow and we are attempting to meet up. I have to admit, I am quite jealous of her roadtrip. I LOVE roadtrips. My parents started taking me on roadtrips before I can even remember - we always got up at the crack of dawn, just before the sun came up to get an early start. I live in Kansas City, but have roadtripped to Colorado several times, to Arizona and New Mexico several times, to Omaha and through Missouri COUNTLESS times, and even all the way to Kentucky and Tennessee. I’ve roadtripped FROM Chicago to here. Then, there are all the weird Fly-In Roadtrips - those roadtrips I’ve taken where I’ve flown in somewhere, then traveled around from the destination. I know New Hampshire like the back of my hand - my husband went to college there, so we have roadtripped the ENTIRE state several times now. And Vegas? I’ve roadtripped the entire area, except due west past Red Rock Canyon- I’ve driven to San Diego from Vegas AND I’ve even gone as far as Rachel, NV to get a gander at the infamous entrance to Area 51. Internationally? When I was in Pakistan, we flew into Islamabad and drove through the mountains up north, then back south and on into Peshawar. And those were just some of the FUN roadtrips and don’t even include all the roadtrips I did for WORK when I was employed with Coopers and Lybrand, then later, Ernst and Young.

I love the beginning - the hopping in the car and facing the unknown. I love those eerie early morning hours when it’s dark and there are few cars on the road. I love stopping in crappy little dives along the way for the worst food known to man. The food may suck, but the people are almost always interesting and the souvenirs deliciously tacky. Some of my happiest, silliest memories have happened in a car, in the middle of nowhere. Also, there is no better way to test a relationship by sitting in a car for extended periods of time. And I have found it doesn’t matter if it is a friend, family or spouse! For sure, your relationship will be pushed to the brink and back.

I had really wanted to do a roadtrip this spring with Arun - he is slightly obsessed with animals right now and I thought going to the Omaha Zoo would have really been exciting for him. However, I was just too sick during my 2nd trimester and really didn’t relish sitting in a car for 3 hours in my 3rd trimester. We will see how this new baby travels in the car, but I am pondering a roadtrip up there this fall. We’ll see if I am adventurous enough.

Do you like roadtrips? What’s your favorite part?

There hasn’t been much going on in the World of Breastfeeding lately. No breaking news. No controversies. No hot stories. In fact, my own breasts are just sitting around, not doing anything to provide much in the way of blog fodder. Losers.

I am 39 weeks pregnant with a due date looming this Friday. I am very tired, very uncomfortable, very normal, but I am VERY EXCITED. The beauty of a 2nd pregnancy is that I feel less anxious than I did with my first baby. This time around, I know I can hack this “new baby thing”, it’s just a matter of putting my nose to the grindstone and bearing it out until you come out of the rabbithold. I can’t wait to hold a snuggly newborn on my chest. I can’t wait until her hair is matted and sweaty in my neck. And to boot, my 20 month old son has just been utterly adorable these past few days, reminding me that I get to experience these delicious toddler days AGAIN. So life is good.

I finally finished packing my hospital bag over the weekend. I realize there are a few “first time” mothers reading this, so I thought I would post what I’ve packed. I remember reading in all the Wise Baby Tomes extensive, long, intimidating packing lists and I ended up packing some silly things that I didn’t need. Also, I recommend keeping EMPTY space in your suitcase so that it will easier to pack up all the goodies the hospital sends home with you. I’m a cheapskate, so I took everything that wasn’t nailed down.

The List:
2 pairs of sweats
2 shirts
1 bra
1 underwear
a robe
manual breastpump (since I just weaned in January, it is likely my milk will come in while I’m still in the hospital)
“going home” outfit for the baby
a few magazines
granola bars
a minimum of toiletries

In addition, I have a post-it note on my bathroom mirror reminding me to grab things such as the camera, brush, comb, etc - things that I can’t pack straight away since I am using them.

You’ll notice I’ve packed a bare minimum of clothing. Honestly, this birthin’ business is a messy one, so I ended choosing not to risk soiling my OWN clothing and lounging around instead in the hospital-issued nightgown! To each her own, though so if you feel you would be wearing your own clothes, then definitely pack more clothing.

Over the past months, when discussing the looming prospect of having TWO children to contend with, my husband confidently observes “At least this time, we know what to do.” And thus far, I’ve managed to not laugh in his face. I decided to just let him keep smoking his pipe packed with whatever goodie it is that lets him think that we truly have it “all figured out”. One advantage to a 2nd pregnancy, is that at least I have been less anxious. With my 1st pregnancy, I would lay awake late into the night pondering if I could do it and wondering what I had signed up for. Now, I know that yes - I can do this motherhood thing. It won’t be easy in the beginning, but I’ll just to put my nose to the grindstone and bear through. And while I won’t have the answers, since I keep hearing children are human beings with different personalities (WTH? REALLY?), I do feel a little better knowing that with Kid #2, I am going in armed with ideas.

Regarding breastfeeding, there are a few things that make me feel a little easier about those first few weeks….

1. Potions- I know the Soothies gel pads work for me and have stocked up on them. But again, I don’t know it all and even just recently, got the great advice from Leah to use the Soothies between breastfeeding sessions and to use the lanolin cream during the breastfeeding session.

2. Pump - I had NO clue how to use my pump. All the advice given was to wait to open the thing to see if you were actually going to breastfeed or not - then if you didn’t, you could just return it. Sadly, I needed that damned thing desperately to relieve engorgement. 3am is NOT the time to figure it out. NOT THE TIME. So, the pump is freshly cleaned and already packed to take to the hospital. According to my lactation consultant, the chances are that my milk will come in while I am still there since I recently weaned and I want to be prepared.

3. Places - I had such a hard time breastfeeding in chairs - the arms always seemed to be in the way of the Boppy AND the baby. For me, nursing while sitting Indian style on a bed was the best place.

4. Positions - All those great breastfeeding pamphlets with nursing positions should be considered a “starting” point. For example, I had to totally experiment with the lying down position. For me, I couldn’t get the hang of the traditionally demonstrated method.

5. Perspective - When you are a brand-spankin’ new mother it is difficult to keep Perspective. I’ll never forget in my early 20s watching a friend struggle with breastfeeding. With her FOURTH child. But, my friend was very calm about it and stated matter-of-factly that it was always like that in the very beginning. I’ve never forgotten that and it’s been over 10 years ago. However, knowing that tidbit helped me immensely in soldiering forward - realizing that it was normal to struggle a bit made all the different.

So, no. I still don’t have all the answers. The 5 Points above are merely the answers from my FIRST child. I suspect my second child will not only present new answers, but also new questions. And that’s okay, too because otherwise, motherhood might get a little boring. And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?