Sadly, the United States has become known for being one of the fastest nations in the world. "During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%" (www.cdc.gov). Most of us are aware that obesity contributes to a number of other health problems ranging from added stress on bones and joints to type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. Now more than ever, good nutrition has become the focus of attention for many Americans, including First Lady Michelle Obama. Good nutrition for each of us starts in the womb. So much of our development in those nine months depends upon the good eating habits of our mothers but what happens beyond that? Formula manufacturer's would have us believe that they have come up with a solution for all of us who have to return to work, hate pumping or simply struggle with the natural act of breastfeeding but is it really the perfect solution or a slippery slope? If what they are selling is good nutrition, then why is it chocolate flavored?
There are numerous reasons to breastfeed ranging from emotional connectivity to health benefits for the mother. This is a look solely at the nutritional benefits as they relate to the infant. Formula is food made with science therefore; it is not natural to an infant's diet. Infants, just like adults, can have difficulty digesting ingredients that are unfamiliar to the body (remember 'Trans fats'?). The proteins in formula are made from cow's milk, easily digested by calves, but human infants' stomach's take time to adjust.
Breast milk is perfectly formulated for infants. There are over 150 ingredients in breast milk that cannot be produced synthetically. Of these 150 ingredients, some of the most important are the mother's antibodies. These antibodies become the infants' defense against disease while the immune system is still developing. Breast milk has been shown to protect infants against illnesses such as rotavirus infections, ear infections, and upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Breast milk also has amazing transformative properties. It actually changes over time to suit the needs of the infant as s/he grows. This is something formula cannot do. As many lactivists describe it, breast milk is 'live' while formula is...well...not. Research shows that breastfeeding saves on health care costs. Breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations than formula fed infants. Breast feeding mother's also miss less work. Their infants are sick less often so medical costs are lower and employees are more productive. The conclusion one can draw from this information: Breastfed infants are healthier, in general, than formula fed infants.
Formula isn't inferior for lack of trying. Formula makers have been attempting to improve their product since development began in the 1860's. Most recently, DHA and ARA have been added. DHA is believed to be an important component in brain and nerve development. DHA deficiencies are associated with cognitive decline, which occurs in people with diseases like Alzheimer's. Additionally, severely depressed individuals show a depleted level of DHA in the cerebral cortex. As a result of these findings, DHA is being added to many foods and a supplement is recommended for pregnant and nursing women. Adding DHA to infant formula would seem like a good idea however; once again it is synthetically derived and therefore difficult to digest. Cornucopia, a watchdog group, upon request for information from the FDA, found a number of adverse reaction reports concerning formula with the DHA additive. Severe gastrointestinal problems were reported. These problems resulted in 'failure to thrive', acute dehydration from diarrhea and other symptoms including emotion distress for both the infants and their families. Symptoms resulted in highly-invasive medical testing and procedures and hospitalizations. Upon switching to formulas without the DHA additive, the problems (in most cases) were resolved. As long as a breastfeeding mother is eating a diet containing DHA rich foods or is taking a supplement, her infant will get all the DHA his or her body needs for healthy development. To read more about Cornucopia and their findings about breastfeeding, formula and DHA go to http://www.cornucopia.org/2008/01/replacing-mother-infant-formula-report/
An additional benefit to breastfeeding is the frequency of feeding. Breastfed infants need to eat more frequently than formula fed infants. This may not seem like a benefit if you are a sleep deprived mother but, more frequent feedings through the night translate into a decreased risk of SIDS. Scientists also know that IgA, found in breast milk, has a binding affect on bacterial toxins, such as staphylococcal enterotoxin C and Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin A, which have both been implicated in SIDS. Breast milk is also rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, which promotes faster development of the central nervous system of the infants. This could be another explanation for why breastfeeding helps prevent SIDS. (South Med J 94(7):704-71, 2001. © 2001 Southern Medical Association) Frequent feedings also affect metabolism. Any one who has ever been on a 'diet' has been instructed to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. A healthy metabolic rate in infancy may translate into a healthier metabolic rate in childhood and on into adulthood.
About 2% of mothers are physiologically unable to breastfeed, yet only about 77% of infants are ever breastfed and only 50% are still breastfed at the age of 6 months. This means about 20% of new mothers never try to breastfeed and roughly another 30% give it up before their child reaches 6 months. Young mothers (particularly under the age of 20) and those in low-income households were most likely to formula feed, rather than breastfeed. (http://www.cdc.gov). Sadly, these are also the individuals who have the least access to adequate health care and information regarding nutrition and wellness. The cycle of poor education, poor nutrition, poor health continues from generation to generation and our society never gets any healthier. For the first time in history, future generations will actually have shorter life expectancies than the proceeding generations. This is why re-normalizing breastfeeding in the United States is of critical importance. Formula should not be the first choice but rather, the last resort. Not only do health care providers and government aid resources need to educate and promote breastfeeding as the the healthy, normal way to feed an infant but communities at large need support breastfeeding mothers, regardless of their socioeconomic demograph. Breastfeeding is an infants very first step towards life-long health.
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Thank you for not Mouth-breathing...
I simply don't understand why they feel the need to do that in public. I mean, I get that its necessary to sustain life but what about the rest of us? Don't we have a right eat a meal without having to worry about what the person at the table right next to us is doing. You know what I'm talking about.
Mouth-breathers are especially annoying. They make no attempt what-so-ever to conceal what they are doing. Do you know what else that mouth has been used for? I don't want to even think about it! A part of the body that is used that way is certainly not for children's eyes. They have masks for that you know! The worst is when their lips are chapped or crooked or just really thin. Gross! Who wants to see that?! Certainly not me! The only lips I want to see in public are thick, full lips. I mean if you aren't going to keep them covered, they should at least look good! Angelina Jolie's lips are good. I don't mind seeing those in a magazine, just so long as I can't tell by looking what she is using them for.
It's really annoying how when you encounter a mouth-breather and ask them to wear a mask or go in the bathroom, they get all indignant about it. Like it's such a big deal to put a mask on! No, I don't put a mask on when I breath, but I breath through my nose, so I shouldn't have to. And no, I don't really want to go to a smelly, germy bathroom to breath but again, I don't use my mouth to breath, just my nose. I know some people's noses are stuffy so they have to mouth-breath, but they don't have to do it all over the place!
It's really about respect and common courtesy. I think mouth-breathing is a personal choice we should all be free to make, I just don't want to see anyone doing it.
Mouth-breathers are especially annoying. They make no attempt what-so-ever to conceal what they are doing. Do you know what else that mouth has been used for? I don't want to even think about it! A part of the body that is used that way is certainly not for children's eyes. They have masks for that you know! The worst is when their lips are chapped or crooked or just really thin. Gross! Who wants to see that?! Certainly not me! The only lips I want to see in public are thick, full lips. I mean if you aren't going to keep them covered, they should at least look good! Angelina Jolie's lips are good. I don't mind seeing those in a magazine, just so long as I can't tell by looking what she is using them for.
It's really annoying how when you encounter a mouth-breather and ask them to wear a mask or go in the bathroom, they get all indignant about it. Like it's such a big deal to put a mask on! No, I don't put a mask on when I breath, but I breath through my nose, so I shouldn't have to. And no, I don't really want to go to a smelly, germy bathroom to breath but again, I don't use my mouth to breath, just my nose. I know some people's noses are stuffy so they have to mouth-breath, but they don't have to do it all over the place!
It's really about respect and common courtesy. I think mouth-breathing is a personal choice we should all be free to make, I just don't want to see anyone doing it.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Re-normalize breastfeeding: A reluctant lactavists' POV.
Truth be told, I've said it. 'I don't mind a woman breastfeeding in public, but she should cover up'. What changed my mind? Was is becoming a mother myself? Actually, it was a perfect storm of events that changed my view. The controversy over a woman's right to breastfeed in public captured my interest due to its civic nature. It wasn't until reading a comment by a mother who was clearly pro-breastfeeding that I changed my tune. The comment basically berated women who formula fed their babies and called into question their devotion to parenting and desire to give their children the best. I thought to myself "How dare that woman judge people she doesn't even know!? She probably never struggled with breastfeeding and isn't considering that not everyone can stay home with their babies to nurse them all day!" It turned me off completely to the 'lactavist cause', until I considered my own views on breastfeeding. I realized I had been judging mother's just as harshly for their decisions without really knowing why they'd made those decisions in the first place or why I felt the way I did. What was it about breastfeeding that made me so uncomfortable?
Shortly there after, I found out I was expecting my second child. I researched breastfeeding and found that not only is breast milk far superior to formula, there are also numerous resources for women who experience difficulties breastfeeding. Resources I knew nothing about when I was struggling to breastfeed my daughter 12 years ago. I was a single, working, young mother. The stigma for mothers like me, is that we are not as good as parents who are not young, not working and not single and its a tough one to fight. So when I struggled with breastfeeding, it became one more thing that I was not good enough to do. A couple of months in, I switched to formula. The pediatric nurses gave me dirty looks. The nurse at the WIC office gave me a dirty look. What no one gave me was advice. I took on the attitude that I hated breastfeeding. Who wants to be a walking buffet anyway? The sore, swollen, veiny breasts. The leaking and pumping. Forget it, not me. My baby was happier and I was happier, so fuck the nurses and anyone else who had anything nasty to say to me. Right?
Looking back, I didn't hate breastfeeding. What I hated was the constant crying. I hated the woman that I worked with who constantly complained about how long and how often I was in the bathroom pumping. I hated pumping with my cheap K-Mart pump. I hated feeling like I had no idea what I was doing. How could I not have this figured out? I grew up around babies. I've known since I was 10 how to change a diaper. I babysat my brother and sister and cousins. Despite that fact, I don't ever remember seeing a woman nurse her baby. This never struck me as odd, until a very frank discussion about breastfeeding with an unexpected supporter. My boss is a man in his 60's. He is also, I'm convinced, enthralled with all things having to do with reproduction, from pregnancy, to child birth, to infancy. It's sort of charming really, his wide-eyed wonderment of it all. To him, there's nothing gross or sexual or inappropriate about any of it. He openly discusses his wife's pregnancies and the deliveries of his children and his daughter's struggles to breastfeed. Most employers would not even dare to utter the word 'breast' regardless of it's intended context. My boss however; shared with me how strange it is to see women bottle-feeding as this was not the common practice when he was a boy, growing up in the south. How can this be? Where women less modest in those days? Highly doubtful, looking at the bathing suit trends of the time, in comparison to the trends of today. So what happened? How did bottle feeding become the norm?
Science had been working on ways of creating breast milk substitutes since around the 1860's. During World War 2, women were joining the work force and by the 1950's, more than half the babies in the US were on some type of formula. Fortunately, the pendulum swings both ways. Since the 1970's, more women have been choosing breast over bottle. Sadly, the biggest obstacles they face are an uneducated public. Even mother's who breastfed can be heard saying things like 'I don't want my kids to see that!' Which begs the question, 'Why not?' Children are wonderfully curious little buggers aren't they? I suppose that the sight of a nursing mother might cause them to ask 'Mom, what is that lady doing?' If Mother's response is as simple as 'Feeding her baby,' I imagine that child might go through life thinking of breastfeeding as a natural, normal thing to do. If the Mother's response is that of shock and horror at the nerve of that woman showing her naked breast to the whole world, I suppose that child might go through life thinking of breasts as purely sexual organs. Which is a healthier view?
Some other 'interesting' comments:
"I don't need to see a woman whip her tit out."
There are numerous variations to this comment. 'My kids don't need to see...', '...boob...', '...milk-tits...', etc. Where did this notion that breastfeeding mothers are 'whipping' their their breasts about come from? I'm not even nursing yet and the thought of whipping my swollen, sore boob around is painful enough. The majority of the women that are nursing in public, simply adjust a couple articles of clothing in order to provide access for their babies.
"I have a teenage son with hormones who can't help but stare."
This is as valid as the 'I have PMS, so I'm not responsible for killing my husband' defense. The fact that a young man has hormonal drives does not mean a complete lack of control or of personal responsibility. My guess is your teenage son is masturbating to a Victoria Secret catalog, not an issue of Mothering.
"I don't want to see people peeing in public either."
No, no one appreciates seeing someone pee in public. In fact, its so unappreciated, its illegal. Breastfeeding however is not. While both are necessary bodily functions, the trouble with urinating in public is there's no receptacle. Typically, the urine is flowing onto a sign post or a tree. Breast milk has an intended destination and is not likely to even be seen by anyone else.
"It's a bodily fluid, what if it gets in my food?!"
At some point in time were nursing mother's walking around topless, singing a rendition of 'Do your boobs hang low?' and squirting onlookers in the eyes with breast milk? They're breasts, not squirt guns! Rest assured no one is going to waste a drop of such a valuable commodity to squirt you, your food or anything in your general vicinity.
"Feeding the baby isn't the part that is offensive, it's the display."
Again, where are these women with their lactating breasts swinging to and fro for all of the US to see? Certainly, we are proud of our breasts but not because of how they look but for what they can do. Typically, the breast that is on 'display' is not that of a lactating mother. The breast is more likely to belong to a woman with large implants or perhaps a shirt that is 2 sizes too small or a bikini top. Breasts are beautiful. I don't blame anyone for looking but if a peek is what you seek, flip through a magazine. Those women want you to look and there's no shortage so for those that are so inclined, there's no need to resort to desperate measures.
"What's wrong with covering up?"
This seems like such a simple request, how could we not oblige? Some infants are just fine covered up but once a baby reaches the age were swaddling is no longer comforting but constraining, there's simply no telling where those chubby little arms will swing. Some babies don't like to be covered up. Not to mention, if you saw a woman with a blanket over her and an infant, isn't that more obvious than if she is simply holding an infant? I actually had one toddler pull the blanket off. Not to be rude, she simply wanted to see the baby. She saw no more of me than she would've had she left the blanket on. Her curiosity satisfied, she went on about her business and worried very little about what was going on.
"Wouldn't you prefer to do that some place private, like the bathroom?"
There are a number of things I prefer to do in private, pooping and peeing being two of them. The bathroom is the perfect venue for these activities. It is not however; a place to breastfeed. It makes no more sense to nurse in a bathroom than it would to pee in a kitchen. That simply is not the intended function of that room. Likewise, I would never expect anyone else to eat their meal in the bathroom, why should I expect an infant to? Breastfeeding is something that I (personally) would prefer to do in private however; the AAP recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for 6 months. Six months is a long time to stay home because you don't want to risk going out in public and have the baby wake up early and hungry.
"I don't feel sorry for anyone who is too lazy to pump. That's what I did."
I don't feel sorry for anyone who's never made if far enough out of their own mind to see that there is a whole big world out there with more people than just you in it. Pumping quite simply is not an option for every woman nor are bottles an option for every baby.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely respect a person's right to their opinions and feelings. The sight of a woman nursing in public may simply make them uncomfortable for reasons they cannot articulate. It probably has more to do with the act being seen so little, than any of the reasons above. The fact still remains that, in most states, a woman has the right to breastfeed her infant in any place she and the child are otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of how much or how little of her breast maybe showing at the time. The importance of normalizing the practice has less to do with legality (since our rights are already protected) and more to do with supporting mothers who are trying to do the best they can for their babies. Mother's face a mountain of challenges. Balancing on a toilet seat in dirty public restroom with a baby in her arm and fussing with an nursing cover should not be one of them.
Shortly there after, I found out I was expecting my second child. I researched breastfeeding and found that not only is breast milk far superior to formula, there are also numerous resources for women who experience difficulties breastfeeding. Resources I knew nothing about when I was struggling to breastfeed my daughter 12 years ago. I was a single, working, young mother. The stigma for mothers like me, is that we are not as good as parents who are not young, not working and not single and its a tough one to fight. So when I struggled with breastfeeding, it became one more thing that I was not good enough to do. A couple of months in, I switched to formula. The pediatric nurses gave me dirty looks. The nurse at the WIC office gave me a dirty look. What no one gave me was advice. I took on the attitude that I hated breastfeeding. Who wants to be a walking buffet anyway? The sore, swollen, veiny breasts. The leaking and pumping. Forget it, not me. My baby was happier and I was happier, so fuck the nurses and anyone else who had anything nasty to say to me. Right?
Looking back, I didn't hate breastfeeding. What I hated was the constant crying. I hated the woman that I worked with who constantly complained about how long and how often I was in the bathroom pumping. I hated pumping with my cheap K-Mart pump. I hated feeling like I had no idea what I was doing. How could I not have this figured out? I grew up around babies. I've known since I was 10 how to change a diaper. I babysat my brother and sister and cousins. Despite that fact, I don't ever remember seeing a woman nurse her baby. This never struck me as odd, until a very frank discussion about breastfeeding with an unexpected supporter. My boss is a man in his 60's. He is also, I'm convinced, enthralled with all things having to do with reproduction, from pregnancy, to child birth, to infancy. It's sort of charming really, his wide-eyed wonderment of it all. To him, there's nothing gross or sexual or inappropriate about any of it. He openly discusses his wife's pregnancies and the deliveries of his children and his daughter's struggles to breastfeed. Most employers would not even dare to utter the word 'breast' regardless of it's intended context. My boss however; shared with me how strange it is to see women bottle-feeding as this was not the common practice when he was a boy, growing up in the south. How can this be? Where women less modest in those days? Highly doubtful, looking at the bathing suit trends of the time, in comparison to the trends of today. So what happened? How did bottle feeding become the norm?
Science had been working on ways of creating breast milk substitutes since around the 1860's. During World War 2, women were joining the work force and by the 1950's, more than half the babies in the US were on some type of formula. Fortunately, the pendulum swings both ways. Since the 1970's, more women have been choosing breast over bottle. Sadly, the biggest obstacles they face are an uneducated public. Even mother's who breastfed can be heard saying things like 'I don't want my kids to see that!' Which begs the question, 'Why not?' Children are wonderfully curious little buggers aren't they? I suppose that the sight of a nursing mother might cause them to ask 'Mom, what is that lady doing?' If Mother's response is as simple as 'Feeding her baby,' I imagine that child might go through life thinking of breastfeeding as a natural, normal thing to do. If the Mother's response is that of shock and horror at the nerve of that woman showing her naked breast to the whole world, I suppose that child might go through life thinking of breasts as purely sexual organs. Which is a healthier view?
Some other 'interesting' comments:
"I don't need to see a woman whip her tit out."
There are numerous variations to this comment. 'My kids don't need to see...', '...boob...', '...milk-tits...', etc. Where did this notion that breastfeeding mothers are 'whipping' their their breasts about come from? I'm not even nursing yet and the thought of whipping my swollen, sore boob around is painful enough. The majority of the women that are nursing in public, simply adjust a couple articles of clothing in order to provide access for their babies.
"I have a teenage son with hormones who can't help but stare."
This is as valid as the 'I have PMS, so I'm not responsible for killing my husband' defense. The fact that a young man has hormonal drives does not mean a complete lack of control or of personal responsibility. My guess is your teenage son is masturbating to a Victoria Secret catalog, not an issue of Mothering.
"I don't want to see people peeing in public either."
No, no one appreciates seeing someone pee in public. In fact, its so unappreciated, its illegal. Breastfeeding however is not. While both are necessary bodily functions, the trouble with urinating in public is there's no receptacle. Typically, the urine is flowing onto a sign post or a tree. Breast milk has an intended destination and is not likely to even be seen by anyone else.
"It's a bodily fluid, what if it gets in my food?!"
At some point in time were nursing mother's walking around topless, singing a rendition of 'Do your boobs hang low?' and squirting onlookers in the eyes with breast milk? They're breasts, not squirt guns! Rest assured no one is going to waste a drop of such a valuable commodity to squirt you, your food or anything in your general vicinity.
"Feeding the baby isn't the part that is offensive, it's the display."
Again, where are these women with their lactating breasts swinging to and fro for all of the US to see? Certainly, we are proud of our breasts but not because of how they look but for what they can do. Typically, the breast that is on 'display' is not that of a lactating mother. The breast is more likely to belong to a woman with large implants or perhaps a shirt that is 2 sizes too small or a bikini top. Breasts are beautiful. I don't blame anyone for looking but if a peek is what you seek, flip through a magazine. Those women want you to look and there's no shortage so for those that are so inclined, there's no need to resort to desperate measures.
"What's wrong with covering up?"
This seems like such a simple request, how could we not oblige? Some infants are just fine covered up but once a baby reaches the age were swaddling is no longer comforting but constraining, there's simply no telling where those chubby little arms will swing. Some babies don't like to be covered up. Not to mention, if you saw a woman with a blanket over her and an infant, isn't that more obvious than if she is simply holding an infant? I actually had one toddler pull the blanket off. Not to be rude, she simply wanted to see the baby. She saw no more of me than she would've had she left the blanket on. Her curiosity satisfied, she went on about her business and worried very little about what was going on.
"Wouldn't you prefer to do that some place private, like the bathroom?"
There are a number of things I prefer to do in private, pooping and peeing being two of them. The bathroom is the perfect venue for these activities. It is not however; a place to breastfeed. It makes no more sense to nurse in a bathroom than it would to pee in a kitchen. That simply is not the intended function of that room. Likewise, I would never expect anyone else to eat their meal in the bathroom, why should I expect an infant to? Breastfeeding is something that I (personally) would prefer to do in private however; the AAP recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for 6 months. Six months is a long time to stay home because you don't want to risk going out in public and have the baby wake up early and hungry.
"I don't feel sorry for anyone who is too lazy to pump. That's what I did."
I don't feel sorry for anyone who's never made if far enough out of their own mind to see that there is a whole big world out there with more people than just you in it. Pumping quite simply is not an option for every woman nor are bottles an option for every baby.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely respect a person's right to their opinions and feelings. The sight of a woman nursing in public may simply make them uncomfortable for reasons they cannot articulate. It probably has more to do with the act being seen so little, than any of the reasons above. The fact still remains that, in most states, a woman has the right to breastfeed her infant in any place she and the child are otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of how much or how little of her breast maybe showing at the time. The importance of normalizing the practice has less to do with legality (since our rights are already protected) and more to do with supporting mothers who are trying to do the best they can for their babies. Mother's face a mountain of challenges. Balancing on a toilet seat in dirty public restroom with a baby in her arm and fussing with an nursing cover should not be one of them.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Holy Pampers, Batman!
February 2nd, 2010
Week 4
Today, I found out I was pregnant. This is number two for me and the first for my 'Spousal Equivalent.' Woo hoo! I'm so thrilled! What is Micha going to say?! He's working out of town so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell him. Tonight I'm going to bed with a big, fat grin on my face.
February 3rd, 2010
Micha is thrilled! When I told him, he was cycling between excited and freaked out and back to really excited. He'd giggle and say something like "You're going to big and pregnant" and then in the next breath he'd say stuff like "I gotta sell all my shit." He did tell me that at some point he's probably going to completely loose it; which is fine because I will too. Hopefully, it won't be the same day.
Week 6
Oh breastfeeding!?!? Where do I even start? I know bf'ing is the best thing for baby and obviously I want to do the best thing. Really, how many people go into parenthood thinking "I'm going to raise my child and just always do the second or third best thing for them"? I tried to bf Tay, then at about 10 days she started screaming. Not crying, screaming. Screamy's ped said she was colic and I should cut anything out of my diet that might make her gassy. I was already nearly starving (I lost all my baby weight plus a lot). Screamy kept on screaming. So it went for two months, Screamy and I crying in my little two bedroom apartment. The neighbor called DFS. DFS came and, wearing Screamy, I explained that despite my best efforts, Screamy still screamed. I don't know how much of it he heard but I think he got a headache and left. Then one day I thought I had mastitis. I stopped bf'ing and switched to formula. Miraculously, Screamy stopped screaming and became the most pleasant, easy going baby I ever saw. I always attributed the colic to breastfeeding and swore that despite pressure from ANYBODY, I would never, NEVER put any future babies I might have through that again. Despite my vow, breast milk seems to still prevail over formula with regards to being the healthies for baby, so I resolved to educate myself. There isn't anything that supports my theory that bf'ing is linked to colic. Colic, I've decided, is Dr. speak for "I don't know what's wrong with your baby." So what went wrong? I have a new theory. 1) I had no support. My closest relative was my Dad who turns 20 shades of red at the mere mention of a boob. All the nurses were encouraging me to breastfeed but no one told me that it may not come easily but there are things that can be done to work it out. I had no idea that organizations like LLL even existed. 2) I had to return to work right away therefore; I started pumping. Not only that, but at work there was an old woman who kept bitching about how often and how long I was in the bathroom pumping, so I was always trying to hurry. 3) I wasn't even getting enough calories and protein to maintain a healthy weight. I think, looking back, I wasn't the only one who was starving. I think that despite the fact that Tay was getting enough to still grow, she wasn't really satisfied. I think, she was crying because she was still hungry. All the really high calorie milk comes at the end or nursing and I was rushing pumping so she might not have been getting what she really needed. So, I find myself resolved again to try, try my very hardest to bf this baby for as long as I can.
Week 7
I hate everything, except chicken flavored Ramen, Sprite and for some strange reason grapes. Even my Grandmother's lasagna was a battle to finish. No actual puking, just queasiness. I am however, so bloated my pants don't fit and gassier than the Goodyear. Going poop is like trying to fit a square peg through a round hole. Not surprisingly, I have absolutely no libido. I would consider these all pretty minor discomforts; although if you ask Micha, he may not agree. I feel terrible about it because I know he takes it personally when we aren't intimate. He's being ultra-patient with me. I'm starting to have little bouts of melancholy and the dog is pissing me off more than usual. And I'm soooo tired. I can't get out of bed in the morning, I sleep in my car at lunch and the first thing I do when I get home is crawl into bed. I've always been a 'sleeper' but this is bone deep exhaustion.
Week 9
No more appetite problems! In fact, I want to eat All. The. Time. Everything looks good, except fish. We had our first Dr visit. Micha was totally psyched about that. What guy wouldn't want o see a virtual stranger playing with his girlfriends boobs and poking around under the hood?! We got to see the baby, who was waving at us with tiny little hands. Of course, I was elated but it did make me realize just how much I missed out on with Tay; not knowing I was pregnant until half way through. Micha was excited and relieved. Everything was "perfect" (Dr. McFarland's favorite word). I've also had my first dream about having sex with Micha again which gives me hope that my libido hasn't completely died. I was starting to wonder if we should maybe have a memorial for it. I also had my first dream about the baby. I was holding this tiny little person, looking just like newborns look and then all of the sudden I was holding a baby that was more like 1 or 2 months old. I think it's my 'Mommy Spirit' reminding me that those first few weeks go by sooo quickly. I need to take in everything, smells, sounds, feelings and remember them.
Week 10
My usual morning congestion has now been compounded by... du dun dun...seasonal allergies. Aaaahhh! The whole right side of my face is running. Last night, my contact jumped ship because it was drowning in my eyeball. My nose is bright red and raw. Normally, this is the one time of year when I'm perfectly ok with loading up on some over-the-counter remedies however; I am not ok with it now, particularly in the first trimester of my pregnancy. Also, my OB's office called yesterday. My labs came back and I have a bladder infection. Gee, there something new and different (sarcasm). They want me to take an antibiotic called Macrobid.
Flashback time!
In April of 1998, I had just moved in with my Dad and was trying to figure out the direction of my life as a post-High School grad. I started having some discomfort in my lower back which I attributed to my job as a housekeeper. One night the pain was too much, I couldn't sleep and started crying. My Dad woke up and took me to the emergency room. I had a kidney infection but that wasn't all. I was pregnant. Impossible! There is a prerequisite for that sort of thing and I had not participated in such an act in over 4 months. Ah well I was 4 1/2 months pregnant so it was very possible, indeed. How, you ask, could I not have known I was pregnant for 4 1/2 months? Easy as 1, 2, 3. 1) I was on the pill. 2) I never had regular periods. I had, in fact, had what I thought was a period in January, weeks after the calculated conception date. 3) I attributed my morning sickness to stress. The nurse actually did snap something at me about weight gain. Weight gain?! Really? I've gained like 2 whole pounds and I don't know if you've noticed but I kinda needed those 2 pounds! (I was a little on the bean pole side.) Anyway, the Doc treated my kidney infection and I was put on an antibiotic for the rest of my pregnancy. Which antibiotic was it? You guessed it, Macrobid, thought to be perfectly safe for a woman to take during pregnancy.
Flash foward 11 years. I'm flipping through our newspaper a few months ago and low and behold I come across an article that catches my eye. Macrobid may not be safe for women to take during pregnancy. It was one of those times when I felt horrified and vilified all at the same time. For a few years now, I've been reluctant to take prescription or over-the-counter meds. I have a few reasons (if you haven't figured out by now, I really like making lists) a) I think most of our health problems can first be addressed by changing our lifestyles and diets. b) I'm not sure we know all of the side-affects for newer meds. c) I think we over medicate and as a result our immune systems don't get to work like they are supposed to. Needless to say, I told my OB's office that I preferred not to take anything and to try and get it cleared up by drinking more water and even suffering through a glass or two of cranberry juice. I looked further into Macrobid and found that they are now saying that it is only NOT safe for a woman to take in the last 2 to 4 weeks of pregnancy, so if I can't get the infection to clear up naturally, I'll revisit the option of taking the antibiotic. As for my allergies, I'll just have to suck it up for a couple weeks. I am going to look into getting some local honey. Micha told me one day that eating local honey will help prevent seasonal allergy symptoms.
Week 11
I've spent the last two days in bed with some kind of bizarre flu. I had a fever and my whole body hurt but I didn't have any stomach trouble. I did however; only want to eat grilled cheese sandwiches. I think if I could get healthy, I'd feel pretty good. It seems like the extreme fatigue is starting to subside as well as all the whacked out gastronomical issues. People just don't appreciate regular bowel movements enough. Seriously! My pants actually fit better at 11 weeks than they did at 7 weeks. Weird!
Week 12
Hello Sparkie! Finally feeling like myself again. My allergies are starting to subside and I have energy thanks to some much needed sunshine! And how much do I love grilled cheese sandwiches?! My 'bump' is starting to show so it's a good thing we are planning on telling the family this weekend. Micha and I are trying to come up with ways of sharing our news.
Week 13
So we told Mumbles last night because we are stupid. The poor thing thought it was an April Fools joke! As we talked more about it she understood that we weren't pulling her leg. My first thought was "This is not going well" when she said she'd probably have more chores. As dinner went on though she seemed to get more excited about being a big sister and on the drive home she patted my belly and was saying 'Hi baby', who she now calls 'Mr. E'. This weekend is the big weekend and we decided for Micha's family we are going to color Easter eggs that will anounce the baby and for my family we are going to hand out birthday party invitations. Mumbles is super excited about helping us tell everyone and she is dying to tell her own friends.
The word is getting out! We told my family this weekend. Any time most of my family can get together, I'm usually overwhelmed by how much I love those crazy people! Mumbles handed out our "Party Invitations" after we'd all eaten and the reaction was priceless. Everyone kind of looked puzzled until my Mom said 'Are you serious?!' We nodded yes and she let out a squeal! She hugged Micha and hugged me. She was crying and laughing all at once and I could hear my sister in the other room, crying. She hugged me and asked me if I was feeling ok and hugged me some more. My Mom is typically a fairly reserve woman, even stoic at times, so her jubilation was a thrill for all of us. Sometimes we wonder why the people in our lives put up with so much shit from us. I know I've given my Mom more than a few gray hairs but I'm so happy to also be able to bring her so much joy. I love my close-knit, crazy family because we get to rejoice in each others joy. Micha's Mom, Jennifer's reaction was what I thought it would be. "I knew it!" She'd seen a psychic in Las Vegas who told her to expect a baby in the family. Crazy! 2009 was a rough year for her so hopefully, this is a sign that 2010 will be really a great year. Micha's Dad was funny too. I was carrying a basket of laundry down the stairs, he offered to carry it for me and I heard him tell Micha "Don't let her carry that laundry up and down the stairs!" Micha was a premie and Jennifer was worried about his brother early on, so I think that might be where the over-protectiveness comes from, but it's awfully sweet.
Week 4
Today, I found out I was pregnant. This is number two for me and the first for my 'Spousal Equivalent.' Woo hoo! I'm so thrilled! What is Micha going to say?! He's working out of town so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell him. Tonight I'm going to bed with a big, fat grin on my face.
February 3rd, 2010
Micha is thrilled! When I told him, he was cycling between excited and freaked out and back to really excited. He'd giggle and say something like "You're going to big and pregnant" and then in the next breath he'd say stuff like "I gotta sell all my shit." He did tell me that at some point he's probably going to completely loose it; which is fine because I will too. Hopefully, it won't be the same day.
Week 6
Oh breastfeeding!?!? Where do I even start? I know bf'ing is the best thing for baby and obviously I want to do the best thing. Really, how many people go into parenthood thinking "I'm going to raise my child and just always do the second or third best thing for them"? I tried to bf Tay, then at about 10 days she started screaming. Not crying, screaming. Screamy's ped said she was colic and I should cut anything out of my diet that might make her gassy. I was already nearly starving (I lost all my baby weight plus a lot). Screamy kept on screaming. So it went for two months, Screamy and I crying in my little two bedroom apartment. The neighbor called DFS. DFS came and, wearing Screamy, I explained that despite my best efforts, Screamy still screamed. I don't know how much of it he heard but I think he got a headache and left. Then one day I thought I had mastitis. I stopped bf'ing and switched to formula. Miraculously, Screamy stopped screaming and became the most pleasant, easy going baby I ever saw. I always attributed the colic to breastfeeding and swore that despite pressure from ANYBODY, I would never, NEVER put any future babies I might have through that again. Despite my vow, breast milk seems to still prevail over formula with regards to being the healthies for baby, so I resolved to educate myself. There isn't anything that supports my theory that bf'ing is linked to colic. Colic, I've decided, is Dr. speak for "I don't know what's wrong with your baby." So what went wrong? I have a new theory. 1) I had no support. My closest relative was my Dad who turns 20 shades of red at the mere mention of a boob. All the nurses were encouraging me to breastfeed but no one told me that it may not come easily but there are things that can be done to work it out. I had no idea that organizations like LLL even existed. 2) I had to return to work right away therefore; I started pumping. Not only that, but at work there was an old woman who kept bitching about how often and how long I was in the bathroom pumping, so I was always trying to hurry. 3) I wasn't even getting enough calories and protein to maintain a healthy weight. I think, looking back, I wasn't the only one who was starving. I think that despite the fact that Tay was getting enough to still grow, she wasn't really satisfied. I think, she was crying because she was still hungry. All the really high calorie milk comes at the end or nursing and I was rushing pumping so she might not have been getting what she really needed. So, I find myself resolved again to try, try my very hardest to bf this baby for as long as I can.
Week 7
I hate everything, except chicken flavored Ramen, Sprite and for some strange reason grapes. Even my Grandmother's lasagna was a battle to finish. No actual puking, just queasiness. I am however, so bloated my pants don't fit and gassier than the Goodyear. Going poop is like trying to fit a square peg through a round hole. Not surprisingly, I have absolutely no libido. I would consider these all pretty minor discomforts; although if you ask Micha, he may not agree. I feel terrible about it because I know he takes it personally when we aren't intimate. He's being ultra-patient with me. I'm starting to have little bouts of melancholy and the dog is pissing me off more than usual. And I'm soooo tired. I can't get out of bed in the morning, I sleep in my car at lunch and the first thing I do when I get home is crawl into bed. I've always been a 'sleeper' but this is bone deep exhaustion.
Week 9
No more appetite problems! In fact, I want to eat All. The. Time. Everything looks good, except fish. We had our first Dr visit. Micha was totally psyched about that. What guy wouldn't want o see a virtual stranger playing with his girlfriends boobs and poking around under the hood?! We got to see the baby, who was waving at us with tiny little hands. Of course, I was elated but it did make me realize just how much I missed out on with Tay; not knowing I was pregnant until half way through. Micha was excited and relieved. Everything was "perfect" (Dr. McFarland's favorite word). I've also had my first dream about having sex with Micha again which gives me hope that my libido hasn't completely died. I was starting to wonder if we should maybe have a memorial for it. I also had my first dream about the baby. I was holding this tiny little person, looking just like newborns look and then all of the sudden I was holding a baby that was more like 1 or 2 months old. I think it's my 'Mommy Spirit' reminding me that those first few weeks go by sooo quickly. I need to take in everything, smells, sounds, feelings and remember them.
Week 10
My usual morning congestion has now been compounded by... du dun dun...seasonal allergies. Aaaahhh! The whole right side of my face is running. Last night, my contact jumped ship because it was drowning in my eyeball. My nose is bright red and raw. Normally, this is the one time of year when I'm perfectly ok with loading up on some over-the-counter remedies however; I am not ok with it now, particularly in the first trimester of my pregnancy. Also, my OB's office called yesterday. My labs came back and I have a bladder infection. Gee, there something new and different (sarcasm). They want me to take an antibiotic called Macrobid.
Flashback time!
In April of 1998, I had just moved in with my Dad and was trying to figure out the direction of my life as a post-High School grad. I started having some discomfort in my lower back which I attributed to my job as a housekeeper. One night the pain was too much, I couldn't sleep and started crying. My Dad woke up and took me to the emergency room. I had a kidney infection but that wasn't all. I was pregnant. Impossible! There is a prerequisite for that sort of thing and I had not participated in such an act in over 4 months. Ah well I was 4 1/2 months pregnant so it was very possible, indeed. How, you ask, could I not have known I was pregnant for 4 1/2 months? Easy as 1, 2, 3. 1) I was on the pill. 2) I never had regular periods. I had, in fact, had what I thought was a period in January, weeks after the calculated conception date. 3) I attributed my morning sickness to stress. The nurse actually did snap something at me about weight gain. Weight gain?! Really? I've gained like 2 whole pounds and I don't know if you've noticed but I kinda needed those 2 pounds! (I was a little on the bean pole side.) Anyway, the Doc treated my kidney infection and I was put on an antibiotic for the rest of my pregnancy. Which antibiotic was it? You guessed it, Macrobid, thought to be perfectly safe for a woman to take during pregnancy.
Flash foward 11 years. I'm flipping through our newspaper a few months ago and low and behold I come across an article that catches my eye. Macrobid may not be safe for women to take during pregnancy. It was one of those times when I felt horrified and vilified all at the same time. For a few years now, I've been reluctant to take prescription or over-the-counter meds. I have a few reasons (if you haven't figured out by now, I really like making lists) a) I think most of our health problems can first be addressed by changing our lifestyles and diets. b) I'm not sure we know all of the side-affects for newer meds. c) I think we over medicate and as a result our immune systems don't get to work like they are supposed to. Needless to say, I told my OB's office that I preferred not to take anything and to try and get it cleared up by drinking more water and even suffering through a glass or two of cranberry juice. I looked further into Macrobid and found that they are now saying that it is only NOT safe for a woman to take in the last 2 to 4 weeks of pregnancy, so if I can't get the infection to clear up naturally, I'll revisit the option of taking the antibiotic. As for my allergies, I'll just have to suck it up for a couple weeks. I am going to look into getting some local honey. Micha told me one day that eating local honey will help prevent seasonal allergy symptoms.
Week 11
I've spent the last two days in bed with some kind of bizarre flu. I had a fever and my whole body hurt but I didn't have any stomach trouble. I did however; only want to eat grilled cheese sandwiches. I think if I could get healthy, I'd feel pretty good. It seems like the extreme fatigue is starting to subside as well as all the whacked out gastronomical issues. People just don't appreciate regular bowel movements enough. Seriously! My pants actually fit better at 11 weeks than they did at 7 weeks. Weird!
Week 12
Hello Sparkie! Finally feeling like myself again. My allergies are starting to subside and I have energy thanks to some much needed sunshine! And how much do I love grilled cheese sandwiches?! My 'bump' is starting to show so it's a good thing we are planning on telling the family this weekend. Micha and I are trying to come up with ways of sharing our news.
Week 13
So we told Mumbles last night because we are stupid. The poor thing thought it was an April Fools joke! As we talked more about it she understood that we weren't pulling her leg. My first thought was "This is not going well" when she said she'd probably have more chores. As dinner went on though she seemed to get more excited about being a big sister and on the drive home she patted my belly and was saying 'Hi baby', who she now calls 'Mr. E'. This weekend is the big weekend and we decided for Micha's family we are going to color Easter eggs that will anounce the baby and for my family we are going to hand out birthday party invitations. Mumbles is super excited about helping us tell everyone and she is dying to tell her own friends.
The word is getting out! We told my family this weekend. Any time most of my family can get together, I'm usually overwhelmed by how much I love those crazy people! Mumbles handed out our "Party Invitations" after we'd all eaten and the reaction was priceless. Everyone kind of looked puzzled until my Mom said 'Are you serious?!' We nodded yes and she let out a squeal! She hugged Micha and hugged me. She was crying and laughing all at once and I could hear my sister in the other room, crying. She hugged me and asked me if I was feeling ok and hugged me some more. My Mom is typically a fairly reserve woman, even stoic at times, so her jubilation was a thrill for all of us. Sometimes we wonder why the people in our lives put up with so much shit from us. I know I've given my Mom more than a few gray hairs but I'm so happy to also be able to bring her so much joy. I love my close-knit, crazy family because we get to rejoice in each others joy. Micha's Mom, Jennifer's reaction was what I thought it would be. "I knew it!" She'd seen a psychic in Las Vegas who told her to expect a baby in the family. Crazy! 2009 was a rough year for her so hopefully, this is a sign that 2010 will be really a great year. Micha's Dad was funny too. I was carrying a basket of laundry down the stairs, he offered to carry it for me and I heard him tell Micha "Don't let her carry that laundry up and down the stairs!" Micha was a premie and Jennifer was worried about his brother early on, so I think that might be where the over-protectiveness comes from, but it's awfully sweet.
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