Giveaway Products

I know from some of the comments that many of you were interested in the giveaways.  While I do not have any more items to giveaway, I do have coupons and links where you can find the products that were listed in the giveaways!


Spray Pal:



Breast Pads

 Udder cover and nursing reminder bracelet

Diapers from Kelly's Closet




Bamboobies

Miss Lily's Washing Powder

Happy Birthday!!!

Today is my birthday!  This year I want to share my celebration with all of you!  

Since the beginning of the month I have had several giveaways, today is no different.  If you did not win any of the previous giveaway, you are in luck!  You will have a few hours today to enter to win some awesome prizes!
Four Awesome prizes left, something for every momma!

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Good Luck!

Birthday giveaway Day 6: Breastfeeding

Yay!  It is September!  This is my birthday month.  In honor of my birthday I am having a huge giveaway.  All of you get to enjoy my birthday month as well.  Enjoy over $300 worth of prizes.

Day 6: Breastfeeding

Today we have another breastfeeding theme giveaway.  As you may or may not know, I am still breastfeeding my daughter.  After a few struggles we are still going.  I want to be able to give to other moms who are breastfeeding as well and encourage this natural and beautiful way to nourish our babies.  

Included in today's giveaway is an Udder Covers nursing cover, a nursing bracelet, two Mother's Lounge nursing pads, a sample of Lansinoh lanolin cream, a sample of Lansinoh storage bags, and a Medela coupon for help with breastfeeding.  Retail Value of $60. 

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Birthday Giveaway Day 3 Breastfeeding

Yay!  It is finally September!  This is my birthday month.  In honor of my birthday I am having a huge giveaway.  All of you get to enjoy my birthday month as well.  Enjoy over $300 worth of prizes.

As part of my switch to using more cloth, this included cloth nursing pads.  I love the Bamboobies cloth nursing pads because they are very soft and lined with PUL to prevent leaking through your shirt.  The overnights are great for the early months of breastfeeding when the flow may be a bit heavier.  The clever heart shape helps to hug the breast and reduce lumping or showing through shirts.  This pack of nursing pads includes 3 pair of regular pads and one pair of overnight pads, with a retail value of $25.  

In addition to the nursing pads, the winner will also receive a coupon for a free breastfeeding class online through Medela.  Valued at $25.  

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Birthday Give away!

 Be prepared, starting September first I will be having a giveaway for some awesome prizes.  Next month is my birthday, September 17th.  In honor of my birthday I will be having a giveaway of over $100 worth of prizes.  September 1st I will post a link for you to enter for the prizes.  On September 17th I will close for new entries and announce the winners.

Comment below, what kind of prizes are you hoping to see?

We made it!

We have made it nursing for a year!  We are still going with no end in sight. 

I can't say how amazing it is to be able to nourish my baby/toddler on my own.  We only made it a little over for months with Owen.  I feared that the same would be true with Charlotte.  It is amazing how different these two are.

Through out the past year I have had mastitis four times.  The first time was the worst.  Each time after that I knew what was going on and how to ease it.  Which made it a little better. 

When Charlotte got her first tooth she got into the habit of biting.  Which we had to put an end to real quick.  Before we could she managed to break the skin. OUCH that hurt! Not to mention it took about two weeks to heal.  Nursing continued to break open the wound making it take longer to heal.  Right after it happened my husband asked if I was ready to quit.  Not this Momma. I had a baby who wanted the best milk possible, and I had a body that was producing that yummy goodness. 

This past week Charlotte had hand, foot, and mouth disease.  For those that do not know, it is a viral infection that causes blisters and sores on the hands, feet, and mouth.  Charlotte had many sores in her mouth.  This caused it to hurt when she nursed.  She went almost 29 hours without nursing.  I pumped when I felt like I was getting full. I managed to pump over 100 ounces in that time period.   When she finally latched on it was just for a let down.  I got the milk flowing before trying to get her to latch.  This way she didn't need to do anything but swallow.  After the let down was over she let go.  It wasn't until bed time until she was able to nurse without screaming in  pain. Last night she slept very well and  we are nursing regularly now. 

Charlotte nurses first thing in the morning right after waking.  Then she nurses again with lunch, before nap time, after dinner, and before bed. She also nurses two to three times at night.  Which neither of us really wake up for. 

I am really happy we made it this far and look forward to the time we have remaining. 

The only picture I have of Owen nursing.  A week old

Charlotte at a week old. 

Charlotte three months old.

The Big Latch On

Today is the first day of World Breastfeeding Week 2014!

Today was also The Big Latch On event.  I believe that they are hosting events tomorrow as well.  As of the time this post was written, there was a reported 5,562 babies/children latched on during the event.   (I will update tomorrow with the final count.  The record is 14,536.)

I went to the event in Monroe, NC.  It was at a pretty nice park, the same one we watched fireworks for Independence Day.  I had planned on staying after the event and packing a picnic, and letting the kids play on the playground. However, Mother Nature had other plans.  The whole time, it poured! Which I think limited the amount of moms that came out to the event.  Two of my friends were going to come but decided not to because of the rain.

There were a total of 9 nursing moms there, the children ranged from a few weeks old to 14 months old.  Owen enjoyed his time there despite being restricted to the pavilion.  We grabbed some cars for him to play with and him and another little boy raced them around the tables.  Charlotte also tried to join in on the fun.

The moment of Latch

The participants and hosts

Overall the event was a success.  The only things I would change would be to ask the moms what struggles they have overcome or still have, and have more breastfeeding conversation between the women.  

World Breastfeeding Week 2014 August 1-8: FREEBIES!!!

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week we have lots of freebies to help with nursing.

Mastitis

There is this not so wonderful risk that comes along with breastfeeding, Mastitis.  Mastitis is an infection that can occur because of a clogged duct, or bacteria.  I have had mastitis four times since starting to nurse Charlotte.  I nursed Owen for almost five months and did not once have mastitis.  Recently within two days of each other, two of my friends have been feeling under the weather.  One of them thought she was feeling crappy because she started birth control. She assumed it was just the hormones in the pill affecting her body.  After asking her what was wrong and some symptoms she had, I told her to take her temperature and check for redness on her breast.  She had all the symptoms.  My cousin asked me about symptoms because she knew I have had mastitis a few times. 

So, what are the symptoms? 

• Breast has redness, is warm to the touch, and tender.
• Fever
• Chills
• Headaches
• Fatigue

There are a couple options when you have mastitis.  The first is to see a doctor and take antibiotics.  The antibiotics will typically take the fever, chills, and fatigue away within the first 24 hours.  If it is more than 48 hours and the symptoms have not started to go away it is best to contact the doctor.  

There are also other remedies for mastitis.  Taking warm showers and massaging the breast, hand express, nurse as often as baby will nurse, nurse in a variety of positions, drink plenty of fluids, get adequate rest.  

After having mastitis once, you are more prone to having mastitis again, as I have had it four times now. 

Preventing Mastitis

• Wear a supportive bra that is not tight fitting.
• Nurse in a variety of positions
• Alternate breasts at each feeding
• Fully drain your breasts

 Aside from the first time I had mastitis, the three other times all occurred right after traveling.  More than likely because I was not properly draining the breasts every time and positions were not as varied as they maybe should have been.  

Here is to hoping I do not get it again.  

We have a nine month old!

Charlotte is nine months old!  It really seems like yesterday that I delivered and brought her home.  What is even more amazing, as of 4:29 a.m. she has now been home for 40 weeks and 3 days!  At 40 weeks and 3 days Charlotte was born.  Making her here longer than she was in the womb.  Which just absolutely amazes me how quickly the time has passed.

Charlotte had a check-up on the 6th and she weighs 19 pounds 6 ounces and is 30.25" long!

As far as breastfeeding goes, we are still going strong.  Breast-milk is still her dominant food source.  She usually eats dinner with us but not every day and it is only a few pieces.  We still have not done any purees, despite me making a bunch.  When she does eat, it is all whole food.  She loves everything I have given her.

Strawberry face

Breastfeeding Update: 9 months

We have now been breastfeeding for nine months.

 In the nine months I have had mastitis three times!  The last time was right before Easter.  That is no fun.  In addition, Charlotte has recently popped a tooth through the gums.  With Owen we did not make it to the point he cut a tooth, which happened at 11 months.  Charlotte tends to bite and I am desperately trying to stop that habit.

Charlotte still does not drink out of a bottle, and at this point there is no point in trying.  I have tried pumping and I now only get half an ounce to an ounce of milk from each side.  Charlotte still nurses about every four hours during the day and about 5 at night.  However, she does comfort nurse before naps, bed, and during the night.  One night she slept for 7 hours straight and I had to wake her up and feed her because my shirt was soaked.  It is sort of bitter sweet.  I am glad she is growing and amazed we have made it nine months already.  I am glad that I am past the point where I leak through pad after pad, but it is sad because I do not want our breastfeeding journey to end.  (although I would like to have my body back and not have bite marks and mastitis.)

I am happy we made it this long without any major problems and look forward to continuing this adventure.

I'm Done!

I am so happy to say I am done!  Done using disposable nursing pads that is.  I bought a bunch of cloth nursing pads while pregnant.  Little did I know my let down would be so much that I would soak an entire pad just with one let done.  I was going through boxes of nursing pads.  11 boxes of 100 Lansinoh total.  Right after my milk came in I was using an entire box in 3-4 days.  The disposables are great, they are super absorbent and did the job.  However, I had to continue to spend money and buy these (my favorite out of evenflo, medela, and lansinoh) they are individually wrapped, and just created a bunch of trash.

I found a new method for using cloth that works for me, especially at night.  During the day I am able to get by with using just an Udder Cover nursing pad.  I have to change them after every let down though.  At night I use an Udder Cover pad and a Bamboobies Overnight pad.  I no longer soak through shirts at night, which is an excellent feeling.  I also am glad to not have the chemicals in disposable nursing pads against my skin.

So glad to say I am done buying disposable nursing pads.



For your FREE pack of 10 pairs of nursing pads.

I am not a Human Pacifier

I know the umbilical cord was detached, and now she gets her nutrients from my breasts.  However, I didn't realize she would be attached to them as she was the umbilical cord.  She feels the need to suck on them even after she is done eating.  She feels the need to suck on them to fall asleep.  She feels the need to suck on them all the time.  I wouldn't complain if she was my only child, but she is not.  I am a wife, a homeowner, and a mom of her, plus a toddler.  My toddler needs me too, especially since I am on my own Monday through Friday.  I also need to cook, clean, laundry, and do school work.  I do tend to wear her in the mei tai to get things done, but I cannot do everything wearing her. 

Labor Day weekend when I went to my Dad's, my step-mom managed to get Charlotte to take the pacifier.  However, this caused latch issues.  She was five weeks old so I assumed it was nipple confusion and I stopped giving her the pacifier.  Now that she is older, 11 weeks, I wanted to try again.  The first time I tried she gagged and threw up.  I did not force it into her mouth, I put it on her lips and let her take it in.  The second time she tried she gagged.  I took it away before she could throw up.  I have tried letting her cry for a few minutes, (no more than five, I am not one for the CIO method).  When I do so she tries to suck on her fist.  She can't figure out how to just get one finger or a thumb in there.  She definitely has the need to suck.  I am just at such a loss, I am not sure what to do.  

I also have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT a human pacifier.  I am Barbara.  A mom, a student, a wife, a chef, a maid, a care taker.  But more than that I am me.  I rarely put myself above my kids, and I am not sure when I will ever be able able to leave both of them at the same time.   I am hoping to go to Bunco with some of my friends but no clue if that will happen with Charlotte only wanting a human pacifier.  I also have yet to get her to take a bottle.  Don't get me wrong, I love nursing, despite it's ups and downs.  I just need to let go every now and then.  

Breastfeeding Take II

I have been nursing Charlotte for two months now.  With Owen nursing started out rocky.  We had latch issues and I had to pump first to get him to latch correctly.  I fed him with a syringe because I was so worried about nipple confusion.  And then the lactation consultant recommended a nipple shield.  It worked.  I was finally able to get him to latch, even if I had to use the shield.  After about a week at home I hated using the shield and would just pump for a few seconds to be able to get Owen to latch.  I cried in the hospital because I felt my body was failing me.  I was so upset I was unable to nurse and nourish my child.  There were many nights after that I cried and cried because I had to use the nipple shield or pump first.  I also would cringe a little when he finally did latch.  After a few weeks we were finally able to nurse with no help.  I tossed out the nipple shields and just nursed.  I nursed until almost 5 months but stopped because my diet just was not working and it was stressing both of us out.  He would cry for hours on end and it really made it difficult. After cutting out pretty much everything except meat and grain I couldn't do it anymore.  I went to the pediatrician and asked about switching to formula.  Two days after switching to formula he was such a happy baby.

I was concerned at the beginning of my pregnancy about how nursing would go.  However, my body is different than it was and towards the end I knew we would be fine.  Day one Charlotte latched on and by time we left the hospital it was as if we had been nursing for weeks.  Unfortunately, 11 days into breastfeeding I got some chills, fever, and really bad headaches.  I had mastitis.  Everything was going so smoothly until then.  My breast hurt more than I could ever imagine.  I saw the midwife and got some antibiotics.  Two days later I finally started feeling better.  Everything has been fine since.  After I was done taking the antibiotics I started pumping a few times a day.  I wanted to relieve engorgement, prevent blocked ducts, and build a freezer supply.  In the beginning I was pumping every single time I nursed.  I would pump one side while she nursed the other side and then I would pump on the side she nursed on.  I had built up a huge stash and have donated a little over 300 ounces so far, and I still have around 200 ounces in my freezer.  I honestly have no clue when I would use the milk in the freezer, but want it just in case.  I now only pump three times a day, when I first wake up, around 1:30, and again before bed.  If I don't pump before bed I get so engorged that Charlotte cannot latch in the middle of the night.  I have to pump when I wake up because I am engorged.  I know continuing to pump will not stop my body from making milk, but only want to produce more, and I am fine with that.  It allows me to have a freezer stash and to be able to donate to other babies in need.  

We have also come across an issue with pacifying.  Charlotte wants to suckle. I know babies have a desire for sucking on something, which is why pacifiers were created.  Charlotte feels the need to use me as her pacifier.  One down side to this is I cannot hold her and use me as a pacifier all the time,  In addition it causes a let down but she doesn't want to eat, so she spits it out and we both end up wet.  Labor day weekend my step mom was able to get Charlotte to suck on a pacifier.  It was great to not have her attached to me the  whole time.  However, after a couple days I noticed we were having latch issues.  I took the pacifier away and have not had issues since.  So once again I am her pacifier, which I am okay with.  We may try the pacifier again in a few weeks, but maybe she is just going to be one of those babies that just doesn't use one.

So far nursing has been great, we had some bumps but nothing we cant handle.  Things are going well and my diet does not seem to be an issue for Charlotte.  I just hope it stays that way.  I love the feeling of being able to nourish my child.  For anyone struggling with breastfeeding, keep with it.  The first few weeks are tough, but it does get better.

One month!

I was told over the weekend that my daughter is not two weeks old anymore.  I was confused at first because I know that she is not two weeks old.   It was then explained I have neglected my blog.  I apologize for that.  Life has been a little crazy and time I allot for blogging has lately been going towards family and school.

At Charlotte's one month check up on August 28th, she weighed 9 pounds and 22 3/4 inches.  Really almost 23"??  She really grew that much since birth?  It amazes me.  She is definitely long and lean.

She is still doing great at nursing.  She also is doing very well at sleeping 4-5 hours at night.  When her big brother lets her, she takes good naps during the day as well.  Week three she hit a growth spurt and started cluster feeding, eating almost every hour.  I believe her stats from her month check up reflect that growth spurt she hit.  Glad to see mommy's milk is doing her good.

Week Two Update

We have now been home for two weeks.

Update on Owen:

   This past week Martin was out of town and so I had the kids to myself.  Overall Owen did great.  At the beginning of the week he was upset because his dad was not home.  We also had a few times where he acted out a bit.  He has really learned to scream this past week. However, he loves to help out and I think it makes him feel important when I ask him to do special favors for me or his sister.  Yesterday Owen was sick and spent the day sleeping, and when he is not sleeping he was vomiting.  It was not very fun.  He seems to be much better today and has been eating, playing and being his usual self, no vomit involved.  He is getting very good at singing his alphabet and loves spinning around the living room singing it.  Owen received some blocks for his birthday and loves to build things with them.  When I am in another room Owen screams for me and says "Momma, come look what Owie did!"  When I come into the room he very proudly shows me what he has made.  He is definitely a smart child and becoming so much more independent as time passes.  

Update on Charlotte:

     Charlotte has been awake more and more every day.  She has started to tolerate her brother smashing hugging her.  I also think she is going through a bit of a growth spurt.  The last two days she has gone 45 minutes in between feedings taking only a few naps during the day.  She has however slept very well at night, sleeping 3-4 hours at a time.   

Milestones: First bath, 

Update on me:

      I still feel pretty amazing.  Well, that was until I measured my stomach I was so sure I was smaller, turns out my mind is just thinking about how big I have been the last few months.  :(  However, I have set a goal to drop 10 pounds over the next nine months.  Really don't care about numbers though, only size as I know muscle weighs more than fat. I start school this week and I am also alone again this week.  So this week is more of a test of time management.  

As far as breastfeeding goes, I am not as engorged.  I also do not leak nearly as much at night, which I am so happy about.  It is not fun to wake up because your shirt is wet.  Charlotte has been feeding frequently the last two days, which has helped me to not feel so engorged.  Unfortunately on Thursday I started feeling very cold and have a really bad headache.  When I woke up Friday morning I felt even more miserable, exhausted, cold, hot, and a pounding headache. I took my temp and it was 101.8.  Hospital discharge papers states to call the midwife with any temp over 101.  So I did, they told me to come in and be seen.  (Yay, another week, another visit to the mw)  I go in she reviews my symptoms said sounds like mastitis.  She checks to confirm then prescribes me an antibiotic.  I finally feel back to regular.  Thank goodness.  

That's all for now.  Check back next week for another update. 

Weekly update

Wow!  It has been a week already since Charlotte has made her arrival.  When we first introduced Owen to Charlotte I was expecting a little confusion.  We showed Owen baby Charlotte and he was very excited but a little nervous.  At first he didn't want to touch her.  I think he was worried about hurting her.  However, as the day went on Owen began to warm up to her and was curious as to what she was doing and would run to her every time she made a noise.

Owen welcomed every nurse that walked into the room with an excited hello.  Him and Martin briefly went home to grab some items I forgot to bring and to grab the car seat.  When we told Owen that he had to go home with Daddy for the night he became very upset and said he did not want to leave Mommy and Charlotte.  We asked the nurse if he could stay and they did not have a problem with it, so they stayed.  It was so wonderful having the whole family there.

 After 36 hours we were discharged and I was so happy to be heading home.  Since being home Martin has been spending much of his time with Owen.  I have felt left out because Owen only wanted to play with Martin, and wanted to eat with Martin, and was co-sleeping with him.  Then Friday night Owen asked if i could sleep with him and hold his hand.  Ah, he didn't forget about me, and he still does love his momma!  :)  Owen is very curious and shows his love for his baby sister.  He constantly gives her kisses and hugs.  He talks to her and likes to tell her stories.  I put her in the swing while I washed dishes and Owen pulled a chair over and watched her.

Charlotte is still doing excellent at nursing, and it did not take long for my milk to come in.  My body is still trying to figure out how to regulate the milk, so fo the mean time I have a bit excess.  I have been using the Milk Saver  to collect the let down while I am nursing Charlotte.  I get an average of half ounce to an ounce every feeding.  So glad I can save that milk rather than just soak it all up in a breast pad.  

At Charlotte's pediatrician appointment on the 31st, she was 7 pounds 3 ounces, which is the same that she weighed at midnight Sunday when she was weighed.  She goes back to the pediatrician for another check up on Wednesday the 7th.  We have newborn photos being taken on Thursday.  

As far as how I am doing, I still feel pretty amazing.  I do not at all feel like I gave birth last week.  I had a bit of a scare on Thursday because the midwife told me any clots larger than a quarter I should call.  Well I had some way bigger than that.  When I went into the doctor everything checked out okay and nothing to worry about.  Also, I weigh 137 pounds!  I was 153 pre-pregnancy, and 153.5 when I gave birth.  I had the same situation with Owen, I lost a bunch of weight in the first trimester and then gained it all back at the end of my pregnancy.   I am pretty happy with my size right now and know that it will only get better after a couple weeks.  

Nursing surprises

I know I have a few months before I will be nursing, but I have been reading up on it, as well as buying supplies in preparation.  However, I do think that there are a few things that moms to be need to know.  Things nobody told me and even though I took a breastfeeding class was shocked to learn how much was NOT covered in the class. First, I didn't know how hard it would be the first couple weeks. For something so natural it did not come naturally.  I spent the first couple nights in the hospital crying because I was struggling to nurse. I also didn't know about flat and inverted nipples, (which caused us grief in the beginning). I had to use a nipple shield or pump to be able to get DS to latch.   We only used the nipple shield a couple times, and once I learned I could just pump for a minute or two first to get him to latch that is what we did.  I thought it was more painful to use the nipple shield, so I wanted to go without it. I also did not know that for about the first month they want nursed about every 45 minutes, or at least DS needed nursed that often. I didn't know milk comes out of more than one hole, and that they do not all spray in the same direction! I cannot tell you how many times I sprayed Owen in the face with milk.  Took several months before I had it semi under control. I didn't know to wear a nursing bra and nursing pads the first time we had intercourse. (oops!) So when your milk lets down it is because your body releases oxytocin, the same thing that is released when a female orgasms.  Therefore, during intercourse it is important to keep the bra on. I didn't realize how much it would hurt to be full. Your breasts definitely help keep you nursing on schedule.  When your breasts become engorged they become hard as a rock, a very misshaped rock. It is painful and can lead to clogged ducts, so it is important to pump or nurse before you become engorged. I took a breastfeeding class but they didn't go over any of this. I am sure there is more that surprised me I just can't think of it at the moment. What surprised you about nursing?

Owen's Birth Story

Preface:  In 2009 I went off the pill in March.  I did not seek medical assistance to conceive.  I was not in a hurry and figured it would happen when it happens.  However, there was one problem, I was not having my period.  Unrelated to ttc I went to Pennsylvania for my nephew's birthday at the beginning of October.  While there Aunt Flo came to visit.  YAY!  ( I know, who gets excited about that?  Someone TTC that's who)  Anyway, I came back home and on October 24th DH and I did the baby dance.  However, I did not think too much of it.  I really was not expecting it to work.  Well, on Thanksgiving that year I was really sick.  I could not eat.  The smell of all the food just made me vomit.  After reviewing and googling all my symptoms we went to buy pregnancy tests.  After taking all three tests in the box, we were convinced I was pregnant.  At first I was in shock.  I could not believe it was really happening.  I was so excited.  I called my Dad right away to tell him the great news.  So, that is how it all started.  

Now on to my birthing experience...

*Side note As most people do when someone is pregnant, we were all trying to predict the date of birth.  My husband said as long as it doesn't happen on the day he does his big event on his game, I said, as long as I do not miss Hell's Kitchen (I know, how selfish.) Guess which day it happened on?* 

Around 10am on the 20th I started having contractions. They were very mild and about 45 minutes apart. I honestly didn’t think they were real contractions I thought it was Braxton hicks. As the day went on the contractions got stronger and closer. Around 6 I was cringing every time I got them and so I was thinking ok maybe this is really happening. When my contractions were about 6 minutes apart I told Martin "I think we need to go to the hospital" All the stuff was already by the door and ready to go so it made leaving very easy and quick. They drive to the hospital sucked!!! I had about 6 contractions on the way to the hospital. Sitting in a car buckled while having contractions SUCKS! We got to the hospital and they put me in the outpatient room to check my progress and see how fast I was progressing. (During which time I watched Hell's Kitchen.  :) )

 After two hours they finally put me in a regular room. I continued to labor through the contractions without an epidural, but it was very painful. I would start to cry every time I had a contraction and my breathing was not very good. Owens Heart rate dropped pretty low because I wasn’t breathing well. After a struggle of trying to get my breathing regulated and his heart beat back to normal I decided it would be better for the baby to get the epidural. So as soon as I was able they gave it to me. They told me to try to get some sleep after the epidural kicked in but I was like a kid before Christmas and was too excited to sleep. I was so excited that every time they took my blood pressure the alarm would go off because I was so excited it was affecting my blood pressure. At about 3am I felt a small dribble and I called the nurse in and told her I thought my water broke. She went to check and as she was getting ready there was a huge gush and without even checking she was like yup your water broke. I had a bulging bag of water and so Owen immediately dropped two positions and the pressure started getting worse. At around 4 I called the nurse in again and told her I felt like I needed to push. She checked me and was like yup let’s start this. I was having a hard time pushing hard enough so it was taking a while. Then Martin asked the nurse if she had a mirror so when the baby started crowning I could see. As soon as I saw his head Owen was out within minutes. Seeing him helped give me the drive I needed to push harder. The doctor almost didn’t make it in the room in time. They told me to stop pushing until he could get there. Once he was in the room I pushed once and out came Owen. I had a small tear but only required one stitch. As Owen came out though he had a bowl movement and swallowed some of it so they had to suction him out. But luckily it wasn’t bad since it happened after he was born.

As far as breastfeeding goes my milk is coming in very well however I have what they call flat nipples so there isn’t anything for Owen to grab onto to suck. I am using a nipple shield as well as pumping to feed him. At first it was a struggle because Owen didn’t want to suck on the silicone. However after I was home he began eating VERY well. So much so that I didn’t have to pump after the feeding he was able to eat all I had to offer. I finally was able to sleep for a little over 2 hours! I was so excited and woke up feeling so refreshed as If I slept for 8 hours. 

I was able to nurse Owen for a little over 4 months.  I wanted to continue but my milk was upsetting Owen.  I tried cutting out Dairy, different veggies, it got to the point I was only eating meat and grains.  I could not do it any longer and asked his pediatrician if we could try formula.  Up until this point Owen would cry daily from around 4pm to midnight.  After we switched to formula Owen became a wonderful happy baby.  I wish I knew that my milk was what was causing so much trouble for Owen, I would have switched to formula so much sooner.  However I was very set on nursing and thought formula was evil.  Now, I know different.  Some times breast is not always best, like I always assumed.