7/9 Life w/Babe Weekly Check-in

[~*max*~]

Welcome to another new week. We are still here! No archives yet.

We are doing well, enjoying the summer. Babe still has not pooped though - today is the 5th day. I am getting concerned. Do you think I should call the ped.? She doesn't seem bothered by it though. She is passing plenty of gas, peeing regularly, eating a lot.

Erin, hope you had a nice mini-holiday! (And Happy Anniversary! ) We are going to the circus too. The kids are thrilled. My MIL has offered to watch the baby while we take the older kids, but I just don't think I can leave her yet. It would be a few hours, I haven't pumped yet & I just think I'd be worrying about her the whole time. OK, I've convinced myself - she's coming!

NYCVeg, I wish there was something I could do or say to help you. Your situation seems so hard. You are truly an amazing mama. There are not many people who would persevere like you have. Your baby is so lucky to have you.

[Sydnee]

We are doing well here. Alayna has now slept thru the night for 6 days straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She goes down between 10-11, and is up about 6:00 am. And she's STARVING!!! And I'm rock hard. She rolled over last week from her belly to her back, she thought she was pretty cool!! She also had her 2 month visit last wed. she is 11#7oz. and 23 3/4 inches. She is doing awesome! I have decided to delay her vax's for now. I am think of maybe starting to selectively vax at 6 months, I'm not sure yet. DH is not totally 100% with me, but he's ok with delaying them for a few months.

We are trying to get her to take a bottle, she had done great for about a month, then all of a sudden decided to refuse it, lil bugger. DH worked with her yesterday, and she did take one finally. She's so cute, because she plays withe the nipple, but doesn't get overly pissed about the bottle.

Amanda- I'll just keep sending hugs out to you!!

Erin- Happy anniversary!! Our anniversary is on Tuesday, it'll be 8 years! But, DH is out of town on business.:

Max- I'm not sure how long is ok without a poop?? I would maybe just call and talk to a nurse, and get her advice. Here's hoping for poop!!!

Jaygee- How's the mastitis?? Hope it's completely gone!

I'll try and do better this week with personals, have a great Sunday!!

[JuicyPakwan]

subbning

[NYCVeg]

Well, I think that I finally might have failed.

I was bfing dd this morning and she raised a HUGE, black blood blister on my left breast. She had eaten for about 20 minutes (she usually goes 30-40), so we gave her a little more expressed milk in a syringe. She screamed through it. In fact, she's been screaming all morning. I'm getting afraid--I mean, literally phobic--about offering her my breast again. I put her on the right side for a few minutes, but every time she pinches, I freak out and take her off, because I think it might mean a new injury. I don't know how to comfort her. I can't give her the breast. I can't hold her properly because my breasts are so sore. I have calls into my ped and my mw, but I just don't believe anyone can help anymore. I feel like I'm about to lose the thing that I cared about more than anything for my daughter.

[nitareality]

NYC my heart is breaking for you. I have been in that place where I feel like I'll dry up just out of fear of the pain of nursing.

Max - IIRC correctly in the 100% BF baby as little as once a week is fine so long as she's comfy, wetting and as you mentioned, passing gas. It freaky though! I remember being scared when DS did that.

I've been away a while, still dealing with thrush, though at least now it's a manageable level of thrush. DD's crazy times at night, well from about 4pm to about 8pm have continued. She sleeps through the night (wakes up 2x for quick nurses) so I try to remind myself that the cluster nursing is what gives me my much needed sleep, but the evenings are *hard*. We have our 2mos appt. tomorrow.

[Momto1and1ontheway]

Sorry everyone, no time for all personals, but just had to respond to you NYCVeg - I'll make it brief, but feel free to PM me this morning, (I'll be away from a computer until probably Tuesday): As for the reflux, dd had it and so does ds. We tried lots of meds with dd and found that a combination of prevacid and pepcid worked well for her. Have you seen a pediatric GI doc? That would be my next suggestion. They have obviously more experience in that area than a LC or even your ped. Also, have you tried nipple shields? I honestly can't remember if you said that you had or hadn't. I used them with ds for a few days to let my nipples heal, and they did... Lastly, aren't you in the DC area? I'm nearby and would be happy to talk or try to visit sometime to maybe help out a bit? I also have a great ped GI that we see... If you PM me, I can always give you my cell number and you could call me anytime. Just let me know and lots of hugs until I hear from you (if you want, no pressure!!)

[mamacatsbaby]

I'm such a dork. Erin I totally missed that it was you and your DH's 6th anniversary. I hope everything was fabulous and that you guys enjoyed your mini vacation!

Squirmin' babe, be back...

[mamacatsbaby]

Amanda I thought that the suggestions posted by Anakna4 sounded like they'd be worth trying,renting a hospital grade pump and pumping one breast for a set time, like a week I think she said worked for her, only nursing on the other while the pumped one heals, vinegar treatment for the thrush, distraction for the reflux. There may be more, I can't remember everything in her post.

And seeing a GI ped as suggested by Momto1 sounds like maybe you would get a little more specialized help.

I'm sure you've tried just about everything you can think of and it sounds like you're at the end of your rope. I'm so worried that this incredibly painful ordeal will leave you anxiety ridden over BF if you guys plan on having more babes. I sure wish I could help in some way...

Max I've read a few different places that it can be perfectly normal for a BF baby to go up to a week without pooping. It's still bothersome though I'm sure! I know DS now goes every other day or every two days. I see a serious blowout in your future mama! Oh, and have fun at the circus.

Sydnee Happy Upcoming Anniversary! Maybe your DH and you can do something special before and/or after the actual date? And of course he better call and bring you back something super special! It seems like a lot of people that begin researching vax start out thinking they will delay/selective vax and then the more they find out about the vaxes, the diseases, the immune system, food, how to keep your body functioning properly, etc., the more no vax their stance becomes. That's certainly what happened with me and DH. From what I've seen I think a lot of adament non vaxers were at one point total vaxers and didn't really question it.

It's such a huuuge decision and the fear that something will happen to our little ones, with or without the vax, can be overwhelmingly gripping. And holy crow, the fact that you can research for years and still only scratch the surface is mindblowing! : We just all have to follow our instincts and do what we think is best though that sure can be hard sometimes!

nitareality healing vibe to you mama.

I need to be or or something but I haven't had a lot of time to myself so I think I'll wile away the day a little longer on MDC while DS is sleeping away all happily in his wrap. Yay!

[Happypants]

amanda, i'm so sorry that bfing still is so difficult for y'all. i remember that you said in an earlier thread that you realized your nipples were cracked--for the first week that i bf finn w/o the nipple shield, my nipples were cracked, too, and i didn't realize it, either. i also had thrush and assumed that was what was causing the excruciating pain when he latched on and the burning and vasodilation. but once i realized that my nipples weren't supposed to be cracked like that, i started using lansinoh on them before i would latch him on, and maybe after, too, i can't remember. it took about two days for them to heal, but once they did the pain disappeared. i still experience a little vasodilation every now and then, but it's only distracting, not painful.

i also looked at every picture and diagram of a proper latch that i could find online and tried my best to achieve it. i'm sure that after spending $700 on lcs (: ) you have more suggestions than you know what to do with, but i just wanted to say that i feel your pain and know that it puts a very serious damper on everything. i don't know how long i could have perservered if the pain had continued, so i applaud you for holding out for so long.

[JayGee]

Well, I'm crawling out of the mastitis tunnel, now dealing with really low milk supply though. Kirsten is nursing every hour to try and bring my production up. I actually tried to give her a bottle of formula today (she takes bottles of EBM fine) and she had a FIT when that stuff hit her tongue. Did not meet the Kirsten seal of approval !

Amanda ~ I am so sorry you're in so much pain. Have you tried the chiropractor for cranio-sacral adjustment? It worked wonders for us when Kirsten had my nipples bruised, bloody and cracked. And only one visit did the trick, so it wasn't that expensive.

Sydnee ~ color me JEALOUS that your DD is sleeping through the night!

Max ~ my DS pooped once a week, and boy did he POOP! Kirsten goes every 3-5 days.

Gotta go....

[mom2nat&will]

oh NYCVEG I feel for you soo badly and send good thoughts your way....so I need a little advice....I'm going to go the cloth diaper route w/ william b/c I know its the right thing to do, plus so much more economical for us!!! with nat and up until now we've used sposies, so I'm wanting to know from those of you who use cd's where do I start, I think I want aio's but would like some prefold's too (b/c price)...so direct me please tia erika

[*andiflipping*]

mom2nate&will.....check out the diapering thread for more advice...

personally i think trying a little bit of everthing to see what you like helps a lot..I thought I wanted to use only AIO's and ended up hating them...Pockets IMO are the greatest but I also love fitteds and wool and I have just start trying out prefolds and they are working pretty good around the house in thi heat....

HTH a little

[Vortexing]

mom2nate&will go to diaperswappers.com if you're interested in CD'ing. we've CD'ed from the start and tried pockets and just don't find we use them. we ended up just using prefolds/fitted and wool/fleece covers. much simpler, less wash. prefolds/snappi during the day, generally w/o a cover, and fitteds at night with wool. at the diaperswappers board, you can find used dipes FS and it's very organized by category of dipe and such. get some, try them and see. you can always resell them since their value doesn't drop much after using them!

i'm feeling pretty guilty b/c of all the troubles people are having with bf'ing. i'm sooooo sorry to hear about all the mastitis and cracked nipples and all the blisters (ooo that sounds bad!!!). i guess i just got lucky. but dd hasn't done the bottle thing, so i guess that she's just a boob-lover, and i'll have to deal with that. we've tried introducing the bottle a couple of times, but DH made her choke once b/c she wasn't actually swallowing the milk, and so he didn't want to do it again for a couple of weeks. both of them were crying by the time he gave up. i've been pumping, but no bottle offering, i'm not real motivated to do it either, i admit.

we don't have her 2mth appt until next week, but i'm thinking about delaying vax as well, but DH doesn't really know yet. Sydnee, how did that appt go? did you just say no to the vaxes when the doc came in with them, or had you already discussed it with your ped? i'm such a wimp, i feel like i can't just say no, since we've never mentioned it with her before (b/c i'd never thought as far as whether i will vaccinate my kid or not).

[Sydnee]

Bamboomama- I had talked with her ped before this last appt. and she was very ok with delaying. She is pro-vax, but also is ok with not vax'ing, if that is what we want. My biggest prob is DH, he is NOT ok with not vax'ing at all, and I'm not sure I'm ok with it either. It's so hard, because when you research vax's, it's very much one sided, either way. One website I really like is www.drjaygordan.com, alot of great info.

Amanda- My heart absolutely breaks for you. Have you checked out LLL leaders in your area? I am in the process of becoming one, so I have all the books to look things up and I will look in there tonight to see if there is anything else you can do. I know my leader will do home visits. Call your local hopspital, and see if they can refer you to an LLL leader. I'm just so sad that you've had to deal with all of this while your supposed to be enjoying your new bundle. One thing that helped me with Emma, was pointing my nipple to the roof of her mouth, it was an immediate help, for me. Hugs, to you, sweetie.

[mamacatsbaby]

Kristina, I'm sooo glad you're starting to get better. Go Kirsten, nurse, nurse, nurse baby!

Erika, *andflipping* and BambooMama both gave great CD suggestions. We too use UBCP with a Snappi and no wrap during the day, unless we're going out which hasn't been too often in this heat, then a Snappi with an oversized wrap at night as we've been battling butt rash over this way and I try to get as much air on his booty as possible when I have to put a dipe on him. Otherwise we've been doing a bit of EC too. Definitely try a few different things to see what you like. PF were the way we were going to go anyway as they were the most economical for us. And they're super versatile. CDing is awesome and hopefully you'll love it. Warning: it's possible you could become addicted so beware!

BambooMama, you can say no, to anything. A lot of docs can be intimidating and coercive, when it comes to our health in general, not just vax, but you can stand your ground. We are a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for. I definitely don't want to turn this into a pro/anti vax thing I just want to say that before you do anything research, research, research (I'm sure your're like "Duh!" as you said you work in a cancer research lab right? Sorry, baby brain's got me... : ). Whether you guys decide to vax or not at least you will have researched your decision and can feel confident and comfortable with your choice. You can always go back and vax later if you choose but the vax can't be taken back out. Good luck mama!

I tell you guys what, I'm a bit freaked out 'cause this is like the third pretty nice, not too hot, breezy day we've had in a row. This is the middle of July in the south. I'm waiting for lava to come pouring out of the sky or something.

[NYCVeg]

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that, with the help of my Bradley instructor (who has been AMAZING), we've come to the conclusion that all of the problems I'm having can be traced back to Raynaud's syndrome. I've actually mentioned this to all the LCs and LLL leaders I've seen/talked to, but they haven't really been very knowledgable; and one LC even completely blew me off by saying it was really rare so I couldn't possibly have it. The LLL leader I've been in touch with most closely keeps telling me I must be doing something wrong in terms of latch, but her latch is absolutely fine (4 LCs have checked it out and my Bradley instructor, who's nursed 3 babies, actually came over today and nursed dd to see--her anatomy does cause a little more tugging than is normal at this point, but it probably wouldn't be a problem if not for the other problem). Anyway, I've been in contact with several other people who have Raynaud's and they confirmed that it compromised the nipples so that you can get cracks and blisters even with a fine latch.

The bad news: there's a medication for Raynaud's, which apparently works wonders, but I can't take it. It's an anti-hypertensive medication that they give in a low dose, but my blood pressure is already so low that I'm not a candidate for it. I'm trying other stuff--warm compresses, this crazy homeopathic udder cream that my ped gave me (yes, it's for cows ), and some other homeopathics to try to heal the nipples.

So that's where we are. We're still nursing! The pain level varies so much--sometimes it's really painful and sometimes it's merely uncomfortable, so I'm just hoping that the latter become more frequent than the former. In any event, we feel like we're in a better place with things than we were a few days ago--being confident that we know what this IS is a good start.

[dharmama]

Amanda ~ I think that is really good news. At least now you have some more direction. What an awesome person your Bradley teacher must be. Brilliant idea to nurse your little one to check her latch!!

I'm trying other stuff--warm compresses, this crazy homeopathic udder cream that my ped gave me (yes, it's for cows ), and some other homeopathics to try to heal the nipples.

I won't say too much about this because I tend to sound like a broken record when it comes to this subject. I've been studying homeopathy with a wonderful teacher for the last year and although your pedi sounds great and I know you really like her, it sounds like she is using homeopathic remedies in an allopathic way...you (collective you) really should never be on multiple remedies. If it is at all possible, I would highly recommend seeing a classically trained homeopath who can take your case (VERY comprehensive...childhood to present...takes several hours) and find the constitutional remedy that takes into account your breastfeeding challenges ("challenges" -- how's that for an understatement ), blood pressure issues, Raynaud's, insomnia etc....as well as everything that's going on mentally/emotionally/spiritually.

I woke up last night thinking about you. (Isn't that weird how we all become such a part of each other's lives and half of you I don't even know your real names!! ) My guy was so fussy...on and off...kick, kick scream. It was so incredibly stressful. I could feel my breathing changing and my body tensing, which only added to the stress.

This was such rare behavior for him and it was so difficult. I kept thinking about you and all that you've been few in the last 6 weeks and my heart was just breaking for you.

I've taught prenatal and mommy and baby yoga for the last couple of years and I've often had students come to me to talk about bf-ing and other new mama issues.

From the yoga perspective I would encourage you to open your heart to whatever lessons your Teacher is sharing with you. (When my DD was tiny and I was really struggling, the prayer "You are the teacher beautiful baby, and I am your humble and grateful student" came to me. It got me through some very difficult times.) And as best you can....surrender to something larger than yourself (God...the Universe...whatever resonates with you). This is just way too much for you to carry alone.

More later. DS is fussing and DD is refusing to go to sleep (I can hear DH trying so hard to be patient with her upstairs).

[calendulamama]

NYCveg, I'm so glad to hear that there is some good news this time and that there seem to be some answers. I hope the various therapies clear things up mighty fast for you- I admire you so for sticking with it- you are such a strong mama! Its crazy how the raynard's was overlooked for so long, I didn't think it was that uncommon. I was diagnosed with it during pregnancy, but have been lucky so far since it only acts up when the weather is cold and damp. I have a book ("Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding" he's the Canadian bfing guru with a clinic of 4000 women a year in Toronto) that was lent to me by my LC that has a section on the treatment of Raynards... you probably know all this but just in case, I'll tell you what he suggests- Vitamin B6: with a dose of 100 mg to 200mg daily for 4 days and then 25mg per day from then on. He says higher doses than this can reduce milk supply, but he has good success with this treatment. He also uses Nifedipine (which is maybe the drug you can't use with your blood pressure? )He also suggests heat -which you are doing with compresses or a blowdryer, but says this doesn't work for all women... anyway, you may have heard it all before (probably! you've had a lot if advice) but if you want any more info, or want to give this guy a call (he takes personal calls and e-mails) pm me... good luck mama!

JayGee, yeah for the mastitis clearing! and sounds like your baby loves her mamas milk!


i'm interested to hear how the may mamas are dealing with the vax issue- It is such a tough one. me and my sibs were not vaccinated ( I got vaxed when i went travelling as a teen,) and we were all healthy, but I still find it a scary and difficult decision. We will be delaying for sure, and there are some I am sure we wont get, and I'll just keep reading I guess, but, like you said mamacats, the research feels endless...:

Ari has been showing signs of teething on and off, but hasn't had a bout for 2 days now, so maybe it was just early warning. DH is going to pick up some hylands tablets in case though... fingers crossed that he'll wait a few months for the real thing!

hope the week is good for you mamas!

[Sydnee]

On the vax issue, I was lucky enough to attend a Holistic Moms Network meeting tonight, and the subject was on vaccinations!! The woman who did it is a pharmacist, and she did her thesis paper on vax'ing. She had a TON of good info, and I am feeling more convinced that I do not want to vax anymore. DH is out of town, but we did talk tonight, and I relayed a bunch of info to him, and he was actually agreeing with what I was saying!

[Marylizah]

Hi all,

Wow, lotsa BFing issues-- Jaygee and NYCVeg, lots of hugs to you! And another big hug for CindyCaz (I know she hasn't posted on this thread, but she's struggling too...). We had some bfing issues this weekend (I posted about them on the BFing board) but things seem to be getting better.

About the cding, I was planning on starting that around 3 months (wanted to give myself time to get used to everything else baby related). I'm planning on getting mothercare prefolds and covers-- just the basics!

Vaxing is another hard issue. We actually just changed peds because the first ped was a total nutcase who told me George would die of meningitis if I didn't give him a pentavac at 2 months. (Not sure if it's the same in the states, but here they combine DTP + pertussis + meningitis in one fun-filled injection). Having spent a lot of time lurking on the vax board here I know for sure I want to delay as long as possible. However, if George is going to go to school or daycare here he has to have DTP and the BCG (tuberculosis) vax-- they are mandatory. We're actually thinking about leaving, so until we know what we're doing there will be no vaxes for him.

Parenting is so full of doubts! We all desperately want to do what is best for our babes but sometimes knowing what that is is really difficult!

In other news, my ILs are arriving at the end of the week. They will be staying several months. Yup, months. Probably around four. Wish me luck, y'all!

Well, the boy is finally napping so I'm gonna go start laundry, make dinner, and dust!