breast friends: my breastfeeding experience part 1

I've been meaning to write about my experience with breastfeeding.
So here goes...

I like to research things before I do them. ...Have my ducks in a row. I worked in the ER for 5 years. The doctors/nurses said I was exposed to so much working there that I would give my future baby so many wonderful antibodies if I breastfed. I took them up on their advice. I'd also heard how hard breastfeeding is and that it hurts. So you better believe I wanted to know the ins and outs before I started it!

I read 2 books about breastfeeding:
1. So That's What They're For (I HIGHLY recommend. Easy and FUNNY to read!)
2. The ABC's of Breastfeeding

I borrowed these from a friend who is a breastfeeding guru!

I went to some Le Leche League meetings while I was pregnant. The mom I was talking about (see above statement) is a LLL leader. They are free meetings (you can join and be a member too). Now these people are passionate about breastfeeding. They bring their nurslings with them and I got to see lots of breastfeeding live in person!

I went to a conference. Well, it was at the hospital in which I work so it counted for work. It was focused on how low income families need support as well as the new federal laws. It is a federal law that employers must provide time to pump at work, a clean/private place to pump, and a place to store the pumped milk. I learned all about it!

I joined a local facebook group of breastfeeding mothers.

I found a pediatrician that was a lactation consultant. It is not uncommon for babies to lose 10% of their birth weight after birth. It is also not uncommon for it to take babies 2 weeks to gain their birth weight back. I wanted a doctor that would encourage breastfeeding, not formula, if that happened and keep me calm!

I visited kellymom.com a lot. It is evidenced-base information about breastfeeding and other things. Since I work for a hospital, I like to know if what I am doing has been researched and is the best thing for my baby!

As you can tell, I wanted to surround myself with resources before I started this journey. I wanted to make sure there was no way I could fail at this. I made sure to tell Kyle all that I learned since he would be my biggest cheerleader. I forget the percentages, but if your partner is a breastfeeding supporter, the chances of breastfeeding lasting goes up by a lot. I told him he could not let me give up.

So...from all my research, I learned that there are many types of nipples: regular, flat or inverted. There is a test to see what kind you have. Lucky me....I have one regular and one flat. Then I researched flat nipples. I learned that they are no fun and I was about to have a very challenging experience.



Sorry for the grammar....

But this was true for me but it's not true for everyone. Everyone has different experiences and pain levels. Breast feeding is not supposed to hurt. If it truely hurts, there is usually a problem. I've ran a marathon, had a baby, and passed a kidney stone. Breastfeeding was much more painful that any of those! I say that because I felt there was no end in sight. With a marathon, I knew it'd be over soon. Same with labor and the kidney stone.

But I have good news to share! I survived! After the fact, I learned that some people with flat nipples pump to draw it out. Some people wear nipple shields to help. Me, on the other hand, did none of those things. I did wear a shield the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy but didn't want to use it while breastfeeding. I think if I would have used the shield or pumped earlier, I would've had a different story. So if you have flat nipples...it's ok! There is hope that you won't have to go through what I did.

To be continued.....



food for finance: week 8 WW weigh-in

 

 via

 

Yet another week of weight gain! Last week I gained 2 pounds. This is frustrating! I have not really tracked my points as I should, however I know I am not eating that much to gain weight.

 

last week weigh in: 144

current weight: 145.5

goal weight in 4 weeks: 140

 

The only thing I can think of is that Jonah is not nursing as much. He is sleeping through the night so there goes one feeding. I get 14 extra points for breast feeding since he is still not on solid foods.

 

I will only get 7 extra points when he does start solids. So I made the decision to go ahead and take 7 points away even though J is still only exclusively breastfed. I think skipping the middle of the night nursing is where the weight gain is.

 

 

So now instead of 40 total points, I am going to get 33. Thant SUCKS but I got to to something! Breast feeding makes me hungry!!

 

Hopefully this will fix the problem!

 

 



5 months

March 1st marked 5 months of pure fun in our house!

 

 

I have his milestones in the previous post.

 

 

 

February moments and must-haves

 February came and went....kids grow so much in the 1st year of life. It truly amazes me. I really enjoyed the 4 month old stage.
 

 

 

 week of Valentine's

 

 

 

 

Jonah hit a lot of milestone's this month.

 He started rolling from his back to his belly so I knew it was time to stop swaddling him and start using a sleep sack.

 

 

He also moved to his crib. I was on the fence about this. Everyone kept asking me when he would move to his crib. We had him in a pack and play in our room, It is much easier to tend to his needs when I could hear him from an arm's reach. So I said I'd try it to see how he did. He did great. He slept pretty well. He pretty much would sleep any where between 7-10.5 hours a night. He still has times where he wakes up in the night. I just feel that everyone wants babies to grow up so fast. He is only 4 months old! For now he is in his crib and doing well.

 

He has outgrown all other bath towels and my friend Melissa got him this! So cute!



 

 

A girl from work told me about the Summer Infant Super Seat. We work with babies from birth-3. I knew she knew what to get! She is a physical therapist and she approves! It is a 3 in one seat. J loves it! I use much more than the bumbo.

 

He started feeling faces.

 



 

He started eating his toes or as like to call it, cleaning his toe jam! He also loves to scratch everything. That is how I hear him in the mornings. He scratches the sheets. I can't keep socks on him because he pulls them off.

 

He is such a joy!

 



food for finance: weight watchers update week 7

I am doing a horrible job at updating my progress. I started weight watchers 7 weeks ago to lose my Jonah weight.

 

Week 6-lost 4.5 lbs (way to much to lose in a week)

Total lost=10 pounds

current weight 142

 

Week 7-gained 2 lbs (wanted to make sure I didn't lose too much..so I gained!)

Total lost=8 lbs

Current weight 144

 

Goal weight by week 12=140 lbs.

 

final goal weight=129 lbs by July 2013.

 

For 2 of my weigh-ins I have gained. I'm ok with that because it just happens.

 

 

I love to use breastfeeding as an excuse to eat more. I do get 14 extra points a day. Since I can't run with a broken toe, I like to call breastfeeding my new form of working out! ha! No really, I started running again on Friday.

 

AHHH I still have 15 pounds to lose. I can do this!

 

 



memphis grizzlies birthday party

Kyle turned 31 last month. He is still not as old as me! Our friends Greg & Katie invited us to go to the Grizzlie game with them to celebrate.

 

The birthday boy!

 

Look at our seats! 5th row! Whoot! The picture kind of flushes us out but I wanted to show how close we were. We has a fun time. Mainly because Katie and I talked the whole time about our babies!

 

The next night we went to the Brasher sisters condo for a get together for our friend Emily that moved away last summer.

Jonah and Eli came. Why did I not get a picture of them together?!

I can't tell you know, but Betsy was so excited about something. I will update when I can!

 

To be continued...

 

steppin all the way to UT-Marin

In February, some of my college friends headed to my alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Martin. The Dane family was so sweet to host us.

 

On the way, Kyle, Jonah and I got caught in traffic so we barely made it for the famous step show. Typically this is an African-American event. But at my college, the black frats & sororities are the coaches for the white ones and we do a step show.

 

We cheered for my sorority! Look at all those alums!

 

circa 2000 Kendall, me, Jennifer

 I did it my senior year and we were awesome! We used flash lights and WOW'ed everyone that year back in 2000! HA! Brings back so many fun memories that I would never trade. I miss college...

 

While we were at the step show, the Danes kept Jonah.



Mr. Dane is teaching Jonah how to be an athletic director since he is the AD for UTM. Jonah is taking notes!

 

The next day we hung out with some more friends.



 

Norah & Jonah got to meet. Carol is one of my very best buds from college/ADPi. This is the only picture I got of Jonah in his UTM onesie...we had to have a wardrobe change at the basketball game...if ya know what I mean!

 

 

Resting from all the eating we did...

 

Miss these ADPi's! Julie & Shelley at the basketball game.

 

Family photo at my college. Since we spend so much time at Kyle's college, it is nice to see Kyle return the favor and dress in Skyhawk swag! Jonah needed an outfit change but at least it is orange.

 

Jonah's 1st sporting event was a UTM basketball game. Proud Mama!



 

We had such a great time and Jonah was great! He slept both nights there. He is a traveling man. Thanks also to the Danes for being a great host. Can't wait to come back!

 



my funny valentine

Every year, Kyle and I make each other a Valentine card. Last year it was baby themed.  The year before that it was debt-free themed. And this year it was Jonah themed! I got my idea off pinterest.

 

I know that J will hate me for this one day.

 

 

But he is so cute! He will get over it. It will build character. Plus, he is a baby. And babies get their picture taken in all kind of cute ways! Sorry Jonah...but this can go in your senior yearbook. It will be a hit in 18 years! Jonah made a great card. My best one yet.

 

I had my mom put on lip stick and kiss him all over. She didn't mind. I snuck in some kisses too. He had to go directly to the bath tub after his photo shoot.

 

Kyle went even bigger this year for my card. He had a poster board of the past year of my pregnancy. Then of our love child! So sweet!

He then made me my Valentine's pizza. yummy!

 

I love traditions!