June Recap

Well this post is fitting since we are almost in August. June was a crazy month, we ramped up our  summer bucket list and was having activities almost every single weekend. We also were trying to keep the house clean for showing which made us super exhausted. Grady had a few sleep overs with his grandparents so we enjoyed a little one on one time with Audrey. I swear she doesn’t do as well when bubba isn’t there though, it’s like he’s her comfort.

Chad and Grady had a movie night and rented the movie “Spirit” which we ended up buying and playing on non-stop repeat. We’ve been really trying to cut back on our TV usage but sometimes it’s just the easier.

On June 10^th we welcomed baby Mila. She is absolutely adorable and I just cannot wait to spoil her. I am so so proud of my friend. It was NOT an easy delivery and had us all scared to death but she handled far better than I would have.

We also celebrated my nephew’s 2^nd birthday and I wish I could share the video of us singing Happy Birthday to him cause right in the middle of the song Grady sees the candle and blows it out. It was priceless

We got to go to the Parade of Homes this year and it was one of the better years! I can’t wait to show you all of the pictures.

Grady sure is starting to get a mind of his own and we are really having to dig down deep with our patience with him some days. But I could not love him anymore!

We ended the month with our house selling!! We so overwhelmed and just ready to get settled into a new place.

Breastfeeding part 2

If you think that breastfeeding is the most difficult thing you’ve ever attempted, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I read a quote somewhere that said breastfeeding was 90% dedication and 10% supply and it is so true. For about the first 2 weeks I exclusively breastfed, I only pumped when I felt engorged. After the 2-week mark and when I started to feel a little more myself I started in on the pumping. I would exclusively breastfeed and then pump once a day normally in the morning time. Like I mentioned my supply plummeted around 2 weeks with Audrey so I was pumping a lot more at 2 weeks to increase my supply. Trust me I have read almost every single article about how to increase your supply and there is nothing out there that is going to increase your supply overnight. I know from experience it takes about 3 days for my supply to decrease and about 1 week to increase(everyone is different and everyone’s bodies are different). The most effective way to increase your supply is to feed/pump around the clock. I also know from experience that you CAN increase your supply, it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication but it can happen.

The beginning is the most critical time for your breastmilk. You think that after you have the baby the hard part is over…. Nope, not even close. Audrey wanted to eat as soon as she came out, as they were sewing me up to be exact. The first latch is probably the most painful experience. Not only does it feel like a razor blade on your nipples but while you are breastfeeding your uterus is contracting and shrinking. It is crucial to have nipple cream on hand, I also really like the lilypadz nursing pads. They are silicone pads and I can put them in the freezer and then get them out after I’m done feeding and they feel amazing. I recommend trying to refrain from using the nipple shield as much as possible. The nipple shield can cause the baby not to be draining your breast completely which can lead to your milk supply dropping sooner than later.

I know my body and I know that I would not have been able to make it as long as I had without the hospital grade pump. You can rent this from the hospital or you can purchase it. It has a hefty price tag therefore I found some used ones on ebay. Since the Medela sympathy is a closed system I wasn’t worried about purchasing it used I just made sure I purchased it from someone that offered a return and then purchased brand new parts for the machine.

While you are breastfeeding you do not want to go longer than 3 hours without feeding or pumping. This includes in the middle of the night. So, when your sweet little baby is starting to sleep longer stretches at night you more than likely will have to get up to pump to keep up with your supply. I have not heard of too many women say they could sleep throughout the night while baby was sleep and continue to breastfeed.

You also want to stay hydrated. You will feel like a Camel consuming so much water. I also always had Red Gatorade on hand when I was breastfeeding. I read somewhere that red Gatorade has more electrolytes then the other colors do.

Exercise, this one is hard. There is a lot of argument around exercise and breastfeeding. I started really working out in January and lost about 7 lbs. But then I got the flu and my supply dropped and I gained the weight back trying to regain my supply. I’m always worried about my supply so therefore I haven’t ever worked out a ton while breastfeeding but I will say I think it depends on your body. I think some people can and then some people don’t do as well with it. However, if you do workout make sure to stay hydrated. Breastfeeding has helped me get back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I’ve had the most difficult time losing more weight. Also, I think that it’s important to note that once you are done breastfeeding most woman gain weight. Since you are burning so many calories while breastfeeding and then you stop it’s easy to gain a little weight. I’m going through this right now and trying so hard not to get worked up or stress out about but it’s hard not to.

It’s embarrassing how much food you will consume while breastfeeding. I used to eat far more than Chad did in one day and then still be hungry. Both my babies have been on the slender side but I’ve always been able to produce enough milk however my milk has never been that fatty. I always have to eat the fattier foods like avocadoes, nuts, peanut butter, etc. for my milk to have a little more fat in them. I also take supplements to help as well. I used to get really upset that I didn’t have chunky babies but had to come to the realization that I just do not produce fatty milk and that is ok.

So, there’s the truth about breastfeeding. It’s a beautiful experience but as I mentioned before any way you decide to feed your baby is completely up to you and your decision.

Breastfeeding Journey

I don’t know why I have been so worried to write this post. I feel like breastfeeding is a touchy subject so I try to refrain a little but at the end of the day I supplied 2 babies with breastmilk and I am very very proud of that. I have always known I wanted to breastfeed my children, not very many people know but I have breast implants. I got them about 6 years ago and when I went in to see the doctor one of my first questions was if I get implants can I breastfeed. Also, when I was pregnant with Grady I didn’t do the birth classes that were offered through the hospital but instead I did a breastfeeding class. Everyone told me of how easy and natural breastfeeding was. So, when I gave birth and they immediately put him on my chest to do skin to skin and have the first latch I was in shock. Holy cow did it hurt like no bodies business. And it continued to hurt for a LONG time. No one really explains the truth to you just beats it down your throat how breast is best and how natural it is. Well I’m here to say that after feeding both my babies it definitely did not/has not come natural for me.

When I went to the breastfeeding class at the hospital the instructor teaching made the comment about how easy it was to breastfeed. Well I’m here to say that is far from the truth. Also, breastfeeding looks differently on everyone. A working mom’s breastfeeding experience is going to be completely different than a stay at home mom. They say not to feed and pump that it causes an oversupply and the baby will not get the hind milk (fatty milk) when you feed. But how are us working moms supposed to start a stock pile if we don’t pump after a feeding. With both my babies I would feed/pump/feed/pump like a mad woman just to have a stock pile for when I started back at work. (Have I mentioned being a working mom is hard work)

With Grady I had a really hard time with breastfeeding in the beginning. It felt like he was slicing my nipple every time I would feed him.  I ended up using the nipple shield just to get some relief. The first few months I would feed him and then pump and get a large amount of milk (8-9 oz) when I pumped. I thought I was doing good. But then every time we went to the doctor his weight percentile would drop and I was devastated. I just didn’t know why this was happening since my supply seemed to be great. Then at about 4 months my milk leveled out and I was only getting about 3 oz at a time. We discovered he had a tongue and lip tie and that was the reason why it hurt so bad and that he wasn’t gaining weight. When we got it corrected he went from 9% in weight to 30% in weight in about a month. I remember that month being completely exhausted I was feeding him around the clock to get him to gain weight as well as pumping to re-gain my supply. After we got the tongue and lip tie corrected breastfeeding began to get a lot easier.

With Audrey breastfeeding was a breeze from day 1 and I was so so thankful. But at about 2 weeks Audrey got viral meningitis and my milk supply leveled and plummeted. I knew with my experience with Grady that I had to use a hospital grade pump so we ended up buying one on ebay and I was using that while feeding her in-between. It was a roller coaster ride with my supply with her from the very beginning. Every time she got sick or I would get sick it would go down. I got the stomach bug at around 11 weeks and in-between bathroom breaks I would try and feed her determined to continue to breastfeed. And then we both got the flu, it was one thing after another. I get pretty defensive when people make comments about my supply and think that it just came when that is far from the truth I worked really really hard for every ounce of milk that I have provided to my babies.

As much as I am an advocate for breastfeeding I’m also an advocate for a healthy mommy and know just how hard this can be. It’s not easy worrying about every ounce that is consumed, spilt, poured out, pumped. Worrying about the time your baby ate last the activities/errands you need to accomplish in-between the next feeding. The list goes on. It is draining on a woman and can make anyone go crazy especially a new mommy that is just weeks or months post-partum. Just as much as it is pounded in our heads that breast is best it should also be heard that a healthy momma is the best momma and not matter what choice YOU decide is best to feed your child. It is your decision and you should not feel bad about that in any way.

I’m not writing this post to drill in people’s heads that you should breastfeeding I’m simply writing this post for the mommas that dream of breastfeeding but just doesn’t come easy for them.