Any mother who chooses to breastfeed will tell you it's not always easy. And I think knowing that helps when you're first starting out so you don't feel like a failure.
Shaylin's first few days were difficult because she just couldn't figure out how to latch on. This is a common problem in the beginning. While I was in the hospital there wasn't a lactation consultant on duty. So I was getting tips from whatever nurse that was there. That can get very confusing after a while. Sometimes Shaylin would get it & I could get her to nurse for as much as 20 minutes, but most of it was very frustrating.
Two days after coming home I saw a lactation consultant. It was a very long visit but I finally got to see Shaylin actually eat. This was a day after my milk came in. The LC gave me a nipple shield to help Shaylin with latching on & it really did the trick. I went home afterwards & nursed her as if we never had a problem. It was wonderful!
Things were going fine till Shaylin was around 9 weeks old I believe & I got sick fast. Body aches, high fever. I looked up my symptoms & knew it was mastitis. Since it was a late I had to go to a Care Now clinic rather than seeing my own doctor. But this doctor was actually really good & determined I didn't yet have mastitis but I was on the verge of it. He said that what was likely causing it was that I was still using the shield 100% with nursing. It was keeping my milk from fully coming down so it was blocking up. So the next day I had to start weaning Shaylin off the shield. It was difficult at first but within a week she figured out how to latch on without it & once again things were going well.
Now in the last couple months I've seen a drop in my supply. The hardest feeding is the last one. Shaylin will fuss & cry which I think is because the milk is coming down fast enough for her. I'd have to look on my calendar but it likely started around the time I was putting in 20+ miles a week. I try to make up for those calories I burn but on those long run days where I burn over 1000 calories I just can't eat that much.
A friend told me of a tea that has fenugreek in it so I've been drinking that & it's really helped. It seems that on most days I can just drink it twice a day & be just fine.
But I'm noticing another pattern. See, I was one of those unlucky mothers who's cycles came back early. Like exactly 6 weeks post-partum. Yeah, I was not happy about that. And lately I've been noticing that when it's "that time of the month" for a few days my supply suffers even more, despite drinking my tea. But then once it passes everything is back to normal & Shaylin nurses just fine.
So for this next time around I plan to be ready for it. The few days prior I'm going to drink extra tea, at least 3 times a day. I'll eat oatmeal everyday & really make sure to drink lots of water (which I do anyway because of running). And we'll see if this helps.
Being able to breastfeed is very important to me & I really want to make it to 1 year. It's extra special for me because at one time I didn't think I'd ever get to do it. Had we adopted I wouldn't be able to breastfeed. I know I would still find ways to bond with my baby. There are others ways than just breastfeeding.
But it's such a special time for me when it's just us. I love how her little hands reach up & touch my face. I love how she'll suddenly stop eating to look at me & give me a big grin. These are memories that are so precious to me. So even if I can't make it to 1 year I have these memories that will last a lifetime.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Crockpot Pizza Soup
I've had some bad luck with crockpot recipes lately. They've burned or just haven't cooked like they should. So when I went to my favorite website for crockpot recipes & found this one I was hopeful but had some backup options in the freezer just in case.
It's a good one! Really, really good!
1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 already-cooked Italian sausage, cut in quarters
1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
8 fresh basil leaves, 1/2 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1/2 to 1/3 cup pasta (I used spiral noodles)
shredded mozzerella cheese (for later)
This makes A LOT so you need at least a 5 quart crockpot.
Wash veggies & prepare. Dump in crock pot. Cut up sausage & pepperoni & dump in crockpot. Add basil & oregano. Pour in pizza sauce, followed by 3 jars of water.
Cover & cook on low for 7-9 hours. About 30 min. before eating dump in pasta & turn temp up to high.
Garnish bowl with cheese if desired.
A couple changes I did:
I couldn't find pizza sauce so I bought a traditional flavor of spaghetti sauce. Close enough I guess. My package of sausage came with 5 & I decided to use all of them. Two just didn't seem to be enough & I like meat. I added the entire bag of pasta (16 oz.). I tried 1/2 cup, even a whole cup, & it didn't seem like much at all. Jeremy thought it was a little too much pasta, but I didn't mind.
We each at just one bowl & there is a ton left. Jeremy asked to take it to work tomorrow & we'll probably eat it again over the weekend. I'll definitely hold on to this one, especially when cold weather comes . . . someday.
It's a good one! Really, really good!
1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 already-cooked Italian sausage, cut in quarters
1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
8 fresh basil leaves, 1/2 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1/2 to 1/3 cup pasta (I used spiral noodles)
shredded mozzerella cheese (for later)
This makes A LOT so you need at least a 5 quart crockpot.
Wash veggies & prepare. Dump in crock pot. Cut up sausage & pepperoni & dump in crockpot. Add basil & oregano. Pour in pizza sauce, followed by 3 jars of water.
Cover & cook on low for 7-9 hours. About 30 min. before eating dump in pasta & turn temp up to high.
Garnish bowl with cheese if desired.
A couple changes I did:
I couldn't find pizza sauce so I bought a traditional flavor of spaghetti sauce. Close enough I guess. My package of sausage came with 5 & I decided to use all of them. Two just didn't seem to be enough & I like meat. I added the entire bag of pasta (16 oz.). I tried 1/2 cup, even a whole cup, & it didn't seem like much at all. Jeremy thought it was a little too much pasta, but I didn't mind.
We each at just one bowl & there is a ton left. Jeremy asked to take it to work tomorrow & we'll probably eat it again over the weekend. I'll definitely hold on to this one, especially when cold weather comes . . . someday.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Pre-pregnant weight does not equal pre-pregnant body
My pregnancy weight gain goal was no more than 35 lbs. The Sunday before Shaylin was born I made it to 34 lbs. So close enough.
The first 20 lbs. just fell off. It was the coolest thing getting on the scale everyday & seeing the number get lower & lower.
But after about 2 weeks it stopped. 14 lbs. to go.
I started running at 6 weeks post-partum & thought that would get the rest off. But eating too much bad food didn't change things. I'd lose a couple pounds & put them back on.
Finally in May I cut out sodas completely. That finally did the trick. The weight started falling off. It also helped that by the next month I was running 20 miles a week. You run that much & you'll drop weight fast.
Just last month I got on the scale & I had made it! Pre-pregnant weight! I can wear all my jeans again. My face is thinner.
But my middle hasn't changed much. Granted, I never had a perfectly flat tummy with an awesome six-pack. But it would be nice to not look in the mirror some days & feel like I look about 12 weeks pregnant.
I'm happy that I at least lost the weight in 6 months. But it's frustrating when you look at magazines of celebrity moms in little bikinis bragging about how they lost the weight in 3 months or sometimes less. Seeing these pictures never bothered me that much till now. It puts unreal expectations on women.
At this point I'm not trying to lose anymore weight, although I probably will. I'm happy with the number I'm at. But I'm hoping all this running will help get my stomach back to something more pre-pregnant.
The first 20 lbs. just fell off. It was the coolest thing getting on the scale everyday & seeing the number get lower & lower.
But after about 2 weeks it stopped. 14 lbs. to go.
I started running at 6 weeks post-partum & thought that would get the rest off. But eating too much bad food didn't change things. I'd lose a couple pounds & put them back on.
Finally in May I cut out sodas completely. That finally did the trick. The weight started falling off. It also helped that by the next month I was running 20 miles a week. You run that much & you'll drop weight fast.
Just last month I got on the scale & I had made it! Pre-pregnant weight! I can wear all my jeans again. My face is thinner.
But my middle hasn't changed much. Granted, I never had a perfectly flat tummy with an awesome six-pack. But it would be nice to not look in the mirror some days & feel like I look about 12 weeks pregnant.
I'm happy that I at least lost the weight in 6 months. But it's frustrating when you look at magazines of celebrity moms in little bikinis bragging about how they lost the weight in 3 months or sometimes less. Seeing these pictures never bothered me that much till now. It puts unreal expectations on women.
At this point I'm not trying to lose anymore weight, although I probably will. I'm happy with the number I'm at. But I'm hoping all this running will help get my stomach back to something more pre-pregnant.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Running Update
I'm still training for my marathon, which is on October 2. Almost 2 months away! I can't believe how close it is!
The past couple long runs haven't gone as I had hoped. The 14-miler was fine. Had to walk a little bit at the end of it which slowed by pace but I finished. The 16-miler had me really defeated. It was an extremely hot & humid day despite starting at 8am. After 3 miles I realized I had taken a wrong turn & I just couldn't recover mentally from it. The sun had also sucked out all my energy. I turned back, walking & jogging it, & got a little over 5 miles total. So the other 10+ miles was later done on the treadmill. It's not easy doing that long of a distance on the treadmill.
Last Saturday I had to do 18. The weather was much nicer. There was even a nice breeze. But after mile 10 I started struggling. Finally around mile 15 Jeremy called his dad to come pick us up. So close!
This Saturday I have to do 20 miles. 20! That's only a 10k short of a marathon! Crazy!
Weather.com is predicting a high of 103 on Saturday so we'll have to try to start early. Not easy with a 6-month old.
I'm so thankful to have Jeremy with me on my runs. He gives me water, gatorade, & energy beans when I need them & encourages me to keep going. He'll bike the marathon, meeting me at mile markers, & will probably update the world of Facebook on my progress. He's been a great support!
The past couple long runs haven't gone as I had hoped. The 14-miler was fine. Had to walk a little bit at the end of it which slowed by pace but I finished. The 16-miler had me really defeated. It was an extremely hot & humid day despite starting at 8am. After 3 miles I realized I had taken a wrong turn & I just couldn't recover mentally from it. The sun had also sucked out all my energy. I turned back, walking & jogging it, & got a little over 5 miles total. So the other 10+ miles was later done on the treadmill. It's not easy doing that long of a distance on the treadmill.
Last Saturday I had to do 18. The weather was much nicer. There was even a nice breeze. But after mile 10 I started struggling. Finally around mile 15 Jeremy called his dad to come pick us up. So close!
This Saturday I have to do 20 miles. 20! That's only a 10k short of a marathon! Crazy!
Weather.com is predicting a high of 103 on Saturday so we'll have to try to start early. Not easy with a 6-month old.
I'm so thankful to have Jeremy with me on my runs. He gives me water, gatorade, & energy beans when I need them & encourages me to keep going. He'll bike the marathon, meeting me at mile markers, & will probably update the world of Facebook on my progress. He's been a great support!
Friday, July 23, 2010
6 Months Old
Shaylin is 6 months old today. Here are some of her milestones & things she's doing:
- She just started eating rice cereal this week. I was prepared for her to not like it since they say most babies don't & it's very bland, but she loved it & I couldn't give it to her fast enough.
- In probably a week's time she's gone from falling over anytime I sit her up to sitting for long periods of time without me or the boppy pillow propping her up.- Loves blowing raspberries. We find her doing it when she's getting mad, like when she's in her carseat & wants out.
- When she's on her tummy, she manages to turn her body 180 degrees.
- Most nights she sleeps 10 hours straight through.
- She loves Kaylee & Keira (our dogs) & gets so excited when they're around.
- She's figured out how to get her toes in her mouth.
- Her favorite show is Wheel of Fortune. I don't know if it's Pat, Vanna, the sound of the wheel spinning, or what but when it's on, she's hooked!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
5 Minute Chocolate Cake
Do you need a chocolate fix? Here's a quick way to get it!
4 T white sugar
4 T flour
2 T cocoa powder
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T chocolate chips (optional)
splash vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (microwave safe)
Add dry ingredients to mug & mix well.
Add egg & mix well.
Add milk & oil & mix well.
Add chocolate chips (optional) & vanilla extract & mix again.
Put your coffee mug in microwave & cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise a little but that's ok.
Let cool for a few minutes & then dump onto a plate.
It's enough for 2 to split & you can eat it all if you don't want to share.
I drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top because I like my chocolate a little sweeter than this comes out. It's super easy & calls for everything that most women already have in their pantry.
4 T white sugar
4 T flour
2 T cocoa powder
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T chocolate chips (optional)
splash vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (microwave safe)
Add dry ingredients to mug & mix well.
Add egg & mix well.
Add milk & oil & mix well.
Add chocolate chips (optional) & vanilla extract & mix again.
Put your coffee mug in microwave & cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise a little but that's ok.
Let cool for a few minutes & then dump onto a plate.
It's enough for 2 to split & you can eat it all if you don't want to share.
I drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top because I like my chocolate a little sweeter than this comes out. It's super easy & calls for everything that most women already have in their pantry.
Schedules
I'm not very spontaneous. Jeremy will echo that. I'm a very scheduled person. Schedules help me be sure that things get done. So when I was asked during my pregnancy if I will be a "go with the flow" mom or a scheduled mom, I already knew the answer.
When we brought Shaylin home I tried as soon as I was able to get around I started setting a schedule for myself. But I didn't get this figured out in one week. I started by settling on when I'd wash Shaylin's laundry & make sure to get it done. Then it was our laundry & then towels. Anytime I felt that I had a part of my routine down, I'd add something to it. It kept me from being overwhelmed with this new chapter in my life.
So here's what I currently have going on in my week:
Monday - wash Shaylin's laundry, grocery shopping while my mother-in-law watches Shaylin (so thankful she can help me with this so shopping is less stressful)
Tuesday - wash towels, dust, vacuum
Wednesday - wash sheets & put new ones on the bed
Thursday - clean bathrooms
Friday - wash my & Jeremy's laundry, dust, vacuum
Cloth diapers are washed every 2 days & I usually only have to wash whites every 2 weeks (we have a lot of white socks apparently!).
I was brushing the dogs on vacuuming days during shedding season but don't have to so much right now. However, now that Shaylin is getting on the floor more often I'm noticing that I probably need to start vacuuming daily. Kaylee may not be shedding huge chucks of hair but she still loses hair & I'd rather my baby not get it all over her. So there's a new change to my schedule.
My scheduling also helped me with being able to easily train for a marathon. As soon as I was allowed to at least walk I got on the treadmill everyday in the mornings & put Shaylin in her swing. She fought it for a while which had me getting off a lot to soothe her. But eventually she adjusted & now expects to be in her swing & take her morning nap there.
Being a new mom can be overwhelming. And it's easy to feel like you're being lazy if laundry is piling up & dishes are in the sink. But by just slowly building a routine you can be sure things get done & some days it'll even make you feel like your Supermom!
When we brought Shaylin home I tried as soon as I was able to get around I started setting a schedule for myself. But I didn't get this figured out in one week. I started by settling on when I'd wash Shaylin's laundry & make sure to get it done. Then it was our laundry & then towels. Anytime I felt that I had a part of my routine down, I'd add something to it. It kept me from being overwhelmed with this new chapter in my life.
So here's what I currently have going on in my week:
Monday - wash Shaylin's laundry, grocery shopping while my mother-in-law watches Shaylin (so thankful she can help me with this so shopping is less stressful)
Tuesday - wash towels, dust, vacuum
Wednesday - wash sheets & put new ones on the bed
Thursday - clean bathrooms
Friday - wash my & Jeremy's laundry, dust, vacuum
Cloth diapers are washed every 2 days & I usually only have to wash whites every 2 weeks (we have a lot of white socks apparently!).
I was brushing the dogs on vacuuming days during shedding season but don't have to so much right now. However, now that Shaylin is getting on the floor more often I'm noticing that I probably need to start vacuuming daily. Kaylee may not be shedding huge chucks of hair but she still loses hair & I'd rather my baby not get it all over her. So there's a new change to my schedule.
My scheduling also helped me with being able to easily train for a marathon. As soon as I was allowed to at least walk I got on the treadmill everyday in the mornings & put Shaylin in her swing. She fought it for a while which had me getting off a lot to soothe her. But eventually she adjusted & now expects to be in her swing & take her morning nap there.
Being a new mom can be overwhelming. And it's easy to feel like you're being lazy if laundry is piling up & dishes are in the sink. But by just slowly building a routine you can be sure things get done & some days it'll even make you feel like your Supermom!
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