Baby Thoughts. . . some reflecting, mostly random

Ordinarily I would have a huge happy post about welcoming the new baby (Zipporah Marie) to the family right now.  And let me tell you, it is killing me to not have such a post, but I'm making myself wait as I want to share her birth story and I am anticipating some wonderful pictures to accompany it.  This time I was blessed to have a birth photographer and if you were ever on the fence over such a thing, let me just say I will TREASURE these pictures, I am sure (from what I have gotten to glimpse so far, anyhow).  Now, would I/if I could have, had one for each of my sixth births? . . . I'm not sure.  But at this point in my life, it is SO COOL to see pictures of the birth as by the time the photographer got there and started taking pictures I was "in the zone" trying to survive all the insanity going on in my body and I have always wondered what it looked like from the outside.  My husband assured me it was "gross" and I did not want to see it, but that is why women give birth and not men I think.  Or perhaps seeing the pictures simply reminds me of the entire event as a whole - which is absolutely incredible- perhaps the most important event I get to participate in my whole life! (With the exception of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist at Mass, of course :)

Anyhow, as usually happens to me, post-birth, I have been doing some reflecting over the past few days.  Pregnancy and childbirth are such amazing occasions in a woman's life. I know birth always gives me a spectacular high that lasts several days (about a week this time) before I am just flat-out exhausted and then comes the hormonal insanity, but really there is such a beauty to it.  I am always floored by how much I can love another creature - this little baby - so fiercely and completely.  But more than just this new profound, anticipated, but still seemingly unexpected love for my baby, I feel almost as though the blinders come off my heart for a bit during this "recovery period" and I "feel" love for everyone more profoundly.  Suddenly I am writing thank you notes that make people cry and I am GERMAN - I DON'T CRY or have anything to do with crying!!  Every decision becomes life-shattering and I feel completely caught up trying to absorb every minute.  

I took Zipporah to daily Mass last Thursday and it really was a Mass of Thanksgiving for me.  Thanksgiving for her arrival and her perfection.  Thanksgiving for God blessing me with such a wonderful family.  I had to go to adoration afterward because I just could not get enough.  In the midst of my thankfulness, I remember my friends who long for children and mourn for them and then I think of all those children aborted and mourn for them and their poor, lost parents.  How I wish they could experience my seemingly infinite thankfulness.

And now it is time to rest and as much as I want to continue pondering. . . I really need to "pull the plug" here, so to speak, and get some rest.  My apologies for being "all over the place" but in my defense, I did call it reflections and ramblings and there has been a lot of both of those, for sure!  

Be sure to keep your eyes out for that birth post as it is coming soon.

Blessings!

A Nerdy Nursing Post

I have recently felt compelled to post on some of the things I use for successful nursing.  I have been nursing babies for about 7 years now.  As things have progressed, I have found what I consider "the necessities."  So if you are still looking for "a good nursing bra" or some other item related to nursing, feel free to read on and consider what works for me.  Maybe you will find something you want to try.

First off, the bra.  I have probably purchased about 15 different nursing bras over the years.  Some have been good, some have been great, and some of been duds.  Unfortunately, often after I decide a bra is "great" they stop making that particular style.  This has happened to me at least three times.  So when you find "the one," you might want to consider purchasing an extra before they stop making it or you forget what size it was and the website it came from (or maybe that only happens to me :)

Side Note #1: I like soft-cup bras so that is what I have links to here.  Underwire "can" cause blocked milk ducts.  (Of course, heavy, unsupported breast can cause backaches, so sometimes you have to pick your poison.)  But I know other ladies have had great success with underwire.

Side Note #2: An important part of finding the right bra is finding the right size.  If you have one of those "bra sizing" people at a major department store, I recommend them.  Once I was in a city big enough to go to one of those and discovered I was wearing a "very wrong-sized" bra for me.  (This was long before marriage and kids, though.)  We do not have those kind of people in my small town.  Many websites have suggestions on how to find your size.  Often the size you find from one method will vary from the size found from a different method on a different site.  The last time I ordered I tried three different methods, telling me I was three different sizes.  So I guessed what I thought my size was and ended up ok.  Unfortunately I have no real helpful suggestions in this category, other than to say, do not be afraid to order a larger cup size than you think you need.  I was a barely C cup before kids  and now I am an E (or double D - depending on how the sizing goes).

My latest treasure (that is still being made) is the Anita Maternity Softcup Nursing Bra #5051.  I did not initially buy it from Amazon, but I could not remember what company I originally bought it from, so I googled the brand and model number and amazon popped up!  So I ordered from Amazon this second time around.  This bra has good support and is very comfortable with easy to open and close nursing cups.  I can't really think of anything bad about this bra.

I also have  an Anita brand nursing bra but they no longer make it.  However this one from Anita looks super-cute and similar to my last one.  If I needed another bra right now I would definitely consider giving it a try.

I have a Goddess Nursing Bra GD2050 and I definitely recommend it.  It is comfortable and works well, except it has a weird quirk.  When I bend over, the nursing cups unsnap on their own.  So if you are going to be sitting or out and about (not bending over), it is great.  If you are going to be picking up toys or cleaning the floor, it gets kinda old to resnap the clasps all the time.  I had read a review that said this happened so I was prepared.  But the reviewer said she would still buy this bra again, despite this quirk and I think I agree.  It is a good bra.

I also purchased two nursing sports bra way back in the beginning.  The company I purchased them from (Breakout Bras) still makes a nursing sports bra but it is not quite the same so I am hesitant to recommend it.  I am in no way disappointed with the nursing sports bras I bought.  They are actually great bras and I wear them even when I do not have nurslings.  However, there is not much "need" for a nursing sports bra as regular sports bras are really not that difficult to "slip out of" and nurse if needed.  Ideally I work out when the baby is sleeping and then I shower and put on a nursing bra for the rest of the day (and feedings).  The only times I could see a nursing sports bra to be really helpful would be for day-long sport-type activities such as hiking.

Side note #3: When I have a nursling I often wear two or three nursing bras to work-out.  I wear a "high impact" one and then put a moderate support (or lighter support) one or two on top of that one to keep things "stable" for jumping and such while exercising. 

A good night nursing bra is a must - especially in the beginning!!  I did not know about these until my second child and I seriously went to bed with a bath towel to put over the non-nursing-breast.  It was a less-than-ideal situation.  Finally I discovered night bras that could hold my nursing pads in place.  Alleluia!!  I have several of these Motherwear Lace Trim Cotton Sleep Bras.  They are not amazing, but they do the job and are a good price..  Anything remotely like them would probably suffice.

For milk catching, I use Avent washable nursing pads.  I initially bought them from some online drugstore site, but then purchased more from Amazon.  I like these a lot.  I have about 20 pair.  I use one pair per day, generally, and change to a fresh set at night.  (*Disclaimer: Some of the reviewers of this product claimed it was not absorbent enough.  I have never had a problem with them, but maybe I'm not a "heavy milker."  I really don't know.)

For nursing in public, I always feel very exposed in my mid-section and back.  I have found these undeshirts from a brand called Skinies to be very comfortable and functional.  I wear them UNDER my bra as wearing it OVER my bra makes reclipping the nursing cups confusing and difficult to manage.  I usually tuck the bottom of it into my pants.  It is helpful in the winter especially, but can get a little hot in the summer.  (On a side note: I have not ordered them from the site I linked here, but I cannot remember where I last ordered them from and this is the first place they popped up when I googled the name.)

I also recommend open bust shapewear.  I have one like this from Bali, but mine is not "firm control."  Mine is "light control" and I would recommend only going light unless you are looking for something to make you considerably more "shapely."  I have mine for comfort.  Anything more than light control is not going to be comfortable to wear all day.  And light control is enough to give you a nice smooth shape - very good for dress clothes.  I usually choose black for mine so it is obvious that you are not just seeing my skin when I pull my shirt up, but to each her own. 

I do not have a nursing cover and they look silly to me, so I don't anticipate purchasing one anytime soon. If you have one and you like it, good for you. Go with what works I say! I usually just use a blanket and then take it off once I get "situated" (aka once baby is latched on and my shirt is covering any of the exposed nursing breast), unless I am in an uncomfortable situation or have people sitting very close (such as at church). In those instances I generally keep the blanket on until she is done.

My final "nursing essential" is my sling.  The brand I have is Over the Should Baby Holder.  Since we have a convertible carseat this time (one that stays in the car) I ALWAYS have the sling with me to "throw" the baby in when we get in and out of the car.  But more than just a baby carrier, I find that nursing in the sling is great.  If her head is toward the side on your shoulder it gives you a nice cover.  Also, once baby is done, she often falls asleep and being snuggled in the sling for sleep is perfect so I can move about without disturbing her.  The only drawback is that sometimes it is hot.

Final side note: I do not really have much to say as far as wardrobe.  I honestly do not have any fashion sense.  I have a few "dressier clothes" but mostly I wear t-shirts, jeans, gym shorts, etc.  I have a few dresses that are not conducive to nursing but mostly I can wear anything I have and nurse fine (using an undershirt usually).  If you are looking for a post on "snazzy nursing outfits" perhaps you could consider writing one as that is definitely not my area of expertise :)

Here is a list of some sites I have found helpful (all referenced and linked above, but put together nice and neatly here).  All of them carry nursing bras and I have had good expereince ordering from each of them as well. 

Breakout bras
Motherwear
Her Room
Bare Necessities

And of course Amazon, but you probably don't need a link for that one :)

Welcome Miriam Dolores!

Miriam Dolores finally decided to show up (not without some "medical suggestion" I must add) on May 17, 2012 at 4:10pm.  She crawled out at 8lbs 8oz and 20.5inches long.  Not tiny by any means, but at least not HUGE.  I don't really have too much to say about her labor.  I was quite disappointed to have to be induced again.  It took a considerable amount of time to get the pitocin to make any decent contractions (about 5 hours of "waiting").  Fortunately, I had just started these slippers for my oldest daughter, Rebekah.  And when I say "just" I mean I really had cast on the beginning stitches the night before.  Look how far I got!  I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to finish them before the baby was born!

Although I was proud of myself for handling most of the contractions well, I did get a little crazy at the end.  I think I might have scared my doctor, the nurses, my husband, and possibly anyone within earshot, but it worked for me as I had hit the "fight or flight" point of pain and since I could not run I took to some "Jane of the jungle" screaming which quite effectively cut off any advice, tips, requests etc from my nurses, doctor or anyone else. But it made the pain survivable, so even though the bed did not quite get broken down before the baby started coming, in the midst of pushing they did at least get me where I needed to be (although I didn ot make it easy on them!) to allow Miriam to make a smooth exit.  I had my eyes closed and attention on feeling this baby "pop out" so I missed most of the "chaos" I caused.  But I suppose every doctor needs one like me to keep them on their toes :)

Here she is sporting the hat I knit for her.  It is a touch large at this time, but I could not resist a photo-op with it :)

 Nana (my mom) and my oldest daughter, Rebekah were our first visitors.  Miriam seemed to approve of them.  The rest of the family will most likely meet her tomorrow.

The Moby Wrap

I have been borrowing this Moby Wrap from a friend, trying to decide if I need to add one to my collection of carriers. Since I think in lists, I have been trying to decide if the pros are worth the cons and such. Unfortunately, even though I think in lists, I can't seem to remember the entire list in my head, so I figured I'd put it down here in case anyone else was considering a Moby Wrap (or has one and would like to add to the pros or cons I have listed). So, the following is my carrier review for The Moby Wrap.


Pros:

1) Very comfortable. The wide shoulders and tying it around the waist make this a very comfortable wrap to carry a baby in (even a heavy baby - mine is 20lbs+).

2) Baby is held quite securely. I feel very comfortable doing things and moving around without a hand on baby. I do not have this kind of secure feeling with any of my other carriers.

3) Baby's legs are not too far apart. This is an issue with another carrier I have, but obviously it is not an issue here.

4) Baby can be worn facing in, out, or on the back (facing in). I have not tried on the back, but I imagine it could be good (assuming I can figure out how to get the kid on there on my own). I have enjoyed both facing in and facing out positions. My only trouble with facing in would be that close proximity to certain parts of my anatomy tends to remind baby of his favorite past-time (nursing). I have also heard you can nurse in the wrap. (I imagine your baby would need to be a little smaller than mine for this to be done discreetly, but it does look promising.)

5) Covering baby in the carrier does not seem to be an issue (for winter and all). It is fairly easy to drape a blanket over him and tuck it in at key points, or just zip him into my jacket (as I tend to wear larger jackets anyhow).

6) This is a good carrier for a larger baby (like my 20lb lovebug). In front-pack carriers (like a snuggle or baby Bjorn), there are set sizes for baby, but this carrier naturally adapts to fit baby's size.

Cons:

1) It does take a minute or two to get yourself wrapped. I have not had too much trouble, but when every second counts (as it already takes us 30min to get ready to go ANYWHERE, this is one more thing to do before you leave).

2) Baby's face is kind of exposed (especially as it is coming on winter and of course, the wind blowing in any season).

3) It is kind of warm as there is a lot of fabric over you. With winter, this is not so much of a complaint, but I imagine it will get hot in the summer. Of course, I have yet to find a carrier that does not get hot in the summer. In fact, the very act of carrying extra weight on your frame is enough to make your body warm up, so unless a carrier came with its own air conditioning unit it is going to make you warmer during use, end of story.

Price: Looks like roughly $40, depending on where you shop. I would list this under pros (as it does not seem unreasonable to me), but price is really a private issue, to be decided upon personally.

So there you have my review. It looks like I am more in-favor of it than against it. Do you have anything to add?