Galactagogue diaries: supply log update

I'm proud of this :) last week I wasnt making quite as much. Its not perfect but its workin!

short update

short and likely confusing update.

yesterday i thoguht things were good. we had 5 minutes at the breast, and i was excited for the idea that she might come back. no such luck.

we werent timely with Baby Girls ranitidine and she had a ROUGH night. refused 2 feedings, from even the bottle!
 milk has increased a small amount.
i had to go a 5 hour stretch earlier, and i made 7 ounces. and another 4 hour stretched produced nearly 6.

im still taking the reglan, blessed thistle and the fenugreek.
we'll see how it goes.


in other news, ive created Breastfeeding Baskets to sell to help new mommies.
(with all the proceeds going to fertility treatments for a wonderful woman in my life!)
things like fenugreek, breastfeeding covers, burp rags, breast pads, nipple cream.
the complete package.
heres hoping that it can be helpful!
and successful!

ill go back to tracking tomorrow!

Galactagogue log.

Not lazy.just tired.
I sleep now....

Article: breastmilks many uses

disclaimer: i can not endorse anything other than breastmilk as the most important method of baby feeding. i have not tried all of these uses, but found this interesting! before making any drastic choices, please consult an educated physician. blah blah blah. :)

SOURCE: http://voices.yahoo.com/breast-milk-its-many-uses-156688.html 

Breast milk is not only the best way to feed your newborn or infant, this nourishing substance has the ability to heal and protect the body as well. I am not just talking about your infant's body; I am talking about yours as well as your older children. In this article I am going to discuss some of the basic ways you can use breast milk to cure common ailments.

What exactly is breast milk? According to the Webster's New World Medical Dictionary, breast milk is milk from the breast. Human milk contains a balance of nutrients that closely matches infant requirements for brain development, growth and a healthy immune system. Human milk also contains immunologic agents and other compounds that act againstviruses, bacteria, and parasites. Since an infant's immune system is not fully developed until age 2, human milk provides a distinct advantage over formula.

Children who are breastfed enjoy lower rates of several chronic childhood diseases, includingrespiratory infections and ear infections as well as diarrhea. Breast-fed infants gain less weight and tend to be leaner at 1 year of age than formula-fed infants, resulting in fewer overweight and obesechildren.

Breastfeeding releases a hormone in a woman's body that causes her uterus to return to its normal size and shape more quickly and reduces blood loss after delivery. In addition, breastfeeding for longer periods of time (up to 2 years) and among younger mothers may possibly reduce the risks ofbreast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Pink Eye: Breast milk has the ability to treat and cure eye infections such as Pink Eye. All you need to do is to squirt the milk into the infected eyes. You should do this frequently as possible until the eye is completely healed. If you were treating your infant's eyes for Pink Eye, the best result would be to wait until the baby is asleep. Some babies can be treated while awake, however, it may be difficult. You should squirt the milk around the crease of the closed eye and then gently lift the eyelids and allow all of the breast milk to seep into the closed eye.

Sore Cracked Nipples: Many new mommies experience the pain and discomfort of sore cracked nipples from breastfeeding their newborn. Creams and oils can work wonders, however, the best medicine lies right inside of the breast. Breast milk can be rubbed around the sore areas of the nipples after feeding and then left out to briefly air dry.

Mosquito and Ant Bites: Breast milk is a sterile disinfecting concoction; so placing the substance on insect bites can actually work wonders. You should squirt a little milk on the bites and rub in thoroughly. This will help to stop the itching that may be caused by the insect bite.

Acne/Eczema/Diaper rash: Breast milk can help to clear up these nasty skin disorders. All you need to do is to wash the infected area of the skin with clean water, and then you can apply the breast milk all over the infected area. You should then let the milk air-dry.

Facial Cleanser: Breast milk holds the ability to clean the skin very well. You should apply the breast milk on the face and wipe it clean. Believe it or not, breast milk can remove eye makeup.

Sore Throat and Mouth Sores: You should breast feed your baby if their throat becomes sore. If you get a canker sore you can swish a little breast milk around in your mouth for several seconds. This will help to heal the infection.

Stuffy Nose: If your infant has a stuffy nose, all you have to do is squirt a few droplets of milk into the nose and then suction or squeeze out; follow the same procedures as you would for saline.

Immunity Boost: If your older children are getting sick or they just need a little pick me up, you can give them breast milk in order to boost their immune system.

Plugged Eye Ducts: If your infant's eyes are plugged you can squirt breast milk into the eye crease at the nose. You should do this four times the first day and only two the day after.

Scratches, Burns, Gouges, and Scrapes: These can all be treated with breast milk. You just have to squirt and rub breast milk on the infected area. Then you let the area air-dry and then bandage as normal.

Sexual Lubricant: Males can squirt the breast milk directly onto the penis in order to use as a lubricant during sexual intercourse. Females can hand express the milk into a sterile cup in order to do this. Breast milk can be used the same as a couple would use Vaseline, KY Jelly, or Astroglide.

Contact Lenses: For people who wear contacts, running out of solution during dyer moments can be one of the most frustrating and eye painful situations. Remember, breast milk is a sterile substance, so you can use the milk the same as you would solution for your dry contacts or to clean them.

Eye Puffiness and Redness: You can squirt breast milk into the eye to cure puffiness and redness.

Breast Cancer: Breast-feeding your infant is one of the best ways to prevent breast cancer from developing in you. Breast-feeding provides a means of protection for you from getting the disease.

Chicken Pox: You can use breast milk to help ease the pain of itching by using the same as you would Calamine Lotion or any other ointment.

Leg Ulcers: You can squirt breast milk on leg ulcers in order to clear them up.

Chapped lips/skin: All you have to do is express a small amount of breast milk onto the fingers and wipe over the lips/skin. Do not rub the milk in; you should leave the area a little wet.

Donating breast milk can be a wonderful charitable deed. Here is a list of clinical, medicinal, therapeutic, post surgical uses for donor breast milk.

Clinical Uses of Donor Breast Milk:

· Prematurely

· Malabsorbtion syndromes

· Renal failure

· Inborn errors of metabolism

· Cardiac problems

· Pediatric burn cases

· Failure to thrive

· Short-gut syndrome

· Feeding intolerance

· Post Surgical

· Bronchi pulmonary dysplasia

Medicinal/Therapeutic uses of Donor Breast Milk:

· Treatment for infectious diseases

· Intractable diarrhea

· Gastrontentis

· Infantile botulism

· Sepsis

· Pneumonia

· Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis

Post Surgical Healing:

· Omphaloele

· Gastroschisis

· Intestinal Obstruction/bowel fistula

· Colostomy Repar

Donor Breast milk can also help with immunodeficiency diseases, severe allergies, IGA deficiencies, and solid organ transplant.

I hope that this article will be of some help to you God willing.

article: breastmilk as day wears on

source:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001091757.htm

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2009) — The levels of the components in breast milk change every 24 hours in response to the needs of the baby. A new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscienceshows, for example, how this milk could help newborn babies to sleep.

The scientists looked for three nucleotides in breast milk (adenosine, guanosine and uridine), which excite or relax the central nervous system, promoting restfulness and sleep, and observed how these varied throughout a 24-hour period.Breast milk contains various ingredients, such as nucleotides, which perform a very important role in regulating babies' sleep. The new study confirms that the composition of breast milk changes quite markedly throughout the day.

The milk, collected from 30 women living in Extremadura, was expressed over a 24-hour period, with six to eight daily samples. The highest nucleotide concentrations were found in the night-time samples (8pm to 8am).

"This made us realise that milk induces sleep in babies", Cristina L. Sánchez, lead author of the article and a researcher at the Chrononutrition Laboratory at the University of Extremadura, tells SINC.

"You wouldn't give anyone a coffee at night, and the same is true of milk – it has day-specific ingredients that stimulate activity in the infant, and other night-time components that help the baby to rest", explains Sánchez.

In order to ensure correct nutrition, the baby should be given milk at the same time of day that it was expressed from the mother's breast. "It is a mistake for the mother to express the milk at a certain time and then store it and feed it to the baby at a different time", points out the researcher. .

The benefits of breast milk

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says breast milk is the best food for the newborn, and should not be substituted, since it meets all the child's physiological requirements during the first six months of life. It not only protects the baby against many illnesses such as colds, diarrhoea and sudden infant death syndrome, but can also help prevent future diseases such as asthma, allergies and obesity, and promotes intellectual development.

The benefits of breastfeeding also extend to the mother. Women who breastfeed lose the weight gained during pregnancy more quickly, and it also helps prevent against anaemia, high blood pressure and postnatal depression. Osteoporosis and breast cancer are also less common among women who breastfeed their children.

Breast Milk as Cancer treatment

sourcE:  http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/2007/05/breast-milk-as-cancer-treatment.html?m=1

this has always made me think. and this blog entry as well as its comments made me think. enjoy!

Breast Milk as a Cancer Treatment

There was a story that ran on CBS 5 in San Jose earlier this month that talked about Howard Cohen and his breast milk smoothies. Cohen drinks a fruit, yogurt and breast milk smoothie each day after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His reasoning?

He read about a study that showed that breast milk kills cancer cells. He started off drinking the breast milk of a friend, but soon turned to the Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose with a prescription from a doctor in hand.

He's not the first to try it. The San Jose Milk bank has shipped breast milk to dozens of adult cancer patients. Our milk bank here in Columbus has done the same. 

Not everyone is a fan of the idea though. 

Dr. David Newberg, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, put is this way: "I do think that it's premature for adults to be drinking breast milk. It hasn't been fully tested yet and we like to be very careful not to use things in humans that we don't understand."

Umm...ok. Does anyone else think it's funny that Dr. Newberg speaks like breast milk is this mysterious unknown force that might hurt you if you drink it? I mean who knows for certain if it kills cancer, but I don't think anyone can argue that at worst, it will simply have no impact. Breast milk from a screened donor is not going to HARM anyone, no matter what the age. It just might not help them. 

On the other hand, one of the other doctors interviewed makes a very good point. 

Dr. Pamela Berens with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine ... worries adults using donor milk will deplete the already limited supply, commenting that "right now we don't have enough breast milk for our donor milk banks for the premature infants who we have such wonderful data about the benefits."

Honestly? That's my primary concern.

We don't have enough breast milk now for the babies in the NICUs across the country that desperately need it. Babies for whom breast milk means the difference between life and death. 

While I'm fascinated with the idea that breast milk could help fight, or even cure cancer, I have a hard time justifying using up the very limited supply when there are lots of other treatments available for adult cancer patients.

That's not to say that I wouldn't pump for an adult friend with cancer if they asked me to. I'm just not keep on using our limited screened donor milk for that purpose.

But the thing that I find strangest about the story? 

Mr. Cohen's quote that says:

"It doesn't taste all that pleasant. It's a bit oily and there's an after-taste."

What? Oily? 

I thought breast milk tasted like cantaloupe. (Anyone else remember that Friend's episode?)

Seriously though, I've tasted it...licking it off a finger, but I've never actually taken a gulp, so I have no idea what it tastes like. I just have a hard time believing that it's "oily." 

It is pretty darn high in fat content though, so I suppose someone used to skim milk might find it to be a bit more fatty and could refer to that as oily...

That quote just really rubs me the wrong way though.

So how about you guys? Would you drink breast milk from a friend or milk bank if you were diagnosed with cancer? How far would you go to get it? Would you pump for a friend or family member? Do you support milk banks shipping breast milk to adults?

article: food allergies

SOURCE:  http://breastfeeding.about.com/b/2007/12/01/food-allergy-risk-is-decreased-by-breastfeeding.htm 

Just when we were down on the recent research on breastfeeding, allergies, and asthma, we received some good news...Breastfeeding decreases the risk of children developing food allergies. Dr. Robert Wood, International Health Director for Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine states, "A review of 18 studies demonstrates a significant protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding for at least three months for children with high risk for atopy against the development of atopic dermatitis and early childhood asthma-like symptoms."

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology presented this information at its recent annual meeting. They also recommend the following:

• Women should avoid peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy and while breastfeeding
• If a mother is going to supplement her baby, she should use a hypoallergenic formula
• Avoid feeding solid foods until 6 months of age
• Delay introduction of milk and egg until age 1; peanuts and tree nuts until age 3
• If allergies are apparent, begin early intervention immediately.

So sometimes there is a silver lining!

my son, the lactivist :)

in an attempt to express every last bit of milk, i hand express after pumping. today my son saw this and ased what i was doing, while laughing as if it were ridiculous. :]

i responded "im getting some more milks out." he asked "how are you doing that?"

i said "im squeezing it out." he laughed again and said "no mahmee, you gotta pump it out! Pump it! Pump it out! Pump it!" as he said "pump it" he would do a little dance and giggle. he then stopped and staredat me with a deadpan look on his face.

"mahmee. im going to call you "pump out."

i love my son. he is so comfortable with breastfeeding and nourishing my daughter. and he isnt strange about it.

:]

hilary duff finds breastfeeding rewarding!

source: http://celebritybabies.people.com/2012/04/19/breastfeeding-hilary-duff-nursing-luca-is-rewarding/

Hilary Duff: Seeing Luca Thrive on Breastmilk Is Rewarding

Jennifer Wilson Photography

New mom Hilary Duff is splitting the parenting withMike Comrie, but there’s one aspect of tending to their son Luca Cruz that she has to handle herself.

“He’s really hands-on during the day,” the actress and singer, 24, who is the new spokesperson forJohnson’s Baby Cares initiative, tells PEOPLE of her husband.

“But at night, I’m the only one that can feed the baby. I wasn’t going to make him suffer just because I was having to get up.”

Though she leaves pumped milk for Comrie and her mother, who watches the baby while she takes a Pilates or spin class, Duff enjoys the time she spends nursing her 4-week-old son.

“It’s such a wonderful bonding time,” says Duff. “Just to have your baby thrive and knowing that you’redoing that and you’re responsible — it’s such a rewarding feeling.”

That same sense of responsibility since she entered into the world of motherhood motivated Duff to partner with Johnson’s Baby Cares for their Save the Children campaign, which will assemble, donate and distribute 5,000 Johnson’s Baby Care Kits that will provide families with baby care essentials immediately, during and after disasters.

“I’m involved in many different charities, but just becoming a new mom and when I heard about Johnson’s doing this, I was really inspired,” she explains.

“It’s such a great thing to have these kits be prepared for these new moms [so they are able] to take care of their babies. That’s all that’s been on my mind. The second that you have your baby, you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m 100 percent responsible for this.’”

At this point in Luca’s life, Duff says the relatively monotonous daily routine is broken up by frequent milestones.

“The day is exciting if he makes a new face or he gets to take a real bath instead of a sponge bath,” she shares.

“You know what was a big milestone? The belly button falling off. That was a huge one. And then I wanted to keep it but my husband was like, ‘No, that’s gross, you can’t keep it!’ I’m like, ‘I’m totally keeping it,’ and I secretly kept it.”

Duff adds, laughing, “But now it’s not a secret anymore. It’s in a Ziploc bag in the back of my makeup drawer. Luca’s going to think I’m a freak!”

studying. (IBLCE exam 2014)

i bring my breastfeeding books all over.

my core curriculum

my jack newman ultimate guide

and another one Breastfeeding Management.

i have another on the way.

i read them everywhere.

while i pump. while im in the bath. while waiting in the car. while the kids nap.

i know im not taking the exam for a long while yet. but ive always been one to be intimidated by things of heavy weight. and this is heavy to me. this is a big exam, testing my knowledge, my studies, and my passion.

this is what i want my life to be all the time, why not start now?

waiting on financial aid to clear for this new path is rough. all the requirements have been sent in now we wait. ah! so hard.

im trying to be as positive and confident as possible. lots of knowledge will be shoved into my head in the coming years. relax, and your brain retains more!

keep me in your thoughts and prayers folks...this means so much to me.

Galactagogue Diaries: 24 hour log #2

barf!

this is not going well so far.

but heres todays:

(hopefully tomorrow i start on the reglan and can see a noticable increase)

100AM: 2.5

230AM: 2.0 (took 3 fenugreek here)

815AM: 4.0

930AM:2.5

1230PM: 3.5

400PM: 3.0

700PM: 3.0 (took 3 Blessed thistle and 3 fenugreek here.)

930PM: 3.75 (35 minutes of pumping and then hand expression. uggghhhh)

1140PM: 2.25 (took 4 Fenugreek)

looking back i didnt take much blessed thistle today. gotta be more on that.

need to log water intake too. just to maybe see correlation.

hmmmm more later.

total: 26.5. im frustrated. but dammit all i dont give up. milk is milk and thats 26.5 ounces of hope!

Reglan V1

frustrated.

doc was supposed to call in an RX for reglan so i could start it.

im desperate :(

they have been busy with one provider out of the office, so they mustve forgot.

i went to pick it up and it wasnt there. njlfhaklsjdfa!

im so frustrated! going 2 hours without pumping makes me nervous. its like if i dont it doesnt build up, it stops. im just overwhelmed.

no one said it would be easy to bfeed. but no one told me it would be hard. either time.

i wrote today:

what do you do when you try EVERYTHING and it doesnt work?
you keep trying anyway.

(sometimes i hate being level headed)

its just irritating.

i want an easy go.

luckily for the most part my girl is a happy one.

its just me. and i can handle some inconvenience and frustration. as long as the end result is positive experience, and long term breastmilk feeding.

on another note, my breastfeeding support baskets are coming along! discount nursing pads and reusable ones, as well as fenugreek and creams. i think the best thing i can do to be supportive is a silent support, so they feel comfortable coming to me verbally knowing i wont be harsh on them.

breastmilk is so important. and i feel good supporting it.

sigh...as long as breastmilk goes in...doesnt matter how eh?

love this article. Kelly Preston and Breastfeeding Backlash

source:  http://www.bestforbabes.org/kelly-preston-extended-breastfeeding 

Kelly Preston and "Extended" Breastfeeding

By Bettina Forbes, CLC | Posted on April 19, 2012 | No Comments |

As someone who didn't want to breastfeed past six months (and feared embarrassment), I can understand where some of the comments (230+ and counting!) are coming from with regards to Kelly Preston's news that she is nursing 16-month old Benjamin  (see PEOPLE.com–we shared it here last week, when we announced Kelly as a Best for Babes Champion for Moms).

Ben may be wearing jeans, but he's still a baby!!

What changed my mind about nursing past a few months was the fact that 1) breastfeeding after 6 months was SO easy and convenient, especially while traveling or running errands, and it seemed silly NOT to continue, and 2) my 2-year old daughter was the only one of her peers not to be hospitalized for dehydration during a nasty rotovirus outbreak; breastmilk was the only fluid she could keep down (not pedialyte or water).

There is also a ton of research and information about how breastfeeding  after a year is awesome.  Read on, you may be surprised (list culled fromKellymom.com and other sources):

FACTS about breastfeeding after 1 year:

• After 1 year, human milk has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with human milk before 1 year.  Babies' brains are growing and NEED the extra fat & especially human cholesterol.
• In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides (Dewey 2001):  29% of energy requirements, 43% of protein requirements,36% of calcium requirements,75% of vitamin A requirements,76% of folate requirements, 94% of vitamin B12 requirements, 60% of vitamin C requirements . Note that this is exactly what baby humans need; cow's milk is designed to grow baby cows which have smaller brains per body mass.
• Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).  In other words, the longer that toddlers are allowed to nurse, the lower their risk of disease.  There is also a proportionate increase in IQ for babies and toddlers who breastfeed longer, i.e. higher IQ for breastfeeding over 1 year vs. 6-12 months.
• Some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991).
• In cultures where mothers and babies are not pressured to wean prematurely, babies self-wean  naturally between 2.5 and 7 years of age, with most babies self-weaning around age 3 or 4. (Dettwyler)
• The longer babies are allowed to nurse the better socially adjusted they are. Per the researchers, 'There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.'"
• Breastfeeding toddlers (babies > 1 year), helps them learn to self-soothe and self-regulate, manage frustrations (some parents report avoiding the "terrible twos" altogether) and lessens pain from bumps and bruises (breastmilk contains analgesics, i.e. natural pain-killers).  Nursing toddlers are easier to handle in the doctor's office, too!
• Breastfeeding toddlers (babies > 1 year) helps them make a gradual transition to childhood, "Meeting a child's dependency needs is the key to helping that child achieve independence. And children outgrow these needs according to their own unique timetable."  Children who achieve independence at their own pace are more secure in that independence then children forced into independence prematurely.
• The longer mothers breastfeed, the lower their risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease.
• Older babies/toddlers nurse fewer times per day, most people are usually unaware they are nursing.
• Babies that are old enough to "ask" to nurse are also old enough to say "thank you", one of the sweetest experiences any mother can experience!

So, truthfully, there is no such thing as "extended" breastfeeding or "still" breastfeeding much as there is no such thing as "extended" walking or "still" walking.   Breastfeeding, like walking, is part of being human and begins and ends when it is evolutionary and developmentally advantageous.  In the case of breastfeeding, that is birth to somewhere between 2.5 and 7, end of story.   Anything other than that is premature weaning–and we all need to accept and acknowledge that.

Of course, may choose to wean early for various reasons (I did!), but we owe it to ourselves to acknowledge and OWN those reasons.   Furthermore, nobody should be judged for weaning at any time, but listened to, UNDERSTOOD and accepted.    Through this kind of supportive dialogue, mothers are more likely to breastfeed longer, and start to think about whether, if any, booby traps kept them from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals.   No matter when a mother weans,  every ounce, every day counts!  Cheer moms on first, listen and seek to understand before you educate.  Don't leave an angry rant on a blog. 

Galactagogue Diaries: 24 hour log #1

today is one of the first days of trying to increase milk supply. thats a fib, im about 5 days in i'd say.

fenugreek, blessed thistle, oatmeal and a HEAVY increase in pumping. no full sessions at the breast. maybe one or two minutes here and there. but its mostly pumping.

i decided to do a log so i can show you an account of how long its taking me to rebuild supply.

im a night owl, and i know prolactin levels are higher at night, so i stayed up late last night.

230am: 3.75 ounces (this was in two pumping sessions from 1-230am)

600am: 5 ounces

1000am: 4 ounces

200pm: 2 ounces

300pm 1.75 ounces

515pm: 2.75 ounces

650pm: 2 ounces

830pm: 3 ounces

1030pm: 1.5 ounces

1130pm: 1.25 ounces

100am: 2.5 ounces

total in 24 hours: 29.5 ounces.

im gonna continue with the log keeping. maybe this will be a good example of how quickly milk supply is increased. all i know is its hard to see 29.5 and be ecstatic about it. but who knows, maybe i didnt even break 25 yesterday or something...

we shall see!

Breastfeeding Acceptance Fail

this upset me so much. it normalizes bottle feeding (which to most conjures mental images of enfamil and similac in those bottles). but i have to laugh it off.

and then focus on a WIN. the WIN? that this place created a safe place for nursing mothers.

im pro breastfeeding, and im pro breastfeeding in EVERY location.

but i personally would MUCH rather have facilities to nurse in. then again im very modest and not graceful with a cover. lol.

since you failed and you won, i give you a C people.

my reason for working SO hard.

hi baby girl.

youre the most beautiful girl in any room.

today

ive pumped 11 times in 24 hours.

i made just under 30 ounces which is just shy of what she takes in i'd say. shes at maybe 30-35ish. some more some less.

longpumping sessions and frequent.

im trying.

but today...even though i tried at reast for a few minutes with no success, i didnt cry.

im taking it in stride.

get in my skin to skin.

love my girl.

let her laugh and smile.

get the supply up and keep trying at the breast.

she'll come back.

regardless, my girl WILL have my milk.

im trying everything for as long as my body lets me.

i wont give up.

mission Make More Milk update

oatmeal has been known to increase supply in some women...so ive eaten my sons weight in it this last 24 hours :)
my friend C was so kind to introduce me to Mothers Milk Tea in a baby shower gift along with a cup for it! :) im on it!

i ran out of my first bottle of fenugreek (also from my rad friend c) so i bought bulk online. one for me, maybe two, and a couple to pay it forward to other soon to be nursing mothers in their baby shower gifts! mothers more prepared for breastfeeding will try a little more!
and some BT to top it off.

sigh.

i.have.faith.

and if faith falls through (it wont)

im stubborn as hell. so theres that :)

Selma Blair just dont care...bout breastfeeding in public :]

SOURCE: http://celebritybabies.people.com/2012/03/29/selma-blair-get-real-for-kids-breastfeeding-arthur/ 

Passerby, be warned! When Selma Blair's 8-month-old son is hungry, the actress doesn't hesitate to breastfeed him, no matter the audience.

"The only time he cries is if he's hungry," the Anger Management star, 39, tells PEOPLE. "We all have nipples. I don't care who I offend; my baby wants to eat. If I can't get a cover over me quick enough, so be it."

Courtesy Melissa Hutchinson

Her commitment to Arthur Saint's nutrition is what led the actress to partner with Get Real for Kids, a non-profit organization aimed at educating parents about food choices when it comes to feeding themselves and their children.

"Get Real for Kids is started by my very best childhood friend, Dr. Sue, so it made sense to get involved," she says.

"Nourishing myself correctly is very new to me, so I'm learning as well. It was important for me to be a real mom who loves her kid and needs to have more energy for herself and is trying to learn how to do this."

Courtesy Melissa Hutchinson

As a first-time mom, Blair admits she's "really obsessed" with her son, and considers herself lucky that she was able to spend most of his infancy at home with him.

"I never want to leave his side," she says. "I'm one of those hovering mothers and I know it's really important to have an independent child, so I'm trying to back off, but it's hard. I love him so much, and he's so funny and cute to me."

Blair is also enjoying her and Jason Bleick's baby boy's "sweet" and "outgoing" personality.

"He loves music, he loves to bang on the drums," she shares. "He [also] doesn't mind being teased, he's an adrenaline junkie. He likes to be thrown up in the air."

hospitals pressured to stop with the free alternative baby milk...

source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/09/us-usa-hospitals-breastfeeding-idUSBRE8380RR20120409

(Reuters) - New parents leaving U.S. hospitals often take home a corporate gift along with their babies: a tote bag filled with infant formula. Consumer advocates want to end the giveaways, which they say undermine breastfeeding.

In a letter to more than 2,600 hospitals, dozens of consumer and health organizations called on the facilities to stop distributing free samples of formula that they say entangles healthcare providers in pharmaceutical and food manufacturers' marketing and could be seen as an endorsement.

Giving formula to new parents discourages some new mothers from breastfeeding, the groups said on Monday in the letter sent by the advocacy group Public Citizen. They are also petitioning the $4 billion infant formula industry's leaders - Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co and Nestle SA - to halt the practice.

Hospitals aim "to promote the health of infants and mothers, but the ongoing promotion of infant formula conflicts with this mission," Public Citizen President Robert Weissman wrote in the letter to hospital chief executives.

The move is part of a renewed effort to boost U.S. rates of breastfeeding, which is known to confer a wide range of health benefits from reducing obesity to boosting immunity and is recommended for at least a baby's first six months of life.

Formula makers and hospitals defend the free samples, saying they are meeting women's needs.

Just 14 percent of 6-month-old infants are exclusively breastfed, something U.S. health officials want to increase to about 26 percent by 2020. Breastfeeding also lags among lower-income women, according to the government data.

Still, breastfeeding in the United States is increasing, according to the World Health Organization, partly because more hospitals offer breastfeeding support and allow babies to stay in their mothers' hospital rooms.

About 66 percent of hospitals still give away formula, a 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released last year found, down from nearly 73 percent in 2007.

Often the practice involves a corporate-sponsored tote bag from a formula company filled with samples of their product along with diapers, pamphlets and other items. Samples are often also mailed to people's homes along with coupons for more.

'MORE INFORMATION, NOT LESS'

The industry's trade group said such samples had been given away for more than 40 years and that most women wanted the bags.

"We can't forget that some moms even though they plan to breastfeed, they either can't or they decide not to," said International Formula Council Executive Vice President Mardi Mountford. "We believe they want more information, not less."

The consumer and health groups said in their letter that a hospital's involvement could sway women and that giving away formula samples worked against their other efforts. Rather than promoting breastfeeding, the packages of formula could encourage women to give up nursing their infants instead of seeking help and support, the groups said.

Once the free samples are gone, families also end up spending between $800 and $2,800 a year on formula, they added.

Some hospitals have already stopped formula giveaways, and a few states and cities have banned the practice.

The American Hospital Association, in a statement, said its members drafted policies based on mothers' preferences and that while breastfeeding was best, "having information and resources available for mothers who choose not to breastfeed is a responsible and supportive approach for the hospital."

Representatives for Abbott, Mead Johnson and Nestle did not immediately return requests for comment.

Kelly Preston loves Breastfeeding :]

SourcE: People.com

When the time comes, Kelly Preston admits weaning her 16-month-old son Benjamin won't be easy — and not just for him.

"When I stop, it's going to be really hard on me. I love nursing so much," Preston, 49, tells PEOPLE.

"I love the closeness and knowing that I'm giving him the best as far as nutrients and antibodies. And he really loves it, too."

Not yet on a schedule, Ben shares the bed with Preston and hubby John Travolta. She nurses him couple times a night and four or five times during the day.

"He'll come up and point and go, 'Mama, more,'" says Preston, laughing. "It's so cute!"

Like his big sister Ella, 12, Ben has also developed an eclectic palate: he's already a fan of filet mignon, scallops, salmon, organic veggies and, says his proud mom, "pretty much everything" — and is growing by leaps and bounds.

"New words are coming so fast," says Preston, who recently partnered with non-profits Best for Babes and Healthy Child Healthy World to help educate moms about healthy living. "He loves 'B' words — basketball, bus, belly button, bird. He talks to birds and looks at them in the sky, and loves airplanes, busses, balls and lizards … and his favorite star is Elmo."

Preston, who turns 50 in October, often swaps lifestyle and baby tips with her girlfriends, including fellow moms Jenna Elfman and Laila Ali, with whom she co-hosted an event Saturday at Elfman's house to celebrate moms and educate them about raising kids in eco-friendly homes.

As it turned out, Preston was a little late to her own party. But who could blame her? As she told her guests, including mom-to-be Vanessa Lachey, she was busy nursing!

Galactagogue diaries: Breakin out the big guns

My supply isn't increasing as much as id hoped as fast as id hoped. Of course I'm 9 weeks out and generally after 6 its a bit more of a challenge to increase. Or so I've read :) I know its hard once baby sleeps through the night...
I made 3.75 ounces total in two pumping sessions...midnight thirty and 2am.
So I'm bustin out the big guns.
I ate this HUGE bowl of oatmeal tonight. Ill be having it for breakfast and lunch tomorrow with fruits as snacks to keep other calories in.
Raising fenugreek from 8 tabs a day to 10
And blessed thistle to 9. (Btw found a bulk deal on fenugreek and got 5 bottles with 100 tabs each for 33 bucks! Excellent! Some for me and some for baby shower gifts in my "booby baskets".
I'm gonna up my water intake and make sure I'm not too dehydrated or anything.
Loads more skin to skin.
I do breast massage. Then 20 mins pump. Then breast massage then hand expression and a little more pumping. Tedious and difficult with my newborn and a toddler. Sigh. But worth it!
If it doesn't increase some with these changes daily, I'm gonna call and ask doc for an rx for reglan, and set night alarms and go every 90 mins at night.
I love you ladies...but please make some milk!!

Night!!

exclusively pumping mommies V.1

more on this later because i have to go pump. 

but as time presses on i feel depressed, discouraged and even rejected by my baby as she refuses my breast. 

is it the reflux? is it nipple confusion? is it nipple preference? is it the taste of my milk from hormones? i have no answers right now. 

but my supply is down. shes on a bottle and i have been pumping very very frequently. 

EP mommies have SUCH dedication. 

they commit to their babies health even when they have to excuse themselves from company to pump...pump in the car before and after events or on trips. they have to pump at certain times. trake supplements to keep supply up. set alarms to pump at night. spend twice as much time as a mother who feeds of the breast. they have to pump and store milk, make the bottles and feed the baby, and sanitize and clean parts of the pump. its a labor of love, and something those women do for their babies. there is NOTHING easy about EP. NOTHING negative that should be said. its a wonderful and inconvenient but SO WORTH IT practice. 

that said, ill go into more later, but if you are an EP mommy and need some help with supply, watch the video here:

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

i have done it at 3 pumpings and have gotten WAY more than i was before!

good luck mommas. 

be VERY proud of yourself. 

put it away...

my son walked into me and gave me a hug as i was "airing out" with bactroban on my nip. i said "be cxareful baby, i have an owie on my booby."

he pulls back and looks at me, and then down to my breast, and then back at me. 

"i dont like that mahmee. put it away. this is ridiculous. put it away....its scary and ridiculous."

he's three. 

very open about me nursing my girl, and even familiar with the pump. 

but for some reason, he just doesnt like nips lathered in ointment :) 

love this story though. so precious!

raynauds and bactroban update

im not sure what to think. LC thinks my purple and white nips might be raynauds. 

in other news...i got my RX of bactroban :) i think it may help the nips! i dont feel the pain as much when i pump. 

as i type im lying ina  huge beanbag, with my nursing flaps down, with the bac on my nip :) 

hope it works!

ARGH.

so much is on my plate.

im going to copy and paste what i posted on my facebook.

ive not been honest with everyone about m. and her problems with what we all just called colic.

but today we started treatment for reflux. i hate that treatments for baby illnesses are experimental because you cant isolate an illness as easily with a baby that cant communicate.

sigh.

also, LC appt today due to M refusing the breast. she is still crying during feeds, and not lasting even 10 minutes. today her intake at the LC was ounces, and that was with 30 minutes of effort. she also saw my nip, says the gash is too big and i need a doc, hopefully to start bactroban if the doc RX's it for me. and possible raynauds. the discoloration ive been dealing with is purple sometimes white, and only painful when its chilly but i didnt see enough blanching to think it was raynauds. i may have been naive. sigh. im calling tomorow to make an appt.

no thrush at all. thankfully.

but lets just say im running out of things to be wrong with our breastfeeding relationship so it HAS to look up soon right?!

so thats how today went. and im sad panda.

heres the bloggity blog:

my friends. oh my friends.im in a very hard place. im normally very guarded about anything negative, and dont release these negative vibes on such a public forum, but im defeated, and now very vulnerable.

my heart is crestfallen. im a little broken inside, as only a mothers heart can be broken.

id like to pretend that having my sweet sweet girl home is all rainbows and butterflies. its much easier than the alternative of admitting that its not been perfect. it makes me feel like a failure myself. but we've run into bumps. my girl isnt the perfect happy easy baby her brother was. she spends a large portion of her day crying, and has had quite a bit of trouble since her arrival earthside. she has some good days every so often, but for the most part, the lot of her 8 weeks here have not been without discomfort and sadness to my sweet. upon researching and taking her for her checkups we have treated this condition of crying as any new parent would: as though it were normal "colic" and she would grow out of it withinx amount of weeks or months. some things we tried have offered her comfort, but not always on a consistent basis and we have been left wondering why and feeling so sad.

today we saw a doctor who confirmed our fear that our beautiful little girl is not experiencing typical baby fussy colic, but she is in pain. with littles, its hard to identify WHERE in the body the baby feels pain.

the first thing to rule out is tummy issues, as that is the easiest to treat and the best possible scenario. in my efforts to stop her from feeling such sadness, ive been working on this for weeks. ive cut out all dairy products and products with any cows milk protein and different vegetables and foods (as she gets her nutrition from me).

these changes havent helped her, so we are trying a medication out for the next bit. it can take 2 weeks to fully take effect, and im just so so hopeful that its just a tummy issue so we dont have to put her through two more weeks of pain before we can try something else.

my poor girl.

i just cant stand it. I HATE that my baby hurts. i HATE seeing her in pain. i HATE that she doesnt get restful sleep during the day and cries until she is exhausted. i HATE that she refuses to eat. I hate that she writhes in pain in my arms. I hate that while other mommies and daddies get smiles and coos and laughter all the time, i literally try to photograph every smiling fit she has so i have photographic evidence. I hate everytime she gets weighed and has barely gained a thing. I hate shorting julian on outings and playdates or flaking on plans or cancelling last minute because of how she is feeling on a certain day. I hate daddy and i having to take shifts on who holds the crying girl. i hate that she cries for the duration of every car ride, even moreso knowing shes been in pain every time we have traveled, and i could have prevented that level of pain by just not going in the car. I hate that i DONT know whats wrong and that i CANT fix it completely.

im supposed to be able to make her BETTER. and i feel like ive totally failed for the last 8 weeks.

please think berry berry good thoughts for my girl.

please let it be a silly little tummy issue.

i want my girl to smile that pretty smile all the time.

i just love that M. Narae SO much.

youre the most beautiful girl in any room, sweets.

my Jude, you have been SO incredible. never once complaining about her crying (although your well played "can we leave maya in the car" jokes, while sad, were welcomed comedic relief), you have been SUCH a loving brother always doing everything you can to make her smile and kissing her when she is sad. its my hope you dont remember the millions of times i have scolded you for your loud voice so i can protect mayas moments of slumber throughout the day. maya is SO blessed to have you as her brother. so so blessed.

Jamie....for better or for worse...in sickness and in health....who says that applies only to ourselves. thank you for working so hard and letting me stay with our girl. thank you for being the best daddy ever. thank you for breaking sometimes, but not at the same times that i do. thanks for being pretty freakin awesome. love.you. we'd be lost without each other and our babies would be lost without us.

think your bestest thoughts friends.