I am joining in my fellow momma blogging friend Julia in her Saturday "Moma Loves". I agree with Julia and have learned a great deal from reading other Mommy blogs. I am excited to read the responses she gets from other bloggers about their most loved gadgets.
My "Moma Loves" product is Milkies Milk Saver . I wish I knew about this product when I had Austin and we struggled with our breastfeeding issues. I discovered the milk saver several months ago. I read reviews and was intrigued. I ordered two milk savers just a week before Aubrey's scheduled arrival. When I received my package in the mail, I eagerly opened them.
1st impression - WOW, these are HUGE. Definitely not discreet as the packaging describes. I was a bit skeptical at this point. But I was willing to give them a try since it was too much effort to return ship them.
I packed one milk saver in my hospital bag, just in case the opportunity presented itself to try out this new gadget. Since Aubrey is a wonderful nurser, I never even took it out of my bag until we came home and I unpacked.
On Sunday (4 days post delivery) I first used the milk saver. When I nursed Aubrey, I slipped the milk saver in my nursing tank on the opposite side that I would be nursing. After my first usage of the milk saver - I was sold. I collected 1ounce of "leaked" milk from each side - no pumping required.
As of now (10 days post delivery) I collect on average 10 ounces per day from the milk saver alone. I have a freezer stash of 70 ounces and counting. *Not all of my stash is from using the milk saver alone, I have pumped several times in the past 10 days to relieve the pressure of engorgement. I only use the milk saver during feedings. For me, it does not seem practical to slip the contraption in my nursing bra/tank to collect any leaked milk throughout the day, as the packaging suggests.
As a mom who experienced a "low supply" with Austin, I feel this amount of a breastmilk stash at only 10 days is AMAZING. I do not feel the pressure to save every last drop of breastmilk. Nor panic when Aubrey spits up my "liquid gold".
I have three goals for breastfeeding right now.
1. Produce enough milk for Aubrey to exclusively breastfeed until 1 year.
2. Produce enough milk for Austin to be able have a cup of breastmilk each day. This will give him the antibodies present in breastmilk to help him fight his food allergies.
3. Donate milk to a bank to nourish babies born prematurely who greatly benefit from receiving breastmilk.
The milk saver has made these goals actual possibilities. I realize that as my milk supply regulates to meet the demands that Aubrey has placed upon my body, I might not leak near the amount of milk that I currently leak. But for now I am collecting the milk that otherwise would be thrown out in a nursing pad.
My family
My Family
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
# 4 is Here
It has been a while since I have last blogged. I have been a busy momma and am proud to introduce to my blog readers.
AUBREY GABRIELLE
Wednesday, July 20 I woke at 3am to shower and get ready to HAVE A BABY. By 4:30am Adam and I were headed to the hospital to meet our daughter. We arrived promptly at 5:30am at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3rd floor - labor and delivery. We were escorted to a c-section prep and recovery room. My two nurses immediately began sticking me with needles and hooking me up to all sorts of medical monitoring machines. At 6:00am, my nurse instructed Adam to head down to the cafeteria to eat some breakfast. At that time, I was pretty tired from the events that had already occurred, so I closed my eyes and took a little nap.
When Adam returned it was close to 6:30am and it was time to start meeting with the anesthesiologist, assisting surgeon, and meet my actual nurse that would be staying with me in the operating room. Dr. Weinstein, my OB came in around 7:00am to say "HI". The last hour before surgery was very busy which made the time go by very fast. So fast that I asked to use the restroom, thinking I would be climbing back into the hospital bed afterwards. When I opened the ladies room door, everyone was standing waiting for me to head in to the OR.
Without a moment to collect my thoughts, we were on our way. Leaving behind a family of 3 to come out those doors as a family of 4. Adam sat in a reserved area while I was further prepped for surgery. The room was very cold - I immediately began shivering. I begged the anesthesiologist to wait to insert my spinal until I adjusted to the temperature and was no longer shaking. My nurse covered me with warm blankets and the anesthesiologist got to work. Within seconds, I was assisted to lay down. Dr. Weinstein came in and soon a big blue curtain came between my face and body. Adam was brought in and we waited.
I entered the operating room at 7:26 and at 7:50 Aubrey Gabrielle Walden was born. She cried instantly - the greatest sound a mom can hear while laying helpless on an operating table. She weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces. She was 21 inches long.
AUBREY GABRIELLE
Wednesday, July 20 I woke at 3am to shower and get ready to HAVE A BABY. By 4:30am Adam and I were headed to the hospital to meet our daughter. We arrived promptly at 5:30am at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3rd floor - labor and delivery. We were escorted to a c-section prep and recovery room. My two nurses immediately began sticking me with needles and hooking me up to all sorts of medical monitoring machines. At 6:00am, my nurse instructed Adam to head down to the cafeteria to eat some breakfast. At that time, I was pretty tired from the events that had already occurred, so I closed my eyes and took a little nap.
When Adam returned it was close to 6:30am and it was time to start meeting with the anesthesiologist, assisting surgeon, and meet my actual nurse that would be staying with me in the operating room. Dr. Weinstein, my OB came in around 7:00am to say "HI". The last hour before surgery was very busy which made the time go by very fast. So fast that I asked to use the restroom, thinking I would be climbing back into the hospital bed afterwards. When I opened the ladies room door, everyone was standing waiting for me to head in to the OR.
Without a moment to collect my thoughts, we were on our way. Leaving behind a family of 3 to come out those doors as a family of 4. Adam sat in a reserved area while I was further prepped for surgery. The room was very cold - I immediately began shivering. I begged the anesthesiologist to wait to insert my spinal until I adjusted to the temperature and was no longer shaking. My nurse covered me with warm blankets and the anesthesiologist got to work. Within seconds, I was assisted to lay down. Dr. Weinstein came in and soon a big blue curtain came between my face and body. Adam was brought in and we waited.
I entered the operating room at 7:26 and at 7:50 Aubrey Gabrielle Walden was born. She cried instantly - the greatest sound a mom can hear while laying helpless on an operating table. She weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces. She was 21 inches long.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
What do you think?
Tomorrow is the day! We have been waiting 39 weeks to meet our little girl.
It is hard to believe that when I was pregnant with Austin, I continued to be pregnant until 40 weeks, 3 days. I feel at this moment my body is physically done sharing space. I weigh approximately 30 pounds more today than I did before I got pregnant. I have gained exactly half as much weight with our girl than I did with our boy. My wedding ring is no longer fitting (as of 3 weeks ago) - with Austin it grew too small 4 months before his arrival. I have experienced virtually no swelling this entire pregnancy. I am still trying to forget the ridiculous amount of swelling I had with Austin. So in a nutshell, both pregnancies have been completely different.
Prior to Austin's delivery the big question was "What is it? A Boy? Or a Girl?" Everyone had their guess and reasons why they had formulated that opinion. Since we opted to find out the gender of our 2nd child, the big question is "How big is she?"
So what do you think?
Information to help you arrive at your guess
Austin was born at 40 weeks, 3 days.
Baby girl will be born at 39 weeks, 1 day
Austin weighed 6lbs, 15oz
Austin was 22 inches long
Adam and I were both smaller than Austin when we were born.
And here is the most recent picture of my belly - taken on Sunday at 38 weeks, 5 days.
After she is born and we settle in, I will post a picture of this little girl I have been blogging about for months.
It is hard to believe that when I was pregnant with Austin, I continued to be pregnant until 40 weeks, 3 days. I feel at this moment my body is physically done sharing space. I weigh approximately 30 pounds more today than I did before I got pregnant. I have gained exactly half as much weight with our girl than I did with our boy. My wedding ring is no longer fitting (as of 3 weeks ago) - with Austin it grew too small 4 months before his arrival. I have experienced virtually no swelling this entire pregnancy. I am still trying to forget the ridiculous amount of swelling I had with Austin. So in a nutshell, both pregnancies have been completely different.
Prior to Austin's delivery the big question was "What is it? A Boy? Or a Girl?" Everyone had their guess and reasons why they had formulated that opinion. Since we opted to find out the gender of our 2nd child, the big question is "How big is she?"
So what do you think?
Information to help you arrive at your guess
Austin was born at 40 weeks, 3 days.
Baby girl will be born at 39 weeks, 1 day
Austin weighed 6lbs, 15oz
Austin was 22 inches long
Adam and I were both smaller than Austin when we were born.
And here is the most recent picture of my belly - taken on Sunday at 38 weeks, 5 days.
After she is born and we settle in, I will post a picture of this little girl I have been blogging about for months.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Could today be the day?
One topic that every woman hears about when she is pregnant are "Old Wives Tales". These age old statements can "tell" you the sex of your baby and how to induce labor. One fact that is not quite an "Old Wives Tale" but rather just statistics is there is an influx in deliveries during a full moon. Many hospitals report that you can tell when there is a full moon simply by the number of women delivering. Apparently the full moon creates some type of gravitational force that just "pulls those babies out".
So today July 15, 2011 is a full moon - as of 8am, I am going to say I will not be joining the hundreds of women who will be having a baby today due to the full moon.
Reasons why today would not make a good day to have a baby:
1) Adam has been awake since 4am and working outside in this heat since 5am
2) I have been awake since 5:30am
3) Austin has been awake since 5:45am
Our family will be too tired to have a baby today.
...maybe tomorrow...
So today July 15, 2011 is a full moon - as of 8am, I am going to say I will not be joining the hundreds of women who will be having a baby today due to the full moon.
Reasons why today would not make a good day to have a baby:
1) Adam has been awake since 4am and working outside in this heat since 5am
2) I have been awake since 5:30am
3) Austin has been awake since 5:45am
Our family will be too tired to have a baby today.
...maybe tomorrow...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Dear Daughter
In just 1 week you will be able to stretch out, I promise. I know you are ready to stretch your legs now, but unfortunately in life you can't always get what you want "right now". I am sorry that you got stuck in a position where your feet have been in front of your face for months. Only 7 more days and you will not have to smell your feet anymore.
Can't wait to meet you!
Can't wait to meet you!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Random Fact
I just discovered a random fact about myself and thought I would share.
I have been pregnant or nursing since March 2009. Currently that adds up to 28 months.
I plan to nurse our daughter for at least 12 months. Which would add up to 40 months of pregnancy/nursing/pregnancy/nursing.
I realize this is by no means the longest straight stretch of pregnancy/nursing that exists. But I did find it interesting.
I quickly "googled" to see what the longest stretch a woman breastfed one child - according to ChaCha.com, there is a document case of 7 years, 4 months. I did not further research, but my best guess is this would be a mother and child in a tribe. I have read many great breastfeeding stories about mothers in tribes - I feel those women are amazing milk producers.
I have been pregnant or nursing since March 2009. Currently that adds up to 28 months.
I plan to nurse our daughter for at least 12 months. Which would add up to 40 months of pregnancy/nursing/pregnancy/nursing.
I realize this is by no means the longest straight stretch of pregnancy/nursing that exists. But I did find it interesting.
I quickly "googled" to see what the longest stretch a woman breastfed one child - according to ChaCha.com, there is a document case of 7 years, 4 months. I did not further research, but my best guess is this would be a mother and child in a tribe. I have read many great breastfeeding stories about mothers in tribes - I feel those women are amazing milk producers.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
And the Adventure continues...
It was inevitable, I knew it would happen eventually. This happens to all parents at some point in their journey of parenting.
Tonight I was in the kitchen, Adam was outside, and Austin was playing in the living room. When I finished loading our dishes into the dishwasher, I joined Austin to play before bedtime. As I rounded the corner, I notice my son sitting on the chair - good boy (he has only been told thousands of times to sit on the furniture, rather than stand). As I continued walking towards him, I discover he has removed his diaper and it is laying in the middle of the room - full of POOP! WOW! I have no words, I stood in shock of the image appearing in my eyes. I began yelling for Adam to come assist. This would not be a job that one parent can tackle alone. As Adam is rushing to see the commotion, I lift Austin off the chair. I then notice pee all over the chair and even a puddle on the floor - can this situation get any better...Yes, unfortunately since the diaper contained a BM, the chair was used as a "wipe" - awesome.
Dad rushed Austin off to the bathtub and I drew the straw of cleaning up the mess. I laughed as I cleaned my son's bodily fluids and restored our furniture to sanitary condition. In these types of situations, your only rational reaction is to laugh and record the event in the baby book.
On a lighter note, I am pleased to report that no artwork was found. Although I am fearful that one day I will find a beautiful scene drawn with a wonderful shade of brown.
Tonight I was in the kitchen, Adam was outside, and Austin was playing in the living room. When I finished loading our dishes into the dishwasher, I joined Austin to play before bedtime. As I rounded the corner, I notice my son sitting on the chair - good boy (he has only been told thousands of times to sit on the furniture, rather than stand). As I continued walking towards him, I discover he has removed his diaper and it is laying in the middle of the room - full of POOP! WOW! I have no words, I stood in shock of the image appearing in my eyes. I began yelling for Adam to come assist. This would not be a job that one parent can tackle alone. As Adam is rushing to see the commotion, I lift Austin off the chair. I then notice pee all over the chair and even a puddle on the floor - can this situation get any better...Yes, unfortunately since the diaper contained a BM, the chair was used as a "wipe" - awesome.
Dad rushed Austin off to the bathtub and I drew the straw of cleaning up the mess. I laughed as I cleaned my son's bodily fluids and restored our furniture to sanitary condition. In these types of situations, your only rational reaction is to laugh and record the event in the baby book.
On a lighter note, I am pleased to report that no artwork was found. Although I am fearful that one day I will find a beautiful scene drawn with a wonderful shade of brown.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Waiting Game
At 37 weeks pregnant I am vulnerable to the events of labor - which could occur at anytime now. I am anxious to have our baby girl, just so I don't feel so consumed with the fear that my water will break. What exactly would I do if I was out and about with Austin and she decided to bust free? I would panic! How embarrassing would it be to be stranded with a toddler in a pool of amniotic fluid. My blood pressure rises just to think of these events happening.
I did have an ultrasound this past Thursday and baby girl - yes, she is definitely still a girl, is doing perfect. She has a good amount of amniotic fluid in there with her. So, hopefully she will not have a NICU stay like her brother. The ultrasound was wonderful. It has been hard since seeing her on the screen, knowing that I am just waiting to have her in my arms. She looks like she might have chubby cheeks - YES!! I can't wait to kiss them. She was "breathing" throughout the sonogram - which signifies good lung development. At one point, she stuck her tongue out - adorable. I am extremely excited about this because Austin was tongue tied and could not stick his tongue out. So again, hopefully she is not like her brother and her tongue is free - which will make breastfeeding a lot easier.
We are all ready to have her here. Just waiting for her to decide my belly is no longer a nice place to stay. So, hurry up baby girl, momma is getting impatient.
I did have an ultrasound this past Thursday and baby girl - yes, she is definitely still a girl, is doing perfect. She has a good amount of amniotic fluid in there with her. So, hopefully she will not have a NICU stay like her brother. The ultrasound was wonderful. It has been hard since seeing her on the screen, knowing that I am just waiting to have her in my arms. She looks like she might have chubby cheeks - YES!! I can't wait to kiss them. She was "breathing" throughout the sonogram - which signifies good lung development. At one point, she stuck her tongue out - adorable. I am extremely excited about this because Austin was tongue tied and could not stick his tongue out. So again, hopefully she is not like her brother and her tongue is free - which will make breastfeeding a lot easier.
We are all ready to have her here. Just waiting for her to decide my belly is no longer a nice place to stay. So, hurry up baby girl, momma is getting impatient.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Final weeks
July is here! I am full of emotions realizing that sometime this month I will be having another baby.
I remember the day I found out we were expecting. It was a Wednesday, Adam had already left for work and this news would have to wait until him and I were together. I ran out and purchased Austin a "Big Brother" shirt and a few other winter clothing items. When I arrived home that night (late - 9pm, I had known for 13 hours) from teaching dance, I showed Adam my purchases. When he saw the "big brother" shirt, he remarked "oh, that's cute, for like the future?" I responded with yes, near future - how about July.
I remember creating a calendar for our parents to share our news. July featured a photo of Austin wearing his big brother shirt proudly. We planned to wait until Christmas to tell. But, quickly realized that there would be no way for me to hold back my morning sickness during Austin's 1st birthday party. It was exciting watching each family member flip through the calendar months, discovering July broadcasting my pregnancy. Some people caught on right away and others...not so much.
And now, I am in the last few weeks/days of pregnancy - and I am ready to accept the challenge of mother of two. The heat of today has completely exhausted me. I'm uncomfortable and just ready to meet this baby girl that I feel moving inside my belly.
Thursday 7/7 could be the day...or not. I am a planner and the chance of going into labor or my water breaking terrifies me. When I wake, I like to know what my day holds. I have anxiety that my daughter might change my plans. July 20 I am to arrive at the hospital no later than 5:30am. I will have a c-section promptly at 7:30am. And, by 8:30am I will have a daughter in my arms. That is the plan on the calendar. My doctor keeps reminding me that "just because we scheduled surgery, doesn't mean you won't have the baby early". I know God knows my baby's birthday, it would just be nice for me to know in advance so I can be mentally prepared. Regardless baby A will be here in 18 days or less.
I remember the day I found out we were expecting. It was a Wednesday, Adam had already left for work and this news would have to wait until him and I were together. I ran out and purchased Austin a "Big Brother" shirt and a few other winter clothing items. When I arrived home that night (late - 9pm, I had known for 13 hours) from teaching dance, I showed Adam my purchases. When he saw the "big brother" shirt, he remarked "oh, that's cute, for like the future?" I responded with yes, near future - how about July.
I remember creating a calendar for our parents to share our news. July featured a photo of Austin wearing his big brother shirt proudly. We planned to wait until Christmas to tell. But, quickly realized that there would be no way for me to hold back my morning sickness during Austin's 1st birthday party. It was exciting watching each family member flip through the calendar months, discovering July broadcasting my pregnancy. Some people caught on right away and others...not so much.
And now, I am in the last few weeks/days of pregnancy - and I am ready to accept the challenge of mother of two. The heat of today has completely exhausted me. I'm uncomfortable and just ready to meet this baby girl that I feel moving inside my belly.
Thursday 7/7 could be the day...or not. I am a planner and the chance of going into labor or my water breaking terrifies me. When I wake, I like to know what my day holds. I have anxiety that my daughter might change my plans. July 20 I am to arrive at the hospital no later than 5:30am. I will have a c-section promptly at 7:30am. And, by 8:30am I will have a daughter in my arms. That is the plan on the calendar. My doctor keeps reminding me that "just because we scheduled surgery, doesn't mean you won't have the baby early". I know God knows my baby's birthday, it would just be nice for me to know in advance so I can be mentally prepared. Regardless baby A will be here in 18 days or less.
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