Tag: breastfeeding

“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”

Remember the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felecia Bond? It is a beloved childhood book about what all a mouse will want if said mouse is offered a cookie. In my Junior American Lit class, I often compare this book to “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin. The characters, items, and settings might be different, but the general idea of how one action becomes a catalyst for another action followed by another action is the same. I’m sure fine literary critics would this statement abhorring, but it helps make 19th century literature relevant to 11th graders.

This morning at 4 am, which I’ve noticed is the time a lot of revelations currently come, I realized that a lot of how my brain works is like that of the mouse’s brain in the book. The catalyst this evening was a storm with very strong winds. Here’s how the brain started flowing from that catalyst:

  • Storming so loud I wake up
  • Look at Fitbit
  • Time to pump
  • Baby is stirring, nurse him a little
  • Go to the bathroom
  • Pump other boob
  • Play games to stay awake while pumping (I’ve fallen asleep pumping, and it’s not pleasant.)
  • Kick some Dr Mario butt!
  • Take milk downstairs to fridge
  • Decide to wash pump parts
  • Realize yesterday’s pump parts need to be cleaned
  • Wash them all and sterilize
  • Contemplate going out in the rain at 4 am to see if any outdoor items have blown away
  • Decide this is a bad plan because it’s 4 am, and I don’t want anyone calling the cops because it looks like I’m robbing my own house
  • While sterilizing is going on, put away clean dishes from dishwasher
  • Consider putting dish towels in washer, but don’t because of the storm
  • Think about going outside again, but realize I shouldn’t go out and get pneumonia over some lawn ornaments
  • Reload dishwasher
  • Take out sterilized pump parts and put on drying rack
  • Again, consider putting dish towels in washer, but don’t because of the storm
  • Realize I’m hungry
  • Think about a snack, but it’s weight check day
  • Think about weighing now so a snack can be had
  • Decide to skip snack and weigh later
  • Get clothes out of dryer
  • Once more…consider putting dish towels in washer, but don’t because of the storm
  • Start up the stairs while thinking about how this series of events is like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
  • Decide to blog about my thought process

Did you follow all that? I know it’s a lot to process! Is that how anyone else’s brain works? Does anyone else ever feel like that poor little mouse? (I mean sometimes I just want a cookie too, but no dairy so…) Maybe part of being a mommy is having a million different thoughts at the same time! I guess at some point you have to learn to turn the brain off and go back to bed. You have to learn to just be satisfied with the cookie.

Until the next 4 am revelation!

XOXO,

The Great Kaysby

PS: FYI…still thinking about the lawn ornaments!

Lactation Lament – Never Give Up!!!

This morning when I was looking at my blog statistics, I discovered that “Lactation Lament” is my blog that has the most views. Today, I thought I would expand on it with “Never Give Up!!!”

Why today? Because today is December 30. It also marks 5 months of being formula free and only being on breastmilk (plus now some Stage 1 food)! This is huge, and I share that so others can see the importance of never giving up! If you’ve read my first blog on this subject, then you know how easy it would have been for me to quit. However, I’m stubborn and to quote one of my business mentors, Julie Weaver, “You don’t tell a redhead what she will or will not do.” We’re spunky that way!

Breastfeeding isn’t the only time LilKsby has taught me to never give up. When he wanted to sit up, but didn’t have the core control to do so, he did baby crunches until he could sit up. Now his favorite thing to do is sit up and play with his toys! When he wanted to not have to do tummy time, LilKsby rocked himself sideways again and again until eventually he could roll over! Currently, he’s applying this never give up mentality to learning to crawl. Everyday he gets a little closer!

Imagine if all of us could have the determination of babies. What if, no matter what naysayers might try and tell us, we never gave up on our goals? What could we accomplish in life if we would just keep going? I imagine that we could conquer the world with the right attitude!

As a new decade is about to begin(raise your hand if you’re ready to party like Gatsby), I want you and myself to be like LilKsby and never give up! Whatever your goal might be, I’m here to cheer you on as you cross the finish line! I hope that our successes can inspire you (and myself) on any future endeavors!

XOXO,

The Great Kaysby

Lactation Lament

Sleep loss? No problem.  Less free time? Not too hard of an adjustment.  Breastfeeding? The most difficult thing I’ve done in my life, and I get on stage to act in front of judgmental audiences for a hobby.  One show I even entered doing a cartwheel and always had the lingering thought of what if I land on my head or break an arm? Breastfeeding makes that cartwheel look like a walk in the park! Thus today I want to lament on lactation, and what it has taught me.

DETERMINATION!

I’ve set a lot of goals in life. Some of them I’ve met; some of them I haven’t met. I thought these taught me grit and determination. Wrong! Do you know what teaches determination? A stubborn baby with an equally stubborn mama!

Lil Kisby was very energy efficient (the PC way to say lazy) when it came to nursing. Instead of latching, he felt the best way to eat was either from a syringe or a bottle especially the one that was leaky. He was born late May 20, and he decided to latch on June 7. For those counting that was 19 days!

In addition to him not latching, my milk production was around 50% of what it should be. Now a baby can’t just eat 50% of the time! Unlike mama, he doesn’t have extra fluff to lose. What did this mean? A strict regimen of nurse, supplement, pump and repeat every three hours. Yesterday – July 30 – he finally made it through a day with no formula supplementation because he was able to get full on breastmilk! 72 days after birth!

Now I get what determination means!

Supply, Supply, Supply

When your supply is low, you will do just about anything to help increase it. At least you will if you’re me. Seriously, if the lactation consultant had told me to stand on my head 7 hours a day to increase my supply, then I would have found a way to stand on my head 7 hours a day. Thankfully, that wasn’t recommended, but here are somethings I’ve tried!

Motherlove More Milk Special Blend – I’ve used the liquid and capsule forms. Both smell terrible and taste like they smell, but they were the number one recommendation. So my breath my smell like an herb garden, but if it helps then it is worth it!

Hot Tea – I’ve drank raspberry tea and Mother’s Milk tea. I don’t know how much they are helping, but they’ve turned me into a hot tea drinker. They are both decaf, and I find them to be relaxing before bedtime. Give me my tea and a book, and I’ll sleep like a baby!

Lactation Cookies – I bought some, then I found a recipe via Google to make my own. Store bought cookies were good, but mine are great because I added chocolate chips and peanut butter chips!

100 Grams of Protein Daily – This is the hardest for me as I am not a big meat or bean eater. My main sources of protein have been chicken nuggets and peanut butter with the occasional pork and hamburger. If I liked steak this would be a lot easier!

The Pink Drink – This drink is made at Starbucks and women on the Internet claimed it worked. There is no scientific evidence to support that it would help, but it tastes delicious! I’m a sucker for refreshing strawberry drinks! If it does help then cool, if not then it is $5 of tasty!

So…

So for those of you out there who have also struggled with breastfeeding, I want you to know that you are not alone! The lactation struggle is real! However, persevering through is worth it! I’d love to hear your stories of perseverance in the comments!

Now I must go make tea!

XOXO,

The Great Kaysby

 

Baby Eats Every 3 Hours…When Do I Eat?

I knew when LilKsby came along that he would have to eat every three hours. They taught us that in Baby Care Class. What they didn’t teach us is that sometimes feedings can take 90 minutes to 2 hours each time when you’re having to breastfeed, supplement, and pump every feeding. This isn’t always the case for people, but LilKsby wasn’t big on eating when he was first born. Can you imagine not liking to eat? I never thought that was possible!

So what do you do when you basically have 60 to 90 minutes for a meal between feedings?

1) People who say what can I do to help can bring you food! Seriously! Take them up on the offer whether it is for a home cooked meal or something from a drive thru. You will enjoy that few minutes you get to sit in a chair with your eyes closed instead of cooking.

2) Stock up on easy to cook frozen meals before baby comes. For some people this means cooking healthy meals, freezing them, and being ready to reheat. For me and Mr Kisby this meant stocking up on frozen pizzas and other frozen meals that bake in the oven. As an example, frozen lasagnas that take 70 to 80 minutes have been great! You put them in right before the feeding starts and then the lasagna is done right before you’re done!

3) Be okay with ordering pizza! This has the benefit of someone delivering it to your home, and it will taste delicious! If you’re a good techie, then download your favorite pizza place’s app and you may start to accrue points for freebies! The Papa John’s app has a great rewards system! Also, sign up for email rewards. Pizza Hut frequently sends out free breadsticks!

4) Drive Thrus – this option is not healthy, but it has one major advantage: babies have a tendency to fall asleep on car rides. So utilize the drive thru so that you can get something to eat, and baby will get a nap allowing you to eat! This option can get expensive, but most drive thrus have a value menu.

5) Hoard leftovers like it is 1999 and people are afraid of Y2K! Leftovers come in very handy as you can zap them in the microwave and be eating in two minutes or less! Plus, it’s a good excuse to have pizza for breakfast.

6) Be like a farm animal and graze whenever you can! Seriously! Become a pro snacker. Baby might not allow time for full meals. Therefore, stock up on peanut butter crackers, granola bars, or whatever else you like to snack on.

For the last 8 weeks this is pretty much how we’ve gotten through when it comes to food. It isn’t the greatest advice, but it will help you establish a routine. I also recommend having someone as fantastic as Mr Kisby to assist. It makes a world of difference!

In the mean time, LilKsby has fallen asleep after a feeding. That means snack time for me!

XOXO,

The Great Kaysby