When the Milk Runs Dry: Four Simple Things You can do to Increase your Milk Supply

     I was one of those lucky women whose milk supply came in early and abundantly.  I even had to pump for the first few weeks just to get my breasts to the point that D could latch on.  (My boobs were hard and round like bowling balls...well that's not true...baseballs maybe.) However, D is now 10 weeks old, which thankfully means he's sleeping longer.  However, that also means that my body is not getting the signals it needs from him to make more milk.  (Breastfeeding is supposed to be supply and demand.)  Another issue we have with supply and demand is that baby D has a little temper.  Not in a "oh he's frustrated...that's so cute" sort of way.  It's more like "I'm gonna ripped off your nipple as I yank my mouth off, head butt you as hard as I can, and use my talons to scratch your skin and mine or just yank out as much of your hair as I can reach" sort of way.  (Isn't parenting is such a joy?!?)  So, I started asking every mom, doctor, and lactation specialist I could find what to do. Here's the compilation of their collective wisdom.

1: Drink a Beer
     (What seriously?  After nine months of denying myself any alcohol and so many other things, now I have permission to drink?) Yes, drinking a beer can actually help increase your milk supply.  I am no scientist, and I haven't really researched how this works, but I can tell you from experience that having a nightly beer has really helped fill up the boobs.  I hear the wheatier the better, but light beer (@MichelobULTRA) has been working just fine for me.  Cheers!

2: Fenugreek

Fenugreek Seed Supplement, a Great way to Increase Breastmilk Supply

    No, I did not just invent a new explicative.  Fenugreek (seed) is a supplement you can find at your local health food store or pharmacy.  I take 2 capsules a day, but my ARNP said I can take up to 4 doses of 2 capsules daily (I am hoping that I won't need to increase to that much, but saving the extra daily doses as my last resort if my supply decreases again.)  A word of warning...you and your milk will reek like maple syrup, but it's totally worth it to feed your little one and to save yourself from the temper tantrum if your little one is like mine.

3: Baby Wearing
    So, baby wearing is a trendy thing in mommyhood these days.  There are so many benefits to carrying your little one around so close to you.  D loves the Moby and the Baby Bjorn.  I love having him right with me but also being able to use my arms.  The icing on the cake with baby wearing is the way your body will respond (with more of the white stuff) when your little one is so close to you.

4: The Pump
     If all else fails, my ARNP said to pump after each feeding.  This will signal more demand to your body and hopefully increase the supply.  I have yet to try this one as 1-3 are working just great, but if all else fails, break out the breast pump, ladies!

The Three Ways my Perfect Baby wasn't Perfect: What to Look for and How you can Help your Little One

     So every new mom pretty much thinks their kid is the most perfect little bundle of joy, right?  That's how I feel about baby D except that my little man had some physical imperfections.  They really aren't anything to freak out about, but life is so much better for him (and for me) now that we have addressed the issues.  Here's what we did and what you can do too to help your precious baby.

#1: The Butt Dimple
     So, this first one sounds adorable.  Baby butts are cute, and dimples are great, but together they can be a scary thing.  We didn't know until our two week appointment that our son had a butt dimple.  (At this point some of you are asking yourself, "What the heck is a butt dimple? Well, it's a little pucker of skin in the butt crack.  Apparently, it's the last part of the skin to develop, so if your child was early like mine, you may need to watch out for this.) Luckily, baby D's butt dimple was completely closed--meaning no poop could get inside of him.  (That's the scary part!)  He is now 11 weeks old.  He still has the butt dimple, which we have to make sure to clean because it's an extra crevice for poo to get caught in, but we are very thankful it wasn't more serious.  (I was going to include a picture, but I decided against it.  I think D will thank me some day!)

#2: The Lip Tie
     I am an older new mom (getting close to 3-1 here!), so I have the benefit of all the wisdom my friends, who are a bit ahead me, can pass on.  Many of them had babies with tongue or lip tie.  (Again, some of you, like me, have never heard of this.  It's a shame really.  I guess doctors used to check before you even left the hospital because tongue and lip tie can impede your ability to--or at least your comfort in--breastfeeding.  I guess the practice of checking every baby went away when formula became so big.  However, many moms are choosing to breastfed today.  If that's you, be sure to have your pediatrician or lactation consultant check your child.  A tongue or lip tie is really just a little longer flap of skin between either the tongue and bottom of the mouth or top gum and top lip. Here's a picture of D's.)

Lip Tie (Similar to Tongue Tie) a Common Problem with Breastfeeding

Anyways, it's a real simple procedure that your doc can do in office.  Trust me, it's worth having done.  Breastfeeding is a lot more comfortable when your child can get a proper latch.  (Also, a dental hygienist told me that lip tie can lead to a gap between the child's front teeth if it is not properly addressed.  Save yourself the orthodontist bills people!)

#3: The Plugged Tear Duct
     This one is the least serious but also the most common.  (And, frankly the one people will judge you the most for..."Why doesn't that mom clean her kid's eye?!?...I do...CONSTANTLY...and there's still gunk in it, okay?)  D was born with two plugged tear ducts, which meant yucky stuff in both of his eyes.  We have been taking everyone's advice and doing the things we were told.  (Warm compress, circular massage in the corner of the eye, and spraying breastmilk in it...I knew there had to be some reason God allowed my breastmilk to shoot across the room with such force!)  D now has only one plugged tear duct.  We'll keep working on that one.  Hopefully, it will come around soon.  One thing is for sure, I'll never judge another parents by the crusties in their kid's eye.

     I hope our journey can help you on yours.  I'd love to hear about the things you've learned.

Get more sleep with a Newborn: The 3 things I did to help my little one sleep longer overnight

     Mommies I know are looking for anyway to help their little one get a little more shut eye so that they can too.  Baby D is now 10 weeks old.  He's sleeping a lot better than he used to.  But with only two weeks until I go back to work, I was getting nervous.  His usual pattern was 5 hours, 4 hours, and then 3 hours.  Because I can finally get things done once he's down, I was getting sleep in 3 hour chunks.  As a guidance counselor, I need to be mentally alert and let's be real 3 hour sleep chunks aren't going to cut it.  So thanks to two of my favorite ladies--Bridget Wieczorek and Sherry Diller--I changed three simple things.

1: Increase your Protein Intake
     Bridget, who has been a midwife for over 20 years, told me that the amount of protein I eat and can affect D keeping him fuller longer.  I've heard it takes about 10 hours for the food the momma eats to become milk for the little one.  This means that my breakfast and midmorning snack are extremely important.  Some mornings a bowl of cereal seemed to satisfy my hunger; however, I have to remember that baby D will be much fuller at night if I eat some good protein.  My go to breakfasts now are Arbonne's vegan chocolate protein shake and Arbonne's peanut butter protein bar.  Here's the recipe for that:

Arbonne Protein Bar Recipe

2: No more Coffee (even Decaf)
     Since my second year of teaching seventh grade special education, I have been a coffee connoisseur.   When I found out I was pregnant, I quit the good stuff.  (I love the smell of freshly ground dark roast beans in the morning.)  However, now that D is here I figured a cup of decaf in the morning wouldn't hurt anybody. (I never thought I'd be a decaf drinking...I used to say what's the point.  But after nine months without a good cup of joe, decaf was better than nothing.)  As it turns out, my baby--like me--is super sensitive to caffeine.  Without the coffee, he sleeps so much longer.  (Thanks to a sleepover with Sherry Diller and her kids I discovered this one!  I haven't had a drop of decaf since.)

3: Double Stuffed isn't just for Oreos Anymore
     We use cloth diapers.  I know there are a lot of moms out there who think that cloth diapers are disgusting or at least a lot of work, but so far we have been really happy.  (We used disposable diapers at first.  I figured we had enough things to learn as new parents without adding figuring out how to snap a diaper at 3 AM.  Since we have been using the cloth diapers, baby D has not had a single diaper rash.  Plus, I like to keep my money, so not buying diapers is wonderful!) My friend Sherry told me I could double stuff my Fuzzi Bunz (@FuzziBunz).  So I sat down in front of my latest Netflicks binge and  wrestled two inserts into each diaper.  D has been "sleeping like a baby" and for 7 hours straight!

     I hope these 3 tips will help you get a little more sleep.  If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.  It takes a village!

My Bradley Method Birth Plan: The Plan that got me through 37 Hours of Labor without so much as a Tylenol

     I am one of those women who really wanted to have a natural birth.  However, I am also a realist.  I knew that I had no idea what the heck childbirth was like.  So, when people would ask me what my plan was (sometimes people can be so nosey!), I'd tell them I hoped for a natural birth, but I understood that it might not turn out that way.  I did more than hope, though.  Using the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth (or the Husband Coached Childbirth) Method, my husband and I prepared for labor and delivery.  We tried to get into a class, but living out rural, northwest Iowa has its disadvantages.  (It has its advantages too like being close to our families and leading news stories about who caught the biggest fish [seriously, this is no joke] instead of the details of the latest rape or murder.)

     Kole and I decided to try to teach ourselves.  We got a Bradley Class Workbook (I recommend a used one if you can't attend the classes because some of the answers are not obvious to soon-to-be new parents.  At least they weren't to us, and my husband is a registered nurse!)  We would hold our own classes weekly and complete the daily homework including physical exercises, nutrition tracking, relaxation technique practice, and testing out laboring positions.  We also both read the book Husband-Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert A. Bradley.

The Bradley Method: Husband Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert A. Bradley

     As the time to meet our baby got closer, it seemed like my list of things needing to get done (finish plans for my sub at school, stock up on toilet paper, become members of our church, etc.) kept getting longer.  Somehow writing our birth plan kept getting dropped to the bottom of the list.  (It was probably the fact that I was certain as a first time mom my baby would be late and that I was hoping for a December birthday because the November birthstone is the closest to poop-brown there is.  Oh well.  I'll wear that crap colored stone with pride.)  Finally, I wrote our birth plan.  It wasn't until 4 AM after three and a half hours of labor, but it was done before we left for the hospital.  I swear the ink was dry by the time we got there.

     I stole from many other sources in writing our plan, but I am returning the favor by posting ours so you can steal, too.   (Most people want to know if everything went according to plan.  No, no it didn't, but thanks for pointing that out.  I was Strep B positive.  I didn't know this until 17 hours into labor.  Being Strep B positive meant my doctor, who I adored, would not deliver the baby without me having an antibiotic.  I decided if God can perform miracles, he could make sure that our baby was protected for any damage the antibiotic might so to his fragile little system.  The other thing that went off script was how long the cord stayed attached.  We were hoping to leave it attached for an hour or at least until it stopped pulsating, but the cord was wrapped tightly around D's neck.  Our doc informed us of the situation and we quickly told her to cut the cord and save our baby.  D was purple and didn't cry at first, but we are so thankful that that was the extent of the complications.)  We were really happy with our plan and don't think we'll make any revisions if we are blessed with more children in the future.

Without further adieu, may I present our birth plan:

Our Birth Plan

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us have a natural, unmedicated, childbirth insofar as that is safe and viable for mom and baby.

Mom plans to have a medication-free labor. Please do not offer her an epidural.  She does not want any drugs to speed along labor (i.e. Pitocin). If there is an issue, and you believe these medications are necessary, please discuss it with dad.

Upon arrival, we request:

   - Externally monitoring the baby as seldom as possible.

    - Please use the wireless monitor if available for freedom of movement.

    - Internal exams done extremely infrequently and only when absolutely necessary by the same person.

    - We’d like to discuss antibiotic use during labor before anything is done and will likely decline, fully understanding the risks.

    - No IV. 

    - If an iV is absolutely necessary, please refrain from injecting anything else through the IV without consulting mom and dad

If mother and baby are doing well, we prefer to:

    - Avoid artificial induction at all times, including waiting 12 hours+ if water breaks at onset of labor, going past estimated due date, and not breaking the bag of waters.

    - Use natural induction techniques if necessary to induce or speed up labor.

    - Use the lowest dose of Pitocin possible if artificial induction is absolutely necessary.

    - Have an undefined, unhurried time to labor – even if in a latent phase/dilation not increasing.

    - Maintaining mobility and freedom of position (including walking, dancing, use of ball, squatting)

General labor procedures:

   - Please do not suggest medication.

    - Allow mom to eat and drink.

    - We would like much freedom to move about, try many positions and use the shower and tub to ease pain.

During delivery we would prefer:

   - To avoid an episiotomy UNLESS mom risks a clitoral or urethral tear.

    - Pressure episiotomy without medication if necessary.

    - To be free of time limits on pushing, to try many positions.

    - Perineal support with warm washcloth; naturally slow down pushing to allow perineum to stretch.

    - No vacuum, forceps or pulling of the baby

Post-Birth we would like to:

   - Hold the baby immediately after birth on stomach with blanket; breastfeed AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

    - Wait until the umbilical cord stops pulsing (mostly) before it is cut if possible (at least 30 minutes….hopefully an hour)  Dad will cut the cord.

    - Deliver the placenta unassisted and avoid Pitocin after birth.

    - Postpone newborn procedures until ONE HOUR after birth.

    - We choose to waive the eye ointment.

    - No Hep B vaccine necessary!

    - No vitamin K shot.

    - No vaccines

    - Drink orange juice to replace fluids and raise blood sugar and potassium levels.

    - Have the first bath and all newborn procedures in the room and delay these to allow for bonding.

    - If impossible, dad should be with the baby at all times

    - We are bringing our own soap for baby’s bath.

    - Have 24-hour rooming-in with the baby.

    - Please avoid all artificial nipples (bottles, pacifiers) at all times.

    - Mom would like a visit from a lactation consultant as soon as possible.

If a Cesarean Section is needed, I would prefer:

   - Husband present at all times.

    - To be conscious.

    - To have immediate contact with the baby if he/she is in good health.

Sick Baby:

   - Breast feeding as soon as possible/Breast milk through tube if feeding tube is necessary

    - Unlimited visitation for parents

    - If the baby is transported to another facility, move us as soon as possible

Environment — we would like:

   - To bring music.

    - Have the lights dimmed.

    - Our own camera in delivery room.

    - To have the husband and wife together at all times; no other family/visitors present at birth.

Thank you for taking the time to help us achieve a natural childbirth for our first baby!  We know we are in great hands!