It's bitter sweet: your infant sleeps 11 hours and you're amazed, but you wake up with the most engorged breasts ever. No biggie, nursing should take care of it. Later that morning I started to experience pain on the underside of my right breast. I figured it was related to the engorgement and that after nursing a few times it would resolve itself. Well it got worse that night. In fact it kept me up worrying that night because of all the internet research I did on the topic. I didn't want to end up with mastitis. That night when the baby woke up at 3:30 (far earlier than she would normally) I welcomed it as another opportunity to try and relieve the pressure of the clog. Then I used our microwavable heating pad and kept it on the affected area until I fell asleep. Day two I really went full force with treatment techniques. I took a warm shower and massaged the area. I nursed that side first on all occasions. I varied my nursing positions to make different points of pressure. In between nursing sessions I used the heating pad. It did feel noticeably better by the end of that day but there was still localized pain. I went to bed with the heating pad again. Finally after waking up on day three it feels so much better and I think I'm in the clear, thankfully. I'm heading on vacation next week and I would hate for this to become a full blow infection before I go.
My advice if you think you have a plugged duct is to aggressively treat yourself as soon as possible. Use heat, pressure, and nursing/pumping often. If I had still felt the same level of pain when I woke up on day three I would have called the doctor. I checked my temperature as well because flu symptoms are a sign of mastitis. If you have a fever or feel like you have the flu when you notice a plugged duct, call your doctor immediately.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Our Napping Breakthrough
It's finally happened. Today our little lady took a three hour nap! The cherry on top was it was at the same time our son takes his afternoon nap. I took time to clean out my closet! It was really a surreal day.
With both children the days of sleeping all day went out the window at about six weeks of age. From then it's a struggle until a day like today. It starts out where the infant can't sleep any longer than 30 minutes. A 30 minute nap isn't long enough for most babies to feel their best. It takes the edge off their exhaustion but they need longer periods of sleep to feel rested and happy. I don't recall the exact time which our son started taking longer naps, but our daughter is just barely three months.
My technique was once the baby was having trouble sleeping longer than 30 minutes in any location (I kept her out in her bassinet in the living room for the first few weeks), I started to put her down in her crib. I'd close the blinds, and swaddle her just as if she was going down for the night. Both going down for a nap and going down for a nap started with pats and bounces until she dozed off. Now both routines go swaddle and pacify. Being able to put yourself to sleep is a very important skill for a baby, and once they have that down things get easier and easier.
The trick is knowing your baby's routine and knowing the signs of when they are tired before they have a breakdown. For our three month old she is able to tolerate no more than two to three hours of awake time. So, I keep track of when she wakes up and around two hours from then she's either already a bit fussy, or she will be soon so I watch her. I also don't nurse her to sleep for naps or bedtime. I make sure she eats, and she's burped adequately before I try to put her down. Sometimes her fussiness at hour two is just hunger and not exhaustion.
Lastly, napping during the day does not necessarily correlate with sleeping better at night. Kids need naps to function. Plus, the more they sleep the better it is on their fast growing body and brain. Granted, a long nap just before bedtime can create a challenge for that evening, but a three hour nap in the afternoon might be just what they need. Again, following a routine that includes monitored periods of awake time has worked the best for our kids.
With both children the days of sleeping all day went out the window at about six weeks of age. From then it's a struggle until a day like today. It starts out where the infant can't sleep any longer than 30 minutes. A 30 minute nap isn't long enough for most babies to feel their best. It takes the edge off their exhaustion but they need longer periods of sleep to feel rested and happy. I don't recall the exact time which our son started taking longer naps, but our daughter is just barely three months.
My technique was once the baby was having trouble sleeping longer than 30 minutes in any location (I kept her out in her bassinet in the living room for the first few weeks), I started to put her down in her crib. I'd close the blinds, and swaddle her just as if she was going down for the night. Both going down for a nap and going down for a nap started with pats and bounces until she dozed off. Now both routines go swaddle and pacify. Being able to put yourself to sleep is a very important skill for a baby, and once they have that down things get easier and easier.
The trick is knowing your baby's routine and knowing the signs of when they are tired before they have a breakdown. For our three month old she is able to tolerate no more than two to three hours of awake time. So, I keep track of when she wakes up and around two hours from then she's either already a bit fussy, or she will be soon so I watch her. I also don't nurse her to sleep for naps or bedtime. I make sure she eats, and she's burped adequately before I try to put her down. Sometimes her fussiness at hour two is just hunger and not exhaustion.
Lastly, napping during the day does not necessarily correlate with sleeping better at night. Kids need naps to function. Plus, the more they sleep the better it is on their fast growing body and brain. Granted, a long nap just before bedtime can create a challenge for that evening, but a three hour nap in the afternoon might be just what they need. Again, following a routine that includes monitored periods of awake time has worked the best for our kids.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Typical Day?
Things are still settling in as we're adjusting our infant daughter to a routine, but finally this week it feels like something is loosely coming together. Some mornings my husband is working from home and can hold one child or the other while I shower, but this morning he left early and feeding and clothing the children was left up to me. It went reasonably well so I thought I'd share the run down.
6:00 a.m. - The baby girl wakes up. I grab her and bring her to bed and nurse her there. She eats on one side only and passes back out.
6:30 a.m. - I sneak out of bed quietly and head to the living room to pump the other side. Once that's done I fill the utility sink in the laundry room with water and put in the cloth diapers. They'll need to sit for a few hours and soak.
7:00 a.m. - Sneak back in bed for a little more r&r, mainly checking emails and Facebook on my phone.
7:30 a.m. - Baby girl wakes up again so this time I figure it's for good until her nap. We coo and talk to each other in bed until she starts to fuss. Then I walk her a bit, take her to her room and put her in some clothes. Since she still seems happy, I bring her bouncy chair to the doorway of the master bathroom. That way she can see me as well as the light coming through the shutters which she thinks is pretty cool. I take a shower! I bring her out to the family room and put her in her rocker bassinet.
8:30 a.m. - The boy wakes up! I take him to the living room too and put him on the couch. I turn on the TV in time to catch The Cat in the Hat on PBS. I make a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. I feed the boy cereal, we share the bowl, and keep the girl entertained by talking to her.
9:00 a.m. - The baby girl is fussing again so I feed her. It's been 3 hours. Super Why comes on next.
9:20 a.m. - After a burp baby girl is still a bit touchy so I'm assuming she's tired. I change her and take her to her room. No more rocking or pacing for her. She gets put down, swaddled, and pacified now. She usually can put herself to sleep. Once she's down I go back to the laundry room and drain the sink and put the diapers and covers in the wash.
9:30 a.m. - I make a sippy cup of watered down Mots for Tots for the boy and bring it to him. Then I collect his clothes from his room and dress him while he's still watching TV. Now his favorite show is on, Dinosaur Train. He's pretty agreeable at this point. I had a load of laundry that was washed last night but not folded sitting on our chair so I fold that and put the clothes away.
10:00 a.m. - The TV goes off. This usually comes with a bit of resistance, but it's minor as long as you have something else interesting to do. The baby wakes up, this nap was a short one. I tried to pacify and walk out, but after another 5 minutes she's crying again. I get her up. We go into the boys room and play.
10:45 a.m. - Baby girl gets another change and while she's tolerating our play, she still seems tired. I try to put her back down and it works. Sweet. But, now the boy is playing but getting cranky too. Usually a hunger issue. I get a Gogurt and feed it to him.
11:30 a.m. - Mommy and the boy are both showing signs of hunger. I microwave the left over Chinese in the fridge. The boy loves the noodles. He fights eating lunch at first, but eventually comes around.
Noon - Lunch is done and so is the laundry. The boy and I go outside and he helps me put the diapers on the clothesline. Then he plays with his trucks or his water table while I supervise.
12:15 p.m. - The baby wakes up again and I bring her outside with my Brest Friend and feed her. Finally the nap helped and she's in a good mood, watching her brother. This playing outside goes one while I change the baby two or so more times and put her in her playgym for some tummy time.
1:30 p.m. - I coax the boy back inside and we change his diaper and wash his hands. Then back to his room for more play.
2:00 p.m. - Bring both kids into the living room and put the baby back in the bassinet. The boy picks a couple of books to read. Today it was Koala Lou and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The baby is getting tired again so I give her a pacifier and the boy gets his pacifier when we read the last book.
2:20 p.m. - The boy gets carried to his room and put in his crib for his nap. Then I come grab the girl and bring her to her room where she gets another change, a little snuggle, and then back swaddled in her crib. I go outside to grab the diapers off the clothesline and put them in the dryer for a light toss so they're not so crispy.
2:45 p.m. - I start this blog entry! I wanted to jot it all down while I could remember what happened when. The beeper just went off on the diapers so I'll get to folding those in a moment. I estimate the baby will wake up pretty soon as it has almost been 3 hours since she ate. I am enjoying this small moment of quiet though!
6:00 a.m. - The baby girl wakes up. I grab her and bring her to bed and nurse her there. She eats on one side only and passes back out.
6:30 a.m. - I sneak out of bed quietly and head to the living room to pump the other side. Once that's done I fill the utility sink in the laundry room with water and put in the cloth diapers. They'll need to sit for a few hours and soak.
7:00 a.m. - Sneak back in bed for a little more r&r, mainly checking emails and Facebook on my phone.
7:30 a.m. - Baby girl wakes up again so this time I figure it's for good until her nap. We coo and talk to each other in bed until she starts to fuss. Then I walk her a bit, take her to her room and put her in some clothes. Since she still seems happy, I bring her bouncy chair to the doorway of the master bathroom. That way she can see me as well as the light coming through the shutters which she thinks is pretty cool. I take a shower! I bring her out to the family room and put her in her rocker bassinet.
8:30 a.m. - The boy wakes up! I take him to the living room too and put him on the couch. I turn on the TV in time to catch The Cat in the Hat on PBS. I make a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. I feed the boy cereal, we share the bowl, and keep the girl entertained by talking to her.
9:00 a.m. - The baby girl is fussing again so I feed her. It's been 3 hours. Super Why comes on next.
9:20 a.m. - After a burp baby girl is still a bit touchy so I'm assuming she's tired. I change her and take her to her room. No more rocking or pacing for her. She gets put down, swaddled, and pacified now. She usually can put herself to sleep. Once she's down I go back to the laundry room and drain the sink and put the diapers and covers in the wash.
9:30 a.m. - I make a sippy cup of watered down Mots for Tots for the boy and bring it to him. Then I collect his clothes from his room and dress him while he's still watching TV. Now his favorite show is on, Dinosaur Train. He's pretty agreeable at this point. I had a load of laundry that was washed last night but not folded sitting on our chair so I fold that and put the clothes away.
10:00 a.m. - The TV goes off. This usually comes with a bit of resistance, but it's minor as long as you have something else interesting to do. The baby wakes up, this nap was a short one. I tried to pacify and walk out, but after another 5 minutes she's crying again. I get her up. We go into the boys room and play.
10:45 a.m. - Baby girl gets another change and while she's tolerating our play, she still seems tired. I try to put her back down and it works. Sweet. But, now the boy is playing but getting cranky too. Usually a hunger issue. I get a Gogurt and feed it to him.
11:30 a.m. - Mommy and the boy are both showing signs of hunger. I microwave the left over Chinese in the fridge. The boy loves the noodles. He fights eating lunch at first, but eventually comes around.
Noon - Lunch is done and so is the laundry. The boy and I go outside and he helps me put the diapers on the clothesline. Then he plays with his trucks or his water table while I supervise.
12:15 p.m. - The baby wakes up again and I bring her outside with my Brest Friend and feed her. Finally the nap helped and she's in a good mood, watching her brother. This playing outside goes one while I change the baby two or so more times and put her in her playgym for some tummy time.
1:30 p.m. - I coax the boy back inside and we change his diaper and wash his hands. Then back to his room for more play.
2:00 p.m. - Bring both kids into the living room and put the baby back in the bassinet. The boy picks a couple of books to read. Today it was Koala Lou and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The baby is getting tired again so I give her a pacifier and the boy gets his pacifier when we read the last book.
2:20 p.m. - The boy gets carried to his room and put in his crib for his nap. Then I come grab the girl and bring her to her room where she gets another change, a little snuggle, and then back swaddled in her crib. I go outside to grab the diapers off the clothesline and put them in the dryer for a light toss so they're not so crispy.
2:45 p.m. - I start this blog entry! I wanted to jot it all down while I could remember what happened when. The beeper just went off on the diapers so I'll get to folding those in a moment. I estimate the baby will wake up pretty soon as it has almost been 3 hours since she ate. I am enjoying this small moment of quiet though!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
When Cloth Won't Do...
I am a die hard cloth diaper fan. But there are a few instances when I rely on a disposable diaper instead. With two in diapers, and one who I was extremely interested in having sleep through the night without disturbance, I've been using more and more disposables lately.
Our son was having a reaction to our cloth diapers at night. The prefolds we use are over a year old, and while we follow proper washing and rinsing instructions there is build-up that cannot be denied. This was causing an ammonia reaction which was irritating our son's skin. This only happened when a diaper was on him for an extended period of time, like overnight. If I have absolutely no choice and have to run to the grocery store for diapers I admit I choose Huggies. I prefer them far over Huggies or even the generic brands like Mom to Mom. But, I do have a choice if I can think ahead.
I found a compostable brand that works very well. I use GroVia Biodiapers. I use them at night on both babies as I want to avoid any reason for our three month old to wake up in the middle of the night. These diapers are available at a local retail store, the same store where I have our diaper service from. But, you can also find them on Amazon. I can get the size 2 diapers for our daughter on Amazon, but our son really needs size 4. I was able to find them on Diapers.com for a decent price as well.
The absorbency of these diapers rivals the big brands. They just don't have the additives, so odor isn't masked quite as well, but the kids feel dry. My only other criticism is that they seem to be designed for children on the thin side. The waistband is a little bit tight on our two and a half year old, which is the only reason he's in size 4. Weight wise he would technically be able to fit in size 3 but they seem a little too snug in the waist.
We do not have the skin reactions we used to and our daughter sleeps soundly at night. I also use these diapers when we are going out somewhere where diaper changes aren't going to be very convenient. We are planning to go to Hawaii next month and will use solely GroVia.
Our son was having a reaction to our cloth diapers at night. The prefolds we use are over a year old, and while we follow proper washing and rinsing instructions there is build-up that cannot be denied. This was causing an ammonia reaction which was irritating our son's skin. This only happened when a diaper was on him for an extended period of time, like overnight. If I have absolutely no choice and have to run to the grocery store for diapers I admit I choose Huggies. I prefer them far over Huggies or even the generic brands like Mom to Mom. But, I do have a choice if I can think ahead.
I found a compostable brand that works very well. I use GroVia Biodiapers. I use them at night on both babies as I want to avoid any reason for our three month old to wake up in the middle of the night. These diapers are available at a local retail store, the same store where I have our diaper service from. But, you can also find them on Amazon. I can get the size 2 diapers for our daughter on Amazon, but our son really needs size 4. I was able to find them on Diapers.com for a decent price as well.
The absorbency of these diapers rivals the big brands. They just don't have the additives, so odor isn't masked quite as well, but the kids feel dry. My only other criticism is that they seem to be designed for children on the thin side. The waistband is a little bit tight on our two and a half year old, which is the only reason he's in size 4. Weight wise he would technically be able to fit in size 3 but they seem a little too snug in the waist.
We do not have the skin reactions we used to and our daughter sleeps soundly at night. I also use these diapers when we are going out somewhere where diaper changes aren't going to be very convenient. We are planning to go to Hawaii next month and will use solely GroVia.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Nursing Pads
Here is my review for nursing pads based on a fairly limited product base. I'd like to say I've tried a variety of brands and makes, but that's not true. However, I did zero in on my recommendation rather quickly.
With my son I was given reusable pads. I don't honestly even know what they are made out of. Sometimes I would remember to put them in when I'd get dressed in the morning, many times I would not. I'd be reminded as I leaked through a shirt while I was away from the house. I definitely didn't wear them at night. Once my kids slept mostly through the night there was no way they were absorbent enough to handle that situation. I would take a burp cloth, fold it up, and stuff it in my bra at night. Even that wouldn't be enough sometimes. But with the first child I never imagined there was an alternative. I just figured nursing pads sucked!
Until one day I saw a box of disposable nursing pads at my sister's house. She had the Medela brand pads. Before purchasing a box of my own I went on Amazon and checked the reviews of other brands. In fact, Lanisoh nursing pads were the highest rated so I got a 60 pack. To be fair I borrowed 6 of the Medela pads from my sister and gave her a few of mine to get a comparison.
Lanisoh outperformed the Medela pads in my opinion. Both disposable pad brands outperformed the reusable ones (obviously)... I use cotton diapers and made homemade wipes but when it comes to nursing pads I'm sorry, I must support the disposable variety. They hold a significant amount of liquid. Rather than sleeping with a bulky bra, I can rest easy when I have pads in. The Lanisoh pads just have a slightly higher quality look and feel. They have two spots where you remove a liner paper and expose the adhesive to attach to the inside of your bra cup. The Medela pads only have one spot. When nursing, you're constantly pushing down the pull down section of your bra and the pad can easily bunch and dislodge. This happens less often with the Lanisoh pads. They really stay put.
Price is relatively competitive, at least on Amazon. My sister did say she saw the Lanisoh brand pads for a cheaper price at Target the other day. Do your homework if price is an issue. However, 60 pads will cost about $12 so about 20 cents a pad seemed worth it to me.
Happy nursing!
With my son I was given reusable pads. I don't honestly even know what they are made out of. Sometimes I would remember to put them in when I'd get dressed in the morning, many times I would not. I'd be reminded as I leaked through a shirt while I was away from the house. I definitely didn't wear them at night. Once my kids slept mostly through the night there was no way they were absorbent enough to handle that situation. I would take a burp cloth, fold it up, and stuff it in my bra at night. Even that wouldn't be enough sometimes. But with the first child I never imagined there was an alternative. I just figured nursing pads sucked!
Until one day I saw a box of disposable nursing pads at my sister's house. She had the Medela brand pads. Before purchasing a box of my own I went on Amazon and checked the reviews of other brands. In fact, Lanisoh nursing pads were the highest rated so I got a 60 pack. To be fair I borrowed 6 of the Medela pads from my sister and gave her a few of mine to get a comparison.
Lanisoh outperformed the Medela pads in my opinion. Both disposable pad brands outperformed the reusable ones (obviously)... I use cotton diapers and made homemade wipes but when it comes to nursing pads I'm sorry, I must support the disposable variety. They hold a significant amount of liquid. Rather than sleeping with a bulky bra, I can rest easy when I have pads in. The Lanisoh pads just have a slightly higher quality look and feel. They have two spots where you remove a liner paper and expose the adhesive to attach to the inside of your bra cup. The Medela pads only have one spot. When nursing, you're constantly pushing down the pull down section of your bra and the pad can easily bunch and dislodge. This happens less often with the Lanisoh pads. They really stay put.
Price is relatively competitive, at least on Amazon. My sister did say she saw the Lanisoh brand pads for a cheaper price at Target the other day. Do your homework if price is an issue. However, 60 pads will cost about $12 so about 20 cents a pad seemed worth it to me.
Happy nursing!
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