Can I get a MOO!?

Here it is. . .me and my pursuit to talk about something all too familiar for me. BREASTFEEDING!

This entry I decided to fill it with comics all poking fun at the natural womanly art of breastfeeding.

   When Jonathan was first born he latched on perfectly. Everything was perfect in our relationship except one person. . . ME! You can not sit up breastfeeding. Baby will cough. Work on the latch. Of course my nipples hurt in the beginning trying to extract the liquid gold to my newborn son.

 I wanted to have lots of milk for him I really did so I could pump and have lots stored in case I have to leave town for conferences, date nights, last minute leavings and of course for when I go back to work. I vowed to eat healthy and drink only water- being better with my diet than I was with pregnancy. Well, thus far that has not fared as I have been a naughty gal!

Anything I can get my hands on I am eating! This is for one of two reasons. . . 1. I get crazy hungry! 2. The baby likes to graze! If you are a friend of mine and has called me and actually spoke to me it is because I was nursing. If my hands are free he is sleep. Now, in the beginning with the tender nipples I was keeping to some what of a routine.

Snacks- All I do is snack but I snacked on carrots which is known to bring up milk production. Snacks also included grabbing some frozen blueberries and nibbling on those. Sugar snap peas in hummus also became a good snack to munch on while nursing

Breakfast- consisted of either quinoa porridge or oatmeal with chia seeds.

I added frozen blueberries I bought this summer from the Logan Square farmers market. Super sweet they curbed my sugar cravings

Lunch and dinner- Healthy soups. My doula made some vegetable and rice soup which has been frozen.

Vince contributed by making some of my yummy vegetarian sweet and spicy quinoa soup. He did a great job for someone who does not normally cook but he is willing to learn since we have a child.

Yummy Smoothie- I had some spirulina in the fridge and what better way to increase the DHA and omega 3 content of my breast milk like adding that and chia seeds to dark chocolate almond milk. (note: almonds is another milk producing food) I add 12 oz of dark chocolate almond milk with 1 teaspoon spirulina and a teaspoon chia seeds for a filling smoothie snack. Also it curbed my chocolate and sweets cravings.

Water! Water! Water!

I make sure I drink about 72 ounces of water (at least) to avoid dehydration. Now, if that is enough to make more milk I sure hope so. I took that little pitcher from the hospital home and fill it with purified water about three times a day.

Problem- I can't give up the coffee! I actually sleep with my newborn often after he has been "booby juice wasted" as we call it here. (from his "booby juice party") Candy and chocolate has made it's way into the home which I will get frustrated and throw it away. Mexican sweet bread has been here a lot which helps Vince because he has been craving it in the morning. I keep buying cookies and cookie dough from Trader Joe's for him to have with his coffee but I have been eating it which is not going well. I was small but from all the bad grazing have picked up a little weight in the hips.

I am vowing to change up this bad habit. Will keep to the coffee but must kill the "bad" cookies as I am going to make some lactation cookies since I have some carob chips in the refrigerator that need to be used. Also, finishing off the spinach in the fridge as well as the kale- chips and juice will be made. I will have to report my progress next week as I have my 6 week appointment this Thursday and don't want to know that I have lost NO weight since I was 8 months pregnant because the baby weight has been replaced with cookes, sugar and candy. Wish me luck and here are some more funny breastfeeding comics. . . 

Last note- nursing covers

   So, also I have to note some of the breastfeeding products I use that I have discovered over time. I am going to begin with nursing covers. A friend bought me a nursing cover some Udder Covers. I registered for Tommie Tippee nursing cover. Another friend registered for Bebe au lait nursing cover and I eventually bought this one.

Udder Covers- When you register for baby shower gifts and you get a gift bag they are usually advertised with some coupon. I believe my friend bought this since she was purchasing the carseat canopy. I honestly have to fight the cover in order to see my son feeding. He moves it out of the way easily due to the thin material and it takes effort in order to wrap the thing around my neck. Do I recommend this? If you are a young mother with an ability to breastfeed sure. Overly researched 30 something new mother? No.

 Tommie Tippee- I currently don't own one but I know a girlfriend who does and she LOVES it. She takes pictures in random places with her cover and her baby's fat little legs poking out of the cover. Very cute!

Bebe au lait- I have yet to use it but I took it out of the package and it already weighs more than the Udder Covers. It contains pockets to put baby's paci or even your "udder cream" albeit it lanisoh lanolin, nipple butter or olive oil (as I hear some women use on their nipples) which adds weight on the cover. The tie was actually easy to do so I highly recommend this if you have $25 bucks to spare which is double what you are going to pay compared to the Udder Covers cover.

Hope you enjoyed the comics