Posts Tagged ‘breastfeeding’

22 Feb

Why I’m Giving Up Dairy, For Real

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in Baby, Celiac Disease, Dairy-Free, Food, Paleo. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

There have been lots of changes going on the past few weeks, and now it’s time to get serious.  I know I’ve talked about eating Paleo, which means cutting out dairy, but for some reason, I’ve given myself permission to literally gorge on the stuff.  Those days are no more.  It’s been affecting me AND Emma pretty badly.  I doubt you want to hear my symptoms, but in case you do, here they are:

  • bloating
  • gas
  • constipation
  • yeast (Emma)
  • foul-smelling girl parts (Emma)
  • air in stomach (Emma)

symptoms of dairy intolerance

That last one really got me.  I’ve known she has a bigger belly, as strangers love to point out to me, but Emma’s Pedi said not to worry, so I didn’t.  But, last week I took her to the minor ER to check on her pesky croupy cough that wouldn’t go away.  After she did a chest x-ray (staying still like a champ), the tech showed us the results.  I didn’t think to snap a pic, though it was pretty cool, but I’ll give you the lowdown.  If you remember that I love to show and tell Emma everything, I took this as an opportunity to show baby girl what’s under her skin.  The tech tried to say ‘mom, I’m not interested in that!’  Poor thing doesn’t know I’m an oversharer educator.

We showed Emma her lungs, liver, ribs, and finally stomach.  I asked if it was unusually large and the tech said it was full of air.  What the hell does that mean?  I’m not a clueless person but A) how does one get air in their stomach and B) how the hell do you get it out?  Turns out it’s gas…from none other than the cursed DAIRY!  So it has officially cursed me and my child.  Game over Elsie.

just say no to milk

This revelation, along with my annoying and persistent issues, has made this mama mad.  I’m a stubborn, full-blooded Italian, so you don’t want to mess with me when I get pissed…just ask my hubby.

I knew what I had to do.  It was so easy yet so freakin’ hard.  I’m a self-proclaimed mouse lover of cheese, so this really is no easy feat.  But alas that ship has sailed.  I HAVE TO STOP EATING DAIRY IN ALL SHAPES AND FORMS (and so does Emma).  The kid asks for it constantly, so I know she needs an intervention STAT!

It didn’t help that I just got back from my nutritionist appointment, and had her tell me that dairy is considered crack.  Yes, you read that right: dairy=crack.  Makes sense to me.  I have heard that there is a chemical in breastmilk to makes babies crave it, not necessarily the empty stomach part.  So, if human milk is addictive for humans, then there is definitely something in cow’s milk to make calves crave it.  Well no wonder half the entire population can’t get enough milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, etc.  We are literally ADDICTED TO IT!  And what does that mean when you’re addicted?  You will go through withdrawals.  Yup, my nutritionist said that I would have withdrawals from the stuff.  Gravy baby, just what I wanted to hear.

It’s cool though, I got this…that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.  Um yeah, I’ll keep ya posted on how the rehab goes for me along with the 2-year old.

I know dairy intolerance can go along with Celiac Disease, so it only makes sense that it would affect Emma and myself.  I was doing so well last year with being off of it, but somehow was led astray.  The pain has to stop here and now.

got milk?

It has always bothered me that humans drink another animal’s milk.  We’re even told as parents to give our kids cow’s milk when they turn one (which we didn’t do).  What in the world for?  We constantly hear how we should get three servings of dairy a day for good bone health.  Wait, so bovine milk has more calcium than leafy greens?  I think not.  I’m pretty sure the cavemen didn’t have access to squirts of calves’ food before heading out for the big hunt.  Try again dairy industry.  It’s amazing what gets drilled into our brain when we watch ad after ad, and see celebrity after celebrity get paid to say ‘it does a body good.’  BS!

So, I ask you, are you addicted to dairy?  Do you think you could stop if it made you sick (if it’s not already)?  Can you do without your chips and queso at parties, your cheese and crackers for noshing, or your big ole glass of cow juice first thing in the morning?  Maybe it’s time to rethink what ‘they’ tell us is good for us.

Note: Photos from here, here, and here.

17 Jan

Family Traditions: Donating Blood

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in Baby, Crunchy, Gluten-Free, Paleo. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

I know this is kind of a random topic, but go with it.

This past weekend, the family loaded up in Josh’s truck and headed south to Carter Blood Care.  We both were getting calls saying they were running low on donations, and wanted to know when we could come in.  Well, since I stay at home with Emma, it wasn’t really an option to go during the week.  Sure, I could have gotten a sitter or had a friend watch her, but my underlying plan was to get Josh to go, too.

Ever since we started dating, back in 2002, we had this ritual of donating blood together.  I’m sure it sounds cheesy, but I’ve been doing it since I was 18, so I wanted to keep that tradition going.  I always saw my dad donate, and I told myself I would do it when I was 18, even though I don’t really care for needles.  I used to be skittish, but it’s fun when Josh and I go together, and I like that it has become our ‘thing’ as a couple.  I know it’s not typical…but as you can see from the name of my blog, I’m not typical.

save 3 lives

My reason for blogging about this is two-fold: 1) to get people over their fear of needles and donate so you can SAVE up to 3 LIVES and 2) to set an example for Emma.  I remember being bummed that I couldn’t donate while pregnant, for obvious reasons, but couldn’t wait to start back up as soon as I could.  We went in when she was 6 weeks old, since that was the earliest time after giving birth, and was able to donate even while nursing-score buddy!  She had a good time hanging out with Josh while I got drained, so it’s nothing new for her.

Emma reading books while we wait

That’s how we usually do it, I go first because I’m faster doing Whole Blood, and Josh goes second because he takes longer doing Double Red (he’s O+).  This time we had a competition on who had higher iron and the winner was me!  Awe yeah, I was super stoked that I beat him this go ’round.  Trust me, I’ve come a long way in the iron department; I can remember crossing my fingers and praying that my iron wasn’t too low, and was totally bummed when I got turned away (on several attempts).  I wanted them to take my blood, but I wasn’t eating foods high in iron to make the cut.  I was always anemic in high school, and hated going to get my levels checked every 3 months (thanks Celiac Disease).  But now that we’re Paleo, I don’t even flinch when they prick me to get my iron count.  Hooray for success!

donating whole red blood

While we were waiting on Josh, I had a guy tell me he thought it was a great thing, showing Emma about donating blood, and being there together as a family.  I told him she said she wants to donate blood when she turns 18 as well (she totally said that!).  He said you can actually start at 16 with a parent’s consent-woo to the hoo!  Emma doesn’t know it yet, but we both consent, and we will both take her her first time.  I know I’m weird, but it’s the little things in life for me.

Josh donating double red blood

Here are the eligibility requirements in case you’re interested:

Double Red Cell Donors –

If you are male, you must:

  • Be healthy
  • Be at least 17 years old in most states
  • Be at least 5’1″
  • Weigh at least 130 lbs. Please note higher requirements may apply in certain cases. Check with your donor center to confirm.
 If you are female, you must:

  • Be healthy
  • Be at least 17 years old in most states
  • Be at least 5’5″
  • Weigh at least 150 lbs. Please note higher requirements may apply in certain cases. Check with your donor center to confirm.

I figure it’s half an hour out of my day, every three months, to save a few lives.  No biggie.  It has now become a game to see how fast we can both pump, and Josh was so proud of himself when he beat that location’s record the last time.  See, donating blood can be a fun, family-friendly event, right?  Okay, maybe not.

keep calm and donate blood

But, I do want to challenge you.  If you have ever remotely given a thought about donating blood, go out there and try it.  I’ve never had a problem in all my years, and to this day I still look away when they stick me.  I’m getting braver, though.  I know it’s not for everyone, though I admit I did the plasma thing in college…apparently that goes towards making makeup, so just I’ll stick (har har) to saving lives and donate my blood.

Note: Photos from here and here.

29 Feb

Natural Parenting: 18 Months of Breastfeeding

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in Baby, Books, Natural Parenting. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Yes, I get it.  Some of you will think I’m nuts for nursing that long and others will totally understand.  For me, I have to say I’m proud and truly blessed.  Growing up for the past thirty years, I had constantly heard how my mom nursed both my sister and me for 18 months each and thought nothing of it.  Honestly, it never dawned on me what I would do when I had kids though I was pretty sure I would breastfeed.

When I became pregnant with our first child, not long after getting married, I think it flipped a ‘crunchy’ switch on inside of me that I didn’t know existed.  I learned how perfumes and smelly items like candles were bad for her as well as me due to all the chemicals in them so I quit using them.  I learned that babies are born with 200 chemicals in their body and all they have done is exist, so out went the bleach and in came the gallon jug o’ white vinegar.  I started to eat better though I thought I ate pretty good on a gluten-free diet-having things like quinoa, flax, and chia seeds.  I even had my smoothie recipe down to a science.  I wanted to walk, walk, walk, since my mom said it would help keep me in shape and hopefully aid with a smooth delivery.  So I guess breastfeeding was just another part of that…plus it was free (well the milk was anyway)!

Not every mama has to be on board with breastfeeding but I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed that so many women are these days!  A lot of them even say they will nurse until the baby is done with them which I think is really beautiful.  I read a tweet last night about these celeb moms who nursed, even performing onstage while engorged, and it connected me to them.  At the end of the day, we are all humans and surprisingly alike especially when it comes to being a woman.

I will admit that breastfeeding did not come easily for us at first.  Emma had trouble latching due to her short tongue and high palate and I had flat nipples (whatever that meant).  There I said it.  About 5 times a day a lactation nurse would come in to try to help us and let me know about my ‘problem.’  There was even the threat of having to cut Emma’s frenulum but her doctor decided it wasn’t necessary.  But I was determined, so they brought me the hospital grade pump to get the ball rolling while we were still in the hospital.  Since I had an emergency c-section, I wanted to stay as many days as I could, 6 to be exact, to get as much help as I could.  They got me set up with a nipple shield, SNS (supplemental nursing system-basically tube feeding), and a syringe.  Talk about frustrating!  I knew my body was designed to feed my child on my milk alone yet her and I couldn’t get it right.  It drove me nuts when the nurses said that I wasn’t producing enough so I would have to supplement, which I did one time and then said no mas!

Once we got home the fun began!  I swear I cried for a month straight from being frustrated and sleep deprived and was ready to quit.  I told my hubby I couldn’t do it anymore and see why women gave up, but Josh being my rock, kept encouraging me and cheering us on.  It helped setting small goals like nursing for 6 months then shooting for 9 then one year.  I swear I could still hear my mom in the back of my head saying she nursed us both with inverted nipples so it gave me some hope.  After about two months with the shield (they are slippery lil suckers), my hubby suggested I try without it and wham-o she latched right on to me!  That meant no more dragging around extra shields and trying to get her situated right while the dang thing slipped off and no more SNS running through the shield so she would keep sucking.  It was a glorious day in my world.  After that, along with the help of a dear lactation nurse, I will say it got easier but I still felt like a milking machine 24/7.  And I’m pretty sure I over-pumped myself not knowing when and how often to pump-I would get up at 4am to pump even though baby girl was asleep.  Can ya tell I’m a newbie?  That was okay though since I was able to give my extra milk to another baby whose mama didn’t always pump enough.

Emma and I finally had it figured out and while I had a nursing cover, I wasn’t the most comfortable in public so we often sat in the car or in a bathroom.  She became quite efficient and was done in about 5 minutes so I didn’t mind.  At thirteen months, I remember on my birthday (when she fiinally said Mama!) that it seemed like she was done because nothing was coming out of me…or so I thought.  I called my mom and cried like a baby thinking it was all over but it turns out I was dehydrated from being sick that day.  We went strong for another few months and she would comfort nurse, in the morning or at night, through the molars coming in, then eventually wanted no more nook (milk) from me and I was okay with it.  I hadn’t gotten sad about our journey being over until I wanted to write this post.  I definitely don’t have any regrets, except maybe doing those pesky 3 hour scheduled feedings rather than on-demand, and thank God for the gift I was given.  My plan was to go as long as she would go but guess it was time to move on.  I am eternally grateful for the bond that formed between us and all the time we spent feeding together…we went through quite a few books during that time.  Love you baby girl!

I would now like to share some tips, books, and ‘props’ I used for getting me through this craziness of breastfeeding, in hopes that it can aid those struggling mamas out there.

Allow me to inundate you:

I have to say that breast milk in and of itself is a natural cure-all.  I watched the documentary called Babies and one mama used it in her son’s eyes to help clear them up.  I’ve heard you can put a drop or two in their nose to aid with stuffy noses before suctioning with a snotsucker.  You can rub milk on your nipples after nursing if they are cracked.  I read where one mama rubbed it all over her baby’s body while he was in NICU to help revive him.  Basically it’s amazing stuff and not just for drinking.  If you do have complications, find yourself a good lactation consultant or breastfeeding support group, like I did, and get what you need.  You can also find a local La Leche League (LLLI) where a wonderful group of women can help with any questions or concerns you may have.

Whew!  There you have it-a big ole post on breastfeeding.  I say if you are interested in trying it-go for it.  Sign up for those classes at the hospital or get you a midwife if you do the birthing center/home birth route and don’t feel scared or worried that it will hurt.  After watching my sister give birth to her son, who’s 8 months younger than Emma, I had no idea nursing could be that easy.  He just latched right on and they went from there!  Seek out friends and family members if you have questions or need help.

Alright then, let’s hear it…did you nurse your child(ren) and if so for how long?  I bet a lot of you have had some struggles so let’s all share the good, the bad, the ugly, in hopes of reaching out to one another because after all we are all mamas.

Note: I wasn’t paid or perked to promote these items.

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