Finding my Internal Beat

*Thump, thump-thump, thump, thuuuuummmmp*

Listen quietly. Sit in the calm and you'll hear it. You'll feel it.It's always been with you. It always will be. It's there beneath everything. Beneath every sound, vibrations and distraction. And until we discover that we have it, it can be rather quiet, not making enough noise to stir our attention.

The first sound we hear in the womb is our mother's heartbeat. We vibrate to that Primordial Rhythm even before we have ears to hear. ~Layne Redmond

 We each have our own internal beat.  A rhythm unique to each of us. One that drives our souls and stirs our passions. And it's beautiful and passionate. It ebbs and flows, stronger sometimes, softer others.

So what's your internal beat like? I don't know! And that's the beauty of it. I'm still learning my own. And when I find mine and you find yours, we'll make beautiful music together with our beats.

But I can share things that shape mine. They change weekly, monthly, sometimes hourly. But the are what forms the rhythm in my soul.

My beat is shaped by my family, my role in my family, my kids, nature, breastfeeding, music, my lifestyle and my job-being a doula. They make up my beat. My nurturing, caring, opinionated and wondrous beat.

What shapes yours?

Hugs & Coffee,
-The Anti-Mainstream Mom
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Dear Plugged Ducts, -Eff Off.

22 months. I have gone 22 months of nursing without a single hiccup other than thrush. Not a single bout of plugged ducts, mastitis or horrible latch. She was a champion nurser from the get go and it didn't show any signs of stopping. It looked like our nursing career was going to be great. Simple. Easy. One of those that makes breastfeeding seem like the most natural, instinctual, gravy on the biscuits things in life. Then, bam!, plugged ducts.

Whoever said nursing was simple obviously hadn't suffered through plugged ducts. This is hell. Hell, I'm telling you!! I want to scream. I want to cut my breast off. This is down right the most horrible experience in my 22 months I have had. Nursing hurts now. It's enough to make me feel so horrible for any mom who has had to deal with this. How did you survive!?!

Okay, okay. I might be going a bit over the top. Or a lot over the top-but hey, this sucks! But seriously, I cannot wait for the ducts to finally be cleared. My ducts is right behind to the left (or is that right) of the nipple and it makes latching the most painful experience ever. I'm so engorged in that area that her teeth are leaving indentions in my breast. Yikes! Thank goodness she isn't biting me too.

So what ways can you treat plugged ducts. None of them are a cake walk, but it has to be done to prevent mastitis.

• Nurse, nurse, nurse and nurse again. Start with the breast with the blocked duct. If it hurts too much start on the other side until you feel let down and then switch back. Nurse as frequently as possible and aim to empty the breast.
• Rest. Resting as much as you can  will help. 
• Proper hydration. Do not stop drinking fluids, in fact, drinking more fluids can really be helpful.
• Use heat and compression before and during nursing to help empty your breast. 
• Make sure latch is correct and try positions such as nursing on all fours or "dangle" nursing. 
• Pump/hand express after feedings to remove as much milk as possible. 
• Cold compresses afterwards to help with swelling and pain. 
• Ibuprofen to help with pain relieve and swelling. If you cannot use ibuprofen, then acetaminophen alone will work. 
• Garlic, raw and fresh. 2-8 cloves a day chopped up into chunks and taken like a pill. This will work to prevent any infection that might be brewing. 

So at that note... I guess I should go nurse this plug out.


Resources
Bonyata, K. 2011, July 27 Plugged ducts and mastitis. Kellymom.com