Ramble, Ramble

So I've been gone. I know, crummy me. But between a birth, mailing gifts out (and prizes!!) and starting to take charge of my healthy, I've just been kind of swamped. So while today is short and sweet, I do think about you all daily and am figuring out everything on my iPhone to get things going.

So this week brings *hopefully* the launch of the Etsy shop. Week 2 of C25k training and enough lettuce in my garden to make a salad!

So here's the baby from the last birth I attended! She's gorgeous and her mom was a rockstar! VBAC natural birth that didn't last very long at all. This family was amazing. Seriously, the dad of Baby W could be teaching classes on how to be a gentleman.

Ignore my lovely look. I was exhausted!

Here's one of the first babies I was there to witness and support being born. Baby Kenners (not her real name!) is actually the cousin to Baby W. She too was also born naturally to a mom having her 3rd baby and first natural birth! It was a marathon birth, but taught me so much! And Momma ended up becoming one of my best friends.

Those cheeks! She's so loveable. We even FaceTime!

And last but not least, my running soundtrack. Just because I am so giddy about my old school music!

So tell me below, what do you listen to when you workout!?!

-The Anti-Mainstream Mom


 

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