ONE-derland!

Credit: pictures are courtesy of Vanessa Hedstrom and Maria Luna. Thank you guys!

Can you believe it? I can’t either.

Our baby is ONE! 

my story...

Sept 20th :)

 You’ve heard the term supply and demand right? I’m not an economics person so pardon my cheesy comparison. Well in my breastfeeding experience, there was high supply, high demand, and a high price. This pretty much describes our journey together...Estella & I.

As soon as I pushed her little body out , we did skin-to-skin as soon as we could. My boob ratio to the size of her head and mouth was already a dead giveaway that this was going to be a challenge (a “blessing” & a curse). What I thought was a good latch the first 2 days in the hospital was a HORRIBLE latch. I found out later that I would soon pay for it. It worked out (sarcasm here) when the poo-ey lactation consultant never showed up. I heard she sucked anyways (sorry but it’s true), but it would have been nice to know that we didn’t get the latch right.

Estella’s pediatrician showed up (we love him btw) and gave me a breastfeeding book. Huge points for him! We knew we chose the right pediatrician...even though we make quite the drive to see him. Anyhow, little did I know, days later, the book would be my go-to savior (Great book!).

Hiding her face while nursing.

By the 3^rd day, it happened. My boobs expanded to the size of alien out of this planet sized boobs and they were rock hard and I thought they were going to explode! It was an extreme amount of tension plus I found out later that being “blessed” only allowed them to expand EVEN more....greeeaaaat. I started feeling all these nasty hard nodules and my milk sprayed everywhere. It was so painful. So I pumped to relieve the engorgement. Well...that started an evil cycle that would soon leave us all very fussy.

My freezer was stocked with TONS of breast milk. Estella was NOT gaining weight (not really losing weight though). Her poops were NOT the beautiful mustard seedy yellow you would expect. Ryan and I no longer knew what SLEEP was. My nipples never bled but felt like I rubbed sand paper all over them. And (as many people could attest to), we had a very FUSSY baby.

The beauty of nursing- good cuddles!

And what made it even harder was when we would hear people say, “Wow...she’s so small...are you feeding her?” NO..WE ARE STARVING OUR NEWBORN...dummies. Or the very annoying, “Don’t worry, she’ll catch up.” What does that even mean?! I knew in my heart as her mother, my worry was not in vain.

Being the paranoid and worrywart that I am, I researched. I read. I consulted with other moms. I contacted a lactation consultation over the phone. We had weekly visits to her pediatrician (who also showed some concern-thank goodness). Then I went to a Breastfeeding USA meeting. I was determined to fix her latch. I found out quickly that wasn't the only problem. We had an "over-production" problem too...too much of a good thing really is a problem. 

I still remember clearly the emotions I had while breastfeeding. So many moms were encouraging me and telling me, “It gets better, I promise! You’ll love breastfeeding!” I would just roll my eyes. You mean...I’m going to love feeling like my boobs are going to explode, deal with the painful plugged ducts I had numerous times, my scabbed nipples, OH and everyone telling me that I’m starving my baby?! WHEN AND HOW?!

Cubs Game

I would wake up to feed her in the middle of the night, prop myself up in bed, and as she was nursing, feel the tears come down my face like a waterfall as I tried to sweetly and calmly tell her, I loved her and that the pain and exhaustion was worth it. Sometimes, Ryan and I would look at each other and I could tell he felt helpless because Estella would nurse for 45-60 minutes at a time every 2 hours.

By the time she was done nursing, I only had time to pee, quickly eat, and put a hot compress on my boobs to relieve pressure or apply the massive amounts of lanolin nipple cream before the whole process started again.

When I went to the breastfeeding meeting, I tried to hold my composure as I witnessed all these women freely nursing their newborn-toddler babies. When they asked me to share my story, I just cried. I begged them to help me get to where they were. Confident. In charge. And most of all, in enjoyment... I yearned to feel the bond that all these women talk about.

After having a natural labor & delivery, I thought breastfeeding was going to come easy for me. Needless to say, it took 8 weeks of hard work and an extreme amount of support from my mom, husband, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, pediatrician, and friends.

Estella and I have mastered the art of breastfeeding. We are a team. Once I figured it out, she followed my cues. My body healed and continues to provide her with the nourishment she desires and needs. We had formula ready if needed, but we are proud to say we didn’t need to supplement. Once we fixed our issues (here’s my previous blog with more details- my over-production problem), Estella had large and consistent weight gain and now we are PROFESSIONALS. We can nurse in the ergo (hands free), in almost every position (side-lying professionals = sleep for everyone!), and anywhere and everywhere (even on a moving farm tractor!). 

Her personality started to blossom into the sweet and happy baby that she is today and we didn’t even get her into all her clothes before she outgrew them all! I can’t imagine a day without nursing her. To some people, we spoil her, but to Ryan & I, we give her exactly what she needs with faith, that it will be enough.

I am so honored by the stories of all these brave and bold mamas and their willingness to share.

This awareness project was not meant to single out moms that don’t  breastfeed or make breastfeeding look superior in any way. It’s really about breaking down walls that it’s not a normal and natural thing to breastfeed in public (with or without a cover). I rarely ran to hide in a room to nurse her or felt that I had to huddle in a bathroom stall....hearing stories like that breaks my heart that our society cannot embrace the beauty of just giving your baby what he/she needs.

CloudGate in Chicago, IL

I hope that you have been inspired. If it is your goal to breastfeed your baby, I hope you have seen through the different stories shared by all these wonderful mamas, that it is a goal you can achieve for however long you decide to do it.

Buckingham fountain Chicago, IL

I love hearing the question- 

“How long are you going to breastfeed Estella?”

Because I have the perfect answer.

However long she needs me to...

If you’re new to my blog, please check out the following links to catch up on my breastfeeding awareness project!

--A look into my breastfeeding awareness project

--My breastfeeding bucketlist

--Boobs & a wedding- a story

--An impromptu pumping story @ a concert!

Please read all the stories I have featured by clicking on "Breastfeeding Awareness" at the top!

a STRONG mama...

My family and I moved to IL when I was about 7-8 years old from California. I remember clearly the first time I ever met this family of three sisters. Daoluang greeted me by screaming in my face (haha) but from there, my bond with the “Deevanna sisters” grew.

Throughout the years, I kept in contact with them and feel very connected to each of them in very different ways....mainly because they are all three different people! I am so fortunate to have them as friends...all the crazy things we’ve been through together has really helped us maintain a close bond.

My bond with Nana, the youngest, grew after she became a mother. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again, but once you become a mother, you definitely become a part of this elite club of instant love and support. I reached out to her initially to just show support through post partum as well as the start of her breastfeeding journey...and then continue to keep in contact with her through this rough transition in her life as a single parent.

I identify with her so much more than ever. Not only as a mother, but also because I was raised by a single mother. I have so much confidence in the man she will raise her little guy to be and the things she has been through (and continues to face) inspire me everyday.

Her story has really touched me and I hope that you will find hope and inspiration in it. She is so brave to open herself to you all and I am so grateful that she has chosen to be a part of this project.

Here is her story...

a LOVING mama...

Natalia's 1st birthday

Before becoming a mom, I started this blog and documented the journey of my pregnancy and opened myself up to everyone. After blogging through my tough post-partum period, an outpouring of even more LOVE was apparent from all my readers!

The next mom I am featuring is one of those awesome mamas that reached out to me. She encouraged me with her story of post partum and her birth story including the fact that she is nursing her toddler and shares the same faith.

Agnieszka has such a big heart, has the same passion for alternative medicine as I do, and is so in love with her daughter...and it shows. We recently had a playdate and her daughter has the sweetest personality. She is independent, loving, bilingual, and so healthy. It is encouraging to know that the way that Agnieszka and Cole “parent” has not only benefited them, but shows so much in how their daughter, Natalia, interacts with people and especially how she eats! The girl loves her fruits and veggies! It’s great to see another mom who is just as crazy about her daughter as I am...and going the extra mile to make sure that she gets the best.

Above all that, she also went to work full time, pumps to keep up her milk supply, and STILL has time to give Natalia what she needs with nursing AND healthy whole foods. The phrase “NO EXCUSES” can be exemplified by her completely!

Here is her story...

mama doctors!

Today I am featuring a couple of mama doctors- colleagues from our grad school. It seems that as soon as we all became moms, our connection grew beyond our educational background.

Now that breastfeeding is getting more support and acceptance (although it is still a struggle), there was a time when breastfeeding was not the best option and doctors actually told mothers that formula was the better choice. So if there wasn’t support, many moms in the 70’s and early 80’s felt obligated to give formula without even trying to breastfeed because they assumed they were doing the best for their baby. Imagine going through that!

Emilee was fortunate (like myself too) to have a group of breastfeeding women that supported her and her goal was that breastfeeding was the only option. This is what we need more of for moms out there that have a desire to breastfeed!

Here is Emilee’s story...

Breastfeeding and FOOD (for us)!

up close and personal

During the pregnancy, you always hear people talking about nutrition, prenatals, healthy weight gain, etc. They are all very important things. Although I found myself indulging once in a while in my cravings, I am happy the weight I gained was all healthy and not in excess.

Well sometimes nutrition during breastfeeding gets overlooked since now your baby is in your arms rather than in your womb. However, in my opinion, it is EQUALLY important. The no smoking/drinking rule still applies (although enjoying a cocktail once in a while is really ok as long as you don’t nurse right away), you can’t do any “detox” diets/cleanses since you would essentially be delivering your “toxins” to your baby along with any teas, supplements, and medications, and you have to eat well AND enough.

All that weight gain you get from pregnancy makes you feel less than attractive, your body is different and that’s the reality of it all. My body carries weight differently, I have more flab (yay) even though I lost all my weight and then some, and my boobs, well they will never EVER be the same again. So I understand when women feel the need to “re-claim” their bodies by getting into a crazy exercise routine right away and dieting, however it isn’t always the healthiest route. I won’t sit here and tell you what to do because it’s really what you are comfortable with essentially. However, just like in pregnancy, always consider what you take in while breastfeeding is what your baby will have too!

I learned very quickly that Estella could not tolerate excess dairy when I had it in my coffee, ate yogurt, or occasionally ate things with cheese. I knew that I had to eliminate it and from there, it encouraged me to eat more nutrient dense foods overall. I was very lucky to have my mom stay with us for the first 3 weeks of Estella’s life...she made me tons of Lao food filled with bone broth, ginger, garlic, and vegetables. It was the perfect food I needed to recuperate and heal plus it was very nutritious for Estella. It makes me happy to know Estella and I are more connected in that way too. Although, she is her own person and thriving as a little human being, I am still her source of nutrients. She is the best motivation to keep myself healthy. Breastfeeding, eating more whole foods, and staying active are the ways I was able to lose all my weight plus 10 extra pounds! I can say I’ve never loved my body more than I do now....

Growing up with my grandparents was amazing. My grandpa had his own garden he tended to and loved fishing. My grandma was able to take everything my grandpa would bring her plus more to make beautiful and scrumptious Laotian meals I enjoyed everyday. She is my inspiration for cooking. After I was done with my homework for the day, instead of sitting in front of the TV, I would sit in the kitchen and watch her as she worked her magic. She never measured or opened a cookbook. She wanted me to teach me to know food before I could use it.

I’m sure Ryan would thank her for those lessons, since he benefits from it too! When I make Laotian meals, I do not use any recipes and it makes me proud to say I am my grandma’s granddaughter. Most other cuisines, I love looking through recipes and being inspired to make the meals in my own way.

I came across this beef stew recipe from Chris Kresser (recipe here) that was inspired by French cuisine. My grandma actually makes a beef stew very similar to this that has an essence of French and Lao touches. I love being able to take my traditional Laotian background and applying it to modern recipes that are healthy and still delicious. After all, food can trigger the best memories. So as I was cutting up vegetables and the beef for this, I just pictured my grandma in the kitchen doing it all with me.

Ryan & I peruse through the farmer's market weekly and always make a stop to our "veggie guy" who happen to have these beautiful golden beets! We also picked up these juicy and sweet tomatoes from him too! He is our go-to for beautiful, high quality, and organic vegetables!

And any recipe with fresh herbs and tons of garlic is high on my list too. Adding the garlic just at the end and then topping the stew off with fresh minced parsley will make your taste buds and belly very happy!

Anyone that eats food at our house consumes a ton of garlic and herbs! It's a staple in almost every meal I make. A couple variations I made apart from the recipe: Instead of buying beef stock, I actually used the bone (that came with the grass-fed chuck roast from our farmers) and made my own beef stock plus I added carrots for more color and nutrients.

Not only is this a great "edible garnish" for most meals, you can add it to your smoothies for a fresh and pumped up flavor! Tons of health benefits as well.

 Well here is the beef stew I made. The flavors are warm and inviting.

 You'll taste an undertone of sweetness from the golden beets and carrots (that I added in), the robust flavor of the red wine, and the beef will be so tender, it'll melt in your mouth. It's filling, healthy, and you can use a crockpot (which I did) so it saves you time! It'll save you money too since one pot will feed multiple people or in our house, we can eat it over two days plus for lunches too.

Try it. You will love it just as much as we did!

The following recipe it taken directly from here- beef stew

Type of dish: Entree
Equipment: Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with lid, or slow cooker
Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. beef chuck or round, cut into two-inch stew cubes
• 2 TB lard
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 TB tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato puree or 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups red wine (if you would prefer not to use wine, substitute 1 1/4 cups additional stock and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 TB dried herbs de Provence (or if you’d like, make your own bouquet garni with fresh herbs–thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and any others–tied in cheesecloth)
• 2 cups yellow beets, peeled and cut in 1 to 2 inch chunks
• 2 cups celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks, about 1 large or two small celery roots. Substitute turnips, carrots, parsnips, etc, for the beets and celery root; just check carb value of your substitutions (on nutritiondata.com) if on low carb plan
• 4 strips orange zest
• fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Heat an oven safe pot over medium heat. Add the lard and onions. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add 6 of the minced garlic cloves and cook for one more minute (save the other 2 for the end).
4. Add all the remaining ingredients except the fresh parsley. Make sure the liquid completely covers the beef, and add more wine and/or stock if necessary. (If using a slow cooker, transfer the onions and garlic from the pan to the slow cooker, add all ingredients, and cook on low for 4-6 hours).
5. Stir and allow to come to a gentle, very low simmer. Cover with the lid of the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 4 hours, stirring every hour or so.
6. The stew is done when the beef is fork tender. At the end of cooking, add the remaining 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for 5 minutes more.
7. Serve the stew, and garnish with the fresh parsley.

Enjoy!
 

a mama of faith...

Before I introduce our next mama, I wanted to say HAPPY 11 months to our beautiful Estella! We are in full party planning mode and can’t believe a year has flown by...stay tuned for a blog next month featuring her totally awesome party! ;)

So I’ve known our next mama since high school! We actually reconnected when we bumped into each other at a restaurant. Estella was a couple months old and she was pregnant! The first thing I remember telling her was “BREASTFEEDING IS HARD BUT YOU CAN DO IT! Get the proper support and don’t give up!”

When her baby was born, I wanted to extend any support I could just to encourage her because I know Estella & I had a whirlwind of a journey..and well obviously I am very passionate about breastfeeding. Anabel has such a sweet personality, very open, and always so positive. I knew that she would do anything and everything to give her beautiful baby the world. So she was completely open to having Estella & I come over and assist in her breastfeeding as well as help give support in other areas too. It was my pleasure to providing her with any knowledge I had from my background plus my breastfeeding experience. Not only do we have this experience together and can connect in that way, we also share the same faith! It’s a beautiful thing!

Here is her story-

“In a perfect world, I would have only gained 30 pounds, had a natural birth, and Kyrie would have latched on right away.  I believe God allows us to have imperfections in order to appreciate our lives and those around us.  As a determined first time mommy, I wanted to breastfeed my son no matter what, I asked for skin-to-skin contact right away, well as soon as possible since that's what was recommended by all the books that I had read.  I had been scheduled to go in for a c-section, which was not my plan.  I went in to c-section with mixed emotions.  I was sad and ashamed that I would not be able to deliver my son the "natural way" but so excited to see him and hold him and let him know how much I love him, as if he didn't already know.

One rockin' mama!

The next mom I am featuring is someone Ryan & I met in our Bradley birth classes last year. Her beautiful baby girl, Diem, is about a month older than Estella. We recently reconnected and found each other on Facebook and it has been great to see how our lives are now that we are both moms...and lovin’ it.

A very vivid memory I have of Ashley in birth class is when she enlightened all of us about “Padsicles”...haha! We don’t know each other very well but from our interaction in birth class, she was always very positive, definitely not shy, and could make us all laugh...genuinely! Needless to say, I went home, research my own padsicles recipe and made them the next day in preparation for the fun post-partum period. I am fortunate that I didn’t have to use any of them (thank God) because healing for me wasn’t a big issue. However, I was very tempted just to use them because of all the work I put into them...haha! If you don’t know what they are, well Google it. I can also post my own recipe I made in a different post too one day!

Anyhow, Ashley has been nursing for as long as we have now, follows baby led weaning technique, and both her and her husband live a very healthy and active lifestyle! It’s great to see a couple so dedicated to their own health as much as their daughter’s health. Ryan and I share that same passion and ambition...although seeing pictures of Ashley competing in Crossfit games motivates me to get back into my own fitness routine!

I am happy to share her story with you as it made me tear up remembering my own story and also made me laugh...since well, that’s who she is! It is a pleasure to know her and I hope our baby girls will become friends one day! Oh and recently, Ashley took the huge plunge and officially has a pretty rockin’ hot Mohawk!

Here is Ashley’s story-

We did it! *PDB accomplished!*

Estella and I put our foot in history along with 4,000+ women/babies across the United States with an event at UrbaBaby in Wicker Park held by the bump for their “Public Display of Breastfeeding Day” (PDB).

When I started this awareness project, I thought that I could just go to a park or something and breastfeed without a cover to take part in the day. However, as the time grew closer, I felt a pull to want to be a part of an actual event, although taking the plunge to drive to the city was not very appealing to me.

The best part of planning was the support I received from my husband who urged me to go and my cousin (that lives in Chicago) who agreed to tag along with me so I wouldn’t go by myself (three of my cousins actually ended up coming!) I took the pledge and posted on FB that I was going to go to this event and actually had fellow breastfeeding moms who were inspired just by that. (Secretly) though I only did that for myself initially because I didn’t want to suddenly back out! (hehe)

I am very comfortable with nursing with a cover...even though Estella has been starting to uncover us. Using a cover has allowed me to nurse anywhere and everywhere. Being a Laotian Christian is kind of a double whammy with being “conservative” and then add in being “very blessed”...well, I always felt nursing without a cover (for me) was not “appropriate”. Weirdly enough, here I am writing about breastfeeding awareness!

While I was deciding on what to wear, I thought about wearing a shirt that could cover the top of my boob plus a camisole that would cover my belly. Well I figured, if I’m going to be all boobs out, might as well be more obvious just cause. So I wore a button up shirt so that I wouldn’t be able to really hide. Traffic was horrific on the way there...so it would have been so much easier to just stay home and not be a part of this movement.

I had no idea what to expect before going to the event. As we walked up to the boutique (we arrived around 1:30p and the event was from 12-3pm), I noticed that we were the only people there at first. I thought to myself, Oh man...I have to do this boob thing all on my own. We were greeted by Danielle (the advertising manager for the bump) as well as the owner of UrbaBaby, Marti. I was shocked at the amazing goodie bag I received just for showing up. It was a pleasant surprise and made me feel rewarded for just taking the plunge and going!

Here’s what everyone got that attended the event:

PDB!!

"Public Display of Breastfeeding" Day is coming up--> 

August 15th!! 

I like using a nursing cover although Estella has made it a bit difficult lately, but I am excited to just bust out on Thursday to show support for a cause that is dear to me!

I could not find an event close to me in the burbs so we will be making the trek out to the city to join moms in a BOOB-OLUTION! If anyone wants to join me, feel free! I will make it into the city before traffic and head out before traffic (*keeping my fingers crossed*)

Here is more information:

Support Public Display of Breastfeeding Day! 

Public Display of Breastfeeding Day at Urba Baby Wicker Park

August 15^th (12:00pm – 3:00pm)

1751 W. Division Street

Chicago, IL 60622

August is officially Breastfeeding Awareness Month and we’re celebrating! On August 15^th, moms everywhere will breastfeed in public to celebrate The Bump’s second annual Public Display of Breastfeeding (PDB) Day.

You can show your support by coming to Urba Baby Wicker Park on August 15 from 12-3pm to breastfeed in public. The first 30 moms will be given a gift bag full of goodies from Boppy, Boon, pediped, Babylegs, Earth’s Best and more!

Why make a big deal out of breastfeeding in public? To empower moms and show the world that if a mom chooses to breastfeed, it’s her right to feed her baby whenever and wherever she needs to. The more people who see moms nursing in public, the less of a big deal it’ll be – and that’s the goal.

Free for moms and babies.

Visit www.thebump.com/pdb to take the pledge! Not a mom yet? You can still join the boob-olution by pledging to breastfeed when baby arrives.

Questions? Email mbach@xogrp.com

For the PSA video, click here!

 Here we are walking around Woodfield Mall (12/2/12). 

Estella was chilling in the Ergo and nursing while I got to walk around with both hands FREE! It was liberating....well and HOT (haha)...I was sweating and she was sweating but once she fell asleep, the cover came off and that's it. 

And yes...I had to watch a couple youtube videos to prep for this hehe!

Let me introduce you to an amazing mama!

I've been a bit MIA.... we’ve encountered some family issues that have been overwhelming for us so I couldn't blog too much but I'm back for now. 

I started this "project" as a fun way to spread awareness for breastfeeding without shoving it down people's throats. I didn't want go crazy posting tons of research or only feature the moms that could appear in Times magazine. I wanted to feature moms that used covers, moms that didn't, and moms that breastfed for different time frames. 

It's all about BREASTFEEDING..and that's it.

some inspiration...

I came upon this awesome project to promote the natural beauty of breastfeeding...

Breastfeeding Art Exhibit

I cannot wait to share more of my breastfeeding journey with you as well as some brave mamas!

To read about my bucket list---> Breastfeeding Bucketlist

my breastfeeding BUCKET LIST!

So I started this project more mentally for myself. I will eventually share my tough breastfeeding story, but long story short (for now), Estella nursed VERY often and I had a tough post-partum with the “baby blues”.

My choices were to hide away and nurse for 45 minutes at time EVERY 2 hours and feel left out of most things OR just whip it out (with a cover) no matter where I was. Yeah I got the awkward stares....turning of heads....and obvious gasps.  I nursed EVERYWHERE and rarely went into a nursery to do so. Honestly, I would go away from a public situation only because I wanted to...it was a great excuse (haha).

After a while, it became more fun. Estella and I had a natural rhythm together and it was this dance we did...every 2 hours. We both knew what to do, she did really well under the cover because she always fell asleep while nursing, and I could still have that closeness with her while being with my friends and family. Then I started to think of all the places I could nurse just cause I wanted to! It wasn’t the typical locations either....so I created this mental bucketlist....some documented and some left in memory.

Since Estella didn’t take a paci for longer than a couple weeks, I became her “paci”. She is a true introvert so when a situation became too overwhelming for her or she just needed a quick getaway, I was there. With every gulp she took, her body slowly released any tension and my body followed.

Breastfeeding has become this whirlwind of an adventure for us and I can’t wait to show Estella this adventure that we took together. I’m happy to share it with all of you!

My bucketlist

*success- stories to follow

Immediately after she was born*

Side-lying in bed*

Cubs game*

Middle of a 5k race in Chicago*

Hotel lobby in a big city

Middle of the flea market in Chicago*

John Hancock Building

In motion* (multiple times)

In the Ergo* (in motion)

Wedding*

In front of my brothers* (with a cover haha)

Farm* (on a tractor I should add haha)

Church*

On a beach

Rooftop terrace

Park*

At Cloudgate (The Bean!)*

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago*

In a foreign country

Chinatown

Viet-town*

Restaurants* (boring!! Haha)

Out in the open (no cover)*

Amusement Park

Museum
In the car (while she was in her seat)*

Library*
On a boat!
Air plane (especially after the dumb American Airline fiasco!)
At "Public Display of Breastfeeding" Day* (updated 8/16/13- story here )

(keep in mind, I tend to add locations to it on the spot when I come upon the opportunity!)

I can’t think of anymore right now. It feels weird to actually write it all down. Any ideas of places I should add?! ;)

comic relief

One of my good friends and a mama-to-be shared these with me! They are a great comic relief....and oh so very true! Thanks Doris!

Baby Breastfeeding Blues!

Tomorrow, I will finally feature my bucket list with some more stories!

boobs & a wedding

First off- I hope everyone was able to attend the “Big Latch On” events held across the states!

Wedding in Oct 2012! Look how little she is!

Secondly- we were out of town this weekend for a fabulous wedding (Chet & Krista Aliga’s wedding). Estella did amazing the entire weekend from the long road trip, dancing the night away (extended her bedtime a little), the drive to Rockford to pick up Oliver and then home, and walking around briefly University of Iowa (my undergrad).

I apologize for my lack of blog yesterday. As you can tell, we had an extremely busy weekend!

The first wedding that I nursed Estella was in Michigan when she was 3 weeks old. Yes we traveled with a 3 week old newborn and it was ... well exactly what it sounds like. DIFFICULT. I was new at this whole thing at that point...my nipples still hurt so badly and Estella was not use to breastfeeding yet. I was also breastfeeding on demand (which I still do) but we didn’t have the “rhythm” we do now. I hid away in a different room to feed her and still remember feeling so stressed....being there in a wedding (pretty much by myself because Ryan was in the wedding) with loud music, loud people, a newborn who nursed for 30-45 minutes every two hours....oh man oh man. How times have changed.

 

This was Estella’s second wedding. We were out in the open! I nursed her to while walking around during cocktail hour! Yup! I had the cover on because she fell asleep and it helps to keep her from looking around....it also helps build my upper body strength because she’s quite heavy now.

Well, I wasn’t sure how people would react to the situation but I didn’t care. My baby needed her nap (so mama & dada could have a chance at enjoying the reception) and she was hungry! Within the first 5 minutes, a woman came up to me and said “GOOD FOR YOU! I love seeing moms still nursing their babies.” It was a great encouragement. We then talked about how our goal was to nurse until at least 2 years old and then she said, “Oh you don’t even want to know how long I nursed my babies till...you’ll think I’m crazy!”

Ryan and I thanked her for the encouragement and both were stunned to receive such a positive reaction! It made me feel so good. I mean, yes, I know what I’m doing is great and I love it! But it’s always nice to get recognition from complete strangers...other than the common reaction, “Oh my gosh, you’re still nursing?!”

Then about 5 minutes after that, another woman came up to us and said “I am so proud of you...to see mothers still nursing. You feel comfortable to nurse that beautiful baby whenever and wherever you want. Me and (she listed other moms) started the breastfeeding support group here so be comfortable because you are in GOOD COMPANY! Heck, you don’t even need that cover if you don’t want it. We will support you!”

I was speechless. Ryan was too. We thanked her over and over again for the encouragement but we really didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

It made my heart smile...it made my eyes water. Wow. She wasn’t just encouraging but she uplifted us. We know what we’re doing is for Estella’s best interest. It’s for MY best as well. Well, and even for Ryan’s wallet too! It saves us so much money (haha). Sometimes, getting the stares and dirty looks gets frustrating but this one moment really takes all those frustrations away.

So although, I checked off a location from my bucket list (*a wedding) a while ago, this time around, it was much more positive and memorable. The wedding was beautiful and the atmosphere was filled with love. So many mothers we passed smiled at us and I knew what their looks were saying.

They all went through it with their multiple children. They were proud of me...it made me feel like a superhero.

Typical location for pumping: Creepy parking garage....haha! ;)

August 3rd 2013- Chicago, IL

The first outlet we found that didn't work...

I had a very busy day yesterday filled with packing, errands, and hanging out in the city with my best friends for the BACKSTREET BOYS concert.

Yes. I am THAT girl. I loved them when I was a teen and I still have LOVE for them! They were so AWESOME by the way...my love has been rekindled...I lost my voice from all the sceaming/singing we did...and I plan to buy their new album soon!

CREEEEEEPY!!

Anyhow-I am still typing up my “BREASTFEEDING BUCKET LIST” to share with you but today; I wanted to share the most unconventional place I had to find to pump since I was away from Estella for an extended period of time.

Some of you are probably thinking I could have just waited it out to get home, but after 2 excruciating experiences with multiple plugged ducts that almost led to mastitis, I packed up my pump along with my purse to head out to Chicago.

I thought I was so prepared. I even packed up a small cooler to store the milk and everything. Then as I was about to pump in the car on the way to the concert, I realized the biggest mistake of them all.

I forgot to grab batteries for the battery pack option of the pump. UGH dummy! I’m so use to having access to an outlet, that I didn’t even consider batteries. Then 5 seconds later after realizing the dread of it, my boobs reminded me. I had letdown and they were starting to feel “hard”. My heart dropped. Oh no....should I just rough it out and risk getting plugged ducts or just carry my sexy (not sexy...haha) pump backpack around while looking for outlets?!!

Yup...it's happening....

Well after parking in the parking garage, we got lost trying to get out.. but it actually worked out for us. We found an outlet and yes it was out in the open, but I didn’t care. My friends shielded me and I had my boob out and everything...and yes people walked by.....then oh no. The outlet didn’t work. GREEAAATT....

Our search continued. We found another outlet but it was in the creepiest corner of the parking garage ever. The perfect corner for a drug deal or murder or something!! But the outlet WORKED! The sweet sound of the pump made us all jump up and down and squeal!

My proud stash of liquid GOLD!

Darlene proceeded to put the backpack on so that I could pump (hilarious) and bam bam bam..10 minutes later, and I pumped about 8 ounces. I am a milk machine. Serious. My letdown is no joke and Estella still gets sprayed in the face sometime...sorry TMI! So I really could have pumped more but 1. I didn’t want to have to change pump bags etc since we weren’t in a very sterile environment and 2.  I wanted to get to the concert!

People walked by and probably just thought we were dealing or doing drugs because we were huddled and giggling the whole time! My friends were amazing and so supportive. The whole time they reminded me of how good of a mom I am while standing in awe that something was coming out of my boobs at the same time. They don’t have kids of their own yet (Maria has a step-daughter) but haven’t had the experience of breastfeeding, however I feel that I was able to inspire them...show them the power of our bodies...the beauty of being able to provide nourishment to another human being..and lastly, I hope I was able to show them how normal it all really can be...even in the weirdest and most inconvenient circumstances.

I love them!!

I had a goal. The concert wasn’t the only goal in my horizon that day. My goal was to still be able to provide to my daughter and take care of my body at the same time. Enjoying the concert with the three best friends a girl could ask for, was the cherry on top of such a fabulous day!

:)