When I was 17, I thought I was a bad-ass. I really did. I was a wild child and I'm really surprised that my mother didn't have a heart attack. When I was 17, my 18 year old friend and I had this great idea that we were going to get our nipples pierced. Why? "Well, why not?" we said, "it's not like we're ever going to breastfeed, anyway." Unfortunately, in my state you have to be at least 18 or have a parent's permission to have your nipples pierced in a piercing parlor. Thank GOD!
I got my first not-ear piercing when I was 15. My mom went with me to get my nose pierced. This is the only piercing that still survives, even though I rarely still wear a stud. Then, when I was 16 I got my belly button pierced. Man, I was SO dumb when I was a teenager. I haven't worn a ring in that since I was 18, and I hate the scar that I still have from it. Lastly on my piercing adventure was the near-nipple. Even though it is possible to BF after having nipple rings, I am just glad in general that I didn't do it.
I also have 2 tattoos. My first, a shooting star, I got when I was 16. I still favor it over the other, a red rose that I got when I was 17, after my dad died. I like the meaning behind it, I just wish I would've waited a bit longer to better hash out what I wanted. It is bigger than I would like, and it's pretty dark. I have a feeling the colors are going to mesh together as I age. If I ever get another tattoo, it would be for my kids, if I could think of something I like.
If the boy or big sis end up wanting to modify their bodies, I will tell them my experiences. I will be okay with piercings if they are something that will grow closed eventually. I don't really like gauged ears (do they grow back closed if you get tired of them?). I will request that they don't tattoo themselves until they're at least 21, but I definitely won't take them before they're 18. I just want them to be absolutely sure that they will stay obsessed Mickey Mouse for the rest of their life before they get a sleeve of him.
Anyway, I wrote this post as a part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop; you should check out the other participants' posts!
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Breastfeeding Love
After the first few weeks of breastfeeding the boy, I started to love it. Some of the things I really have come to enjoy are:
- My son and I have a special bond that he can have with no one else. Nothing is more gratifying than the half hour before I lay him down to sleep when we sit in his darkened room and rock. I love how that for mere minutes, he is returned to my little rooting newborn from my wild nearly-toddler.
- I have never spent 1 penny on formula. The only thing I've spent money on is freezer bags; probably under $50.
- I don't have to deal with bottles. I don't have to worry about bringing them when we go out, or mixing them in my zombified state in the middle of the night. It's awesome.
- No matter what the boy is crying about, I know one surefire way to calm him. Enough said.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Bloghop: Tools for Breastfeeding
Our breastfeeding relationship has changed quite a bit over the past nearly eight and a half months; and, naturally, so have our support tools.
A pillow. A basic, just-pulled-it-out-from-under-my-sleeping-fiancee's-head pillow. I didn't feel the need to spend the money for the Boppy or any other breastfeeding-friendly marketed pillow. And you know what, we did just fine. We used this for probably the first month or two.
Lanolin. Ohhh man, were my nipples sore and cracked the first few weeks.
People you know IRL who breastfeed/have breastfed or you know online that you can ask for advice. I was/am still in a BFing group on FB and I cannot begin to express how relieving it was to just read other women's stories when they were in the same spot as me.
Breastpads. I had an oversupply in the beginning. I leaked all the time, so I had to wear pads in my bra for about 4 months.
A breastpump. I went back to my college classes one week postpartum. I was freakin' insane. I went back to work at 9 weeks postpartum. I spent a LOT of time with my pump. Now, though, I am staying at home so I rarely ever use it.
A hands-free bra to go with your pump. I made one by cutting holes into a sports bra that hooked in the front. It was a lifesaver. Pumping is so much less daunting when you are able to do, well, anything besides pumping while you're pumping.
Freezer bags so you can build up your stash. My favorite bags are the Lansinoh ones.
A nursing sleep bra. I wouldn't need one except that if not enough pressure is my other breast while he's eating, it lets down as well.
Determination, patience, perseverance. I was very determined to breastfeed since before I even was pregnant. My perseverance came through sometime in those first few weeks when I resorted to telling myself, "Just one more feeding." And another. And another. However, my patience has needed the most work. Patience for my milk to come in. Patience for my baby to finish eating when I was utterly exhausted. Patience while I learned how to nurse in public comfortably. Patience while helping my boy to be patient for my milk to let down after he developed something of a nipple confusion. Patience while rebuilding my supply because of this confusion. Patience while my squirmy guy tries to look around the room, play with his toys, laugh at his dad while nursing. I'm always working on becoming more patient.
A pillow. A basic, just-pulled-it-out-from-under-my-sleeping-fiancee's-head pillow. I didn't feel the need to spend the money for the Boppy or any other breastfeeding-friendly marketed pillow. And you know what, we did just fine. We used this for probably the first month or two.
Lanolin. Ohhh man, were my nipples sore and cracked the first few weeks.
People you know IRL who breastfeed/have breastfed or you know online that you can ask for advice. I was/am still in a BFing group on FB and I cannot begin to express how relieving it was to just read other women's stories when they were in the same spot as me.
Breastpads. I had an oversupply in the beginning. I leaked all the time, so I had to wear pads in my bra for about 4 months.
A breastpump. I went back to my college classes one week postpartum. I was freakin' insane. I went back to work at 9 weeks postpartum. I spent a LOT of time with my pump. Now, though, I am staying at home so I rarely ever use it.
A hands-free bra to go with your pump. I made one by cutting holes into a sports bra that hooked in the front. It was a lifesaver. Pumping is so much less daunting when you are able to do, well, anything besides pumping while you're pumping.
Freezer bags so you can build up your stash. My favorite bags are the Lansinoh ones.
A nursing sleep bra. I wouldn't need one except that if not enough pressure is my other breast while he's eating, it lets down as well.
Determination, patience, perseverance. I was very determined to breastfeed since before I even was pregnant. My perseverance came through sometime in those first few weeks when I resorted to telling myself, "Just one more feeding." And another. And another. However, my patience has needed the most work. Patience for my milk to come in. Patience for my baby to finish eating when I was utterly exhausted. Patience while I learned how to nurse in public comfortably. Patience while helping my boy to be patient for my milk to let down after he developed something of a nipple confusion. Patience while rebuilding my supply because of this confusion. Patience while my squirmy guy tries to look around the room, play with his toys, laugh at his dad while nursing. I'm always working on becoming more patient.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Bloghop: Breastfeeding in Public Blooper
Breastfeeding in public was something I was nervous about when the boy was a newborn. I didn't do it much because I was unsure of myself. I just brought a bottle of pumped milk with if we went anywhere. Around 6 weeks of age I started to become more comfortable with it. We began nursing in public with a blanket over the boy, more because I'm nervous that he would pop off. These days, at 8 months, he doesn't really like being covered up anymore so I just have it around just in case.
Really, the only "blooper" I'd say we've had actually happened just yesterday. AJ, the boy, and I had just looked at a place we were interested in renting, about 2 hours away from where we live now. We had just gotten on the highway when the boy began screeching to tell us about his hunger, right as snow was added to the mix of 50+ mph winds.
There was no shoulder on the road, so I turned onto the first gravel road that I saw and pulled to the side. AJ got the boy out of his carseat and handed him to me. No sooner had we started nursing when I see a cop car pull up behind us and turn his lights on. I thought, "Really..." as I unlatched the boy and adjusted my shirt.
AJ said, "No, keep feeding him," but the policeman (who is probably in his mid-20s) was already up to the window.
I roll down my window and AJ jumps right in and says, "We're breastfeeding!"
The cop shifts his eyes sheepishly and says, "Oh, okay. Glad to see you're pulled over and not doing it while driving down the road!"
I say, "Yep, thanks."
Haha it was awesome.
Really, the only "blooper" I'd say we've had actually happened just yesterday. AJ, the boy, and I had just looked at a place we were interested in renting, about 2 hours away from where we live now. We had just gotten on the highway when the boy began screeching to tell us about his hunger, right as snow was added to the mix of 50+ mph winds.
There was no shoulder on the road, so I turned onto the first gravel road that I saw and pulled to the side. AJ got the boy out of his carseat and handed him to me. No sooner had we started nursing when I see a cop car pull up behind us and turn his lights on. I thought, "Really..." as I unlatched the boy and adjusted my shirt.
AJ said, "No, keep feeding him," but the policeman (who is probably in his mid-20s) was already up to the window.
I roll down my window and AJ jumps right in and says, "We're breastfeeding!"
The cop shifts his eyes sheepishly and says, "Oh, okay. Glad to see you're pulled over and not doing it while driving down the road!"
I say, "Yep, thanks."
Haha it was awesome.
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