Tag Archives: Breast Feeding

On breastfeeding, 5.5 months in

breastfeeding gorilla

There was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to breastfeed my little one. Before I knew that I was having a little girl, I knew that I wanted to nurse her. Back then, there were so many reasons that I thought I knew – it was healthier, “breast is best” and it’s free. What more could I want? Besides, I figured that my mom was a La Leche League leader back in the day, so she could help me if I ran into any problems. So, with everything sorted, I figured that was that. But it’s been so different than I imagined.

First of all, I never would have thought that my first couple months on this journey would mean pumping instead of nursing. Thanks to Harley being so premature and in the NICU for 5 weeks, I had to pump for her and deliver the milk every day. Then she came home and simply wouldn’t latch. I was devastated about it, but at least she was still getting the good stuff with the pumping. Thankfully, once she was a bit bigger, she latched like a champ, and has been a boobie monster ever since. That has come with its own unique ups and downs. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

Stop asking about solids

baby solids

I don’t know what it is about becoming a mom, but suddenly it seems that everyone feels entitled to tell women what to do. I’ve had complete strangers tell me that I needed to put a hat on my baby, or socks, or to not bundle her up so much. Excuse me, but don’t you think her um, MOTHER would know what she needs?

At the moment, Harley is five months old. She is exclusively breast fed and gloriously chubby. I mean, really chubby. She even has fat rolls at her wrists and her ankles. Her growth  has continued to impress the sister when I take her to get weighed, and she is absolutely thriving. It is an incredible feeling for me – breast feeding has done so well for her. She went from being a tiny little preemie, to being a healthy chunky monkey. I am so grateful to be able to provide for her, to be able to give her the best possible food, and to be setting her up for a future of fewer allergies, illnesses and other issues. However, plenty of people have other opinions. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

Is breastfeeding making my psoriasis worse?

psoriasis after birth

I absolutely adore breastfeeding Harley. It may sound silly or weird, but it has been an incredibly fulfilling journey so far. It’s so gratifying to see her gaining weight so nicely – those chubby cheeks and thighs all come from the food I’m able to give her. It has been wonderful for bonding, and even though it’s hard not to be able to leave her alone much, it’s all worth it for the moments she looks up and smiles at me while nursing, or falls asleep in my arms. For the most part, I’ve been extremely lucky – I haven’t had cracked nipples, I haven’t struggled with milk supply, and I’ve only had a couple blocked ducts. But I have been facing a totally unexpected difficulty, my skin.

You may or may not know that I suffer from psoriasis. It’s not horribly severe, and I can usually manage it without any prescriptions. I even gave advice about doing so for a fashion/lifestyle blog [As the blog is no longer around, you can find my advice over here].

However, despite doing all the things that I know help, my psoriasis has flared and seems to just be getting worse. I’ve done all the things that I know can help, except for light treatment, and nothing is working. The only thing that I can think of is that the breastfeeding is making my skin dry out. Continue Reading

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8 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

How Harley has changed in three months

Today Harley turns three months old. It’s still a bit odd because I always have to adjust her age – she’s three months old, but considering how early she came, she should only be about a month old. That said, there are only really a couple milestones that are a bit delayed for my little preemie princess – otherwise, she is already on track for her actual age.

In only three months, my little girl has gone from a mere shadow of a baby to a real tiny human. She is growing so much every day, and I’m amazed at her development. Much like my own changes in the past three months, time has taken on a strange shape – it feels like both a long time and an instant. I can only imagine how another month or three or nine will change her even more. Continue Reading

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3 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

Babies: the real ball and chain

I adore my husband. I often say that he’s the only person I can be with every day and never get sick of his face – I suppose that’s important considering we’ve agreed to spend the rest of our lives together. We never refer to each other as “the old ball and chain”, in part because it’s rude, but also because it’s not true. We give each other plenty of space, spend time in the day apart, and never restrict each other’s activities. So no, my husband isn’t a ball and chain… but my baby sorta is.

The ball and chain was originally a physical restraint, but the idiom evolved into a burden or restraint in the form of a wife or job – something you can’t get away from. As I type this, I am holding Harley. She prefers to be held for hours every day, and in the past week I’ve probably spent about an hour apart from her. In total. And there’s no chance I can get early parole for good behavior. Continue Reading

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8 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting, Rambling