What to Know about Breastfeeding

Me breastfeeding Cheyann (football style) on the day she was born!

 

Mindset:
I decided to breastfeed from day one upon finding out I was pregnant. Making up your mind right then and there is the preeminent nudge in the right direction. It aids you towards a successful breastfeeding experience! If you make up your mind that breastfeeding is bar none the best thing for you and your new baby, little will stand in the way of making it happen!

When the baby is popped out:

It is so important to have that bond and connection with your baby as soon as he/she comes out to say hello to the world! Have your doctor or midwife place the baby directly on your chest (skin to skin) with the cord still attached. This will initiate mother-baby bond and is vital for a healthy breastfeeding experience. It also comforts the baby to be held by its mother. Every mammal has a mother to nurse it from birth! This is how we are designed, so do everything in your power to make sure this happens.

 May seem gross, but it's a part of life! :o)

Ouchy…My nipples:

If you have done the research then you know how to ensure that your baby has a successful latch on the breast. However, for most ;o) the nipples aren’t an area that gets that much attention! So it is completely normal to have soreness, redness, cracking, dry and maybe even a tad bit of bleeding in that area. It should only be a mild discomfort until your nipples get used to all the action! Then they will become so tough you could dangle an anvil from them! Until then, there is an all natural cream called Earth Mama Angel Baby, Natural Nipple Butter to soothe your discomfort. It is organic and free of parabens and other yucky ingredients. I wish I would have used that. Instead I used lanolin for the first 2 or 3 weeks. That’s all it should take for you to be totally at ease with breastfeeding! If you have further problems contact your local La Leche League Leader, a lactation consultant immediately. See link at the bottom of post to find a consultant in your area.

Before you Pop:

Before you deliver your gift from heaven, make sure you purchase a few nursing tank tops and nursing bras! Target has some plain ones as well as cute ones with lace. In my opinion this is one of the best purchases to make for yourself as a nursing mama! I literally lived in my nursing tanks every single day. Still do actually! My tiny petunia is 9 ½ months old and still nursing! They are discreet and make nursing in public easy peasy lemon squeezy! No lifting up the shirt, just unsnap and nurse! A little blanket to cover your baby’s head and your breast is tasteful. Keep in mind, not everyone wants to see your exposed breast. Some people get really weird about it…those are the ones you politely ignore!

Ummm…my shirt is soaked:

When your milk is in full swing, at times it feels like you are Niagara Falls! With that comes awkward wet spots on your shirt right smack dab on your boobs for everyone to see! Not Fun! That is why it is so important to get yourself some breast pads. They have disposable and cloth pads. I hate to say this because it’s not as environmentally friendly, but I really liked wearing the disposable ones in public. They have a thin plastic liner on the outside that seems to trap in the moisture; whereas, milk can seep right through the cloth pads. Of course if you are prepared you can always just bring extra cloth pads with you and before they become too wet you can simply switch them out! Problem solved. If you are the type that forgets your head if it wasn't attached and neglect to bring extras, you may like the disposable pads for outings. Invention idea: Reusable cloth breast pads with thin plastic liner sewed onto one side! I could be so rich! HAHA!

Speaking of leaks:

There are other places where leaks are more humorous than embarrassing. The first place is in the shower. If you are full of milk and take a nice, warm shower, your boobs will spray milk out like the shower head! Okay, maybe a little exaggerated but it is comical to watch your boobs squirt milk straight out! If you find yourself in pain with engorged boobies, you know where to head to remedy that problem! The next place that is on the funny side for milk to leak is in the sack! That’s right; I said it…during sex! This should not be an embarrassing moment for you or your lover. A sense of humor goes a long way when it comes to these kinds of moments!

Getting into the grove:

As mentioned above, leaking is inconvenient and often times embarrassing! Fortunately, as time moves on your body will adapt and learn to produce EXACTLY what your baby requires. No more, no less! I have been at the point where I no longer where breast pads of any kind because my body simply knows when and how much to produce! It’s amazing the bond that develops when your own body is perfectly in sync with your baby’s nutritional needs! Give yourself a nice pat on the back when you make it to this point! You’ve worked hard to get here!

What is that tingly feeling:

As your feeding your baby on one breast you will start to feel a tingling sensation on the other breast. This can be a strange sensation at first as it feels like tiny needles inside, but it is not painful and you will get used to it lickety split! This is just your milk dropping in. What an amazing thing to experience! It can also start to drop in if your baby is crying. This signals your body to produce for your hungry baby. I have heard of some women being in a store without their baby and they heard another baby crying somewhere and their milk started to drop in! This has never happened to me, but interesting none the less!

When I feed my baby it feels like heaven:

When you are sitting there nursing your precious gem, a sense of ease and bliss starts to creep all over your body. What many of you may not know is that the same hormone, oxytocin, that is released during intimate affection, sex, and orgasm is also released while breastfeeding! This makes sense why it is so relaxing and there is such bond between mother and child while breastfeeding. This is God’s way of pleasing mommy so she desires to continue giving her baby the best form of nourishment on the planet! Also, after every feeding you see your baby full and content. This makes you feel worthwhile and gives you an enormous sense of purpose! I’m convinced this is why breastfeeding significantly reduces the onset of postpartum depression!

There is no greater bond than mother and child!

Being the sole source of nutrition for your babe in arms:

You may ask, does breastfeeding mean I am the only one who can feed my child? Will I have no help in the middle of the night or when I need a break? The answer is NO! While you are the sole source of food for your baby during the first few months, you can pump and store for someone else to take up the responsibility once in a while! Get yourself a nice breast pump machine. Don’t skimp on this purchase! They can be expensive and cost you upwards of $200.00 but this is the single most important purchase to make being a breastfeeding mama! Especially for the working away from home mama! A cheap pump can cause pain while a good pump will be comfortable and an essential tool! You can pump and store all that excess milk! The more you pump throughout the day, the more you'll have stored away!

This is the exact pump I purchased from Target!

Saving Time and Mulla:

As most mothers know, saving money is so important while raising a child. You have to make sacrifices and make sure your child has everything they need. This is why breastfeeding is such an asset to the bank statement! No formula or tons of bottles to buy. No emergency trips to the store when the formula runs out. No washing bottles and nipples all the time. Save money on that bottle drying rack and dishwasher basket! You don’t have to worry about warming up the milk or what brand of formula to purchase. It’s right there, anytime you need it, fresh and tasting great to your baby!

Alcohol and Breastfeeding:

Taking care of a baby can be extremely stressful at times. Sometimes a glass of wine is much needed! But drinking and breastfeeding…they don’t exactly go hand in hand. You want to be careful not to pollute your baby’s system with alcohol as your baby has an immature liver and can’t process it like you do. The amount of alcohol that is in your bloodstream is also in your breast milk! A good rule of thumb: just because you can't feel the buzz doesn't mean your baby can't! Wait at least 2 to 3 hours after a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail. Alcohol does go into the breast milk, but it does not stay there. There is no need to pump and dump unless you are engorged. I have drunk as much as two glasses of wine and felt tipsy and fed my baby 5 or 6 hours later. For me, I feel that is a sufficient amount of time for the alcohol to work its way out of my system and milk. Everyone is different so use your instinct! Better safe than sorry, so wait plenty of time.

Never drink even a glass of wine on an empty stomach while nursing. Also, drink a glass of water before and after drinking alcohol. These two steps will lessen the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream; thus, less in your milk. You also don't want to get dehydrated from drinking!  If you have a night of heavy drinking, it’s probably best to wait until morning before feeding your baby. If you have stored milk, use that instead. Otherwise, formula would be better than getting your baby drunk! Of course, I would never recommend getting drunk! Unforeseen things can happen and being intoxicated hinders you from safely caring for your child. Also NEVER co-sleep with your child if you have been drinking at all! I find it best to responsibly enjoy a glass of wine or beer at home after your baby has gone to sleep for the night.

Medication and breastfeeding:

I am a big believer in taking no medication at all if you can help it while breastfeeding. When my baby was 3 weeks old I had some complications and ended up needing surgery and was unable to nurse for 3 days. My husband and mother-in-law had to feed my baby formula during that time because my stored milk supply (liquid gold) ran out. When I was sent home from the hospital I was prescribed Vicodin as a painkiller. It is supposedly safe to take while breastfeeding. However, I decided not to take the medication and just tough out the pain because I felt my baby acted strange while I had Vicodin in my system. I can’t stress enough how important it is to LISTEN to your instincts! This is sometimes more helpful than what the doctor has to say. None the less, always check with your doctor and pediatrician before taking any over the counter or prescription drugs.

Crap! My milk is not coming in or it’s drying up:

You must first evaluate why you are having problems in the first place. Are you nursing often enough? Are you eating nutritious rich foods and drinking plenty of water? Do you have a good mindset about nursing? If you feel you are doing everything right, there are some wonderful, natural herbs out there that supposedly open the flood gates on the milk supply! One such herb is called Fenugreek. You can purchase capsules of this herb at most health food stores. However, you should be sure to do plenty of research and speak with a lactation consultant before turning towards prescription drugs or herbs to increase milk supply. Many times it is an issue with mommy’s nutrition why milk supply is even a problem!

Best of luck to all you mommies out there who are die-hard breast feeders! It's the best thing for you and your baby! I would love to hear some of your stories of breasfeeding in the words of a mother!

Find your local lactation consultant here: La Leche League Leader

Vaccines: Yes, I am going there!

I get the same speech nearly every time the topic of vaccines is brought up. It’s as though they go hand in hand. Following is the rhetoric:

·        The pros outweigh the cons.

·        A little fever and a rash are minimal side effects.

·        Only very few children have severe adverse reactions from vaccines.

·        Vaccines do more good than harm.

·        The kids in other countries die from these diseases that immunizations are meant to prevent.

All of the above are seemingly logical stances to take on the side of inoculation.


Here is my dilemma: Why are so few asking these important questions?

·    Why are the kids in America among the most highly vaccinated and the most chronically ill in the world?

·     If there is a fever and a rash, how is this healthy to inject into the bloodstream of my tiny baby?

·     If only a few kids have seizures from an “allergic reaction” how would I know my baby is allergic until it’s too late?

·    Why is the overall health of so many Americans not up to par?

·    Why do those kids in other countries die from these diseases but yet they don’t have cancer or other common American diseases?

It seems brainwash is in the air!


Let me ask you these questions. As a mother:

·     If there was a shot that contained the likelihood of preventing the measles but also contained the cause of adult cancer, would you inject it into your child?

·     If there was a shot that contained the likelihood of preventing pertussis but also the cause of  lifelong asthma, would you inject it into your child?

·     If there was a shot that contained the likelihood of preventing hepatitis B, rotavirus, tetanus, mumps, or rubella but also contained the cause of chronic cold and flu outbreaks, persistent ear infections, poor academic aptitude, behavioral disorder, seizures, mental retardation, etc. would you inject it into the arm of your child?

My guess is absolutely not! I would rather battle measles now than cancer later! Moreover, the first mentioned set of diseases does not have to be such a frightening threat if the immune system is healthy and functioning properly in the first place. Unfortunately, most babies immune systems are weakened in utero as they are exposed to noxious contaminants through the placenta from the mother’s intake of chemical and pesticide rich foods and water, environmental toxins, inadequate nutrition, and/or unhealthy toxic habits such as drinking or smoking. As a result these diseases have taken horrific prevalence and wreaked havoc on our society. I am not saying that each vaccine meant to prevent certain diseases causes the after mentioned diseases. What I am saying is that the chemically toxic concoction created by man is a very poisonous dose of clearly identified contaminants that if come in contact by humans in any other form would be treated as hazardous waste! These vaccines full of toxic waste meant to prevent or lesson symptoms of certain diseases actually create a whole new set of problems. Any toxic substance when put in the body suppresses the body’s natural immune system; thus, allowing for attack from many other strains of disease. It’s like slamming your foot in the door to take the attention off a headache, but then you have a broken toe to deal with!


The world we live in is already full of pollutants that over-whelm the immune system and suppress some of its most basic functions. Who needs more toxic garbage piped right in our body via needle?! The liver is the center for filtering these contaminants in the body and every person is different. Some people can handle more toxins in a single dose or over a long period of time. The liver is quite an extraordinary organ in that it won’t complain too much while we vaccinate, drink alcohol, use toxic hygiene products, intake chemical and pesticide rich foods and water, et cetera until one day it has had enough. Then it may be too late! Aside from dragging through most of our lives as drones without the proper amount of energy, (not the kind of energy that is produced from a caffeine and sugar rush from drinking your morning coffee) we also may eventually succumb to devastating diseases such as cancer and/or many forms of autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately for those children whose systems are not strong enough to filter the poison in vaccines may yield to these diseases much sooner than the typical adult. We all know that cancer and autoimmune diseases are on the rise and have been since the introduction of inoculations, processed foods, and industrialization. Pollution is pollution no matter what form and it is all linked together in our struggle for optimum health.
                                                          
                          Hmmmm?? Looks like the manufacturing is harmless! HA

Look, I am not the type to shout from the rooftops at every parent, DON’T VACCINATE YOUR CHILD! Although, I am the type to shout from the rooftops, DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE IGNORANCE AND NAÏVE BELIEF IN THE MEDICAL SYSTEM COMPROMISES YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH! I could spend hours writing about the poisonous chemicals at parts per million that are present in vaccines. I could discuss in length the way these vaccines are grown and handled as a toxic waste by scientists in the laboratory. I could also discuss the link between big pharmaceutical companies rapidly mass producing these vaccines for a quick profit without human trials or concern with future adverse reactions. But this is a post on a blog, not a book! The research is yours to do. Do it wholeheartedly and with intense fervor to find the truth! I did the work on my own because I was concerned enough to be fully educated before blindly trusting what the pediatrician had to say. I took a very bold stand to not vaccinate my daughter because I believe that it would only serve to weaken her otherwise healthy immune system. I am not saying that modern medicine doesn’t have a very important place in the world. The medical field is an excellent place to find a diagnosis for disease, emergency care, emergency pain management, and emergency surgery. Prescreening for disease is wise if you continue to live the lifestyle of loading your body with toxins. Nevertheless, it would behoove you to change to more healthful eating habits, drop the bad habits, and detox at least twice yearly.


It is time to return to an organic earth for our health and healing and give it the respect it deserves as it has served us for millions of years with outstanding benefits; un-tampered by man’s illusions of grandeur to be smarter than what will ultimately keep us in balance, Mother Nature!


Let me clarify one last thing. I am not 100% arrived at the lifestyle I am advocating, so no condemnation. Let’s do this together!


Thank you for asking the hard questions, in the words of a mother!

START RESEARCH HERE:
http://naturalnews.com/Vaccines_Get_the_Full_Story.html

Yummy, Organic Baby Foods!

I'm not an expert in the area of nutrition, but I am smart enough to know that organic is the best! I also am not going to pretend that I myself eat all organic...yet anyway! I plan to switch to eating all organic and quick because Cheyann is about to be eating table foods. Her first bite of food was organic. I have had some people ask what I feed my darling princess, so below are some pictures of what she loves and I have to say, I love them too! I taste her food every time I feed her because it is oh so yummy!

These are not your average puffs! I purchased the greens and banana variety of Happy Baby Organic Puffs but this brand offers apple, strawberry, and sweet potato as well! The strawberry and sweet potato varieties are gluten free! Plus, as advertised these fancy puffs have half the sugar of all other puffs...sweetened with 100% organic fruit juice. Cheyann gobbles these up and I sneak a few from the can too! From now on I will only purchase the greens variety of Happy Baby Puffs because it has 10% of the daily need for protein per serving and she receives 3 servings a day...30% of her daily protein needs in a snack??!! Say what??!! Mama and baby are happy! Also it has 25mg of Choline per serving. Hip Hip Hooray for a healthful snack!

Earth's Best has been one of my favorite finds in the baby world so far! The entire brand of Earth's Best is organic. All of their foods are made with NO genetically engineered ingredients! I give Chey the oatmeal cereal mixed in with her fruits for every meal! This adds about 9% of her protein needs for the day and it is iron fortified to 45% of her daily needs! Oh and get this...ZERO grams of sugar!!! Woohoo! I also love that they jar their baby food instead of putting it in plastic. They have several varieties of baby foods and she loves every single one of them, with the exception of the meat varieties. Cheyann is currently vegetarian. Her favorite is Sweet Peas with Brown Rice. That one jar is 22% of her protein needs for the day! For you meat enthusiasts out there...we are up to 61% of the recommended daily protein needs on food alone. Keep in mind your tiny blessing still receives protein from breast milk or formula if they are under a year old. As they get older you may need to start feeding  your tot other sources of protein.

                                     

More organic snacks to munch on! I can't stress enough how pleased I am with this brand and the low sugar content of their foods. There is no lack of flavor either. Cheyann is in love with her wheat teething biscuits; however, she still doesn't have enough teeth to eat these without supervision. I sit next to her as she gnaws on these like they are candy! The Organic Crunchin' Grahams are a great alternative to your regular old graham cracker which contains more fat, sugar, and sodium. Earth's Best grahams also have Iron, Zinc, and B vitamins that the other brands don't have.

I love Gerber's organic choices! They have so many different fruit and vegetable combinations. It is so much fun to watch Chey experiment with new tastes. They have cool combos like Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Pear & Wild Blueberry, Butternut Squash and Harvest Apple with Mixed Grains, Apple Sweet Potato, and Pear Raspberry to name a few. However I wish they were in glass jars and made with whole grains. None the less, the variety is unmatched and the taste is superb!


Not to sound like a plug for Target but that is where I purchase all of these items. I have not found Earth's Best anywhere else. Also, on a non-food note, Target carries the FuzziBunz line of cloth diapers which I am about to purchase and try out. Expect a future post about that experiment!

Until then, have a nutritious day and tell your baby doll a happy story for me in the words of a mother!

Acceptance and Understanding

I've always loved my mother, but during my adolescence and early adulthood I was all too often critical of her. Critical of the way she raised me, the way she spoke, acted, dressed, and basically lived. What a burden to carry. In my ignorance I blamed a lot of my life's problems on her. I was holding unforgiveness in my heart and casting much undeserved judgment on her. I was hurting her but even more so I was hurting myself. All the while she remained relatively the same.

She has always been somewhat of a non-confrontational person until you push her to her limit. She tends to keep her opinions to herself and not want to ruffle feathers. I would characterize her spirit as meek and empathetic. To the more strong personality types like me, you could call her an easy target. 


Of course my mother has her faults as we all do and I often felt the need to interject my thoughts of how she should handle situations, raise my younger brother, respond to life's challenges, etc. I always felt as though I was spinning my wheels trying to "help" her. I was wrong. You see, I was in a place of naivety; foolish as most adolescent and young adults are. I had not walked a single day in her shoes. I could go on and on about the struggles my mother has gone through and overcome. She is literally the strongest person I have ever known.

One day I made a very conscious decision. I decided to simply accept my mom for exactly who she was and where she was at in her life. I dropped ALL expectations of what type of mother she should be and what she should do for me as my mother. I was liberated! I dropped the need for her to say or do certain things for me. Shortly after I made that decision our relationship started to dramatically improve! I noticed she was more at ease around me. She wanted to be there for me in a more “motherly” way and was interested in spending time with me. It seemed as though she was liberated as well, to be herself! Around that time I became pregnant. Thank God our relationship had improved because I needed her then more than ever! Had I continued to pressure her to be and act a certain way she probably would have continued to be somewhat distant.

Mothers and daughters are closest, when daughters become mothers. ~Author Unknown. This quote is chalk full of truth! After giving birth and struggling to figure out what is the best way to raise and take care of my new bundle of joy, I got a taste of what my mother has done for me. She had three children and was a single mother. I only had one with the help of my husband, mom, sister, and mother-in-law, and at times it feels like too much to handle! I remember when I was a child and didn’t understand some of the things she said/did and she would always say, “Wait until you have your own kids and then come talk to me!” It’s funny how that was exactly what was needed to develop a new found respect for her that is on a completely different level. She deserves way more credit than I ever gave her. I “get it” now!

I love living in this place of appreciation for her to be exactly who she is! Life is good and I’m actually getting ready to go grab some sushi with her so got to run! And there’s the proof in the pudding…quality time together! This would have never been in the cards had I not learned the valuable lesson of acceptance and understanding.

Thanks for lending your ear…or in this case your eyes! I quite enjoy communicating my point of view in the words of a mother!

Mother Knows Best...How to Save Money That Is!

When Cheyann was first born I thought she had to have to best of everything. Hand me down or used clothes that looked worn and faded bothered me. What a laugh! I quickly realized that a brand new outfit after two washes looks exactly like the clothes from most resale shops or yard sales! So that right there is a fantastic way to save loads of mulah! Between gifts from friends and family at my baby shower and all the clothes I continue to get from my mother-in-law, I only buy Cheyann brand new clothes when we have a special occasion or if I see something I truly would love to put her in! Try to avoid going through the baby clothes section when you go to the store to get the necessities on your shopping list. Browsing all the adorable, sparkling, bright colored goodies in that area is hardly a recipe for "sticking to the list"!


Another great discovery is the Up and Up brand of diapers that Target has to offer. They are a good deal cheaper than the name brand diapers. I have used Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs. Pampers were my favorite as far as fit and soaking up goes and I feel Up and Up is a real likeness to them. I've been using Up and Up for about a month now and Chey is 9 months old! Can you imagine how much I could have saved using Up and Up the whole time?! I won’t add it all up or I might get depressed! But here is a bit of a breakdown for future references. You can get 120 Up and Up diapers for $29.98 or you can go the Pampers route and pay $29.99 for only 92 diapers. You save a penny and get 28 more diapers! You can't argue the value here. Just a little note...I have left Cheyann in her Up and Up diaper for over 14 hours during one long night and there were no leaks! Usually she goes around 10 hours of sleeping with no diaper changes and they work just as well as Pampers or Huggies.


One last but not least money saving tidbit I have discovered along the way is standard bathing and lotion rituals…OUT THE WINDOW! I use Peter Rabbit Organics Baby Shampoo and Wash! It is an all in one jackpot! There is not a single harsh ingredient in it. I received this gym in a 12 fluid oz. bottle from a dear friend at my baby shower. I have been using it for the last 7 months and the bottle is still half full! This product also moisturizes your baby so there is no need for lotions after the bath. That’s one less step to do and you save time getting your precious baby ready for the day! Your baby is healthier and happier. He/she doesn't have to absorb the known carcinogens from the fragrances and chemicals through the skin from the more traditional washes and lotions! It's a total win win!


Until next time, thanks for reading my findings on how to save money in the words of a mother!



A Whole Foods Market Exclusive...You can only get it there.

The best kind of a prize is a Sur-prise!

So there I was...looking down at the pregnancy test. I didn't have to question it's accuracy considering I had been feeling squeamish for over a week and throwing up in the parking lot at work. As soon as the test showed positive I starting screaming in bewilderment! My cousin came running upstairs; she already knew what the commotion was about. My first thought was call Sean! I rang him and instantly said "I'm pregnant!" His reply, "Are you making this up again" as I had done so many times before to get a reaction out of him. This time I could hear in his voice he already knew I wasn't kidding. None the less my dear cousin got on the phone and said, "No Sean, she is not kidding. I'm looking at the test right now!" 

Thus the whirlwind began. Questions, questions galore I thought. What am I going to do? Where am I going to live? (I was renting my grandmother's farmhouse at the time). What doctor will I go to? How will I learn preparedness for another human life to be my sole responsibility? Up to this point I was pretty much a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal and had virtually no responsibilities other than my job! I did what I wanted, when I wanted, no questions asked! Boy oh boy, I had no clue what I was about to embark upon.


Over the next several months I did what any normal prego would do. I found a suitable doctor, found the best hospital, made sure insurance was paid up and in full force before what seemed like hundreds of doctor's appointments and the final labor and delivery visit! But something in me urged me to look further than just the usual labor and deliveries that are done at the hospital. 

I started to research different options that I felt would best suit me and my tiny baby as we anticipated bringing her into the world. I asked my doctor questions that she said most mommies’ to be don't ask. I started to get the feeling my questions seemed off base or irrelevant. None the less I forged on and made my birth plan. I had it written for all the doctors and nurses to see as they viewed my chart before assisting me. 

And so it was the day...September 9th, 2010. I was admitted to the hospital, contracting hard, and dilating pretty quickly on my own. I opted for the epidural when I arrived and was already dilated to a four. I noticed that the nurses did not so much as glance at my birth plan! I thought what the heck?! I spent all this time carefully planning and deciding what I felt was best for me and my child and they could not care less! Let me tell you, it is hard to stick to your guns when you are in labor and that is the precise reason I wrote the daggum plan to begin with! 

The doctor came in and said I was ready to push...I said "Great! Oh and I don't want the umbilical cord cut until it is finished pulsating." She responded with a quizzical brow, "Why would you want all that hemoglobin in the baby? No. We are not going to do that." When you are getting ready to deliver your first born child, it is no time for an argument so I reluctantly agreed and said, "Okay, I trust you." Four words that took the power right out of my hands and placed it into the hands of my doctor. Regardless of my definite reason for allowing my baby to receive the much needed iron in the hemoglobin, it meant nothing in that moment. She had no clue why I was concerned about it in the first place.


I opted out of the many medical interventions that are automatically given to every baby when born based on my relentless research, but it was no easy feat! I had to be persistent and very out-spoken about my wishes. You could say pregnancy changed my entire perspective on the medical field. I was determined not to blindly trust a medical doctor with something so basic; it dates back to the beginning of mankind...birth! This is a natural process and should be done, in my opinion, as natural as possible. My next time around (if I choose to have another) will be completely different and probably at home!


Stay tuned for more baby tales in the words of a mother! Have a lovely day!