The good news!!! ( Fair warning: Poop talk!)

When we realized Beau had a dairy problem he already had a skin rash, pretty intense discomfort, green mucous filled stools, and a rash on his bum that was a very typical circular allergy diaper rash. That was on the 16th, 9 days ago, we have taken a fast paced crash course in going 100% dairy free for me and today was our first bowel movement that was back to regular seedy newborn yellow!!! I am expecting the diapers to fluctuate a bit between yellow and the yucky green since I did have a few oopsies, like not realizing nuggets contained milk and non-dairy creamer still contains whey. 

The only down side is now I get to trouble shoot our cloth diapers. We use one size pockets that are a 100% cotton fleece inner with a PUL outer shell, 100% cotton microfiber soakers, and 100% cotton prefolds as a doubler (they work great when you stuff a diaper with one prefold on top of one soaker with the prefold closet to the baby in the pocket). When we pull the prefolds out of the dryer it feels like they have a nasty soap scum residue. For a dirty diaper we use the diaper sprayer to get the poop off of the fleece inner and then spray any staining with Bac-out (this: http://www.amazon.com/Bac-Out-Foaming-Action-Sprayer-Ounces/dp/B001OI0YWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377455959&sr=8-1&keywords=biokleen+bac+out) and rinse at the next diaper change. We do a load of diapers somewhere between every day and every other day. I put the diapers in the washing machine while it fills I use two TBS of rocking green (this kind:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N0JXUW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  I do an extra rinse after the cycle runs and then place them into the dryer, we use dryer balls (four of these kind: http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Can-Do-DRY-01116-Dryer-Balls-2-Pack/dp/B002LGWKKO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377456232&sr=8-3&keywords=dryer+balls)  and dry them on the medium setting. When the dryer stops we pull them and stuff the diapers to put away for use. I am going to try stripping them with apple cider vinegar in the next wash cycle and see if that helps. I hope my prefolds aren't ruined, but we shall see! Until next time. 

More on the Dairy issue and some randomeness.

Sorry in advance, this will be all over because I am really all over lately.


We are about a week into the dairy free thing for Beau and things are going pretty well. I can definitely tell when I've consumed some hidden dairy (which has happened more than I care to admit, seriously chicken nuggets have milk in them) as his "heat rash" gets pretty intense again and his allergen rash on his bum flares back up. I am getting really good at reading labels as a default before I eat something (even if I just read the label a couple hours ago). He is still having some symptoms, and his diapers are still kinda rough, but he seems to be in significantly less pain and he is much less fussy. We have two weeks or so left until he is better, but things are looking up for sure. The biggest things that have helped are equal parts diligence and Aric being so helpful.


In other news, I have FINALLY finished my shoe bench project!! Aric and I bought a new bed a while back and our old one has been sitting in our house dismantled waiting to be a project. I decided I would make an over sized bench to sit by the front door and our shoe rack. Now we have somewhere to sit to get our shoes on before heading out the door! I also screwed a couple little hooks into the headboard for our key rings.
How I did it:
First I did a rough measurement of the couch seat to see how long it is. Since I wanted the bench over sized I added about 6 inches to the length and snipped a piece of ribbon to size. I use the piece of ribbon to mark my length on the inside of the side rails of the former bed. I cut the rails to length and flipped the hook things that fit into the headboard. on the end that I cut to length I used a standard inside corner bracket to attach the side rails to the foot board. The reason I flipped the side rails was so that the center supports would sit nearly flush with the top rails instead of recessed for a mattress to fit inside. I also attached the rails a little higher on the foot board so there is a gentle slope from the part of the bench under your knees to the back board. After the outer frame of the bench was assembled I went ahead and screwed the center supports back onto the side rails. I then cut legs that go under the very middle of the center supports to the needed height and attached them in the same way they normally would attach to the bed. I used one center support leg in front and one in back. For the pad we have a twin sized comforter (and no twin sized bed for it to go on) that is folded in half right now. Once I can run out and get some fiber fill I will be sewing it inside of the comforter for an actual plush pad. The bed frame I used was a queen sized frame and the twin comforter is the exact width I would need.  All in all it was a pretty easy project, especially considering that Beau is only a month old and I'm still healing from his birth. It was no strain at all to complete this project even with Aric at work. All in all it took about 2 hours total work. I broke it up into couple minute long sessions here and there when Beau was asleep and AJ was otherwise occupied.

Breastfeeding and Dairy problems and soothing a hurting baby.

My husband and I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Beauregard has a milk protein issue. I'm still not clear on whether its called an intolerance or an allergy, but whatever it is it is obviously VERY painful for him. There is a ton of info out there on what to eat and avoid, but not much in the way of soothing the poor screaming, upset, and in pain baby.

Last night I posted about how terrible I felt and how it was all my fault that Beau was in so much pain in a mommy group. Some of the other moms reached out to reassure me and the reassurance was invaluable to my emotions. So that's what this post is going to be about: The very LONG period of 2-3 WEEKS of waiting for the dairy to clear moms system and milk, then baby's system and how to soothe them in the mean time.

I'll add links in here also where possible and do my best to explain everything.

Products I use

Large Muslin swaddle blankets (I use 40x40 inch off brand ones, bigger than that will work, smaller will be a bit more difficult to use)
Hot water bottle (think old school dramatic movie ice bags they put on peoples head after they swoon or faint)
Swing and bouncer
Awesome support person (Mine is my husband, could be anyone though, mother in law, wife, fiance, boyfriend, girlfriend, close neighbor, really anyone you can lean on physically, but EMOTIONALLY too.)
Internet access (for access to KellyMom.com and youtube and and mothering resource sites)
Baby carrier (I prefer wraps, my favorite is simple a 5 yard long strip of cloth from the fabric store)

Techniques
3S's Shush Swaddle and sing.
Whisper Shhhhh in babies ear while bouncing, rocking and consoling when they're upset.
Swaddle- I love the second technique in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHQHR9tJOUM) but I've tweaked it to make it work for me. I put the bottom up before I wrap side to side and I also tuck the very end after wrapping the second side back in to keep it tight.
Sing- this doesn't have to be nursery songs and is as much to keep you calm as it is to soothe baby. Something that makes YOU smile and feel better would be ideal. Can you sing "bohemian rhapsody" by queen without a big grin on your face? I can't and that's why right now its my go to. This is where youtube comes in handy, search a song and play it, sing along, its fun and the baby doesn't know if you're tone deaf.

The hot water bottle is great to put against baby's tummy with gentle pressure and rocking it back and forth when they are really gassy. It's a great quick helper if a bath is just not possible at the moment (Like when you have a toddler running around to care for too)

The swing and the bouncer are great for when you need to use the bathroom, or take a minute to collect yourself. Its HARD to have an upset and hurting baby when you can't do a whole lot to help them. It's a good idea to set them down and walk away for a minute when you start to get upset too. Yesterday morning was particularly rough for little man, and I was holding him sobbing right along with him. My husband came in and took the baby, told me to go for a quick trip to the store. I nursed him right before I left and was gone for about half an hour. Hubby got little man to sleep and calmed down pretty quickly after I left. He was feeding off of my upset as well as his own pain and discomfort.

Kelly mom is an awesome parenting resource, I frequent the site often for resources about breastfeeding.  Right now this resource (http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/hidden-dairy01.pdf) is particulary useful to me. I have a print out in both my purse and kitchen to double check if there is a dairy concern in the food before I buy or eat it. Seriously, my newborn is 3 weeks old now, I can't remember ANYTHING. this little cheat sheet is a lifesaver.

If my husband is home, or there is another responsible adult around to watch my two year old for me when Little Man is really having a rough time falling asleep because of the discomfort I will put him in a baby carrier and go for a short walk. There is a little loop I walk that is a half a mile. It calms me down and helps him fall asleep and only takes about 10-15 minutes doing a nice slow mosey to calm him down.  I use this site (http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/) often to find ways to tie my simple piece of cloth wraps (5 yards of woven fabric) My Infantino Sync Wrap has instructions is the instruction booklet that came with it, so that is handy too. My Moby wrap I have had down since my daughter was a baby so I don't need to refer to the booklet on it anymore, but I still have it.

Burping is SO important right now for little man, I know some people say burping a breastfed baby isn't necessary, but in my situations (having oversupply and overactive letdown) I really disagree. My daughter was a colicky baby so burping her was always a must too. With Little Man he gets so incredibly gassy that you can hear it rumbling. There is the Super Granny secret burp technique (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xcGbd8xWGI) that really helps Beau get out those big burps. I employ multiple burping methods and techniques to do as much as I can to alleviate his discomfort. I make sure I burp him well after each feeding, and anytime he gets fussy. The three methods detailed here (http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-burp-your-baby_10363676.bc) are my usual go to methods. When I put him up on my chest to burp I make sure his belly is solidly against my breasts and hold him there firmly with the hand I'm using to support him. I find the extra pressure from that helps him burp more fully. Anytime I'm holding little man I pretty instinctively pat his back in a burping type motion. I'm fairly certain most moms do this, I notice it pretty often anytime I'm around other moms of younger babies.

Finally, lean on your support person, cry to them, vent to them, ASK THEM FOR HELP! Seriously moms, ITS OK TO ASK FOR HELP. I don't know about you but this is the hardest thing for me to do, but you need to do it. Knowing you need help and seeking it when you need it is a sign of STRENGTH, absolutely not a weakness, do it! Ask them to take the baby or the kids for half an hour and go for a walk or a drive. Hell even going to sit outside for 5 minutes with no toddler hands on you and no toddler voice singing twinkle twinkle for the millionth time that day can save your sanity (I love being a mom, but I don't love every moment. You know what, though? That's totally OK)

So I think this about covers it, at least for now. I'll go ahead and post resources just below for your convenience. Until the next time.

Feel free to leave comments with other tips and tricks you've learned.

Burping
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-burp-your-baby_10363676.bc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xcGbd8xWGI

Baby Wearing
http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/
http://www.infantino.com/product.cfm?product_id=1412
http://www.mobywrap.com/mw/Home.htm

Breastfeeding and parenting info
kellymom.com
http://www.llli.org/

Muslin Swaddling Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHQHR9tJOUM

Here We Go?

My initial intent here was to just post my sons birth story to share in a widespread way with friends and family. I felt it was a bit too long for a facebook post, but still wanted to get the nearly overwhelming excitement and energy out of my system so I could relax and enjoy my newborn with my awesome husband.

As the past three weeks have positively FLOWN by I have found myself wanting to update and touch on other things. Things like handling a newborn with colic (maybe caused by a milk protein sensitivity) and an energetic ball of destruction known as a two year old. Things like nursing issues and cloth diapering SNAFUs.

So Here We Go? Maybe. I hope! Hopefully this will be a success. Hopefully I can help other new moms to their first or second or whatever number who feel like they are alone in what they're going through know they are NOT alone. I tend to be pretty optimistic when dealing with others, and I hope that this blog will help me see MY OWN situations in a more optimistic light as well. Hopefully this will be a kind of light therapy for my train wreck postpartum emotions, and a habit that allows me to quench my thirst for writing beyond that. This is hopefully a beginning. Help me make this a  beginning and not an end. Keep an eye out for new posts and visit me often, Let's call it a date?

Ryker Bearegard's Birth Story

Warning, this is a birth story, complete with the gory details, read on at your own discretion. I will discuss various things that many will find gross or an overshare... You've been warned TMI definitely follows ;) 



Monday, The 22 of July I woke up frequently throughout the night, knowing I was in labor. I resolved to ignore it for as long as I possibly could and sleep in between the contractions that woke me up. By 7 am Arica was stirring in her bed, so I woke Aric and suggested we go out to breakfast for AJs last morning as an only child.

When we got home from breakfast we started working on set up, luckily about the only thing we had to do was set up the tub. Everything was still in place from going into a three day long practice labor about three weeks earlier. As we got the tub filling my contractions started to get really intense. I decided I needed to do something more distracting than watch water run, so I grabbed a canvas and my brushes and set about painting the "happy place" I go to when I need to go somewhere else mentally. Lately my happy place has been a willow tree on the bank of a reedy pond in the moonlight with lots of lightning bugs.

Shortly after finishing my painting and getting the tub filled, the midwives arrived to assess me. I was POSITIVE I would be at least to a 5 or maybe even 6 by this point. No such luck. I was still a tight two, and had a ton of effacement to go. The good news was Beau was actually head down and engaging. Feeling simultaneously defeated and optimistic, we decided to stay out of the tub and try to rest in between contractions (hahaha rest in labor, whoever came up with that needs to be punched in the crotch repeatedly while trying to nap or lay still). The hours passed pretty uneventfully and Arics mom came to pick up AJ after work to go play until bedtime (which Aric and I are SO thankful for, It really was a huge help).

After Arica got home and was put down to sleep, we really got to work, My body picked up the contractions, the pain was intense and I had to move with the contractions, I could NOT be still through them. We checked again for progress about 10 PM or so and I was at a stretchy 8 or 9 and still coping pretty well. (largely courtesy of Alicia Keys' Superwoman that I was singing in labor... yes I so went there and it worked for me)

Then came the wall.... I wanted to quit. I think I sobbed to the midwives, Aric and the universe in general that I just didn't want to do this anymore and you guys can't make me. I am done... I don't wanna, you know, Full on ugly cry, "I quit!"

Then it happened. I got in the hot shower and then back in the tub when the water started to run cold. Once in the tub next thing I knew I was pushing. I couldn't have stopped it if I wanted to my body took over and did its thing. I got curious in between contractions and reached down to feel if there was even a head there, and there most definitely was a head there. It was about an inch and a half from crowning and I knew it was almost over, That we were gonna do this.

I kept Aric right in front of me on the other side of the tub and just held his hands through the contractions and pushing. As soon as I felt the early tinges of the infamous "ring of fire" I called to the midwives that we were going to be crowning. They had went to the living room to give Aric and I some privacy and let me get back in my headspace (something I would have never been allowed in the hospital at that point in labor). My midwife came over with the waterproof flashlight and went to check me, well, suddenly a contraction hit and there was a head... and a cord. Rykers cord had prolapsed, and wrapped around his neck and we didn't even know until his head came out.

My midwife unwrapped the cord from his neck, but I could feel something wasn't right, I wasn't contracting anymore. I kept pushing and pushing and pushing, but with out a contraction to help I was getting no where. We didn't have any more time, so both midwives and Aric had to physically lift me out of the tub. Aric supported my entire body weight when I collapsed on the outside of the tub. My midwife had to stick her hand inside of me to grab the baby's shoulder, It was STUCK CHUCK! Aric and I pulled in one direction while the midwife pulled in the other and we finally got his shoulder free. He was not responsive right off the bat and he needed an oxygen bag. The midwives were working on the medical stuff and I kept rubbing his chest with my knuckles (the way you're taught in the army to help resuscitate someone). I realized Aric was sitting behind me just watching the entire scene kind of frozen in shock and afraid to be in the way. I looked at him and said "talk to your son, damnit!!" He leaned over and stroked Rykers foot with his hand and said "ryker" at a level barely above a whisper. Well, lo and behold little man opened his eyes, coughed and sputtered and we had a  responsive baby.

We moseyed from the side of the birth pool to the bedroom to deliver the placenta and work on the after birth needs, like cuddling our beautiful little man and telling my husband what a rockstar he is to me. The placenta came without incident and my uterus did decide to work again and clamp down, so I had very little blood loss.

Aric made me a roast beef sandwich and grabbed me some fruit while I kept my feet up to wait for everything to slow down again and just snuggled Ryker (Who had totally pooped meconium all over everything including the two of us at this point lol). After eating and resting for probably two hours or so the midwives came back in and asked if we were ready to start the post partum assessments. Born at 12:48 on the 23rd, Ryker weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds and 2 ounces. He had a 15 inch circumference head, was 22 inches long and was just a happy healthy little dude. He took to nursing right away and had a good solid latch that he ate on for 20 minutes or so. While my midwife said she could definitely suture the two tears I had, and she had sutured tears not as bad, she would be ok leaving them to heal on their own as long as I was willing to take some extra precautions. To be honest I was so over anything happening any where even near my vagina that I declined. The midwives finished up and suggested Ryker and I both see the chiro the next day, me to get aligned and make sure my hips were ok and to check Ryker out for any shoulder injuries from getting stuck in the birth canal and having to be pulled on like a bad Labor & Delivery slapstick skit.

Its now a couple days later, My milk is in, I am very happy I declined the sutures and little man is still eating like a champ. Arica is slowly adjusting to having a baby brother. She will even give him kisses on the head and tell him "its ok" when he's upset now instead of running away from him crying. I'm healing much faster than I expected. Honestly I wouldn't change a thing. I can look at my awesome son, and look at my husband and say "We did this, We made him and we brought him into the world in as calm and peaceful of a way as we possibly could have" I am so pumped that we got to have our home birth, I am equally as pumped that I kind of got a two for one deal. I had both a water and land delivery with one baby and to me that's kind of neat. If I knew going into this home birth this is how it was going to turn out, I wouldn't change a thing. We are all healthy and happy.