Eats on Feets

I began pumping when Addie was one week old. I thought I should start early so I could start building up a stash of frozen breastmilk for when I went back to work after three months. Addie began sleeping through the night almost immediately it seems, but was consistently sttn around six weeks. I was so scared I wouldn't have enough stored milk so I would set an alarm for 3 AM every night to pump. By the time I went back to work when Addie was three months, I was pumping once in the mornings when I would wake up, around 7 AM.

When the time came, I was so scared I would quickly run out of frozen milk before realizing I was still pumping three times a day while I was away from Addie. Therefore, my freezer input was still more than the output that Addie was getting at my moms. Eventually (see now) the time came when I knew I would run out of room in my freezers. Yes, freezers. Plural. Something had to be done, and quickly!

The milk was close to expiring (it's only good in a freezer for six months unless it's a deep freezer) and it was taking over the space where my much-needed icecream used to go. I thought about donating it, but then found out the Milk Bank only takes screened milk. Crap. I had five months of pre-screened donor milk. Now what?

I came across Eats on Feets on Facebook, a place where moms can meet up with other moms to donate or accept breastmilk. I decided to post the other night and by the next afternoon, a mom in Kyle (45 minutes away) was asking if I would be willing to donate to her premie. Her beautiful daughter was born six weeks early and on the day she responded to my post, it was her due date. I was so touched and agreed to meet her the next day. I put as much milk as I could in our little icechest (so, about 400 oz, or around 80 bags) and drove to meet her. She shook Zac's hand but I felt like we had so much more of a connection and we immediately embraced. I feel so honored, and so humbled to be able to provide this milk to her baby. She shared with me that her daughter is thriving and has zero health problems, to which she contributes solely to the breast milk her daughter has received from various donors. I am so blessed to be able to share this gift with her.

As we were departing, I told her I was sorry I couldn't fit any more (I had about 600 more oz at home still) in the icechest but that I would add her on fb so we could become friends. She was so grateful and insisted I take a box of Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags she had in her car. I am so thankful to her! I didn't stop to think about how expensive even pumping is, but $10 a box for these bags does add up over time. So, thank you again Kathy and I can't wait to give your daughter more milk!

Half a Year!!

Six months ago  at this time I was sitting in a hospital room with my new family of three. I was a proud mama of seven hours and was in complete bliss. Fast forward to today, and I am still in a state of bliss. I love being a mom to Addison! She's such an easy baby and every day I thank God that He gave me such a perfect tiny human to take care of.

She laughs, sits up completely on her own, babbles dadadada and HIIIIIIII, grabs and shakes her toys, sits at her high chair during meals, "drinks" water from her sippy cups, sleeps in her Rock'n Play from 8 PM-7:30 AM, laughs when she sees Goose, pets the cats and grabs their tails (gently!), and continues to put everything in her mouth.

I have to AW  myself for second: I've made it to my goal of exclusively breastfeeding for six months!! I never thought I'd be here at six months and at first thought this goal was unobtainable. I'm so proud of myself for accomplishing this goal, but I owe it to Addie for being so good at it. I hope to breastfeed for a year or until she weans herself.

She's a GIRL!!

Addie has been sick so I took her to the doctor today. While we were in the waiting room a lady came in with two of her children, a fourth grade son and a two year old daughter. The daughter immediately comes up to Addie and gently touches her foot and smiles. Her mom sees her and admonishes her about touching my baby, but seeing as she wasn't the sick one (the son was) I didn't have a problem with it at all, thus opening ourselves up to conversation. The mom says to her daughter, "Ask her what his name is," and the little girl says, "What's her name?" The mom goes, 'No, sweetie, it's a he," to which I respond with, "Actually, she's a girl." Addie was wearing a brown and tan Zodiac romber from Old Navy, so it wasn't clear that she was a girl. Since she's sick I wasn't going to dress her cute and in bows, so I knew she might get mistaken. The poor mother felt so bad and kept apologizing and every time she saw a girl-themed baby item we had she would say, "Agh, I should have seen ______, I'm so sorry!"


I thought it was funny and didn't care at all. I know Addie is a beautiful baby girl, but honestly, I don't see why people get all upset when their child gets mistaken for the opposite sex. Just a funny story I felt like sharing.

Migraines

Back story: I've been getting severe migraines for years now and have been off/on Rx meds since early 2007. When deciding to get pregnant I had weaned myself (with my neurologist's consent) from all medicines except vitamins and was feeling great. As soon as I gave birth, my migraines came back to once a week or so. I have Fioricet to take with the onset of a migraine, but even that isn't helping lately. I've obviously used NSAIDS such as tylenol, naproxen and Excedrin but I seriously think these are a placebo for me so I feel like I've at least tried to cure it. I've tried triptans... Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpex, Axert, all with no luck. I used to take 100 mg of Topamax and it basically cured my migraines. However the side effects were intense: anorexia (not by choice, I just didn't eat because I was never hungry so it wasn't psychological), loss of motor skills, poor memory, speech problems, fatigue, and it adversely affected relationships with everybody around me.

So then I tried the non-medical route. Chiropractor, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, aromatherapy, ice/heat, relaxation breathing techniques, biofeedback, and psychotherapy.

Now that I've had Addie, they're back full circle. I can't take Topamax because I'm still breastfeeding, and there's no point in taking the triptan drugs. None of the alternative therapies have made a lasting effect, so I'm just done. I'm done. I want to feel better. I want to take care of my daughter. I want to be a good teacher. I don't want to be a zombie any more.

I'm pleading to anybody out there who has migraines. What do you do? What has worked/hasn't worked for you?