I wish I had a wonderful success story for breastfeeding Turner, but I don't. Breastfeeding, like anything related to children, takes time, dedication and a little know how. I left the hospital after having Turner without a clue on breastfeeding. I wasn't aware of the benefits, how to breastfeed or how to troubleshoot when things went wrong. After a couple of days of attempting to breastfeed Turner, I gave up. For a couple of months, I pumped day in and day out and fed him with a bottle. My milk slowly dried up.
During my pregnancy with Ainsley I was completely dedicated to breastfeeding her. Just like I researched my natural birth, I researched breastfeeding.I wanted to know everything about the topic to give myself a better chance at success. Being in nursing school, I had the great opportunity to do my maternal child rotation while being pregnant, which helped immensely. I was like a human sponge, absorbing every ounce of material that came my way. All of the information being presented to me was going to be put to use! I thought breastfeeding would be a somewhat straightforward experience. Not exactly the case. It has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding endeavors I have embarked on. The first two weeks of breastfeeding were literally Hell. Ainsley wouldn't wake to feed, which resulted in a loss of a significant amount of weight, landing us an extra day at the hospital. The lactation consultant helped, but our time together was limited. My nurses would watch me breastfeed and said I was doing a great job, but I didn't have the confidence I needed. After my discharge from the hospital, all hell broke loose...I was on my own. With Ainsley's weight loss, I was in a constant state of worry, always concerned she wasn't getting enough milk. My latch wasn't correct, which resulted in pain. Our feedings seemed like they lasted an eternity, it seemed like shortly after I would get done feeding her, it was time to turn around and feed her again. None the less, most of our feeding ended in tears. I was close to giving up. But for anyone who knows me at all, after I have made my mind up and committed to something, I do not give up...no matter what.
3 1/2 months later, Ainsley and I are breastfeeding champions!!
I know many women who are in the process of trying to get pregnant, pregnant, close to delivering and new mommies. So I thought I would write about breastfeeding to give some tips that I wish I would have known when I started breastfeeding!
1. Breastfeeding is a learning process for both you AND your infant. Your newborn is born with primary reflexes, other than that he or she will need to be taught how to master the art of breastfeeding. Without doubt, your little should should be able to suck, make sure the nipple is placed correctly...this is your job! Go online, there are a ton of resources available to help you learn the process of breastfeeding.
2. Breastfeeding should not hurt. Not in any way shape or form. If it hurts, the latch it wrong. It's important to listen for your baby swallowing milk, which can happen with an incorrect latch. So if there's pain and you are hearing your baby swallow, the latch is still wrong!! I spent many sessions with Ainsley biting my lip, listening to her gulp, thinking to myself, this is what breastfeeding consist of? Remember you are BOTH learning the ropes of breastfeeding, your infant needs to be taught. Once again, go online, there are plenty of websites dedicated to breastfeeding. You tube helped me with watching the latch and how your infant should be positioned while latching on.
3. STOP WATCHING THE CLOCK!
I was told a good feeding was 10-15 min on each breast. So this was my set standard. If Ainsley would nurse for shorter than that or just on one breast, I would instantly being to worry that she wasn't getting enough. I would keep trying to latch her on, when she was finished. Instead of watching the clock, I watched my daughter nurse. She did a great job giving me cues she was full! I felt like after I quit timing our feedings, my stress about her getting enough milk melted away. This is when I really started to enjoy nursing her. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten regarding breastfeeding.
4. Dedicate this time to your infant
Yes, I know infants are demanding. But breastfeeding should be a time for you to kick your feet up, relax and bond with your new bundle of joy. TURN OFF THE TV, PUT AWAY THE COMPUTER, SHUT OFF THE RADIO. Dedicate this time entirely to your little one. If you're a parent already, you know time fly's by. Enjoy them while they are babies and depend on you....it goes by much to fast. Before you know it, they will be pushing you away. There have been so many times where I would be gazing at Ainsley and start crying in awe of how perfect she was....I will always cherish that time I spend with her.
5. Find a breastfeeding station
I found that my favorite spot to breastfeed was in the rocking chair in Ainsley's room. I would have a tall glass of water on the dresser always ready to go, a dim night light at night so I didn't have to turn on a bright light and burp rags within reach. Keep things that you might need during breastfeeding handy. It's a perfect time to run a emery board across their little fingernails or to brush their delicate hair.
Breastfeeding is hard, and a lot of work. But in the end it was the most rewarding experience you can share with your newborn. It gets easier, feeding by feeding....day by day. Have confidence in yourself and trust the you will learn how to do it! Lactation consultants are available at each hospital , free of charge. Use them, boobies are their job, they know what they are talking about and a great resource!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Pinching Pennies
Our current situation (me in school full time and two kids) bought us a first class ticket to the poor house. I am grateful that we have a wonderful house over our heads and our bills get paid each month. Kade and I each have vehicles that run and get us from A to B. So in the grand scheme of things, I can't complain. But, we lead a modest life. We don't have the best of the best, but we are happy...which is what really matters.
Our tight budget has taught me how to be strict with our monthly budget. There have been many weeks where we were left with a small sum of $30 to live off of for the week. This includes our weeks worth of groceries and needed items around the house. This tight budget has FORCED me to be creative with our money! There are a few penny pinching tricks that I live religiously by!
1.)Meal Planning**
Meal planning is one of the easiest ways to cut $$ off of your grocery bill! This is how I do my meal planning....
I start with my meal data base that I've created over the past four years. Yes, I know I sound like a crazy lady...having a meal data base. All it consists of are all of the meals my family enjoys, separated into different categories. Recipes based around chicken go in the chicken category, hamburger based recipes in the hamburger category and so on. Each recipe has it's own recipe card in my box of recipes under the exact same categories. This part of my meal planning has taken me the longest, but soooo worth it in the end! Now when I find a new recipe I love, it goes on the database worksheet as well in the recipe box!
Next pick out which recipes sound good to us for the week. I try to mix up the meat throughout the week, instead of eating 5 meals based off of hamburger. This is where those categories come in handy! I use this printable worksheet and lay my meals out. **Another tip is to take a peek into your fridge finding what produce/meat needs to be used before it spoils and pick meals that will use up those ingredients.
After I've figured out what meals we will be having, I grab the recipe cards and take a quick peek at the ingredients, and compare with whatever items I have on stock in my house. If I need an item, I put it on my grocery list on the right hand side of the meal planning worksheet mentioned above.
Kade gets paid on a weekly basis, so I do this each week before I go grocery shopping because I know what my weekly allowance is after I've paid my bills. Meal planning has made my life so much easier. I don't have a night where I find myself toying with that lingering question, "what to make for dinner tonight...." I know what we're having before the day begins!! Meal planning also helps you avoid having to run to the store throughout the week for that ONE item you need and don't have on hand. Those quick trips always end up being at least a $20 bill, those add up!!!
-It doesn't hurt to throw in a leftover night every once in a while. MUST GO MONDAY'S, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT TUESDAYS, GONNA THROW IT OUT THURSDAYS, ETC!
2. Stick with your grocery list!!!
My grocery list is based on my meals as mentioned above, which has really helped me avoid those impulse buys with food. I try my hardest to stick to those items necessary to make my meals, and that's it.
3. Buy in bulk......when you can
There are a few items that I always buy in bulk. Chicken breast, pork chops, flour, sugar, vingear, peanut butter being just a few of them. I buy up to 20 lbs, and seperate the chicken breast into meal portions in pint freezer bags and freeze away. Nonperishable items are usually cheapest bought in bulk, i.e. Toilet paper, paper towels etc. etc.
Be careful, some items are not cheaper bought in bulk! Watch the unit price to make sure you are getting the best deals!
4. Recycle your food!
This trick has taken me a long time to perfect. As mentioned above in meal planning, try to use produce that is nearing it's expiration date. There is nothing I hate more than throwing fresh produce away, mainly because it takes up a big chunk of my grocery allowance.
Another way to recycle food is to invest in a dehydrator. This has helped me save a lot of my produce. When I have fruit that is getting close to going bad, I pop it in our dehydrator. Apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and peaches all work great for dehydrating. Turner loves our homemade raisins, they turn out much bigger than the store bought. This dried fruits work great in homemade granola, oatmeal in the morning or even for baking!!!
Ok- There are my money saving tips when it comes to food. If our family of four can life off of $40/week for groceries, yours can too! I challenge you to set a budget each week and try your hardest to stick to it! Good luck!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Homemade Cleaning Products
I came across a section dedicated to homemade household cleaning products. I love my store bought cleaning products but decided to give these homemade options a try. I completely fell in love with them!!!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
Febreeze:
1/2 c. liquid laundry softener (whatever brand you keep on hand)
1 Tbsp. baking soda
3 1/2 water
pour ingredients into a 32 oz. bottle and mix well!
Window Cleaner:
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1/3 c. white vinegar
3 1/2 c. water
pour ingredient into a 32 oz. bottle, wipe away with old newspapers
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE, WORKS 100 TIMES BETTER THAN WINDEX!
Kitchen Cleaner:
1/3 c. rubbing alcohol
1 tsp. clear ammonia
1 tsp. dishwashing liquid
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
fill water to top of 32oz. bottle
THIS RECIPE WORKS GREAT AS WELL
Bathroom Cleaner:
2 tsp. borax
1/2 tsp washing soda*
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp vinegar
3 c. VERY hot water
32 oz. bottle
*washing soda is different from baking soda, it can be found in the laundry section of your local store. I found mine at Walmart, and love it!
The McVey's
For anyone that knows me, I'm sure they would think Kade is my opposite. It's true, he is. Kade is a cowboy, he was raised on a farm. It shows in his day to day life as well as his work ethic. His parents did an amazing job raising him, making sure to pay attention to details. His morals in life are contagious; I've never met anyone that has such a big heart and always willing to help anyone in need. Kade does an amazing job keeping me in line when I need it. He's quick to remind me to see every situation from different perspectives, one quality I am lacking in. There are so many qualities in Kade that I love, making me work hard at adopting them into my lifestyle. One of my favorite qualities is Kade's ability to become a kid when spending time with our children. This is something I noticed early in our relationship, and something that reminds me everyday why I love him so much. Watching him interact with Turner melts my heart. Kade has an abundance of patience with Turner, a trait that is not learned. I wouldn't be where I am today without Kade. He has supported me, both emotionally and financially, throughout my college career. He had unfortunately had to bear the brunt of my emotional break-downs from stress, but he takes them like a champ.
During marriage prep, deacon Pat Coy stressed the importance of surrendering yourself to your spouse. At first, I took offense to this. Me, surrender myself to my husband? How dare he say that....it's the 21st century, women do not surrender to their husbands. Little did I know, I took this the wrong way. I watch Kade surrender himself to our family, everyday. He works 40-50 hours a week, and when needed he gives up his weekend to work side jobs. He does all of this so that we are provided with the things we need. Watching my husband do this day after day, week after week inspires me to do the same for him. I might not necessarily do it in the same ways, but each week I stop and think, what can *I* do for him that will make his life easier?-- Then I concentrate on those items.
Turner is my three year old. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for him. I've feel blessed that I was able to stay home with him over the summer. It gave us some much needed time to catch up with each other. We spent our days playing in the pool, going to the park, playing puzzles, weekly trips to the library and of course snuggling together at nap time. When I'm in school, I feel like a "stretch arm-strong doll", being pulled in every which direction. There were times that Turner had to sacrifice time with me because of it. This summer has taught me to savor those moments with your kids, you only get them once. So instead of working hard to get an A on a project, take the time to play with him when he asks me. I should be flattered he wants to play with me!! Thankfully this summer has been a time that I've been able to catch up on those moments, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Turner is so enthusiastic about everything he's doing, he always has a skip in his step and a smile on his face. This is a quality I would kill for. For now, all I can do is try to adopt it into my daily life. He truly is a good little boy.
Ainsley joined our family in the middle of May. After many months of preparing for her birth, we were able to work together to bring her into the world without any medical interventions. Instead of the typical 6 week maternity leave, I was able to spend 3 1/2 months home with her. Breastfeeding has been a great experience with Ainsley. The first few weeks were difficult, many breastfeeding sessions ended in tears; either on my part or hers. But eventually we both learned what we were doing and got a hang of it. My most cherished moments with her have been our feedings at night. I know this might sound crazy but those feedings are so peaceful. I don't have a phone ringing, chores that need to be done, a three year old screaming at me or testing my patience. When everyone else is asleep Ainsley and I get to stare into each others eyes as she quietly nurses. Then she falls back asleep as I pat her back. Some nights instead of putting her back into her crib, I just sit there with her asleep in my arms. With Turner being an independent three year old, it is so fulfilling to have another person depend on me. I love approaching her crib in the morning, seeing her face fill with a smile and her little arms start to wiggle in excitement! Last weekend we were camping, while playing at the campsite playground, I held Ainsley on my lap and swung with her as Turner climbed on the jungle gym. Ainsley belted out a big laugh! I shared her first laugh with her on that swing! What an amazing moment!
Last leaves me--
My family, as mentioned above, has molded me into the person I am today. I try my hardest to be the best wife to my husband and mom to my kids as I can be. Being home with my kids has taught me a lot about being a mom. There's nothing more that I love more than a clean house, a majority of my time used to be dedicated to keeping my house up to my standards. I can't say that's the case anymore. Leave the dishes, play with your kids. Chores can be done when they are napping or asleep. Cherish that time you have with them, as it slips by too quickly. I've also been concentrating on ways that I can pinch pennies around the house (more blogs to come on this). If we have to be completely broke for a couple of weeks in order to make a camping trip fit our budget, it's well worth it to me...
Warmly,
Kori McVey
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)