July 2014

Warning: Nipple Talk

Published on July 30, 2014February 21, 2020 by a.simple.mama2 Comments

If you’re on your first kiddo, you know that breastfeeding for the first month or so is pretty uncomfortable. Ok, sometimes it’s almost unbearable. The cracking, bleeding, sore, engorged pain that only a mother will ever feel. But we do it, we do it because we know that breastfeeding is the best thing for our babies. And once you get over that first hump, it’s easy going from there…at least as far as the pain goes. Feeding problems are a whole ‘nother conversation…

When I decided that I wasn’t going to try and wean J when I got preggers, I had no idea that the nipple pain would be back…with a vengeance too. I worried when J started getting teeth that I would have to deal with biting or a difference in J’s “grip”, but nothing really changed. He has bitten me once or twice, but not regular or purposeful enough for me to do anything about weaning. But the last 2 months or so…phew…

I’ve done a little research. I worried at first that the pain was due to a yeast infection or something of the sort. But as far as I’ve been able to find, nipple tenderness is part of the lovely side effects of being pregnant. If it happens to effect you to the point where nursing is uncomfortable…well you’re pretty much SOL. Some women reported that they were in so much pain when they would nurse that they weaned their little one right then.

I haven’t quite gotten to that point yet…but the best I can compare the pain to is what I imagine it feels like for a guy to get kicked in the nads. It’s not always that terrible, usually it’s only that bad at night and on one side more than the other.

BUT unfortunately for me, I nurse J to sleep. Yes, I know, all the “experts” would tell me that that’s the worst habit I could have gotten him into. Oh well, what’s done is done, and frankly it keeps his nursing on a pretty tight schedule. So, the “nursing to sleep” thing aside, this routine that we follow to get J to sleep every night ends up leaving me with a “kicked in the nads” feeling for the first 5 minutes of him nursing. It does go away eventually, but I never thought that I’d be back at the painful nipple step so late in the game.

I find myself hoping that I won’t have to wean J because of the pain. In my mind there’s really no reason to wean him yet, but if it’s intolerable for him to latch, then what?

I’ll talk to my midwife in 2 weeks at my 16 week checkup, but I’m really weary that I’ll be eventually (sooner than later) forced to wean my sweet boy because the pain is too much to handle…sigh.

The Sisterhood of Motherhood

Published on July 18, 2014 by a.simple.mamaLeave a comment

There’s something about being pregnant, being a mom that brings other mother’s together. A common bond that you now all intimately share. Random strangers you encounter while out and about, friends that you’ve lost touch with, cousins, distant high school acquaintances all suddenly become closer to you. Drawn together by this little pull of motherhood.

People you barely know, or wouldn’t normally approach suddenly have this approach-ability to them. A common thread that you can tug on to enter into a conversation that you wouldn’t normally have had. “How far along?” “When are you due?” “Boy or girl?” Aren’t deemed as inappropriate or prying questions when coming from someone else in the same boat. There’s no need to guard yourself and your growing belly from the reaching out of curious hands from a mother who’s carrying a belly of her own.

If you are through the pregnancy part and have little ones of common ages, those silly little creatures we love so much become the strings that tie us together instead. Your little one catches the attention of the little one at the next table and all of a sudden an instant friendship of sorts is formed with a complete stranger, if only for a few quick seconds. An understanding that is inherent and buried so deep that you don’t even question it.

Mom’s get it. Mom’s to be are on their way to getting it. “IT” being the all-knowing and yet totally unknown adventure that you’ve entered into by becoming a parent. The even playing field that life becomes the second that you enter into this new chapter in your life. Total strangers who find this one common link in otherwise unrelated worlds or societies.

How powerful this one little thing can be…

Pregnancy Cravings

Published on July 5, 2014 by a.simple.mamaLeave a comment

When I was preggers with J I craved milkshakes and salads. I had a few random cravings for a few things here and there, but nothing totally out of the ordinary for what I eat on a regular basis. Somewhere I heard that your cravings are you body telling you that you are missing something and you need more of it…if that’s true then with J I needed calcium and ranch dressing? Haha.

With #2 I am having more random cravings. Still nothing that I haven’t eaten before – and no pika here thank goodness… There’s still something about salads though so I have to get one any time we go out to eat – making one at home just isn’t the same!. But this time around I have been having dreams about food.

Last night I had some very specific dreams about strawberry Poptarts and pickles. (Not together though) But it was a vivid enough dream that today I had to go out and get those very things! Actually Poptarts and pickles and M&M’s made up the majority of my dinner tonight…he he

Granted I’m only 11 weeks in, so who knows what’s coming. With J there were a few nights during my second trimester that I ate ice cream and kettle corn for dinner. I think Hubs knew better than to argue with a pregnant woman about what makes for a “good” dinner!

Returning compliments?

Published on July 3, 2014 by a.simple.mamaLeave a comment

I’ve always been the type to ogle at babies. In the store, at a restaurant, at the park…it’s built into my DNA to coo and awe at them. But besides giving a smile and a little wave to the little cutie, I’ve never been the type to make a compliment directly to the parents. I don’t know if maybe I feel like I’m imposing by saying something, even though it’s a compliment, or if I’m just not the type to say something to someone I don’t know. Actually, I’m the second.

Now that I’m a parent with a cutie-patootie of my own I’ve been almost bombarded with compliments on a daily basis about how cute he is. Now, I’m certainly not going to argue…because he is friggen adorable and he just loves the attention so he plays off of it like a pro. But even parents with little babies of their own are complimenting little J. Something about that just seems….odd (?) to me. I love that everyone thinks he’s so adorable, and we never get tired of hearing it. But is it weird that so many compliments come from parents of other similarly aged babies?!

Maybe I’m just being silly…

The other part of it is that since I am so terrible at complimenting total strangers (or their little ones), I am also awful at returning the compliments from said parents. If a parent with a little one compliments J, should I return the compliment as well? I always seem to miss the obvious opening to do so, and then it’s too late to say something without it sounding forced or fake.

Not that I don’t acknowledge the other child or whomever is giving the compliment. In most cases I’m talking between J and the child – kind of like narrating what he’s seeing…”ooo you see that pretty girl over there? are you flirting silly boy?” In the meantime we are both waving and smiling at the other baby too…so it’s not like I’m ignoring them. But I feel weird just saying “thanks! Yours is a cutie too!” Probably because I’m a little partial now to J and I don’t notice the cuteness of other little ones as much as before.

Is it just me feeling this parental oddness?! It’s happening enough that I’m starting to really wonder…