Mommies shouldn't get sick

Do you all agree with me when I say that moms shouldn't get sick??? How are we supposed to care for sick children when we're also sick? Well, I'm lucky enough to have a husband that helps a lot, but...What if he also gets sick?

Well, that's pretty much what happened this weekend. Actually it all started last Wednesday, the 21st. It was a holiday here in Brazil and we went to a hotel. As soon as we got back at 1 a.m, my daughter started throwing up. She has been coughing a lot lately, and sometimes she would throw up in the middle of the night from coughing so much, but this time it was different. I knew it wasn't just from the cough.

After cleaning up her crib, switching her to my bed, taking off the sheets from my bed, sleeping on towels and getting new towls until we ran out, we decided to take her to the emergency room. I think I must have slept about two hours, max. It is quite funny too, because that night when we got home from our trip I was so exhausted and so happy to just lay down on my bed and sleep.

The doctor told us it was a viral infection which means the whole family would probably get it as well. On Friday (two days later) when I wrote about this on my blog and posted some pictures of Jasmine's barf (I know, gross), I started feeling a little weird. I thought it was because of that whole experience of taking pictures of throw up and looking at it on the blog. That whole day I had been feeling as if my head was floating, like everything around me was in slow motion. Now it all makes sense. That night I finally went and threw up after I couldn't possibly hold it in any longer.

(One thing is for sure: I cannot have morning sickness! I HATE throwing up! So, I don't know how some of you do it. Seriously. You're awesome)! Anyway... ;)

Then, right after me, it was my son's turn. We got sick at the same time. I only had my husband to save me and he wasn't feeling good either. It is so sad to see such a small child throwing up like an adult! It is just not fair! Poor thing, I felt so bad. And I didn't have the strength to get up and get him when I saw that he was starting to feel sick. Luckily, my husband was still sort of good.

(Okay, now single moms - I also don't know how you do it. You're amazing).

You probably already know what happened next, and I don't want to gross you out any longer.

So here's a picture of me and my son right after it happened to him. Misery!

We're doing a lot better now, although my kids are still going #3 (that's dia...you know what I mean). A lot. I hope they get better soon but right now I'm just so thankful that I'm able to take care of them. It was only a two-day ordeal for me and I know that many of you have it a lot worse.

So now I would like to hear some of your stories. Have you ever been incapable of caring for your children for one reason or another? How did you deal with it?

Home-Made Facials

Have any of you ever tried to make your own facial? Do you have any great recipes that you could share?

Here are some recipes if you would like to try one or two and let us all know how you liked it. Between all of us trying one or two of these we can figure out which ones are worth using and which ones are not.

For trouble-prone skin - Mix oatmeal with water to form a paste, spread over face avoiding eye area, allow to dry, leave on for 10/15 minutes, rinse.

For normal to oily skin - beat egg white until frothy, spread over face, allow to dry, rinse.

For oily skin - wipe cucumber all over face, allow to dry, rinse. Use witch hazel for a toner.

For removing blackheads - mix egg whites and a few drops of lemon juice, spread over face, allow to dry, rinse. (I am very excited to try this one :)

For spots - blend oatmeal in a blender until it's powdery, add some lemon juice to make a paste, apply to face, allow to dry, rinse.

For a face scrub - mix olive oil and Kosher salt, scrub gently, rinse with warm water, apply a moisturizer after. This recipe could also be used on elbows, feet, or any rough skin area.

* TIPS: With all of these recipes you will want to make sure you avoid the eye area. Using upward and outward strokes is suggested to really get into the pores. You should always start with hot/warm water to open up pores and end with cool water to close pores. Moisturizer should be applied immediately after towel drying face to keep moisture in skin. When rubbing facials on face use your last 3 fingers (not your thumb or index) so that you don't put too much pressure on skin.

If any of you have any tips, recipes, advice, experience to add please do :) I look forward to hearing about these recipes! I plan on trying a few of these this week as well!

nursing dilemma

I have a dilemma that I thought I would run by all of you other mommies. I am nursing my 5 month old but I seem to be drying up on only one side. Now my baby isn't getting enough to eat so I have started to give her a bit of formula. I really want to nurse her at least until 8 months because we just can't afford formula. Is there anything I can do to get that side producing milk again? Does anyone know why I would dry up on only one side? I nursed my other two and that never happened!

Natural skin care

I decided to research natural skin care to go along with the green cleaning subject; here are some tips I found that I am going to try as well:


Tip 1: Give yourself a dry brush exfoliation (this is done with a natural soft bristle brush)

1. Stand in the shower, water off
2. Starting at your feet, start brushing in small circles towards your heart. Apply very light pressure, avoiding broken skin, skin rashes, or areas where the skin is thin, such as the face or inner thighs.
3. After you've finished both legs, move on to your arms. Brush from your fingertips, again towards your heart.
4. Reach around and brush from your back towards your stomach.
5. When you are finished, begin showering.

For me this tip is more difficult because showering is a major task in and of itself. I have to do it while my baby naps and the other two are watching a movie quietly and it seems like war breaks out whenever I do shower....so I am going to try this tip on the weekend when my husband is home to help with the kids =)

Tip 2: Rev up your Digestion

• Good skin is a reflection of a good digestive system.
• The most two common sluggish digestion culprits are not enough water and not enough fiber.
• Suggested things to boost fiber are: more whole grains, apple, cauliflower, nuts, dried fuits, beans and legumes, flaxseed

Tip 3:
Invigorate Sluggish Circulation

• One of the best things you can do for your skin, stress level, and overall health is to get moving!
• Inactivity can affect skin and promote bloating and puffiness, acne, cellulite, and loss of muscle tone.

Tip 4:
Avoid Excess Sugar

• Most people do not realize this but excess sugar is considered one of the main causes of premature aging.
• Try a gradual approach - in the next week, choose one thing you're going to do to decrease the amount of sugar you consume.

Tip 5:
Eat some good fats

• They are needed to make cell membranes, hormones, and other body chemicals.
• They are also particularly important to people with inflammatory conditions such as eczema and acne.
• People with essential fat deficiency sometimes notice bumps on the backs of their arms.
• Suggestions: flaxseed, cold water fish, avocado, fish oil supplements

Why Breastfeed?

As a breastfeeding advocate and currently working part-time as a lactation consultant, I may be able to answer this question.

My name is Barbara, I am 24 years old and I am a Health Science graduate from Brigham Young University-Idaho. My emphasis is Public Health and I had the opportunity to do my internship and then keep working for the WIC (women, infant and children) Program at The Eastern Idaho Public Health office. I’ve worked with a variety of clients and many different problems related to breastfeeding. It really is one of my passions. I feel like I was able to help first time mothers, who just like myself, had no idea what was going on when the nurse put that little bundle of joy in my arms. You are expected to feed, love and take care of it to the best of your ability.

I have to add that my biggest accomplishment and joy in this life is my family. I am absolutely crazy for them and I would not change anything. I am a proud stay-at-home mom and I want to be one. :)

I'm going to summarize one of the classes I teach weekly at the WIC office. I feel like this will be a good introduction to the topic of breastfeeding. As we keep the topic going I would appreciate any questions that you might have and if I’m not sure about something, I’ll make sure I’ll ask my experienced co-workers that have worked in this area for way longer than I have. If there’s any way I can help anyone on this issue, I would be more than glad to do so.

So, first of all, a little bit of a background from my experience with breastfeeding. I breastfed my oldest daughter until she was 15 months, until basically I was sick of it and when I found out I was pregnant again. I now have a 5 month old who is as much of a joy as her sister and she is also being nursed full-time. I loved and still love nursing my kids because it provides such a bond with them. I was going to school full-time when I had my first child and I was away from her for quite a while during the day. Being able to nurse when I got home gave me the feeling I was able to bond with her somehow.

So let’s start the question of why to do it first. When you compare formula to breasmilk they both have some commonalities: fat, protein, carbohydrates, DHA, ARA (fatty acids helpful for your baby’s brain development), vitamins, minerals and water.

Breastmilk has a few extras:

1- More than 15 antibacterial factors: This is pretty amazing because it is a protection from all the bacteria your body is exposed to. So your body will build the immunity and it will be transferred to your baby through your milk. This also happens the other way around: your baby will be exposed to harmful bacteria or viruses and will pass them to you by close contact, your body in return will produce antibodies and pass them back to your baby through breastmilk. Pretty cool huh????

2- Hormones: these will help your baby relax and better respond to stress (as will you). It will make him sleep better and also aid in the development of your baby’s immune system.

3- Enzymes: these will compensate for the immaturity of pancreas of your newborn and aid in digestion

4- Growth factors: helps your baby’s organs to mature, brain development and protects their gastrointestinal tract (gut)

5- Anti parasitic, anti viral and anti allergenic factors: breastfed babies have fewer allergies, asthma, ear infections, stomach aches and are less likely to be obese. Pretty much they are healthier and get sick less often.

If all of that wasn't enough, there are also some other benefits that are helpful to moms all around the world:

6- Mom jumps back to pre-pregnancy weight faster

7- Uterus goes back to normal size also a lot faster because as you breastfeed a hormone is released and your uterus contracts. (this can hurt in some people as it did with me, but after child birth, Ibuprofen will do wonders for this kind of pain)

8- Moms recover faster from child birth

9- If the child is jaundice, the colostrum- an antibody-rich, yellow-ish liquid produced as soon as your baby is born- has a laxative property, which will help your baby “poop” more thus getting rid of the jaundice faster (when the newborn defecates they get rid of the excess bilirubin which is accumulated in their body from their immature pancreas)

10- Your breasts do not become saggy from breastfeeding, and if they do, it is because of hormones produced during pregnancy and not because of breastfeeding (I bet a lot of you didn’t know that but have heard stories about breastfeeding makes your breasts sag!!!!! Another plus for breastfeeding: YAY!!!!!)

11- The price of formula is outrageous. They can go from simple formulas to sensitive ones depending on how your baby responds to them. It can range from $25-45 dollars a can. Where on average a baby goes through a can a week. If you do the math that’s about $1700 dollars a year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that women breastfeed their babies exclusively until they are 6 months old, with an addition of solids from that point on. Breastfeeding is still encouraged until they are one. (After that it’s up to you whether of not you like breastfeeding enough to keep it going, but the absolute health benefits they NEED go until they are one.

Also, I want to add that your child will still benefit from the immunity provided through breastfeeding even after they are 1 too, so if you choose to keep going, NEVER feel bad and know that they are extra protected.

Now I do have a DISCLAIMER. This post is not intended to offend or to make anyone who was not able to breastfeed feel bad. If there’s one thing that I learned from working with women at WIC is that we are all different and our bodies respond to situations in life different ways. I have seen people that try their absolute hardest to breastfeed their baby, do everything we tell them and more and do not succeed. Did they fail?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! I have also seen people that after feeding their baby still pump 6 ounces of milk from each breast (did I mention after the feeding??? Yeap!! it’s a ridiculous amount of milk, it’s what we call an oversupply) and stop breastfeeding because it’s just too much for them. Did they fail? Well….NO!! One day of breastfeeding is better than none right??

Formula is still the next best option if breastfeeding does now work for you. Do not feed your baby cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk or any of that when they are newborns up until they are one. Also don’t dilute formula if you are running out of it, it can cause serious problems to your baby by giving them a mineral imbalance. ALWAYS follow the instructions of the formula manufacturer. ALWAYS!

Also don’t feel bad if for some reason you have had to supplement your baby with formula because you didn’t have enough milk. If you are following your lactation consultant’s advices and it’s still not working, the most important thing is that your baby grows and develops how he/she is supposed to. First and foremost they need nourishment, after that we can work on whatever else you are facing. The general rule is the more you empty your breast the more milk you will produce. Again: the general rule. In rare cases it does not go that way (REPEAT: rare cases).

I have a lot of stories I would love to share, but first I want to hear your questions or anything in specific that came to your mind during this post. Please keep them coming. I will base my next post on your questions.

Cheers to all the mommies out there that try so hard and give their very best to their little ones. The world needs more people like YOU!

:)

A Hard Lesson Learned

All of you know how easy it is to be too tired to think clearly, remember things, or take care of yourself. For me that was a big problem when my second baby was about 4 months old. He was born just 16 months after my first baby and needed a lot of my attention. I was constantly holding him and trying to keep my oldest out of trouble. I hardly slept, neither kids slept through the night, and I hardly ate. who has time to eat with a newborn, right? I hardly did anything but care for the two babies, and of coarse a husband as well who didn't get home until 10 or 11pm.

Well in the midst of all this chaos I started having my periods again. These weren't your normal run of the mill periods either. These were extremely heavy periods that usually required the use of a tampon and pad together (hope this doesn't get too graphic). One day after another sleepless night I went to put in a tampon like any other day. Later that day I forgot about the previous one and put another one in. After a few days I started thinking I had the flu. I felt dizzy, body aches, nauseous, headaches, chills, and couldn't think straight. Apart from feeling so miserable, I did my best to be a good mommy to my two babies until finally I physically could do no more. I laid on the sofa helpless and confused waiting for my husband to get home. At this point I honestly felt like I was dying. The whole time I thought to myself, "if I die, what will happen to my kids". Finally, my husband came home and forced me to schedule an appointment with the doctor.

The next day I saw the doctor. It wasn't long before the doctor found the extra tampon I had forgotten about days earlier. He told me I had Toxic Shock! My organs were literally shutting down. I really WAS dying! He put me on very strong antibiotics and sent me home hesitantly but did anyways because my husband was graduating that week and we were moving to another state right after. Just when I thought everything was going back to normal something else happened to me. While holding my son I experienced a minor seizure. A seizure is not a very fun thing to experience especially when you're holding a baby. The whole time I was conscious, but could not control the shaking! I was so scared of dropping my child. Fortunately I didn't drop my baby. After the antibiotics and a blessing my condition quickly improved.

After that experience I have had a new outlook on life. I don't know how to put it into words, but perhaps it was the reality of loosing my life that showed how much it meant to me. Being a mother is so much more important than it was before. I can't help but think to myself everyday what my kid's life would be like without me and how grateful I am that I survived. There is one lesson that I personally needed to learn from this experience, and that was the importance of taking better care of myself. If I don't take good care of myself, then I can't take care of others. Eating healthier along with sufficient rest is essential to motherhood. Before, I wanted to do everything myself. I wanted to be the one cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and changing the diapers. Even though I needed it badly, I was unwilling to accept or, heaven forbid, ask for help. I wanted to be a super mom! I have come to realize that I can't do that anymore.



Lets face it, we all want to be super moms because we love our kids so much! Being a mom should be an Olympic sport because it takes strength, endurance, and more endurance! Those Olympic athletes MUST be healthy to perform their best; MOMS MUST BE AS WELL!!! I know it's harder than it sounds when you have little ones, but we must find the time to take care of ourselves. Even in the Bible we find examples of the Savior taking time out for himsel. About a week ago I read an article on postpartum depression (from the Liahona-an LDS magazine) it said the following:

"It is vital that new mothers care for themselves by resting as much as possible, eating a nutritious diet, and taking “time out” with mothers’ groups or children’s play groups. In addition, because motherhood is physically and emotionally demanding, mothers should set realistic goals that allow for flexibility, remembering that “to every thing there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)."

I strongly agree with this statement! What I'd like all of you to do is to make a simple/realistic goal to improve your health in a specific way. This goal could be anything from going to playgroups, social workshops, or even a nice walk through the neighborhood. Feel free to share your ideas and experiences. I will start - I am making a goal to eat less sugar and drink more water.

Another use for baby powder

Okay all you moms out there, I know that I am not the only one who finds it difficult to shower everyday and gets the greasy hair blues. Well I found a trick that I thought I'd share.....and it's not wearing a hat!


Step 1 - get a small amount of baby powder in between fingertips (you may have to experiment to get the right amount for your hair, if you get too much your hair may stay white)

Step 2 - With fingertips rub the baby powder at roots of hair. This can be done all over roots or in specific places where grease has built up.

Step 3- Blow dry hair (yes you blow dry your dry hair) and run a circle brush under top sections like you are styling it. You can tease the hair too if you like to do that.

Step 4 - admire the added volume and less grease

In the summer I actually do this to my hair everyday, even if I had showered, just to help my hair have more volume and look better by the end of the day.

Let me know if any of you try this and if it works for you :)