To nurse...

First & most importantly- breast feeding is not for everyone.
Whether your milk does not come in, or formula is just a better route for you and your family- A fed baby, is a happy baby!

That said, if you are able to and elect to nurse, it is super important to have a strong and supportive network of friends and family.
I was fortunate enough to have a friends and relatives with nursing experience, a supportive boyfriend and an incredibly supportive family who didn't mind when I tucked away for an hour with my nursing newborn.

I also had an awesome lactation nurse. They worked with me on several different positions and gave me insight on what could happen to my body as I nursed. It is important to know each of the different positions you can hold your little because early nursing can be somewhat uncomfortable as you and your baby figure it all out, together.

We all cannot be expected to nurse the same way. What works for me may not work for you. However, I will share a few things that have helped me, some trials I have faced & how I have gotten and continue to get through them...

The many different nursing techniques/holds:

1. Cradle

2. Cross cradle

3. Football hold

4. Belly to Belly/Lying Down (my favorite! Especially helpful if you find yourself co-sleeping!)

In the hospital, we worked on cross cradle and football hold. I'm not sure if this is general practice, but the lactation consultant suggested them.

Our first few weeks at home were a bit difficult with nursing. Baby girl seemed to be latching slightly off on my left side and I didn't know what to do. Let me preach: Lanolin...lifesaver. End of story. 

I had encountered some BP issues through my pregnancy, so I visited the doctor a week after delivery. The nurse practitioner strongly suggested switching up nursing positions to put latching "pressure" on a different spot, thus avoiding the crack that I was desperate to have heal.

LAMM did not like football hold, but unfortunately- I was suffering from cracked and even bleeding nipples. After a few tries of football hold (while laying down on my bed with her) LAMM's latch corrected and my battle-wounds healed up and we were working together more smoothly. Things finally clicked!

#TreeofLife #Normalizebreastfeeding

EBF, Pumping, Supplementing or Formula Feeding?

This is a choice we all face with our new little ones and here is how I see it...FED is Best!! I apologize if you have read this already. I tend to reiterate this a LOT because it is so important to know. EBF is not everyone's best plan- do what is right for your family and do not allow anyone make you feel less!

Once LAMM was born, we supplemented. I was still off from my pregnancy hypertension and magnesium drip. I couldn't get up to nurse and didn't want the NICU pumping my baby with saline rather than giving her formula. That, to me, was not the route we wanted to take. So- for the first week or two, we supplemented with Similac Supplementing formula to allow Daddy time to bond with baby and mommy an extra few hours of sleep.

As baby girl grew, I began to nurse as often as possible- determined to get my supply up and producing. I was home with her all of the time, so this wasn't an issue.

When it came to pumping- I really didn't want to. That is putting it mildly.

LAMM was sleeping through the night and if I skipped that overnight pump- I was waking up in pools, wet shirts, wet sheet and I couldn't help but be upset at the waste. So I pumped and massaged and pumped and massaged. Determined to get every drop of liquid gold that I could. 

Five weeks after having Layla, I was laid off. This was truly a blessing in disguise. I was able to stay home with her until she turned 7 months and she was EBF up to that point. 

HOWEVER- my biggest battle with EBF is that my little will now NOT take a bottle without a fight. Even when she DOES take a bottle, she will only take half to 1 oz of breast milk before calling it quits. 

EBF mommy's- a piece of advice- give your baby atleast one bottle a day (if not more). If you have to return to work it will make things much easier on you and baby. If you are returning to work as a nursing mom- check out my pumping at work post!









Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Pumping at Work

Oh the joys of being a working mama❤. Top off that peanut butter & chocolate swirl sundae, or whichever flavor you prefer, with being a nursing/pumping mama and you are in for a TREAT!

I am fortunate enough to have an extremely accommodating boss- who dressed up my office window with a nice curtain rod and black out curtain. I am able to pump in my office or in any other empty office, if need be. 

Some women do not have an office they can hide away and pump in, while still feeling safe and comfortable enough to do so. While we all know that it is essentially NECESSARY to be relaxed to get your best pump flow going- it is not always that easy.

Mama's please know that regardless of what type of company you work for, what state you work or reside in, it is required by the US Dept.of Labor that an employers provide a reasonable break time for an employee to pump/express for her nursing child for 1 year after birth, in an appropriate space (see "Break Time for Nursing Mothers" for more detail). This requirement became effective when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010. 

*Note the employer is not required to pay the employee for this break.


It is extremely important to be mindful of what your employer allows. Talk to your Human Resource department head to gain clarity on what is expected. Tell this individual how long it generally takes for you to finish a pumping session and do your best to stick to that.

If you are in a position where your employer does not pay you for your "pump break", than try to get in a good pumping session before getting to work.  Or if you are able to- bring that pump with you to work 15 minutes early and get your pump on before your shift starts. 

Also- take advantage of your lunch break. If you are given a 30 minute break--- utilize that time to make sure you get your pumping taken care of. I am a pro when it comes to eating a good snack/ usually my lunch and pumping at the same time. 20-30 minutes and I am ready to go!

These are the sacrifices that we make to give our babies the best of what we can give them. Hang in there and know your rights as a working and nursing mama! 









Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

My experience: "Pregnancy Hypertension"

"Hypertension", "Preeclampsia"- These are very scary words to a pregnant woman. Especially a first timer who has been reading every horror story related to these issues posted across the vast space that is the internet.

Through my pregnancy it was a constant battle trying to maintain my blood pressure and ensure that it was a normal level at each of my appointments. I was adamant that I did not need to go to the cardiologist (that was a battle I eventually gave into). Though I did not develop pregnancy preeclampsia, I was classified as having pregnancy hypertension. ( Learn more about Preeclampsia.) 

I found that eating spinach, strawberry and banana smoothies with a splash of water and a splash of unsweetened almond milk did help me in the beginning. These fruits and veggies are evidenced to be great for your blood pressure. Ontop of my smoothie routine, I would listen to "spa" music on internet radio. It allowed me to almost force myself into a calm state before my bp check appointments throughout my pregnancy. I always made myself so nervous that my dear G.M.(boyfriend) was convinced my nerves were what was really causing my elevated readings. 

Although I am sure my nerves did impact my readings (albeit ever so slightly), I still went for my readings and every other appointment was told my pressure was higher than it should be. One week I was 120/78 and the next I was 148/90. I couldn't understand why I was fluctuating so much from week to week. So here I was, overweight to begin with- gaining the weight of pregnancy and fearing I would gain too much- while also knowing that my weight and family history were a huge factor in my elevated pressure readings. 

At about 30-32 weeks, I finally gave in and went to see the cardiologist. I was prescribed "Nifedipine", a.k.a "Procardia". Low dosage or not, I felt like an absolute failure for "allowing myself to have high blood pressure." So I took the medication daily and was routinely told it was pregnancy safe (which has thus far proven factual as my little LAMM is sheer perfection). 

I came to terms with taking the medication. It was what was right for my little nugget. I was happily monitoring my food intake and pressure daily (not as good or often as I could or should have) and making sure I only gained the suggested amount for my pre-pregnancy weight... 

At the end of the day, I was given magnesium once I was in labor at the hospital - the intent was to level my blood pressure during delivery as I had an abnormal spike in my 'every ten minute' BP readings. As annoyed as I was (the next reading normalized), I knew it was for my baby's and my own safety. 

Magnesium is not fun but is often necessary with hypertension and preeclampsia. To give an honest, yet quick, summary: I felt as if I was drunkly trying to focus. My eyes could not stop shaking. I was hot and found myself inhaling ice chips and the water remnants they left in the bottom of the cup. It was NOT a good experience--- BUT, I made it through! 

I was taken off of the magnesium on day 2 of my hospital stay. Blood work was sent out and once my panels came back clear of magnesium and my BP leveled out, my little family was permitted to leave less than 48 hours after delivery.

All of this said- if you are experiencing similar issues with your BP and your OBGYN suggests seeing a specialist- go (some OBGYN's will prescribe this medication on their own). You are not a failure and the most important thing in all of this is to make sure that little baby comes into this world safely. 

Hang in there!






Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child!