Exit Light, Enter Night – Tips for Getting Baby to Sleep

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Exit Light, Enter Night - Tips for Getting Baby to Sleep

By no means do I claim to know anything about parenting. Mostly what I write “has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.” (And now THIS is in my head.) However, when I was approaching the 12 month marks with Peeks, I became pretty nervous about how I was going to handle bedtime after I stopped nursing.

You know what? It REALLY wasn’t a big deal. (Nor was moving her to her crib, starting formula/cow’s milk or switching to a sippy cup.) It seems – and this can come as a shocker to some of us – if you let the kid lead the way, things are pretty smooth!

I’m not a babyled weaner by any stretch, but have found that many of the things she relies upon for comfort (pacifier, swaddle blankets, swing) just become less important as time goes by. So, all of that being said, here are some of the things that have worked for us in getting baby to sleep…without a boob.

  1. Rocking and Singing – Same song. Every night. “You are my sunshine…”
  2. Reading a Book – I just feel like it’s vital to introduce kids to daily reading at an early age.
  3. Standing and Swaying – Sometimes she’s just a little pistol and rocking in a chair won’t work. If she seems more interested in playing, I start the next round of steps.
  4. Laying her Down While Awake – She does OK with this until I kiss her forehead and walk out of the room, at which point she wails away. However, at over a year old I know that this is not a true cry. In fact, there are usually not even tears involved. I typically stand outside the room for about 5-10 minutes (long enough for her to start wearing herself out), then go in, lay her back down, give a kiss then do the next step.
  5. Stoke and Hum – Simply rubbing long strokes down her body while quietly humming can put her in a trance. Hum something you like, this can take a little while. Journey? Kiss? Metallica? She doesn’t know the difference.
  6. Apply (Gentle) Pressure – When the eyes start getting heavy, I rest a hand on her chest or thigh and just wait until the breathing changes to sleepy-deep breathing and make my exit. Don’t smoosh your baby.

Now, tell me what I’ve missed! I’m always looking for new sleepytime ideas…and good book recommendations!

Time for Tubes – My baby has ear infections

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Time for Tubes - my baby's getting ear tubes I don’t have much time tonight (I REALLY want to go to bed early!) so I will make this quick.

We found out today that Peeks (that’s what I’ve been calling her lately – she LOVES peekaboo) needs to get ear tubes. She’s had an ear infection for – oh, about 8 weeks – and 4 antibiotics have not been able to do that trick. So, today we went to ENT and discussed options. I loved that the doctor never said “You need to do tubes,” but instead explained everything to me and then asked, “So how do you feel about tubes?” Uh, well, I think it’s a hell of a lot better than more antibiotics and poor sleeping.

In about 10 days we’ll have the surgery. Because I work at the hospital, and have been pretty involved with the Pediatric Point Team (a group of superstar nurses working to improve the pediatric experience) I already know a lot about what to expect AND a lot of the staff. I suppose that puts my mind at ease about the whole experience. Besides, I had surgery (pyloric stenosis) as a 6-week-old after losing 11 ounces. If my Mom could deal with that, then I can deal with this!

Tubes themselves take about 5 minutes to put in, but the whole process takes about 2-3 hours. Most impressive to me is that 1) I don’t have to worry about keeping water out of the ears post-op and 2) kids are back to regular activities later that day and can be back in daycare the next day! (Thank goodness…)

Now for my confession. When we went in for an ear check after the third round of antibiotics, we had the “It-Might-Be-Time-For-Tubes” Talk. Admittedly, I felt a little relieved that I wasn’t going to have to keep remembering meds AND I would get a day off to sit around and cuddle! (Obviously, surgery isn’t ideal, but I am trying to see the positives here.)

Sooooo, all that being said, my question is – who has had tubes, how old were your kids, how did they respond to anesthesia, and are there any tips for a first time mom/baby going through this?

p.s. After hearing the word “Eustachian” so much today, I think I will be dreaming about crustaceans. Weird? Maybe.

The Breastfeeding Weight-Loss Myth

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The Breastfeeding Weight Loss Myth - SmilesAndPiles.com

Me and my baby giraffe following my half marathon and her first 5K. :) Trying to get that baby weight off…8 months post-partum.

I’m all for breastfeeding. It is an awesome way to bond with my baby as well as provide a myriad of health benefits that will last throughout her lifetime…it’s a gift that keeps on giving! However, if you’re doing it to help lose the baby weight, don’t hold your breath. Yes, breastfeeding burns mega calories, but it also tends to make you hungry. All of the extra noshing can make it difficult to drop the weight, especially those last 5-10 pounds. (I’m still convinced Beyoncé was power pumping – pumping ’round-the-clock to burn mega-calories – and making the rest of us look like slackers.)

As a woman who gained 39 pounds during my pregnancy…even with working out 6 times per week in boot camp and kickboxing…I was looking forward to the extra boost from breastfeeding. Having a C-section made it impossible for me to work out for 6 loooooong weeks post-op (not that I really felt to doing much anyway) so I tried to walk a lot. The weight did NOT fall off.

HOWEVER, once I got Baby Cakes in a routine and felt good enough to workout HARD (Tae Bo, kettle bells, running) and tracking my caloric intake – it started to happen. Not fast, but the baby weight started to drop. My fear was that I’d lose weight too quickly and my milk supply would drop, so I waited until she was around 8-months-old and was diligent about pumping. Initially, yes, there was a slight dip in supply, but nothing a little fenugreek couldn’t fix!

A friend once told me that you won’t lose ALL of your baby weight until you stop breastfeeding. (Not true for everyone, but something to keep in mind.) It seems that my body, like my friend’s, holds onto the fat stores to help maintain a healthy, womanly weight – not science, but it seems to hold true for me. On the other hand, actual science DOES show that for women who hold onto their baby weight more than 2 years post-natal, it is likely that it will stick for the rest of her life. So, it behooves all of us mamas to get back into the swing of things as soon as the doctor and your body tells you to.

DO IT.

So I’m curious…how long did you breastfeed and did you lose weight more easily?

When Toddlers Attack: Babies Who Bite

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When Toddlers Attack - Babies Who BiteEarlier this week, I picked Honey Buns up from daycare and the moment I walked in I was greeted with, “We have some bad news…” Suddenly I was overridden with anxiety. Is a teacher leaving? Did she crack her head open? Drink some other mother’s breast milk?! No. None of the above. In fact, all that happened was a bite. Just a bite! Whew.

I realize that many mothers get upset about this – of course, that’s your baby and she was hurt by another kid. You may wonder, were the teachers not paying attention? How often does this happen? Why MY child? WHO DID IT?! (They won’t tell you.)

The thing is, none of that matters. Of course the teachers were paying attention, it’s their job to care for your child. If you trust them enough with your baby, trust that they are doing their jobs. However, this does NOT mean that your baby will never fall victim to a bite, a fall, even a scratch now and then. How many times has your baby been injured in your care? Now that mine walks, she’s constantly falling into things with sharp edges. I can’t prevent every little bump. Daycare is no different.

There is 1 teacher for 4 babies. Once those babies are toddling around (or sprouting teeth) the risk of ouchies increases significantly. I, for one, don’t expect that her teachers will be able to stop every bite. Kids are sneaky fast. Besides (and this is the REALLY important part) it could just as easily have been MY CHILD that was the BITER. Obviously we tell her “No Biting” when she tries to bite at home, but kids have free will and no empathy or understanding of consequence. They are going to do what feels good. Sometimes that means taking a chunk out of a friend’s back. I’ve decided there are bigger things to worry about, so for now I say, “She’ll live.”

But if this little nibbler becomes a repeat offender, well, we’ll see…

TurboFire Review – Results in 30 minutes or less!

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TurboFire Review - Results in 30 minutes or less!Well, I’ve made it through another Beachbody program. This time it was TurboFire (previously completed P90X and Insanity.) With P90X and Insanity, I followed the workout schedules to a “T,” but with TurboFire, I didn’t. It is a fairly looooong program (as in more than 3 months) and I felt like the level of the first few months was just too easy for where I was, physically. Therefore I started around Week 16, but never really followed the schedule. It’s hard enough to find time to work out with an infant in the house, I certainly wasn’t about to get up before 5:00 a.m. – especially now that she’s sleeping through the night {WOOT! WOOT!}

Anyway, I will give it up to Beachbody…Chalene, like Tony Horton and Shaun T, delivers a solid workout. At first it seemed a little cardio-heavy and lacking in the strength training department. Occasionally, I worked in other fitness DVDs (Jillian Michaels Shred It and 30 Day Shred are a few examples) but I eventually got the hang of using the resistance bands that Chalene incorporates into some of her classes and found it to give a good burn.

The basic idea is that there are 3 different types of classes (as she calls them) that vary in length from about 15-60 minutes. As you get stronger, the workouts get longer, BUT if you’re like me, sometimes you do the shorter ones with weights (I WANT some weighted gloves!) to make it more challenging OR double them up and do a short class twice through.

HIIT Classes – These are the shortest classes, with the longest being 30 minutes. The basic idea is that you do a REALLY super hard, fast, intense minute (usually about 70 seconds) of work followed by a minute recovery period in which you do nothing but towel off, sip water and catch your breath. You continue alternating work with recovery until the classes ends.

Fire Classes – These are the medium length classes that range from about 20-60 minutes. Most often, I do the 30 minutes class (because of time constraints) but the 45 minute one has the best music and combos! These are a hybrid of the HIITs and EZs. You do mostly combos but there are HIIT intervals mixed in – about 2-3 per class. Of course those intervals are followed by the lovely recovery minute!

EZ Classes – They aren’t really easy, and they aren’t short! These are about 45-60 minutes, so I save them for the weekends. They are a lot like the Fire classes, but there are not HIIT intervals mixed in. It’s all a steady pace, but a strong workout.

As for diet, I never really followed any of the diets that come with the Beachbody programs, which is probably why I’ve never had the jaw-dropping results that some people get. I’m OK with that. I eat a pretty healthy diet, and feel good about where I’m at. There is a 5 Day Inferno plan that comes with TurboFire. I DID try it and followed it (mostly) to the letter. I had good results, but understood that about half was water-weight and it came back.

Overall, I lost about 10 pounds in 2 months. Not earth-shattering, but the workouts are FUN, short, and didn’t kill my knees (thanks to lower impact modifications.) I will continue to work Chalene’s classes into my regular rotation. Thumbs UP!

SO what’s next for me? I’m taking a break from Beachbody to try out a new trainer. Lindsay Brin is a mom of 3 kiddos who has her own home-based fitness business. I have followed her on Facebook since having my daughter, and have been anxious to try her workouts. One of her newest programs, “Pretty Fierce Weight Loss” is designed for moms with new babies (youngest baby should be at least 6 months old) who want some help dropping the poundage. She incorporates the exact routines she used to get in shape after having her babies and after seeing her abs – I have high hopes!

I found the 8 disc set for sale on BabySteals.com and got a smokin’ deal on it! If you haven’t already followed them on Facebook, you’re missing your missing out! Until then…you can find me on MyFitnessPal (thomasbf – add me and tell me you found me via this blog!) tracking my food and fitness. It’s the ONLY thing that works for me in the weight loss arena.

Giving Myself Permission to Supplement with Formula

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Giving myself permission to supplement with formulaWell, it happened. I finally gave in and started baby girl on formula at 10.5 months. When I was pregnant, I told myself 6 months of breastfeeding was my goal, but 1 year was my dream. I wanted to go from breast to whole milk, and someday tell her she never, ever even tasted formula. Having never done the breastfeeding thing before, I had nothing to base my goals off of, except the recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sure, I’ll do what they recommend – why not?

Then I started breastfeeding. It was not as easy as I’d envisioned so I started to question myself…and my goals. Breastfeeding was everything I didn’t expect: painful, time-consuming, exhausting…you get the idea. {Note: All of these things can be managed. Talk to a lactation consultant – I did and things improved dramatically.}

One day, checking Facebook while nursing, I stumbled upon many “lactivist” and pro-breastfeeding pages. While initially helpful,I soon realized man practiced attachment parenting, something that just isn’t for me. I honestly have NO judgment for anyone’s parenting style; choose what works for your family.

My issue with these pages (and I know what you’re thinking…just “unlike” them) is that it’s a lot of pressure! Unintentional, I know, but it’s still there. These moms breastfeed until their children are 2+, they carry them everywhere, don’t let them cry, don’t work outside the home…oh emm gee. I can’t. So, when I fully realized that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with pumping at work, I started to panic. I went from having an abundant freezer stash, the fridge-only stash, to having the daycare teachers call me to bring over when I JUST pumped. Whenever I had meetings out of town, I was panicked thinking she was going to starve.

Stress consumed me for about two weeks and then I just did it. I bought a canister of formula.

That night I shed a few tears just because I felt like I should. The next day, I gave it to daycare with the note that she’d never had it before…and there was no more breast milk. “Good luck!” You know what happened? Absolutely nothing. She drank 12 oz. that day, had no digestive issues and slept like a champ.

So I ask this, why do we let this get to us?

Today I went on Facebook and “unliked” all of those pro-breastfeeding pages. Don’t get it jumbled, I still think breast is best and I still plan to keep going until she’s one, but I know that if I can’t pump between afternoon meetings – the world isn’t going to fall apart.  Leaving those Facebook pages was more for my own sanity, so I didn’t feel like a failure, because I’m not.

I once saw a post by a former OB nurse who said, “You have to feed your child. How you do it is up to you.”

A Punch on the Mama Card – Handling a Sick Child

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Punch on the Mama Card - Handling a Sick ChildThere are bound to be a few times in my life, as a parent, when I feel like I’ve truly earned the title of “Mama.” It’s during those moments that I think there should be a punch card or some physical document that I can show the world and proclaim – “I’m here for the long haul. You can’t scare me away!” The first punch on my card would have to be the day she was born…via unplanned c-section.

Sure, motherhood was literally JUST beginning (unless you count that whole pregnancy thing – but for me that was mostly fun), but it still seemed like the world was trying to put me in my place. No dice, universe, I dominated that surgery/recovery and am proud of the scar that proves I can’t be defeated by some measly scalpel and a few dissolvable stitches.

My second punch on that card came almost a year later, when I listened to that dreaded voicemail from the babysitter (in this case, Gramma and Grampa – thank goodness!) that “maybe you should pick up some Pedialyte on your way home.” Uh oh. Turns out that we’d be ringing in 2013 covered in baby puke. Poor kid.

I thought that I had managed to avoid the worst of it. By the time we got home (right around Midnight), she’d had multiples baths and PJ changes but was sleeping soundly. She stayed that way until 6:30 the next morning! When I picked her up from bed, I knew immediately that another bath was in order thanks to a few remnants left over from the night before. (She seemed worse off than her mama who had spent the evening cozying up to multiple cherry cocktails! Poor girl had the hangover with none of the fun.)

After the bath we cuddled up in comfy clothes for the day and I began to nurse her in our bed while the hubby showered and Gramma and Grampa packed up to head home. That’s when it happened. She got calm and quiet, really snuggled into me and then the puke-volcano erupted. Everywhere. The bed, the floor, my front AND back sides. Everywhere. Of course, I yelled for my mom to help. J Some things never change! Baby girl and I BOTH got into the tube together and she was magically back to 100% – splish-splashing and partying it up. We made it through the next 12 hours on water and breast milk with little spit up – nothing to write home about, but at bedtime she had oatmeal and over-nursed and we started the cycle again.

Somehow, through all of this, Dada managed to stay puke-free. Lucky bastard. BUT, what he didn’t get was a punch on his Mama Card. Nope, that special privilege was reserved just for me! I feel proud that I made it through her first stomach bug. One of my biggest fears as a parent is how to handle it when the kiddo is sick. Would I know if it was something serious? Would I be able to comfort her like my Mom did for me? Would I call the doctor too much and be one of “those moms?” When it was all said and done, I looked back and realized that no matter when I did, the most important thing was just to let everything else go (I didn’t get to work out, clean my house, work on scrapbooks, watch the Rose Bowl game, take done my Christmas tree or any of the other crap I had planned for my New Year’s Day) but it didn’t matter – because I got to be her Mama.

NOTE: In all likelihood, she had a stomach bug (NOT influenza), but the next few days her dad and I both showed minor influenza symptoms. Thankfully, our whole house had been vaccinated or who KNOWS how much longer we would have been out of commission. Get your flu shots people. Just DO IT!

Brownie Magic! Oh the things a Diet Coke can do.

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It’s Monday night. Work waBrownies and Sodas exhausting today. (Mentally, not physically. I work at a desk – hardly a taxing job.) At any rate, once the babe was down to bed and the dog was walked, I wanted brownies! Of course, we have NO EGGS. Then I remembered something I’d seen on Pinterest once upon a time. Diet Coke and Brownies. That’s it, that’s the ingredient list. That’s IT!

Lord knows I’m not sacrificing my Diet Coke for this experiment, so I swiped a Dr. Pepper Ten (you know, the one that’s “too bold for women” Riiiiggghhhttt…) and went to work. Apparently all you have to do is grease the pan, mix the pop (yup, I’m from Wisconsin) and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

[P.S. In addition to being out of eggs, my mixing bowls are all in the dishwaser. So, a pasta pot it is! What's that saying? Necessity is the mother of invention]

They are in the oven and I am struggling to make it through the next half hour of bake time…Cue Jeopardy Final Round music…Do do do do do do do. Do do do do DO dododododo. Do do do do do do do. DO dododo do. Do. Do. Bum bum.

TA DA!

Completed brownie with soda

TurboFire Inferno 5 Day Plan

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TurboFire 5 Day Inferno PLanAs Thanksgiving came and went, I hopped on the scale to assess the damage and, while not surprised by what I saw, I certainly wasn’t thrilled. Lucky for me, I had a brand new TurboFire set just WAITING to be torn into.

I’ve been wanting TurboFire for over a year, and finally bought it when I saw it on a Groupon Goods email for about $60. Can’t beat that! It was a sign. Time to blast off the final 10 pounds of baby belly…9 months later.

In the set, along with the class DVDs, meal ideas, resistance band and class schedule was a little booklet that I thought could be the answer. The 5 Day Inferno is a short program designed to jump start weight loss. Let’s see how it works…

[Side Note: I’ve done Insanity (2 times) and P90X (1 time) and neither Beachbody product was as fun! It actually doesn’t suck to get up at 5:00 a.m. to hang out with Chalene and the rest of the “class.”]

Day 1

No cheating! Can’t believe I did it. It helped that my sister sent me a picture of her weight on the scale today. She’s officially LESS than I was when I found out I was pregnant – and I felt very fit then. Time to kick it into high gear! [Side note: I am still breastfeeding but do NOT buy all this hype about it helping you lose weight. I’ve plateaued twice and it’s time to do some work.]

I found a TurboFire 5 Day Inferno grocery list that helped me identify everything I’d need for the 5 days. After a few minor substitutions (e.g. raspberries for cantaloupe and Slim-Fast powder for Shakeology) I was ready to go. Never in my life have I left the store with so much produce. This should be interesting…

This morning I did my 55 EZ workout and the Stretch 10 Class. Having to set the alarm to accommodate a 1 hour workout was rough, but I survived. I was really motivated to see how this worked. LOVED the class and the food was not too bad either.

My breakfast was a delicious turkey bacon sandwich with tomato and egg. Definitely didn’t feel like I was depriving myself. By mid-morning though, I was starving. That’s how the first day of a lifestyle change always feels though, so I powered through until my 10:00 snack…half a banana and 10 almonds, which I substituted for walnuts. Lunch was pretty lame. Three cups of lettuce with some cherry tomatoes and scallions and TUNA. I like tuna, but was definitely not in the mood for it. Also, the 2 tablespoons of dressing didn’t go very far. That afternoon though, I got another snack. This time it was a chocolate shake with the Slim-Fast. It was lame – like lunch. BUT for supper the menu included grilled honey mustard chicken and broccoli with garlic and parmesan. Delicious! Seriously, if supper had sucked as hard as the rest of the day (except breakfast) I’m not sure I would have stuck with it.

 

Day 2

I had a genius idea – yes, GENIUS! I would switch around the morning snack and the breakfast meal in the hopes of making it to lunch more easily, and it WORKED! So I had half of my morning chocolate and PB Slim-Fast smoothie before my workout, and the rest after as I got ready for work. That way I could eat my breakfast (yogurt and berries) at my desk when I felt that mid-morning hunger pang.

Today’s workout was TUFF – yes, that’s 2 Fs. I have done the Fire 45 and the HIIT 20, but never on the same day. It was rough. No time for the Stretch 10, so I’ll do some stretching before bed, but it won’t be as effective because my body won’t be warm. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

As for today’s food, it was a big improvement over Day 1. Lunch was a turkey and veggie wrap. Usually, I NEVER eat wraps…ever. But this one hit the spot for sure. A whole wheat tortilla with spinach, tomato, avocado (YUM!) and a generous splash of fat-free Italian dressing. Then I got an afternoon snack of…wait for it…Ants on a Log! I used to LOVE that when I was younger, but do you think I EVER have it anymore? Hell no! It was surprisingly filling and held me over for about 2.5 hours until I could get supper going. Supper was an experiment for me. Broiled salmon with teriyaki, brown rice and bok choy. Couple things here…I’ve NEVER cooked REAL rice or bok choy. Rice=FAIL ( I subbed in an equivalent amount of calories via a breadstick), Bok Choy=SUCCESS! If you’ve never tried it, get a head of bok choy, rinse it, chop it, and sauté in a pan with some olive oil and minced garlic until it’s tender. I topped with a little garlic salt and learned the hard way that the green leaves are pretty bitter! The white part is where it’s at. Until tomorrow…

 

Day 3

Thank goodness I switched up the order of my meals/snacks. A raspberry pre-workout smoothie was all I needed until almost 10:45! Then I got to eat a full cup of cottage cheese and some pineapple rings. What an amazing combo! This one is definitely going to be added to my snack database.

This morning’s workout was the 55 EZ Class again. Today it was so much easier and all the moves were easier to follow. Kickboxing-style DVDs always seem that way though, the more you do them the more the combos begin to flow and you don’t feel like an awkward, pubescent teen trying to fit in with the popular kids.

Food today was a struggle. I ate 2 cookies at a meeting without even realizing it! Guess that goes to show how much subconscious eating I do. Whoops. Then I had some cheesecake my mom brought over. Bah! Back on track tomorrow. Anyway, the food on the plan was awesome! A berry and yogurt smoothie for breakfast and loaded baked potato for lunch. My afternoon snack of crudités and ranch was spoiled thanks to my cookies, so I only ate about half of the veggies. Dinner was Delish though! Chicken tacos with black beans and quinoa, cilantro, avocado, pico de gallo – how can you go wrong??

 

Day 4

Back to the hard workout…Fire 45 and HIIT 20. Today seemed easier than Day 2 though, maybe because I did the HIIT workout last today and previously I did that one first? I sweat pretty profusely, but that’s what I love to do. Work hard and git ‘er done.

The breakfast shake today was a chocolate/PB/banana combo which I enjoyed, but it was not holding me over so I had my morning snack of PB and sliced apple, pretty early in the morning. Chugging water until lunch helped me through, BUT I have to make a grocery list for the Christmas cookies I am making this weekend…I can sense the hunger pangs already.

Today’s snack was DELISH! Another oldie-but-goodie, that I have forgotten about – an apple with PB! I am going to be picking up more apples this week, I forgot how much I enjoy them, and they are easily portable with minimal prep involved. Also, I can get the little pre-packaged PB cups from the cafeteria, so I have one less thing to pack. Awesome! Lunch was not as exciting. The egg salad (hard-boiled egg with cottage cheese and some spices) tasted fine, but my salad was a fail. I ended up tossing it and went with a small cup of Italian Wedding soup. In the afternoon, the snack was an orange with 10 almonds. Yes, 10. Count ‘em. Finally, dinner today was AWESOME! Another meal to add to my repertoire. Marinated flank steak with cooked spinach. Hold in I know that last part sounded icky, but it was so good! Fresh spinach, steamed, then mixed with parmesan and sour cream – mmmmm! Oh, and don’t forget the baked potato! I put the spinach on top of the potato and it was magical.

 

Day 5

This is it! Last day to get through then I can go on to my regularly-scheduled life…with some minor eating adjustments. Today was the 55 EZ class again and today was the first time really LIKED it. I think that has a lot to do with finally understanding the combos.

Food today is also a big winner! My pre-workout shake was PB and banana with skim milk, water and ice. It was probably my favorite shake of the whole week. Breakfast started off well with turkey sausage links, a waffle and jelly. Perfect for the weekend! Lunch was good too, but because I grabbed “hummus veggie dip” instead of just “hummus” I had to make some adjustments. Skipped the spread and opted for oil and vinegar to flavor my pita.

For my afternoon snack I just grabbed some raw snap peas and carrots with fat-free ranch, to keep it easy. And dinner was a yummy pork chop with rice and peas. Since I had peas earlier, I subbed in that delicious parmesan broccoli from Day 1.

Overall, I accomplished 3 things:

  1. Got off my weight loss plateau.
  2. Learned some new recipes AND got back on track with portion control.
  3. Last but NOT least, I lost 7 pounds!

This was an awesome post-Thanksgiving challenge and I plan to do it again after Christmas. Since I’m trying to lose another 5 by then, I need to stay on track. It shouldn’t be hard! I just need to spend some time each evening prepping my 2 healthy snacks and making my breakfast for the next day. Lunch for me is easy, since I have an awesome cafeteria where I work. My challenge is now and always has been, portion control and dessert. I’m getting there…

A Letter to my Daughter: Stand up for what you know is right

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breastfeeding in public

Dear Hadlee,

Even though you’ve only been here 8 months, I already know I would do anything for you. I will fight for you and I will always do what I think is best for you, but last night I was tested.

I’ve never been much for nursing in public. Don’t take that to mean that I’m opposed – that’s far from the truth. I just struggle with the mechanics of it. For me, it is just physically uncomfortable. Breastfeeding isn’t easy – at least it’s not for me. Unfortunately though, you HATE taking a bottle from me. (Of course from Dad, you have no issue!)

Last night we were at your second week of swimming lessons – which you LOVE, by the way! After the class ended, it was already past your bedtime and we still had a 25 minute drive home, AND you hadn’t really eaten much of anything in nearly 4.5 hours. Putting your needs ahead of my discomforts, I hopped out of the pool, wrapped you in a towel and found a quiet place on the pool deck to nurse you. Nope, I wasn’t comfortable on that wet wooden bench in my sopping swimsuit, but I wanted you to be content and happy for our trip home. That’s when it happened…

A lifeguard came up and asked me to “do that somewhere else.” Do what, where? I was so confused. Then it clicked – my breastfeeding was not acceptable on the pool deck. I was directed to the locker room (which was tiny and FULL of 15 moms and 15 kids all changing to go home) –OR– the “family room.” I use the quotes because the “family room” was nothing more than a large public bathroom. Gross. Wanting to avoid confrontation, I did as I was asked, the entire time I was annoyed at myself for not standing up for you (and me) right away.

You see, Hady, in Wisconsin women have the right to nurse anywhere at any time – without question. No one can ask us to go “somewhere else,” cover up or stop. If they do, they can be fined up to $200! We live in a GREAT STATE. Unfortunately, I was so befuddled by her request that I couldn’t get the words out. I just…complied. Ugh.

As we sat in the glorified bathroom, you were constantly distracted and didn’t eat well so I packed it in and headed to the crowded locker room to change for the ride home. Sharing what happened with our friends, the other moms, even total strangers, were as shocked as I was. Their reactions gave me the confidence I needed to take action.

We got home, you ate dinner, took a bath and went to bed. I, on the other hand, took to Google. I gathered my facts, wrote a respectful email to the pool director that ended with, “I plan to feed my daughter next week after class, on the pool deck, so hopefully this confrontation can be avoided.”

You know what happened? They were apologetic and helpful, offering to speak with the staff. I couldn’t have been more pleased at how simple that was. You see, babe, if you want something you have to ask for it. I hope you never lack the courage you need to stand up for what you know is right. No matter what…I have your back.

Love,

Mama

 

My email, in case you need an example for your own situation:

To whom it may concern-

I wanted to send me compliments on the swimming lessons offered at [TOWN]. My daughter is only 8 months old and after just 2 sessions, I feel like she’s grown so much – thank you to your instructors!

On another note, I had a bit of a disappointment after tonight’s class. I got out of the pool, and with a long drive back home, I thought it would be best if I fed my daughter before we left. The locker room was so busy with moms and kids, I figured I would just sit on the pool deck and feed her. One of your lifeguards must have been offended or bothered because she basically told me I had to “do that somewhere else.” I was so caught off-guard.

I don’t want to cause a stink about it, but there are laws in WI that protect women for doing just what I was doing. I hope you will speak with your staff and educate them about the laws regarding breastfeeding in public. I’ve included the verbiage here, for you. I plan to feed my daughter next week after class, on the pool deck, so hopefully this confrontation can be avoided.

“Right to breast-feed. A mother may breast-feed her child in any public or private location where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be. In such a location, no person may prohibit a mother from breast-feeding her child, direct a mother to move to another location to breast-feed her child, direct a mother to cover her child or breast while breast-feeding, or otherwise restrict a mother from breast-feeding. A person who interferes with that right is subject to forfeiture not to exceed $200 under the general penalty provision under current law.”

Thanks in advance,

[NAME]

[PHONE & EMAIL]