Waiting is hard.....

I started my breastfeeding journey with the horrible birth of my Retired Nursling. I had failed at her birth I was determined to be successful with her nutrition. With the support of Dr Google and my husband I went on to breastfeed my darling until she was 13 months when she quite suddenly. I was not ready to give up the dream so I pumped for her for two more months until she looked at me and said "no mom the other milk" :( that was a sad day.

From that weaning day I put my nose in every breastfeeding article, journal, etc. I wanted to know all there was to know about breastfeeding.

I started to go to La Leche League meetings when I was pregnant with my second so that I could learn everything I could about breastfeeding before she was here. Even though I was successful the first time around I wanted to be a master when my baby arrived.

She came out and latched on like a pro and has been nursing for 20 months and counting. I see no end in sight and I am okay with that!

By this time I have read pretty much every article there is on breastfeeding. I set a quest to become an LLL Leader so I purchased The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and was in love. More information, more stuff I didn't know! I must have all knowledge!

By this time I had already landed a job with the WIC office where I could use my skills to help women breastfeed and I had also become a regular at the LLL meetings so I could share my knowledge there. I had joined an online breastfeeding forum and got to share my wisdom there as well. I shared so much they even asked me to be admin!

By this time I had started to look into how I could make breastfeeding not only my passion but my profession. I wanted to help all mothers who wanted the help. I didn't care if I got paid or not I just wanted to help so a friend pointed me in the direction of the IBCLC or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Its like a light went off. I HAD to do this. Its like God had come from the heavens and said "hey stupid apply" so I looked into it. It was lots that they required of you to even be considered to take the test not to mention that hefty $600 fee attached to it! I was nervous about the fee but my husband said "money doesn't matter just take the test because I know you'll pass". I wasn't so sure but with his blessing I pressed on!

After going over all of the pre-requisites I saw that I had everything but hours and lactation specific classes. It took me 3 months to complete the 90 lactation specific hours and 1 year to get all of my hours but I did it. I applied for the test in March, handed over my money and prayed to God that I was not wasting my money or time.

July 28th came very quickly. I found myself in the parking lot of the testing center about 45 minutes early shaking, nervous, and skimming. I had all of my books and was skimming all the information I highlighted. I pulled out my flash cards and skimmed them over. Then 10 minutes before test time came and I had to go inside the building....

They asked for my ID, my passport, and my finger print! If anything is going to make you nervous its when you have to voluntarily give up a finger print! The lady smiled while typing my information into the computer and asked for me to take off my jewelry. My bracelets with my lady Saints had to go into the locker that held my phone, purse and keys, I had to remove my rosary as well. She let me keep my earrings and my wedding ring then she ushered me to the back room with my picture ID.

Here I was met by a short little old lady that pointed to some rules on the wall that I was told I had to follow but I have no idea what they said to this day because I was so nervous I think my eyes were starting to blurr. She made me show her my pockets were empty gave me a dry erase board and marker and showed me what computer I would be at and that the test would start after I answered the prompted questions.

I sat down a nervous wreck but I took a deep breath forced myself to relax and started to type and read......


They give you 4 hours to take the test but after 2 hours I was out and second guessing everything that I had entered. I called husband and told him that I felt "okay" about the test but not 100%.  I rushed home to read my books that were telling me every question I answered was wrong. When I took the test I got a paper at the end that said "results at the end of October". Three freaking months of waiting and waiting and waiting!!

people would ask me at least once a week "did you hear anything??" "how did you do?" "When do you find out?" I'm like dude I have no clue I have to wait!!!!! And boy did they wait until the END of October!


Until today that is... October 27, 2014 I got a text message from a good friend that asked me if I had received any "special mail". I was at work at least 3 miles from my mailbox "No I didnt get any special mail did you get any special mail?" At this point I had texted my husband 5 times to tell him to check the mail... no response... more waiting the results are right there why is he not responding we were just talking about dinner!!! I know i'll call him! called once...voicemail..... called twice... voicemail... I am on the verge of ripping my hair out I get a text "why do you need me to check the mail? are the results in?" DUH?? WHY ELSE WOULD I BE CONCERNED FOR MAIL??? WE GET NOTHING BUT BILLS!!!!!!! "no mail yet. I will take the girls for a walk and see if we can find him in the neighborhood"

mail truck being stalked doing his job

He sends me this picture of the mail truck with the message "hes in the neighborhood" I have worked myself into a nervous fit by now i have to pee like a race horse. I go pee when I get back to my desk                 I see I missed a text message from hubby:

 

Certificate fresh out the mailbox

 

Yes ladies and gentlemen I passed the exam!!! I am a board certified lactation consultant!!!!!!(Well starting November 1st)  How freaking stoked am I but holy cow that was the longest wait ever!!!!!!! 

All framed up with my name tag!

***edited*** I would like to thank my husband who encouraged me to take the exam and spend the money even though I was super apprehensive. Even after I had psyched myself out he still believed in me and my capabilities. I am so happy to be married to him and have him on this journey! 





Birth Belongs to Women not the Hospital

I went to a birth and breastfeeding conference on Friday. It was the best experience ever. I connected and talked to people I would normally not have any dealings with and I got so many great ideas to try to help the mothers at my job and in the community. There were several speakers that presented but one had my attention and not just because she was from my Alma Mater ;)

So I attended Virginia Commonwealth University(VCU) for my undergrad. While there the medical college's hospital did not have a great reputation. If you wanted to have a baby do not go to VCU Medical Center but if you got shot 9x then go there!!!! If you get a certain type of cancer that was the place for you but if you have a cold stay away. It is one of the best trauma hospitals  and one of five level one trauma centers in the entire state of Virginia so its rightfully so that if you stroll in there with your leg hanging on by a thread you will walk out recovered and leg firmly attached (exaggeration I am not sure if that particular scenario ever happened lol) How wonderful!

So the presenter is a midwife at VCU Medical Center and she was presenting on all of the new and wonderful things that are happening at the hospital. They facilitated a change about 3-4 years ago and she wanted to share the results. They are actually following the guidelines set forth by ACOG for birth practices and they are working on becoming Baby Friendly (if they have not already). Because of their sudden change they now have 85% VBAC success rate, 87% unmediated births (in midwifery) and less then 10% c-section rate from midwifery.

There's no more being strapped to the bed and having monitors on you continually-- mothers are allowed to move around and walk around. They ENCOURAGE different birthing positions and not just the traditional one on your back that makes birth easier for the doctor NOT the mother. They ENCOURAGE birth plans! Moms can eat and drink during labor with IV as long as she doesn't have the epidural (epidural can cause vomiting), the birth tub is an option AND the shower! They practice the hands off approach as long as there is progression (slow or fast), they utilize forceps and versions and they do not mind a breach delivery.  There are no discussion of inductions until AFTER the mother has hit 42 weeks and they educate their clients on what their birth RIGHTS are not the hospital's RECOMMENDATION. They even do VBACs up to two sections. They practice RESPECTFUL maternal care.

They practice delayed cord clamping for vaginal and for as long as they can with sections

I realize this presentation was given by a Midwife but the doctors are practicing this too. They took tips from the midwives on how birth is SUPPOSE to be. And if the birth comes to a c-section they practice "gentle c sections" or they utilize the "tunnel" so mom can still have a positive outcome even if its not the original outcome she hoped for.


1/3 of mothers in the US are having babies via c-section and of that 35.8% are African American mothers. Has evolution failed us or has our medical practices failed us? Woman are not broken they can birth their babies and if left alone they can do this. Contrary to popular belief there is more to it then a "baby being born alive" and "healthy mom and baby". Birth sticks with a mother for the REST OF HER LIFE as long as her brain has the capability to remember it. Her children are constant reminders of the outcome from the birth and birthdays are constant reminders of that day. From experience, if the mother had a traumatic birth she is no longer "healthy". Her mental health is not well.

I am not opposed to women if they want to have elective c-section or use the epidural but I am opposed to mother's not getting to choose the birth they want. I do not like it when mothers are bullied and doctors do not explain. I am not a fan of doctors just not caring and posting signs in the lobby stating "if you want a natural birth go to a different provider" (i've seen this one!!!) or doctors dropping patients because they are asking questions about their maternity care practices (like are we suppose to follow blindly like sheep?). Doctors have their place and they need to step in if its life or death not time and money.

So to all my pregnant mamas or if you know a pregnant mama I think it is worth it to check out what they have going on at VCU Medical Center. They take most all insurances and they welcome transfers from other doctors who do not have faith in their mamas. Please check out their Facebook they have awesome pictures of all the births they have done MCV Midwifery Facebook

The midwife that gave the awesome presentation was Amber Price and she can be found catching babies at VCU Medical Center http://VCUmom.com (804) 828-9270

Click worthy Links:
7 Universal Rights of Childbearing Women
Awesome Video on Respectful Maternity Care
VCU Medical Center Skin to Skin Video
Gentle or Family Centered C-Sections
Video of Gentle C-Section
Delivering own baby during Csection (tunnel)
Birth Data from 2012 (CDC)
How VCU Health Systems Rank (you can use this website to see how your area hospital ranks VA only)

If you are a new mom and wanting information OR a previous section mommy wanting VBAC support :
ICAN- International Ceasarean Awareness Network
Birth Matters Virginia
Post Partum Support VA
Black Women Do VBAC (facebook)
ACOG
and of course my website :)

Wear ALL the Babies!!!!!

Its Babywearing Week!!!

Babywearing is not my "thing" as far as passion BUT it has been so useful to me and helped me parent a little better. It also made caring for two children a ton easier especially when during growth spurts and fussy time. The baby gets what they need and I am still hands free to tend to the other child.

So here is my top 5 reasons why I love babywearing and I encourage you to give it a try!!!

Me and Nursling walking around the neighborhood

5) No need to carry that heavy car seat everywhere or worry about toting that larger then life stroller!

This is my little life hack. With my oldest I recall standing in Target's parking lot trying to pull out the heavy over sized stroller from the trunk of my Nissan Sentra (yup that trunk is small!) and then attempt that "one handed open" which usually takes two hands. Once I get the stroller all "set up" now I have to remember to lock the wheels (yup I've had run away stroller before) then go and unhook the heavy car seat from the base that seems to gain 10 tons for every pound the baby gains then put it properly inside the stroller (listen for the 'click'). There goes 10-15 minutes of  my life only to get in there and the baby is screaming her head off because she wants out! With my second I discovered the wonderful world of babywearing and it was great! I just tied my Mei Ti on me insert baby and kept it moving and if baby decides that she wanted to eat while I was shopping all I had to do was loosen it a little and let her nurse in the carrier. All was right and I was free to spend my entire pay check in Target uninterrupted.

4) What crying baby??

Babies love to be held especially new babies! They were inside of your belly for 40+ weeks and go to feel all the swaying and rocking motions of you walking around plus the soft rhythm of your heartbeat. Its only natural that they seek comfort in that now that they are on the outside. When babies are crying because they just want the comfort of being next to your heart what easy way to soothe then to just pick them up? The downfall to this is that holding a baby all day is not conducive to being productive so now what is a mama to do?? Grab your wrap or carrier!! Wearing babies give them the feeling of being in arms, they hear your heartbeat, they can feel your skin and it calms them quickly. So calming most sleep the entire time they are being worn. If you have a colicky baby or one that has the normal "crying time" or "witching hour" babywearing can help with this too!! With my second I got lots of stuff done and I didn't have to negotiate with a crying infant who just wanted to be held in order to get it done. To this day my nursling who is 19 months can still be put to sleep in a carrier and the storm of a tantrum can be calmed by just putting her on my back!

3) No that is not my kid running up and down the aisles at Wal-Mart....

.......Well not anymore.....I think this is self explanatory. My kid is on my back viewing the world from my point of view seeing all of things on the shelf and all of strangers at "mom level" which can be less intimidating. I know you are saying "put the kid in a cart" well easier said then done my friend most small children have the attention span of a fly and putting them in the cart is short lived. In the cart they can be easily distracted by all the noises sounds and other people. While the distraction is still there in a carrier I can hone my little back in on the task at hand which is "why does Wal-mart never have what I need?" and "why do I STILL shop here??" Wearing baby also keeps your baby close during crowd situations like at the mall, a theme park, or even the airport. You need not worry about your child "getting away" from you as they will be wrapped or strapped to you. My husband jokes that during the Zombie Apocalypse all I would have to do is run. We are already carrying the precious cargo lol

Retired Nursling and Nursling at Petsmart

2)  Nothing like carrying around an extra 10 pounds to melt away the baby weight!

Most new moms (myself included) worry about getting rid of that baby weight after you have your baby. Breastfeeding helps because it does burn those extra calories but wearing your baby is like wearing a weight on you all day and it gets HEAVIER! So while you are walking around the neighborhood or the mall or Target :) just know that you are burning a little extra calories because not only are you moving with your weight you are carrying the weight of your baby too!  Some women (myself included) also do exercises while wearing baby. Some participate in yoga, low impact cardio, and muscle strengthening exercises. Even the task of vacuuming and sweeping can help you to work up a sweat when you have a baby on your back! They can be quite easy to do and the baby really enjoys them too! Check your local yoga studios or gyms to see if they offer mommy and me classes or babywearing classes.

1) Bonding made simple minus the pressure of the bottle!

Brittany Marsh "Master of the Wrap"

Babywearing is good for the baby! It stabilizes his little system and it makes him feel more secure in his environment. With this security comes trust. Trust in his caregivers and the environment is important for his survival literally and with in the house (we gotta keep the parents out of the looney bin!) A good way for baby to bond to other people outside of mama is baby wearing and the skin-to-skin that it encourages. The baby will hear the caregivers heart beat, get used to their motions and rhythms and the sound of their voice and the way they smell. Babies love human contact and the feel of skin on their skin. This will help the caregiver as well because they can smell that "newborn smell" that has been shown to get those love hormones flowing and increase bonding. What a better way to bond with a baby then to snuggle and cuddle like nature intended? I love seeing daddy's wearing their babies in stores and out and about and even better grandparents!!!!


Some of my favorite carriers are:

The Moby Wrap for the newborn period
The Mei Tai for high back carries in older infants
The Ergo baby carrier for every day and back carries also my husband finds this carrier easier for him
A Ring Sling (any will do) for quick and easy in and out wearing and comes in a ton of colors for outfit coordination :)

 When selecting a carrier always keep their hips in mind as well as other safety precautions:

For more information on babywearing and how to get started here are some great resources that helped me a ton!:

The Natural Child Project
Britt Brown Marsh Blog
Babywearing International
Babywearing International of Hampton Roads
Babywearers of Color (facebook)

HAPPY BABYWEARING WEEK!!!!