The Mom Crowd

I recently started pumping breastmilk for my second baby and I love the freedom it brings me. I never pumped for my first child. It was a source of pride for me that a bottle nipple never touched the lips of my baby and she went straight to a straw cup. I have since gotten over that pride.

Why I Didn’t Want to Pump

I was concerned about nipple confusion with my first baby. The breastfeeding class I went to was very clear that my baby could get nipple confusion and refuse to nurse from me afterwords. Also, I had heard stories from friends who started to pump and then the babies only wanted a bottle afterwords. These friends even felt certain that nursing was established and it would be okay to introduce a bottle.

Another reason why I didn’t pump with my first was because I didn’t want to shell out $300 for a pumping system. I knew Medela was the best, but it wasn’t cheap. I didn’t need it, my baby was always with me and I got very proficient at nursing in public with my nursing cover.

I also thought it was too much work to pump, store, and clean all the equipment. There seemed to be so many rules about how to store it, how long to store, how to heat it up. It was just another system that I didn’t want to take the time to learn.

Why I Pump With My Second Baby

With my second child I felt like a lot more confident breastfeeding, so I wasn’t as worried about nipple confusion. I also don’t have the same pride about not using bottles as I once did. I decided I wanted to pump, because I was invited to an evening wedding where kids weren’t allowed. The bride told me I could bring my son, but I wanted to enjoy an evening out with my husband without kids. My baby was 2 1/2 months old at the time.

Thankfully a friend (thanks Natalie!) loaned me her Medela pump that she wasn’t using. Some people discourage borrowing pumps, but I felt that it was okay to use. I found my book from the breastfeeding class and read up on the rules of storage. It wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be.

I questioned what to do with leftover milk in the bottle that the baby doesn’t drink. After taking a survey of friends I decided that I would put the milk back in the fridge to only be used one more time only if the next time was soon after. I know that some of the nutrients may be gone, but I am okay with that. It is very rare that my son won’t drink everything now.

Now I don’t pump every day, but once a week or so to keep up demand. I love the freedom to be able to leave without my little buddy. I like to pump before church, so I can feed him in the sanctuary without having to miss the sermon nursing in the cry room. There is so much freedom in pumping. If you are about to nurse and are afraid to pump, you should at least try and see if it works for you! I am certainly happy that I tried it!

P.S. I just pumped this morning so I go to a Coldplay concert tonight with my husband. I wouldn’t have been able to go with him if I didn’t pump.

How about you? Have you tried pumping? Did you hate it? Did you like it? Did you have any concerns about nipple confusion?

- photo courtesy of webchicken

Before I had children I never thought I would have so many toys just for one kid. Friends and family enjoy gifting my little girl with toys. I am forever thankful for their generosity, but I have to put them somewhere.

The migration of toys started in the nursery then spread to my bedroom. Next they encroached into a corner of the living room. The toys grew too much for the living room. Finally they made their way into a space that is supposed to be a formal living area which we have used as a library. Now they have even moved into our formal dining area.

All my bedrooms are upstairs, but we don’t hang out there much during the day. I like being able to see my kiddos from the kitchen and our living room. So half of the downstairs is now a play area and I love it.

We recently replaced the formal dining table with a futon and a t.v. I don’t know why this made me so happy. I love hanging out in there with my kids. Of course, there is more I want to do to the room like curtains on the back windows, wall art, change the lighting, and have better storage for the small toys.

Having a designated area for the toys has kept my regular living room more clean and a retreat for me at the end of the day.  Now I just need to teach my 2 year old how to pick her toys up every night. If she doesn’t fully understand how to clean up by the time she is a preschooler, then I am going to try Amelia’s tips on How to Teach Your Preschooler to Pick Up Their Toys.

I understand that I am lucky to have some extra space in my house to create a play area. It seems like such a necessity. You need space to store toys and kids need a place to play and be a kid.

Almost every house that I have been to that has a play area is fun. So I created my own. One day I will reclaim the dining room and library, but until then my little kiddos rule the room.

I don’t have any great insight about organizing toys or creative ways to make your playroom more fun. I just know that having a play area is cool.

How about you? Have you made a designated play area? Did you ever think you would have one?

This is a Just Because post.

The video below is “I’m the Letter T” sung to the tune of “Hey There Delilah” by The Plain White T’s. I saw it this morning on Sesame Street and I thought it was pretty clever. I just have one question – if Timmy is wearing a T-Shirt and Tina is wearing a tube top, and the first T is wearing nothing – Does that make him naked?  (Maybe I shouldn’t post random things when I am tired. I say silly things. )

I woke up Saturday morning with a horrible cold, sore throat, aches, and the general feeling that I felt like crap. Why do I even have a cold? I thought cold and flu season was over! I am thankful that it happened on the weekend and my husband was able to help. We didn’t do much this weekend but hang out in our pajamas and watch movies while I rested.

Tomorrow is Monday and I can’t call in sick. My husband is a small business owner and when he doesn’t work we don’t get any money. I like money, so off to work he goes while I care for the kiddos. Tomorrow we are staying home while I continue to kick this cold. What are moms to do when they are sick?

My first concern is that I am nursing my little 3 month old boy and I am taking some Tylenol cold medicine. I read on Dr. Sears:

“Most drugs taken by the mother are of less concern while breastfeeding than if she were taking them during pregnancy. If a drug is safe to use during pregnancy, it is probably safe during lactation. There is more reason to be concerned about the effects of a drug on a growing fetus than on a fully developed infant.”

I had taken a similar Tylenol cold medicine when I was pregnant, so I felt better about taking my medicine after reading this. I also monitored my temperature so I could nurse.

I am doing practical things to avoid spreading my germs like that washing my hands constantly, using hand sanitizer and trying my best not to breathe on my kids.

Here are some tips about staying home with you kids while being sick:
Heather Cabot at the Huffington Post first suggestion is to Call for Backup.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it is your husband, neighbor, friend or mom, there is no shame in admitting you need some support. And for the future, it might be a good idea to figure how who your back-up is before you find yourself in the midst of a breakdown.

When I had my morning sickness I called my friends for backup many times. I would lay on their couch sick as a dog while they watched their kids and mine.

Stayathomeparents.suite101.com recommends Forgetting the Housework.

Be willing to let certain things go when you are sick. Now is not the time to worry about dusting the furniture. If you have small children who you have to keep with you when you are sick try and stay in one area. This way you are limiting your mess. Wait for hubby to do the dishes when he gets home.

Ha! I often wait for my husband to do the dishes anyway. But I do have to let go my concern of how a room looks. I like her suggestion of staying in one area. I either hunker down in the living room or in my bed room and I bring some toys.

Brit’s plan at BabiesOnline.com is to Let the Usual Rules Go.

Safety rules… stay. Things that make the house untidy meet feeble resistance from me, but I figure if they are happy and occupied I can rest and clean up when I feel better.

I know I have certainly let my little girl unload the tupperware cabinet a few times. She was quiet and not hurting anything. It got cleaned up eventually.

Staying home with kiddos while being sick is not fun. The sickness will pass and things will get better. As moms we can only do what we can do when we are sick and that is okay.

How do you manage when you are sick? Do you actually plan ahead for it?

My baby is 3 months old today and I am just now feeling like I am my old self again. After I had my first baby I remember an older couple telling me to wait until the 3 to 4 month mark and life will begin to get back to normal. So far their advice has been right with both of my kids.

Around the 3 to 4 month mark my babies started sleeping longer. They didn’t need to be fed around the clock. I even had some of my brain cells back. Now that I think of it, maybe my brain cells are coming back because I am getting more sleep. (If only I went to bed on time!)

Also, around the 3 to 4 month mark my babies started to smile and coo. Seriously, life doesn’t get any better than when your baby wakes up smiling every morning. Until that smile comes babies can seem like a chore, especially in the first few weeks.

Melissa recently commented on an older post of mine titled, “Its Okay Not to Love Your Newborn.” She wrote:

I too am struggling with my feelings toward my daughter. She is almost 3 weeks old and I do not feel a bond with her yet. I know I love her to some degree b/c I am constantly thinking and worried about her. Maybe that’s it. She does feel more like an obligation or a chore than an enjoyment. She cries a lot & I am blown away by the amount of responsibility it takes to care for her. I feel trapped & scared that it will never get better. I want her to hurry and grow then feel guilty b/c I know when that happens I’ll regret that I didn’t enjoy her at this time. It’s very depressing.

I replied to Melissa through email and I explained how things do get better. I have never loved the newborn stage. I am already tired from 40 weeks of pregnancy, labor & delivery, and getting no sleep all while having to learn to care for a new person. I feel like each baby has their own personality and the early weeks are spent getting to know the baby. Both the mom and baby are getting used to each other.

I certainly enjoy the newborn stage as best as I can, but I am always glad when I am on the other side of that mountain. Now that my baby is 3 months old I can see the bottom of that mountain. I can see my life becoming normal again. I am not spending every waking second worried about my new baby.  I am close to getting a full night’s sleep again. It is easier to travel. I am incredibly thankful to be on the other side of the mountain that began with first reading those two blue lines.

Do you love the newborn stage? When did your life feel like it was normal again? Did it ever return to normal? Or was it new kind of normal?

* The photo is of my husband and Baby Roman in the Guadalupe River on Memorial Day.