Love My Little Girl

Before having children of my own, I wanted all boys. I would often say, "If I have a girl, she'd probably be like me, and I might kill her." I remember watching an episode of Ellen where Pink was a guest. She was pregnant and talked about how her mom wished a girl on her. She didn't want a girl because of the same reason as me. I laughed. I was not the only one! Lara was already born by this time, and I was already in love with her.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the sofa next to Dave. He was holding Ian, when Jaron came over to cuddle with me (Lara was taking a nap). Jaron initiated a group hug when it hit me, "I'm so happy I have a daughter!" I told Dave that too. I also said that a home full of boys is too much testosterone for me...lol
There are so many fun things you get to do with daughters. Lara is getting old enough to do a lot of girly things with her. Last week we got mani pedi's together. It was soooo much fun! I love finding girly things for her to wear. She's calmer than her brothers, which is refreshing. Although she is quite the drama queen, and her cries, shrieks, etc grate on your nerves like nails being scraped across a chalk board, the fun times make it all worth it.
I love my boys, but I'm so glad I have a girl too. I'll probably change my mind about that during the teenage years, we'll see ;)

Mosquito Prevention

With the summer months alive and kicking, many people are spending more time outside in backyards and "the great outdoors." I wanted to step into my capacity as a public health advocate and provide a little information on how to avoid mosquito bites. (hey, pharmacist-in-training here. get used to it. :) )

I've recently seen a few good links discussing mosquito repellents and thought it would be best to just share each link, but people get kinda annoyed when you share them in quick succession on Facebook, so I decided to aggregate them into a blog post, and then share that.

This first one, from Forbes.com, looks at natural products that purport to repel mosquitos. Basically, citronella candles aren't that effective. The only "natural" alternatives that show efficacy are neem oil or soy oil mixed with lemon eucalyptus. But, they wear off quickly, thus necessitating more frequent applications. But basically, nothing beats the effectiveness of DEET.

Speaking of DEET, even the Environmental Working Group, (which I almost never use as a legitimate source due to their overwhelming bias against vaccines, GMO's et al) has admitted that DEET is safe and effective, when used appropriately:

Though DEET has been much maligned, and in rare cases, intense doses have been linked to nervous system impairment, an extensive review of the scientific literature found few reports of serious health hazards when the chemical was used sparingly, as the maker's instructions specify.

and also:

EWG advises consumers that when it comes to bug-borne diseases, prevention is key. Repellents should not be the first choice for protection from bug bites, but selecting the appropriate repellent can be important for people in high-risk places. Picking the best repellent for each situation can be complicated: More intense concentrations of repellent chemicals don’t necessarily do the job when it counts. Repellents don’t need to contain 100 percent DEET to deter pests. Consumers should avoid anything stronger than 30 percent DEET.

Now, I'd like to point out that the EWG says nothing over  30% is needed, however, the CDC recommends 50% as the limit and explains: "Higher concentrations of DEET may have a longer repellent effect, however, concentrations over 50% provide no added protection." (That link to the CDC is a great primer explaining what DEET is, what the percentage means etc.)

And finally, I'd like to end with a link that discusses Five Myths of Mosquito Repellents. Among them, he points out how natural alternatives may provide some protection, but will need to be applied 3-4 times as often. He also explains the proper way to apply mosquito repellent to get the best protection.

All links are worth the time to read. Have fun out there and be safe.

 

Reading Is Fundamental

Last year, Jaron wanted Jurassic Park read to him. He loves the movie, but we weren't sure he'd really understand what was going on in the book. We decided to head to our local library, pick up a copy, and give it a shot. Dave read it to Jaron, and I worked on projects and listened as well. We were surprised how much Jaron actually understood. He'd stop Dave to tell him how the book was different from the movie. Sometimes Dave stopped and asked Jaron what was going on in the book, and Jaron knew (for the most part).
We moved not too long after we finished the book. With the move, having a new baby, Dave in pharmacy school, etc, we didn't read another long book to Jaron. Recently, Jaron wanted The Hobbit read to him. Since we already have it, and things have calmed down, Dave is reading it to Jaron. Jaron has already seen the movie, so he's already picking out the differences. This time, Jaron asks questions about what's going, or if what it being read will be in the next movie. Sometimes Lara will sit in on the readings and listen. Love my kids! I hope they develop a real love for reading.

Enjoying New Yogurt Smoothie Bars On A Hot Summer Day

There's nothing like a hot summer day for a cool treat. Thanks to BzzAgent, we were able to cool off with Kroger Yogurt Smoothie Bars.

He can't wait to dive in

Kroger's Yogurt Smoothie Bars come in two flavors, Strawberry Banana and Triple Berry. We went with Triple Berry, and they were delicious. They are low fat and one bar is only 50 calories, so you can enjoy them guilt free.

They are serious when it comes to frozen treats

Kroger new line of guilt free treats includes Ice Cream Sandwiches, Fudge Bars, and Fruit Bars as well.

Even our little guy gets in on the action

We enjoyed the Triple Berry Yogurt Smoothie Bars and can't wait to try the rest.

Yum!

As a member of BzzAgent, I was selected to try Kroger New Yogurt Smoothie Bars for free. Love BzzAgent!

What Kind Of Mom Am I?

I have friends that like to decorate for every season and holiday, friends that like to decorate cakes and cookies, friends who like to do cutesy birthday things, friends who like to make crafts for different occasions too. I think it's cute, and if it's your thing, go for it! Something I realized was I'm not the mom who:

• Decorates for every season and holiday 
• Decorates cakes and cookies
• Does cutesy birthday things
• Makes crafts for different occasions 
• Does themed Christmas trees every year
• Makes sandwiches and snacks that look like animals
• Wears make up everyday
• Makes sure my hair is perfect
• Wears the latest trends
• Has a closet full of shoes
• Is perfect

I can go on and on, but I won't...hahaha. I'm just a mom who's a low key, no frills kind of gal. I'm ok with that. I do have things I do like to do. I'm the mom who:

• Makes quilts for my kids
• Makes dresses for my daughter
• Has one way of decorating my home
• Decorates for Christmas
• Has a "homespun" Christmas tree every year
• Likes my sleep
• Takes my kids on adventures
• Coupons to provide for my family
• Gets lots of cuddles
• Wears mostly flip flops
• Has clothes that are stained from kids
• Makes up funny songs
• Loves music
• Loves to explore
• Rearranges furniture when I need a change
• Is not perfect

I'm happy with who I am. Sometimes my kids ask why I don't do something like another mom. I tell them, "That's just not me." I hope they see from my example that they don't have to be like anybody else. We are all different, we like different things, and we have different talents. I hope when they get older and look back, they think I'm a cool mom. 

Things Are Not Always as They Seem

Every argument, by definition ("a coherent series of statements leading from a premise to a conclusion" - Merriam Webster) contains a thesis, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. 

All too often, especially in politics, people ignore an argument's thesis and conclusion, misinterpret the supporting details based on the lack of context, and develop opinions based on the incorrect interpretation/incomplete information. This is a sad fact of life. What follows, after the full details come to light, is very illuminating. Some, when pointed out the error, will retract their original opinion and reform a new one based on new information. This is often the minority. More often than not, I notice people attempting to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance by maintaining their current opinion by ignoring the new details from the original argument or adding new details that are irrelevant to the original argument.

In recent weeks several examples have passed through my Facebook newsfeed. One was a link posted by a conservative group that claimed that a proposed law in California was going to make pedophilia a sexual orientation that was going to be protected by the law. I think the link to the original article is here, but it is noted that it has been changed significantly from its original content. A friend posted it and was complaining how wrong it was. One of their friends commented with the actual wording in the bill and noted it said nothing about pedophilia. I read the bill and the original post and discovered that the bill was only making it illegal to force LGBT to go through "treatments" to force them to turn straight. Said "treatments" have been scientifically shown to be both ineffective and potentially harmful. The only person in either the bill or the originally posted article that said anything about pedophilia as being a sexual orientation was a conservative lobbyist in the article. It should be noted that Wikipedia only refers to hetero- homo-, bi-, or asexual as constituting sexual orientation and does not include pedophilia in that classification. I mentioned this in a comment and the response was basically "I concerned that it doesn't address treating the victims of pedophilias" (changing the goalposts). To which I replied that that was neither the aim nor scope of this particular bill and that argument was like complaining about the second amendment because it doesn't address treating victims of crossbow violence. The original poster then deleted the whole link; I don't know if they realized the logical fallacies in their arguments, or if they just didn't want argue about it anymore. (I'll note here that if you follow the link above, the website has issued a correction and an apology)

The most recent example of this fallacious thinking based on ignoring the thesis and conclusion and only misinterpreting the evidence involves the MSNBC commercial about our children. You can watch it here. The posts going around Facebook regarding it either come from sources like the fear-mongering blow-hard Glenn Beck (and others) or this meme. The meme focuses on a single line from the supporting evidence of her argument: "We have to break through our private idea that kids belong to parents, or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to whole communities…" but completely ignores her thesis: "We have never invested as much in public education as we should have" or her conclusion: "Once its everybody's responsibility, and not just the household's, then we start making better investments." In context, it should be abundantly clear that her whole intent was that the entire community should be concerned with the public school system, for the children's sake, not just parents of school-aged children. This concept was exemplified by the community of Forest Ranch, up the hill from Chico California. Due to major budget cuts, the only elementary school in that little town was going to be closed down and the kids sent down to Chico. The entire community pulled together and donated/fund-raised enough money to open it as a charter school. I would be willing to bet that the majority of that community was of an age that they, themselves did not have school-aged children at home with them, but they understood the importance of have a high-quality school in their community. There is no nefarious subplot to enslave your children and/or force you to let the State determine how to raise your kids. She was simply saying we all need to care about the education of our children. I have tried to point out these very important differences between the fear and the reality, with many varying responses. The mental acrobats people go through to maintain their current beliefs about a situation, even in the face of contrary evidence is quite amazing. 

I won't even take the time to address the "Monsanto Protection Act" other to mention it is similar to the above and point you to a good analysis here.

So the moral of the story is: Don't believe anything you see posted on Facebook without trying to verify the claims first.

Breastfeeding Isn't For Everyone

 I've giving birth to three beautiful babies. This is my third battle with post partum depression. I knew from my first two experiences my post-partum depression does not subside until after I stop breastfeeding. This third time around, I realized breastfeeding makes my post-partum depression worse. What causes post partum depression? Hormones. Breastfeeding produces hormones as well. Post partum depression makes it hard to bond with your baby. What pushed me into writing this post was an incident that occurred the last time I was at the WIC office. I overheard another WIC person telling a woman that breastfeeding reduced post partum depression because of the bonding breastfeeding creates. I looked at my WIC person and said, "That is not the case with everyone, especially me." I explained to her what happens to me. She looked at me and said, "I'm glad that you're pushing on with it despite everything." There was a sign in her cubicle that said formula feeding a baby leads to allergies, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. If you didn't know, this is incorrect. But what signs, blogs, etc like this tend to do is guilt women into breastfeeding or cause them to feel guilty because they are not.
When we're pregnant, and after we give birth, we get inundated with information saying breastfeeding good, formula bad. This tends to turn women against each other. Those who breastfeed and those who don't. If you're not one of those women, good for you! As women and mother's we need to be supportive of each other, not divided and putting each other down.
I've struggled emotionally through the whole process of breastfeeding this time around. I've had so much guilt because I couldn't breastfeed fully. Because of all the stuff that had been ingrained in me, I had a hard time accepting my son really needed formula and not breastfeeding. I go to my WIC appointments, and they try to pressure me to breastfeed more. There are so many hate filled blogs out there (that's what I'm going to call them) calling formula poison, attacking women who choose not to breastfeed. It makes me sick. Not all women can breastfeed! Not all women who breastfeed are able to breastfeed with each subsequent child. It has nothing to do with not putting in the effort, it has everything to do with their bodies. Some women can't breastfeed because their body can't produce milk. Some women's milk is more like water with no nutrition. Some women get post partum depression because they breastfeed, and some women just don't want to do it. I don't blame them! I've decided to share my story. I hope this helps someone out there who is struggling.

Ian came 2 1/2 weeks early on a Wednesday. I was going to breastfeed him, I planned on it. So Ian came, I got him latched on and thought everything was going ok. He was born at 6pm. He breastfeed a couple times, the last time being 2:45am. Then he refused to do it after that. He had a tongue thrust, which I dealt with with my first child. I had tried all the tricks I had been previously taught. They were not working. The nurses were trying to help me too. I wanted to get more help because he wasn't eating, so at 9am, I went to a breastfeeding class hosted by a lactation consultant. I had to go to the hour long class or the lactation consultant wouldn't come to help me. The lactation consultant came in, did the same things I had already done. My colostrum was in, but he would latch on incorrectly then come off because he wasn't getting anything after a few sucks. She tried the little tube attached to my nipple so he could get some formula and hopefully encourage him to open his mouth wider when he latched. But refused to latch on if it was attached to me. She got a bottle of formula and had him suck on it a few times so he'd open his mouth wider, then pull out and put him immediately to my breast. He'd latch on, but not well, so she'd pull him off and have him do it again. She finally got him to latch on correctly, said some things and left. That was the only time I saw her. It felt rushed and I was not sure what I was suppose to do. It seemed so complicated and hard to handle by myself.
I did the best I could. My nurses tried to help the best they could. They were wonderful. Ian's blood sugar had to be tested every few hours because I had gestational diabetes. His sugars were fine until the last time they had to check. We were told we could go home if it came back fine. It's didn't. When they checked, he had not breastfeed, so they said they would check again an hour after I fed him. His numbers still came back low. They were going to keep us until I said I'd give him formula. The head nurse agreed that if I was willing to do that, I could go home. They sent me home with a bunch of formula samples so we wouldn't have to worry. This was Thursday night.
Friday, Ian had his 2 day check up with his pediatrician. I discussed the issues I was having breastfeeding and he referred me to a lactation consultant. I decided to give it the weekend to see if everything would work itself out. The entire weekend was a struggle. Ian wouldn't latch, then he would latch and come of screaming. By the end of the weekend, my nipples were extremely sore. I wanted to cry everytime he'd latch because the pain was so bad. My nipples were bleeding. I was a mess. Monday morning, I struggled with what to do. I called the lactation consultant and saw her that afternoon.
My lactation consultant was wonderful. She did the most thorough job explaining everything. I never had that with any lactation consultant before. She showed me that I was engorged bad. Had I waited any longer to be seen I would have developed mastitis. Because of the engorgement, nothing was coming out. That's why Ian was screaming when he's latch on. She told me he really did a number on me. Both of my nipples were badly bruised and the keratin layer was completely stripped away. She showed me how to bring my milk down, had me do it in the office until I got it, then brought Ian over to latch. She observed him and said all his behaviors and his latch we that of a preemie. It would be a good two weeks before he'd be able to latch correctly because he's just not at that point developmentally. Also, my letdowns were too slow. She showed me some things I could do to help him along (but it was a two person job), sent me home with more formula because I would have to pump and I might not get enough out, and scheduled a follow up. I left feeling like I was on the right track.
Then post partum depression hit. I've not had any luck with the medication that had been approved for use with breastfeeding in my previous post partum depression battles. I had my OB prescribe an anti-anxiety medication that had helped me before. Ian had his 2 week appointment, so I asked the pediatrician if it was safe to take while breastfeeding. It wasn't. He told me that I would have to wait 8 hours after taking the pill and pump and dump. He gave me more formula and talked to me about if I should really continue on breastfeeding. He was a big proponent of breastfeeding, but with what I was going through I might want to seriously think about if it was really right for me. I decided to continue on.
I thought I was doing ok for two weeks. Then the medication I had was not helping anymore. I called my OB and we discussed different medications. She prescribed me a newer one that was safe for breastfeeding. I thought, "This is great, I can stop pumping and dumping!" I thought we were finally on track and I could begin fully breastfeeding.
I spent the next two months breastfeeding during the day as much as I could. Ian would get upset with breastfeeding as the day progressed and we'd give him formula because we thought my milk supply was not enough. I was taking fenugreek, eating all the foods that are suppose to increase milk supply and pumping for hours on end at night. At the end of the 2 months, Ian would still get upset with breastfeeding at night, but I was able to pump enough to give him a bottle. We finally were off formula, so we thought.
Ian was fully breastfeeding. We thought he was teething because each feeding he would breastfeed for a while, then come off screaming. Everyday, he was cranky. Poor baby! My medication was giving me unpleasant side effects. Poor me! I decided to try the lower dose hoping that the side effects would die down and I would still be ok. The side effects did die down, but the depression got worse. It was so bad, I couldn't bring myself to breastfeed Ian more than a few times a day. I still pumped, so Dave would give Ian that, but had to give formula because it wasn't enough. I increased my medication and started feeling better. But we noticed something very interesting. Ian had been fully breastfeeding for a month and didn't grow in height and only put on a few ounces. When he started back on formula, he stopped fussing and started growing again. I tried breastfeeding full time again. Ian started fussing everytime he latched on. I could feel the milk there, but he would not latch back on after he came of screaming. We finally realized my milk was not providing what he needed. He needed formula!
Since then, I've breastfeed when he would let me and gave him formula the rest of the time. He's been decreasing how much he breastfeeds. I've been letting him decide. He's growing beautifully and is a much happier baby because of it. I'm so thankful for formula! Because he's been breastfeeding less, I'm starting to feel better. Hopefully I'll be able to start bonding with my baby.
If I have another child, I may decide to breastfeed the first few days for the colostrum, maybe a little longer if I feel up to it, or maybe I won't breastfeed at all. It'll be my decision, and I'll try not to let the guilt ingrained in me take over. I have three beautiful children. Knowingly prolonging my post partum depression does not seem like the right thing to put them through as well. I want the stories to end, the ones I've heard from other women who've struggled and were made to feel guilty because they didn't or couldn't breastfeed. It needs to stop, the guilt pushed on others. We are all mothers and we need to support each other, not be divided. Not all women can breastfeed, and that's ok!