Tuesday, November 30, 2010

And then I pumped at work

Since breastfeeding went so well for me at first (LaughOnLine), I figured I'd need to get all the accoutrements to be able to pump at work, in order to continue my pseudo-crunchy lifestyle. And hey, it's cheap. I checked with our ins, and they'd cover a pump up to a certain amount. In a wonderfully ironic-in-the-Alanis-sense twist of fate, that amount was right.under. every mainstream pump; the medelas, the amedas, the avents. So I went for the lovely lavender Lansinoh pump, as the nip cream has been so good to me so far.

I've been using it at home since I got it for the middle of the night "feeding" time, and besides being a little bit noisy, it works like a charm. So I decided to take my show on the road and continue pumping at work. They have a special super secret pumping room, to which I was introduced today, winding through a maze of carpeted hallways on directions from ladies who have pumped before.

The room is part of a bathroom, and behind some saloon-style swinging doors. So people walk by it in order to get to the bathroom, which is behind another door. It's in a swanky part of our complex, which is inhabited by upper-level employees (I've been watching too much Charmed, I was going to finish that phrase "upper-level demons"), mostly men, so the bathroom isn't frequented too much. I made myself a sticky note to put on the swinging doors: "Pumping in Progress." Too literal, interwebs? Too impersonal? Give me some suggestions.

I went up first at 11:15, and got about 3.75oz and 4oz. Second time around 3:15 and got about the same, maybe a little less. I used my lansinoh bottles that came with the pump, and that I bought in the extra pack, and stuck them in the office mini-frig, all the way in the back. I need to get more of those milk baggies, they work better for storage. It works out pretty well. I use one hand to hold both of the pump bottles, because I haven't figured out yet how to wrangle up a holder. I just played on my cell phone today, but maybe tomorrow I'll remember a magazine or something so I don't have to sit there for 15 minutes and stare at a small screen.

I rinsed the parts with soapy water afterwards at the br sink, and stuck them in one of my fancy little Medela sanitizing bags. That and 2oz of water went in the microwave for 3 min after I got back to my cube area, which is ingenious. I just need to remember to bring a towel in my pump package.

***update - next day***

So, this morning, hubs found my special little backpack for my pump stuff. Thank goodness. I look so chic now; natch.

I also did a little bit of interwebs-lookin and found out that I am able to sanitize once a day, so I started out today with pumping at 10:30, then cleaned the parts with soapy water and put them in the medela bag. I'll get them out again at the next pumping session, which will probably be around 2-3, and then after that, sanitize. I didn't have a 3am pumping session this morning, because the burrito had a not-very-hungry first day (getting used to the bottle, new place/faces, etc) and ate tons last night and then woke to eat at 2am and again at 530.

This morning, I used the medela wipes, which actually dried my parts quicker than I expected (they were wet from washing, no towel with me). They worked pretty well, but will only be an occasional thing as they are not on the cheap side (@$10/bag of 24).

Also, I can store milk from more than one pumping in the same bottle, which is good, because since I fell asleep at 9pm last night on the couch while feeding the burrito, I didn't get to clean all of my bottles. How do women do this again?!

My resources:
KellyMom
Work and Pump

My fun things:
Medela Quick Clean Wipes
Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags

Pump'n'Stuff:
Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Pump
Lansinoh storage bags and bottles - their bottles all fit with the pump, obviously, however I couldn't find any nipples/tops for them at my local BRU, in case I wanted to use those to feed the kid. So I will probably just pump right into my...
Dr. Brown's bottles

Monday, November 29, 2010

The All-Important First Day Back At Work.

or, the one where I watch the clock.

SOOOO, today was my first day back at work. Technically; is my first day, since I don't leave until 530. I aimed to get up at 630 this morning, but burrito had other plans, and woke me with some serious whining at 550 to eat. When he had eaten and spit up on himself, we went downstairs, where he took a lil catnap in his swing, and I proceeded to go about my day.

- fill bottles (found hole in one bag of milk, spilled all over frig and floor)
- eat breakfast (dog has to go out in middle of breakfast, honey nut mini-wheats are now soggy)
- get bpump items together (find that I cannot find the pump bag, have to use tote from charity walk 3 years ago)
- get dressed (sweater is too tight, change into gut-camo sweater)
- make sure I have all of burrito's paperwork (I did! I did!)

I aimed to leave the house at 745 - ended up really leaving at 805. Best-laid plans...and such. So, we get there, say good morning, director puts us in the computer so I can check him in, and head down to the infant room. The woman there is waaaaay too chipper for before 10am, but I guess you have to be around babies.

Drop the diaper bag, drop the bottles (with insanely detailed labels; 5.5oz, 5oz, 4.75oz, and 4oz bottles), fill out his am paperwork (last feeding, nap, diaper change), and unpack him, who by this time is fussing about being restrained for so long without moving. He has car seat issues.

When they asked if he was fussing for a reason, I said he's probably hungry, so they heated up one of the bottles for him - which he wouldn't take at that point, because everything else in the room was just too interesting, lol. You'd think he's never been outside my house before.

I said goodbye about 5 times, and then had to get my butt to work. I'm not sure if I can explain correctly, but I almost feel as if I'm just borrowing someone else's baby, and I'll either have to give him back or they'll come pick him up inevitably. Of course that's just right now, as two days ago I was marveling that I have a son and he's mine for the rest of our lives. It's such an odd thing. I'm not sure how people adjust to this.

One thing is certain: I miss him tons.

Friday, November 5, 2010

A Birth Story, perhaps?

Sorry, I know it's late. I'm a slacker, what can I say? Didn't even get my TYNotes out from my showers yet. Gar.

SO, on with the show. I had a babydr's appt on Tuesday September 21st, where the doc "agitated" my membranes. Then the rinse cycle started. Oh wait, not a washing machine.
The nurse in the room said that I'd do well through labor because I did well while he was agitating around down there, so I took that as a good sign. It was uncomfortable, but I was expecting some kind of pain or something, so I did my deep breathing. And concentrated on the puppies on the ceiling, lol. I went into work after that, worked a full day, felt fine. I think I was 2cm and 80% at that time.

The next morning, about 130am, I felt uncomfortable, so I figured I just need to go to the bathroom. Went. Woke up again about 10min later, same feeling. It took me until 221am to figure out...wait, that might be a contraction!!! WTFOMG!!1!!!!1 So I told the hubs I was going to go lay down on the couch and time these babies. They were every 9 or so minutes until about 6am, and I slept every now and then. It just felt like a slight back pain, not too bad, so I expected at the time for this to last a long time and to either taper off, or maybe have the kid that week sometime.

After 6am they went away, but I wasn't in the mood to go to work and wouldn't be able to concentrate there to save my trucks, so (sorry, but as I'm writing this, the burrito is napping and his little foot is twitching, it's so damn cute, just had to note it for posterity) I called off work. I asked my friend to stop over to deliver some pads, as I conveniently forgot anything dealing with me leaking (this goes for breast pads too), and some coke, as I was in need of a caffeine fix. As of 1030am the contrax kicked back up again, and got a little bit worse. It was all in my back, I felt nothing in the front, where I thought they'd be. Karma.

So when friend came over, I was rocking away on my bouncy exercise ball, the only thing that did any good against the back pain, I figured out. She only stayed for a bit with her two little ones because I wasn't very much fun, having to be all Rain Man during the contrax.

Hubs was at a work meeting that day, so he was able to leave whenever (which I'm sure he could've done anyway, but it wasn't a day where he was at his typical "office"). I let him know my status and he said to let the babydr know. When I called in, they said to come in, that they'd check me there. Hubs got home and we went in about 1145. At this time, the contrax were worse, so that I'd have to concentrate on them, not talk, walk around, or something of the like in order to get through them.

When they checked me, I was 3cm (I think?), and they said that I could go on over to L&D. Whee! I remember having to stop every so often while walking in and out of the office for contractions. At that point, walking through them was ok.
Went home, got the stuff ready (or just got the last-minute items ready, as the bags were packed previously), and headed over to L&D, two minutes away at the local hospital. I was sitting on a towel in the car, so as not to gush all over hubs' truck, lol.


ready to go!
  Once we got to the hospital, I pretty much just followed hubs, because I was concentrating on breathing through my contractions and being able to make it to the room before having my water break, although I know I can't control that. I think there were a couple of old ladies in the elevator who were chatty, and I ignored them - a sign of things to come...
We got up to L&D and checked in, and they took us to a room. I asked for a bouncy exercise birthing ball, and remembered that the last time I felt nauseated, at the GD blood test, they got me a fan. I was starting to have nausea with each contraction depending on how I was standing or sitting, so hubs suggested we ask for a fan as well. A couple different types of medical people came in and out, and hubs went to go find the ball and fan. They were attaching the belly monitor, and taking my bp every now and then, and I labored there for a while.

After a while, I got changed into the gown, put a "puppy pad" on the ball, and started breathing through the contractions that way. It felt better to have someone rub my lower back (whee, all back labor), and to raise my knees up slightly. The fan helped with the nausea. From time to time a nurse would come in and see if I was ready for my IV yet - I kept saying, do I have to? I'm not ready yet, I'm still nauseated, don't want to throw up, etc. Hubs then said if I just kept saying no I wouldn't have to get one, I could refuse it. So I just kept putting it off. However, I made sure that I had liquid nearby - they gave me apple juice, which sucked...all I want when I'm nauseated is water, although that makes the nausea worse apparently. Pshaw.

Hubs told me that I might speed things up or feel better if I walked around during the contractions. I kept telling him, uh, if I get up I'll puke. I was fine sitting down. Then the nurse came in and said that they were afraid that burrito was sunny-side-up, and it might help if I would either walk around, stand up, or lean forward in order to encourage him to turn. So I stood up for one contraction, leaning on hubs, and promptly threw up all the lovely purple gatorade that I'd just drunk. Oh fun. I didn't want to talk much at that time or else I would've said "TOLD YOU SO."

The contractions continued, and I had someone rubbing my back during each one. Hubs wanted to go home and shower and get something to eat, so he called my mom in to take over Baby Watch 2010. At some point around 3-4pm, lady babydr came in and checked me again, and I was at 5cm I think. I did feel some gushing of fluids when I was on the bouncy ball (thank goodness for the puppy pads), and figured out later that that was my water "breaking." Around 5-6pm, hubs goes home to shower, but skips the food because he wasn't sure how long to be away, as my contractions were getting stronger. They were giving estimates at that point. Someone said 7, someone said 8, I said 7:54pm which is when I was born, and hubs said 7:30.

My contractions were getting stronger and the nurses were recommending I change positions, so sometime around 6 I put the ball on top of the bed and started leaning on it through my contractions. One of the nurses gave hubs a small bottle of lotion to use when rubbing my back, because apparently it was turning red. He said later he almost used the whole bottle. Ah the joy.
I don't know what time it was, but after I stood up, I started to feel like I had to poop. Lady babydr said to just go with what my body said, so I went to the bathroom to see if I had to. Not a whole lot happened, and going to the bathroom with back labor, it is now established, is the worst pain I have ever felt. I went a couple times while I was at the hospital, and it was all I could do not to scream when I had a contraction on the toilet. I think it's the closest I came to actually making noise while having a contraction!

During the last stages of my labor, before I felt like I had to push, I didn't really know what was going, didn't talk to anyone, just nodded my head yes or no. I didn't open my eyes a whole lot either. I knew people were there because of their voices, but I was resting between contractions, and concentrating on breathing during them.
When I finally felt like I had to push, which I didn't realize was actually an urge to push - it felt more like I had to poop - I was still in the standing up position. I kept asking hubs if I had pooped in my fancy mesh underpants. I was really expecting something to be there! And it really did feel like I had to "bear down," which should have been my first clue that the baby was actually coming.

I don't know how many contractions I had while feeling the bear down urge, but at some point, the dr said "ok, I think you may be actually pushing, why don't you get up on the bed?" Good thing too. Since my back labor was insane at that point, and I don't know how I had gotten up on the bed the previous two times that they checked me, she suggested raising the back of the bed so it was almost an L shape, and getting on my knees. Sounded good to me! So I crawled up, put my arms over the back of the bed, butt facing her, and pushed a couple of times. I felt something which I believe can only be described by the infamous "ring of fire" and the dr told me to hold on for a second, I guess she was checking things out. When she said go again, I continued to push - and pop! I felt nothing but the sweet bliss of a baby not in my birth canal anymore. Well, I guess it was more like squish instead of pop.

Anywho, the burrito came out with his left hand on his head, so I was on the receiving end of a 1st degree tear. When he came out, he was scooped up and taken over to the warmer tray to get him ready for dinner, lol. Hubs followed him over while I basked in the feeling (ohmigodnopainnopainnopain), and attempted futilely to push out the placenta. Dr said, "maybe you should flip over, that might help." So I got on my butt (gingerly) and another squish and the placenta was out. Thence proceeded the stitching. That was a bit painful. I did have a shot for the pain, which was also painful, but I don't remember it so it couldn't be as bad as my previous shot in that area - long story.

They asked me if I wanted to hold him, but I said I'd rather have him when the stitching was done and I was able to fully concentrate on him. Hubs watched him through the whole process, he got a 9 on his Apgars, they wrapped him up and handed him to Grandma (my mom) while hubs made some calls. Whee!

He was about the cutest thing ever.

the burrito, day one

look at the hair!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Food. Finally.

I made something today! Granted, I've been making things for a little while now, but they're all old and tired. And some are from a box.

But today, I made...something new! From scratch! I found some apples at Weaver's Orchard which I had not tried before, and I was tired of the regular old Granny Smith. However, don't remember what they were called, so all you get is "green not granny smith apples," internets. Sorry.

I'd been craving baked goods lately, and the only apple recipe in my arsenal for which I had all ingredients was this one. There was an apple crisp from Emeril as well, which I may make with the remaining two apples. I got four altogether.

It's in the oven right now, so I'll be back later to update you all with how it tastes!

Apple Walnut Bread

found at MyRecipes.com, by Mary Ostyn

Ingredients
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, applesauce and apples. Stir together. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Add walnuts and mix again. Divided mixture between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans. Sprinkle tops of loaves with a little bit of granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan. Serve warm or cooled.