Fun With Friends

While we were back east, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon with dear friends.



We played on the swings





And the slides

We watched the ferry return from Block Island

Our little family (M is tucked in my coat...brrrrr)



Travel With Our Girl (And Our Experience Opting-Out)



M playing with her Irish lamb on the trip home

We just spent a lovely long weekend with my parents and friends. Thanksgiving was our first plane trip, and I was a little nervous about taking two flights each way with a baby. When M was 3 months old, I attempted a trip back east, but she was colicky. At that time, we waited to board the plane for two hours while it was delayed. And she screamed. For 2 hours. I gave up and went back home.

This was our second attempt at 8 months, and it was much smoother. Miss M coasted through security, happy as a clam. Daddy was the one who had trouble. We had read about the back-scatter machines and decided to opt-out. Despite claims in the press that the radiation was equal to about 10 minutes on the airplane, a letter from scientists at UCSF had me concerned that even the small amount of radiation on the skin would be a risk to all of us. And we didn't object to the enhanced pat-downs. B agreed with the concerns and decided to opt-out with me. While we were waiting in the security line at our home airport, we kept our eyes peeled for those new devices, and sure enough, there was the bulky machine with illustrations of the appropriate posture on the outside.

M and I were only sent through the metal detector, but B was pegged for the special screening. I waited and watched while B talked with the TSA agent and was sent to a designated area. Another agent donned fresh gloves and proceded to pat-down my hubby. No big deal. Definitely thorough, but it appeared friendly. It was clear that B was the only passenger 'opting-out,' and we were getting a lot of funny looks. Thinking to myself that we all must be sheep if this is the first guy to refuse the radiation, I was proud of B for making an informed choice.

After we were given the all-clear, we gathered our things and assessed the situation. Apparently, when B told the agent he was opting-out, the security guy clarified that it wasn't the x-ray machine he was being asked to stand in. Assuming the agent was just poo-pooing his concerns, B quickly retorted, "No. I'm opting out." As I observed, he went through the pat-down, and B said the second agent was clearly uncomfortable about touching my husband in his special places. B tried to joke about the gloves making him nervous (a la cavity search), but it didn't bother him as much as the poor TSA agent. After all that hoopla, we realized....it was the trace explosives detector. No radiation. A puff of air. Oops. I'm pretty sure we were the subject of a few funny stories over turkey that night. We didn't see a single back-scatter machine the entire trip. What a bunch of fuss over nothing.

M was great. She nursed on take-off and landing to prevent any ear aches from the pressure change, and it worked like a charm. I've read that any kind of sucking on a bottle or pacifier works, too. Nursing is what was easiest for us. She played or napped during each flight and only fussed a little when her diaper was wet. Only one of the 4 planes we took had a changing station in the bathroom, so B sat on the toilet lid and changed her on his lap. Not ideal, but it worked. Thankfully, there were no poopy diapers in-flight. (Before children, I once watched a woman change a very stinky, poopy diaper on the airplane seat. No blanket or any kind of barrier. Gross!!!)

When she's older and not guaranteed to nurse every time she's presented with a boob, we're going to invest in some EarPlanes. They come in children's and adult sizes. My cousins used these for years, and I even used adult ones when flying with a sinus infection. They work wonders!

This is my kind of flash mob

Breastfeeding Challenges- Recurring Mastitis



M having a snack



For some nursing pairs, breastfeeding comes easily and has few challenges. For M and me, it's been a bit more difficult. While the benefits still far outweigh those challenges, some days I just want to give up. But that time is fleeting. There are so many great reasons to continue to breastfeed that I just look for solutions to our struggles.

I have had mastitis 4 or 5 times in the eight months since M's birth. I've lost count. Each experience has been different. Sometimes, it's accompanied with a very high fever and delerium, sometimes not much worse than a cold and some soreness. My most recent bout of mastitis started yesterday morning around 4 when I noticed that it hurt while M was nursing. At 4 a.m., that didn't matter too much. We went right back to sleep. By the time we woke for the day, it hurt an awful lot, I was swollen and red, and I knew it was mastitis. Some resources recommend homeopathic treatments as the first course of action when symptoms occur, but since my case is recurring, I go straight to the doc. (I don't want it to become an abscess.)

One of our awesome La Leche League (LLL) leaders sent me a ton  of information on mastitis, potential causes, and repeat infections. Most or all of the information is available on KellyMom and on the LLL site. Some things that may be causing my troubles are the following:

1. Failure to fully recover from a previous case of mastitis
2. Anemia (I've been anemic my whole adult life, but with no menstruation I'm not sure if it's an issue currently.)
3. Sore and cracked nipples
4. Use of a nipple shield (She was off the shield until she got teeth recently. Now, she's back on because it dulls the impact of the bite.Ouch!)
5. Sleeping position- I sleep on my right side most of the night, snuggled up to M

I'm treating this current case with allopathic and homeopathic remedies. So far, this is what I've tried:

A. I'm on day two of a 10-day course of antibiotics
B. Hot compresses on the clogged duct- I use a sock filled with rice and warmed in the microwave
C. Fresh cabbage leaves applied directly to the breast to draw out infection (It sounds wacky, but even the doc at the walk-in clinic suggested this approach)
D. Ibuprofen- OTC dose whenever I have a fever- So far, 6 doses in 36 hours
E. Tablespoon of soy lecithin- I mix it in with applesauce or oatmeal
F. Lots of vitamin C- I've been drinking EmergenC
G. Most important- Nursing frequently on the infected side with M's chin in the direction of the clogged duct

Usually, that all works, but I'm still feeling pretty crummy and having difficulty clearing out the clogged duct. This evening (Sunday), I called my family doctor to make an appointment for tomorrow morning. I'm hoping I'm better by then, but just in case, I want to nip this in the bud.

Update

I never was able to get into my doctor's office. When I called for an appointment, the nurse called back saying to use a hot compress and take tylenol. :/ I don't think she gave the doctor all of the information I shared, but ultimately it worked out fine. It took the full course of antibiotics to get rid of the infection. And despite taking a probiotic and eating plenty of greek yogurt, I now have thrush. More on treating thrush later...

Noisemaker

Affordable Cat Maintenance



Johann and Wolfgang



In addition to Miss M, we have 3 furry kids: Wolfgang, Johann, and Duke. They're two big fat cats and a huge puppy. I adopted the kitties 6 years ago, when they were rowdy kittens. In six years, those poor cats have moved 3 times, got an annoying big brother (Duke), and now have a very curious 8-month-old who has discovered how to pull fur out by the fistfull.

Although they put up with all of this change without much fuss, we did develop a litter box problem. Their restroom was relegated to the basement last January, in preparation for the new babe. Ventilation is poor down there, and while I was pregnant, B was in charge of the litter changes. (Risk of toxoplasmosis.) B, ever interested in minimizing the workload and shrinking the budget, cut some corners that led to an odor problem. Then a marking problem. Now, they regularly poop outside the box. I can't begin to express how this grosses me out.

Last night, I got into my hazmat gear (read: grungy pajama bottoms and handkerchief over my face) and reclaimed my role as germ eliminator. While B was in charge of things, I let him make the decisions about what to buy, how frequently to clean, etc. But I think I have a cheaper and more effective method.

First, we were getting a 40 lb container of clumping cat litter at the local wholesale club for about $21. It's dusty, has a perfume odor, and after the cats use it, leaves an ammonia smell behind. Ick! When the fluff balls were kittens, I used Feline Pine, but that was before all of the other expenses associated with home ownership, having a child, and only one income. I did some digging and found something that looks and smells a lot like the Feline Pine: Equine Fresh. I don't know how similar the products are in reality, but I wouldn't know the difference if it weren't for the label. Here's the great news: Equine Fresh is $5 for a 40 lb bag at the local Tractor Supply! Woo-hoo!

After doing a massive clean-up downstairs, I filled the litter box with some of the pellets. I also bought a second litter box and placed it across the room and filled it with the new litter. So far, the basement is back to smelling like basement and a little like woodshop. Not great, but a vast improvement over the ammonia odor. However, I did get the daily poop gift just outside the box. I'm hoping it's just that one of the cats got used to the space and will learn to go back to the box. (B was not diligent about keeping things clean, and the poop surprises started as the result of unclean litter.)

If you have tips to help, I'd appreciate it!

This appeals to the nerd in me: Good Radiation (public radio rap)