tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58790450927107857062024-03-12T19:27:56.635-07:00More like a firehose than a faucetBreastfeeding when you have too much of a good thing.Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-56186531482315823082014-04-22T09:15:00.001-07:002014-04-22T09:15:03.155-07:00New (to me) information<p>Even though I have had overabundant supply for a long time, I still check any resources I come across about breastfeeding and postpartum to check and see if I might learn something new, and <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/06/something-new.html" target="_blank">have been rewarded for this habit</a>. So when I pulled out a book on herbal treatments for women’s health, I flipped through to see if there was any information I hadn’t seen.</p> <p>Apparently, parsley (ingested) can decrease milk supply. I had no idea. Sage can as well, which I<em> had</em> heard, but there’s really only so much sage one can eat, right? Parsley is a bit easier to sneak into daily meals, though. The woman who had originally had an issue with milk supply because of eating parsley had been working on eating lots of leafy greens, so I imagine she was working it into salads and maybe putting it on sandwiches. There are also recipes for parsley soup, and</p> <p>There was no recommendation for how much to use, and <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html" target="_blank">I would of course recommend talking it over with a healthcare practitioner</a>, but it might be something to try to cut back a bit on overabundant supply. Starting small and slowly working more in – if needed – seems like a good approach. </p> Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-82080674609273031712014-02-19T09:45:00.001-08:002014-02-19T09:45:45.086-08:00Five Favorites – Pregnancy Fitness Edition<p align="center"><img alt="Five Favorites, hosted at MoxieWife.com" src="http://moxiewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/five-favorites-moxie-wife-1.jpg" width="425" height="282"></p> <p align="center">Pregnancy fitness on a breastfeeding blog? Fitness in pregnancy can shorten recovery time and help our bodies to prepare for the rigors of life with a baby on the outside, so pregnancy fitness is a great preparation for a good start in breastfeeding.</p> <p align="center">I really enjoy things like walking and getting out into nature, and I have a recumbent tricycle that I use during pregnancy, too. However, with winter and rain here for a while, I’ve mostly been doing my exercise in the warm and dry interior of my own home.</p> <blockquote> <p align="center">In addition to the things below, there’s a third trimester fitness thing that I love: getting in the pool. The buoyancy is a thing of beauty when dealing with the pregnant belly, and movement in the water is so much easier.</p></blockquote> <p align="center">1.</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ArOlBBkDL._SY300_.jpg"></p> <p align="center">I really like this one – it’s a great workout. It’s tough but do-able, at least for me, and I feel like it hits the whole body. I love, love, LOVE the stretching portion. She seems to find the best stretches, even for the growing bellies. If I do other workouts, I’ll sometimes ditch their stretching portions and do this one.</p> <p align="center">2.</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ct0FkoE1L._SY300_.jpg"></p> <p align="center">This one is a close second. I find it slightly less tough than the first one, but it definitely works things out. The whole body gets covered, and she has you do kegel exercises during the workout – a good reminder for me. The setting is a bit dark and weird, but that doesn’t affect the workout, really.</p> <p align="center">3.</p> <p> <img alt="Product Details" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OTNXlEZZL._AA160_.jpg"></p> <p>The Perfect Pregnancy Workout, Volume 3: The Ancient Art of Belly Dance for Labor</p> <p align="center">I approached this one with skepticism. In fact, looking back, I’m actually surprised that I bought it. I’m so glad I did, though, because if my back started hurting in the third trimester and I did this video, the pain went away. I’m not promising similar results for everyone, but I was SOLD! This was a workout for after the kids were in bed and when my husband wouldn’t accidentally happen into the room, though, because I felt EXTREMELY self-conscious doing it. Belly dance apparently developed originally for labor preparation, but it has other connotations as well, and I was not interested in observation for this particular workout.</p> <p align="center">4.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B001F12ISU/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M40UldB1L._SY300_.jpg"></a> <p align="center">I used this one for days when I wanted cardio but not lots of bells and whistles, days when I had 20 minutes for a quick workout, days when I wanted to do cardio combined with some of the Pilates in number 5 for a shorter or just different workout, or days when I felt too tired to do workouts 1 and 2, but wanted a little something to warm me up and get me moving. There’s a warmup and five different miles to choose from, including a quick 12-minute mile (which means that warmup, workout, and cool down take about 20 minutes total), so it makes for an easy way to customize a workout that fits the situation for the day. As a bonus, it’s so funny to see one’s toddler try to workout along with Lesley.</p> <p align="center">5.</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EG37v8K%2BL._SY300_.jpg"></p> <p align="center">This DVD include 5 different 10-minute segments that focus on different areas of the body with Pilates exercises. I found that this provided a good mixer for days that I wasn’t quite up to 1 and 2 but wanted something. One day in early second trimester I managed to pull something in my back while doing the abdominal segment, so I don’t do that one any more, since back injury during pregnancy sounds like something I want to avoid. But I do enjoy the other segments a lot. BONUS: You can select which segments you want to do in which order, and the DVD will play them for you, so you don’t have to return to the menu in between to decide. </p> <p>For other favorites, join <a href="http://moxiewife.com/2014/02/five-favorites-at-fountains-of-home/.html" target="_blank">Hallie’s</a> usual crew at <a href="http://fountainsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/02/five-favourites-five-favourite-ways-to.html" target="_blank">Fountains of Home</a>. </p> Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-8636051667470464422014-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:002014-02-22T21:01:37.746-08:00Exercise for the overabundant – or for the plugged duct/mastitis suffererIf my experience is any guide, probably those who have overabundant milk supply also get more plugged ducts and mastitis than other nursing moms. And it seems true that women who get plugged ducts are more prone to get them again, sad to say. <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ai8RAlzBHms/Uv2HbUbYxYI/AAAAAAAAFo0/Yhr5vJuDoCA/s1600-h/IMG_7406%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7406" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4FivKLE3icc/Uv2HcM9iKeI/AAAAAAAAFo4/rxEcXQ7NbgI/IMG_7406_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="431" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline;" title="IMG_7406" width="644" /></a> <br />
It’s also true that exercise is excellent for human beings – our bodies are made to move, and we get many benefits from moving them. The thing we must be careful of, if we’re prone to plugged ducts and mastitis, is overdoing it. Nursing women can overdo things with astonishingly ease and swiftness. I think we forget to take into account the fact that producing milk and caring for a baby 24 hours a day takes huge amounts of energy – huge amounts! So we sign up for more activities than we can actually handle in a day and then we pay the price.<br />
Our culture, unfortunately, suffers under the impression that once pregnancy ends and the baby’s safely out, the hard part ends, too. We take all kinds of care of pregnant women and then expect new moms to be back on their A game within days of the birth of the baby. This means that new moms feel the pressure to get to pre-baby fitness levels quickly once the baby arrives. My first piece of advice for moms who want to exercise: DO NOT BE IN A BIG HURRY. <br />
I recently read someone who recommended taking the “9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off” approach. This especially applies to moms who get plugged ducts or mastitis, because over exercising is a very easy way to start a plug. We’re not in need of easy ways to start plugs! Incidentally, those who have low milk supply should also approach exercise with caution, because over exercise can take the energy our bodies should use to make milk. <br />
That said, exercise increases endurance, which means that, as our bodies grow accustomed to exercise, we’re able to handle more of what life throws at us. This endurance helps moms – any moms – because life often throws lots of things at us! The answer, in my opinion, lies in taking things slowly, working our way into an exercise program that gets results without overtiring us, and paying scrupulous attention to what our bodies tell us. <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dmWmSrnqq0A/Uv2Hcx0iWbI/AAAAAAAAFo8/N0Ldo5cEoLY/s1600-h/IMG_7501%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7501" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rkguetpOVWA/Uv2HdqUFdMI/AAAAAAAAFpM/aIjXSFqHI0I/IMG_7501_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="431" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline;" title="IMG_7501" width="644" /></a> <br />
Personally, I don’t do much at all for the first 6 weeks after birth. I don’t mean I don’t do much exercise, I mean I don’t do much <em>at all</em>. I mean I spend most of my time in my pajamas in order to signal to myself and others that I am not up to speed. I take daily naps, I lie down on the couch, I sit and nurse the baby whenever necessary – which, of course, is a lot! I rely on meals that others bring me, or that family members make, or that I stored in the freezer before the baby made his or her debut on the outside. (Goodness knows it’s much easier to cook then, even with an 8-months-pregnant belly, than it is once the baby is born!) <br />
I also don’t do a lot of formal exercise for a few months after the baby’s birth. Once I’m feeling up to it, I’ll walk or garden, but I don’t go in for the more formal workouts for a while. Mastitis is far too big a price to pay for a vigorous workout. With 4 kids, too, I have the experience behind me to know that after a few months postpartum, there will come a time when the pounds will melt off more quickly and exercise will seem right and good – although not necessarily easy. <br />
For some reason, it took me until my fourth pregnancy to realize that I should really focus on fitness <em>during </em>pregnancy in order to help with recovery afterwards. Now that I’ve figured that out, I don’t know why it took me so long – slow learner? But I exercised religiously during my fourth pregnancy, and it made a huge difference in my recovery. I still didn’t start formal exercise until many months postpartum, but my recovery happened more quickly and I got fewer plugged ducts.<br />
This pregnancy (number 5 is on the way!) I managed to remember this hard-earned knowledge and have been exercising in order to gain and maintain a good level of fitness because I know it will help once the baby’s here. <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hGNel3FMViI/Uv2HfrBnvgI/AAAAAAAAFpU/0z004t0rpEY/s1600-h/IMG_7527%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7527" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uEuuEROV8d8/Uv2Hhm6TwpI/AAAAAAAAFpc/eEeAwmHVPqs/IMG_7527_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="431" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline;" title="IMG_7527" width="644" /></a> <br />
In short, my points of advice on exercise:<br />
-- Rest postpartum. Recovery takes time, and exercising too soon after birth doesn’t gain us much if it means we get plugged ducts. <br />
-- Start slowly when you start. <br />
-- Pay attention to how your body feels before, during, and after your workout. See if patterns develop, like getting a plug the day after – or even two days after – a harder workout. <br />
-- Remember to eat enough and drink enough to take care of your body’s needs. Start with the goal of strength and fitness, not the goal of getting skinny at any cost – the cost will be too high.<br />
-- Exercise during pregnancy to help with recovery from birth and to give yourself a good baseline of fitness to return to once the baby arrives.<br />
-- Comparisons are odious. Do what works well for <em>you, your body, your baby, your family. </em>Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-25203817582125430502014-02-12T08:24:00.001-08:002015-07-30T19:21:00.383-07:005 Favorites – Breastfeeding Gear Edition<div align="center">
<img alt="Five Favorites, hosted at MoxieWife.com" src="http://moxiewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/five-favorites-moxie-wife-1.jpg" height="282" width="425" /></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.mymilkies.com/milksaver" target="_blank">Milk Savers</a></div>
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<a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-awesome-tool.html">I wrote about this little baby already</a>. But it’s so awesome it deserves another mention. If one has double let-down, this thing saves laundry AND milk. SO helpful. And given to my by someone who selflessly thought of me when she saw it – she has low supply issues when breastfeeding, but she thought of me and sent it when my fourth was a couple weeks old. Friends are the best!<br />
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2. <a href="http://athleta.gap.com/" target="_blank">Athleta</a> Shelf Bra Tank</div>
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I can’t seem to find the exact ones I have on the website, but they are completely indispensible, as far as I’m concerned. I have some serious issues with the usual supportive undergarments worn by breastfeeding moms – and I don’t mean I want to burn them. I mean that any time I wear even so much as a sleep bra, I end up with a plugged duct, especially in the first 18 months of nursing a baby. One day I went to the Athleta store and tried on every single one of their shelf-bra-type tanks, barring the ones that I could tell would be too tight without even taking them off the hangers. I found one that works, and got it in several colors. Now I wish I’d gotten more, because they’re not making just that one any more, so I’m going to have to repeat my odyssey. But it is worth it. Nursing is easy with these, too, because they’re stretchy, so one just pulls down the top. Plus, Athleta has some super-cute skorts. (Not a must for breastfeeding, but handy for an active mom!)<br />
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3. Evening Primrose Oil</div>
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<a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/06/something-new.html" target="_blank">This stuff is like magic!</a> When my fourth was 18 months, I was still getting 1-2 plugged ducts per month, and they were laying me up for a day or two each so that I wouldn’t get mastitis. I was afraid to exercise because I didn’t want to wear myself out and get a plugged duct. <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/" target="_blank">Dr. Jack Newman</a>, a breastfeeding expert from Canada, had a short paragraph on the fact that EPO might be helpful for preventing plugs and mastitis, so I gave it a try. NO PLUGGED DUCTS SINCE! That was in May, I believe. And I had a crazy-active summer, and started working out 5 days a week. EPO is a daily supplement for me now!<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/" target="_blank">Dr. Jack Newman</a>, breastfeeding expert from Canada</div>
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I already have a <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/fangirl-post-dr-jack-newman.html" target="_blank">fangirl post about Dr. Newman</a>. (So he's not technically gear, but he's definitely a breastfeeding favorite.) He’s been helping breastfeeding moms and babies for a long time, and he’s good at it. His recipe for all-purpose nipple ointment is what healed my cracked nipple that had been cracked for 3 months. If that wasn’t enough to make me a fan, Favorite #3 cinched the deal.</div>
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5. Cabbage</div>
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Cabbage apparently doesn’t work for everyone. This does not surprise me – we are all so different, different bodies do different things. But for me, cabbage (topically applied, by which I mean, I put a leaf directly on the areas that are having problems) helps stave off engorgement when my milk first comes in. And then, it helps stave off engorgement for the (sometimes) longer times between nursing that happen at night. With my last two nurslings, I put a cabbage leaf in each side of my nursing nightwear every night for the first 6 months, maybe more. It helped. Of course, cabbage is for the person who has more than enough milk. Those who don’t have enough should stay away from cabbage, topically applied.</div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-67937032110804042762013-07-13T18:43:00.001-07:002013-07-13T18:43:49.166-07:00Update on evening primrose oil<p>I’m pretty excited about the <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/06/something-new.html" target="_blank">evening primrose oil</a>! I’ve been taking it for about 6 weeks, and haven’t had a serious plug since, and only one mild one that required a small amount of attention and about 4 hours of rest. This is completely different than the past 6 months (and maybe more, but I can’t seem to remember back that far), when I had at least one and usually 2 serious plugs a month, sometimes requiring more than one day in bed. </p> <p>This is a huge victory! <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cKGI7oN2kZI/UeICOp2Q29I/AAAAAAAAE4w/-3oeUmuZT8c/s1600-h/DSCN3733%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3733" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" border="0" alt="DSCN3733" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-z53FUQTiox4/UeICPyITd5I/AAAAAAAAE44/c5Q17IG1Hvg/DSCN3733_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="644" height="484"></a></p> <p>I can’t promise that this stuff will help everyone, and I’m still doing daily maintenance things, like clearing the usual suspects in the shower and not eating too much sugar and dairy, but it’s definitely worth a try for plug sufferers!<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8XnVdEFKgoM/UeICQxT5lRI/AAAAAAAAE5A/U9aG5XOSsts/s1600-h/IMG_6057%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6057" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_6057" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jB90-l79hk0/UeICRVcP96I/AAAAAAAAE5I/Tai3cB1DYfk/IMG_6057_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="324" height="484"></a></p> <p>During the past 6 weeks, too, I’ve taken a long road trip involving lots of driving and not as much downtime as usual, as well as lots of outdoor activity and unusual hours (late nights, early mornings). Since returning from that trip, I’ve been hiking, gardening, walking, and generally throwing myself into great summer activities. I’ve also been working through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373765891&sr=8-1&keywords=jillian+michaels+30+day+shred" target="_blank">Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred video</a>, doing a workout about 5 days per week. So I haven’t been sitting idle in an attempt to avoid plugged ducts – I’ve been giving this oil a good tryout, and it’s working well! <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-quMhQN6KvsE/UeICSAVf2CI/AAAAAAAAE5Q/a0xrGOFb7aw/s1600-h/IMG_6131%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6131" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_6131" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nvKVKZawdKU/UeICS4AYlAI/AAAAAAAAE5Y/hfG3kxZmG38/IMG_6131_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="324" height="484"></a></p> <p>I can’t tell you how exciting this is for me! The exercise component is so key, because the stronger I am, the less likely it is that extra exertion will push me over the edge to a plug, and I’d been struggling with working the exercise in, trying to get stronger without working too hard and plugging a duct as a result of trying to get stronger to avoid ducts. Now I’m really starting to feel strong and fit, and feeling like I’ve got a good start on staying that way. </p> <p><a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html" target="_blank">I’m not a physician</a>, so I’ll just suggest finding out if evening primrose oil is okay for you and then giving it a try? And then let me know how it works for you! <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-iyCnpOzGz-g/UeICT6qsAcI/AAAAAAAAE5g/SV9MVUiXxug/s1600-h/IMG_6147%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6147" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" border="0" alt="IMG_6147" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zNV-urdOyo8/UeICU6o8QjI/AAAAAAAAE5o/FtL6usGuqws/IMG_6147_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="644" height="431"></a></p> Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-22081659924426139242013-06-20T16:26:00.001-07:002013-06-20T16:27:57.135-07:00Something newI make it a practice to scan breastfeeding books every so often for new information on overabundant supply, plugged ducts, or mastitis. Usually there’s not a lot of new information, but small helps here and there are worth finding, so I still do it.<br />
Recently, while scanning one of <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=drjack" target="_blank">Dr. Jack Newman’s</a> breastfeeding books <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/fangirl-post-dr-jack-newman.html" target="_blank">(I love that guy!)</a>, I came across a short paragraph on Evening Primrose Oil. Basically, he’d heard that it helps protect against plugs, he’d tried it on a few people, he had no studies, but the anecdotal evidence looks good so far, so he thought he’d mention it. <br />
Evening primrose oil is easy to obtain at a grocery store, so I got some that day and started using it. Since then, I’ve had one small plug that had me resting for about half of a day, and nothing else. I’m excited about this because I’ve been having two or three a month since February – or was it March? In any case, the incidence of plugs has dropped dramatically, and that was with a road trip to Yellowstone that included late nights, early mornings, and some missed naps (on my part!). I plan on continuing to take it, and will start recommending it to others based on my anecdotal evidence. Of course, <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html" target="_blank">we all know that I’m not a medical professional</a>, so check up on this yourself to make sure it’s safe for you. <br />
As a bonus, it has helped my nursling, who sometimes suffers from constipation. TMI, perhaps? I guess I figure that if we’re talking about all the stuff we talk about here, I can just go ahead and say that evening primrose oil is supposed to help with constipation, too, and whatever it is that helps passes through the milk enough that Tess is benefitting from it. <br />
I love that Dr. Newman mentioned it as a possibility, because if he’d waited until there were large-scale studies, it probably wouldn’t be helping me now. Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-4661873754118847582013-05-28T17:26:00.001-07:002013-06-20T16:28:33.075-07:00Breastfeeding reads: Nursing Your BabyWell, that sounds like a fairly straightforward breastfeeding book, right? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nursing-Your-Baby-Karen-Pryor/dp/006056069X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369786497&sr=1-1&keywords=nursing+your+baby+by+karen+pryor" target="_blank">Nursing Your Baby, by Karen Pryor and Gale Pryor</a> was one I really liked. And continue to like. It doesn’t have a ton of help for overactive letdown or overabundant supply (although they’re mentioned), but it has a lot of other important information.<br />
<img align="left" height="184" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jZR9tWuFL.jpg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" width="123" />The first segment of the book is about how breastfeeding works, and covers both science and history. It’s fascinating – at least, I found it fascinating. There was a ton of research covered, too, including all about antibodies and breastmilk, how the breast works, and on and on. <br />
The second half of the book covers the art of breastfeeding, and has lots of helpful information. Reading this section helped my sister figure out that her son had a short frenulum. There’s a chapter about preparation before the baby’s birth, a chapter about getting started, about one to six weeks, and then a chapter called “The Reward Period Begins.” This was something of a revelation to me, as I read this book before my first baby was born: prepare to have the first six weeks be tough! The breastfeeding classes all seemed to indicate that, if you were doing it right, there wouldn’t be pain or bother once you got started. What a myth! Planning for six weeks – at least – of a steep learning curve is a good idea. There are also chapters on working mothers and nursing older babies. <br />
I recommend this book – it’s got loads of great information on breastfeeding. The paperback edition is also about the size of a largish novel, which means that it’s easy to hold while breastfeeding, which – let’s face it – is when nursing moms get most of their reading time. Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-35377033046900782942013-05-25T14:51:00.000-07:002013-05-25T14:51:17.010-07:00Fangirl post: Dr. Jack NewmanOkay, so technically I guess a fangirl is an obsessed fan of an actor or character, not a breastfeeding doctor. But I have to say that, while not obsessed with <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=drjack" target="_blank">Dr. Newman</a> in that particular way, I do <em>love</em> his breastfeeding information. <br />
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It all began with my first baby, Hannah, the baby who introduced me to breastfeeding difficulties in a big way. I developed a nipple crack, and spent three MONTHS trying to get it treated. Nobody, but NOBODY knew what to do with me. I would sweat when I even thought about nursing, it was so painful. Of course, I couldn't wean, thank God, because Hannah wouldn't take anything that even thought about being a fake nipple -- I managed to get her to take a nipple shield a couple times, but that's as close as we could get to it. So I spent three months sweating, crying, and trying to figure out how to deal with a cracked nipple.<br />
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Then a friend of my sister's pointed me to Dr. Jack Newman's recommendation for <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-APNO" target="_blank">All-Purpose Nipple Ointment</a>. I could not convince my OB or my usual PCP to prescribe it for me -- "You don't need that. Have you tried tea bags?" Dude, I have an open wound on my nipple. We're WAY beyond tea bags here. I took a recommendation from another friend about a family practitioner in our area who saw me (and commented that it was the worst nipple crack she'd ever seen -- sometimes I really don't want to be the one who inspires superlatives) and heard my history and decided it was worth a try. (Needless to say, I switched over to her, and she's been our family doctor for nearly 10 years now.) <br />
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People. I am glad that I didn't meet Dr. Newman right then, because I would have embarrassed everyone in the room with my protestations of love and never-ending devotion and lifetime supply of homemade cookies in gratitude for his unwitting help. In less than a week -- <em>less than a week!!!!</em> -- that crack healed, never to return again. Although I do still have a scar. <br />
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So, he won my undying devotion at the beginning. Since then, I've explored a bunch of his materials, and I can't say enough about the great stuff he's got going on. He posts <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=videos" target="_blank">videos of babies nursing</a> correctly and improperly so that we can look and compare and see the difference. He says things that make sense, like, <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=vid-reallygood" target="_blank">"The whole notion of feeding a baby by the clock makes no sense at all."</a> <br />
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Recently, I read again his recommendations on blocked ducts in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Jack-Newmans-Guide-Breastfeeding/dp/1554683491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369517911&sr=1-1&keywords=dr.+jack+newman%27s+guide+to+breastfeeding" target="_blank">a book</a> of his that I have. He said that some people recommended evening primrose oil for recurrent plugged ducts. He mentioned that he has only anecdotal evidence that it worked with some people, and he doesn't know why it works. But he took the time and energy to mention it despite that. I love that, because we all know that every body is different, and why not mention it so people can try it? <br />
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So...if you're looking for breastfeeding information, try Dr. Jack Newman's books or website. I heart Dr. Jack Newman. :)Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-8207214912168200592013-05-13T14:46:00.001-07:002015-07-30T19:23:24.828-07:00An Awesome ToolI have great friends, and many of them are breastfeeding or have breastfed in the past. Only one of them has had an oversupply of milk, but the breastfeeding ones have all heard about my challenges. (Some of them were very afraid of breastfeeding because they’d heard my story BEFORE they had actually had kids. I feel somewhat guilty about that, but it did mean that they got help with breastfeeding way earlier than others might!) <br />
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When I had baby #4, I got a call from one of my breastfeeding friends, who told me she was sending me something from Amazon. I looked it up: <a href="http://www.mymilkies.com/milksaver" target="_blank">a Milk Saver from Milkies</a>. I was intrigued, because one of the most annoying things about my early lactation is double let-down. I let down on both sides whenever letdown happens, no matter which side the baby nurses on. This leads to my entire outfit being covered in milk, or lots of use of burp cloths (one or two per feeding, at least), and difficulty in nursing anywhere but the comfort of my own home, since I sometimes cover whatever I’m seated in or on – and possibly the baby and other people around me, depending on my burp cloth placement – in milk. Awkward! Later in nursing, around 4-6 months, I can trust the nursing pads to keep things in line. By 9-12 months, dual letdown only happens when I don’t have my daytime breast coverage setup in place. (For normal moms, this might be a nursing bra. For me, it’s usually something that doesn’t exert much pressure, because I’ll get plugged ducts <i>just from wearing a nursing bra</i>.) <br />
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Back to Milk Savers! A Milk Saver is a flattened cup with a hole in the side that catches milk from the breast that the baby isn’t nursing on. It’s designed to fit over a woman’s nipple without compressing or changing the shape of the nipple, and then just catch the flow of milk. It fits right into a bra or tank top, and can hold slightly more than 4 ounces of liquid. It’s made of silicon, so that when it’s full, a mom can gently squeeze it into a spout shape and dump the milk into a freezer bag or other container for storing milk. <br />
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This tool changed my early nursing days dramatically. Two cons: I would forget and lean over while wearing it, which meant that I spilled the captured milk all over myself. And I sometimes wouldn’t get it on correctly – just on one side – and it would leak a bit on me. The first con really just meant that I should remember not to lean over, and the second was easily fixed with a strategically placed burp cloth. I had the burp cloths anyway, and they weren’t getting nearly the amount of use they’d gotten before the Milk Saver showed up. The pros far outweighed the cons with this device. I can’t tell you how much laundry I didn’t do because of this thing! It was so awesome, I couldn’t even begin to do it justice. AND I had a supply of milk in the freezer for the first time ever. <br />
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(I know that sounds strange, coming from someone with abundant milk, but I only pumped when absolutely necessary, because I didn’t want to increase my milk supply in any way, shape, or form that wasn’t completely obligatory.) <br />
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I didn’t constantly smell like old milk from the milk that had leaked on me. I could pack it into my purse and use it when out on the go. Sometimes I’d pack bags for the milk, and sometimes the plants nearby would get a little extra protein boost that day. One feels so much more confident nursing out and about when one is fairly sure that milk isn’t going to make a huge, leaky mess all over. One morning, during my baby’s first daytime feeding, I caught 4 ounces of milk – the Milk Saver was full almost to overflowing. I couldn’t believe how much milk had been running into burp cloths before! I could contemplate milk donation! (I didn’t actually get around to doing it, because I had a newborn and no plans in place, but maybe next time around.) <br />
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Once the baby got older and I didn’t have dual letdown – or, at least, not as much – I packed away the Milk Saver; if I have another baby, it will be one of the first things I dig out of storage. I can’t say enough about how much the Milk Saver helped me in those early months of breastfeeding. I highly recommend this product to anyone who notices dual letdown. (I’m not getting any kickbacks for this post – I’m just letting you know about a very helpful, useful product that changed my breastfeeding for the better.)<br />
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<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-80417326057905231462013-05-12T20:35:00.001-07:002013-05-25T14:21:25.216-07:00In Which I Encourage Moms to Get Help When They Need ItMy first daughter was born to parents who had it all figured out – we’d read the books about parenting styles, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, Baby Sign, the list <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IRpfcHbzM84/UZBfhx8EukI/AAAAAAAAEZg/4PQff-5wFx8/s1600-h/DCP_0001%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="DCP_0001" height="255" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Cz-GVqlKOzI/UZBfiiCcZvI/AAAAAAAAEZo/23owrkm2Bh0/DCP_0001_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="DCP_0001" width="340" /></a>goes on and on. She took very little time to whip us into shape and teach us that we knew absolutely NOTHING about parenting, including, but not limited to parenting styles, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, etc. Baby Sign didn’t matter, because she wasn’t going to sign to us at age 3 days, no matter how much desperation drove us to pray that she would. IF SHE WOULD JUST TELL US WHAT SHE NEEDED! Hannah, the high-needs baby, wanted to nurse. She did NOT want to have a bottle. Ever. Ever. Ever. She wanted to nurse. We began pretty well in the hospital, but began hitting bumps when we got home. I couldn’t figure out how to latch her on really well, because that thing that I’d heard about how it wouldn’t hurt if they were latched on correctly turned out to be not as true as I’d hoped. And engorgement threw me for a loop – I had NO IDEA. I hit a fairly large bump about three days in. I, in my sleep-deprived, middle-of-the-night stupor, let her latch on improperly. I developed a crack in my nipple. It didn’t heal for over three months. Those three months contained pain for me every time my baby nursed. Every single time. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C4YqFSsUPNU/UZBfj8wc4BI/AAAAAAAAEZw/Mhx_I1nt-mw/s1600-h/peaceful_baby%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="peaceful_baby" height="228" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nbSCNxmE4TE/UZBflKGZyiI/AAAAAAAAEZ4/BMVQZkr70pM/peaceful_baby_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="peaceful_baby" width="340" /></a> Finally, I got the help I needed. And I realized that there had been warning signs in those first few days of small bumps in our breastfeeding road. Had I recognized that I didn’t have a clue and needed some serious help, my breastfeeding journey might have been really different. Because of my determination to soldier on and not ask for help, I ended up having about 9 months of major breastfeeding problems. Hannah helpfully encouraged me to continue breastfeeding by not ever taking a bottle with any degree of success at all (until, at 6 months old, she figured that I wouldn’t switch over to pumping full-time if she occasionally took a bottle), but I know in my heart that, had she been willing to take a bottle, I would probably have given up the breastfeeding struggle. I often feel guilty about the friends who saw me during those days, because I’m convinced that I made breastfeeding a far more frightening experience than it needed to be for them. It turns out that most people don’t experience 9 or more months of major complications when they’re breastfeeding, starting with a crack at 3 days and mastitis at one week. When I feel tempted to wallow in guilt about all of that, though, I realize that perhaps I set them up for success by reinforcing the idea that they should get help as soon as possible with any breastfeeding problem. So maybe my pain has helped someone. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SvgSzEVT8_A/UZBfl8h0hjI/AAAAAAAAEaA/Tjza4z6uVAY/s1600-h/playing%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="playing" height="225" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ak4oW2ONFSo/UZBfmpvPEkI/AAAAAAAAEaI/wmOhSm8gSd4/playing_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="playing" width="340" /></a>And I hope it helps others, too. Get the help you need – early and often, if necessary. <a href="http://www.llli.org/">La Leche League</a> is a fantastic resource. There are lactation consultants and all kinds of medical professionals who help women with breastfeeding. <a href="http://www.nbci.ca/">Dr. Jack Newman</a> has a fantastic website with all kinds of helpful information. Feel free to call out other helpful sites that you like, too. Books abound! The trick is, nobody is going to come and demand to help you – they won’t know! You have to be proactive in this. Please, for your own sake and the sake of your baby, ask for help! <br />
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<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-86252764442472271522013-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:002013-06-20T16:30:48.150-07:00My approach for a plugged duct<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThrB5cjkM2f6jWD7dG48ujpN3jeIKWLEmJwnIu73-5VO9XTK2-88siGL6YWw34WESbM9RFv9RqH02vXgomhsKBEomQVAJROBUY-Sq5Kd3mC5RcxJmfeWSP9IQvYO_Tn93vVJmcl3mSWTl/s1600/IMG_7282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThrB5cjkM2f6jWD7dG48ujpN3jeIKWLEmJwnIu73-5VO9XTK2-88siGL6YWw34WESbM9RFv9RqH02vXgomhsKBEomQVAJROBUY-Sq5Kd3mC5RcxJmfeWSP9IQvYO_Tn93vVJmcl3mSWTl/s400/IMG_7282.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sweet baby...it's worth the difficulties, you know?</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I have had my share of plugged ducts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve really lost count, there have been so many, not to mention the ones that I’ve caught before they give me trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I feel a plugged duct coming on, I start in on a fairly rigorous program that may seem like overkill, but I’m not interested in performing experiments:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will this one thing work on its own?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, now I have mastitis!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I go with several things at once, and if it continues to worsen, I up the ante.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">1. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rest</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/rest.html" target="_blank"> </a></span></span></span><a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/rest.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Don’t do what you planned to do today.</span></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the bare minimum to keep yourself and your family going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean feed them and yourself, and make sure everyone’s eliminations are taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t go to the post office, grocery store, dentist, or anywhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t worry about getting dressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You or anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t bathe anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t take a walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t make dinner that means you have to be on your feet for more than a few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t carry anyone besides the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If you have only one child, it’s easier to carry this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presumably you don’t normally carry your spouse.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t do anything extra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t do it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not want mastitis, and the more active you are, the more likely you are to get mastitis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lay low.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. Get away from any type of restriction in the bra area.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t wear bras anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, maybe that’s TMI, but I stick with tank tops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only nursing tanks I’ll wear are the </span><a href="http://www.majamas.com/index.php?option=com_rokgallery&view=detail&id=1685&Itemid=181" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Majamas</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The others are too tight and actually cause plugged ducts for me, just as nursing bras do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ack!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the sleep-type nursing bras are too tight for my sensitive overproducers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have several tank tops that are form-fitting and I use them as my undergarments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They actually help with breastfeeding in public – if I have to pull up my shirt to nurse, I just pull down the top of the tank and my belly remains covered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is good, because I don’t like having my belly visibly for all to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go figure. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. Cabbage.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In the first 6-12 months of breastfeeding a baby, </span>I’ve taken to always having cabbage in the fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t go bad quickly, so it’s not hard to keep in stock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put a leaf of cabbage in my tank top in the area where the plug is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cabbage doesn’t work on everyone, and it works really well on others, so if you choose to use cabbage, you’ll have to experiment with how long and how often and how much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Drink lots of water.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean A LOT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s straightforward enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just drink it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. Cut out sugar.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also cut out dairy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I could probably GIVE myself a plugged duct by eating too much dairy and sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason, I don’t lactate as well when I’m eating them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cutting out sugar would probably benefit anyone with a plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure that dairy affects everyone as much, but it certainly does for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also experiment with different things in your diet that you think are affecting your lactation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. Eat more protein.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one is a big one for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start to get what I tend to think of as a hollow feeling before I have a plugged duct, or during it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel worn thin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I eat protein, I feel much less worn thin, and I notice that I end up with fewer plugged ducts if I start really loading up on protein when I think they’re coming on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7. Vitamin C</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently Vitamin C can help clear up plugged ducts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve heard taking 1 mg every 2 hours, </span><a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">but please check with someone</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> if you have doubts about whether you should take that much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8. Echinacea. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Echinacea can help with fighting nasty microbes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either follow the directions on the bottle or ask a naturopath or herbalist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9. Garlic.</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Garlic fights nasty microbes, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I generally do is take garlic pills, according to the package instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get the unscented kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever gets rid of the scent also gets rid of the microbe-killing stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you’d rather smell like garlic than have mastitis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t have the pills, I always have garlic on hand, so I mince a clove into bitsy bits and then take it with juice so that it’s not as hard to get down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, you’ll smell like garlic, but when you’re attempting to avoid mastitis is not the time to worry about garlic breath.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10. Heat.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put a hot pack on the site, particularly before you’re going to nurse the baby there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, take a hot shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the hot water run over the area.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">11. Try to get rid of the plug manually.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say things like, “Massage the affected area.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that this is a misleading use of the term “massage.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a massage therapist by training, and what I do to get rid of the plug manually doesn’t look like ANYTHING I learned in massage school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve tried the whole “pressure on the sore area” thing, and I’ve found it just doesn’t work for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s never, ever worked to put pressure on the sore area for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might work for some people, and you can certainly try it – I won’t try to stop you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ll tell you what has worked for me remarkably well in a huge percentage of plugged ducts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at the nipple for the plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be tricky, because the plug at the nipple is often in the same quadrant as the sore area, but not always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I start there, but I don’t limit my investigation to that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I do is squeeze the actual nipple to see where milk is flowing freely and where I can see a white spot that might be a place where milk should flow, but is blocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often I’ll find the spot, and I can often get the plug out – sometimes partially, sometimes fully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll tell you, though, partially is a LOT better than nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I try again later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to do this in the shower, because it can be quite messy, and because the hot water can help loosen things up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I find the area that’s plugged, I carefully try to squeeze the plug out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be like toothpaste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gross, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s milk that’s all thickened up and is stuck, so that is what it’s like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can also take a surprising amount of pressure, but not so much that I’m going to bruise the area or crush the workings of the nipple – it’s not worth damage to the rest of the breast to get this plug out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the plug comes all the way out, sometimes there’s a big fountain of milk behind it that comes flowing out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it doesn’t, try again later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been known to take several showers a day when I am trying to clear a plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">12. Vibration.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use a hand massager that has a vibrate feature to loosen up the plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This works best before heat and nursing or manually trying to clear the plug.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>13. Mullein and lobelia</strong> An herbalist told me to make a tea of mullein and lobelia leaves in a 2:1 ratio (steeped for 10 minutes) and drink a quarter cup of it 3 times a day. </span><a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> I'm not an expert</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, so please check with someone about this if you want to do this. You can also use the mixture to make a compress and apply it to the affected area. This stuff is disgusting, really. It tastes horrible. Apparently lobelia is referred to as "pukeweed" among people in the know. If you're likely to throw up easily, this is not the solution for you. I don't throw up easily, but if I did, this would make me do so for SURE. But it also seems to help. Go figure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">**A couple of things that I haven’t tried, but have heard suggested:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>1. Ultrasound.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I don’t know if this works for me because I’ve never tried it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are recommendations about how much to use and you can find those online easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I guess the thing that doesn't work for me about ultrasound is that it seems like a lot of work to line up an appointment and a babysitter for the kids while I have a plugged duct so that I can do the ultrasound. I should give it a try, though -- if it works, I'm sure I'd be willing to put in the effort!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>2. Tangerine oil</strong>. The poster recommended rubbing the oil over the affected are. I'll give it a try next time and let you know how it works. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Eventually they get old enough that they </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">don't cause plugged ducts anymore.</span></em></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">**I haven’t listed a few things that are often listed for plugged ducts, because they don’t seem to work for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll tell you here, because they may work for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lecithin</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lecithin is an emulsifier and I’ve been told that that means it makes your milk less likely to clot up and cause a plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve tried it and haven’t seen a difference, but it may just not work for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Putting pressure on the sore area. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>See “Try to get rid of the plug manually” above.</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"></span>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Position the baby so his chin points to the plug. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, I know that this works wonders for lots of people, so please try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is supposed to get the strongest pull of the baby’s mouth to the position that’s right around the plug, the idea being that this will work the plug free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t had good luck with this personally, maybe because I’m not good at positioning the babies so their chins point in the right spot, or maybe because I have hair-trigger letdown reflex, so the pull from their suck isn’t as strong as it would be if they were having to work really hard to get the milk out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others have a lot of success with this, I’m not saying it doesn’t work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just want you to know that if it doesn’t work for you, you’re not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
<li><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Phytolacca</strong> This is a homeopathic remedy, and many women swear by it. In defense of it, I actually think it did help with my plugged duct. However, I will never use it again, because it also gave me vertigo. I had to spend an entire day in bed (when I had a small baby), holding my head as still as possible, because I couldn't move without the room spinning. It was awful at night, too, because I would forget, and move to get the baby or nurse her, and then the room would spin. As I mentioned above, I'm not one to vomit easily, but I came close to it many times during both episodes. Both episodes? you ask. Yes, the second one, thank God, I didn't take as much as I had the first time, and when the symptoms began, I recognized them and pieced together what must have happened the first time, too. Never again with this. But it might not affect you the same way. </span></o:p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, that's the list! It's long and involved, but if you don't have all the ingredients it calls for, just get started with the rest, heat, and trying to remove the plug manually. Then add others as you can or need. I'd like to hope you're looking at this out of an unusual curiosity about what mothers who have plugged ducts do to get rid of them, but I imagine that's not the case for most readers. I'm sorry if you have a plug. I hope it goes away quickly!</span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">*****Updated!***** June 20</span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's another thing I started doing: <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/06/something-new.html" target="_blank">taking evening primrose oil daily</a>. It may or may not help with an acute plug, but I've found that the daily amount I take has helped keep the incidence of plugs much, much, much lower, which is awesome!</span></o:p>Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-74535482810331922702013-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:002013-05-11T13:48:58.452-07:00Rest! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Here I am, a little over 3 months to my baby's second birthday. (If you're tempted to tell me that she's not a baby any more at this age, just spare your breath; I won't listen to you. She's a baby until and if we have another baby.) Last night I felt the tell-tale lump in my right breast. I emptied it out, and took echinacea and vitamin C, but I must have caught it too late, because I woke up at 4:20 a.m. with a low-grade fever and painful, red breast. Ugh.<br />
<br />
How is it that, this late in my breastfeeding career -- this late in my baby's life -- I'm getting plugged ducts? How is that? Shouldn't it be all smooth sailing at this point? <br />
Regardless of my thoughts or feelings on the matter, here I am, so now what?<br />
<br />
Rest is one of the most important things on the list of <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-approach-for-plugged-duct.html" target="_blank">what to do with plugged ducts and mastitis</a>. This doesn't mean that you do your normal day, putting up your feet briefly after lunch. This means REST. I have been in bed most of the day. I took a nap. I read my book. I read books to my kids. I nursed the baby. I instructed the 9-year-old in what to give her siblings for meals and snacks. I took a shower to work on clearing the duct. It looks like it's clearing, and I need to keep resting until it's run its course, because otherwise it will be back and I might be facing full-blown mastitis. And nobody wants that.<br />
<br />
Rest means that you have to cancel appointments, meetings, playdates, and anything that uses your energy. I spent time on the phone this morning (in bed), calling those with whom I had plans today and telling them it wouldn't work.<br />
<br />
Rest means no housework. I planned to deep-clean the kitchen today, make chili, make granola bars, etc. Nope. The kitchen's a mess because, even though the 9-year-old makes a mean smoothie, she doesn't necessarily clean up after herself. And to be fair, I was pickling asparagus last night, so there's some of that left around, too. <br />
<br />
Rest may mean videos for the older kids, or asking a friend to come over and play with them. <br />
<br />
Rest, for me today, meant calling my husband and asking him to come home in time to take the oldest two to their afternoon activities. It meant sending my kids out to water the garden instead of going with them. It will mean no workout of any kind. Rest means lying in bed while typing a blog post on my Surface. <br />
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I struggle with rest. There's a lot to do in my life, and I'm sure in the lives of all of us who get plugged ducts and mastitis. The stuff to do doesn't disappear -- when the plug is gone and I go back to my usual activities, I'll have to deal with all the stuff that didn't get done today. Weird that rest can be hard. But I've learned, the hard way, that if I don't stop and rest when I have a plugged duct, I'll get stopped to rest by mastitis, which is miserable, and lasts longer. So I rest. <br />
<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-49051418208362361722013-05-02T20:33:00.000-07:002014-02-22T21:01:08.182-08:00Exercise for those prone to plugged ducts and mastitisHow's that for a catchy post title? I know what you're going to say -- keep those hip titles coming!<br />
<br />
All right, exercise really helps with preventing plugged ducts and mastitis, BUT one has to be very, very careful. Here's the thing: the bodies of women prone to plugged ducts and mastitis deal with overwork or stress or any unusual exertion by getting a plug. So exercise has to come slowly into the picture -- very slowly. <br />
<br />
I finally figured out when I was pregnant for my fourth child that if I did lots of great exercise during pregnancy, I'd be in better shape after the baby made her appearance. This revelation was long enough in coming, wasn't it? So I exercised diligently throughout my second and third trimester (the first trimester, I practiced sleeping and feeling nauseated). This made my postpartum time much easier as far as bouncing back physically, and I also noticed that I didn't get the worn thin feeling as easily.<br />
<br />
After a baby comes, I spend at least six weeks recuperating before I do any exercise at all, besides walking around my house. One must approach exercise with caution, particularly if one has either high or low supply. Using up too much of one's reserves for exercise can cause trouble. At one point, I theorized that maybe exercise would decrease my milk supply, since it seems to do so for some people who have low supply. This theory wasn't correct in my case; I just got plugged ducts. <br />
<br />
The bottom line seems to be -- do exercise. Carefully build up your strength, making sure not to overdo things. Once we're strong, it's harder for us to get plugged ducts, because our bodies handle any extra stress and strain better. Start slowly and build up, checking to be sure that you're not overworking your body. If you have a busy day, get a little bit of exercise, but be sure to balance your schedule with your exercise so that your body can handle what you're asking it to do.Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-53057618289261004002013-04-19T15:52:00.003-07:002013-04-19T15:53:19.936-07:00We're not alone!Personally, I have come across very few people, including medical professionals and lactation experts, who know a lot about overproduction, or what to do with it. Non-professionals haven't heare too much about it, either, and it can be a lonely road when you feel as if no one understands what you're experiencing, much less offers help! So when I read this <a href="http://www.internationalbreastfeedingjournal.com/content/2/1/11" target="_blank">article</a>, in the <em>International Breastfeeding Journal,</em> by Caroline<strong> </strong>GA van Veldhuizen-Staas, I felt a sense of relief -- this woman <em>gets it!</em> Even rereading it today, I feel a certain relief at the thought that she understands the things that I struggle with as I breastfeed.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Methods to treat real or perceived low milk supply are well referenced in the literature Overabundant milk supply or hyperlactation on the other hand is not discussed in depth in the literature. There is no consensus on treatment or terminology. However, overabundant milk supply can be as devastating for the continuance of breastfeeding as underproduction.</blockquote>
So I'm not the only one who couldn't find much help for overabundant supply.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The hyperlactating woman will often experience a constant feeling of (over-) fullness, engorgement and tension. She may leak milk in between feedings, or leak copiously from the opposite breast during feedings, and has an increased risk for mastitis. </blockquote>
When I say that she gets it, I mean it. And she understands the baby's problems with the problem, too:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The infant may appear to be a greedy feeder, struggling not to choke or aspirate milk. He or she may often spit up after feedings and/or have reflux-like symptoms, and suffer from intestinal gas, colic and explosive, often green and foamy stools. The baby may show either a very low or a very high weight gain. The baby's struggle to cope with rapid flow may result in restless nursing behaviour, or even aversive behaviour, such as breast refusal or shortened feeds. Fussiness, crying and possible low weight gain can lead the mother to think that her milk is insufficient in quantity and/or quality. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...A common secondary symptom in hyperlactation syndrome is a sub-optimal nursing technique in the infant. This may be the result of the child's attempts to cope with an overabundant milk flow, sometimes slipping from an optimum latch in order to clamp down on the nipple to slow the flow, often traumatizing the mother's nipple in the process. Or the infant may develop a conditioned habit of drinking but passively suckling at a breast that will give milk without any effort by the infant itself. This has the potential to lead to supply problems after 4–6 weeks when supply stimulation patterns transition from primarily hormonal stimulation to feedback inhibition mechanisms. </blockquote>
After many, many months of having to piece together small bits of information here and there about overabundance and its resulting problems, I rejoiced to find an entire article -- scholarly, at that -- that discusses in detail these difficulties.<br />
<br />
She talks about some of the physiological mechanisms that regulate milk production, as well as some of the common treatments, including block feeding, which I've found to be extremely effective in my own attempts to regulate supply. <br />
<br />
She then offers a new technique that she's developed, and describes some case studies that have used the technique.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The treatment sequence starts with an as-complete-as-possible mechanical drainage of both breasts. ...The infant will latch on immediately after drainage and will be offered both "empty" breasts to satisfaction. ...Subsequently the rest of the day is divided into equal time blocks starting with about three hours, initially. Every time the infant shows hunger cues or other signs of interest in the breast the same breast will be offered without any restriction in either frequency or duration of feeds. At the end of such a time block, or after a multi-hour period of sleep, baby will be offered the other breast for all feeds within the next time block. ...Depending on the seriousness of the symptoms time blocks may gradually be increased to 4, 6, 8 or even 12 hours. For less complex situations one-time mechanical drainage will suffice; for others occasional repetition may be necessary. Intervals between drainage will gradually increase as the symptoms lessen. </blockquote>
When I found the article, I was already well into my breastfeeding relationship with my youngest, so I haven't tried this technique. However, if I have more children, I will definitely try this method. I would probably even try it now (my nursling is almost 20 months), except that with other babies, I experienced a huge decrease in the effectiveness of pumping after 12 months -- my breasts just don't react to the pump as they do to the baby after that time.<br />
<br />
I highly encourage you to follow the above link and read the entire article -- it's fascinating and not too technical, and can make overproducing moms feel a bit more understood. <br />
<br />
She concludes her article with this statement:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
More research will need to be done to understand why some women will easily produce much more milk than needed and why for some it is so hard to regulate milk production to meet the needs of their children. </blockquote>
I totally agree. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<em>International Breastfeeding Journal</em> 2007, <strong>2</strong>:11 </blockquote>
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Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-15932566550931421532013-04-16T21:34:00.000-07:002013-05-11T13:56:50.897-07:00How it all began<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKQ4rNTWtiqw7Tya8Fv9bp4OAN0dI51QilzRHZMDefS-r4hdYpZRUCQv83W07nq2n-zsNyxpUwRPzUN-Xc44gq51LTm9j_wkgZk0J_wf_7Fmao6LRpoqR1MSo7foq-Aumgh8jVId1gTfL/s1600/scan0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKQ4rNTWtiqw7Tya8Fv9bp4OAN0dI51QilzRHZMDefS-r4hdYpZRUCQv83W07nq2n-zsNyxpUwRPzUN-Xc44gq51LTm9j_wkgZk0J_wf_7Fmao6LRpoqR1MSo7foq-Aumgh8jVId1gTfL/s320/scan0005.jpg" width="320" /></a>I first learned that I had overabundant milk supply and overactive letdown when I was trying to nurse my first baby. Boy, can first babies be humbling! I learned a lot from Hannah -- and a lot of it was how little I actually knew. </div>
<br />
Breastfeeding classes encouraged me to nurse my baby fully on both sides -- 15 minutes, 10 at the very least. Have her empty both sides. <br />
<br />
Hannah would nurse for 3 minutes or so and be done. I'd encourage her to get back on, and she would scream and tense and scream some more. I felt terrible, as if my baby was going to die of malnutrition because she wasn't getting enough milk. Never mind that she was back up at birthweight by her 3 day checkup and never looked back. I'd been told how much she needed to nurse to get enough. Seeing the scale go up didn't get through to me. I attribute this to lack of sleep and abundance of hormones, besides being entrusted with a new baby. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnPiKCBqLEXCaIQ36A54iBYnOzmXs2dZwYNOziihqMHepUMr5aF77tv11BiF0uQOMv6Pz1uKm1tEPQWC_zxF-QSmKZEWiJyE9vkphXKgLOm507fsZo9ZSAylG2PfWF0fxxqelkxXpgMb4/s1600/scan0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnPiKCBqLEXCaIQ36A54iBYnOzmXs2dZwYNOziihqMHepUMr5aF77tv11BiF0uQOMv6Pz1uKm1tEPQWC_zxF-QSmKZEWiJyE9vkphXKgLOm507fsZo9ZSAylG2PfWF0fxxqelkxXpgMb4/s320/scan0012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>See the Lansinoh in the background? </em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I would spend the first minutes of our nursing time <em>praying</em> that she'd fall asleep before letdown, because if she did, she'd nurse fully and well. If she didn't, she'd pop off and scream. I'd latch her on and anxiously wait to see her eyelashes slowly lowering...<strong>darn</strong>, letdown came too fast. <br />
<br />
By three months old, besides all of the other breastfeeding problems we endured, Hannah had enough. She refused to nurse. She wouldn't take a bottle. She was unconcerned about the idea of malnutrition, she just didn't want to deal with the huge quantities of milk shot at her whenever she ate. So began our 6 months of getting her to sleep and then nursing her. Humbling doesn't begin to describe this experience.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbOgBCfFcKIzRxXC90uGnLMJQVrZD-O6mr60zxjYrNNaef_RAyqnZRUu3krGj3Iot-akjwPr_VaoPJt2wXRzea8sErMR5-Dsv4qSxq52gNMqXgRHIsjwiTVdji_XDXEaBqYILeKKcrYaq/s1600/scan0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbOgBCfFcKIzRxXC90uGnLMJQVrZD-O6mr60zxjYrNNaef_RAyqnZRUu3krGj3Iot-akjwPr_VaoPJt2wXRzea8sErMR5-Dsv4qSxq52gNMqXgRHIsjwiTVdji_XDXEaBqYILeKKcrYaq/s320/scan0013.jpg" width="320" /></a>I can't remember exactly when I learned about overabundant milk supply and overactive letdown, but I do remember the sense of relief -- I finally knew what was happening. Of course, I could find almost no information about it anywhere -- my health care professionals didn't know much, nor did anyone else I approached. There was lots of information about too little milk, but not a lot about too much. It was a lonely, lonely time.<br />
<br />
I have scratched the surface of our nursing problems in those early days. I'll talk about mastitis, <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-approach-for-plugged-duct.html" target="_blank">plugged ducts</a>, enormous cracks in the nipple, and thrush in other posts. Looking back, I think how miraculous it is that I didn't give up. I'd like to share some of my hard-won knowledge about this with others so that we don't all have to reinvent the wheel, and so that others know that <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-to-help-overproduction.html" target="_blank">they're not alone</a> with this difficulty. <br />
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-70114898402952472002013-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:002013-04-16T13:46:05.394-07:00Daily maintenance<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">...for women with high supply or frequent
plugged ducts </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">**I'll have follow-up posts to talk more about the things that need to be more fleshed out here, but this is the general list. Of course, as you read through this, remember the <a href="http://morethanenoughmilk.blogspot.com/2013/04/disclaimers.html">Disclaimers</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0NHjs8aNhDxIlHgItivVtUeohHN_Xl8mpE1PA2AfE6GOSD6hb6v9RN3u5m-7pFLlCOU6aoB0usRs1_Ywt9OgYvEAAjAPZ3PS7SHmUI2h1MUyJyPyYxluLhgrdCgOcK3ZwQXXI7Nyp5wh/s1600/IMG_0588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0NHjs8aNhDxIlHgItivVtUeohHN_Xl8mpE1PA2AfE6GOSD6hb6v9RN3u5m-7pFLlCOU6aoB0usRs1_Ywt9OgYvEAAjAPZ3PS7SHmUI2h1MUyJyPyYxluLhgrdCgOcK3ZwQXXI7Nyp5wh/s400/IMG_0588.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things that I do daily to maintain good lactation:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check for
sore spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use this throughout the
day to make sure that I am not developing a plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bit like a monthly breast exam, only a
more general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use the heel of my
hand and feel around to see if there are sore spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there are, I check again after I’ve nursed
the baby on that side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s still
there, I go into full Plugged Duct Eradication mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (More on that in another post.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Check for plugs in the nipple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This I do in the shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a quick squeeze to be sure that the milk
is running where it should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
become very familiar with many of the outlets on the nipple, especially the
ones that tend to plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had
countless times that I’ve gotten a bit of a plug out in the shower before it
starts trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Drink lots of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nurse the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Utilize cabbage to avoid oversupply issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eat healthily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Avoid eating lots of sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I eat
a small amount occasionally, and some seems to be okay, but if I go overboard,
I pay a high price, so I am careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, I never, ever, ever eat sugar without something to balance
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ice cream is good because there’s a
lot of fat to balance the sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But ice
cream actually doesn’t work for me because dairy also tends to add to plugged
ducts for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So watch your diet and see
if you have foods that trigger plugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMJtO-k9pmQ9ChaPTPUVem-ZaVvI4q7PltGhoWKqOiA8ZRpYV5rEv-xayYXV3nnHY7VpSDy3szUf-2CcVb2dxTwd3-fvC0RMZcNzK2cA8BxJuD5ThNZugMDD_3lG73L8z6tElCJdYXxNu/s1600/IMG_0695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMJtO-k9pmQ9ChaPTPUVem-ZaVvI4q7PltGhoWKqOiA8ZRpYV5rEv-xayYXV3nnHY7VpSDy3szUf-2CcVb2dxTwd3-fvC0RMZcNzK2cA8BxJuD5ThNZugMDD_3lG73L8z6tElCJdYXxNu/s400/IMG_0695.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how I'm in bed? Rest! Don't bother making your bed if you have a new baby -- you need to be IN that bed! And really, if you're a plugged duct kind of person, you may not make your bed for months, even years, depending on how long you nurse.</td></tr>
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</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you are prone to plugged ducts and mastitis, please accept right now that while
you’re breastfeeding, especially in the early months, you will have to have a
much slower pace of life than you used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OR you will have a hectic pace followed by a slower pace that is forced
on you because you have mastitis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is not a fun way to slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Exercise, but in a sane way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And only after your healthcare providers give you the okay. </span>Exercise will definitely help you to build up
your strength and be more able to do activities, but you have to work up
slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t expect to have your baby
and start right back in where you left off, if you were exercising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start off slowly, or you’ll give yourself
plugs or mastitis just by exercising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take vitamin C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And other vitamins as you need to stay healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you feel worn thin, tired, or overstretched,
call a halt and get some rest!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WRf_gh9XLicIaotBEQvEdOfspjlslAFgPEbNnR55m4nUGTnSvrufqR4O0q_JSkUgONeSjsqK_yhIEhA7RL9WoUy1HPm8nL751z5Da_VyFrCKS932bGcJZl1dlCnXnuOgVbSHEOW_5l3j/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WRf_gh9XLicIaotBEQvEdOfspjlslAFgPEbNnR55m4nUGTnSvrufqR4O0q_JSkUgONeSjsqK_yhIEhA7RL9WoUy1HPm8nL751z5Da_VyFrCKS932bGcJZl1dlCnXnuOgVbSHEOW_5l3j/s400/IMG_0769.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like this photo, because although I look tired, I'm sitting, holding the baby. Listen to your body and rest when it's time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-74706770079558722202013-04-15T09:03:00.001-07:002013-04-15T21:39:44.130-07:00The continuing difficulties of chronic plugged ducts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwvJb89eYIIxEkMEp4aJj7d8Et9575sBeOwcmvex0Kfti_ZltPHRzQJdd_YLsus3-Tj8lESYjiE2KZW1A5g7qmEBFQLGAhEbBdWGBw2wO-9FXAIX3GwaMilRcd129_XocAAh8gTlrzEew/s1600/IMG_5680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwvJb89eYIIxEkMEp4aJj7d8Et9575sBeOwcmvex0Kfti_ZltPHRzQJdd_YLsus3-Tj8lESYjiE2KZW1A5g7qmEBFQLGAhEbBdWGBw2wO-9FXAIX3GwaMilRcd129_XocAAh8gTlrzEew/s400/IMG_5680.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have never had the terrible difficulty of low milk supply. I've seen friends struggle with it and have not wanted to change places with them in the least. I don't think this means, though, that the struggles of overabundant supply are insignificant in comparison. The truth is, we all need help and support no matter what our difficulty with breastfeeding is, and although the grass may look greener on the other side of the fence, if we actually go to the other side of the fence, we'll see the weeds, bare spots, and piles of poo that exist in any field.<br />
<br />
One of the surprising difficulties of abundant supply is the fact that, even though I'm nursing a 19-month-old, I still have to be extremely vigilant about plugged ducts. In the last month, I've had two serious ones (one had probably developed into mastitis) that meant that I had to spend a day in bed and several days taking it easy to recover -- no small task with four kids.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8620gZ56Ds2Wymtkxrq1j6AH07ZorGYOxB8LHpp-XmFcAkEO8BJdIJ3TZ9jpNYw_R6tNKFqnAfrrbz43eNkqjaGoa6ps8ntuyJfX5fejrMDSNHUMH74oixc6vxSmVPn-DiDCOh_gbhSv/s1600/IMG_5687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8620gZ56Ds2Wymtkxrq1j6AH07ZorGYOxB8LHpp-XmFcAkEO8BJdIJ3TZ9jpNYw_R6tNKFqnAfrrbz43eNkqjaGoa6ps8ntuyJfX5fejrMDSNHUMH74oixc6vxSmVPn-DiDCOh_gbhSv/s400/IMG_5687.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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This morning, as my 19-month-old struggles with a cough and stuffy nose, she doesn't want to nurse. She's cranky and feels terrible and nursing is harder than usual because of all the mucus, and she doesn't want to put in the effort. Because of my history, I am worrying on many fronts this morning: first, the baby front: will the baby get dehydrated from not nursing? How can I get her to nurse? Maybe she'll drink some water? Is she developing another infection? Then, the nursing front: should I be pumping? How am I going to take care of a sick baby (and three older kids) if I get a plugged duct? <br />
<br />
Over my breastfeeding career, I've figured out tricks for dealing with the difficulties that accompany the abundant supply, and I'll talk about those in another post. My baby and I will work our way through this particular bout of trouble, too. <br />
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I have had to accept, though, that as long as I'm nursing, I will have these challenges -- I remain vigilant at all times.Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-88751327163428219692013-04-13T19:07:00.001-07:002013-04-15T21:38:10.132-07:00DisclaimersI'm not a medical professional. I'm a mother of four who has had almost 10 years of breastfeeding experience. In this blog, I'm planning on telling about things that worked for me, but I'm not planning on prescribing for other people -- these will be ideas for you to consider and use as you and your medical professionals see fit. <br />
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Some things that work for me won't work for others, and some things that have worked for others don't work for me. I can only pass on the knowledge that I've accumulated and hope that it helps someone, but please be wise and consult with a medical professional, because I'm not one. Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879045092710785706.post-1157014750882317142013-04-12T20:36:00.000-07:002013-04-15T21:23:22.270-07:00Why "more like a firehose than a faucet"?<div align="center">
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When I had my first baby, I was clueless about a lot of things. (I'm still clueless about a lot of things, but I've gotten a few clues about some things along the way.) Breastfeeding -- that mysterious, wonderful, rewarding, beautiful, frustrating, hair-raising, tiring, glorious, painful experience -- was one of them. And I happen to be a person who has overabundant milk supply, as well as overactive letdown. Okay, I haven't been officially diagnosed, but I have read the descriptions and nursed 4 babies, and I have an idea about this now. <br />
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I tried to explain the difficulties my baby and I experienced day and night for ages to a man who was not familiar with breastfeeding -- at least, he knew about breastfeeding, but he didn't <em>know</em> about breastfeeding. <br />
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**As an aside, <em>why</em> try to explain my breastfeeding difficulties to someone -- a male acquaintance, no less -- who didn't know anything about breastfeeding? The answer to this question remains lost in the haze that (perhaps blessedly) surrounds postpartum times and tough breastfeeding times.**<br />
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As I described (hopefully in not too much detail, but I don't remember what I said to him -- again, this might be a blessing) the ordeals we faced at each feeding, he had a lightbulb moment, "Oh!" he said, looking pleased, "so it's more like a firehose than a faucet!" <br />
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I owe a debt of gratitude to him for explaining in a short sentence what the heck what was going on. Too bad I can't remember who it was so that I can thank him. <br />
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Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05766599179487237513noreply@blogger.com0