Leah Love

Baby Soap

How-to for Parenting, 5 Comments

Baby Soap

I was looking around for a way to reuse those foaming action bottles I’ve been storing up, the ones the expensive Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial soap comes in.  I found a super inexpensive way to make my own foaming soap!  It has to be foaming; otherwise I can’t be sure if my sweet, dear, husband is getting a proper clean.  (He doesn’t like to work up a lather, say, from a bar).

  • Baby SoapHere is the simplicity of it.  Needed:
  • One foaming pump for reuse
  • Favorite hand safe dish soap (Use liquid Castile soap if you like scentless, or want to add your own later with essential oils).
  • Tap Water
  • Vitamin E liquid capsule broken open (optional)

To Make this, take the pump out of the bottle, pour soap of choice in the bottom of the container, about 1½ inches give or take.  Add water slowly.  If you allow the tap water to agitate the soap and froth you won’t be able to fill it correctly or get a proper froth.  Add the water slowly and screw the pump back on the base.  Swirl the bottle gently until soap and water are mixed.  If you’ve used Castile and want to add scent, drop a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to the mix at this point and re-swirl.

You should combine the soap/water at a ratio of 1:4, but you can tweak it up how you like it.  Do this and you’ll never have to pay full price (about $5 a bottle!) again!

I bring this up here because I use this method to make my hand soap and have used it in my son’s bath.  Which is why I brought up Castile soap before.  Newborns can be suuuuper sensitive to perfumes/chemicals/dyes of store-bought baby washes, Castile soap is the gentle way to wash your baby.  The pump version of the soap is even more gentle than just lathering up straight Castile since the froth is mostly water!

Nursing Bras

Mother's Health, Update, 1 Comment

When my little one was born, I initially used a nursing sleep-bra but soon found that it lacked any meaningful kind of support, so I put it aside.  I then briefly considered laying down $20-50 for one of that heavy duty supportive bras with the fold down nursing panels but… I just didn’t want to.

Nursing Bras

The entire time I’ve been pregnant/nursing I never deviated from my own bras.  They fit before; they fit now.  They might be a little snug right now, but I find that the constriction helps me avoid a lot of nursing related discomfort and keeps my nursing pads from slipping all over.

My normal bra has wide comfy straps, is reinforced and is made mostly of breathable cotton.   Also, I find that I don’t need the fold down panels of a maternity/nursing bra when I can just slide the cup of my existing bra up onto my chest just as easily.  My recommendation, unless you have to buy a new bra, don’t.

However, you might need to buy a new bra if one of the following happens; your breasts begin to spill out of the cups, your breasts feel painfully constricted or there are red strap indentations on your skin when you take off your current bra.

Good Luck!

Extreme Morning Sickness, Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Pregnancy, Update, 3 Comments

I didn’t throw up once while I was pregnant.  Please don’t hate me!  I know how annoying it can be to be feeling the misery of pregnancy and hear something like ‘stretch marks?  Why, no!  Not-a-one!’  It makes me want to put my fist through their stupid white teeth.  On a side note, pregnancy has made me aggressive.

But I was expecting to throw up, a lot.  It’s what pregnant women do apparently.  So I read up on it, I like to be prepared.  But the downside to preparedness is over-preparedness and fixation.  Did you know that it is possible to die of extreme morning sickness?  Don’t freak out, I said ‘EXTREME.’

Hyperemesis gravidarum means ‘excessive vomiting during pregnancy’ it begins early in pregnancy and unlike traditional morning sickness doesn’t dissipate after the 1st trimester.  A list of symptoms follows.

  • Hyperemesis gravidarum (morning sickness)

    Photo Credit: dno1967b via Compfight cc

    Severe nausea with excessive/continual vomiting

  • Inability to eat
  • Inability to keep down fluids, even water.
  • Dehydration characterized by a decrease in urination, dry mouth, lack of tears, etc
  • Weight loss of 5% or greater
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Retinal hemorrhage (dry eye from dehydration)
  • Shivering
  • Headache/Migraine
  • General disorientation
  • Chalky complexion

Treatments could include;

  • Intravenous fluids
  • Tubal feeding
  • Complete bed rest
  • Various medications for the control of various symptoms
  • Alternative treatments such as acupuncture and massage

If you experience some or all of the symptoms of extreme morning sickness, I urge you to seek medical attention.  While hyperemesis is rare, it can be deadly.

On a historical side note, my favorite Brontë, Charlotte is said to have suffered and ultimately died of hyperemesis gravidarum on March 31, 1855 while only four months pregnant.  She was constantly nauseous and completely unable to keep down food and water.

Choosing the Sex of your Baby

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My husband and I are almost ready to add another little one to our family.  We already have a beautiful baby boy, Frumpkin, and we would like to give him a little sister but there’s no way to plan for that, or is there?

Choosing the Sex of your BabySure, if you have $20,000.  That’s what it costs for someone to shoot a laser at your husband’s sperm, scoot the boys over there and the girls over here and then implant the egg.  No guarantees that it’ll work either which means maybe $40,000 or more to get a specific gender.  And even then, still no guarantee!  So, No.  There is not a legitimate 100% fool proof method for conceiving a child of either sex, just a lot of people who think there is.  Here are some interesting testimonials I found online.

“My story is, after five girls I was desperate to have a boy! I consulted with two doctors, and both were of the same opinion: follow the Shettles method and use an alkaline douche. Also, they advised me to come in several days before I ovulated and daily have an ultrasound done to look for the exact time of ovulation, then I was to go home and the rest was up to me (and from God!). My insurance wouldn’t cover for me to go daily for an [ultra sound], so I opted just to buy [over the counter] ovulation kits. When I tested positive on the kit, to wait one additional day as the kit states ovulation occurs usually 36 hours after its positive. So, I did it all, waited the additional …  used a baking soda douche, as well as some advice I had read about severely limiting intake of calcium to have a boy(another story by itself) a month prior to trying. I was so pumped and excited just waiting to have an [ultra sound] to see my son! Then the Dr. said, “GIRL!”

“If I were to go by what all of your ladies are saying I would have a boy. I had ovulated toward the end of my honeymoon (yup, honeymoon baby), so needless to say I had intercourse within the 12 hours of ovulation. Guess what? I had a girl. I think everyone is hoping that there is a method to choose the sex of their baby, but I think it’s just chance. I had wanted a boy, better luck next time, I have a 50/50 chance. Good luck to all I hope you get what you want. : )”

The lady above is probably referring to the Shettles method. Which is have sex in advance of ovulation for a girl, right on ovulation day for a boy. But as another woman writes, it’s no surefire method.

“…  I did what so many other women have done before me.  I have three [Darling Daughters] and my husband and I wanted a boy next so I had sex ON THE DAY I ovulated and I wound up having another DD!  I think that while it’s fun to try this [Shettles] method… it’s still all up to God.”

So, my final thoughts on sex selection via methods like Shettles?  It’s going to be fun to try, but I’m not going to be sorry if we don’t have a girl.

Update:  It’s a GIRL!

3rd Trimester Symptoms

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By the third trimester, I was used to being pregnant… as if you can ever get used to it.  All you can do is realize that although the roller coaster of pregnancy is scary and the attendant doesn’t see you flailing your arms to get off, at the end there will be relief.  Just not yet.  For now there is the third trimester.

pregnant 3rd trimester

Photo Credit: J. Star

My breasts hurt!  I had managed to avoid ever feeling a twinge, until about the 7th  month.  And no matter how many times I gently remind my husband that he can’t randomly ‘Tune in Tokyo’ anymore, it wasn’t until I start screaming that he started paying attention.  If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t gently say it but I wouldn’t wait until I was in tears either.  I’d sit him down and say “don’t-touch-my-boobies!”  Make direct eye contact, it’s an alpha male thing.  He’ll slink away with his tail between his legs.

You’re going to gain weight and you’re going to retain water.  You are going to get puffy and develop cankles.  You are going to get purpley-blue marks all over.  You are going to look like a lopsided peach and be unable to shower yourself properly.  Just accept it.

Did you know that you’re probably having contractions right now?  I didn’t.  Some women at work were noticing me as I was feeling a little winded one day (also more common in 3rd Trimester) and upon finding out that my stomach felt ‘tight’ they nodded to themselves.  “Braxton Hicks” they agreed.  “You’re having practice contractions.”  Which shocked and alarmed me because I didn’t know there would be practice involved, why ‘practice’ if you’re just going to have to go through all that pain anyway?!?  I asked my doctor and she told me that I could be having contractions right now and not ever know until ‘the day.’

I have a few back issues normally, but in the third trimester my spine decided to spread the fun to my legs.  If you don’t own a maternity support belt yet, please save yourself the trouble and go get one now.  Or stock up on heat pads.  Whatever you like.

Breathing got soooo hard sometimes in those last few months, look out for that.  I didn’t realize the full impact until after I had my kid.  Somewhere along the way he had squished up against my lungs so completely that I had no idea I was unable to take more than half a breath!  That first time you are again able to breathe deep is a magical, heady time.  Kind of like the roller coaster stopped, and the attendant has finally removed the lap bar.

How to put on a Maternity Support Belt

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1) Fasten the upper tummy strap by lightly stretching top strap over and velcro it to other end towards the top of your stomach.

2) Fasten the Abdominal Support Pad under your belly.  The belt is fastened with the Velcro on each end.

3) Position the Abdominal Support Pad as low on your abdomen as possible, but not so low it is touched by your legs when you walk.

4) Attach the belt to itself to lock in place.

Notes:

Your maternity support is made of elastic, which means as your baby grows, the support belt will expand by velcroing the ends for proper fit.

Washing your Maternity Support Belt

Ideally if you have the patience, you will want to hand wash your maternity support belt in your bathroom sink in cold water with a little bit of detergent then hang it over your curtain rod to dry.  I, however, have never hand washed anything in my life so I stuff the girdle into a garment bag (or else the Velcro will snag on other items in the wash) and let it go through a normal cycle.  I still let it air dry overnight, so it’s ready to go when I get up.

Maybe this decreases the lifespan of your belt or girdle but it’s a time/cost evaluation.  Plus, in my experience, hand washing never fully de-stinkifies anything.  My girdle held up fine and is ready for another pregnancy, maybe two!  Use your judgment.

What Counts as Exercise?

What Counts as Exercise When You’re Pregnant?

Mother's Health, Pregnancy, 2 Comments

I am not a doctor; I have no medical training.  This article contains my personal experience and whenever in doubt you should just go ahead and Ask Your Doctor!

Time to ExercisePregnant Exercise

I gave up all thoughts of exercise when I started feeling pelvic girdle pain (PGP).  That and twinges of sciatic nerve ouchi-ness.  Walking around the block was out of the question so what chance does actual exercise have?  And I’m not into prenatal Yoga DVDs either; don’t ask why because I don’t really know.  Maybe it harkens me back to the day of my Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies VHS tapes.  It probably makes me feel too ridiculous.  Nope, not for me.

Disk Golf

However, Frisbee Golf (a.k.a. Frolf) totally counts as exercise!  Right up my alley since the ‘holes’ aren’t far apart and I have to do a lot of sitting/resting while waiting for my fellow Frolfers to take their turns.  (It’s an extra added bonus that when it’s my turn again there are several people willing to help haul me back to my feet.)  And even then all I have to do is swing my arm, easy!  Even for a complete novice like me, and I had too much fun for it to be ‘exercise.’

I made nine ‘holes’ on a local course before I even started feeling the Pelvic Girdle Pain acting up.  Luckily I had my husband to lean against while hobbling back to the car.  We both had a lot of fun actually, for our second try at it, we’re even considering buying our own ‘Drivers’ though honestly you can do this with regular Frisbees if you want!

A side note, this is the kind of sport you can play from spring into winter.  Maybe it’s even better in winter because when our discs go way off course we won’t have to spend an extra 12 minutes beating around the undergrowth until we find them again!

Swimming

Now, I love love love to swim but lately this option has been making me grumpy.  People come up to me willy nilly and say things they can’t have possibly thought through like “…You should go swimming Leah, swimming is great for pregnant women!” and I’m forced to give them an ‘are-you-stupid?’ look.  Yeah right, like becoming pregnant grants you instant access to water.

I don’t have one family member with a pool in their yard and I don’t care for the lakeside right now.  Fighting massive amounts of sweaty beach goers was annoying when I wasn’t pregnant.  Not to mention the brain-thrashing stress of finding a parking space.  The harm might outweigh the benefits.

There is a YMCA fairly close to me, sure, but I’m in a lower tax bracket so I’ll be using that $60-70 dollars per month gym fee towards things like car seats.

Unfortunately for me, swimming is out.  But if you’re luckier than I am and have pool access, enjoy it for me!

StretchingPregnant exercise stretch

I love, absolutely loooooove the feeling I get when I stretch.  If only I remembered to do it more often.  Yes, yes, I realize that Yoga is stretching but… stretching without instruction feels better to me; more natural.  I do it (stretching) whenever I realize that I’ve been too sedentary for too long.  It feels much, much, better than sitting there being absolutely inactive.  Added bonus, there’s no wrong way to do it.  Anything goes!  So long as it doesn’t end up being painful of course.

And if you don’t feel like stretching (I’ve been there too!) remember that instant feel-better is only a couple of deeeeeeep breaths away!

Weight training

Personally I don’t care too much for weight training, ranks up there with Yoga.  But if it’s your cup of tea, pick up a couple of 5lb dumbbells.  Or, if you don’t have them or aren’t ready to lay out the money for it, just look to your pantry and pick up a couple of soup cans.  They feel too light initially, but they do get heavier with repetition.

I might try some resistance training however, they used to make us do isometrics way back in elementary school, remember?   Go to Youtube and look up Dave Hubbard’s 90-second isometric workout.  It’s short and you can feel your muscles working.  Best yet you don’t have to get out of your chair to do it!

Dancing

Oh Great Googly!  It can sure be fun to boogie down!  I don’t, however, boogie down much with my big belly.  Unless you count show tunes in the shower.  Research does show that it’s far better to move anything at all than be completely sedentary though so…  There’s nooo business like shoooow business like noooo business I knoooooooooow..!

Tennis

I don’t really play tennis; at least I haven’t since I was very little.  I don’t even know the rules completely.  What I do know is that I find it incredibly gratifying to be able to hit a ball with a racket when someone hits it towards (or at) me.  I don’t even need a partner though since the public court has a slab of wood to hit balls against if you’re solo.   Ooh!  I just remembered that the park a few blocks over has an old tennis court!  It’s old looking, lots of weeds growing in the cracks but it’s hardly ever occupied.  If I could just get a hold of some rackets and a ball (hello Goodwill!) and of course if I can just get Jason to try it out with me, I’d be gold!

What should you do?

These are all activities that I am doing or planning to do, based on my present abilities.  Now is probably not the best time for me to take up jogging though, hmm?

Your ability might vary from mine, but I definitely recommend this time as the time to experiment with new ways to have fun!  Buy some sidewalk chalk if you want to, do anything!

10 Ways to Relieve Pain from Pregnancy Caused by the Sciatic Nerve

Mother's Health, Pregnancy, , , 2 Comments

Ouch!

The largest nerve in your body is the sciatic nerve. It’s the one that brings the feeling to the backs of your legs and the bottoms of your feet. When it hurts, it hurts! If you’re pregnant, it’ll act up because it runs along under the uterus and along the spine before it can get to your legs. As your baby grows it puts pressure on the nerve and …ZING! OWIE!

Tingling/numbness like pins and needles, burning, radiating, shooting pains in the back or rear.  Sometimes I can’t even take a walk because it shows up wrapping around my left leg usually. It’s not all the time though thank God. For some women, it sticks around even after birth!

Here’s a 10 ways to relieve yourself of the pain.

1- Take a bath.  The warm water helps sooth and just feels good.

2- Lie on your left side & apply hot and cold temperature to the painful area.  If a heating pad doesn’t stay, do what I did and tie it on with a dish cloth or towel.

3- Pelvic tilts are nice! Yogic stretches if that’s your bag. Try tilting your pelvis forward until you’ve gone as far as you can go comfortably. Hold it for a count of 10, release, repeat as long as you feel the need. You won’t look especially attractive, but I’ve done this in public before!

4- Avoid heavy lifting if at all possible, I’ve got a husband for that! I find that even my library ladies are more than willing to take my books out to my car for me. Sweet ladies!

5- Don’t stand for long stretches of time.  Of course it’s easier said than done, I must have a chair because if I sit on the ground I sometimes can’t get up on my own!  Luckily it’s more hilarious than embarrassing.

6- Wear your maternity belt. I’ve got one from Medela that I found at a garage sale but, to be honest, it mostly just holds up my pants (which I need!), so it’s sometimes annoying.

7- Alternative medicine?  My mother is an acupuncturist; I don’t care for needles at all but in the past it’s helped take away the pain. Personally I prefer massage! Though if you schedule acupuncture/ massage for yourself make absolutely sure they’re qualified to work on a pregnant person.  There is a difference!

8- Spend some time in a pool, just floating around.

9- Ask your doctor about non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications for the pain.

10- Take a nap.  Resting is important in any case and spending time resting those muscles is a good thing.