Breastfeeding & Homemade Formula!

Or lack there of.  Prior to giving birth to Becket, I'd heard breastfeeding adventures of all kinds from friends and from reading I'd done.  Even so, I feel like nothing prepares you for the moment breastfeeding doesn't just happen naturally.  Being thoughtful about nutrition and from the school of thought "breast is best" and having read up on the current organic formula options, only to find out I don't like some of the ingredients in any of the options, led me to be very depressed about not producing enough milk.  On top of this, they say stress will hinder your efforts to produce.  Great, so I was back and forth between being stressed and sad and then trying to be optimistic while trying a million and one things to get my production up as much as possible.   Add sleep deprived (also hinders production) and dealing with the lact-aid feeding tube that Becket was not a fan of, but I still had to try every feeding so he could get practice on the nipple and then after 20 minutes trying that, move to finger-tube feeding to get him fed.  This took up to an hour and within 40 minutes after that... it was time to attempt tube-breast feeding again!  Finally after a week or so of this our midwife said we were at a cross roads:  Becket might get better at breast feeding if he could get more energy to stay awake, but to get more energy he needed to get more food in him.  So we opted to try the bottle with the risk of him not wanting to go back to the breast, but decided only to use the bottle during the wee hours of night and early a.m. so feeding would go faster and we could get back to sleep sooner.  During the day we used the lact-aid so as to keep up the breastfeeding sucking muscles.  Bottom line, Becket was a champ.  Bottle, tube feeding and breast, he took it all with no issues.

The things I took to help with increasing my production:

Mother's Milk Tea

Goat's Rue

Goat's Rue is a powerful herb for stimulating the production and flow of breastmilk. It works directly with the mammary glands, and is a great choice for women experiencing problems with low milk production from the beginning, or for women with previous breast surgeries or IGT (Insufficient Glandular Tissue).  It has been shown to increase milk production by up to 50% in many cases, and may also even stimulate the development of the mammary glands themselves.

Domperidone
Domperidone (Motilium™) is a drug that has, as a side effect, the increase of milk production, probably by increasing prolactin production by the pituitary gland. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates the cells in the mother's breast to produce milk. Domperidone increases prolactin secretion indirectly, by interfering with the action of dopamine, whose action is to decrease the secretion of prolactin by the pituitary gland - See more at: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/domperidone.shtml#sthash.KmkhJTJt.5bNQRJRO.dpuf

Even with renting a hospital grade pump and everything else, my production was still just about 5.0+ ounces a day maybe so we knew we'd have to supplement.  Early on while Becket was only eating 18-20oz per day, we supplemented with donor breast milk from one of Pearl's patients who had a baby girl 3 weeks older than Becket and was an over-producer and had about 75-90oz a week to give us!  Then Becket quickly gained weight, got stronger and demanded closer to 30oz a day so we knew we would have to supplement with formula as well.  We wanted to make our own rather than store bought formula, but had to wait for some of the ingredients to arrive by mail so there were a few feedings where we did use organic Baby Only powdered formula.  It was, so far, my worst experience!  He was so constipated and at only 3 weeks old his system was too young to handle that kind of bowl movement.  He was and still is such a calm, happy baby and he was in tears and little wailing yelps as he tried to pass this formula through.  It killed me I couldn't do anything to help other than massage his tummy, do little leg pumps and I even found acupressure points to do on his feet from the web.  Thankfully we got our ingredients and quickly started on 16oz of homemade formula per day and the other half was still donor breast milk.  He has been thriving ever since!  Becket loves to still nurse and I could not be more grateful for this.  I love that it comforts him so much and I am able to provide this as well as a tiny bit of my own breast milk.  With all this comes the bonus that other people can help with bottle feedings, yay!  Always an optimist ;)

Homemade Infant Formula Info:

From Weston A. Price Foundation & Nourishing Traditions, we use the raw cow's milk formula found Here.  This site also has links to Testimonials and FAQ's should you be really interested.  I've read everything.

Here is the direct link to the nutrient comparison chart for breast milk and homemade formula.  Most pediatricians are concerned with babies getting enough iron.  I confirmed this is not an issue with homemade formula:
Mother’s milk is low in iron for a reason–iron competes with zinc, which is needed for neurological development. However, the lacto-ferrin in raw milk helps the baby absorb all the iron that is there in the milk. If you will look at the nutrient charts for our formula recipes (see below) you will see that there is actually more iron in the homemade formulas than there is in breast milk, so there is no need whatsoever to add additional sources of iron up to the age of six months. At that time, the baby does need additional iron. This should be given in the form of egg yolks and liver–liver is the first weaning food in traditional cultures for this very reason–because at the age of six months, the baby does need additional iron.

Daddy Nesting

We all know about pregnant women going through the nesting phase, especially getting a surge right before their due date, but has anyone experienced daddy-nesting?  I had no idea until I watched Josh buzz around the house like a manic person for DAYS, even going into the weeks after Becket's birth.  It was kind of hysterical, but a little intense!  I was tied to the bed trying to nurse and finger feed Becket and on bed rest to heal from labor, so watching him run around at full speed not taking breaks or taking care of himself while I sat helpless was making me a little stressed. Things mamas think of don't come into perspective for dads until they see their precious bundle exposed to the world.  Josh was vacuuming our walls at one point... And no, we don't have a 70's basement as our apartment ;)

Our Birth Story

Becket's birth day

Friday 4/11/14 at  3:50pm

8lb 9oz, 21in long, 14in head, my fabulous baby boy!

Thursday 4/10/14:
Thursday morning I had my standard OB appointment with Dr. Kochenburger and he reported I was 50% effaced, 2cm dilated and at 0 station (all those details in previous post).  Everyone in our house figured I wouldn't deliver until after my due date... I just didn't know.  I was unsure since I felt great, but was just tired of waiting, lol.  So for fun, we decided that this night would be a good night to have Zachary's pizza, famous for inducing labor with their signature stuffed spinach and mushroom pizza (we get pepperoni baked on top) Mmmm... Couldn't hurt right? :)

Friday 4/11/14:
3:30am - I woke up with a mild to medium cramp and thought "hrm..."  and then another one.  "Ok, this might be early labor, we'll hang here and see"
4:15am - had first contraction - "Yes, this is definitely a contraction, no mistaking it!"  So I woke Josh up and said so.  He started timing them so we could know where we stood and when to call Pearl.  They were 3 minutes apart.  What?!  Maybe we aren't timing these right...   From 4:14am - 6am they were pretty much 3 minutes apart, with the exception of 2 "breaks", one was a 5 min one was a 6 min apart contraction, and they were definitely intense.  I was not walking around, talking or able to be distracted through them.  I really couldn't believe they were really 3 minutes apart and didn't want to wake Pearl before 6am so we held out.  At about 6:00 Josh called Pearl and she said she was on her way.  Our midwife's apprentice, Ellen lives nearby so she arrived shortly and Pearl was there a little before 9am.  I overheard them tell Josh this was their 3rd birth that week... (Why did I get the tired crew?! I thought, Lol).  Pearl checked me and said "you've been doing a lot of work! 9cm!"  Holy crap that was fast! ...and then... it wasn't.  I stayed that way for many hours, mostly in the fetal position on our bed squeezing the life out of Josh's hand and trying to drink water, coconut water and a smoothie as they encouraged me so I could keep up my energy.  I kept my eyes shut for about 95% of the birth just trying to get through each contraction.  We didn't get the tub full enough before we lost hot water and by the time we had more hot water we didn't bother, I just got in the shower and had Josh use the shower head on my low back while I labored.  Then it was back to the bed.  As labor moved along and into more intense, bare-down contractions, I labored over the yoga ball for a while.

Within 2 hours his head had changed shape

As it got to be about 2:00-ish?  (I had NO concept of time)... It was time to push, but little Bean's head was still cocked a bit and he was still somewhat turned on his side. His favorite sleeping position as we later discover!  Pushing was obviously intense and at one point I was able to feel his head.  It felt so tiny!  (Thank GOD no one told me differently or I would not have been able to keep pushing, ha!!). Finally I needed to go squat by the side of the bed with my arms wrapped over Josh's thighs for support and I pushed 3 times or so and out came Bean!   Looking down his head was a giant watermelon and he was a little blue.  Josh and I both thought I gave birth to an Indian God at first ;). We couldn't see around Pearl as she was giving him air so we didn't know the sex and then... Yep, ha!  I KNEW it!!  Told ya'll ;)

The second he was born, those hours of pain and exhaustion were just... done, gone.  I mean I was definitely tired, but the flood of hormones made me feel so serene and relaxed it was quite amazing.  There was a very love-hazed hour or so that he laid on my chest as I got a few stitches and then Pearl & Ellen left us alone for a bit.  I passed him over to Josh so he could have some skin to skin cuddles and we just watched him, thinking we could stare at him forever!  About 7:00pm, Pearl came back in to do the cord, which Josh got to cut, and did his weight, measurements and another round of the APGAR test.  Ellen inspected the placenta to make sure it all had come out ok and then wrapped it up to take with her to prepare my placenta pills.  Before she did, they put a small bit into a smoothie for me and Josh was intrigued enough to try a small piece!  You'll have to ask him what he thought ;)

What Are The Benefits Of Placenta Encapsulation?

It is believed that consuming the placenta can:

• Help to balance your hormones
• Replenish depleted iron levels
• Assist the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy state
• Reduce post-natal bleeding
• Increase milk production – this has been proven in a study
• Make for a happier, more enjoyable post-natal period
• Increase your energy levels
• Read More: Click Here

In hind sight, without having a prior birth experience without taking placenta pills to compare to, I'd have to say that all of the above are true for me, except helping my milk production, but that is a whole other issue due to my breast reduction surgery about 12 years ago.

Bean is Moving Along!

Week 39

For over a week now, we've been advised for me to do some exercises to help Bean shift a little in his/her positioning.  Currently Bean is head down and sideways facing my upper-tummy right (so his back is a little too much towards my back) and we eventually want him facing my back with her back to my tummy.  It is not a bad position and it is very common for babies to roll into good position right before being born.  However, they might not and it's not the most comfortable thing to have your midwife or OB help them roll so I've heard.  My girlfriend down the street had the exact same positioning and highly recommended I do my exercises to hopefully avoid needing assistance.  Again, not the end of the world, but why wouldn't I want to avoid any extra discomfort?? So I've been having Josh massage the tight muscles and ligaments on my left hip and thigh area before laying at an upside down angle once or twice a day and also doing "cat-cow" movements once a day.  At first, being upside down on the plank was really not comfortable.  The pressure on my low back and shoulders was intense as well as having all of Bean's weight shifted right under my ribs and on my lungs.  I usually lasted about 5 minutes and was not very relaxed.  With a few tweaks from Josh, the angle adjusted and some pillow work we found a very pleasant position and I can now breath normal, relax and hang out for quite a while.  I usually only do about 10-12 minutes.  We think Bean twists a bit more, but definitely moves back to his favorite spot.  Hoping this means he's got the wiggle room and isn't stuck, just prefers her little spot.

My weekly midwife visit was Tuesday and uneventful, lol.  I'm doing and feeling pretty great, Bean's heart rate is good, my blood pressure is good, no swelling, no Braxton-Hicks, sleeping well for the most part and taking it easy these days.   Josh has tentative plans to go on a beer tasting tour with his mentor next Wednesday.  I told him that's when Bean will come.  ha!  I told Bean he/she should come Saturday.  We'll see!

OBGYN appointment was today (Wednesday) and much of the same except he gives me a quick dilation check while I'm there, which means nothing since women walk around up to 4cm for a few weeks sometimes, but it's fun to find out and also good to know my body is doing what it needs to do.  So last visit, 2 weeks ago I was just 1.5cm dilated.  Today I am 2cm dilated plus 50% effaced and Bean is at 0-station.  I am completely content with this process of no contractions and no discomfort all while dilating and effacing, ha!  What all that means for those who haven't gone through this already:

Effacement:  While you are pregnant, your cervix is usually around 2 to 3 cm long. In late pregnancy or early labor, Braxton Hicks' practice contractions start to shorten the cervix, a process known as effacement. Most women have a cervix that has shortened to 1 cm during the very early stages of labor. This is also referred to as 50 percent effaced. As the cervix continues to shorten, the cervix is gradually drawn up by the uterus, and by the time it is 100 percent effaced, the cervix will have started to open.

Dilation: Once your cervix is stretched and softened, it begins to open, or dilate, so that your baby can pass through into the vagina to be born. Regular contractions cause the cervix to dilate, and in first labors the cervix dilates at an average of 1 cm per hour; this rate is often faster for subsequent labors. Here, at 2 cm dilation, the cervix has shortened and is beginning to open. Contractions may still be irregular.  Once you reach 6cm you are in active labor and at 10cm are fully dilated and ready to push.

The Station: The "station" refers to the position of your baby's head in relation to your pelvis. This is recorded as a number between -5 and +5. Zero station means the head is "engaged" and has entered the vaginal canal within the pelvic bones. A negative number (-5 to 0) means that the head isn't engaged in the pelvis. A positive number (0 to +4) means that your baby's head is moving down the pelvis and +5 means your baby is crowning (being born). Ideally, you should not push until the head is engaged in the pelvis, even if you're fully dilated.

"Sleepy Dust"

I ran across this natural sleep remedy and though of many of my friends who complain about having trouble sleeping or waking in the middle of the night.  Josh sometimes goes through phases where he will wake for an hour or two and I was hoping to get him or someone to try this!  The article explains why it works and sounds pretty interesting so I've been curious.  Finally, my friend Andrea gave it a try and posted on Facebook that it worked!
I've never had much trouble with sleep, sometimes falling asleep can take me a bit, but once I'm out, I can get up and go to the bathroom, have some water and go right back to sleep.  Until my third trimester...  Around 8 months I found I couldn't just go back to sleep after a bathroom break, my mind would start thinking about stuff.  This started right after Andrea had successfully tried my sleep dust solution which I had yet to use myself.  LOVE!  What a super cheap, easy and healthy option to help get back to sleep!  I keep a little saki cup on my night stand and just dip my finger in and place a bit under my tongue before I lay down again from one of my bathroom breaks and switching positions.  I have no more trouble going back to sleep, it's wonderful!  Also, rapadura sugar is easy to find in stores like Whole Foods, not sure where to find the other kind listed in this recipe.  Andrea noted she just used all regular sugar and said it worked too, so feel free to give that a try!  Who doesn't have salt and sugar on hand?

 

http://butterbeliever.com/how-to-fall-back-asleep/

Getting Prepared for Our Home Birth

The Tuesday after my baby shower was our home visit and check up with Pearl and Ellen her apprentice.  We gave them the tour and they said our home was a lovely place for a birth :)  We reviewed the supplies and talked about when to call her and then they did my usual check up.   I had just inquired whether Pearl thought it was still ok for me to go up to Sacramento for our cousin Abi's baby shower and she thought it should be but we'd talk and see how I felt later that week just to be sure... then she felt Bean's head quite a bit lower than last week and also noted my slightly increased blood pressure (normal once baby drops) and changed her mind.  She wasn't super concerned that Bean would arrive this early, but with Josh unable to go with me I did not want to risk being 2 hours away from my midwife AND Josh so I had to call and let Abi know I'd be missing her shower.
Pearl is loaning us the birth tub so we just needed to buy a hose, shower attachment, tub liner and some other minor supplies.  Before Mom left she helped me get everything checked off the birth supply list, things like 12 receiving blankets, 6 towels,  12 wash cloths (or cloth diapers), bath mat, zip lock bags, garbage bags, paper towels, hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, etc.  Josh also tested the tub to be sure it didn't have leaks and fit well in our room and I made a Birth Plan sheet with phone numbers, signs of early & active labor, when to call Pearl, things to do once early labor starts, etc. and it's on the fridge so anyone who is home with me at the time can have the info handy.  I think we are ready... on the supply and info front that is!  I'm still feeling pretty surreal about the whole giving birth thing.

More Baby Shower Pictures

Courtesy of my cousin-in-law Amy!

Diaper Cake from Amy - SO CUTE!

Custom Made for Bean!

I'm so proud of the Banner I made ;)

Representing East Bay!

Neighbor Wallace introducing himself to Britt's son Nate

"Oakland Population add 1" :)

Our friend's shop - James & The Giant Cupcake!  I was in heaven.

Practical and wonderful gifts from everyone!

Itty bitty Old Navy Socks and some cute onsies

The Poms were one of my favorite decorations, but WAY prettier in person

Baby Shower!

My favorite outfit!

Me 37 weeks, Abi 35 weeks?

Mom arrived Thursday morning and after having lunch we got straight to work on our daily list of errands and to-do's to get ready for the baby shower on Sunday.  If it weren't for my swelling and achy feet I'm sure it wouldn't have taken every single day to get everything done.  Had she not come in time to help with the errands and some of the crafty, tiny details, I would have been so stressed and would have not had any fun trying to pull off the party.  Beth was a lifesaver as well.  The home projects she got accomplished helped pave the way for moving and organizing stuff around the house and she even sat down with my Mom and I for a few minutes and managed to tie all the thank you cards to my gift jars before going out with friends for the evening!  Poor Josh was a trooper as well, working SO much and during what little free time he had he helped with the things we needed him to, like moving furniture and plants and hanging paper poms from the ceiling, his favorite thing I'm sure.  Josh's Mom made several dishes for the party, came early to helps set up and my good friend and fabulous cook Andrea was in charge of 3 of the 4 mini sandwiches we served, all phenomenally good!  I was so grateful to have such teamwork help pull my baby shower together!  I haven't had a wedding or a bridal shower so this party was a first for me, something I was really looking forward too and I am so happy it came together so nicely!  Like any good event, the only downside was that it went too fast!!   And you would never believe... I forgot to take ANY pictures!!  Thank goodness for my cousin-in-law Amy who snapped a few of the decorations (not before people had dove into the food, but I don't care!) and some of me opening gifts.  She's going to email them to me as soon as she can.   My other cousin-in-law Abi came for the shower and we had a picture of us taken, the last one we took was at Christmas and now we are both getting so close to our due dates!   Here are just a few I got before and after:

Coconut-Lime Sugar Scrub Gifts

My favorite, but all the flowers were so lovely!

Banner I made for gift table

Need a few more special people to fill out!

36 weeks and all is well!

We are in our 36th week of the pregnancy and things are still pretty awesome.  My only complaint is not having enough stamina to get things done and not being able to run very many errands at a time because my feet will start to kill me!  I never thought my feet would bother me more than my back!

I've had to get up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom and then reposition myself, but once I'm back asleep, I've been sleeping fine so that's been nice.  Bean is not hopping and kicking around as much since he/she is running out of room, but he is still pretty active in rolling, stretching and repositioning.   Bean has been head down for weeks now, but hasn't "dropped" yet I guess... as I'm still carrying pretty high and don't feel major pressure yet.  As all this is new and everyone has a somewhat different experience it's a bit hard to know what's normal.  

Good news on the gestational diabetes front!  After meeting with the nutritionist and getting my glucometer, I did my food journal and tracked my glucose levels for 3 weeks and then went in for my check up yesterday.   A nurse took my blood pressure and weight and then a Dr. came in with my food journal commenting on how awesome everything looked and that he didn't see any need for me to come back in.  Then said Dr. asked where I was delivering and I said "home" and he proceeded to throw his opinion in my face that I should have a hospital birth.  I pointed out that we had a midwife, a back up hospital plan and an O.B. if needed so we were all set.  As he checked the size of my funds and Bean's heartbeat he mumbled something about "...higher rate of c-section..." and I had to grit my teeth to stop me from yelling "YOU are NOT my Dr. thank you very much!"  And he had just said I had my diet perfectly under control and I was not measuring too big or too small, but yet he needed to  mention c-section risks in a very unsolicited and very abrupt manner?  The "c-section risk" he unprofessionally referred to is if you do not have control over your gestational diabetes and run the risk of potentially having a larger baby.  All of which I know and have not only discussed with my midwife (whose delivered over 600 babies) in great detail, but again, I also have a very caring and experienced O.B. involved as well.  Ugh.  This Dr. was literally in the room with me for less than 2 minutes.  After he left one of the nutritionists came in to reiterate how well my 3 weeks of tracking had gone and just make sure I didn't have any questions and to remind me of the testing I'll need to do a few weeks after birth to confirm I'm back to normal pre-pregnancy insulin regulating.   I still have to check my blood sugar a few times a day to be aware of any spikes or drastic changes, but I don't have to fill out their food journal paper work (I do my own on my iPhone) and I won't have to go back to check in with them.  Yay!

Bean's First Photo Shoot

Josh's brother Jake recently proposed to Carli and we are so very excited to have her in the family!  I adore her and could not thank her enough for spending one of her afternoons off taking some amazing pregnancy photos of Josh and I.  He and I are both very uncomfortable posing for photos, but she managed to get some great shots despite our awkwardness and in between our giggle fits.  Check out the cute sign she made too!  Here are a few of our favorites (there were so many!):

NESTING!

I have been so thankful how great I've felt this entire pregnancy but I still get a bit run down when my brain has bigger plans than my body can keep up with!  I'll have the idea that I'll get xyz, etc. done in a day and finish x then need to eat and rest.  Seems my time is even more limited now that I have to prepare meal, snack, meal, snack, meal all day long due to gestational diabetes.  My to-do list has gotten longer, not shorter!  
Then yesterday I guess I had my first nesting surge of energy!  Not only did I drive to SF to say hi to my friend Kelly and pick up a few things to borrow for the shower, I got 2 loads of laundry done, scrubbed the windows and window sills in the living room and re-hung all the curtains, vacuumed (even busted out the little attachments on the couches and small spaces) and cleaned the kitchen.  There were moments I would think, "I need to take a break!" and so I would, but then I would no sooner get up to take my plate to the kitchen and get distracted washing dishes.  Or I'd get up to go to the bathroom and remember I was hand washing one of the small window's set of curtains.  I was beat by the end of the night and a bit sore the next day!  It's not just about finally feeling like I have a bit more energy to get things done, it's a rather manic feeling too.  The next day was Thursday and I rested during the day then worked in the evening, worked a full 10 hour day Friday and again Saturday night, so by Sunday I didn't do anything.  As it is the week before my shower and my Mom arrives Thursday, I really need another nesting surge to show up!!  My sister-in-law Beth, between her busy schedule, has been really great about helping with certain projects and being the first one to try and take over any "Josh" chores that he has not had time for.  She did a big organization of our basement to make more room so now a few things can start to flow like getting the coffee table we haven't sold out of our bedroom and down into the basement, which means we will have room for the birthing tub on the big day and then the basinet will have it's place in our room, which is currently one of the many baby related items taking up space in the already snug guest room.  Our house is very much like a constantly revolving game of tetris.  A better description would be that game where you have to strategically slide 15 separate pieces in order to get one piece where you want it and so forth?  Not sure it has a name.
So not only am I getting things ready for the shower (and I have no idea how nearly 30 people are going to fit in our living room, aahh!), but I'm also enlisting Mom's help to run around and check off items we need for our home birth in time for our Tuesday home visit from our midwife, Pearl.  Not only is it daunting to have so much to do, but it also highlights the fact that we have to be prepared the baby could arrive at any point in the next 4+ weeks!!

Bean's Moves!

He/She pretty much sets up camp with his butt center and knees and feet to the right, but that being said he definitely still shifts about a lot!

You Tube - Bean at 33 weeks

Too Good To Be True...

My pregnancy has been quite wonderful, less the one week where my back was tweaked, so I suppose I should continue to be grateful despite getting my blood results back from my 3 hour glucose test.  Sad to report that 2 of my 4 results were slightly over the safe threshold which labels me with gestational diabetes.  I was a bit saddened by this news at first since I am very interested in nutrition and feel I am very thoughtful about what I eat.  I also despise meal planning, but have recently been working on this.  Now things are going to be that much more complicated only because I have to think about meals and snacks a little differently than what I've gotten used to, what I'd begun to see as effortless prep.  I know it will be fine and it's only for another 9 weeks and it is in the best interest for Bean so of course I'm glad to be aware.  My numbers that were over the safe threshold were just slightly over so once I start my food journal and self blood sugar checks I should be able to see when and why my levels spike and make adjustments.  Our cousin Abi was diagnosed as well and she finds that just being aware of pairing her good carbs and fruit with plenty of protein and veggies does the trick as well as walking around after meals.

For those of you who have not had to endure information on Gestational Diabetes before and are curious now, here is a little info:

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes means that the body has a problem with insulin during pregnancy. When women are pregnant, the body needs more insulin to keep blood sugar at the right level. Women’s bodies make more insulin during pregnancy. When the extra insulin is not enough to keep blood sugar normal, women get high blood sugar. This is called gestational diabetes. Blood sugar usually returns to normal after delivery.

Who gets gestational diabetes?  (this part, I find seems to be less accurate these days if 1 out of 4 of my OB's patients are being diagnosed, not to mention the only variable I fit into is being 37, aka: old)

About 7 out of 100 pregnant women get gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is more likely for:

• Women who are overweight.
• Women with family members who have had gestational diabetes.
• Women with family members who have type 2 diabetes.
• African American, American Indian, and Hispanic/Latina American women.

How Can I Treat Gestational Diabetes?

Eating healthy and staying active are two of the most important ways to control blood sugar and treat gestational diabetes. Activities like walking and swimming are helpful. The activity does not have to be hard. The goal is to get up and move. Talk with your doctor or midwife about creating an exercise plan that works for you.
All women with gestational diabetes need to follow a special diabetes meal plan. Your doctor or midwife may ask you to meet with a diabetes educator or dietitian. Diabetes educators or dietitians can help create a plan just for you.
The diabetes meal plan follows simple guidelines like:

• Watching portion size.
• Eating a variety of foods, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Limiting fat calories to 30 percent or less each day.

Being careful about weight gain during pregnancy is also very important to control gestational diabetes. Ask your doctor or midwife how much weight gain is right for you.

30 weeks down!

Magnesium!

I've had an exhausting week not just from working every single day for almost 2 weeks, but last Friday I tweaked my back :(  An old and familiar injury but twice as fun this time being 29 weeks pregnant.  Between my wonderful chiropractor and being extra careful and mainly just dealing with the pain as my muscles healed from being in spasm, I am on the mend.  I'd also like to thank my sister-in-law Beth for bringing magnesium supplements to my attention and will promote these for everyone now!

How does it work?

Magnesium is required for the proper growth and maintenance of bones. Magnesium is also required for the proper function of nerves, muscles, and many other parts of the body. In the stomach, magnesium helps neutralize stomach acid and moves stools through the intestine.

An interesting blog from a mom of 3 regarding morning sickness and effects of a few changes, one being adding magnesium: Wellness Mama Blog.  Also other big diet factors like bone broth, cod-liver oil, protein, eggs, coconut oil (all of these I had read about as well and increased while trying to get pregnant and always wondered if this helped or I was just lucky in my lack of morning sickness.) TMI for some, but most pregnant women experience issues with constipation due to slower digestion (so the body can pull more nutrients out for the baby).  I've monitored my fiber intake to try and keep any major issues at bay, but am happy to report magnesium helps even more so I highly recommend.  Here is more info: magnesium in your pregnancy.  Also known to help with headaches, back aches (as I mentioned) and restless leg syndrome.  As it's frustrating to have to avoid over the counter pain meds, this is a great option!


Where Has All The Magnesium Gone?
Unfortunately, most modern farming processes tax the soil, depleting it of its natural magnesium. On top of that, many hybrids are selectively bred to survive low levels of magnesium and most conventional fertilizers use nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, and do nothing to replenish magnesium levels.
These additional dietary factors can also deplete magnesium:

• Consumption of caffeine
• Consumption of sugar (It takes 287 molecules of magnesium to metabolize a single glucose molecule!)
• Consumption of processed food
• Consumption of alcohol
• Consumption of produce from depleted soil
• Consumption of foods high in phytic acid

What Does Magnesium DO?
Magnesium is necessary for hundreds of functions within the body, but is especially important for:

• Gives rigidity AND flexibility to your bones (more important than Calcium in many cases)
• Increases bio-availability of calcium
• Regulates and normalizes blood pressure
• Prevents and reverses kidney stone formation
• Promotes restful sleep
• Helps prevent congestive heart failure
• Eases muscle cramps and spasms
• Lowers serum cholesterol levels and triglycerides
• Decreases insulin resistance
• Can prevent artherosclerosis and stroke
• End cluster and migraine headaches
• Enhances circulation
• Relieves fibromyalgia and chronic pain
• Treats asthma and emphysema
• Helps make proteins
• Encourages proper elimination
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Proper Vitamin D absorption
• protection from radiation
• To aid weight loss
• Lessen or remove ADD or ADHD in children
• in proper carbohydrate digestion
• emerging evidence is showing a preventative role in many cancers

Are You Deficient?
As I said above, the answer is likely ‘yes’ in today’s world, as over 80% of tested adults are. Unfortunately, blood tests are relatively ineffective in gauging magnesium levels as less than 1% of magnesium is in the blood.
Low magnesium levels are often diagnosed by symptoms alone, and the following symptoms can point to low magnesium levels:

• Inability to sleep or insomnia
• Irritability
• Sensitivity to noise
• Mental disturbances
• Anxiety, depression or restlessness
• Muscle soreness or spasms
• Infertility or PMS
• High levels of stress
• Headaches
• Heart “flutters” or palpitations
• Fatigue or unusual tiredness
• Coldness in extremities
• Fuzzy brain or difficulty concentrating
• Allergies and sensitivities
• Lack of appetite
• Back pain
• Body odor
• Bad short term memory
• Poor coordination
• Insulin resistance
• Carbohydrate cravings
• Constipation
• Frequent cavities or poor dental health
• Gut disorders
• Kidney stones
• Thyroid problems

If you have more than one of the above symptoms and especially if you have more than five, it is highly likely that you could benefit from magnesium supplementation.

What's New... What's New...

This is why I haven't posted recently... I don't feel like I have a whole lot to report.

I did go take the 1-hour glucose test about 2 weeks ago and failed.  I'm not too worried right now as my Dr. doesn't like to ask pregnant women to fast for the 1 hour so as we left for the appointment, Josh needed to stop for a coffee and pastry to tied him over.  Well... like I'M going to resist a pastry at 7 months pregnant and salivating over sugar??!  So yeah, I went for the plain croissant.  Dang it!  I knew better but I was not thinking clearly :(  The cut off is 130 and I scored 147.  I truly believe the croissant and all of it's white flour fluffy goodness that turns straight into sugar is what pushed me those 18 points over.  Anyway, I have worked nearly every single day since my test and haven't been able to schedule the 3-hour glucose test until now.  I go Tuesday morning.  Hurrumph.  I am less than thrilled to sit and do nothing in a lab waiting room for 3 hours so I can get my blood drawn every hour.   Let's just hope with fasting that I am processing insulin efficiently and my scores are good.  If 2 out of 3 come back over, then I will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes and have to keep a food journal, watch my sugar and carb intake and do a finger prick blood test 4 times a day to make sure I'm staying at good levels.  Our cousin Abi, who is one week behind me, failed hers recently :(

Wish me luck!!  I've always been pretty good about watching my carb intake, especially any white flour carbs and I have a moderate sweet tooth that I normally keep under control.  During my pregnancy my sugar cravings have definitely increased.  I have no way to gauge whether it's just that of a normal level or not, but I think it's still under control.  I like to eat ice cream every day.. but it's about 1/4 a pint.  Is that a little or a lot?  I've also been addicted to the convenience of my almost daily fruit smoothie.  Although good sugars, still sugars if you are monitoring yourself for gestational diabetes. I cannot imagine giving up any sugar! 

PS:  I love this to add major nutrients to my smoothies:  Vitamineral Green Powder

Appointments, Appointments, Appointments!

Choosing to have a midwife was a great decision, but we also needed a back up OBGYN for any lab work and non-emergency appointments possibly requiring labs or prescriptions (like my UTI) all of which are 100% covered by mediCal so that is helpful as our midwife is unfortunately a luxury expense not covered by insurance.  Hopefully one day.  This also means we have twice the appointments, but it really hasn't been too bad.  We are now rolling into the every 3 weeks portion of this pregnancy, but it won't be for much longer!

Our OBGYN, Dr. Richard Kochenburger, who was recommended to us by Pearl for having a great bed side manner and accepting mediCal.  Josh and I both liked him right away.  He has delivered hundreds of babies and gone through the routine check ups a million times, but he never sounded like his spiel was old and tired.  He is laid back and completely on board with our home birth plan, but still does his part as if he were going to be delivering our baby.  Not surprising Dr. Kochenburger has won the Patients' Choice Award FIVE years in a row!  Since 2008, Dr. K has been the go-to OB/GYN in Alameda, CA.  Lucky Us!
More info on Dr. K: Click Here!

More info on our midwife, Pearl Yu: Click Here!
 
And about Sacred Birth Place in Oakland: Click Here!
The birthing suite is really nice, in my opinion.  Before choosing a home birth I was assuming I would have Bean at a birth center and happy to find the space so cozy and tranquil. 

Bean's Moves

A roll and a few kicks in the beginning and then when it seems nothing is happening you can fast forward about 2:25 on the clock and you'll see his new "salsa" move.  He does it a lot these days, it's a fast and a full belly flurry of kicks and or punches.  Bean seems to have performance shyness as he quits his fancy moves whenever I have the camera rolling or anybody other than Josh wants to feel him move.  Josh would miss the moves if I didn't get him to sit with his hand on my belly for up to 20 minutes, lol.

27th Week

Today, Monday Jan. 13th, is the beginning of week 27 and was also our midwife appointment.  We analyzed and discussed in great detail the possibility of Bean's earliest predicted due date of April 9th.    Pearl said since my earliest sonogram was done at week 18 that it was a bit late for due date predicting.  Up to week 13, all babies run a very similar growth rate, so if Bean was measuring bigger at that time, then an earlier due date would have been more concrete.  Josh and I are not small people and do not have petite genes in our family (I think his grandmother and that's it) so Bean's sonogram measurements, which are 2 weeks ahead of schedule, are more about genetics than accelerated growth rate and early due date.  Pearl also double and triple checked my July tracking information for conception possibilities, etc. and feels very confident that April 20th is the best due date.  Josh's sister just pointed out that there is a full moon for April 15th or 16th so... I guess we won't be too surprised if Bean arrives then!

Some Fun Facts About Week 27:
Baby is about 2 pounds and 15 inches tall which is about 1 inch taller than a Barbie doll.  Baby is almost fully developed, even down to her eyelashes and his immune system is developing quickly.

Symptoms:
I keep reading about what I might be experiencing, such a laundry list of possibilities:  swelling of hands and/or feet, round ligament pain, skin discoloration or hyperpigmentation, heartburn, occasional headaches or dizziness, hearty appetite, leg cramps, varicose veins...
I'm so grateful and want to say right now I realize I'm in the 2nd trimester and I'm only 6 months, but I'm really loving my pregnancy.  I read that stretch marks and varicose veins are largely hereditary and if this is true then I am a lucky lady as I confirmed with my Mom she didn't have either, yay!  I have very infrequent heartburn and notice bleeding gums when I brush (helps when I eat more coconut oil), but nothing else!   My belly button is on it's way to becoming an out-e but not yet and also inevitable is the darkening of my linea alba, the line that runs down the center of your abdomen to the top of your pubic bone.  I am also fearing the temporary increase in clumsiness!!  I'm a tad on the clumsy side as it is... and read that I will drop more things in my last trimester than in my lifetime, lol.  Awesome.  Josh is still the leader on broken wine glasses for now.  I try to remember to stretch my legs out every night so I haven't dealt with any leg cramps yet.  I also need to give a shout out to my amazing chiropractor, Dr. Brett Jones at Alive Chiropractic.  I. Love. Him.  I have had very minor lower back pain considering I've put nearly 25 pounds on the front of my stomach and have dealt with chronic low back pain for nearly a decade.  He is experienced in the Webster method for pregnancy and I swear it's made my pregnancy that much more wonderful.  He's also available for a house call when I go into labor, how fantastic is that?!

Maternal History

I want to clarify the history of my engagement ring because I think it's really cool :) 

It was the engagement ring of my mother's great grandpa's sister, Grace.  Or my mom's mom's dad's sister.  Or my grandmother's mother's aunt.  I think all those work and I've got that right.  Aunt Grace didn't have any children so the ring was first passed down her niece and namesake, my Nana's mother.  Then passed down to my Nana, then my Mom and now to me.  What I find extra special is that I'm the first to receive the ring as an engagement ring since the original owner, my great-great-aunt Grace in 1870 (best estimated year).  Let's hope we have a girl at some point so I can continue to pass it down the maternal side of our family tree!

Christmas 2013

Josh and I had a laid back Christmas Eve this year.  We went out for breakfast, to the movies and I made chili and sour cream cornbread for dinner and also my favorite rum cake for Christmas Day.   After stuffing ourselves all day we went to bed and planned on leaving the next morning for Sacramento to enjoy the day with Josh's Aunt and Uncle, cousins and brothers.
Sadly, sometime in the middle of my slumber I was awoken not the clatter of eight tiny reindeer but by severe stomach cramping which led to hours and hours of no sleep and many trips to the bathroom.  Josh was very supportive so he didn't get much sleep either.  Around 8am I drank a smoothie and we sat snuggled in bed making sure I was on the mend and talked about us, the baby and how life isn't always perfect or easy.  Josh felt this was the perfect segue to continue with his original plan for Christmas morning so he leaned over and came back with a little blue velvet box, opened it up and proposed!  I love that he didn't wait for everything to be "perfect", it speaks volumes to me of how we both view life.  I was also shocked to see the ring!  I love that he went and asked my Mom for the family ring he knew I'd been trying on for the last decade and she got to share in the surprise, it meant so much to me!  I successfully rallied and we made it to Uncle Dave & Aunt Nida's place in plenty of time to enjoy the day.  I got to chat with our cousin Abi who is due with her first just a few weeks after us!  She is half my size so I had to squat down in our picture together so my baby bump wasn't smothering her face, ha!  Growing up, Josh's grandpa met a new grand-baby every year for 9 years (Josh's siblings and cousins are all 1 year apart) and he thought that was exciting... 2014 is going to bring him 2 great grand-babies (potentially more) and 4 weddings!  Abi and Josh's cousin Trevor are engaged, not sure of the wedding date,  Josh's sister Beth and Philip are planning for this summer, Josh and I also unsure of specific plans, and we just found out Christmas Day that his cousin Kirsten and her fiance Zach got engaged earlier in December!  That evening we drove up to Josh's Mom's house and caught up with Jake and Carli who weren't able to make it to Sacramento due to Carli still in recovery from major dental surgery.  Nate and Heather and baby Declan also came over for a few after their long day, this was a 4th stop for them so I was surprised they were still going!  We had a nice breakfast morning with Cheryl & Leon then left to go visit Sally, Azure, baby Eden at Kevin's mom's house for a few and then stopped by Josh's Dad's place as well for a quick visit.  It was a busy 2 days, but I'm always grateful to be part this family, especially when mine are so far away. 

12/25/13 Xmas Morning!

Christmas Day 2013

Cousin-in-Laws and future Mommies!