Post Partum Depression

Yes, it is hard adjusting to the whims of a newborn.

Yes, I fell off the face of the planet.

Yes, PPD sucks.

Fortunately I went to the doctors about a week ago to get medicine because my mood just wasn't lifting. Things are looking up! I fell off the face of the Earth for a while there, but I am slowly coming back. In a few days I hope to be as good as new.

Wish me luck!

Becoming a Mommy Has Made Me Appreciate:

1) Having both hands at my disposal to type... or do anything else

2) Poop colors and frequencies (of the little one in my arms)

3) Showers

4) Sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. I take that back... sleep period.

5) Lactation Consultants

6) The end of growth spurts

7) Every ounce my baby girl puts on

8) So much else!

I'm Waiting to Cut the Cord.. Are You?

                           
This is just another thing I didn't know until a couple of days ago: the importance of delayed umbilical cord clamping. Early cord clamping weakens babies and contributes to a host of illnesses later in life. It is well documented that this is so, and that babies whose cords had not been cut until they stopped pulsating are much healthier. How did I not know this?!

Before I go on, let me say this: there is absolutely no benefit to early cord clamping. Quite simply, there is only harm done. Unfortunately it is a habit that many doctors and midwifes have so if you want them to wait make sure you tell them!

If you are pregnant you know about cord blood banking. It's in every pregnancy magazine and website. So why is it available? Because umbilical cord blood really is amazing. However, we fail to notice something very important: if we deprive our babies of cord blood in the first place, we may only be contributing to them needing it later!

Early cord clamping has been associated with respiratory distress, anemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and late-onset sepsis among others. There is even some speculation that early cord clamping contributes to autism. Delaying the cord clamping for just a few minutes decreases the chances of all of these complications!

If you think about it, it makes sense. If you cut the cord early, the infant is being deprived of nearly HALF of its blood supply! Let mother nature do her thing. She knows a thing or two.

Cord blood is not ordinary blood.

Sunday Night Sucks... So Cheer Up!

Just another video (I didn't make) to cheer you up on the suckiest night of the week!

One of my all time favorites!

                                                

Pregnancy Brings Out Our True Colors

What is my color? Control freak.

I have realized that I am in fact one of those hideous freaks of control. To me this came as a surprise though my husband laughed at my realization. Apparently he had always been privy to this information.

I try to go with the flow, but it is so hard for me! I remember one time someone read my palm and the first thing they said to me was: "Woah, you need to lighten up." Hmmm... easier said than done.

My cousin is pregnant and she is just the opposite of me. She's waiting until the birth of her child to find out the sex. Me? I found out the first chance I got because I needed to be prepared. She has a "it's natural so things will go the way it should" attitude. I have a chart on my wall to track my daily intake of water, kegals, vitamin and exercise. Not even a joke.

I have started to meditate and it seems to be helping. Marginally.

I suppose every step in the right direction is good...

A Church of... Acceptance?

I've always envied the sense of community a person must feel when they are a member of a religious congregation. To become part of a community like that always felt like something I should do, but any group that says being gay is a sin is not okay with me. (There are other ideological conflicts I have, but that one popped into my head first.)

I thought that my envy would stay that way because there was no way I was going to be a part of that nor let my children. Couldn't anyone get down to the core values of love, acceptance, peace and openness without damning others to hell? I used to think it was impossible before hearing about UU.

When I first heard about the Unitarian Universalist church, I never thought that it would be up to par with my expectations. Turns out that maybe I was wrong. Anyone and everyone is welcome regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and even religious affiliation. I have yet to attend a service, but I have found a UU church in the area where my husband and I will be moving to soon. Reading their local website, I realized that this may be the community I have been looking for:

"Our mission is to encourage free expression of philosophical, spiritual and religious beliefs, work for social justice, provide religious education, deepen our acceptance of ourselves and others, and unite as a caring community." I'm skeptical because that is my nature, but have high hopes.

We shall see!

If you are even a little interested, here is the website for the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Do NOT Use Sleep Positioners for Your Baby!

Ever since I learned that babies are only supposed to sleep on their backs (it reduces the chances of SIDS by a crazy amount) and started to register at stores, I learned of sleep positioners. They are like two tubular foam pillows that are attached to each other by a piece of fabric or wedge. They are made so that babies will stay on their backs while sleeping and they seemed like a perfectly logical solution. So I registered for one.

I am taking it OFF my registry immediately!

Since the emergence of said sleep positioners, they have caused babies to die of suffocation! Both the CPSC and the FDA have issued warnings against them recently. Read more here.

SPREAD THE WORD! Never ever use a sleep positioner! All you have to do is place your beautiful baby on its back in a crib free of anything but him or her. (no pillows, blanket, toys, etc...) That baby blanket your best friend worked on for weeks from the wool that they sheared and spun into yarn themselves? Either use it to swaddle, or don't use it at all until after they have reached their first birthday. Here's an awesome guide to keeping your baby safe and your mind sane.

If you know anyone with an infant or who is pregnant, let them know. It could save their child's life.