The Eccentric American Mama in Cumbria

1. If I told him I would rather he suck on my nipple then suck on a silicone teat there would be no arguement, he would 100% prefer the real teat to the fake one and if my breasts needed a rest from aggressive eating he'd happily come back when I'd recovered. 2. If I handed him a blue cup rather than an orange one he would not scream at the top of his lungs at me and fall to the ground sobbing because I hadn't realised his colour preference. As long as the cup had beer I'd be worshipped. 3. If he woke up at night hungry and I said, not tonight honey I need my sleep he'd be totally fine with that. 4. He never fights naps, naps are awesome and he does a happy dance whenever it's nap time. He's never once turned down a nap or kicked me in the breasts because I told him it was nap time. 5. I chose my husband. Don't get me wrong, I love my children, and although we chose to have children we didn't hand pick them. They arrived with their own unique persona...

When Drew started to offer bump castings I didn't think this was something I would ever be interested in doing. However, I decided to give it a go and I'm really happy I did. Although I didn't save the original cast (something I have gone back and forth about since disposing of it) Drew captured some gorgeous photos of Sage in the cast that I will cherish forever. Since this was my last pregnancy these pictures are all the more precious. Also, when Drew took these photos at Day 12 Sage was nearly at her birth weight so it was a good depiction of her size when she was inside my womb. The bump cast going on, Cyril stealing the show as usual, little does he know baby sister will soon make her debut. Adorably chunky inside her cast. Big smiles inside a tiny bowl. Cuddles with mama, Sage was a star during the photoshoot and didn't open her eyes once! Checking out his little sister, two seconds later he was pulling her hair. Our favourite photo, a...

As I looked around the house yesterday, blocks strewn across the floor, Hobson pulling burs off his fur and placing them strategically around the freshly vacuumed floor, Sage vomiting milk on her sanitised play mat, I sighed a breath of frustration which turned into a breath of relief as I said to myself, "I'll miss this craziness one day." I'll miss them needing me. I'll miss Cyril's eyes pooling with tears when I stepped outside yesterday and held the door shut so I could hear the health visitor on the other line. I'll miss Cyril repeating, "Want big cuddles Mama" with arms outstretched and when I tell him I can't right now because I'm feeding baby I'll miss the next line, "Mama give Sage to Gaga, Mama put Sage down, want big cuddles Mama NOW!" I'll miss his little hand reaching up towards mine so he doesn't fall on the way down to the river or get stung by any lingering nettles and when he decides he...

I'm sure I sound like a broken record at this point and I'm positive Josh is tired of my constant feeding updates, she latched on today but didn't empty the breast, she refused to latch on, the midwife thinks it's a lost cause, the lactation consultant thinks its tongue tie, the health visitor thinks I should try her with a nipple shield, supportive friends tell me to reach for the bottle, and the frenzy in my mind continues. What if I did this? Maybe I should have ignored the midwife when she put me on the feeding schedule after Sage lost too much weight, if only I knew Helen existed earlier, why didn't I seek her out at the breastfeeding support group, how could I have missed the signs of thrush? Did I do everything I could? Am I missing valuable bonding time with both children because of this feeding obsession? STOP! You are enough, you've done enough, you've gone above and beyond this time. When things first started to unravel at day 5, with the ...

Ten Ways Daisy Bjrthing Helped me to have the labour and delivery I always wanted: 1. When my contractions first started I knew that I needed to alternate between rest and being active. Resting allowed me the energy I needed to get through labour and delivery and being active allowed Sage to engage in the pelvis which then allowed my cervix to open. 2. The first contractions were irregular and strong but not so strong that I couldn't go for a walk. During these contractions I used the deep breathing technique in class to quiet the fight or flight response and allow extra oxygen to reach the uterus. It also gave me practice for when things got more intense. 3. Hanging over the birth ball gave me the support I needed but allowed gravity to do its job by keeping my body upright. 4. I selected the three mantras from a list Katherine recited to us during deep relaxation and they really helped me to stay focused. 5.  Based on the intensity and frequency of the contractions I was able to ...

For the most part my hospital bag was spot on. However there were a few items I wished I brought and some that weren't really necessary. What I needed/wanted: * More drinks, in particular orange/apple juice  * My comfortable loose pyjama bottoms instead of my lululemon leggings, too much bulk with the pad and since I needed stitches not very comfortable post delivery. * Baby wipes. Seriously, how did I forget to pack these? Fortunately their was a lady in my ward that leant me hers. * Ear plugs and an eye mask. The lady next to me snored and she didn't even wake up when the babies started crying! * smaller baby grows. Sage was so tiny, the clothes I packed were massive. * Slippers * More fruit and trail mix. The toast post delivery just didn't cut it and I went through all of our snacks pretty quickly that night! What I Didn't Need: * An entire package of maxi pads. Actually I didn't really need any as the hospital supplied these but it saved me having to ring my be...

A letter from a dear friend in California when I was recovering from a traumatic birth, struggling to breastfeed, and finding it difficult to find any light in my days. Most of the advice is breastfeeding related and should be read by anyone who is pregnant, recently had a baby or is experiencing any difficulty nursing. You're not alone and this advice could save you from a lot of pain. I wouldn't have known I had mastitis if it wasn't for Lauren.   Hi Tatiana! Okay. So here are my opinions and things I learned- obviously I am NOT a professional.   Nipple shields- I never used one. This could help your nipples from getting raw. After three days, I started bleeding from Emma. It is unbelievably painful. To be honest, it takes about 1 month for it to be almost bearable. I think it took me a lot longer. I would cringe every time I went to feed her. It got so bad, that I’d start to cry before I knew I had to feed her because it would hurt so badly. I feel your pain.   If you ...