Ouchie!!! When Mastitis strikes!

The blogging hiatus is over!  I have had no time for such indulgences like blogging as I have been super busy with so many things. Firstly I was made redundant, so have been all kinds of busy preparing job applications and going to interviews.  Besides that, I've been working on a business idea with a friend that will hopefully make us multi-millionaires in no time at all.  I've had family over visiting, a battle with a cold that lasted an entire week, and  of course an increasingly obstreperous toddler hurtling towards her second birthday and demanding dancing at every hour of the day.

But now I'm going to try and make a little more effort and get back on the blogging wagon!  And I have so many things I want to ask you about and share with you......

However I'm going to start with the dreaded mastitis.  My best friend and mother of two exquisite twin boys Oscar & Isaac is suffering and I've been looking around the web for any tips that might help her.  She's been rather amazingly I think finding breastfeeding both boys a bit of a breeze until now.  I think she deserves an award for managing to breastfeed twins for so long (about 3 months now I think)!  So I know she isn't going to let a thing like Mastitis beat her either.  I can't speak from personal experience as I never had to suffer it, probably because I only managed 6 weeks of breastfeeding before losing what felt like an unholy battle with my efforts.

So here are my findings for those wanting to avoid antibiotics....

Mastitis affects many, many mothers (one in ten in the UK) and recurrent mastitis is often the demise of breastfeeding early on. It’s not only painful, but causes overall body aches and fever as your body tries to fight it off.  It can come on suddenly without warning with varied symptoms including redness, pain, or warmth in the affected area of the breast, elevated temperature, overall illness & misery, pain while breastfeeding, as well as swelling of the breast.
Just like other illnesses when breastfeeding, many mothers aren't keen to take the antibiotics that you'll get given at the doc's. Despite the worry that it'll be going into baby's bloodstream in your milk, antibiotics can start a cycle of yeast overgrowth leading to recurrent mastitis, thrush, vaginal yeast infections, yeast diaper rashes, digestive issues, and eczema just to name a few. So what's a sore and pissed off mother to do??

Firstly, enlist some much needed help and relief with babies and house so you can focus all your attention and little strength remaining on healing yourself.  Take some probiotics or lots of natural yogurt to help tackle the yeast and cut out sugary products to back this up.

Secondly boost your immune system.  An obvious one really, but I wanted to share some of things that work for me when I'm feeling rundown.  My immediate go-to product for a vitamin or energy boost is Berrocca.      Boots often does 3for2 offers, but Tesco does it's own version at half the price.  This works pretty good for hangovers too!  As I wasn't sure if this was so good for Baby Wild while I was breastfeeding (or pregnant for that matter) I relied upon Floradix and still swear by it!  You can buy some here.  It's not cheap, but works wonders during pregnancy and after birth.  I shopped at Napier's, which has this great advice leaflet for other natural remedies.

Next up get the garlic into you!  Raw garlic is also highly beneficial in boosting immune function as well as fighting of the mastitis because of it’s anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties.  Grate garlic over your meals throughout the day.  Or mix finely chopped or minced garlic mixed with a spoonful of honey to drink if you prefer.  Best to take it during meals though as it could upset an empty stomach.

Now that you've gotten some additional help and carers to help you, retreat to bed with the baby and get as much sleep as you can when not breastfeeding.  As you know although it's the last thing you want to do, feeding as much as you can is really the only and best way through the hellishness of mastitis.  If you don't feel that your baby (or babies in this case) are emptying your milk supplies each time then use a pump or hand express the remaining milk yourself.

Drink buckets of water, and massage the inflamed breast to try and unblock the plugged ducts.  Using a heat pad or hot water bottle/lavender bag can help alleviate soreness and keep milk flowing.  If that doesn't work though, then try switching to ice packs instead to reduce inflammation.  Hot showers, going bra less as much as possible and raw potatoes have also been employed for some mothers, and no that's not just the Irishness in me coming through!  Honest - check out this natural treatment advice list for proof!

This mother has Breastfeeding First Aid kit she has drawn up which is rather impressive.  Highly recommended!
If you're big into homemade medicines, you could try this website for some advice.

But in the end, if it goes on for more than a couple of days and none of the ideas above are helping, let's face it - for your own sanity you're gonna need to go to the doctors......

Mrs A, I hope you make a speedy recovery! x

A quiet spell

I've been channeling my creative energy into other avenues the past few weeks and haven't had any time for blogging.  Which has given me a chance to reflect on the whole blogging & social media sphere too, and how much of my energy I can give to it.  I do enjoy gathering my thoughts & finds together into a little portal of my own!  So hopefully I'll get a chance to put some of my latest ideas into action over the next few weeks, & post some things that I'd like to stumble across online myself!

After speaking to a beautiful pregnant friend in London last week to share some advice, I started to remember a few more tips which I've added to my growing Top Tips List.  Follow the link for the new additions regarding beating the pregnancy blues, and covering bumps on a budget.

I'm also hoping to put together some BabyMama Interviews to show on here.  It was such a relief to me to read other people's experiences and stories when TT first came along, & remains a relief to hear from fellow bloggers such as the side-splittingly hilarious Scary Mommy that I'm not alone in sometimes finding motherhood less than delightful at times! 

And as ever I'll be trawling the interweb to gather together my favourite ideas & bits of advice to share with you here. 
For example - have you ever tried making your own medicine or cold & flu cures?  I've just made some batches of syrup for winter.  The recipes are here on my other more hippy blog!

Couldn't resist showing off one of my dear friend's teeny tiny twins!

Triple P Parenting

Whilst doing some research for the real day job earlier this afternoon, I came across some NHS advice for parents in the Greater Glasgow Area.  It's called Triple P Parenting, which stands for Positive Parenting Program.  It sounds a bit American, in fact it was developed at the University of Queensland in Australia and describes itself as "a system of easy to implement, proven parenting solutions that helps solve current parenting problems and prevents future problems before they arise" according to the 1990's styled website.  It's a user friendly approach, to help parents who are struggling with any aspect of raising a family.  Whether you just need a simple solution to a particular problem, or are having serious problems and have no idea where to start to look for help, Triple P is being suggested as the place to go.  Advice can come in free group sessions, or in regular organised seminars or podcasts.


I thought I'd share this post as this is all news to me.  I'm not sure whether it's something I'd use myself, but it may be a saviour for many struggling parents out there.  I probably would have run to the nearest seminar on Tantrums a few weeks ago when TT was at her worst!  I just read these tips on toddler taming, nothing new or revolutionary, but maybe just what the doctor ordered on a tired and frazzled day when you just want to run away.  But can't, obviously.  If you want more detail follow any of the links above or see this outrageously outdated leaflet.

Me, I preferred Super Nanny US.  Taught me everything I needed to know whilst simultaneously making me feel like the best mother on earth in comparison to some of the families on the show!  Nasty?  But true.

TT's best friend and neighbour dancing on her birthday - cute! But entirely unrelated to this post!

Shopping!

Used to be such a joyful experience.  Now I get a thrill out of walking around Tesco's on my own, like I used to once upon a time when I bought clothes. Those days are gone my friends.  As many of you can vouch for, shopping now means undertaking military precision planning with decoys planted in every pocket and snacks stashed for each till visited.

My pitiful attempt last weekend, which ran foul of nap time and thus was ear piercingly cut short denying the most major items on my list, got me thinking of where I'd recommend to any of my new-parent friends.  So here's my summary of the major shopping malls/shops in West of Scotland....

For me, the best option now is Braehead Shopping Centre, between Paisley and Glasgow off the M8.  It's nothing exciting, but then I would say that about most malls!  I spent many fun filled spontaneous child free years avoiding the repetition of shopping malls.  They are however a god send to parents & babysitting grandparents alike.  Apart from the obvious fact that the weather is one less thing to have to plan for, they do house most of the places that we need to visit every now and then for new kids clothes / yet more stuff from Boots / a nosy at all the clothes I can no longer fit into.  Braehead is the most child friendly round these parts, by an Irish mile.  I spent many happy afternoons of my mat-leave happily quaffing lattes (what calories?) and smiling at the new gurgling person glued to my boobs.  It's got fantastic baby changing and best of all adult toilets that you can fit a pram into for when you're alone with bubba.  Why don't more places have this?!!

To my mind Silverburn is the posher version of Braehead.  It's got way more restaurants to cafes and fancier shops to swoon over such as Kurt Keiger.  The aisles are also wider, making it easier to navigate if you have more than one child.  But the baby changing facilities are shite in comparison to Braehead, tiny, poky wee rooms and no adult + baby loos together for when you're out alone (with the baby that is).  Like Braehead they do also have a great Child Safe scheme, but I'm not quite at that age with TT yet, so am only speaking from my own experience here.

Seeing as we are heading towards Glasgow, lets go into the city centre.  Glasgow city centre is NOT baby friendly.  We have actually been kicked out of places for the audacity of taking a pram anywhere near the premises once whilst looking to meet family for lunch (avoid the extraordinarily rude Lab Bar at all costs if you have a child with you).  I don't want to go to Macky D's or Burger King or KFC thank you very bloody much. I want real food and some easy finger food we can share with the tiny terrorist please!  Moreover I want wine!  Alas, it's just easier to leave the scramblers at home if you fancy imbibing any alcohol at all.  There are a tiny few wonderful places you can take kids (mainly West Brewery, but shhhhhhhhhhh it's a secret) but mostly just accept that you shall never wonder far from Debenhams or John Lewis.  John Lewis preferably, for it's extremely child friendly cafes on 2 floors and excellent breastfeeding and baby changing facilities.

Besides this is the realisation that shopping locally for local seasonal foods is a temporarily lost treat under the toddler years.  It's major chain stores all the way for the time being.  Let's face it, time is tight now, budgets even tighter (UNDERSTATEMENT) and I now need to be armed with babywipes and cheap foods to bribe TT with for each aisle.  My top tip - bags of carrots are super cheap and make great teething toys and crunchies for getting a noisy toddler out of Tesco/Asda/Sainsburies/wherever with any degree of sanity, patience and dignity intact.  Looks saintlier than crisps, costs less than a bag of grapes!

GROAN. How boring parenthood can be!  Never mind the carrots, thank god for the wine aisle.....

Work Life Balance vs Parenthood

Why are we so nervous to discuss how we balance our busy lives and parenting I wonder?  I was thinking about this following a truly inspired series of musings and interviews on my most favourite blog A Cup of Jo.  Do read it, it was for once refreshingly honest about how Jo, and seven other mothers she spoke to, balance raising a family with working, busy lives and time with loved ones.  I have a similar set up as Jo, in that I often work from home and squeeze in hours to suit TT's routine. But I have to admit that hours devoted to play time, and only play time are few and far between. And almost only at weekends when we go out exploring.  However TT gets so excited when Daddy Wild comes home and adores playing with him in the evenings, so it's not all deprivation of attention!

Oh how I wish I could afford to only work part time and spend more time playing with TT outdoors.  What are your thoughts on the juggling and balancing acts of parenting?

My own ever growing Top Tips List

Here are a list of things I wish someone had told me (and repeated until I understood!)....
this list shall grow over time as I have never fully recovered from baby brain and retain a sketchy memory....

1) Do not underestimate how different your life and world feel once you become a mother. Nearly two years on and I am only just beginning to understand this.

2)You can never have enough bananas, or bibs. Bananas solve most hunger pangs, sooth bad moods, are to bribe to complete many an order! But it does not wash out of any clothing so do not offer when baby is in her Sunday best!

3) Sleep time comforters ROCK. So keep them in the cot to encourage baby to want to go to bed to see their favourite toy. And make sure you have at least one spare to employ whilst one is in the wash or incase one gets lost - heaven forbid!  TT cherishes hers & would never sleep or calm down with out him, who has the rather odd name of Boris.  Everyone in our extended family knows who Boris is, so really he has become another family member almost.

4) Vary the foods you eat towards the end of pregnancy to get baby used to different flavours and spices.  It means she will eat most of what you eat in her early years and minimises risk of being a fussy eater. So it works out cheaper and easier in the longer term!

5) Baby Nurofen may cost a lot but solves a lot more pains than Calpol. Teething powders simply don't work, this has been scientifically proven unfortunately.  Use a Nuby Nibbler (can buy in most supermarkets)with frozen banana pieces instead.

6) Be kind to yourself. I'm referring to the look after yourself - mentally & physically - self kindness here, not the cakes and lie-ins variety!  I had a traumatic birth (or should that read Baby Wild had a traumatic birth?!) but felt fit as a fiddle with in 2 days and expected to be fighting fit within weeks again. I tried to pick up running again to shift the baby weight (I'm still waiting) and couldn't understand all these weird pains I'd never really noticed before.  The doctors had no idea either so I just stopped trying to run.  20 months on and all these aches and pains have mysteriously disappeared signalling that I am only now physically ready to work out at my former fitness levels. You really do need to pay attention to what your body is telling you, no matter how healthy you think you are.  I stubbornly refused to believe anyone when they suggested my mind and body would never be the same again.

7) Bottle Feeding - best but most common tip I was told was to get baby used to having her bottle at room temperature.  Makes life a heck of a lot easier when you don't have to find a way to heat up bottles out & about or in the middle of the night!

8) Bump bands. Are you mad? Do you have money to burn lady? Just cut the top of some tank tops and vests you wore on summer and use them instead.  They'll already co-ordinate with your wardrobe too.  I managed to get away with  buying only one pair of maternity trousers for slouching around at home in comfort.  The rest of the time I used hair bobbles to hold my normal trousers up by hooking them through the button holes.

9) Beat the blues with natural oils.  Orange essential oil is proven to lift moods and is really soothing yet refreshing.  Cheap and cheerful personified!  Sprinkle a few drops on a handkerchief or piece of pretty cloth and keep in your pocket for those days when you feel like shit and the pregnancy symptoms just aren't helping!  It can also be used for Flatulence, Constipation, Stress, Slow Digestion Dull Skin, Colds & Flu!!  Just google it for where to buy online for a couple of pounds.  I still use it actually in winter in an oil burner to lighten my mood in dark evenings.  Much cheaper than scented candles too.

Breastfeeding

Oh my god I hated every minute of breastfeeding.  I was not one of those fortunate ladies who take to it instantly, and find it a bonding and loving experience.  No sir! It was pain all the way!  But being a stubborn and determined mama, I stuck it out for as long as I could... which was only 6 weeks in my case.

I would never had lasted that long without a whole army of support.  I'm not exaggerating - I had a breastfeeding 'buddy' who was at the end of the phone with advice and would visit for moral support (!), attended the local breastfeeding club - although that was mostly for the free lunch and to try make new friends (I didn't), and of course I had the bossy midwives visiting to help out.  Making it to the breastfeeding club by lunchtime on a Thursday always felt like such a miraculous triumph & achievement!  Although I found the staff intimidating, it was so useful and encouraging too, especially since I struggled so much.

But the crucial point came when my favourite mid wive came to visit one day and I broke down in tears with exhaustion and pain.  Taking pity on me she shared the best 2 tips I have.  The first one was how to get baby to sleep on her own.  The second was possibly controversial, but a total life saver in my case - that you can top up breastfeeding with bottle feeding!  Wow!  SO simple, why had no-one shared this with me before?!  Because the other midwives insisted that once baby had fed from a bottle she'd never go back to breast (it's apparently more difficult - like a hungry baby cares!) and that all my milk would instantly dry up and vanish! Bollocks to that.  That night was the first time any of us got some decent sleep since the birth.  Baby Wild had a full belly for the first time, and was tricked into thinking she sleeping on Daddy Native's chest, and I was a whole world calmer.

The point of this is simple - don't be afraid to work out what works for you.  The 'professionals' aren't always right and can't know what's right for you individually.  There are no rules, throw away the books and follow your instinct - you know you're doing all you can the best you can for baby, and therefore she's going to be fine!