Preggie Pals

baby

Survival Tips for Pumping at Work

February 20th, 2013 by Michelle Viquez

With my recent return to work I found myself a bit over confident with my pumping plans. Luckily, I typically work in a private office so locking my door is sufficient. However, there are times that I am sharing an office space and I have to go hunt down an empty room to get my pump on!

The first couple weeks was a big adjustment. I knew my plan was to feed baby last thing before leaving, get to work, two hours later – pump session 1, pump session 2 (lunch), and pump session 3 (mid afternoon). Simple. After a few days I found myself stretching those minutes longer and longer. Especially since I was getting back in the swing of things with my job role. (more…)

Post Baby Body Struggles

November 27th, 2012 by Meagan Church

Just before the birth of our third child, my husband decided to commit to getting fit. Over the last 10 months, he has dropped weight and added a lot of muscle. He looks great. I’m happy for him. And I’m frustrated for myself.

I’m not sure if it’s age or baby number three, but my body has not recovered in the same way it did after my first two children. I gained 40+ pounds with each of my pregnancies and was able to take most of the weight off within a year, minus a few lingering pounds. As of right now, I am nearly 10 months post-partum and within a couple pounds of pre-baby weight. Even so, my body is not the same. My stomach especially looks as though it has just given up. It is a protruding flabby mess. At least in my eyes. (more…)

How Breastfeeding Changed My Life

October 7th, 2012 by Shannon Stubbs

When we first discovered I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed.  To be honest, I’m not sure why I knew that, but using formula never occurred to me.  When my daughter was born, we jumped on the breastfeeding train.  But we hit some bumps along the way.  A huge bump – like a struggle with low supply.  I remember sitting there for those first few days when we were home bawling my eyes out!  My sweet little girl was losing weight – over a pound.  They told me, breastfeed her, pump, feed that to her, offer her formula.  This consumed my day, not to mention exhausted me!  But I would do anything to get her to gain weight.

John kept telling me, it’s not a big deal.  Who cares?  Just give her formula.  He didn’t get it!  As if my hormones weren’t already off the chart, I couldn’t stop crying.  I mean, how could I be a good mom if I couldn’t even make enough milk to feed my baby?  This poor girl had no chance because I was failing already!  That is when it really hit me – I didn’t just want to breastfeed my baby, I had to breastfeed my baby!  If it didn’t work, I felt I was failing.  So we nursed, and pumped and offered her formula. (more…)

Persevering with a Fussy Feeder

August 14th, 2012 by Meagan Church

Six months ago, I gave birth to baby number three. With my first two, I had smooth pregnancies, pretty good birth experiences and they were excellent breast feeders. One of my biggest fears during my third pregnancy was that my luck had run out and that this third child would throw me for a loop. I made it through pregnancy just fine and had a quick water birth. Then the breastfeeding began and my fears were soon to be realized.

Adelyn started out being a great nurser in the hospital. She latched and nursed within an hour after birth. She fed fine and often, and my milk came in without a problem. She was a fast and efficient eater from the get-go. Then at about six weeks of age, it all changed. I remember the day it happened. My mom was over and I sat down on the couch to feed Adelyn. I put on a nursing cover and we started our session, only she wasn’t wanting to latch well. She’d latch, release and cry. This went on for a few minutes and then I decided to head to a private room free of noisy siblings, so I could take off the cover and focus better. She eventually fed and at the time I thought it was just a one-time fussy feeding. But instead it soon became the norm. (more…)