I ran across some neato video clips on breastfeeding that include some things I had never heard of. One is his compression technique (HOW many times was I told to not squeeze the breast?!) and another is his use of tubing stuck in a bottle with a cut open nipple as a lactation aid. If you are pregnant and planning on breastfeeding, watch his compression technique clips- it’s great for when the baby is at the breast but not sucking and he shows you exactly what to look for to see when your baby is swallowing milk.
Here’s a link to his website. Click Breastfeeding Help and then Video Clips.
Here is another link to a site that includes some of his articles and some of the same videos.
Click on the extended entry link to see a copy of a handout on lactation aids.

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Well I discovered that my m/s can be stress related! :/
I have been stressed today with all the spring cleaning we need to do before Bren’s birthday. We’ve mainly been accomplishing the outside work but that leaves the entire house! 😯 🙁 It’s not filthy or anything but could use some improvement and decluttering.
We did errands all day yesterday and I felt great but bombed last night from having done too much. I woke up this morning and noticed I was a bit dizzy. As the morning progessed and we planted a few things and I cleaned some windows- the up & down movements were making me dizzier and dizzier. I stopped cleaning and got upset because I was thinking I was never going to get anything accomplished this way and then noticed I was nauseous. It got worse until I finally started crying. DH has me sit down and watch an episode of Good Eats with him and I felt much better afterwards. I had stressed myself sick. 🙁
He’s going to take me out to eat and I guess I’ll just try to do and think about 1 thing at a time.
In other news…
One neat thing we discovered yesterday was a humongous 2 story restaurant called Chaco’s & Chalucci’s. We love Chacho’s Mexican food so we went in hoping it was the same. They had the Chacho’s Mexican food but they also had Chalucci’s pizza, a burrito bar, a bakery, an italian ice creamery, a smoothie bar and a margarita bar!!! Not to mention a 2 story tall kid’s tunnel playground- the biggest one I have ever seen with slides and toys and all kinds of crazy things! Not all the restaurant areas were open yet nor was the 2nd story billiards, games and dining areas but when this goes full swing it is going to be a mass of people! With great food and free excellent entertainment for the kids plus open 24 hours (2 areas serve breakfast- one hot and the other donuts and pastries)- how can you go wrong? It was simply amazing! Watch out Chuck E. Cheese!!
When I lay on my back in bed and pay attention, I can feel the baby move some. Sometimes it’s fluttery and other times it is more of a shifting of weight. I am guessing the placenta implanter at the top or back this time- yay! I can feel the top of my uterus and it’s right at my belly button. I was surprised because I read that it was supposed to be there at 20 weeks and I am at 17 now. I looked back at my records with Bren and sure enough, the first time the Dr. felt for the height of the uterus was at 24 weeks and I was measuring several weeks ahead. She even commented, “Big uterus!” But by 40 and 41 weeks I was measuring right at 40 weeks. Darrell still says I don’t look any bigger to him. LOL.
I still have the dizziness, constipation, headaches and nausea but not all the time or every day. My hip pains are so much better and I am starting to feel more hungry now. Still don’t know what I want to eat but know that I do want to eat. Fruits are definitely still the most appealing items. Not cooking, where I don’t smell the food or even think about food before I eat it helps too. An aversion I don’t think I have mentioned is barbeque sauce.
Bren is his same old self- an angel at home with wild tendencies late at night. He cries before every nap and going to bed at night. He just hates to stop to sleep! He loves water-play, whether in the sink or with the hose outside. He even took his first willing shower with me yesterday and loved it. He has been watching Rolly Poly Ollie and calls it “Poh-wee”- hard to distinguish from potty and for a while I thought he was saying party. He hates to ride in carts and complains about being put in the stroller but just can’t keep close to us in stores- and he’s even hid a couple of times. But if trips are short we try to let him get the exercise and just bear his antics. Our neighborhood HEB and Wal-Mart are always jam packed though. Just 6 days til his birthday party and 8 days til he turns 3. He’s such a little man now. Very independent yet still shy of strangers. 🙂 Sniffle.
Four days until the ultrasound. I am starting to dread it. I know I will be disappointed if it is not a daughter and I am trying to come to terms with how a son would be great too. Just trying to remain distracted. I remember feeling this way last time as well- I just want to KNOW so I can move on with whatever I am given and be happy.

Had the Quad Screen bloodwork done on Monday. Had to deal with a vampire that didn’t want me or my insurance until DH went over her head and got someone to tell her to take my damn blood. She missed the veins in both arms and finally got some blood out of the side of the knuckle in my right hand. Blew the vein though and my hand was sore for the rest of the day.
But the results are worth the effort!
Neural Tube defects: 1:25,000
Down Syndrome: 1:6,400 (based on age alone- 1:586)
Trisomies: 1:44,376
Woohooooo! I am happy!
ONE WEEK TO GO!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a list of current pregnancy blogs. What a great idea! I love to read about other women’s pregnancies and births!
Babes in Blogland

Here’s Brendan just today making a face for the camera.

Here I am 5 days ago at 15w2d pregnant in the shirt my MIL bought me for the wedding. I definitely look LESS pregnant than in the 13 weeks pic. *Shrugs*

Here’s a pic of the potential coming home outfit- if it’s a girl, of course. It’s a little onesie and skirt. It is bound to be 95 degrees+ in August here so I was looking for light clothing. I also wanted a white outfit since Brendan wore white. Kind of a purity thing, I guess. I love the little butterfly on the skirt- matches the nursery stuff I posted earlier.

*****
Brendan now finds his own snacks. He pushes a chair across the kitchen and can reach into the cabinet where we store things like applesauce cups and crackers. We have to watch anything left on the tables or counters too.