Breastfeeding is Hard

There, I said it. Breastfeeding is really hard. Haig Arthur is 3 months now and I can say so far that our breastfeeding journey has been interesting.

When Haig Arthur was born premature, the nurses recommended we try using a breast shield for nursing so he could have a better latch with his small mouth. While we were in the nursery, he was a very lazy feeder. He was losing weight so they put him on a feeding tube for a few days. When he was on the feeding tube though he almost always got my own breast milk. The night that my milk came in I thought I had two boulders on my chest. It was such a strange experience. I asked for ice packs and hot packs during the night to help with the engorgement. He gained more weight and they took him off the feeding tube but he was still falling asleep as he nursed so we gave him bottles of expressed breast milk so we could try and get out of the hospital sooner rather than later. When we left the hospital, he was doing great taking a bottle and breast.

Our first few weeks at home were alright. We had a couple troubled times of engorged breasts and a couple inflammations of blocked ducts. One time it was so bad, nothing seemed to work but I kept doing my research. I took hot showers and placed hot face cloths on my breasts. I nursed on my hands and knees which probably looked so ridiculous but it did the trick. As challenging as it was sometimes, and painful for the blocked duct I kept nursing. I knew Haig was gaining weight even using the breast shield, so we kept using it. Right before we left the hospital, the lactation consultant (who only came to help me once during my 10-day stay) bluntly said "well we should probably try and get rid of the shield before you leave". I was so upset. Here I was as a new mom and we found something that worked well for him to nurse and she basically wanted me to throw it in the garbage. Although it has been an inconvenience because I always need to have it wherever we go, the shield seems to work well for us, especially because Haig can still tend to be a little lazy while breastfeeding.

In late March I was struggling again. My nipples and breasts were sore and I was having strange sensations in them even when Haig wasn't nursing. I tried reaching out to a couple of supports but I was nervous about where to go and find help. I finally met with our prenatal instructor and she helped me very much. I went to see her with the intention of getting rid of the nipple shield for a more natural breastfeeding experience, but after she observed his feeding she made some good suggestions about how well he feeds with it compared to without the shield. She also said the sensations were just hormones and that I would know if something was wrong because these sensations would be more painful if I was having an infection. I have been nursing Haig more since we met with her but I also still give him a bottle so that dad can help us with this feeding experience. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy breastfeeding but it has been hard for me to like it some days. I just think for something that is suppose to be so "natural" it can really be tough.

a space to create

I have made a few changes to my blog the last few weeks. I added one more header link. I thought about what to add for a topic for a little while and decided that I need to create more. As a young and busy mom at home, I don't have much time to myself. However when I do get a few minutes to myself I should be using that time to do something productive rather than sitting around watching shows or browsing my phone. I hope that over the next few months I will be more motivated to create. If you want to keep checking the tab create, I will be linking my hands-on posts there as well as any creative inspiration that I am having. Hope you enjoy.

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MARCH: 3 Months

March 23rd 2017

Book of the Month: Everywhere Babies 
by Susan Meyers

Haig is three months old. 

Starting sleeping in the nursery in his crib

Fell in love with Auntie Kayla & Auntie Victoria

Working on more tummy time

Celebrated Grandpa's birthday!

Went on his first roadtrip to Nova Scotia!
Loves to hold hands when he nurses

Trying to go on more walks in the stroller, spring is almost here!
Feeling lucky to have so many wonderful baby friends in our lives, 
especially a special little friend who was born today...

Tale as Old as Time

My sister came home to visit this past weekend and I hosted a small and simple bridal shower for her. I love to entertain and I wish I could do it more often, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for this occasion. I am sure we will do lots more when she comes home for her wedding in May too, but I just thought this would be a nice way to celebrate that she is a bride-to-be. Beauty and The Beast came out the same day, and we were hoping to see it this weekend but we didn't end up having time after a 24 hour trip to Halifax we were all so tired. I loved making the decorations for this party, but now I need to start hunting and crafting for the spring wedding! Thanks to our sweet friends Amanda, Cyndi, Megan, Stephanie and also Mom for coming over to celebrate Kayla. 

First time in Nova Scotia

We took a quick road trip to Nova Scotia this weekend for Kayla to go to the temple for the first time. She had a lovely experience. We left early Friday morning, we stopped at Masstown Market for lunch and we successfully nursed in public for the first time. I was not impressed that their bathrooms were still under renovations. They looked the same from when I was there in October going over for Thanksgiving. There was no change table in the womens room so we had to change Haig on a window ledge. At least my mom was there to help me. When we arrived in Dartmouth, we tried to go get Kayla and Keaton's marriage license. She didn't have the right identification for Keaton so she was unable to get it but its okay because they will have some time before the actual wedding in May to go and take care of things. After that we headed to my in-laws and we stayed there until going to the temple that evening. My sweet friend Brittany was able to come with us and she also came over before to meet little Haig Arthur. After the temple, we came home and most of us went straight to bed, it was such a long day!

In the morning, my parents and Kayla went to the temple again and our friend Maia visited us with her girls Georgia and Ruby. It was so good to see them again and we hope they can visit us on PEI soon. It was nice to spend some time with my mother-in-law. I am so grateful for all she does for me and my little family. Once my family got home we got ready to leave. We stopped at Masstown Market again for some lunch. Can you tell we really like that place? It was a pretty busy and quick trip and I am disappointed that I didn't take more pictures, but I don't really want to take my little baby in and out of the car seat in this cold weather any more than I have to. We will visit again in the spring as a family and take baby's first pictures in Nova Scotia, at the temple, with his aunties and uncles, at the Confederation Bridge and much more!

the cutest boy I know

my little man is my life. Haig got his first immunizations on Monday and he did so great. He now weighs 13lbs 1oz and he is looking bigger and bigger everyday. Today we went to our first music class and he slept the whole time. I was pretty embarrassed sitting with the other parents and they just kept smiling and sort of giggling at us, but everyone was super nice and told me he was such a sweet baby. Daddy is at work now and we are at home relaxing. Tonight Grandma is coming to babysit while I go to church for young womens. He loves when Grandma is here. He is such a happy little boy. This week he has been crying just a little bit more, sometimes for no reason but I am pretty sure he could just be sore from the needles he got on Monday. Last night he slept in the nursery for the first time. He fell asleep around 9:00 pm after a full bottle of milk and he woke up around 2:00 am to nurse. He fell asleep as he was nursing so we were up again to nurse at 5:00 am but that's okay. I fell asleep in the rocker and by the time I woke up I didn't want to wake him so I brought him into bed with me for another hour or so before we got up and started our day. We are so blessed with this little guy. There are certainly challenges and it has been a learning curve, but we all get along great. He's known his momma's face for a little while now, but he's finally giving dad lots of smiles too and he even knows grandma's voice. I am SO excited for him to meet Auntie Kayla next week but I am a little nervous about taking our first trip to Nova Scotia next weekend. Any tips for car travel with babies would be greatly appreciated! Haig Arthur we love you!!!

dinner dates

We've taken our little guy on a couple of our dates now and he always seems to do really well. He mostly sleeps while we are out because he likes falling asleep in his car seat. It can be a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes we need him to stay awake for whatever we are going to do, and those are the times when he usually falls asleep on the way there! Oh well, what can you do. Don't wake a sleeping baby right? So far he's been to a couple fun restaurants like Montana's and Boston Pizza. Soon enough we will be sharing our food with this little chunk!

Haig Arthur: Blessed

On February 26th, Haig Arthur was blessed in our church. His dad gave him a sweet blessing that told him about a loving Father in Heaven and the blessings that may be his as he lives a righteous and obedient life. Our family was able to come over from Nova Scotia to spend the weekend with us. I need to take some more pictures of him in his blessing outfit, coveralls and a white knit sweater made by Granny, but he spit up on them during church, of course. We were also so lucky to have wonderful men in our lives who hold the priesthood and were able to help give this blessing to our son, our dads and our good friends Bob Steen and Josh Biggley. I am also so glad that his two great-grandmothers were able to come from Nova Scotia as well. They were pretty over the moon about him, and how could they not be. This boy is something pretty special. After church on Sunday we had our families over for some lunch at our apartment. I was glad to have everyone with us to celebrate a special day.