Businesses in Tarrant County That Support Breastfeeding

Are you a working pumping mom in Tarrant County, Texas? Do you know someone who is? Please help out the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition - they are trying to find businesses in our communities that support breastfeeding in the workplace.

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop an online searchable resource to showcase creative solutions for supporting employees who are nursing their babies, with a special emphasis on employers of non-salaried employees and challenging work environments. The resource will be available in Fall 2012.

If you know of a business (and it could be your place of employment), contact me with the following info:
1) Name of the Business
2) Contact name
3) Phone number and/or email address.

Coalition members will then follow up and perform a telephone screening and a site visit to obtain photos.

They are looking for success stories from businesses of all industry types (i.e., manufacturing, retail, education, construction, religious, healthcare, etc).

Please email naya (at) lactivistinlouboutins (dot) com if you know of a business and would like to help!

The Perks of Being a Working Mom

I've been having a rough few weeks at work, to the point where I tell D I want to quit and stay home with E all day. Of course, this isn't an option for us at this time. After my rants, D gives me a hug and tells me to stick with it. It would be great to be a stay at home mom, but I'm not sure I would be happy with it in the long run. Rather than dwell on the negative aspects of working outside of the home, I came up with a list of my top 6 reasons I enjoy being a working mom.

Image from GreatAuPair.com

Before you read on, please note that these are my views. I'm not putting down SAHMs in any way. Their job is just as demanding as mine is. If that still doesn't appease you, please realize that this is a blog on the internet. You'll read shit you don't agree with. Please press ALT + F4 (or COMMAND + Q on a Mac) if it really bothers you that much.

Step into Spring

Spring has sprung here in Texas: it has hailed, the temperature has fluctuated drastically, and my allergies are going haywire. Now that it is light outside for longer, it's time for me to put away the dark and rich makeup of winter and update my looks for spring. Here are a few of my favorite spring beauty trends. All are wearable for moms, whether they are going to work, running errands with a toddler, or heading out for a special night.

A Bump in the Road

This week's Breastfeeding Blog Hop topic is: Bumps in the Road. You know, the tough moments, days, weeks (hopefully not months but those too). How to you endure? What are your tips and tricks for surviving your specific breastfeeding related obstacle?

I write a lot about how much I enjoy breastfeeding E, but nursing at 15 months comes with its own set of challenges. It's not all puppy dogs and sunshine E's sleep pattern seems to be changing week to week. We've been dealing with it for the past few weeks and just as we seem to establish a good cycle, it gets thrown for a loop. It is especially challenging because D and I usually have work the next morning.

There have been nights where E wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to hang out and play. He'll sit up, talk, sing, slap us in the face... the usual. There's no real way to get him to go back to sleep other than to play or hang out for a while. D and I try and take turns sitting up with him, at least one of us gets some sleep! We've both had our fair share of nights on the couch with E. We seem to have solved this by making sure E is thoroughly tired before bed! Lots of walking and playing during the day ensures a solid night's sleep for all of us!

Some nights E wakes up and fusses because he wants to nurse or comfort nurse. In the past, that has been easy to take care of - roll over, unlatch the nursing tank, and pop out a boob. He nurses and we both fall asleep. Lately his latch has gotten lazy in the middle of the night. It gets uncomfortable quickly and I end up laying there awake while he nurses or comfort nurses. I haven't really found a good way to deal with this, other than unlatching and relatching him. Unfortunately I can only do this so many times before he wakes up pissed off. I've tried a paci, but some nights he doesn't tolerate them.

I would love some tips for how to deal with comfort nursing and lazy latch. I'm more sleep deprived than usual and don't want it to affect my work any more than it has. I'm not sure if I want to wean completely since we had a very rough start and I fought hard to get here.

Donor Milk: The Documentary

Living in the metroplex certainly has it's perks. A main perk is that something is always going on. There are restaurants to try, sports teams to cheer on, and independent documentaries about breastmilk banking to see. Tonight, I was lucky enough to go see Donor Milk: The Documentary.

Support Part Deux

I had written a post back in October about breastfeeding support. I had mentioned that my primary support during those first few crazy weeks were my doula, my husband, and my mom.

Another place I went for support was online. I can't tell you how many hours I spent peering at my iPhone in the dark reading post after post about moms having issues or questions similar to my own. I thought I'd compile a list of place I went to for support during those crazy overnight feedings.

Nursing moms are standing by!

• The Leaky Boob's Facebook page. The Leaky Boob is a blog/haven for breastfeeding mothers. The website has its own hugely popular forum, but I was on their Facebook page in the middle of the night. It was a huge help for me. I read about the warning signs of thrush (came in handy), what a nursing strike was, and that growth spurts continue well into the toddler years (again, came in handy).

  One word of caution: the Facebook page is public: your friends will see what you write in the stalker feed ticker and it probably shows up on your profile/timeline too. You're also susceptible to creepers who "like" breastfeeding pictures posted on the page. Some may even try to friend you under the guise of being a lactation consultant in another country who will offer to help you with your latch via web chat. True story. The mods do their best to keep the weirdos out, but some do slip through the cracks.

• Livejournal's Breastfeeding community. I've had a Livejournal forever and joined various pregnancy and breastfeeding groups when I got pregnant. I stayed with the breastfeeding group and got some really solid, non-judgemental advice from the women there. Many have nursed multiple kids for over 12 months, supplemented with formula, nursed through some real tough situations (surgery, meds, PPD, etc.) and are more than happy to offer a kind word or constructive advice. I highly recommend it. You will need to sign up for an account, but it's free.
  
• Kellymom's online forums. Again, wonderful support from lots of women who have a lot of experience. Kellymom.com is the place to go when you need to look something up related to breastfeeding. I would frequent the website just reading up on different topics (I'm a huge nerd) and came across their forums. You must sign up for an account.
  
• Reddit's Breastfeeding subreddit. This is a new one for me. D is an avid Redditor and told me about the breastfeeding subreddit. I checked it out and really like it. It has a very similar vibe to the Livejournal community and one of the only places on the internet I've seen a passionate discussion that was an exchange of ideas, not insults. You must sign up for an account.
  

Is there an online group you frequent for breastfeeding support and advice?

My Family's Galactagogue

Galactagogue: "a substance that promotes lactation in humans and other animals" (Wikipedia).

After E was born, my milk took a while to come in. Once it came in I was dealing with supply issues. Thankfully my mom was staying with us and made me an Indian recipe often made for new moms that featured my second favorite galactagogue: fenugreek.

Fenugreek, or methi as it's known in the South Asian culture, seeds are used as a spice in cooking. Its leaves are also eaten and can taste bitter. Most moms (myself included) are told to eat fenugreek in capsule form to help increase their milk supply. The capsule form contains crushed seeds.

Zoya Nail Polish Deal

Zoya nail polish is running a buy 3, get 3 free nail polish promotion right now!
The polishes are $8-$9 a bottle, but you'll be paying about $4 a bottle if you buy six. It'd be fun to go halfsies with a friend if you don't want six. Zoya nail polishes are free of the "Big 3" found in some nail polishes.

The coming of spring means warmer weather, budding flowers and color, color, COLOR! To help you transition from winter to spring, we’re making it easier to freshen up your Zoya Nail Polish wardrobe.
With the purchase of at least 3 Zoya Nail Polish colors of your choice, you will receive any 3 FREE*.
Now through Wednesday, March 14th 2012 11:59pm EST, ONLY.
Instructions:
Add at least six (6) Zoya Nail Polish colors of your choice to your shopping cart.
Enter code: SPRING3 into the coupon code field in your cart and press "Apply Code".
Complete Check-Out Process, Review, Submit Order and watch your Zoya Collection Blossom!

While I wasn't impressed by the quality of their matte polishes, I have heard that their regular polishes are great quality. Part of my six bottles will include a new base coat and top coat.

Thanks to Amanda for the heads up!

[Edit] this offer is valid in the continental US only. For full details, please click here

Baby Steps

One of my New Years Resolutions was to finally start on the path to become an IBCLC. After finding the best pathways to becoming an IBCLC that fits my life, I'm not sure I would be able to sit for the exam in the time provided. Between working full time, being a mom to E, and trying to maintain some semblance of a life, I'm not sure I would be able to give it the attention it deserves.

I still want to earn my full IBCLC accreditation, but realistically I don't see it happening in the next year or two. I found this Lactation Education Counselor program to work towards in the meantime. At the end, I'll have some letters behind my name so I'm not just some random person who is interested in supporting breastfeeding moms; I'll be a certified random person who is interested in supporting breastfeeding moms! I called myself a "lactation enthusiast" at a recent breastfeeding coalition meeting. Thankfully, I was in a room full of IBCLCs, peer counselors, nursing moms, and supporters, so no one thought I was creepy!

Seriously though, I'm so excited to start this and can't wait for the text book to come in so I can start reading. Getting some kind of lactation certification was the most important resolution on my list. I'm looking forward to this new chapter of my life.

In My Diaper Bag: The Cat's Meow

One of my favorite ways to play around with current trends is through accessories. You can spend as much or as little as you want to stay in style. I've been a fan of cat eye sunglasses for some time meow. I picked up a cheap pair with tortoise frames from Forever 21 well over a year ago and have been in love with the style of frames ever since. I love them so much that I want a fancier pair in black.

Living in sunny Texas has made me picky when it comes to sunglasses. I prefer solid black frames, will make do with brown, but they must be solid. No gradiation for me. I once bought a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses from the mall only to return them a few minutes later because I got outside and realized they weren't cutting it.

I Dumped the Pump

This week's Breastfeeding Blog Hop topic is
Loving Your Child From Afar (Working and Breastfeeding).
I wrote this post almost a year ago, the day I decided to stop pumping at work.

Today marked the end of something really important to me: I turned in the key to my pump room at work. I haven't pumped at work in about 10 days. E is still nursing, but refuses to take a bottle or sipper of my milk when I'm not home. He drinks from the tap exclusively. I haven't had any engorgement issues (thank goodness), but I feel full by the time I get home. Coincidentally, tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of me returning to work after my maternity leave.

This was the "key" to my breastfeeding success. Har har har.

I wouldn't have made it this far without some help. I'd like to thank:
• My loving husband for his support and for washing and sanitizing the parts for over a year
• My Medela Pump in Style Advanced for encouraging me (or as my friend Kacie calls it, "laying down a dope beat") by saying "Make Milk! Make Milk!" while I pumped and for not letting me down, even when it made a weird knocking noise for a week.
• My insurance company for reimbursing me 75% of the cost of the pump.
• PumpEase for making an awesome product I could count on day after day that allowed me to both compress my breasts and play on my iPhone while pumping.
• The following iPhone apps for keeping me entertained: Facebook, Twitter, Words With Friends, and Kindle.
• My friend Alanna for lending me her power cord when I forgot mine at home. Yes, this did happen once.
• President Obama and government officials for including Break Time for Pumping Mothers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• My supportive employer.
• Fenugreek and Mothers Milk tea for helping me increase my supply when it felt low.

In a way, I'm glad I'm done pumping. I hated the feeling of being milked, but really liked the sensation of the let down. Is that weird? I hated washing and sanitizing those parts. I hated taking the time out of my day to pump, usually because it threw off my whole work rhythm.

However, I loved that I provided E with my milk when I wasn't with him. It's very bittersweet. I have a small stash left in my freezer that will get donated, along with the opened pack of breastmilk storage bags.

The last 32 ounces

I'm trying not to think of what this means. It's inevitable, at some point E will not want to nurse anymore. I'll leave it up to him to decide when that will be. Saturday will be 15 months of nursing, with almost 12 of those happening while I worked. That is something I'm very proud of. Until he decides he's done, I'll enjoy the time we have together.

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[edited 3/1/13]: E and I continued to breastfeed for an additional 6 months, until he was just over 21 months old. For more posts related to working and breastfeeding, click here.