Nipple Piercings and Breast Feeding

A good number of years ago, I got both nipples pierced on a bit of a whim. A friend of mine had one of hers done and was going back for the second and I went along as a support person. By the time we left the shop, we both had bilateral nipple piercings.
Another friend of mine, who has a single nipple pierced , asked me a little while ago what I was going to do about breastfeeding. I replied that as far as I know, my nipples work fine and I will go ahead and breastfeed normally if it all works out. She was surprised at this as the piercer who did her nipple had told her there was a high chance of breastfeeding problems related to scar tissue with pierced nipples.
Today I was reading this article about a woman who chose, for medical reasons, to formula feed her baby and the feelings of guilt she had associated with that decision...there are just so many people who will judge you based on your parenting decisions without knowing your whole story. That article got me back to thinking about my own options with breastfeeding.
I visited the La Leche League NZ website for more information. Through a bit of clicking, I came to an article entitled Nipple Piercing: Is It Compatible with Breastfeeding? According to this, there is no evidence that nipple piercing should compromise a woman's ability to breastfeed. There are many reasons not to get pierced anywhere while you are pregnant and the article does mention those quite a lot but I am not in that situation as my piercings are pre-existing. Of course, it also mentions that when you are breastfeeding, piercing jewelry should be removed due to the danger of infant choking and damage to the gums, tongue and soft palate of your baby. Mothers who do not remove jewelry while breastfeeding may experience poor latch, babies frequently coming on and off the breast, slurping, gagging and milk leaking from the baby's mouth but once the nipple jewelry is removed the problems stop.
So, this settles it for me. Onwards and upwards with my original plan to try breastfeeding normally and hope everything works out for the best. I will remove the jewelry while feeding, replacing it at intervals so the holes don't close over, and replace the rings for good once I'm finished with breastfeeding.

23 Weeks

At 23 weeks, I have dull hair, carpal tunnel syndrome along with swelling in my hands and feet, occasional bleeding noses, and the attention span of a fruit fly. Overall, I feel fine and can't complain too much; I did sign up for this after all.
The other day, I was reading a synopsis of what is happening when you're 23 weeks here. Yes, I am starting to feel better about my body - looking pregnant is preferable to looking fat. No, I'm not having back pain or sciatica. Good news! Apparently, baby is about a foot long (30cm) and weighs about 1 lb (just 440g) which gets me wondering how I've gained so much but that's another train of thought all together. Over the next few weeks, baby is working on developing her lungs, practicing breathing (sucking in amniotic fluid), and gaining fat. The article recommends cherishing your sleep ins - I'm so there - and looking for options for baby's sleeping arrangements (done and dusted).
So here I am continuing to plod along. I've managed to pick up some more day to day clothing and find some things in my wardrobe I'd forgotten about. I even purchased a new wool jacket for the winter - a wonderful fit in the shoulders and arms and plenty of room to grow in it (it's a swing style jacket from the label Bahaus which is sold in Jet stores in New Zealand). I might start using some sort of shine enhancing product in my hair and go see the physio for wrist braces to wear at night to help with the carpal tunnel. Next midwife appointment at the end of the month to ensure things are going as well as they seem and hopefully a couple dates with hubby over the next few weeks also.

A Sling, A Marvelous Thing...

Along with some other much appreciated baby gear, my husband and I were given a baby backpack. You know, the type that looks very much like a rucksack with a frame. Looking at it, I think it would be a good idea but just not something I'd ever wear. The plan is for Hubby to use it from time to time and see how he likes it.
It got me interested though, in what alternatives there are to baby backpacks out there. As I surfed around the internet, I came across many types of contraptions - from elegant to ugly- that people use to "wear" their babies.
I was unaware there was a whole community and heaps of research on the idea of "baby wearing" so I did a Google search and found TheBabyWearer.com. This website has heaps of information about baby wearing and I am certainly interested in learning more and trying it out. According to research, wearing your baby is good for baby's physical, mental and emotional development, and will help them cry less. Sounds good to me! Now to find a baby carrier that suits my style...there are some even worthy of celebs out there so I know they exist - if I can't justify the price the one I like I may even try making one myself.


TheBabyWearer.com has a whole page of links to help you sew your own baby carrier. There are ring slings and pouches, mei-tais and man-tais. Everything down to doll slings for older children to use with their toys and no sew versions. My favorite link from the links is to KarmaBaby where they sell pouch-style carriers in fabulous fabrics and even give you instructions to make your own in case you're like me and would rather make something than buy it.
So, once I'm finished the quilt I've started for our older girl, I'll go ahead and try one of the KarmaBaby pouches - wish me luck!

Bundeling the Bump

It's June and it's COLD. Despite the lovely blue sky and shining sun over the first days of June I have been able to recognize winter is here. Each morning this month there has been a layer of frost on my car requiring a good scrape or for the car to run 10 minutes to defrost it.
I grew up in Canada and am so used to heading into summer around this time of year. This will be my 3rd winter here in New Zealand and although I know and understand summer can't last all year, I still subconsciously expect nice weather in June.
I have said before that I'm finding dressing during pregnancy a challenge. The the colder weather, one of the biggest challenges I'm finding is keeping warm enough! I have a long wollen coat that I've worn in years past that has always been a bit roomy...unfortunately, only the top 3 buttons do up at the moment and it's a wee bit drafty.
I thought finding a maternity coat would probably be like looking for any other maternity clothes - lots of them out there without many suiting my style or budget. What I've found, however, is a distinct lack of cold-weather coats for those of us "in bloom" at the moment. Many of the coats I see in maternity shops are not lined or they are cropped-sleeve jackets (which I love the look of, but can't rely on to stay warm).
Why don't I just buy a larger sized regular coat a friend asked me. The thing is if you buy a winter coat several sizes too large, it may be too long and look frumpy; also, the sleeves may be too long and the shoulders probably won't sit in the right spot. Right now I'm looking at cape and swing style regular coats to get the right fit in the shoulders and arms with a free size around the belly.
Online, I've found several reasonably priced options in America but once shipping is added (sometimes as much as doubling the cost of the item) and the exchange rate calculated, all illusion is shattered and I'm spending as much as $500 for a coat. If you're in America, however, A Pea in the Pod seems to be a great source for a range of maternity and they have a lot of sales on currently.