Categories
Everything Else

It’s Back

Major TMI warning.

AF. Crimson Tide. Period. Time of the month. WTF is what I called out yesterday mid-morning.

I know I talked about AF’s unwanted arrival for 22 cycles. I thank God that time in my life is over. And after this post, I will hopefully not talk about my cycles again.

But I really thought {not sure why though} that while I continued to successfully breastfeed my duo, my period would stay away. No longer such luck.

I have been lucky enough to have been period-free since September 2011. So there’s that. I realized last night that this is my first unmedicated period since February 2011. Crazy, right?!

I’d honestly forgotten how it all worked, the PMS, bloating, zits, kinda moodiness & craving bread. Then of course the period itself & cramps. Good times being a girl are back y’all.

Categories
Everything Else

Working with Style

Today’s my debut post joining the others on Liberating Working Moms in the Working with Style meme.

I’m sharing my new nursing mom style. Lots of my old favorite pants have made it into rotation {now that they fit again!} with tanks & few new things mixed in. Hope you’ll join me over on LWM.

Categories
Food Pregnancy

Lactation Cookies

Alena from Charmingly Chandler emailed me this recipe right before I went on bed rest. I forwarded it along to my mom who had these cookies made for me & brought to the hospital right when the babies arrived. She remade them a couple weeks later.

Did they help create my {over}supply? Who knows, but they are delicious. So if you’re a breastfeeding mom-to-be or know someone who is, it can’t hurt to try right?

Bonus tip, recipe calls for brewer’s yeast which isn’t regular yeast. The first time Mom made them she couldn’t find brewer’s but it’s an important lactation ingredient. They did taste a little different the second time once they were done right.

Extra bonus tip, other family members & nurses enjoyed my cookies too. No one else started lactating. 🙂

Ingredients
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c whole oats {not quick oats}
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 c peanut butter {almond butter works here too}
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c milled flax seed {typically in grocery stores}
4 tbsp brewer’s yeast {found at oraganic grocery or beer stores}
1/3 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c {or 12 oz} chocolate chips
1 c chopped nuts of your choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt in small bowl.

In a large bowl or mixer, beat peanut/almond butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer’s yeast, flax seen & water until creamy. Add the eggs.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Mix in the chocolate chips & nuts. Then slowly add the oats, mixing as you go along.

Scoop out dough onto greased baking sheets or stones. Press down lightly on each dough ball with a fork.

Bake for 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Categories
Everything Else

Tips for Pumping at Work {Liberating Working Moms}

I’m continuing to list my tips for pumping at work over on Liberating Working Moms today. If you haven’t already, check out my part one. Today’s part two includes thoughts on clothing, eating & what to do during those minutes {or hours} you spend at work pumping.

Brandy pointed out in the comments that some of these tips/issues have to do with my big {over} supply. I sometimes forget that not everyone pumps out crazy amounts like I do. {Yes, it’s a very happy problem for this multi-momma to have!}

And for those wishing for an oversupply, I have a recipe posting next week for cookies that might help! {I also recommend starting to pump before you go back to work to get you & your body used to it. That’ll also help build a frozen stash to fall back on. & if all else fails, you can try fenugreek aka the smell like maple syrup herb.}

Categories
Babies

Pumping at Work {Liberating Working Moms}

I’ve promised for a little while I’d write up my experience of breast pumping at work. Once I started writing for Liberating Working Moms, I decided I could share my pumping tips there since it’s most often a working moms issue. My good friend Brandy is also covering breastfeeding & pumping at work on LWM {she gives great advice too that you’ll want to read}.

In the past almost six months, I’ve done lots of pumping which means I have a lot of thoughts on the subject. Once I started typing, I realized I was writng a mini-novel instead of a post. Oops! So I’ve broken up my pumping at work tips into two posts.

My first six thoughts to make pumping at work easier are up on Liberating Working Moms today. Check them out & let me know what you’d add to the list.