Fighting a Cold- the Natural Way

I feel like my house has been a sick house for the last week or so. Pip came down with a head cold last Thursday night, and we have had a hard time shaking it! This didn’t surprise me, because I just stopped breastfeeding last week- I kind of expected it. When I saw that the slight fever, runny nose, and watery eyes was not teething, I had a little freak out moment. I ran to the grocery store and bought some Vicks Baby Rub and even some Triaminic. I know, Triaminic is only for ages 6 and up, but I was so scared of it getting bad! When I asked the pharmacist what to do, he pretty much said there was nothing to give a 6 month old except for a spoonful of honey. HONEY!?! Umm, all of my research says DO NOT EVER give honey to a child under 12 months old because it can cause Botulism! Needless to say, we will not be visiting that pharmacy anymore!

So, I bought the Triaminic because I knew that if I was going to give my child anything over the counter, I wanted to be sure it would at least be effective. My husband freaked out about it and did a ton of research. He did come across a few articles of moms giving a very small dosage to infants with no side effects. He wanted me to try other things first. Fine!

That night we did Baby Rub on her feet, chest and near her ears, I cleared her nose with the bulb syringe (snot sucker), and started her humidifier with some eucalyptus oil in it. **SIDE NOTE** You can use a carrier oil with essential oils, such as eucalyptus, instead of Baby Rub. We also gave her Hyland’s tiny cold tablets, which she thinks are candy. I also busted out more frozen breast milk than I usually give her, in attempt to build her immune system a bit more. She was fighting a slight fever, so I knew that her body was trying to rid itself of the virus. She also pooped about 5 times in a 24 hour period- another sign! I could hear her breathing through a stuffy nose, but she seemed to be sleeping fine. I, on the other hand, did not go to bed until 1 am! I kept checking on her, and apparently it’s really difficult to sleep when your infant is sick. She woke up once at 5 am to eat, at which point I added more cold tablets to her milk and sucked out her snotty nose. I freaked out a little at that point when her cough was much heavier than it had ever been, and I gave her some Triaminic! A normal dosage is 10mL for a 6 year old, and I gave her under 2mL. As I sat there with my coughing baby, images of going to the hospital because of Pertussis or RSV ran through my mind. That’s why I gave in- it seemed the lesser of two evils. I needed her cough controlled just enough so I could get to the morning and avoid the emergency room. Then I laid back in bed, unable to sleep, researching if the medicine would cause her to stop breathing. Oh the joys of a first time parent...

When she woke up around 10am (yay!), nothing had changed. The Baby Rub did seem to calm her cough, but she still had a runny nose and watery eyes. Seeing this, I ditched the Triaminic and went to work on the natural remedies I knew. I made my own saline solution since I had not been to the store. 8 ounces of warm water with about ¼ tsp salt. Let salt dissolve and let water cool. Then using the snot sucker, I just dropped (don’t squeeze!) a few drops of the water into her nostrils or right below them. As soon as they hit her face, she sucked in with her nose! Perfect. This solution cleared her almost instantly! The website said that you can then clear out her nose after about 30 seconds (with the sucker), but I didn’t even have to. And she never seemed to mind it. I did this every time she woke up and right before she went down again to make sure she was clear. Re-make this solution every 24 hours so it is fresh and does not grow mold. Keep in a glass container, and I kept mine on the counter- I didn’t want to put cold water in her nose!

Next I would give her more cold tablets (let her eat them or in her bottle), and then feed her. I always gave her the saline before I fed her so her nose was clear for breathing. The we took a warm bath. I made the water hotter than normal because she handled it just fine and it seemed to feel good. She was acting like her normal self in the tub! I let her play for about 20 minutes since she seemed so good. I added a little bit of eucalyptus to her bath water (just a few drops, especially if you will be washing her with that water), and I used the saline in the bathtub too- less mess! More Baby Rub on her feet under socks, and across her chest. Keep baby warm, because their body needs to be warm to fight the virus- even if it makes them sweat a bit (only when she laid on me or cried).

We did this process through the entire day. At night, my mom brought over some garlic oil for me because I had run out. Before bed, I used a knife to pierce the capsule and I rubbed the oil all over the bottoms of her feet and then put her socks on. We did this often when we were kids and not feeling well. It doesn’t smell pleasant, but IT WORKS! I did this instead of Baby Rub, just to experiment. That night, she slept 9 hours straight, and after a 6am wake up to eat, she slept again until 10am! The bottom of babies feet absorbs thing straight into their bloodstream, so it is so good to put garlic, eucalyptus, or thieves oil on them to fight illness.**SIDE NOTE** You can create your own garlic oil mixture with these instructions.

The next day we did the same thing, but replacing Baby Rub with garlic oil. We also stayed home- no need to expose her to more allergens or sickness. I turned on her humidifier for every nap and kept her door closed to allow the room to stay moist. We are now 4 days out, and she is almost completely better! She still has a crusty nose, but it’s not as runny. I haven’t used the saline today, because she seems to breathe just fine.

My husband kept saying “we need to take our vitamin C” because he was afraid of getting sick. I was naive enough to say “No, this is a baby cold. It won't affect us!”. WRONG. My husband now has the worst cold I have ever seen, and he can’t seem to shake it. So, for now, my evenings are filled with double work for two sickies. Two humidifiers, two doses of cold fighting herbs, warm water baths/showers, and so on. Just hoping that I can dodge this one (yeah right!).

And lastly, when the cold has left your home, be sure to air out all rooms, lysol the air, and wash all sheets, blankets, toys, etc. that the sick ones have come into contact with. Last night I took apart her swing and car seat to wash the fabric and scrubbed her toys with hot soapy water. This morning I stripped our bed, her crib, opened the windows and turned on all the fans. Get that sickness out of the house! Good luck fighting your colds!

The Benefits of Chiropractic Care

This may be opening a can of worms... but I am a big advocate of chiropractic care! I really believe in it and have personally experienced many transformations from seeing a chiropractor regularly. I worked in physical therapy for 3 years, and these two vocations can sometimes butt heads, but I think that when they work together, the body can be healed!

I am no genius on the subject, so this is merely my views! Last night, an old friend of mine was in town visiting her sister. She graduated as a naturopathic chiropractor and has been practicing for a few years, and she offered to adjust both me and Piper (6 months old). I was ecstatic!

Throughout my teenage years, I was adjusted pretty regularly for tilted hips and a hurting low back- the boys at school would always pull on my 30 lb backpack and hurt me! When I worked out too hard, my left hip would always go out of place, causing my left leg to be shorter and making my hip ache so badly I couldn’t walk. The chiropractor was the only person who could fix this! I also went regularly throughout my pregnancy to help my body to adjust to my growing belly, my stretching ligaments, and the shifting of my organs and bones. On our way home from the hospital after I gave birth, we took her straight in and had her adjusted. She was 2 days old, but I knew she was off from a long labor and she was cranky and had trouble latching. The adjustment did not cure her, but it helped. She has seen the chiropractor three times in her 6 months of life, one being last night.

So, last night- we arrived at my friend’s house, and Renee (the chiro) adjusted Piper first. She was not too happy about it. Usually, the feeling and sound of the “crack” is more shocking to a baby, especially near their ears, and scares them more than hurts them. Now, there could also be a little discomfort involved because her neck and hips were out of place. After a few small adjustments (and soooo gently done by Renee), Piper was already able to rotate her head further to her left and keeping her head in-line instead of extended. She then came home, had a big bowel movement (Renee said this would happen from adjusting her digestive system), and then slept over 9 straight hours (hooray!).

Then it was my turn. First, Renee helped me to release some of my stress/tension/worry that I have had recently. She talked me through a scenario, through breathing exercises, and stretched my neck and body. I realized how much I have been holding onto the trauma from my dramatic birth and my grief over stopping breastfeeding. Very quickly my tears dried and I felt invigorated. She then adjusted my back, shoulders, hips, etc. She used my hand to guide around my stomach and informed me that I had some scar tissue from birth. “I have scar tissue? How? I didn’t have a c-section!” “You can still have scar tissue from a traumatic and long birth, from your body working so hard for so long and all of your organs moving. Your muscles can tear and rebuild”. She adjusted me, felt again, and a lot of the scar tissue had already begun to relax! Amazing!

She then got to my abs. Uh-oh. Turns out, I also separated my abs right down the center during labor. **DISCLAIMER: If you are thinking about having a baby- sorry. There is a whole lot of unexpected body changes, and some that may never go back....** She said that I can work on bringing them back together by holding them together with my hand as I do sit-ups, doing only side planks for a while, and stopping as soon as I felt any strain. Amazing. Again.

She said that if I were her sister, she would have me seeing my chiropractor a few times a week until I began to get my “normal” body back- I am still in recovery from pregnancy and childbirth! It’s important for Piper to go too, as regular adjustments can help with her eating, digestive system, teething, and lots of other “baby problems”. Renee also stated that for those of us choosing not to vaccinate our children, chiropractic care is a GREAT immune system booster for their little bodies.

Although our finances may not be able to support regular adjustments (insurance doesn’t usually cover much, if any), I know the importance of keeping my body in-line and healthy. I also know that regular chiropractic care can help to ease and manage your pain, increase your range of motion, help to avoid many prescription drugs, release toxins, help you sleep more soundly, treat infertility, and increase your immune system.

Chiropractic care deals with the overall health of a person, not just the symptoms. Chiropractors can often read your body signs, symptoms, and your alignment to discover other issues and sometimes help to correct them. If a chiropractor cannot help to “fix” it, they can refer you to the right place to treat the problem. Because they know the body so well, they know things without even trying! For example- while I was pregnant, my chiropractor kept referring to my baby as “her”- we didn’t know the sex yet. I always corrected him and he would just say “oh, I just assumed”. He was right! Coincidence? Perhaps. But my mother had the same thing happen. Her chiropractor was THE ONLY ONE right about the sex of her baby.

Do your own research, be informed, and make your decisions for you and your family wisely.

My Top 10 Baby Items

In honor of Pipsqueak’s half birthday today(6 months already!!!), I have made a list of the top 10 things I have fallen in love with over the past 6 months of having a baby! They are in no particular order, just as them came to my mind! Now, not ALL of these are exactly baby items, but they are things I use on her frequently and work wonders for us! Hope you can get some good ideas for your little ones from this!

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee:

I love Burt’s Bees products because they are pretty natural but still affordable. Plus, you use so little of the shampoo and body wash that it last forever! These products give you that “new baby” smell that Johnson & Johnson has without all the chemicals. I love walking into her room after a bath and a nap and smelling it the lotion in her entire room! I have a brand new package with all of these, but I have yet to use the bar of soap of the diaper ointment. We'll see! She has also never had any reactions or allergies to it, so it’s perfect for us.

Coconut Oil:

I am putting this on the list because it has been the only thing that heals baby’s eczema. We also did baking soda baths, and no soap for awhile, but that didn’t seem to be the problem. Slathering her with coconut oil after her bath seems to soften all of the irritated spots and take the redness away. I think her real allergy is from what she is eating, which I am not able to change, so until then we just treat it! It does not seem to bother her too much. I usually buy my coconut oil from the local health food store for around $10 per jar. Again, you only need to use a little and it goes a long way! Plus, you could still use it for cooking too!

White Noise Machine:

This was a lifesaver when baby was little. She would get so angry and worked up, so Daddy would hold it near her head to calm her down, especially when it was time to eat. She slept with this in her bassinet/crib for a few months, until she started scooting around in her crib and would hit it. Now we use a fan for white noise under her crib. We loved this travel machine because it was only $10 at Target and we could take it ANYWHERE. We always took in the car with us and set it on her headrest for the ride. It helped her to stay calm and sleep. Just be prepared to pay an arm and a leg in batteries! She has just about outgrown it now, but I still use it when she sleeps somewhere new. Here is Piper asleep next to hers when she was about 2 months old:

Aloe Vera Gel:

Yep, the same stuff you get for $3 at the store to treat your sunburn. In 6 months, I have only used a “real” diaper rash cream on her once-and it did nothing. For every other time, I only used Aloe Vera! It seemed like most of her rashes were probably heat rashes, but I was never sure. As soon as she started to get red, I would leave her naked for a few minutes during a diaper change to air out. Then I would give her a little layer of aloe, let it dry, and wrap her back up. She seemed to love how it felt. If the rash was too much for my liking, I would give her a warm bath, do the same thing with the aloe vera, and it was always gone by morning. This treatment is cheap and natural. And most people already have it laying around their house! You literally only have to use a fingertip amount on their little bodies.

Sophie Giraffe:

I finally gave in a couple months ago and bought one for Piper. If you can avoid buying one yourself and getting it as a gift-score. They run anywhere between $18-25 depending on where you get it from. I wanted a sturdier, rubber toy for her to gnaw on instead of all the cloth ones that she already has. She seemed interested in a Sophie that another baby had, so I caved and got one. She LOVES it. It goes everywhere with us, and she is always excited when she sees it. She has learned to squeak it, which can be rather annoying to Mommy, but it keeps her happy. And she can hold it and chew on it in any position! I try to wash it with hot water and soap every once in awhile to take gunk off of it, and I just let it dry overnight. We love Sophie!

Essential Oils:

I just love essential oils... have I said that already? If you want to read about my Top 5, click here. This post will give you my top 5 for myself and use on baby. Just this week I have used peppermint and eucalyptus on her and in her humidifier to help treat her cold. A friend of mine who spent time with us also covered her son in thieves oil so he didn’t catch her germs! Another friend pointed out that is it worth the money you spend because if it can heal, cure, or treat something on your child, you are avoiding doctor visits and fees. These are essential (ha!) to have in your diaper bag or nearby. I usually keep them on the changing table so I can use them as I change her diaper. If anything can help me to treat her little quirks and keep us out of the doctor’s office, I’m game!

Swing:

We didn’t use our swing for about the first month of her life. She hated being on her back, so we were too afraid that she would just scream. When she finally calmed down, we used it all the time! It’s a good go-to while I am cooking or cleaning to keep her happy, and she can still see me working in the kitchen. I talk or sing to her while she swings. It is also nice to calm her down before bed or while we eat. We got this fancy one because it was a gift- and I plan on making it last through the rest of the babies!

Aden and Anais muslin blankets:

I just discovered these this week! And I wish I had know about them since Pip’s birth. These blankets are so thin and breathable, and fantastic for swaddling. Because of the fabric, they only get softer the more times you wash them. I love them because Pip now loves to grab them, chew on them,and hold them near her face. They do not feel heavy over my shoulder or make either of us hot-which is a big deal with the heat starting back up. I think they will also be perfect for outings where I want her to fall asleep in her Moby, but she has to be covered! Now she won’t sweat so much. I love these, and just ordered more! My only regret is not ordering these cute prints...

Babywearing:

I think babywearing is awesome and I have always done it. I first tried it when Piper hated being in her car seat or the stroller (still does), so instead I pulled out my Baby Bjorn and wore her everywhere. I loved the Bjorn, despite all of the “bad” reviews about it. She was little and it was easy and comfortable. As she grew, I found that the Bjorn was now hurting my back since it held her so low and all the weight was on my shoulder. I switched to my Moby wrap, which puts more weight across my hips and holds her higher and tighter. We both love it. I like the Moby because I can face her in or out- also why I loved the Bjorn. I also have a Ergo, Beco, Mei Tai, and a wrap for a newborn. I haven’t used them yet, but I will probably try soon. No matter which you choose to use, babywearing is awesome and pretty easy and convenient. I think every mom should own a good, comfortable carrier. For more info on different types of carriers, visit my friend Krisann's blog post about it here.

Hyland’s Kids Kit:

My mom bought this for me when I was pregnant, and I am still so excited about it! It’s amazing how giving baby a few of these homeopathic tablets can calm them, dry up mucus, and help to break a fever. I always go to these first before anything, and they are usually quite effective. This kit can be purchased online, and we also go a book about homeopathic remedies for children and some extra cold tablets. Since Piper came down with a cold 2 days ago, she has had plenty of cold tablets and calming tablets either in her bottle or from my finger. They dissolve in about 3 seconds, so I just hold them on her tongue until they do. When she was a newborn, I would dissolve 1 or 2 in a pink of water and give them to her with a dropper. Again, every mom should have this in her medicine arsenal! Check it out here.

Well, those are my top 10. There are still other things that I have loved, like the boppy pillow for newborn nursing and propping her up, our Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail that keeps her room so fresh, and Praise Baby DVDs for worship, slow images, and calming music. There are so many baby things nowadays! Good luck with your littles. 

BONUS!!!!!
 I know, this makes 11. But I just thought about my car seat cooler! So important now that it is getting hot outside! Here is a picture of the one that my mother-in-law handmade for us. We are so lucky! 

The Importance of Sleep and How to Make the Most of it- by Kassie Lashua

My dear friend, Kassie, wrote a little post about the importance of sleep and why we often feel like "zombie moms" for the first couple years of child rearing. I know it probably seems silly and impossible to get more sleep, but she has some great suggestions and ideas for making the most of the sleep that you do get! Enjoy!

A good friend of mine was discussing the 3 essentials of health with her husband; diet, exercise, and sleep. As she was telling him how much sleep they should be getting to maintain their health, he said: "Nope. Wrong. If that was true, God wouldn't have invented kids."

Haha...that made me chuckle to myself then got me thinking...what is the deal with sleep? I have read and heard so many things on how once you are a parent, you never sleep...but then so many parents seem just fine. They have figured out how to get their kids to sleep in a perfect bedtime routine or they just have learned to deal with having a serious lack of sleep as their new normal. I always knew that when I had children one day, I would have a different life and not get the sleep I wanted. But I had no idea what exactly it would do to me in shaking my entire world upside down...

I've always needed my sleep. My mom was good about making sure we got good rest, and we had a bedtime at 8pm until I was like 12. I hated going to bed early. But I also did not like how I felt "dizzy" the day after sleepovers when I was younger. I always knew my limits growing up, and actually enjoyed a good night's sleep all through high school. I learned quickly that if I was going to open at my new job at Starbucks (which meant wake up at 3:30a), I would have to get some sort of nap in later that day to make up for it (which I always did). I continued that for about 2 years. Then, I got married, slept in a lot, and took naps whenever I wanted or did not feel rested. Well, I quickly learned after giving birth to our perfect baby girl that I would not be allowed to "catch up" to a point where I felt great again. Our daughter had many stomach issues, and no matter what I did, nursing her often throughout the night seemed to be the only cure. And throughout the day was no different. She was very happy when I did this and I knew no matter what I needed to make sacrifices for her and would do what I could to help keep her comfortable and healthy. I would soon come to find out that I had entered a new phase in my life that would cause me to be almost "zombie" like for 2 straight years. I worked so hard at making this okay like everyone else. I wanted so badly to get used to it, and just deal like everyone else seems to be able to do!

I never, ever seemed to be able to catch up on my sleep. My mom would often try to come over to let me nap, or my husband would take time when he was off of work to also, and I felt so good for one day, and was soooo grateful to them, but I never would get over the guilt that the next day I just felt like I needed them to do it again! It never was enough! I was always tired, dizzy, irritable, emotional, and exhausted. For the first 3 months of our baby's life, I feel like I hardly ever left the house. I even got nauseous sometimes just from being tired!

So was I crazy to be like this? Was I just programmed to be like this as a child by having a mom always making sure I slept great? Were people like my husband who just were able to mentally “deal” well without sleep the real normal? Was I just a sickly and pathetic adult that didn’t know how to deal? I thought so! I felt so horribly wrong for being this way. I just always went back to the thought that…I needed to just go on pretending that I’m okay. That I wasn't more exhausted than I had ever been in my life and it never seemed to end. After my daughter turned one, I did learn to cope. I actually thought I was okay, that I had mastered the not much sleep but I am still okay mentality. I started to get out a lot more and got encouragement from other moms and saw I wasn't the other one that was tired. I felt better. But still suffered from feeling irritable, nauseous at times, got down easily, and had no energy. But I had to learn, this is my new life!

After two years of being up nursing with my daughter (which I wouldn’t change, I am so grateful I was able to do that for her!), I finally weaned her. She was sleeping straight through the night, about 11 hours, every night! Suddenly the miracle of a night’s sleep ran into a week and then a month. I felt like for the first time, my body was mine again. My brain was functioning better. I was happier and more excited for each day. I had energy I thought I never would again. I hated how different I had been for so long…but was so ready to really truly enjoy my dream come true life with my amazing husband and beautiful, intelligent 2 year old daughter!

And then it happened…my daughter, Emma, got the flu. Then, my husband did. Then, I did. And then…the moment I thought it was over, all three of us got it again!

What prompted this post I’m about to write is exhaustion again. The frustration. The tears. And yes, even depression! It all came back. I hated feeling this way. And I thought I had absolutely no reason to be feeling this way other than the fact that I had a long list of to-do's and could never seem to accomplish them. I thought something was wrong me with that there were always things left undone due to the fact that there was always something else that came up and had to take priority and then I had no energy left for anything else.

This had been going on for about two months when finally it all drew to a close and we all felt great, slept well, and had a great few days! I mean fun, great, happy…and I was super excited to start life again and begin my projects! Then, out of no where, my daughter would not sleep. No reason really---I’m sure it was something like her nose itched or she felt thirsty or something. But we could not figure it out. We even brought her to bed with us, which we never do, and she didn’t like that at all. Would. Not. Sleep. So after four nights of this…I broke down and was praying to God, seriously? What is going on? I was so happy and feeling great last week? And now, I feel like I hate everything and there is no purpose to life, and I really, really want to just take a vacation by myself and sleep for days on end…and never talk to anyone! Horrible…not really what I wanted but what I was feeling! I had one of those challenging moments with the Lord like I was upset with Him for not hearing my prayers. I was completely emotionally and physically exhausted. Well, I opened my Biblestudy for the day and felt NOTHING…got NOTHING from it…and it made me feel even worse. Just the previous week I was hearing and seeing so much from the LORD! What happened? I know, lots of feelings…and just before I threw in the towel and started to cry some more, I remembered a favorite picture I had shoved into this new book for Biblestudy I had in my lap. I just felt like looking at it and as I got it out, I realized it fell on a page that was a few weeks ahead of where we were at, and the title was about Sleep, and all the different things that you may suffer from lack of sleep.

My Bible Study book is called Wonderstruck by Margaret Feinberg.
Here are some of the things I was reading on page 64:

Sleep deprivation takes a heavy toll on our minds and bodies. Scientists show that insufficient amounts of sleep affect the part of our brain that controls language, memory, sense of time, and our ability to plan. In addition, the body performs less efficiently and isn’t able to recharge the immune system as well. But lack of sleep also affects our spiritual lives.

Examples of signs that lack of rest is taking a toll on your life:
*My morning times of study and prayer become more rushed. I passed by countless people  without seeing them---or their needs.
* I rushed by moments of grace and God’s goodness unaware.
*I hush the Holy Spirit’s nudges by responding, “I don’t have time.”

Loss of just one and a half hours of sleep can result in a 32% reduction in daytime alertness.
 
Realizing lack of rest has more than once caused me to stumble into the temptation of sin! The resolve to stay strong, remain pure, or be courageous melts away. Without enough rest, I become increasingly impatient and unloving, more susceptible to fear, and easily angered.


Are you wowing along with me? Can you relate to any or all of this as I can!?! I felt like I was reading about MYSELF and God was comforting me so perfectly for where I was at at that exact moment! (Which by the way, He always does when I least expect it.)

More curious than ever now, I decided to do some more research online as to what other symptoms sleep deprivation could cause :

*Anxiety and stress (Umm…yes, but don’t we all have this anyway? Does it really cause more???)
*Anger, irritability, and depression. (Wow…I get super frustrated, upset with people, even depressed…but most often I am realizing is just from a lack of sleep???
*Lack of focus and difficulty in concentrating. (I could never seem to read and
*Short-term memory loss (I like to think this is why we get the infamous mom-brain after having kids)
*Inability to drive a motor vehicle with safety (Especially not okay when you have kids)
*Suppression of the immune system (Maybe this is why we suddenly seemed to get sick a lot in the past year?)


So the tough question at this point I am now asking is, so how am I supposed to deal with this now? Everyone knows that parents do not have the ability to sleep! They cannot choose or dictate their night’s rest! And the crazy part is, how come I seem to have a heightened issue with this and my husband, friends, family, etc…do not? Or do they?

Well, as there are not many answers in life, there is always the truth that you are responsible for yourself and your actions. Some people do not struggle in the ways you do. Some people have different tendencies and weaknesses. Mine happens to be sleep. What others struggle with is not my responsibility. I need to worry about what MY tendencies and struggles are! But I am sure EVERYONE would benefit from more sleep...

I began to feel overwhelmed at thinking about how all this research seems to point to sleeping more, but what if you just can't? As I began researching more, I learned if you find it impossible to find more time for sleep, there is another answer to stop the effects of sleep deprivation. Improve the quality of your sleep so that you can can feel more refreshed without increasing your sleep time.

Here are some different suggestions I found:

(source:http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips) & (http://www.sleep4health.com.au/sleep-and-health/top-10-tips-how-to-sleep-better/)

*Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep
*Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment
*Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine
*Go to Sleep When You’re Truly Tired
*Don’t Be a Nighttime Clock-Watcher
*Use Light to Your Advantage
*Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule
*Nap Early—Or Not at All
*Lighten Up on Evening Meals
*Balance Fluid Intake
*Exercise Early
*Avoid watching tv before bed
*Avoid having any mobile phones and electrical appliances within one meter of your bed
*Best quality of sleep is achieved between 10pm-6am. Every ½ hour sleep before midnight is comparable to 2 hours of sleep after midnight. It is not how late you go to bed rather how early that affects the quality of sleep
   
There were even more suggestions but I knew right away just looking at some of these that there were things I could do to get a better quality of sleep such as drinking caffeine (it heightens my irritability anyway), avoid internet before bed, and going to sleep earlier.

I sat down one day and shared all of this with my husband, my favorite person to talk to my problems to next to the Lord. He is so wise, and he seems to always has some sort of a suggestion or "fix" for me. It's so wonderful. And this time was no different :) He thought about my dilemma and frustration, listened to all my goals that were getting delayed and my list of priorities that were all a mess due to my lack of rest, then thought for a while, and he said, "But I think you could sleep more." He reminded me, there are many nights, when he worked late, that I wait up for him. I miss him and want to see him when he gets home. And also, I am so thrilled to get some quiet after Emma goes to sleep that I stay up late because I can, and it’s nice to have some time alone. But now, knowing that the serious lack of sleep can cause me to develop these symptoms and negatively affect my family and loved ones, and even at times could cause me to become weakened to temptation and more prone to sin, so it must be one of my priorities, whenever I can make the choice, to choose sleep. This may require I sacrifice some other pleasures such as being up late and not really accomplishing much but having alone time. Maybe I can work it out to schedule it some other time during the day. That is possibly me sacrificing what I need for what I want. He suggested that I put aside everything for a while, and try to focus on just sleeping. And see what that does for me. So that’s where I am at, and I am looking forward to discovering what may happen. The new discipline I am about to implement may be extremely tempting to want to put off so I can have my “late night freedom”, but what might it be costing? What has it done to me, and caused me to put the blame on?

One thing I have not mentioned up til now is that my husband has gone through some pretty traumatic health issues since our being married, one being when my daughter was just 7 months old. Maybe we are not the typical family, and our stress we have dealt with caused me to need even an additional amount of sleep. Whatever the cause of my need to sleep, I now know the consequences if I don't get enough for a long enough period of time. This has encouraged me and given me a new focus. I want to be as equipped as possible to best follow what God has directed me to do in life. And without the distraction of being to tired when I know I could help it in some small way!

I wonder how we could all be more fruitful in our lives if we were to get adequate rest? I am hoping in sharing my story that it will somehow encourage some moms that may be struggling also, and let you know first of all, that you are normal, you do need sleep, you can ask for and accept help without guilt, and you DO need to make it more of a priority!

Am I a Good Mom?

Am I a good mom? I can’t tell you how many times a day I have asked myself this question in the last 6 months. I tell everyone that I have never questioned myself as much as I have since I became a mother.

When I thought about becoming a mother, I knew I would be awesome :). I had been a babysitter and a nanny for half my life. I knew how to feed them, when to discipline, how to discipline, and what was and wasn’t allowed for a child. This would be a piece of cake! Then you are sitting in a delivery room with your red-faced angry baby, going “WHAT DID I DO!?”.

In order to prepare myself for motherhood, I read lots of books, watched other mothers, talked to friends with kids, and I felt like I was ready to take on this challenge. I knew what I wanted to do and how I would do it.

The first time I had to let me little girl cry in her crib was heart wrenching. She was bathed, changed, fed, and loved on- yet she still cried. Her crying felt so stressful, that I knew I had to put her down. If she was going to cry regardless, may as well let Mom get a few things done. This was one of my “am I a bad mom” moments. How did the other moms do it? Was this wrong? It felt right for me. Was I wrong?

This immense guilt has covered me for months as I compare myself to other “perfect” moms and listen to their success stories with their babies. So I created these little questions for myself to run through in my mind...

-Is she fed and changed?
- Am I loving her well?
- Is this in my best interest or hers?
- Is this dangerous or just adventurous?
- Does it feel right (or wrong)?

There is a lot that can be said for mother’s intuition. Sometimes you JUST KNOW. I think God put this little gadget in our hearts for this purpose. Years ago, there weren’t blogs, shows, books, and social media to tell you how to raise your baby. You just did your best according to your own convictions. And we all turned out just fine, right?

So here is the conclusion that I have come to...if you are asking yourself “am I a good mom?” YOU ARE. Our minds do not question something unless we are constantly conscious of it. And then it drives our motives. I guarantee you that moms who are neglectful, strung out on drugs, and uncaring do not ask themselves this question. We ask it because we are meticulously mulling over every little decision to make sure it is the most beneficial for our child’s wellness. This is the main quality of a good mom!

When it comes time to make decisions about food, vaccinations, illness, tv, baby carrying, cry it out, attachment parenting, boundaries, discipline, how much or how little, schooling, or anything else you may question yourself about, be prepared. Do your research, but trust your intuition to make the best educated decision for your child. DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU. We are the one who know our child better than they know themselves, so don’t let “experts”, articles or other moms determine your status as a mother.

Do you love your child and strive to always do what is best for them?

Then you are a good mom.

The Birth of Greta Brooke- by Kelly Lashua

This is the story of a little girl named Greta. She will be 1 year old this month- I can't believe it. Her mama Kelly wrote out her birth story to share with you all! Enjoy :)

 March 22 came and went. It seemed this baby girl still wanted to bake a while longer. I

wasnʼt too discouraged though, I had fully anticipated going past my due date since I

myself was born two weeks late. So I went about life as usual, went to church, visited

with friends, went to a spring training game, re-organized the pantry...anything to keep

my pregnant self busy and distracted. On the evening of Sunday, March 25, I was

feeling a little “off.” My husband Robby and I were watching some TV before bed and I

just felt crummy- I was achy and I had a little stomach pain. At this point, I did not even

consider that being in labor was the source of my pain. I mean, I was the size of a

house and 40+ weeks pregnant- being uncomfortable was pretty much a given! We

eventually headed to bed. As I tried to get comfortable, I was getting discouraged.

“Ugh!” I thought, “I am so ready for this baby to be out!” Little did I know, that was

exactly what was about to happen.

At around midnight, I left the bed and went to lay on the couch. I thought watching a

movie would help put me to sleep. So, I found my all time favorite, The Sound of Music,

and popped it in. At about the time Maria was meeting the Von Trapp children, it hit me,

“holy smokes, could I be in labor?!” I was still not getting comfortable and my stomach

ache wasnʼt constant, it was coming every 15 minutes or so. I suddenly became a mix

of excitement and nervousness. I couldnʼt believe that this might actually be happening

now! Robby came to check on me once he realized I had left the bed. I still wasnʼt

convinced this was labor, so I didnʼt tell him I thought this was more that normal aches

and pains. I wanted a well-rested husband if this was the real deal! I began to time my

“pains” with my handy app. I was moving all around the couch and the floor trying my

best to get comfortable. By about 5 am, the pains were roughly 7 minutes apart. Robby

and I became googling maniacs trying to determine if we should go to the hospital. “Are

they always 7 minutes apart?” “Um...kinda?” “How long have they been this way?”

“Awhile?” “Do you think we should go to the hospital?” “What does that website say?”

“Do you feel it in your back?” “I feel it everywhere!!!!” I had a fear of going to the

hospital and having them send me home, so I wanted to be sure I was in labor before

making that trip. I decided that I would take a shower and get ready. If I felt the same

or worse when I was done, we would go to the hospital. I took a nice, long shower, blow

dried my hair, got dressed, put on some mascara, ate a granola bar...all the while still

experiencing those mysterious aches. “Yep, letʼs go.”

We arrived at the hospital at around 7:30 am on March 26. The triage nurse confirmed

our suspicion- I was indeed in labor! Yes! I wasnʼt the crazy lady to have 8 false

alarms! That was the good news... The bad news was that I was only at 1.5 cm.

“What? Iʼve been having contractions since midnight! Only 1.5?!” It was

recommended that I walk around for an hour, then the nurse would check my progress

again. Robby and I walked every hallway of Banner Estrella many times. We were so

excited to meet this baby! I was also super excited because it was the 26th, an even

numbered day. I am a numbers psycho and former math teacher. I much prefer even

numbers over odds, so I realllly wanted to have my baby on an even numbered day. I

know...weird. My happiness was interrupted when my contractions started picking up

and I was forced to find a trash can- my granola bar was not staying down. “Wow,

these contractions are no joke.” We continued to walk and talk, but I had to stop and

really focus to get through each contraction. But I did get to pause long enough to take

a picture with the Biebs outside the hospital gift shop.

  

After our hour of walking, I went back to get checked. I was at a 3. Not super

impressive, but I doubled my progress from last time! I was trying to keep positive, but I

was getting increasingly miserable. I was finally able to be admitted and given a room.

I labored on and on. My rock of a husband was amazing. He helped me so much by

doing all of the various things I requested. “Can you rub my back? Now just lay your

hand on my back but donʼt move it. Can you put lotion on my feet? Now stop touching

me and donʼt talk!” Oh man, I was something else. At 3 pm the nurse came in and

asked if I wanted an epidural. I had a goal of getting to 5 cm before receiving one, so I

asked her to check me first. When she said I was at a 6, I pretty much sung the

hallelujah chorus. “Sold! Give me the drugs!” The angelic anesthesiologist descended

from the heavens entered the room and put the epidural in place with minimal

discomfort. Onward to painless birthing bliss!

At this point I was finally able to fully enjoy the process. I had visitors come in, Robby

and I watched a couple movies (Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean 4), and I just

rested. That evening when the nurse checked me, I had not made significant progress.

We decided she would break my water. That still didnʼt help move things along. At

around 10 pm, we decided to try a little pitocin to see if that would help. By 11 I was at

9 cm. “Oh wow, this is getting close!” Robby texted all our family (who had been in the

waiting room all day) to let them know Iʼd be pushing soon. As the nurse continued to

check me, I was at 9, 9, 9.5, 9.5, 9.75, 9.75, 9.9... At 1:30 am I was finally ready to

push! I was able to have a mirror set up so I could see the whole thing. Way gross, but

definitely my favorite part. After two long hours, at 3:28 am Greta Brooke was born! 8

pounds 4 ounces, 20.5 inches long.

My first words after she was born were, “How did that just happen?!” I was so elated and in awe of what had taken place. Talk about indescribable joy! Robby and I just looked at each other and this sweet baby with tears in our eyes- so thankful to God for this perfect gift. She had swallowed some meconium so as soon as she was out she had to be suctioned. But after that, she went straight to my chest for snuggling.

We were now a family of three.

PS: I was initially disappointed that Greta was born on an odd numbered day. But I

soon realized that it was ok because her birthday (3/27/12) was a math equation!

3+2+7=12!

#supernerdstatus