Things I can't live without # 7

This post probably should be entitled 'Things I can probably live without but don't want to...' as there are a few things that are downright luxury items. But there is one new item I have discovered and I cannot believe I didn't find it before now.

Milkies Milk-saver

How has nobody told me about this?! I stumbled across it online as I was looking for advice on breastfeeding. If I had had this product when Bebe was born I would have rarely had to express and may have had an easier time trying to get her on a bottle! If you have read my blog before you will know that I was very slack and didn't keep up the bottle feeds from early on which meant that my baby girl was very reluctant to take anything but the boob (for those interested today we had a break through and she guzzled 100ml of formula from a sippy cup - hurrah!).

Basically if, like me, you leak from the other breast when you breast feed this product is invaluable. I have always leaked quite a bit when I feed and have thrown out litres of precious breast milk in breast pads. Even now, 6 months down the line I now save about 40ml during her first morning feed which I can then use on her cereal (I am no longer trying to get her to take expressed milk but going on to formula). If you are using this from the start you would probably want to express a bit at the end of feeds so you get some of the good hind milk also as this only really collects foremilk. You can also attach a milk saver bag to it so it really can collect as much as you can deliver!

Genius.

Sheepskin stroller liner 

We use this in the stroller and in the car seat if going on a long drive (one of our car seats is lush but the other one needs this as it is a bit sparse in the luxury stakes). It is cool in summer and warm in winter and Bebe loves it. What's not to love?

Grass Counter top drying rack

File this under 'things I can probably live without etc...' It is rather handy though for sippy cups/bottles, dummies etc as you can keep it nice and clean and the items are ever lying in their own water as they dry. You can also put the whole thing in the dish washer to keep it sparkly. I also looks rather ace on the counter top. I can pretend I am mega healthy and growing my own wheat grass...

Merino Kids Go-Go bag

This is totally lush and was given to me by my oldest and dearest friend Lizzie. We started to use it when Bebe was about 5 months old and it is so handy and lovely. It has holes front and back so you can keep baby in it while puting in and out of car seat/stroller which is really handy when you are out and about and baby is sleeping (for instance when you take her to the Leonard Cohen Concert at Hanging Rock and she hangs out until she falls asleep in this and then goes into the car and into bed without waking up - precious!)

Food Holder

A few companies make this (we don't have this exact one) but they are all pretty good I think. Bebe is a self-feeder (we are following the 'Baby-led Weaning' book which is working really well for us) so she doesn't need her veggies in this but on a hot day she loves a block of ice or a frozen block of homemade stewed pear. Yum!

That is enough for today methinks.. I am going to write about the sippy-cup weaning thing next so if anyone has anything to add to the discussion then please do!

x Ali

Body Talk...

Hello! I am back online!

Feels very good to have the safe and calm touch of my mac keyboard once again under my fingertips... I didn't realise how much I would miss it. Actually, yes I did. I am fully aware of my slightly unhealthy love for all things Mac but as far as addictions go this is surely one of the safer (although just as expensive) ones?

Talking of mild addictions, I have had moments (especially when up late at night, traveling, home alone) of getting a little too 'in' to Ebay. Well, that can be great but also an expensive habit but I have now found a new way of obsessing over this fantastic site. Selling!! I came home and got a little angry at my cupboards and what was in them. Essentially a lot of clothes that I will never wear or even fit into ever again. Many of these clothes had minor labels on them and were in reasonable condition so I got together about 35 items and photographed them, logged them and uploaded it all to Ebay. It took me the best part of a day but now they are all selling like hotcakes and I am already dreaming of the big, Camilla kaftan I am going to buy myself with the proceeds. Well, a second-hand one from ebay (who can afford $700 for a bloody kaftan?!) but still!

Talking of fitting in to clothes I am dismayed at most of the reading material out there in books or on blogs talks of how most people lose all of this weight when breast feeding. I hear the phrases 'it just drops off you', 'I had to uptake my calorie intake as I was skin and bones' etc etc... Well, I am not one of those people I am afraid. And it turns out there are many of us who are not. One friend said she asked her maternal health nurse a few months after giving birth why, even though breast feeding had she not shed a single kg and she was told 'well, I have never heard of that, that is very odd'. NO IT'S NOT!! I have talked to many ladies who, like me have not shed a single kg since about the first week after giving birth. I didn't feel huge during pregnancy, in fact I felt rather good, all bumpy with life, but now? I am over my friends.. I need my body back. It seems that in an evil twist of nature those ladies who are always slim and tend to have to make sure they eat enough to stay healthy are the ones who lose the weight during breast feeding. Those of us who have to watch our weight all the time seem to hold on to all the fat like squirrels holding on to acorns over the winter months. Although in a different set of cheeks...

Ho hum. I have decided to start the long haul of weaning my gorgeous, healthy baby girl off the breast and on to formula. Of course she has a different plan and has no interest what-so-ever in a bottle of either my breast milk of formula but I shall persist. For any mothers-to-be out there take this advice - if you are breast feeding, then from the first few weeks express and give your bubba a bottle at least once a week, if not once a day from early on or else it will be hell to pay later when you want to go back to work or any sort of nightlife that doesn't included dashing out in a 4 hour window of opportunity.

The other reason I have decided to wean is my wrists. There is a small group of mothers who experience what is known in come circles as 'mother's thumb' but in medical circles it is known as de Quervains tendonitis. I have had it in both wrists since giving birth and I have been told my my Osteo that my hyperflexible tendons (I always knew I should have kept up gymnastics - I could have gone all the way.?!) will be strained with the relaxin released during breast feeding. I don't know if that is the reason. I have tried my best to not use my wrists awkwardly while feeding with cushions etc but they have just got worse. I had corticosteroid injections three months ago that got rid of the pain for two glorious months but then it came back with a vengeance. I just went and had the procedure again the other day and am waiting to see if it works this time (it takes a few days to show results).

So, I feel a little guilt at wanting to start weaning after only 6 months but hey, I think it will take a good two-three months to get her away from my boobs (they are the downfall of us all in one way aren't they?!) so 8-9 months is good isn't it? She is healthy, in the 50% percentile for everything and smiles like a muppet nearly every waking hour. Tell me it's ok!!

I'd love to hear if anyone else has had issues with their wrists, baby weight or weaning. And if you have any tips for any of these issues I am sure we would all like to know!

I am many blogs behind so I will start to catch up over the next few weeks.

xx Ali

ps I have heard from two of you lovely people who have bought the Samsonite travel cot and are loving it!! We now have our bigger one and I could not be happier. Ten times easier/lighter than the Phil & Ted which we also bought. That is now set-up at my parents and I will never have to put it together or take it apart again hopefully. Hurrah!

Home...

This blog finds me still without computer (it finally went in to get fixed yesterday), so I am unable to post a real blog with bells, whistles and photos for a few more days.

In the meantime I shall tell you about Bebe and my final flight home after 6 months of dragging the poor wee thing all over the world. That child has bathed in more buckets than I care to admit (by the way, they make a great bath alternative, even if a little hillbilly).

If I am to be perfectly honest I must admit that we traveled in the utmost stye for this final trip. As we were traveling solo without dear husband, I used my points to upgrade to Qantas First Class - I know! I have never flown first class either! It was pretty special and I saw some very nervous looking wealthy people as Bebe and I took our seats. Little did they know she was as impressed with the surroundings as I was and decided to be the perfect baby! Flying First Class long haul is like being in a small, 5 star restaurant for 24 hours where they make you bed up to rest between courses. I almost wish I hadn't eaten in the week previous so I could have dined constantly. The food was superb (thanks 'Rockpool') and the service was tres attentive.

The best part of it was the individual attention, which for a mother traveling alone with their baby was amazing. When we arrived in Melbourne there was a lady whose sole job was to help any first class passengers who needed assistance. I can tell you know that as I was bringing everything I owned back from our flat in London and had made the most of the relaxed luggage restrictions in First Class (I got away with luggage based murder), I needed more assistance than anyone else so she helped me right through customs and out into the terminal where I was met by my parents! I have spent my life trying to be independent and I usually have a problem with anyone helping me with bags or doing anything much for me. I will gladly carry a 24kg suitcase through the london tube system without any help from passersby but I let all those qualms go quicker than you can say 'fast track immigration'. Heaven.

It was an extra gift as I have been suffering with sever tendonitis in my wrists due to the relaxin released in breastfeeding (that's another blog), and each time I travel it does get aggravated. So, joy!

I really cant give any advice as of course due to my luxe surroundings, help, awesome bed and cot beside me for Bebe, the flight was a breeze. Best one ever with the little lady. She slept at all the right times, fed well, played like a trouper sitting in her cot surrounded by things to put in her mouth (or as you might call them "toys"). We had a shower in Hongkers and changed into clean clothes so we didn't even smell that bad on arrival which was a first.

In fact at the end of the flight in Melbourne the hostess was holding Bebe as she said farewell to the passengers and my little smiling machine grinned gormlessly at every passenger as they left the aircraft.

Honestly. I don't think I ever want to fly again as I am sure we will never have it so good.

So, you probably hate me now. I'd hate me too.

If it helps, I am still about 2 sizes and 6 months of rabbit food away from fitting into my old jeans, so feel free to gloat about that if you wish.

Traveling is great and I feel so lucky to be able to continue our gypsy-like existence in such a lush way, but it is really nice just to be in one place for the time being. The time being about 7 months, but still...

My call out to you all now is - who can tell me how to get a solely breast fed 6 month old to take a bottle of formula? It is like I am trying to get her to drink acid for all the faces she pulls and spitting out she does. Any advice would be more than welcome!

x Ali

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