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!
