World Breastfeeding Week!

I would like to share my experience with nursing during this time since it is world breastfeeding week.  I am not going to give a hundred reasons why it is green and cheaper, but it is.  If you want to know why it is go here- http://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/stories/6-green-reasons-why-breastfeeding-is-the-best-feeding  and http://kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-prep/bfcostbenefits/.

I had a normal birth experience and Kaira latched beautifully within the first hour of life.   Nursing was great until about the third day when my nipples started bleeding.  I was in a lot of pain and started using lanolin cream which did help a little at first.

In the second week I got mastitis which is an infection in the milk.  I had a fever and was so sick.  I also started using a nipple shield because of how painful it was.  Even with it, nursing made me tear up every time. My doctor put me on antibiotics for the mastitis.  I hated putting any antibiotics in my baby, but I did not know what else to do.

I had mastitis 2 more times after that.  One more round of antibiotics and the the third time I looked for help outside the doctors office because I  was not going to put my baby on mastitis for a third time before she was even 6 weeks old.  I posted on facebook asking (begging) for advice and that is when I realized that I was not alone.  I found people who have a wealth of knowledge who I already knew, I just did not know they have been through it as well since breastfeeding is not talked about.  What finally stopped the mastitis was cabbage... of all things. Cabbage.

I found that I had an over supply of milk which contributed to the mastitis, and my milk supply did not even out until my baby was about 5 months old.  The first 3 months were torture.  When people ask how I did during the birth, I tell them that that was not the hard part.  Breastfeeding was.  

Now that my baby is almost 10 months, I feel that breastfeeding is easy and I love the bond that we have.  I would not want to do it any other way.

My only regret is that I did not start asking questions sooner and I took medication.  I was given a book on breastfeeding and I had help in the hospital, but I know now that is not enough.

Suggestions I have for new or soon-to-be moms,

Ask lots of questions!

Do not be afraid to talk about it.  There is nothing sexual about breastfeeding, so there is nothing wrong with it!!!

Do not think you are alone.

Talk to a midwife or the La Leche league.  Doctors have not experienced breastfeeding firsthand.

Use kellymom.com


If you have any questions email me at, Darthalammers@gmail.com.  Please have the subject line as breastfeeding.

Girls Only!

If you are a guy you will not want to read any further.  If you don't mind learning more about a girls monthly cycle and making it 'Greener', then read on!

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So I have found that most books, even the "greenest" don't talk about a girls cycle even though there is a lot of waste included.  Even the best books don't go into enough detail.  The only reason I don't ever bring this up is most people think it is gross to use anything down there that you reuse even though in history disposable is a very new concept.

Read more on the history of pads- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitary_napkin 

I am not going to get into the history of pads and tampons, there are plenty of other websites for that.  For the purpose of this blog just keep in mind that disposable has not been around that long but periods have been around since Eve.

I am not a advocate of tampons because they disturb the balance of yeast and bacteria.  If you have to use tampons there are greener choices that Seventh Generation sells.  I am sure there are others but I am not an expert on tampons.  If you do wear tampons ask yourself this question... Do I really know what I am putting into my body?

Why are disposable pads bad?  During you next period count how many pads you use, and multiply that by 12. That is how many you use in a year.  Multiply that by 40 (because the average age to start a period is 12 and the average age to stop is 51.  I add on a year because not only are multiples of ten easier to work with but also we have more then 12 periods on some years because periods are every 28 days.)  For me it was 9600, but I have short periods and light periods.

This website says you will go through 16,800.
http://www.treehugger.com/style/bleed-with-pride-make-it-yourself-menstrual-pads.html 

Still not convinced? Here is a great article on what you are putting on your skin. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx

I started making my own pads about a year ago.  There are plenty of designs online.  All I did was use a pad that I normally wore and mimicked that one for size.  I used old flannel pj's that were falling apart and PUL fabric which is used for waterproofing baby diapers.  This was one of the very first things I have ever sewn. You don't have to be good at sewing because no one else will ever see it.

Here are some free patterns on the web-

https://sites.google.com/site/shewhorunsintheforest/0011

http://www.borntolove.com/d-list7-make.shtml


If you want to use reusable pads but don't have the time to make them-

http://www.etsy.com/search?q=reusable%20pads&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&ref=auto5


Here is how I clean my pads- http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-a-Reusable-Menstrual-Pad

Television

Greg and I do not have cable.  We have decided not to waste our time and money on something that is not needed.  We do own a television and blueray to watch movies every once in a while.  The only reason we own the TV is because it was a gift.  It comes in handy on cold winter nights when the only thing I want to do is cuddle on the couch in-between my husband and dog. 

I always get asked the same thing when I tell people we do not have cable, "WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME?!" Over and over... and over...  

Well, I am able to get things done. Period.  

Television did not even become popular until the 1960's.  What did people do with their time before that?  I also hear so many people saying, " There is just not enough time in the day."  I often wonder how much time each of those people spend watching television.

When I was in Jr. High my mom (also my teacher) decided that we would give up TV.  My brother and I did our schoolwork so much better from that point on.  We, all of a sudden, had so much more time and focus on what was really important.

Another benefit is we do not see commercials.  I did not realize how much the commercials controlled what I wanted.  I hear people talking about the 'latest and greatest', and I want nothing to do with it.  It really saves us a lot of money by not wanting constantly.

I also have to think about our baby that is on the way.  We are not going to have her watching any television as an infant.  Here is an article that explains my reasons http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/infant-tv-guidelines/ .

So if you want more time in the day and are sick of the cable and electricity bill, get rid of cable!
         T.V. VS. Life      

Cloth Diapers!

     We have decided on a cloth diapering system for our baby girl that is due October 14th=).  It was hard to narrow down because there are SO MANY different types and brands. We want to live green, but we also need to live on the cheap so that helped us narrow down a lot.  Some cloth diaper brands are so expensive that it would be only a slight difference in cost, but instead of "buying-as-you-go" as with disposable diapers, you have to spend a lot, all up-front. Not happening!  At first I thought some were not that bad, but then I realized that you have to buy them in 3 or 4 different sizes.

     We have decided to use the Flip Diaper System.  They fit a baby from 7-35 pounds because the snaps make it so you can fit it to baby perfectly.  They do have special inserts you can buy, but to make it a little cheaper again, we are going to use prefolds instead.  To make them even cheaper to use, you do not have to wash the cover everytime, which means you need less covers and need to do less laundry.  Less laundry?  I'm sold!

     The All-In-One systems consist of a cover that is permanently attached to the absorbent part, just like a normal disposable diaper.  That might make them a little easier to assemble, but they take longer to dry (we are going to hang dry ours) and the whole diaper, including the cover, has to go in the laundry. AIO is not for me.  It does not seem as green to me either, but that is just my opinion. 

The Flip diaper cost 13.95 if bought from a store.  Though, if you go to ebay.com you can find them for much cheaper.  There are many people who give up on cloth diapers no matter what system they use, so they sell them after only one or two uses. 

Another way to cut down on cost and to keep it green is to plan on using it for multiple children.  Since Greg and I plan to have one more at some point, we can use the diapers for the next child too.  With that in mind, I do not plan to buy any that are pink or girly this time around in case the next one is a boy.

We will also keep track of our spending on diapers and have an update after the baby comes. =)

Here is a video on the Flip diapering system http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKvUFSetBP4&feature=related

New Focus!

Sorry for being MIA for the past two months.  I have been busy with LOTS of morning sickness!  It has been hard to stay green when I am constantly feeling green (and not in a good way). 

The good news is I am pregnant and I have been doing TONS of research on how to raise a baby green.  We plan to use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, 'green' toys, and much More! We also plan to use the least amount of "stuff" possible, because being Green means REDUCING.

I will give details as we go =)

This Month's Focus...

This month I am going to focus on Gardening.  How can you have a garden in an apartment you ask?  With lots of planning and lots of reading.  When I was a kid my family had a vegetable garden and we ate more veggies that summer then I remember ever eating. When you take all that time and effort to grow them, you are more likely to eat them.  It is also locally grown, and you cannot get any more local than that!

My plan is to build a planter box to go on my balcony.  I am planning to grow lettuce, tomatoes, and green beans. Maybe summer squash too.  I already have started growing herbs (rosemary, basil, sage, lavender, parsley, and more). Call me crazy, I have also started a pot of dandelions.  They are good for salads and can even work as medicine.  To read more about dandelions here are some great websites: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2008-04-01/Dandelion-Recipes.aspx

I will add updates in a few weeks =)

 Beautiful misunderstood flower!

Plastic...

Before reaserching what plastic really is, I had no idea what the problem really was with using plastic.  I have learned a lot the past few weeks and the more I learn the less plastic I buy. 

The first and most obvious problem with plastic is that it does not break down.  I have heard that it takes plastic a long time to break down but plastic has only been around for a very short time so no one know first hand how long it takes to break down.  I found many interesting articles, but this was my favorite: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/06/will_my_plastic_bag_still_be_here_in_2507.html

When plastics do break down they have negative affects on the environment.  I read what National Geographic had to say and it worried me. Please read:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html

Burning plastics is also dangerous and illegal (didn't know about the law until I started doing research).  It can realease harmful fumes. Please read: http://www.gov.pe.ca/environment/burning-plastic

It is believed that plastic can cause breast cancer from leaching.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a

I have read and read, and there are more reasons...none of which are good.  I know it is hard to imagne life without plastic because it is everywhere (including the keyboard that I am typing on right now), but it is possible to be smart about the plastic we use and to use much less of it.  I am obviously not going to get rid of all plastic I own or I would not be able to use a computer or talk on the phone, but I do plan to choose an alternative to "disposable" plastic. I do not buy or use bottled water, T.V. dinners, "disposable" grocery bags, etc.

I also stopped using plastic for my food.  I now use stainless steel, cast iron, glass, bamboo, etc.  I no longer have plastic cups, bowls, storage containers, measuring cups...I could go on for days on how plastic has taken over the modern kitchen.  Not mine anymore.

Other rooms are affected by it too.  I am not going to throw every plastic item away, but when I need new items, I plan to buy something other then plastic when possible.

Thanks Kalie, for the idea to stop using plastic.  It is easier then I thought it would be!