This video says it all...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
What a Difference a Year Makes (Hyperemesis Gravidarum)
One year ago today, just a couple of weeks after discovering I was pregnant, I ended up at Summit Hospital's ER due to complications from hyperemesis gravidarum or HG. I eventually ended up at Centennial Women's Hospital a couple of times until I was able to go home with a medicine pump attached to a subcutaneous needle, then an IV and finally a PICC line. I had a wonderful home care nurse who came several times a week to take care of me. You can read back on this post for a rundown of what happened. It was, hands-down, the sickest I've ever been in my life!
What I didn't elaborate on was exactly what hyperemesis gravidarum really is. There are actually a host of websites dedicated to this condition in pregnant women, with the H.E.R. Foundation (Hyperemesis Education & Research) being one that I learned a lot from which states, "HG is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the newborn(s)...There are no known causes of hyperemesis gravidarum, only theories, but it is likely that HG is caused by a number of interrelated factors that vary by woman and by pregnancy. Treatment thus differs because women will respond differently to medications and other interventions."
Give me a moment to climb aboard my soapbox (oh wait, a blog is just one big soapbox)...
Please do not mistake HG with morning sickness! To do so downplays the severity of the condition. It certainly did not help at all when women would tell me that they understood what I was going through because they had such bad morning sickness. Yet they were still able to go about their days fairly normally. HG is not a condition that causes some discomfort and allows you to continue to be functional. It is a debilitating illness that stops normal life right in its tracks. For a few months, I could barely make it out of bed. Taking a shower was a monumental effort. Friends would ask me if I was bored. I was so sick, boredom was never a factor. I didn't have enough energy to do much of anything even watch T.V. or read.
Dr. Vasquez said that I had the worst case of HG he had ever encountered. I was in the hospital a few extra days because he was trying to research what would be the best means of treatment and then find an infusion company that would provide that much medication to a pregnant woman. At one point, during the course of trying different meds, I passed out in my hospital room when I was trying to get to the bathroom. I remember the room spinning and feeling really dizzy and the next thing I knew I was coming to on the floor. The whole time I was sick with HG, I was so scared I'd lose the baby. After struggling to get pregnant in the first place, I was discouraged that I couldn't just have a healthy pregnancy. But against so many odds, I ended up with a healthy, beautiful, amazing baby girl and I am so very grateful!
Today I am none the worse for the wear and can't believe it's been a year since my experience with HG all started. As I reflect back on it, I am so thankful for my friends, family & co-workers who supported me through it, most especially Jeff who took better care of me than I could've ever hoped for.
I'm taking time to learn more about HG and hearing other women's stories is amazing. Some suffered more so than I did, even to the point of losing babies and sustaining damage to organs due to such severe dehydration and other complications of HG. I had never heard of this before getting pregnant. To read more about it, check out the National Organization for Rare Disorders website and the book "Beyond Morning Sickness."
What I didn't elaborate on was exactly what hyperemesis gravidarum really is. There are actually a host of websites dedicated to this condition in pregnant women, with the H.E.R. Foundation (Hyperemesis Education & Research) being one that I learned a lot from which states, "HG is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the newborn(s)...There are no known causes of hyperemesis gravidarum, only theories, but it is likely that HG is caused by a number of interrelated factors that vary by woman and by pregnancy. Treatment thus differs because women will respond differently to medications and other interventions."
Give me a moment to climb aboard my soapbox (oh wait, a blog is just one big soapbox)...
Please do not mistake HG with morning sickness! To do so downplays the severity of the condition. It certainly did not help at all when women would tell me that they understood what I was going through because they had such bad morning sickness. Yet they were still able to go about their days fairly normally. HG is not a condition that causes some discomfort and allows you to continue to be functional. It is a debilitating illness that stops normal life right in its tracks. For a few months, I could barely make it out of bed. Taking a shower was a monumental effort. Friends would ask me if I was bored. I was so sick, boredom was never a factor. I didn't have enough energy to do much of anything even watch T.V. or read.
Dr. Vasquez said that I had the worst case of HG he had ever encountered. I was in the hospital a few extra days because he was trying to research what would be the best means of treatment and then find an infusion company that would provide that much medication to a pregnant woman. At one point, during the course of trying different meds, I passed out in my hospital room when I was trying to get to the bathroom. I remember the room spinning and feeling really dizzy and the next thing I knew I was coming to on the floor. The whole time I was sick with HG, I was so scared I'd lose the baby. After struggling to get pregnant in the first place, I was discouraged that I couldn't just have a healthy pregnancy. But against so many odds, I ended up with a healthy, beautiful, amazing baby girl and I am so very grateful!
Today I am none the worse for the wear and can't believe it's been a year since my experience with HG all started. As I reflect back on it, I am so thankful for my friends, family & co-workers who supported me through it, most especially Jeff who took better care of me than I could've ever hoped for.
I'm taking time to learn more about HG and hearing other women's stories is amazing. Some suffered more so than I did, even to the point of losing babies and sustaining damage to organs due to such severe dehydration and other complications of HG. I had never heard of this before getting pregnant. To read more about it, check out the National Organization for Rare Disorders website and the book "Beyond Morning Sickness."
Friday, July 16, 2010
Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Part 2
Okay, we're sold! Jeff & I are loving the cloth diapering so far. After the initial adjustment period, it seems so easy now. We're sticking with the flat diapers with covers for day and the duo diapers for night.
Because you aren't supposed to use diaper rash cream with cloth diapers, we put Shay in a disposable the other night with her Boudreaux's All Natural Butt-Paste as her little bum appeared to be getting a little red (no rash, but we wanted to take preventative measures). Jeff actually discovered now that he's used to the cloth diapers, he actually finds them easier to put on Shay than a 'sposie. Incidently, we really like the all natural butt paste. I recognize all of the ingredients and feel better about putting that on her than other stuff with mile long ingredients lists, half of which I cannot pronounce let alone recognize. I want to try the Thirsties Booty Luster which can be used with cloth diapers and is supposed to be a good, all-natural diaper rash preventative, but another time.
Once we decided we were going to commit to the cloth diapering thing, I went ahead and purchased a couple more covers, duos, a Planet Wise cloth diaper pail liner in lilac and Thirsties Fab Wipes. I figure, hey, if we're going to go cloth, might as well go all the way. This way, we can nix the Diaper Genie II Elite bag refills and baby wipes off of our shopping list. We can just toss the flats, covers, duos & wipes all into the Diaper Genie pail lined with the cloth liner and then toss everything into the wash when it's full. We just got our stuff in the mail the other day so haven't had much time to try out the cloth wipes and liner but I'll test 'em out and report back. I do have to say, everything is so cute and in such bright, fun colors! We now have diapers and wipes in orchid, rose, honeydew, mango, meadow, ocean, white, etc.
Because you aren't supposed to use diaper rash cream with cloth diapers, we put Shay in a disposable the other night with her Boudreaux's All Natural Butt-Paste as her little bum appeared to be getting a little red (no rash, but we wanted to take preventative measures). Jeff actually discovered now that he's used to the cloth diapers, he actually finds them easier to put on Shay than a 'sposie. Incidently, we really like the all natural butt paste. I recognize all of the ingredients and feel better about putting that on her than other stuff with mile long ingredients lists, half of which I cannot pronounce let alone recognize. I want to try the Thirsties Booty Luster which can be used with cloth diapers and is supposed to be a good, all-natural diaper rash preventative, but another time.
Once we decided we were going to commit to the cloth diapering thing, I went ahead and purchased a couple more covers, duos, a Planet Wise cloth diaper pail liner in lilac and Thirsties Fab Wipes. I figure, hey, if we're going to go cloth, might as well go all the way. This way, we can nix the Diaper Genie II Elite bag refills and baby wipes off of our shopping list. We can just toss the flats, covers, duos & wipes all into the Diaper Genie pail lined with the cloth liner and then toss everything into the wash when it's full. We just got our stuff in the mail the other day so haven't had much time to try out the cloth wipes and liner but I'll test 'em out and report back. I do have to say, everything is so cute and in such bright, fun colors! We now have diapers and wipes in orchid, rose, honeydew, mango, meadow, ocean, white, etc.
2nd order of cloth diapering supplies:
Thirsties Covers & Duo Diapers, Fab Wipes & Planet Wise Cloth Diaper Pail Liner
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Four Months
Our baby girl is 4 months old today! She's gone from a newborn who couldn't do much but sleep and cry to a bright-eyed infant who is starting to really take in the world around her. Big accomplishments in Baby Land thus far include rolling over both ways, holding head up all the time, holding herself up on arms from belly position, army crawling, smiling, laughing, babbling, grasping hands together and other objects, etc. Some of Shay's favorite things are her Lamaze brand butterfly toy, Bright Starts activity mat and her swing (but only when she's sleepy). Favorite activities include playing with and being held by Mommy & Daddy, rolling around everywhere, bath time, looking around outside, the Hokey Pokey and potty time where we make funny faces at her and she mimics us. Oh and droooooooooling. Lots and lots of drooling!
Shay's outgrown all but one of her newborn size outfits and is mostly wearing her 0-3 month onesies. Since changing over to cloth diapers, she's packing a little more junk in the trunk so some of those clothes are getting too short for her even though they are big enough width wise. I was sad to put some of her cute clothes into the "giveaway" pile. But, God willing, she is just going to continue to get bigger and, while I look forward to watching her learn & grow, part of me will always be sad to be leaving behind some of the baby stages. I tell her that she isn't going to remember these moments but that I'll remember for both of us.
It is so amazing how much she changes in just the span of a month. Jeff & I are loving watching her discover new things and I really cannot think of anything in the world that brings me more joy than seeing her smile or hearing her laugh.
Shay's outgrown all but one of her newborn size outfits and is mostly wearing her 0-3 month onesies. Since changing over to cloth diapers, she's packing a little more junk in the trunk so some of those clothes are getting too short for her even though they are big enough width wise. I was sad to put some of her cute clothes into the "giveaway" pile. But, God willing, she is just going to continue to get bigger and, while I look forward to watching her learn & grow, part of me will always be sad to be leaving behind some of the baby stages. I tell her that she isn't going to remember these moments but that I'll remember for both of us.
It is so amazing how much she changes in just the span of a month. Jeff & I are loving watching her discover new things and I really cannot think of anything in the world that brings me more joy than seeing her smile or hearing her laugh.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Chicken Quinoa Salad
So I said I would post a few random topics on my blog. I figured I'd start with a recipe I recently tried out. Let me preface this by saying that my husband is a self-proclaimed creature of habit and is not very adventurous when it comes to trying out new foods. He would also live on sugar rich cereal, grilled cheese, pizza & Coca-Cola if left to his own devices. Perhaps the most healthy alternative being a Subway sandwich. The man thinks adding fresh garlic to pasta sauce is stretching the boundries of gourmet cooking, haha!
It has become my goal to try to find healthy foods that he actually likes. Right now the meal of choice is roasted vegetables which he happily eats (and prepares!) at least once or twice a week. I was hoping he'd like this new recipe. While he did gamely eat a couple of helpings, it wasn't a huge hit with him, though I give him credit for at least trying it. I'm posting this recipe because I really liked it. And I want to try to find healthier, yet delicious, meal options for us especially as Shay starts eating solids.
Chicken Quinoa Salad
(Recipe adapted from Whole Foods)
*Sorry, no pretty picture of the finished salad...you'll have to use your imagination
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/3 cups quinoa
3 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 cup green grapes, quartered
1/2 cup slivered almonds
fat free feta cheese crumbles to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread slivered almonds in single layer on baking sheet and toast until light to golden brown, Cool. Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Stir in quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Uncover and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt & pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking well. Add quinoa and toss to combine. Stir in chicken, grapes, almonds & feta cheese. Serve at room temp or chilled.
NOTE: The Whole Foods recipe called for water but I had chicken stock on hand and thought it added great flavor. It also called for white wine vinegar but I prefer the taste of apple cider vinegar in most salads. I used less grapes but that is just a matter of preference. The original recipe listed less vinegar and oil but I found that the quinoa absorbed it all so fast that I added a little more in. I also think that the slivered almonds held up better in the salad than sliced which tend to get soggy faster. The feta cheese was also an addition on my part.
It has become my goal to try to find healthy foods that he actually likes. Right now the meal of choice is roasted vegetables which he happily eats (and prepares!) at least once or twice a week. I was hoping he'd like this new recipe. While he did gamely eat a couple of helpings, it wasn't a huge hit with him, though I give him credit for at least trying it. I'm posting this recipe because I really liked it. And I want to try to find healthier, yet delicious, meal options for us especially as Shay starts eating solids.
Chicken Quinoa Salad
(Recipe adapted from Whole Foods)
*Sorry, no pretty picture of the finished salad...you'll have to use your imagination
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/3 cups quinoa
3 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 cup green grapes, quartered
1/2 cup slivered almonds
fat free feta cheese crumbles to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread slivered almonds in single layer on baking sheet and toast until light to golden brown, Cool. Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Stir in quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Uncover and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt & pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking well. Add quinoa and toss to combine. Stir in chicken, grapes, almonds & feta cheese. Serve at room temp or chilled.
NOTE: The Whole Foods recipe called for water but I had chicken stock on hand and thought it added great flavor. It also called for white wine vinegar but I prefer the taste of apple cider vinegar in most salads. I used less grapes but that is just a matter of preference. The original recipe listed less vinegar and oil but I found that the quinoa absorbed it all so fast that I added a little more in. I also think that the slivered almonds held up better in the salad than sliced which tend to get soggy faster. The feta cheese was also an addition on my part.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Cloth Diapering, First Impressions
This weekend marked the first time using our new cloth diapers!
I diligently washed and re-washed the cotton flats until they reached so-called maximum absorbancy. Also gave the covers and duo diaper inserts lots of face time with the washer and dryer. Then proceeded to fold all of them so they were all ready to go like little soldiers armed for battle :)
The verdict?
I diligently washed and re-washed the cotton flats until they reached so-called maximum absorbancy. Also gave the covers and duo diaper inserts lots of face time with the washer and dryer. Then proceeded to fold all of them so they were all ready to go like little soldiers armed for battle :)
Diaper covers/wraps by Thirsties
The verdict?
The diaper covers came in a bunch of pretty colors and certainly look cuter than disposable diapers. They made some red marks around Shay's legs where the gussets sit (but then, so do disposables). Red marks aside, they seemed comfy enough for her and not too tight around the legs.
While easy to fold, the flats were hard to get on her due to the fact that she has learned how to roll over and immediately wants to do just that the moment you put her on her back which translates into a very wiggly, kicky baby on the changing table. Not so much of a problem when putting on something with velcro, but the flat has nothing to hold it on until you can pull the cover over it. Though I know that flats aren't meant to completely wick away moisture from baby like many cloth diapering products on the market, I was hoping for at least a little bit more absorbancy. Shay's not one to fuss because of a wet diaper so we weren't thrilled that she was just sitting in the wetness, though there was no leakage.
The duo diapers are a huge hit though! They have a buttery soft microfiber fleece liner on the inside and a multi-layer microfiber terry & hemp insert. We were afraid that a cloth diaper wouldn't hold up without leaks overnight as Shay really gets a disposable wet but these did an excellent job of keeping her feeling dry while containing all of the wetness. And, while she may inherit the famous "Burton Bubble Butt" someday, she didn't have a cloth diaper induced bubble butt from these. Trim, soft, absorbant, cute...an overall winner! The only downside is that they are much more expensive.
All that said, the flats are very affordable and easy to launder so I'm willing to give them more time. Jeff wasn't so eager at first and wanted to go ahead and get more of the duo diapers right away but this morning he commented that he'd give the flats some more time too. So we'll see how this goes. Wish us luck!
Shay modeling her orchid colored cloth diaper
Diaper by Thirsties, Body by Shay!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Part I
Another thing no one ever tells you before becoming a parent is just how obsessed you become both with what goes in your baby and what comes out, not to mention how to best deal with the latter! Before getting pregnant, I thought it was a simple matter of disposable diapers. Period. Of course, as a new parent, I wanted to get the best I could for baby Shay. We ended up going with Huggies Pure & Natural diapers made with organic cotton (and a higher price tag!) until Shay out grew the newborn size. Next came the diaper cake and package of Nature Babycare disposable diapers courtesy of friends from baby showers.
At this point, my mom bought us a big Sam's Club size box of Huggies Little Snugglers. No organic anything and I worried about whether these would irritate baby's sensitive skin. However, with the price of diapers, I wasn't about to let these go to waste and Shay did just fine with them. I attribute no diaper rash or irritation due to the fact that we started practicing elimination communication or E.C. with Shay when she was 5 weeks old. Check out the book Diaper Free Baby and this blog posting from Angela at healthnutforlife.org for info. on the premise of E.C (which makes perfect sense to us!). That and we make sure that, after wiping baby clean, we use the new clean diaper first as a fan to dry any moisture on the skin before putting it on her.
Now, the whole time we've been putting Shay in disposable diapers, I had every intention of trying to go the cloth route. Jeff & I have gotten big into recycling over the last year, making runs to the local recyle drop off near our home on a weekly basis. So part of my wanting to try cloth is for environmental reasons. While I definitely don't consider myself in the hippie tree-hugger category, I do try to make small differences wherever I can whether it's recycling, using more natural cleaning products (my favorite lately being bi-o-kleen), buying organic/local, etc. I figure trying cloth diapers will be another way we can try to live "greener." Not gonna lie...another big reason is, while cloth diapers are an investment initially, they are defintiely a cost savings over disposable diapers in the long run.
So with those reasons in mind, why has it taken me so long to finally order cloth diapers? I started researching, got confused with the sheer amount of choices out there, then got overwhelmed. BumGenius, Fuzzibuns, Smartipants, Tiny Tush, Gro Baby. These are just a handful of names of different makers of cloth diapers. While they certainly sound cute, it was overload for an indecisive individual like myself. All-in-ones, pocket diapers, flats, pre-folds, fitteds, hemp, jersey, cotton, snaps, velcro...Ahhhhhhh!
Enter another diaper cake, this time from Jeff's parents and this time filled with Pampers. I gotta admit...I was a little relieved that diaper cake #2 would buy me a little more time to figure out the whole cloth diaper situation.
So what's an inexperienced new mom to do? Make like the Beatles and "get by with a little help from my friends" (minus the drug reference!). Big thanks to Angela (see blog link above), who took the time to message me a whole bunch of info. on her experiences with cloth diapers and even bring a few samples to CMT for us to try.
Armed with a better understanding of some of the choices and an aresenal of websites, I started price hunting which is a force of habit before ordering anything online. I ended up purchasing covers from Abby's Lane and birdseye weave flats from Cotton Babies. Both have free shipping and I ordered everything on Friday morning and already got an email from Cotton Babies with shipment tracking that shows the flats are supposed to arrive tomorrow (Monday). Pretty impressed with the speed from this company! I got a couple each of extra small Thirsties covers, size 1 Thirsties duo wraps, and size 1 Thirsties duo diapers. They come in a bunch of pretty colors so Shay will have a pretty baby bum :) That and I won't have Sesame Street characters on her diapers anymore like the ones from aforementioned diaper cake! I'm hoping Jeff likes the flats because they seem pretty easy to fold and are by far the cheapest liner to pair with the covers. If not, we'll try some other options. I'm a little nervous about how this is going to go, but let the experimentation begin! I'll have more on our cloth diaper adventures in a future blog. Wish us luck!
At this point, my mom bought us a big Sam's Club size box of Huggies Little Snugglers. No organic anything and I worried about whether these would irritate baby's sensitive skin. However, with the price of diapers, I wasn't about to let these go to waste and Shay did just fine with them. I attribute no diaper rash or irritation due to the fact that we started practicing elimination communication or E.C. with Shay when she was 5 weeks old. Check out the book Diaper Free Baby and this blog posting from Angela at healthnutforlife.org for info. on the premise of E.C (which makes perfect sense to us!). That and we make sure that, after wiping baby clean, we use the new clean diaper first as a fan to dry any moisture on the skin before putting it on her.
Now, the whole time we've been putting Shay in disposable diapers, I had every intention of trying to go the cloth route. Jeff & I have gotten big into recycling over the last year, making runs to the local recyle drop off near our home on a weekly basis. So part of my wanting to try cloth is for environmental reasons. While I definitely don't consider myself in the hippie tree-hugger category, I do try to make small differences wherever I can whether it's recycling, using more natural cleaning products (my favorite lately being bi-o-kleen), buying organic/local, etc. I figure trying cloth diapers will be another way we can try to live "greener." Not gonna lie...another big reason is, while cloth diapers are an investment initially, they are defintiely a cost savings over disposable diapers in the long run.
So with those reasons in mind, why has it taken me so long to finally order cloth diapers? I started researching, got confused with the sheer amount of choices out there, then got overwhelmed. BumGenius, Fuzzibuns, Smartipants, Tiny Tush, Gro Baby. These are just a handful of names of different makers of cloth diapers. While they certainly sound cute, it was overload for an indecisive individual like myself. All-in-ones, pocket diapers, flats, pre-folds, fitteds, hemp, jersey, cotton, snaps, velcro...Ahhhhhhh!
Enter another diaper cake, this time from Jeff's parents and this time filled with Pampers. I gotta admit...I was a little relieved that diaper cake #2 would buy me a little more time to figure out the whole cloth diaper situation.
So what's an inexperienced new mom to do? Make like the Beatles and "get by with a little help from my friends" (minus the drug reference!). Big thanks to Angela (see blog link above), who took the time to message me a whole bunch of info. on her experiences with cloth diapers and even bring a few samples to CMT for us to try.
Armed with a better understanding of some of the choices and an aresenal of websites, I started price hunting which is a force of habit before ordering anything online. I ended up purchasing covers from Abby's Lane and birdseye weave flats from Cotton Babies. Both have free shipping and I ordered everything on Friday morning and already got an email from Cotton Babies with shipment tracking that shows the flats are supposed to arrive tomorrow (Monday). Pretty impressed with the speed from this company! I got a couple each of extra small Thirsties covers, size 1 Thirsties duo wraps, and size 1 Thirsties duo diapers. They come in a bunch of pretty colors so Shay will have a pretty baby bum :) That and I won't have Sesame Street characters on her diapers anymore like the ones from aforementioned diaper cake! I'm hoping Jeff likes the flats because they seem pretty easy to fold and are by far the cheapest liner to pair with the covers. If not, we'll try some other options. I'm a little nervous about how this is going to go, but let the experimentation begin! I'll have more on our cloth diaper adventures in a future blog. Wish us luck!
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