Sugar Momma

Oh, how I miss thee, sweet sweet sugar.

How cruel to give a yeast infection to a sugar addict.  Who thinks of these things?

For those of you that do not know what the heck I am talking about, I've been ordered to avoid foods with white flour & sugar, as it turns out, these foods will promote growth of yeast, the very thing I am trying to get rid in my precious milk producing body.  At first I was not aware of this (in retrospect, common sense would have been a useful thing to practice, but you know, baby-brain prevails) & there I was indulging in all the many many goodies - cakes & cookies - that Granny Kay baked up for us to keep in our stock.  Then the breast-feeding consultant broke the news to me & this whole battle just got tougher.

At first I was very diligent about this, I was determined to beat this thing with the help of a healthy sugar-free, white-free boring diet.  This, I found, became a huge challenge for me, knowing that all that stuff was in our freezer, probably the hardest next to breastfeeding.  It has been about 6 weeks since, & perhaps a bit discouraged, as my boobs still hurt, so I have started to cheat. At first, I allowed myself one treat a day (why not?), but lately the junk food has started to show up more frequently in our house & I can't help my hands.  I have one person to blame (not myself of course).

Ok, so I don't blame him, why should he have to suffer just because I do.  But I'm starting to think he is flaunting it.  The junk food is appearing more & more.  Yesterday he bought a bag full of goodies (cookies & gummies included) to take hunting with him today.  We finished the gummies off last night.  I also may have had a couple cookies.  He should have left all that stuff in the truck so I would never know.  If its not in the house I can't eat it (& I am too lazy to go get it). Oh, the risks of letting your husband do the grocery shopping.

So its not all bad, this eating healthy part, just hard.  When I stopped with the sugar (the white flour wasn't as difficult as I usually go with the whole wheat/grain products when I can) I noticed a huge difference in the way I felt & actually learned something about my body.  More energy, no more sugar hang-overs.  Over the last few years I knew something I was eating was making me feel toxic, but couldn't quite place it (...or possibly was in denial).  When I cut out the high sugar foods, I started to wake up feeling pretty good & not waking up with that "I feel like I got hit by a bus today" feeling.  Actually, this self-actualization did not come at first, but after those days when I started to cheat (Thanksgiving, for example), indulging in all of Granny's goodies, & then some, realizing how much worse it made me feel than on a healthy day.

Even when (if) this yeast infection is gone, I suppose it would be wise to continue a sugar restricted diet.  It's just too bad it has to be my cryptonite, the thing that I very much enjoy.  But I suppose it is better for the baby & everyone involved.  Now to get my hubby on board...

Milk This!

Shortly after giving Scarlett a soother she started to bite me when I nursed her.  I attributed this to the habit she has formed chomping on her soother (& hopefully not teething...).  

So I am not sure what possessed me to introduce her to the bottle the same week, but I did.  Scarlett had a fit, as rookie mom made the mistake of trying to get the bottle ready only after she woke up very hungry.  So busy crying, she would not even acknowledge that I was trying to shove some foreign (but tasty) rubbery thing in her face.  Once she realized what was happening, the milk was gone before you could say "bubbles."  It was a strange feeling when I finished, I felt that I shouldn't be finished, that I forgot something & should wip out my breast at once.  I also made the mistake of not pumping the surplus, & paid for it for about 2 days.  

This creates a whole new level of freedom for me, the mom.  Although I have not used this opportunity yet, knowing that it is there makes me feel good.  I am allowing myself to plan things without worrying "what if my baby gets hungry right in the middle." A new purpose for dad while on his parental leave.  I have since tried to convince him to take over a middle-of-the-night feeding while I get my precious sleep, but have been unsuccessful in my attempts so far.