Can of Worms {a note from the mother behind the MotherWise photo controversy}

Reblogged from The Lippy Lactator:

So, a funny thing happened yesterday.

I have been a part of the MotherWise community for awhile now.  I periodically share photos, stories, or links to "This Woman's Work" with them.  Yesterday, a story and photo of mine was shared.  At first, the comments were sweet and supportive.  Parents shared the picture on their timelines with comments like, "Awww!" and, "What a sweet story!"  The more it was shared, however, the more people outside of the MotherWise community saw the post.

Read more… 1,441 more words

My friend wrote an amazing piece about breastfeeding. She has a way with words... please read and share to help normalize a full-term breastfeeding relationship.

Moving towards sustainability- progress update

After writing down my dreams and putting it out there for the world to see, I have been surprised by how much more seriously I take it.  Writing it down, identifying, and stating an intention had a wonderful affect on my perception.

This week I have made great steps towards my dreams of living a fully sustainable lifestyle.  I got the 25 lb. box of Roma tomatoes from Bountiful Baskets and canned them.  It was so much work, but my jars are so beautiful.

I also canned some black beans this week.  I am using a pressure canner.

I have done some thinking and decided to embrace a high- raw diet.  I think I read that if your diet is 75% raw then you are considered a raw foodist.  If this is true, I definitely meet that criteria.  If it has to be 100% to be considered a raw foodist, then I’m high raw.  Like I said, 75% of my diet comes from raw fruits and veggies.

I have decided to skip the lentil soup for lunch and have a green smoothie instead.  It has done wonders for my energy.  Lentil soup does sit like a brick in my stomach and I have to take it easy after lunch.  Not this week.  I was bursting with energy after my lunch-in-a-jar.  In fact, I have been running and improving both speed and mileage greatly.

Having a high raw diet pushes me towards more sustainable living because I know how to eat what I grow.  I don’t have to use any added energy to cook it.  I think that’s a really important skill to have.  Also, if I’m simply eating what I grow (eventually)… I won’t have to depend on anyone else and definitely not the mighty system of consumerism to take care of me.

My compost is cooking well.  My garden is beginning to sprout.  I’m feeling pretty great.  

Dietary “Simplification”

I have a story to tell, and it’s about my diet.  This story came about through lots of trial and error, and oh so many years of unnecessary misery.

All my life I’ve struggled with my health.  I’ve had so many diagnoses; as a child it was tonsillitis, epilepsy and childhood migraines.  In high school it was IBS and an undiagnosed condition that caused me to double over in pain during cross country races.  As an adult it’s gotten worse.  Skin conditions, digestive turmoil, Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism to name a very few.  During pregnancy I’ve had conditions related to the immune system: Polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid), Vitamin D deficiency, and in my second pregnancy it was thrombocytopenia (too few blood platelets).

So there’s my medical history.  Fast forward to 6 months ago.  I was struggling with my health and unable to lose the extra pregnancy weight.  I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning, I had excruciating pain in my legs to the point I was barely able to climb the stairs.  My shoulders hurt so bad I had to buy thick supportive wraps for baby wearing just to keep my shoulders a little more comfortable. All this at 26 years old.

I was sick of being sick and fat.  I searched for a Vegan weight loss plan.  What I came across changed my life so drastically.  It was called The Paradigm Diet by Adam Dave MD.

This was a great read.  It was well written and incorporated humor with serious discussion.  It’s a book about what humans are supposed to eat.  You always hear what you should stay away from and what super foods should be incorporated into your diet.  This book breaks it all down and tells you how it is.  I love that.  It’s hard and restrictive even for a Vegan.  I thought it was worth a try.

What did I find out in just my first week of this diet?  I have a severe gluten intolerance!  It is responsible for every single health issue that I listed above.  Getting off gluten changed my life immediately.

I also found out that dairy has a similar effect on my body. It causes an autoimmune response and makes me feel weak and have joint pain.

So what do I not eat anymore?  Meat, eggs, dairy, grains, refined sugar, added dietary oils, nuts, soy and in a recent allergy discovery: chocolate.  That sounds like a lot.  It is a very restrictive diet for sure.  However, I prefer the term dietary simplification rather than dietary restriction.

What DO I eat?

Fruits.  Vegetables.  Beans.  And some seeds.

I eat nothing but fruit until noon.  I eat a big salad and lentil soup for lunch. I eat steamed potatoes and veggies with beans for dinner.  Lots and lots of green leafy vegetables.

This diet pays off for all the work though.  I lost 20 pounds in the first 4 weeks.  I’ve built a lot of lean muscle, I have more muscle now than ever in my life. I have tons of energy and I feel so great.  My muscles and joints are no longer in pain.  I could go on an on about the benefits.  Most important is that my medical problems have mostly disappeared.  Just gone.  My Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism is completely managed, my goiter is shrinking and slowly but surely my prescription is lowering.

I can’t eat out.  I can’t eat at people’s houses when they invite us over.  I usually have to pack my purse full of fruit or even a salad if I know we’re going to be out of the house for a while.

I have received more than my fair share of criticism.  Very hurtful things have been said and done to me based on my dietary restrictions.  But my closest support group is unwavering and strong.  They see how much better I feel.  They see how healthy I am.  My husband used to be a body builder, and he often admires my muscles.  He says it’s easy to support my dietary quirks because you don’t build muscles like this unless everything’s going well.

I have to learn to let the criticism slide. I’m healthier and happier than ever before.  You can’t argue with visable results.  You can’t argue with blood tests.

The moral of this story is that only YOU are responsible for your health.  Take action, even if it’s hard.

Journey to a Sustainable Life

I had an epiphany recently, and in this epiphany I discovered my purpose in life.

I want to live a sustainable life.

This is something that is reflected in every fiber of my being.  Every hobby and interest I have gravitates towards and reflects this purpose.

Maybe it’s from growing up as a Mormon.  My family frequented Utah Settler’s museums and I was exposed to a self-sufficient way of life.  I was always so inspired by these little places.  I’m no longer Mormon but the inspiration from my childhood remains.

Maybe it’s just who I am.  I am a Taurus, lover of all things natural including the Earth itself.  Earth is, after all, my element.  I want to live a lifestyle that is sustainable.  A life that doesn’t abuse Earth’s limited resources or exploit other living beings for personal gain or cultural acceptance.

Currently I am not living a fully sustainable life.  I am moving towards it a little at a time.  My dream is to one day live off the grid in a sustainable housing situation.  I want to grow the bulk of my family’s food in my garden.  I want to catch the rain and use it, and compost everything I can… that would include having a composting toilet.

Lately I’ve made some decisions that have pushed me towards this dream.  I planted my cold weather garden yesterday.  I started my compost pile.  Today I canned beans.

Baby steps.

I hope to write about my journey as I inch towards my dream.

WIP Wednesday

Dear Knitters,

I have exciting news.  I’m back to my knitting self.  I lost my mojo during my last pregnancy and it hasn’t come back until now.  I love wool.  I love yarn.  I love my needles.  For reasons unknown the desire was just not there.

Why the recent change?  The Pacific Northwest Fall weather makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a warm drink and knit.

Another obvious reason is my baby’s first year is almost finished.  I can’t belive she’s not a baby anymore. It’s bittersweet, and yes, a huge sigh of relief.  Bring on toddlerhood!

So with that, I want to share what I’m working on today.  I have the hat bug (a nice starting point).  I have 2 hats on the needles.  One will be a robot costume topper for my son, and the other is a cabled earflap hat for my friends son.

Rainy day knitting and a cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee!

What’s on your needles?

 

Safe Babywearing

This is a topic I’ve wanted to write about for some time.  For those that aren’t in the babywearing world, you may be surprised that there is a lot of drama that comes with it.  ”Why?” You may ask, “Aren’t all these mamas full of love for their babies?”  Yes, they are, but in this world there’s a lot of elitism.

There is a difference between safe and ideal.  The bag carriers were unsafe and had to be recalled.  Carriers with a narrow seat and face outward are still considered safe, but not ideal.

As with all things, everyone thinks their way is the best way.  Narrow seated front facing carriers pose the risk of hip dysplasia and overstimulation, but they are actually safe.  If used correctly there is no danger of a baby falling.

This is where the drama comes in.  It seems like some people are concerned with educating the public that the mass produced baby carriers aren’t good enough.  That there is a better option for the same price.  I believe their hearts are in the right place, but it’s insulting to tell another parent that what they are doing is not good enough by someone else’s standards.  Let’s please look at the big picture.  Babywearing, all safe babywearing, is an act of love.

When it comes to slings and wraps, there is such thing of unsafe babywearing.  A shallow seat and loose wrap job pose the risk of baby falling!  There is a major wrap seller that posts pictures and video tutorials that show unsafe wrapping.

If you are new to wrapping and want to learn, be careful where you get your instructions.  Try to get in touch with local groups and/or instructors.  Unfortunately that’s not always available.

If you want to look up video tutorials (that’s how I learned), there’s several mamas who post tutorials with EXCELLENT wrapping instructions.  My personal recommendations are Babywearing Faith, Squishy Mommy, and Caitlyn Rose.

I may get flamed for this by other babywearers, but I feel like I need to share my thoughts.  Babywearing is an act of love and parents who want to wear their babies should do so safely. I urge you to educate yourself and make a decision that is best for your family.  

Happy Babywearing!

 

My Babywearing Story

This is a hard story to find the beginning of.  It could be my instinct to stay away from bucket seats, my instinct to hold my babies close, or the experiences I had during my babysitting/ nanny days.  It’s definitely a combination of it all that created this strong need to wear my babies.

The first time I was ever pregnant, babywearing was the first thing I wanted to get sorted out.  At the time I had only ever seen Bjorns, so it became my obsession to find one.  Sadly I lost that pregnancy.  A few months later I saw a mama wearing her baby in a beautiful lime green ring sling.  That image forever changed me.  I had to find one.

During my next pregnancy I was able to find a ring sling and even make a few, and also got a stretchy wrap.  After the birth of my first baby, I figured out very quickly I couldn’t work with ring slings and the stretchy wrap became the focus of our whole world.

With our stretchy wrap, I was able to be myself.  I could tote my newborn around arms free.  On those late nights of tummy troubles and spitting up, it became my salvation.  Babywearing quickly became a topic near and dear to my heart.

As my baby grew, we found so much joy in the simple act of babywearing.  We went for walks, I wore him to sleep, I had him at kissing distance his entire first year of life.  He was a worn baby, and it showed in his advanced intellectual development.

During my son’s first year, my husband was in an intense training.  He was home for maybe an hour a day and when he was home, he was absolutely exhausted.  I often felt like a single parent during the work week.  On the weekends, daddy would wear our son and they could reconnect and enjoy each other.

When baby #2 came along, babywearing was second nature.  I began wearing her immediately.  I transitioned into a soft structured carrier after she had outgrown the stretchy wrap, just like we had done the first time.

One day, at an AP group meet up, I talked to a mama about babywearing.  She talked about how much she loved her woven wrap and that her Ergo was no where near as comfortable.  ”No where near as comfortable?” I thought.  ”How can that be?”.  At another meet up, I saw a different mama throw her baby up on her back, quickly wrap him into place and then help me with MY kids.  I was amazed!  ”I must get a woven wrap.”

So my wrap obsession began.  These two mamas are leaders in my local babywearing group (and now are my very close friends) and with their help I have been able to learn to wrap safely and enjoy the wonderful world of woven wraps.  And for the record, I think they are way more comfortable than soft structured carriers, and so much prettier too.

This time things are different than when I had just one baby.  Not only am I chasing after another child, but my husband is deployed.  Babywearing is the only way I can live my life!  I believe it allows me to be the best mother I can be.

This week is International Babywearing Week and I am celebrating this very special gift.  I am very proud and very fond of my babywearing life.