Breast milk ...but is sharing caring

Oh my I am watching this show on Channel 4 called 'Other People's Breast Milk'. It explores the concept of people who share breast milk whether that be through cross feeding, wet nursing and breast milk donation. I must admit I am watching a bit mortified at the thought. The show discusses people who do some form of communal feed. It is starting to remind me of that show with people who are breastfeeding beyond goo ga ga period.

I am seeing 3 and 4 year olds sucking the life out of their mums chest. The thought sounds painful. Kate Garraway finds two sisters who breast fed each others children. They argue that no one will think twice about letting someone else feed your baby with a bottle. So why the issues with cross feeding.

The programme goes onto discuss women who have never given birth and are able to produce milk. The suckling by the child at the breast stimulates the production of breast milk. One lady explained that she took contraceptive pills and used a breast pump which helped stimulated her milk production. Thus she was able to breast feed her adoptive children. All I can say to that is interesting.

Whilst in the UK breast milk is given away for free, in America its big business. A gay couple explain that they buy breast milk because they believe breast is best. You can even buy the services of a wet nurse. Then there is one image which mmm I must admit caught me off guard. Its a picture of Vanessa Beecroft an artists who went to Sudan and saw twins whose mum and passed and they were malnourished as would not take formula. So she simply placed them on her chest and they began to feed.

For me the reason this image is like woah, is because it reminds me of the picture of the fat white baby sucking the life out of the malnourished black woman. However Beecroft's use of her own breasts to feed those babies meant they lived. She bought their dad a goat so the babies had a continuous supply of milk. They are said to be doing well. Beecroft described the experience and the image as

In an interview, she calls the work "a souvenir." The iconographic portrait, of a white-robed Madonna and two black babies, is arresting and disturbing, raising questions about celebrity, race, colonialism, international adoption. Exploitation or liberation?(source)

The show ends with a section on adults drinking breast milk. A man who had cancer believes breast milk saved his life. How amazing is that. Gives a whole new meaning to breast is best.

I do not know about sharing milk in this way. I breast fed both of my children. I doubt I would ever breast feed someone else's child.

Read more about the show here.

My new son started my year

Before the year ended, i gave birth to my second son. I was sooooo praying and hoping as each week went by that he would wait till his due date. I had visions of giving birth on my birthday. Many friends and colleagues were told that i wanted to be remembered too. People thought that was funny but i was serious.

Like my first prince i prayed for my second. I asked the Lord in prayer on a day of expectant prayer that i wanted another child. I also added i wanted a girl. I still do. However the Lord provided and I have now been blessed with two beautiful princes.

As before didnt have any complications with this pregnancy. Due to a history of pre-term birth, well just my 1st born being born 7 weeks early the hospital consultant kept a close eye on me. I had 5 scans in total and on occasions was seen by the medical professions every week. Yet all boxes checked out okay. They still have no clue why i had a pre-term birth.

Anyway this is what happened. My birth story.

I had spent the day visiting my friend who was down from birmingham. I washed her hair over a bathtub (crazy i know) blowdried it etc. Thats as far as it goes for me doing someones hair. My son was quite restless and woke up hot and feverish, so he was allowed to stay in our bed whilst he was calmed down.

I wake up early hours of friday morning and turn over slowly in bed to lye on my other side and hear a pop. I went to the loo and thought something seems different. As i am walking back to the bedroom i am literally leaking. I know, too much information huh. I wake hubby to tell i think my waters had broke. The hospital tell me to come in for an assessment. I am feeling faint pains on the way there.

I am examined routinely and was given the option to go home untill pains increase. Also an induction is booked incase i dont go into labour within 48hrs. By around 7am pain is licking me. I am on the floor and wake hubby again to tell him to go shop for paracetemol. He asked me about the pain and was like call the hospital.

Just so you know, this pain was not sending me loopy like you see on both fictional and factual based pregnancy programs. It was just a bad period pain that made me stop in my tracks whilst the pain rippled through my stomach and sides. Hubby was like hurry up quick, he helped me dress and put my shoes on. Bless him. Men can be useful sometime ;) .

At the hospital they was taking what seemed like forever to admit me and give me my pain relief. I had a thing about pain relief because 1st time round I didnt even so much as get gas and air. Yet it was not as painful either. This time round once in the room i was given gas and air and was sooooo disapointed. I thought it would make me giggle or take the pain away. I was soooo disapointed I said to the lovely midwife its not working I need something stronger. She was an honest midwife though. She said 'I dont know what it helps but it does help something'.

I gave birth on my knees leaning over the top end of the raised bed. Midwife had rubbed my back which felts oh so good. I asked hubby to do the same and that seemed soooo much better than the gas and air. There were concerns about the heart rate but was still able to get a jab of pethodine. But by the time that took effect i had given birth.

Midwife was like wow, you went from 6 to 10 in half an hour. She said my labours are quick. I agree. 1st son 4hrs for the first stage and 24 minutes second stage. This birth labour was down as 2hours 1st stage and 5 minutes for the second. I am not complaining.

He had a low blood sugar level so they did heel prick tests every 3 hours and his feeds were regulated. Finally got to go home.

I am blessed with 2 sons and see them being an unstoppable and blessed duo.

P.S. no 2 pregnancies or births are the same. who knows if have more they will face the correct way round and my back wont be in so much agony.

Birth - 7 weeks early

As most of you know i had to dash to the hospital on Thursday as i had a slight scare. But they had sent me home after running numerous checks scans monitors etc.
Friday morning 9th sep...i am at home on the pc checking my emails. about 8.30am. When i got up the seat was wet and i know i aint weed or had the urge. My friends mum run me off the computer and the phone and told me to call the midwife, cos i assumed it was a week bladder i didnt call till a bit later. Anyway they told me to come in to the hospital for yet again more checks.
In hospital hooked up again to monitors listening to babies heart rate and movements. they took swabs and said its the fluid from around the baby.(my waters had broke) Therefore you are staying in hospital for observations. You know i wanted to cry as i werent ready to stop in hospital yet. I was put on antibiotics to prevent infections and also given steroid injections to make babies lungs stronger and speed up its growth. The injection was in the bum and it hurt it stung could not sit on my bum for a good few minutes.(i had to endure the injection the following day)

saturday morning the doctors said no your not going home as they needed to keep a close eye on me. throughout saturday i was experiencing slight aches like one would experience if they was on their period. i didnt think anything of it. my cousin told me if they get worst to tell the people.

i went to bed about 10/11pm saturday night and woke up after 12midnight with unbearable pain in my lower back and some in abdomin but mainly back pain. so i buzzed as you do. the midwives assessed me and gave me paracetemol. useless i buzzed again this time i was hooked up to a monitor to check the baby and look for signs of contactions. even a doctor examined me. was told no contractions being picked up on the monitor, my womb is closed etc. To think they're telling me this i am still getting this awful pain that stopping me sleeping.
i was given Codeine and that didnt work its like the pain doubled in intensity. so in the end i figured i am gonna just wallow in pain as they aint helping meand they said they couldnt give me anymore pain killers as you have to wait so many hours in between bla bla.

i was trying to walk the pain out twisting up myself. i was close to tears and they told me to try a warm bath. i collapsed in pain in the bath. 2 midwives helped me out and i was shivering now. one was helping me breath through the pain which did help a bit but all i was thinking was i just need a pain killer. (at one point i thought it was trapped wind)

a doctor examined me after i was helped out the bath the pain had moved to down there. doctor goes the head is just there. so they whisked me off down to the delivery suite ER style. i didnt even see where i was going i was in pain and holding on to the side of the bed.

in the delivery room i was asking for pain relief (as far as i was concerned thats all i needed) but they said no. as they needed me to feel when i needed to push etc. within a few minutes he was born. the hardest part was the head as it burns but once the head is out the body follows. they put my labour down as 4 and 1/2 hrs. i went from closed womb to fully dilated within minutes. i am told its not meant to be that way. no tears, stitches etc so i think i done good.

he was born at 0654hrs sep 11 and weighed 1.5kilos or 3 pounds 6 and 1/2 ounces 43cm long. he breathed by himself from day one. he was 7 weeks early so is in the special baby unit. the dr told me that once he can feed by mouth and his temp is maintained well outside an incubator i can take him home. aaah

i am told i look well. i will be taking it easy for awhile. but as even though he is still in hospital i express milk for him every 3 hours ish even through the night. i am still in shock it hasnt quite sunken in but i just thank God that he is doing well.

Pregnancy

Ok so much since my last entry
the first week of february i find out that i was pregnant. i was scared and happy at the same time.
i have been for scans midwife appointments galore.
not much to say really no morning sickness thank God. just occasioning heartburn.
i have to do a glucose test soon aswell. gosh hardwork going to and fro

anyway. thats it for now
discovered many good sites
pampers
bounty
bbc parenting
babynology
emmas diary

all worth a good read