October 23, 2006

On the mend but still annoyed

It is no secret that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing until your baby is at least 12 months old. An article came out recently in diabetes literature, citing that breast milk is really the best thing for your baby and that cows milk should be avoided until the age of two. Breastfeeding helps reduce the incidence of diabetes in both Mom’s and babies. With the strong history of diabetes in my family, and considering the fact that I had gestational diabetes while pregnant this last time, I felt that it was my duty to nurse this baby as long as I could. Although I started the weaning process at 10 months, I nursed Big I until she was 14.5 months old and when she stopped nursing it was so gradual that she never even missed it. It was the best thing for both of us.

Lil C recently turned a year old and I am still nursing her. I am in the process of weaning her, but weaning to me, is not something you do cold turkey. That is not beneficial for either of us. It’s a very gradual process in this household and I appreciate it greatly when people mind their own business about it. A popular chant for abortion rights activists is "My Mind, My Body, My Choice" and I feel that saying applies even more so to breastfeeding a baby. I never imagined in a million years, that a doctor or physician’s assistant of all people would be so unsupportive of my decision about nursing and how long to continue nursing.

After toughing it out all last week with body aches and a fever on and off, I finally made an appointment with my doctor’s office and of course could only get an appointment with a Physician’s Assistant. I’ve seen her before and it always felt like she was rushing me out the door. Friday was no exception. We ran through the gamut of my symptoms and she determined that I had strep throat. I told her I would need a medication compatible with nursing. She asked how old my baby was, and I told her that she is 12 months old. I saw the reaction, subtle but definitely there and judgmental. She left the room to go consult on what she should prescribe.

She came back a few minutes later with a prescription for Levaquin. Levaquin is what they put my husband on after he had abdominal surgery. It is a strong antibiotic and a bit of an overkill for a strep throat. "Here you go" she said handing me the prescription. "Oh, and you’ll have to pump and dump for seven days." Lil C has not ever taken a bottle. She refuses, and pumping is not exactly easy for me either. It’s not like I have a freezer full of back-ups.

"That’s not going to work," I told her. "I need something safe for nursing. I’m in the process of weaning her and I’m not going to do it like this." She responded with "Well, I nursed my daughter for eight months. I know it’s hard, but there’s nothing else we can give you." "There has to be something," I retorted. "Nope, sorry. Pump and dump for seven days or just wean her now." I told her I would just not take the drug. She said, "Well, then it will go to your heart and kidneys." I was finding it very hard to believe that a mother who also nursed her child wouldn’t be more sympathetic.

I left the doctor’s office and was a mess. What was I going to do? I got home and consulted the internet. I found resources from The Breastfeeding Network that listed at least ten antibiotics safe for nursing. I called the office and left a voice mail saying that I wanted my prescription changed to one of the drugs I found on the list that I had success with before. The nurse called me back and said, "I talked to (the PA) and she said she already discussed this with you. She prescribed the one drug that is safe." "Levaquin is not safe," I said, "and she told me so." "Oh," said the nurse. It was obvious that they were not taking my request seriously. Can you imagine if I had taken the nurse at her word and taken an unsafe drug while nursing?

I repeated my request for the different drug and told them to call it in for me. They said they would call it in but that it was still not compatible with nursing. She threw out a "Well, WE’RE trying to do what’s best for your child". "Really?" I said. "Well if that were the case, then you would know that breast milk is what’s best for my child, and weaning her cold turkey is not."

I called my daughter’s pediatrician and left a message telling them my dilemma. Within a half hour, the nurse from the doctor’s office called me back and left me a message (I was at the pharmacy). The medication I requested, along with the other nine or so I had found, were completely safe with nursing. She told me things to watch for in Lil C in case of a bad reaction, but stressed that the drug I had requested was safe.

While at the pharmacy, I asked the pharmacist his opinion. He told me the drug was safe as well and said it was fine to take it and continue nursing as usual. I am nursing her so infrequently now that I could time the drug so that there would be many hours before I had to nurse Lil C again.

So, my question is this: If I could go on the internet and find reliable information including the package insert for the drug that says it is safe for nursing; if my pediatrician could tell me it was safe; if the pharmacist could tell me it was safe. . . then why couldn’t my doctor’s office?

I have decided to switch primary care physicians because if they are incapable of helping a nursing mother out, then I am incapable of giving them $25 every time I need to see a physician’s assistant who has less schooling than I have. Although she didn’t come right out and say it, there was an obvious judgment being made about my decision to wean my 12-month old daughter gradually, and that is just one of the problems that nursing mothers face every day. Until now, I had never really experienced this, and I hope to never experience it again.

Posted by Black Belt Mama on October 23, 2006 in Things that get my gi all in a bunch | 12 Comments

October 21, 2006

Out of the Office

Black Belt Mama is currently out of the blog world suffering from a case of strep throat. She will return to the blog world when she’s feeling up to it. She has a wonderful story to pass on about nursing mothers, medication, and big time jerk doctors (actually physicans assistants AND doctors) that is sure to get you all riled up. She can’t wait to share it with you. Now go pray that your child doesn’t bring home strep throat too!

Posted by Black Belt Mama on October 21, 2006 in Mental Strain for Mama | 4 Comments

October 17, 2006

These boots were made for walking

At J’s request, the story of how the boots became mine and how I explained them to my husband. . .

I did not have any intention of buying these boots. I saw them last week. I searched on the internet for the best deal and found none. Last week, I purchased a coupon through Big I’s school for $5 which entitled me to 25% off all day today. Last night, my husband gave me a princess cut diamond solitaire necklace for our anniversary to match the earrings he bought me for Mother’s Day.

I was completely surprised (although I shouldn’t have been considering he was very very late getting home). He’s a last minute kind of guy. So, I really was having no urge to buy the boots today.

Then I saw them. I had just finished some Christmas shopping and I saw them in all their glory. They were calling to me, just waiting for me.

I asked to try them on, hoping that I would hate them. I hoped they wouldn’t be comfortable.

But they were. . .

I handed them back to the sales girl and told her "no thanks". I told her I was going to "think about it" and maybe come back later. She said, "O.k. but just so you know, we only got one in each size. . ."

I sat there while Lil C chowed on some cherry puffs and then I decided that I had to have them. And here they are. . .

Now I just need a denim skirt to go with them. . .

And as far as the explanation. . . it went something like this:

Me: I was bad today.
Him: Why?
Me: Well, let’s just say you already got me a Christmas present.
Him: Huh?
Me: (revealing large box from closet and showing him) Aren’t they awesome?
Him: What’s the damage?
Me: Well, they were on sale. . . and I got an additional 25% off.
Him: What’s the damage?
Me: $160
Him: AND THAT WAS ON SALE???
Me: I’m lying. They were $149, marked down to $139, and then I had the coupon, so I paid $104. That sounds so much better than $160, huh?
Him: (laughing)

Ta da! Good luck with your purchases ladies! That’s how its done!

Posted by Black Belt Mama on October 17, 2006 in Just for Fun | 10 Comments

October 17, 2006

Three Things

It’s been a while since I’ve done a meme. But, as per Junebee, I’ve been tagged.

1. Three people who make me laugh:

My husband (who has in past years done great interpretational dancing to theme songs from ER, Law & Order, etc.)
Karl whose birthday challenges had me holding my sides laughing
My girls

2. Three things I can do:

change a diaper with one hand while lying down in the dark
make chicken pie and chocolate cake from scratch
crochet baby blankets, hats and booties

3. Three things I can’t do:

go on a ferris wheel without completely freaking out
keep my mouth shut when someone says something rude to my kids or my mom
get the grill started (I know the games men play. . . folding laundry poorly so they’re not asked to do it again. I can’t get the grill started and I have a good reason why.)

4. Three things I’m doing right now:

trying to catch up on my blog reading
looking around my living room and wondering exactly how many tissues Lil C has shredded today
trying to ~~find a good deal on an awesome pair of boots I saw last week~~ figure out how I’m going to explain my boot purchase to my husband

5. Three things I want to do before I die:

become a black belt and then some
move into my dream home
visit the Florida Keys

6. Three things I hate the most:

political ads and phone calls (because I get at least four a day)
people who litter
people who are mean to people I love

7. Three things that scare me:

child predators (although if any of them come anywhere near me or my kids I am fully prepared to unleash BBM’s full fury on them)
the crazy countries in this world (N. Korea, Iran, etc.)
most dogs (I am not a fan.)

8. Three things I don’t understand:

why so many Americans hate their own country so much
why politicians don’t take all the money they spend on political ads and instead use it to find cures for diseases, improve our schools, etc. etc. etc.
school violence

9. Three skills I’d like to learn:

how to breathe properly through my kata’s
how to properly use joint locks. . . the first time
how to deliver a killer serve in the style of Venus Williams

10. Three ways to describe my personality:

Assertive
Thoughtful
Fun

11. Three things I think you should listen to:

your children
Alana Davis
Lil C and Big I playing together. . . their giggles are intoxicating

12. Three things you should never listen to:

political ads
political phone calls (like the stupid one I got today from Bill Clinton himself)
Hector & Victor from ESPN who give weekly projections on fantasy football players (Rex Grossman with a -7 for this week! ARGHHH!!)

13. Three favorite foods:

Tortilla soup from Max & Erma’s
Pollo Fundido from Cozumel in Pittsburgh
Wings from Johnny’s Place in Pittsburgh

14. Three beverages I drink regularly:

diet decaf iced tea
cherry vanilla hot tea
diet decaf coke

15. Three shows I watch a lot:

Lost
Gray’s Anatomy
The Unit
Just three????? Project Runway too!

16. Three people I’m tagging to do this:

Jenn from Maniacal Days
Karl from Secondhand Trypotophan
Jody from And Baby Makes 6

Posted by Black Belt Mama on October 17, 2006 in Just for Fun | 4 Comments

October 16, 2006

Cess pools

I think I have figured out a way to keep health care costs down in this country. It’s simple really and involves two steps:

All children will be schooled at home through home-schooling or cyber-schooling, thus avoiding the school buildings (cess pool #1) which are apparently teeming with germs.
Children will no longer go to doctor’s offices for well visits. Doctors will make house calls for well visits, thus helping children avoid cess pool #2.

I have learned in the last month and a half that Kindergarten is a cess pool of germs. I have never had so many colds/viruses in my life. Not even when I was a teacher, did I get sick this often. You see high school kids, for the most part, know how to blow their noses and keep their germs to themselves. I don’t think Kindergartener’s have learned this crucial skill yet. We’re currently running on a cycle something like this:

Day 1: Big I comes home and complains of slight sore throat and/or runny nose.
Day 2: Lil C starts sneezing.
Day 3: Mama starts sneezing and glands swell up big enough to make me look like a linebacker.
Day 4: Big I, Lil C, and me all break out in full fledged runny nose/achy body/sore throat hell.
Days 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are all like Day 4
Day 11: We all start to feel better. I realize we’re not going through a box of tissues every half hour.
Day 12: Feeling great!
Days 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 are all good.
Day 18: See Day 1

I swear this is how it has been since Big I started school. Last week we added another germ cess pool to our daily routine with a well visit for Lil C. Every time the child gets a vaccine, she gets sick. She starts out fussy, feverish, and hating sleep. Now she has a full fledged cold, complete with "Mama, Mama, Mama" crying non-stop, except for the few precious hours when she sleeps, breathing through her mouth. And we don’t even get her all of the recommended vaccines.

During our visit to cess pool #2, the doctor said Lil C is doing very well and is ahead developmentally. Duh, she is the child of a valedictorian and a perfectionist after all. She is 31 1/4 inches tall (97th percentile). This marks the first time since birth that she is actually on the charts for her height. She weighs 20 lbs. 14 oz. (50th percentile), and her head is still 90th percentile.

In other news, Mr. BBM and I went out for our eight year anniversary (eight years of marriage-twelve years together)this weekend to a restaurant that was anything but a cess pool. We enjoyed crab stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. Mr. BBM had kobe steak and I had sauteed crab cakes with green olive tartar sauce. It was delicious. I also had two glasses of the house Pinot Grigio which made walking in heels a bit of a challenge afterwards, but it was worth it anyway (Nine months of pregnancy plus 12 months of nursing makes for a dismal tolerance to any and all alcohol). We wrapped up dinner with a slice of pecan pie for Mr. BBM and a vanilla creme brulee for me, accompanied by an Ethiopian coffee in a french press that was so divine that neither of us even needed sugar.

It was wonderful to have dinner alone, without anyone requesting more chocolate milk for the 14th time or tossing a cup over the side of the high chair yet again. We talked about fantasy football, home improvements, our jobs, and funny things from our past. It was a great night out. I’m just glad that the full-fledged cold held off until Sunday so that we could enjoy our night out.

Back to the germs. I’m sure someone needs to blow her nose. . . again.

My latest post "Fantasy Football for Dummies" is up at Save the Soldiers, and is all about how my fantasy football season is going so far. Right now, the person who posts my entries made a boo-boo and the post says that it was written by Andrew something or other. It’s mine. It will be fixed. "Andrew" is probably not real happy that the first line says something about "my husband." If you like fantasy football or just football in general, you’ll especially like this weeks post. Actually, you’ll like it even more if you’re a Chicago Bears fan. Enjoy!