Time Management

Someone recently commented on how much I "seem" to accomplish in any given day. What with all of the sewing and domestic projects and kids and homeschooling....how do I fit all of this in? I pondered that for a bit and decided every woman fits in what she wants during the day and can be just as efficient with their time if they want to.

For instance, every woman has a hobby. Some women, it's shopping, or surfing the net, or talking on the phone, photography, watching t.v. or doing SOMETHING that takes time. I personally have an aversion to driving places, watching t.v., and more recently, do not like to waste very much time surfing the net. I'm not a big phone girl unless I HAVE to drive somewhere, then I will call everyone back who has called in the last month. But, really, 15 minutes of time is a valuable block and I will fit cutting out a pattern or sewing two seams, or organizing the kids closet into that little block of time. All of those little blocks of time add up and by the end of the day I will have sewn a couple of outfits, folded 2 loads of laundry, read 15 books to the kids, boxed up some goodwill, worked out, and gotten to pray over the business.

It's nice. Those little 15 minute "gifts" God gives us and learning to do with them the most efficient things possible that make your life what it is today. I have been blessed with help, so that gives me more time to execute what I want to do and to have done, plus, I am not so wiped out by the end of the day.

So, that's it. That's my secret to having a full and flourishing day. Lately, I like blogging at the kitchen counter while all of the kids clean up the kitchen. It takes them a long time to do this task and I generally don't have the patience to wait on them to do it...but I find if I can give orders while multi-tasking....then it's a winner for all.

A Week of Braxton Hicks

(I finished my diaper bag....yay!)

This week was interesting, to say the least. I always take "5-W" by Nature's Sunshine the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy, and this time, it gave me such intense contractions, that I had to stop. I guess once you get to the fifth pregnancy, your body doesn't need herbs to tell it what to do...it will just go into labor when it's ready.

What happened last week was, I upped my 5-w herbs to 6 a day. I felt the baby move down into my pelvis, and I had sex all in about a 6 hour span of time. That night my uterus (?) or some body part down there went into over an hour of spasms (I don't even think I would call it contractions) and kept me up most of the night. In the morning, I hurt. I was in so much pain I couldn't roll out of bed. THAT night, Mark rubbed my feet and about an hour later, I went into labor. The contractions lasted til 10AM. I can handle labor. I can't handle contractions happening on top of the most sore stomach muscles I have ever experienced. ANOTHER agonizing night with little sleep. The next morning, Mark made up a 60 oz. drink of "CALM" (my fabulous magnesium drink), and the contractions stopped. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant, so I guess it relaxed the muscles enough to make the contractions stop.

I had contractions on and off for the the next day and a half. But they weren't super consistent. IN the meantime, I called vitaminshoppe and asked the guy if I had done a million situps the night before, and now could not walk because my stomach muscles were so sore, what should I take? He told me there was an amino acid drink that gets the lactic acid going out of your muscles called "Extend". Mark went and got that drink and I started drinking it, plus lots and lots of fluids and gatorade. I have to admit, I have never been in so much pain in my life. It was the most painful experience I have ever gone through. Pain is an interesting thing, it wears you down on all fronts....spiritually, mentally, physically and takes you to a point mentally you thought you would never go.

In the meantime, the rest of my body was sore from bracing myself for the stomach pain. So now, my back, my arms, my chest, and my rear end were sore from "support". oh brother. Thankfully, I have help, and I was able to take 2 naps a day, plus, got some rest at night. I did NOT want to deliver in this condition and thank GOD the contractions stopped. I can't remember when the ordeal started, but, by Thursday of the week, I was feeling better, and by Friday, I was up and at 'em again.

In the midst of it all, the midwife kept checking me to see if there was any progression and had me go get a sonogram because she was nervous the baby was breech. The sonogram was our first. I thought it would take about 15 minutes, and they poked and poked and poked my stomach with the wand and took a good 45 minutes measuring and looking and typing. That was on Tuesday, and I was still in a "state", but the sonogram REALLY helped me mentally. Seeing the baby gave me a reality check that there was a real human being with lips and nose and hair and chubby cheeks that was coming out in God's timing.

Physically, I left in the same condition, but mentally, I had taken a turn for the better. The next morning when I woke up, I had a couple of contractions and just surrendered it all to God. A willingness to deliver came despite all of the negative conditions I would have rather not had there.

This is Sunday, Father's Day, and the only contractions I have had have been due to dehydration. As soon as I drink some water, they stop. I feel 100 percent better and am ready to go. Probably, I would not have gone through all of that if I had not been quite so bullheaded about the herbs. I knew in my heart I was pushing the envelope taking them, but I just kept at it. AND, I kept having continual Braxton Hicks all day starting the day I took one vitamin a day...so upping the dosage when I was already experiencing a level of discomfort was not smart.

Well, you live and learn. That's one less herb to take should I get pregnant again. Ha Ha.

3.5 Weeks and Counting

Well, I woke up this morning to a looonnnggg contraction. I guess it was so long it woke me up. Just a Braxton Hix, but it was quite intense. I googled a little bit and was reminded if you are having tons of BH contractions to drink lots of water. I drank a bunch of water and it calmed down.

At the end of each pregnancy, I have taken 5-w by Nature's Sunshine. Holly got me started on that with the first one and I have done it every time. This time, I have had so many BH contractions, I've hesitated taking it, but when I googled it, lots of women described births like my last one and they attributed it to 5-W or a similar herb concoction which readies your body for birth 5-6 weeks before the birth. One of the ladies said that she was having lots of Braxton Hicks and then around her due date her midwife checked her and she was already at 8 centimeters. I know this is what happened to me last time, and I am sort of suspicious of those "get ready herbs" getting me ready alright. I would REALLY recommend these herbs for moms on their first birth. THey are supposed to ready the body and eliminate such long labor.

The only thing is, when you burp after taking them, it tastes like really strong celery. But, I guess it's not THAT bad.

I had a baby shower this past week for one of my friends and it was so much fun! I thought it would make the time go faster for my pregnancy, and I think it may have worked. Three and a half weeks doesn't sound very long. I have been sewing and sewing. I sewed her a diaper bag and blanket, and now I am working on my diaper bag and blanket. After the contractions this morning, I realized I did not have any baby clothes washed or ready for the baby, so at 5:30 AM I threw some onsies and socks in the wash.

I need to find the infant cloth diapers in the attic somewhere and get those lined up and we should be good to go.

Patience..Letting Birth take its' Natural Course and Conserving Energy

Memories come rushing in on me as one of my friends is in the midst of her first birth. The first birth is a funny thing. No matter how much you try to control it, you can't. And most women who try to control it with drugs, end up in a c-section. Some don't. Some get their way...but the recovery is normally a little longer and the baby got some drugs, too. So, what's a woman to do? My firmest belief in birth is that one must respect their body and respect the baby. In doing this, one of the best "gifts" given to me in birth is a hearty dose of what the baby's personality will be like.
My first birth was the hardest by far. Long and hard. Thankfully, it started at 4AM with my water breaking and contractions starting. So, I had had at least a medium night's sleep. Contractions got close together quickly and stayed right there all the way up until the birth. They never let up. When the midwife checked me at 7 or 8AM, I had not dilated AT ALL. In fact, my cervix was as hard as a rock. This is something a woman does not want to hear.....ever. I had had contractions previous to the water breakage and then all of those contractions from 4AM, what was that about? My instructions were to walk about a mile. Thank goodness I was in shape! So, slowly, slowly, I crept around the block with Mark, squeezing my combs every 2 minutes breathing and taking breaks. I get back to the apartment, they check me again, and I am fully effaced, 2 centimeters and they instruct me to walk another mile (while they went to Starbucks and were having a grand 'ol time). Discouraged, I got in the bed and pulled the covers over my head. I decided to side lie and do some deep breathing. After a few minutes of this, I decided to hop into a hot bath with some chocolate covered almonds. Nothing felt quite so good as that hot bath with the chocolate covered almonds....I have to admit. The second I was in the water, all of my nerves relaxed, I think I even dozed....and life was good. So, that's where I stayed for most of the day.
The midwives would make me get out of the tub every so often to speed things up, and then I would get back in again. Thankfully, my family and Mark and everyone surrounding me were so helpful and loving to endure a whole day of my groaning. I started groaning pretty early in the day and it felt so great, I just groaned all day long. Mark thought it was pretty scary and called in the "backup" troops when he'd had enough groaning. I may have done it more for attention than anything, but once I started groaning, I couldn't stop. I haven't groaned on the other births that much, but in his memory I groan every time. I guess it was a bad memory moment for him.
ANYWAY, the whole point of the story is that I had no idea my labor would be so long. I lifted weights and walked the whole time I was pregnant, plus, I had read every book available to me, so naturally, I thought I would have this really zippy birth. When a zippy birth did not happen, I just held on until the last moment, but, in retrospect, I probably would have relaxed a little more had I known it would take19 hours.
After the first birth, I got a little panicky when the next birth started at night. We had been at Sea World all day, sweating it out, and just as I lay my head on the pillow, my water broke. THIS time, I kept my cool. Actually, I was nervous Holly (the midwife) would make me get on the treadmill and get it going, but she encouraged me to sleep as much as I could until the morning, and that's exactly what I did. That little nap gave me the rest I needed and the next morning, I was ready to go again. I fed the 1 1/2 year old, put her down for a morning nap, called the midwives, and then went into an overdrive birth from 10AM to 1PM when I pushed out number two. All this to say, conserving your energy is a good thing. Your body is super smart and will go into labor on its' own....just CONSERVE energy for transition and pushing as much as you can. The hardest part about that labor was pushing-it was very painful when her head came through the birth canal (the others weren't like that), and maybe it was because it was SO fast, that I could not get a breath. Anyway, that child ended up with my personality.....she go go go goes....and still needs naps at 5 years old, because she is so active.

Number three started at 3PM, which I thought was a pretty safe time. It just started with light contractiions, pretty far apart, and was so mild, I went out to a birthday dinner, only to decide I did not want to be there once I got in a hard chair with obnoxious restaurant music and gross restaurant smell (not much of a restaurant girl). I got home, called the midwives and they agreed I WAS in labor, although contractions never got closer than 10 minutes apart and I seemd to progress better lying down? This was VERY hard for me to fathom. I am by nature, a "doer". It is hard for me to lie down unless I am totally exhausted, but it seemed right, so I just lay down and slept between contractions, the midwives slept on the couch and I woke up to squeeze the combs every 10 to 12 minutes. I had 2 hard contractions around 2:30 AM, and then I knew it was time to push, so I got in the shower and boom, pushed 4 or 5 times and out came the baby. The big surprise on that one was the lying down and extra slow part. But that baby's personality is VERY methodical, organized, particular, and he licks his ice cream more slowly than anyone I know, enjoying every moment of life. The only way I could accept lying down to birth is by thinking of a horse lying down in a barn or a cow giving birth to her calf. I thought "animals do it, I guess humans can do it too". (This may sound strange to a hospital birther, but I'm used to walking around the block or getting in the pool or bouncing on my birthing ball...the bed is completely unappealing to me)

Number four was quick and easy. Actually, that one, the labor started at 2AM on two different nights. I labored for an hour and then , got a little tired, so I did the side lying (Childbirth Without Fear) and fell right back to sleep. I sort of assumed labor would pick up again in the morning and both times,...nothing. Well, it kind of bummed Mark out. He would get awake enough to get excited, and all of a sudden, I'm snoring. After two different nights of this, he kind of stormed to work and said not to ruin his sleep again, or something like that. I think he thought I was faking it or something????? Not sure. Anyway, again, SUCH a different birth. I was really due on September 11th, but did not want to come on that day, so I told everyone September 10th. The baby did not come on the 10th or 11th, so the morning of the 12th, I took a little bit of castor oil and that seemed to "do it" for me. I was in labor in 5 minutes and pushed about an hour later for 45 seconds. Again, another high energy baby with some fight in him. Everything about number four was a surprise. I was unsure of his sex (with the others I instinctively knew), and then the labor was like a game of hide and seek and he (more than the others) is such a funny jokester. SO funny and surprising. He came out of my body with blond hair and I thought I saw freckles....they went away, but I thought maybe he got them through my stomach since I was in the sun so much. Anyway, again, I am SO GRATEFUL that I did fall back asleep those two nights. Yeah, it was a couple of days longer that I had to wait, but I think my body got a lot done in those two "spurts" of time, and then when it boiled down to the day, labor was easier than making a batch of soap.

In the end, my advice to any woman about to give birth, is this. You have been forced to patience over 9 months....use all of the self control and discipline you have to be patient just a few more days or hours, whatever the case may be and your birth will be a more enjoyable and restful experience. If you push yourself to the max before you reach 5 centimeters, you will probably still have the baby naturally, but tiredness can have a negative effect on your rationale. Whereas, if you trust your body, respect God's timing, trust the baby (there's a chemical in the babie's brain that actuallly starts birth), then the fruit and the victory is that much sweeter and enjoyable. AND, the photos of you will be fresher looking.

Birth Running Late? What's a Girl To Do?

I guess the hardest part of waiting for the birth is the one or two or 10 days AFTER the supposed due date. You may have rough spots along the way, but now you are as big as a horse, you've prepared and accomplished 40 weeks, and your body seems like it's not going to budge. Well, don't lose heart, the baby IS coming. Have lots of sex and include orgasms because this will help soften the cervix and get the baby to come out nicely. My midwife always suggests walking....what a bore and it never seemed to speed up anything for me. Although, I think exercise helps the mental "part" if nothing else.

I came on THE due date 3 out of 4 times. The 3rd child stayed in ten extra days. If it's any comfort, his weight was less than 2 of the other children's weights. I was a little nervous about that one part since I have 10 lb. babies, but he was only 9.5 lbs., so this proved to me that they are ready when they are ready and they will come out in God's timing. My best advice is to get as busy as you physically can. My photo is of me at Sea World, a few hours before my second child broke my water. With each pregnancy I have done different "activities" to take my mind off the bulge.

The first pregnancy, I took golf lessons and lifted weights. The second pregnancy, I got Sea World passes and went as often as possible. The third pregnancy, I had a party the night before the due date and when the baby didn't come on the due date or the next day, I got the inkling that this child was NOT coming soon, so I just relaxed and enjoyed myself until he did come....and then he VERY SLOWLY came with contractions only staying 10 minutes apart the entire time. I finally just went to bed and barely woke up for each contraction until it was time to push. Number four tried to come at night....I don't like this, so I put him off, but in the morning, labor did not come again. This happened twice and then the day AFTER the due date, I felt like it was time and took some castor oil (just a tiny bit) and he was in my arms in less than two hours. I'm not sure if the castor oil even had time to work. I literally went into labor 5 or 10 minutes after I took it.

This time....well, I'm officially six weeks away and I am ready ready ready ready. I don't remember being THIS uncomfortable this far away from the due date. The baby feels huge and is pressing on my rib cage. At first, it was breech (for the last 4 weeks) and it's hard head was pressing. Now, it has flipped and it's buns and legs are pressing. I am most comfortable in the swimming pool...in fact, I am DRIVEN to do laps in the pool every day. Today, I kept getting acid reflux and felt I was half drowning...and just taking up a lane for no reason, so I got out of the pool. But normally, all of my discomfort flies away the minute I'm in the pool. This will be my distraction until the baby is born.

I usually walk for exercise, but swimming is SO much better. When walking, you are acutely aware of your personal heaviness and how much bigger you are getting on a weekly basis. In swimming, it's the opposite. You feel huge, you dive in, you're instantly buoyant and fabulous and feel light and clean again. It's quite euphoric. Yesterday I timed how long it took after swimming to feel heavy again and it was about 2 hours. You should try it, you'll like it. If you are like me, you will become somewhat like a labrador retriever who cannot resist water- a puddle or a pool to save his life. He HAS to get wet and the more often the better.....for himself as well as surrounding friends and family.

Ode to Creativity

Well, I’m hosting a baby shower in a few weeks and again, am faced with the huge monster in my life that rears its’ ugly head every celebration that comes along. I can’t bake. I mean, it’s really bad. I made a cake mix for my daughter’s birthday and she was so grossed out by the cake she wouldn’t eat it. You know it’s bad if you can’t make a mix. 

    I guess I would have to put my personal life talents in 4 groups. Group number one: Things I do well. These items I naturally do well, or have taken a class, or something...but they are easy for me. Cooking, sewing...that sort of thing. Group number two are things I don’t do well, or do at all, but this list are things that would make my life easier if I LEARNED to do them well. Every woman has this list. It can cause her to be insecure if she will let it...just depends on how comfy in her skin one is. I’m pretty comfy in my skin, but I visit this list and pull items from it to push myself up a level.. Group 3-things I do not do at all but will get around to when my kids can all go potty on their own and dress themselves (like flying). And group 4-things that I don’t care if I ever do well at, such as play the trombone.Baking is in group number 2. I am horrible at it...but it is starting to personally affect my life since I keep having kids and those kids have birthdays. 

    I can bake three things. Chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, and carrot cake. (A great moment was finding out my firstborn was going to be a “Fall” baby....carrot cake makes a great “Fall” birthday cake) Besides this list, it’s a rare occasion that I have baked anything close to being good...let alone great. So, I finally had to bite the bullet this week and evaluate this baking thing. (Being a food snob can be hard on a woman at times) Why it’s so hard for me to just pick up an HEB cake or COSTCO cake has become crystal clear....the ingredients are printed right on the six inch long label... no matter how hard you try to ignore them, your eye can easily pick up one or more chemicals, even in your peripheral vision. Oh, it’s just one tiny celebration, you say. Well, try on 5 kids for size, plus moms, dads, showers, Christmas....and suddenly the chemical ingestion content is off the charts. And this is just at my house alone...start adding other kids’ birthday parties and other adult parties and you have a frenzied liver by the end of the year. Do I sound a little neurotic? Well, so be it...a woman has to do what a woman has to do with her personality and I have to live with myself...so these are the entertaining muses I experience on pretty much a daily basis.

  Oh, one more thing. You don’t HAVE to shop at HEB for cake, you can go to Le Cake or some fabulous place and special order some fabulous little ditty for your party made with amazing ingredients. But the way God made me, this rubs my fur backwards. O.K. Pickup or takeout is supposed to make life easier, right? I think that’s for the single guy or that cute couple next door with no kids...for me, it’s a stress “adder”. And then there’s the cheap part of me that knows the $60.00 cake one just bought only cost $4.95 plus labor. There are some basic survival skills I have acquired as I have had more and more children. One....if you have to drive somewhere to get it (especially right before a party when you’re sweaty and covered with food), all this will do is add stress, not take it away. And two, it’s hard for me to part with money for a wad of sugar, butter, and flour....no matter how gorgeous the wad is...so, I have decided it’s time to learn to to bake. 

    I decided I would give myself 3-7 days to figure this out once and for all, and then I can bring it over to list number one. Now, I have not perfected the art, but I have figured out a couple of things. (which is sort of a big deal because the baby is taking all my dha right now and my brain has been put on “hold” for a few more weeks-I truly have a 12 cylinder brain, but right now it seems to only be operating on 2 cylinders, thinking it’s more like one...milk in the pantry, that sort of thing) Anyway, I have learned how to bake  cupcakes. I bought a cupcake recipe book written by a pastry chef. And the biggest “deal” with baking is this: YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. This has been VERY hard for me. But I reasoned with myself until I got o.k. with it. You have to follow directions when you make soap, and I can do that. So, if I have to follow directions in order to get the desired result in baking...I just have to do it. O.K. number two is, DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS (and PRAY over the pan). Why this is so hard, not sure, but I am a substitute queen. And, once I decided to use regular flour (not spelt) butter (not coconut oil), and eggs that are at room temperature (like the recipe states), those little cakes came out of the oven like I had been baking forever.

    Now, I can tell there’s a big ‘ol learning curve on this. You have to try a recipe and then do different icings....that kind of thing to get it down to your personal science, but after a few successful tries (I’ve been baking up a storm over here), the confidence level is there now to bake for this shower. And really, that’s what we women need, right? to keep the fire stoked? A couple of good dishes, a realization that we can really do something...and then there’s wind in those sails to bring items on the group 2 list right on over to group 1 list and give a little pat on the back.

Herbs: Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Beyond

Today I bumped into D.D. at Chic Mama Maternity over on Stone Oak and 1604. SUCH a cute store! (FYI, they are celebrating mother’s day with a “photo op” package for pregnant moms, and then of the newborn after the birth). Anyway, I had mentioned some herbs to one of her employees and they were desperately searching to find what I had recommended...so, I thought it best to visit herbs all by themselves, away from vitamins. Vitamins are a daily thing, herbs are a “squirt as you need them” thang.

    My favorite one stop herb shop is www.wishgardenherbs.com They have the most comprehensive list of herbs for every phase of life a woman will go through from PMT to PMS to miscarriage to recovering mentally and hormonally from birth to menopause. Jenny, the owner, has a gift with herbs and everything I have taken from them works. Whole Foods now carries about ten of their mixtures, and it’s a good thing.

    Now, herbs, are expensive. BUT, so are drugs. And, herbs don’t have the side effects most drugs have. I have a few tinctures from wishgarden herbs that I really like and then, I found a couple of cheaper substitutes that seemed to do the trick as well. This time, I have not been as faithful with my raspberry tea. I usually drink it every day when I’m pregnant, but this is a “leaf” that keeps your uterus strong and vital. It doesn’t taste like much, so I just mix it with another tea of choice and plop it in the fridge.

    Ok, for labor and delivery, I use AfterEase for afterpains. These are not so bad the first time, but in subsequent births, this is a good one to have on hand. During birth, I like Smooth Transitions for during “transition”. If you have taken a Bradley Method birthing class, you will be very very familiar with this term and when it will occur during the birth. I’m finding not every woman seems to know this information and for me it has been an invaluable key to having a great birth. Google it or get a book on it, whatever you need to do, and then I will share my experience with transition. 

    In Bradley class, you learn that the first 5 centimeters of the cervix opening is the longest period of birth. This part can take HOURS and can frustrate the woman because she feels like she isn’t really advancing, when this is just the slowest part. Once you hit 5 centimeters, the cervix really starts to open and birth moves much more quickly. Around 8 centimeters, or right before pushing is the “transition” phase of birth. During this phase, the woman feels helpless, sometimes cries, and usually feels she cannot go on with birth at this point. Many women ask for drugs at this point. Being armed with this knowledge is “birth changing” BECAUSE, it only lasts a few contractions and then you are THERE. You are ready to push and the contraction part is over. 

    For me personally, knowledge has been SUCH a key to a fear free birth. If I know the signposts and I know what’s next and I know the normal emotions one should experience during the different phases of birth, I feel so much more in control, even in the “out of control” moments. During transition on the first three births, I emotionally experienced the helpless feeling, I shook, and I cried. Usually, this lasted one to two long contractions. Then, it was over and I had a 20 minute “rest” between final contractions and pushing. I would just sit and take a few breaths, drink some kool-aid, and then, it was time to push. On one of those first three births, my mid-wife gave me one dropperful of transition drops DURING transition. The few moments of that herb in my body, my emotions went from all time low to balanced in just a few seconds. 

    The last birth (number four), I had these drops in my hand and walked out to the hot tub, got into  the hot tub, and every contraction I took a dropperful in my mouth. I never experienced the lows and shaking or crying that I had the other births...and then I pushed for 45 seconds and the baby came out. It was the easiest thing I had done so far in my birth experiences. So, that’s my testimony on smooth transitions. Again, being armed with knowledge (use your local library and check out the Bradley Method book) helps SO SO much in birth. Your doctor, your friends, your mother, and your husband don’t know any of this information and even if they do, they forget to tell you.

    I have four bags of the AfterBirth Sitz bath herbs. I’m sure they are great, I just never sat in them. I probably will try this time and really wished I had the other times.

    For lactation, I honestly have never used the herbs from that site. I keep a giant bottle of Fenugreek on hand and if I need a lactation BOOST, I take a few of these vitamins and my milk increases. I get my vitamins from www.vitacost.com. I will give you a tip on mastitis, though. First of all, I LOVE my breastpads that I sew at home and wool breastpads. All of the paper products get old pretty quickly and I start craving cotton or a natural fiber against my skin. You can order the breastpads directly from me, they are $10 a pair if you want.

    Mastitis is basically an infection in one of your milk ducts. Be armed with THIS info., because you can get mastitis within 24 hours of the birth. It’s easy to take care of if you recognize it the minute it hits, but if it goes full blown, you have an intensely high fever and it’s hard to get on top of it as fast. O.K., when your breast gets tender “lumps” in it, that’s mastitis. I usually get it just on one side and many times it’s from stress, or just from being burned out from no sleep, having the baby, nursing, and then still no sleep. The SECOND you realize you have a painful lump, IMMEDIATELY RUN TO YOUR BED, LIE DOWN, and drink a gallon of water. Take vitamin C and rutin together and some zinc and massage your breast while you are in a hot shower. The faster you get on this, the faster the mastitis leaves. One of my friends rubs the outside of her breast with a salve. The main thing is doing whatever you normally do to fight an infection and doing it fast. I got really sick the first time I had this and fortunately one of my girlfriends gave me this advice....ever since, it’s been a piece of cake.

    Speaking of salves, wishgarden herbs has a great salve if you are already shopping there. The New Mother’s Nipple and Repair Salve is nice. I have moved on to a salve I got from the local farmer, but now I know what to look for as far as ingredients go. A salve is a MUST. You MUST have a salve on hand before the birth. This will soothe nipples, bottoms (yours and babies’) breasts, and more. Since the birth I do not travel nor do I leave the house without salve on my personage. It’s first aid in a can and basically has all the ingredients one needs for healing skin. If you happen to tear during the birth, this will help all heal that much faster.

    Postpartum herbs: Baby Blues Mood Support and/or ReBalance: Hormonal Tonic. Keep these on hand just in case. I found my emotions went nuts after the first one and it was such a surprise and unknown/unexpected thing for me that I was not prepared at all. The cheaper “local” item I have found even at HEB grocery stores is called “Bach’s rescue Remedy” a mood and stress support herbal drops bottle. Just squirt some in your mouth and you immediately feel your mood and hormones “lift”. This last time, I just had these drops on hand and they worked great. Just squirt until you find you don’t need to squirt anymore.

    Finally, the last 5 weeks of pregancy, I take 5-W. This is available through Nature’s sunshine or something like that. It’s one of those tier companies, but the herbs in this formula prepare your body, uterus...for birth. I have done these every time.

    Hope this helps. I have a dear friend who educated me on herbs before my first birth, and I will forever be grateful for her information.