Breastfeeding Problems: Tongue-tie

I struggled with breastfeeding. I had nipple soreness and damaged skin on my nipples until my daughter was 3 months old!  My daughter was about two months old when two lactation consultants decided she had a mild tongue-tie.  They called the type she had, a posterior tongue-tie.  If you are having nipple pain and nothing seems to be helping, and especially if your baby is on the skinny side, please look into this.  There is a simple fix - it can be clipped.  First try to get help from a lactation consultant, since they are experts on this matter, and if they haven't considered it please suggest it as a possible problem.  I had excellent lactation consultants who didn't diagnose it until my daughter was two months old because she didn't have a severe tongue tie that was easy to see when she cried. Also, ask your baby's pediatrician about it because some can do the procedure called a frenulotomy, in their office.  If the pediatrician won't do it, an Ear, Nose, and Throat docotor (ENT) will do the procedure. The procedure is painless for your baby and done in the office. 

Watch a fabulous video about it on an episode of "The Doctors" at http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/home_page?init_type=Feature&init_id=2192

Breastfeeding my daughter was never easy and I continued to nurse her until she was almost two years old. Knowing what I know now, If  sweet child #2 has any type of tongue-tie, that thing is getting snipped!

Pregnancy, here we go again.

I have known for 10 days now that I'm expecting my second child.  Mixed emotions swirl as I think about what is to come.  My husband and I planned this pregnancy. We are thrilled that after four months of trying we finally got a positive pregnancy test.  That being said, I'm not looking forward to the sickness and the overall discomfort that I experienced with my first baby.  I'd like to think I'm a pretty healthy person but I can honestly say that I am not nearly as fit as I was when I had my first baby, and that makes me a little worried.  I've got a few extra pounds on me, and a lot less muscle due to not exercising like I used to.  I have not started getting sick but I remember that with sweet child #1 it took 6 weeks before it hit.  I'm 5.5 weeks along now.  Today I felt more queasy than I did yesterday...uh oh.  I'm hoping that I'll have an easier time with this one but the pessimist in me says that it will be just as hard or worse soooo..... I'VE STARTED TO ASSEMBLE A PREGNANCY TOOL KIT!!!

Here's the glorious kit so far:
1. Sea-band wrist bands - supposed to relieve nausea without any medication, just pressure on wrists!
2. Ginger gum - for first trimester nausea (which really lasted much longer for me with baby #1)
3.Ginger Root tablets - also for nausea
4. Ginger candies - again for nausea
5. Ellasti Belli Organic Stretch Mark Miracle Caviar - hopefully to prevent any stretch marks and keep my belly skin nice and soft.

What do you think?  Am I fully armed for the first 20 months?  Do I need anything else?


Despite all my worries about the dreaded morning sickness, I'm super excited about feeling a baby move inside me again.  I am looking forward to a pregnant belly again.  And, I know I'm going to get some really cool pictures of my sweet girl snuggling up to my belly because she's already saying (at only 2 and 1/2) that's she's ready for a brother or sister!

UPDATE: I am 19 weeks pregnant now and none of this stuff worked too well.  I heard ginger helps other women and I've heard good things about sea-band too - but other women are not me!  My problem though, I think, is that I was SO SICK that I vomited daily and lost 7 pounds in my first trimester.  I don't think there was any help for me, natural or pharmaceutical. Once I was out of my first trimester, I took the medicine Zofran for nausea.  It helped some with nausea but gave me a terrible headache. Also, I felt terrible about taking a drug that could be bad for my baby (although my midwife assured me it is safe.)