Monday, October 7, 2013

Toxic Chemicals

In my opinion breast feeding is clearly the best option for optimizing infant health. What do parents do who can't breast feed and their child has severe allergies? Try finding a formula that is soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and corn free. Besides allergies there are parents who want the absolute best for their children.

Besides breast feeding yourself the next best option are reserve banks where you can actually buy or trade breast milk. Unfortunately my child is so allergic to everything I'm certain that is not an option. The next step in our searching plan is to make our own formula. It sounds archaic and tree huggerish, but if you know anything about food and the FDA you might agree with me.

Infant formulas across the board have been found contaminated with all sorts of toxic chemicals. in the last couple years there have even been recalls.

For example, the CDC found perchlorate, a chemical from rocket fuel, in 15 brands of infant formula, including two brands that accounted for 87 percent of the market share in 2000. The top brands included Similar and Enfamil.

Other contaminants discovered in some infant formulas include:

Melamine (linked to kidney failure)
Dioxin
BPA
AGEs (advanced glycoprotein end products)
Genetically engineered ingredients
Fructose

Soy formulas should be avoided altogether. It infuriates me how soy has been deemed a healthy alternative when it's causes devastating health effects.

Phthalates, or "plasticizers," are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. These are found in everything including packaging.

We've all heard if BPA by now but does anyone know what it really does.
Structural damage to your brain
Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning Increased fat formation and risk of obesity (hence our country)
Altered immune function
Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
Diabetes
Heart disease
Liver damage

BPA is in everything.
Plastic water bottles
Plastic gallon milk bottles
Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
Tooth sealants
Canned foods and soda cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups

The biggest thing when feeding your child why would you go to all this trouble to make something or buy organic only to put it in something toxic. I mean the baby bottles, the plastic cups and the liners. They get sanitized over and over. All that heat is just leeching toxic chemicals into your child's milk. Not to mention most baby formula comes in a can of some sort that is more than likely lines with BPA.

It's unfair! That's exactly what it is. My husband thinks they can't live in a bubble but my thoughts are keep them as healthy as possible so they have a fighting chance. No one is immune to BPA and sadly it's in EVERYTHING. People have gotten smart to it in recent years but chemists and scientists only created another binding agent that's even more toxic to replace it so they can deem their product as BPA free.

The simplest solution buy GLASS whenever possible. As for formula I have yet to find anything worth giving to my child. With the food allergies we have to be even more careful and we have yet to master a formula recipe he isn't allergic to.

Best FREEBE


Medela Free style pump

This is the pump I am currently using. We pump 4-5 times a day for 15 minutes each session except when I'm trying to increase my milk.

I would NOT recommend the freestyle version. (See below for pump recommendation) While the digital clock is awesome and the hands free is exciting it is a far stretch from the Medela Advance Backpack Style pump below.

I've been breast feeding for 11 months and pumping consistently for 7-8 months (whenever I went back to work). I have replaced the motor 3 times.

I do love the fancy digital clock. The parts are super easy to clean. Much easier to clean that the other options.

I have the Medela Advanced backpack from my first child. I pumped or breast fed every 3 hours for 2 years. I have never replaced anything other than the tubing or the parts. I hate cleaning and sanitizing parts. So I would buy a couple components and wash them to use.



I recommend this one because it pulls harder and seems faster still without insane pain. I've still had days where I've pulled this out of the closet instead of using my new one.

Cambridge Medical Supply will send you a free pump. www.Cambridgemedicalsupply.com. All you have to do is call them.

I paid to upgrade mine. I had to give them my insurance information and sign something and 2 days later it came in the mail.

Best secret for new moms EVER!

I also have a playtex brand cheap ($80) pump that I attempted to use. It's awkward and hurt like someone was cutting me with scissors. Lets just say that's used in the utter most extreme situations. Now that I have the two Medela pumps I don't need it. There are days when I've forgotten the pump bag at work and it's a relief to have a back up at home.

My Pump Schedule:
7:30am breast feed
9:30am pump.
12:30pm pump
3:30pm (usually turns into 4pm) pump
5:30pm breast feed
7:30pm breast feed
9:30 to 10:30pm pump depending on how tired I am and how full.

With my daughter I pumped every three hours regularly because I wasn't eating meat or dairy. She also woke every three hours on the dot. with Jace he sleeps through the night so I haven't gotten up to pump. Although in the beginning I was up every 2-3 hours whether he was or not. To me that's THE ONLY way to get your milk in and keep it up. Now if you're a stay at home mom that's a different story but working moms have to pump.

As they grow it takes more 1-2 pumping sessions for every 1 feeding. So you want to have a large reserve. With my daughter we had an abundance. With Jace I'm waiting up to pump so he will have enough for tomorrow.


Must have Barlean's Oil



In order for my milk to stay up with my little ones needs I had to start adding more fat into my diet. I'm pumping every 3 hours but if I don't eat enough my milk suffers.

I noticed with certain foods my milk was watery white and didn't weigh much. So I added fish oil. I started with the Whole Mega Salmon pills that are about $40 a bottle. That lasted a month. I didn't notice an increase in my milk supply but my milk went from watery to a thick yellow color.

I hate taking pills. I'm taking calcium. I'm taking zinc. I'm taking a prenatal and now fish oil. It was too much to remember.

So this month I decided to try Barlean's flax oil. I had tried the chocolate flavor before so I knew it didn't taste like something from the bottom of the sewer as most flax oils do. I saw lemon flavor and thought I'd try it. I had no idea the lemon swirl flavor was fish oil and not actually flax until I got home.

I figured I would try it. There is something about Salmon oil that helps with milk supply. I pumped 9 oz the next morning. I couldn't believe I got 4.5 ounces out both sides even out of my stubborn breast. There is always one side that seems to want to be difficult.

I've been breast feeding for 11 months now on my second child so it's not like my milk fluctuates like a new moms would. Generally I pump 3-4 ounces each pumping.

I'm hooked! I swear it's the added fat into my diet. Plus there is no pill to take and it actually tastes good. The best part... I've noticed an improvement in Jace's skin. It sounds crazy. I was taking supposedly the best Salmon oil paying $40 a bottle with nowhere near the results.

So I paid over $30 at WholeFoods. While I love WholeFoods their supplements are insanely over priced. I found it at The Vitamin shop on sale for $21.99.

Avocado or Hummus


After his feeding today he started to turn red which was from milk pumped last week 10/3/2013.

I was eating avocado and hummus that day. Two theories I will be omitting this week. Pray it doesn't her worse as the day continues.

Monday Breakthrough


Jace looks like a little boy rather than a baby. His skin is poking through. Praying we have crossed the barrier and things will begin to turn around.

I have removed seeds and nuts from my diet and now avocado. I added fish oil to try to replace some of the fats associated with avocado and beef (currently not eating beef either). I added wheat back into my diet Saturday night. I had flour tortillas. I noticed my stomach didn't appear happy about it. I know that stuff is extremely hard on your intestines so we may need to continue to stay away from it.

Yesterday Jace was unhappy if I wasn't holding him. It makes it difficult to get anything done when you're holding a baby. We went to a baseball game in the morning for a little bit. It was nice to get out of the house. The sun didn't seem to bother him at first but 20 minutes later he was scratching. I'm not sure if it's the sun or the plants but he does look so much better than before.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Dr Apt 10.5.2013

Dr Apt today Jace gained 3oz. He weighs 17lbs 7oz.

We are allergic to coconut, milk, eggs, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, pineapple, corn and potentially allergic to beef, rice, avocados. I am to remove avocados to see if that makes a difference. I have omitted beef and rice from our diet which I can add one food per week. I started with bread. Although I'm not sure that was a good idea.

The doctor said he looks better. We are taking digestive enzymes and supposed to take a thyroid medicine with a plant echinacea supplement. This is supposed to help him gain weight and regulate his temperature. He was 97.2 at the appointment. We go back in 3 weeks. M

Covered in Vomit

We had zucchini same as we've been doing for awhile. Then the husband offered him avocado. He seemed fine until I was feeding him before bed and he threw up all down my back in my hair then on my lap then down my shirt.

I went threw the vomiting with his sister as she was hospitalized for a long time because of it. I think going thru that makes me even more freaked out and over protective. I don't want to stay at the hospital for months and months. I don't even want to drive by it that's how long I felt trapped there with a sick baby.

He threw up breast milk this last one. All the zucchini and avocado has left his stomach. Maybe how he will feel better. My heart breaks for him. Now figuring out what foods caused this is the challenging part.