Saturday, June 22, 2013

It's a Miracle #2: Basil Oil Cured My Breastfeeding Blues

 MAJOR UPDATE: Hello to all of you amazing mothers who are struggling with your milk supply as I once was. I have to share this disclaimer because much of the information & photos that were formally on this blog have had to be removed. For example the specific essential oil I used- the brand and the link that you can use to purchase it- I can no longer share. This is based on a mandatory order to be compliant with the government agencies the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) because otherwise sharing this information is now deemed illegal. (God Bless America and freedom of speech and choice on how you wish to heal your or your child's body.)

So should any of you want to know the name of the brand (the ONLY brand) that I use and get information on where you can purchase it please do e-mail me at karith@karith.com. I will respond at my earliest convenience as I have to everyone who had reached out to me even anonymously. I am here to help however I can. I've been there and it's not fun, but I absolutely stand by my experience and those of many other mothers I've helped.
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This blog is for all the mommies who have struggled or ARE struggling with breastfeeding and producing enough milk this post is for you!

Yes, ___________'s Basil Essential Oil cured my Breastfeeding Blues by helping me double my milk supply. I know this may sound hard to believe, and if it wasn't something I have experienced personally I'd still have an eyebrow raised like I was doing a Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock" impression.

Just keep reading and I'll get to it. I promise! I actually just wrote an article for the Huffington Post covering how hard it is to breastfeed period for many of us, and when you have to add on top of that- getting your milk supply up or keeping it up (esp. after you have to go back to work)- that takes this "mommy thing" to a whole other level. A challenging and daunting one that can often leave you questioning your womanhood. (Like we don't have enough to be self-conscious about!)



I wish I was one of those women who had SO much milk that I ruined shirts from leakage. Sadly, I was able to return ALL of the breast pads that I'd had on my BabiesRUs registry because there was NEVER a need for them. And I sure as hell never have had a need for these. Absolutely brilliant idea though!
I would have KILLED to have had to buy this!


I have several girlfriends who've had the complete opposite problem (bully for them!) One beamed about how she ran out of room in her freezers (yes, freezers plural) and has to use a neighbor's freezer to store all of her excess milk. Another friend (and I use the term loosely- just kidding- sort of) told me that not long after she gave birth she was looking down at her hardwood floors and noticed what looked to be a glaze-like paint spattering. It took her a second to realize that was just the pattern that was being made from when she would run around topless doing things and she would just leak milk. Her boobs were literally pulling a Jackson Pollack her floors.



I really have to try not to hate on these women. I'm sure they'd rather not be in that predicament either. As a matter of fact there is an oil ("__________'s_"Peppermint Essential Oil) that has the opposite effect of the Basil Oil- and will help temper the milk production so that it's more manageable for Mom.

As much as I try not to hate, I'm human; and I still get an eye twitch when I hear a new mom bragging about how when she sneezes milk just comes out. It's truly all I can do to hold my tongue and not say:


I am the woman who has pursued every lead I could fathom to increase my milk supply. We're talking counseling with lactation consultants and nurses, questioning other moms as to what their methods are for getting more milk. Y'all I've taken and still do take Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle- there was a go at Goat's Rue tincture for a bit. I drink Mother's Milk tea- which I don't mind, but they also don't tell you that you have to drink 4-5 CUPS of it a DAY to make a difference (and I think we all know- ain't nobody got time for that!!!)


The scariest part is for me is that I was just hours away from ordering Motilium (Domperidone)- a prescription drug that Baby Bean's pediatrician recommended. Just a few of the side affects listed are:
  • Difficulty in speaking
  • Disorientation
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Light-headedness
  • Loss of balance or muscle control
All great things you want to worry about dealing with when you have a baby. NOT!

And this drug is supposed to be better than it's American counterpart Reglan (Metoclopramide) which has equally awful side effects including severe postpartum depression!


That's why I'm shouting Hallelujah from the rafters since my __________'s Basil Oil discovery- I can now return to the Southern gentile woman I am at heart. I once again can just smile politely when another mom talks about her abundance of Mommy Milk instead of cursing her silently through gritted teeth. 
My 1st EVER Milk Storage Bag from one pumping- I was so proud I HAD to document it!

It took a few days to kick in, but when it did- IT DID!!! Y'all I would normally pump 3 oz. collectively from BOTH breasts in about and hour (if I was lucky.) I now get that much from each breast in about 15- 30 minutes. *Of course every woman is different and reacts differently to pumps, and even manual expression. But I cannot encourage you enough to try it.

So here's the lowdown- the company where get my oils is a private company so to get any of these oils you have either be a rep and have your own account with THIS COMPANY or know a rep and order it on-line through their account. Fortunately you know me!

I was so impressed with the THIS COMPANY- their quality of oils and their ethics that I got involved, I became a rep and started teaching classes. Another great thing is that ALL of their oils are TRULY Pure  i.e. ORGANIC, NATURAL with NOTHING ELSE added- the plants are grown organically without herbicides or pesticides, the are cold pressed and distilled and nothing is added to the oil to cut it or stretch it. So if this is something you need and/or want to try please reach out to me and give it a go:


         again send me an e-mail at karith@karith.com

PLEASE let me know if you get it and how it works for you. I truly ONLY want to help others achieve the best results NATURALLY for them and their babies. It happened for me and I want it to happen for you. 

*A SERIOUS fyi- I ran out of my __________'s Basil Oil while on a business trip and bought another brand for a quick replacement. Did NOT even come close to the quality of __________s. And on the label it read "not to be ingested"- Hello! How unpure is that?! It's only going on the largest organ of my body- my skin!!!

Much Love,
~Karith
 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Ahh! The Smell of... Arby's???






Now before anyone gets excited or criticizes my choice of fast food. Let me just say here that this blog entry isn't about woofing down one of my favorite classic sandwiches from the very well-known and liked national chain whose logo I just realized is a giant hat. (You'd have thought I would have known that years ago- I just always thought it was a slightly retarded brown Grimace.) Don't ask.



Instead, I'm sorry to say this blog entry is about what happens after one has eaten and digested- Arby's... or more specifically breast milk. Potty humor is NOT my style but I did feel compelled to write about this topic now because, to be honest, I initially thought it would be just a one time thing. 

I thought that it was just a crazy coincidence that the first time my baby had a pooh (not the meconium they get rid of right after birth), but the REAL deal- it smelled like a Beef 'n Cheddar. I swear to Godiva I'm not making this up. 


This is upsetting for me on multiple levels. 

A) because while I pride myself on not eating as much fast food as the "typical American" I do have a weak spot for Arby's and their aforementioned signature sandwich. 

 B) My close friends and folks on Facebook whom I confided in said that I was crazy or hallucinating. I'm still not sure how you hallucinate a smell...or at least a smell like that?!


A few people did attribute it to my hormones still adjusting and being out of whack. Maybe so. But whatever the case you have to admit that if I'm not eating Beef 'n Cheddars and my baby sure as heck isn't eating Beef 'n Cheddars then why is her pooh smelling that way? And how long will it last?

The truly ironic thing is that I've didn't eat or even crave an Arby's Beef 'n Cheddar while I was pregnant. If you were following me during that time you know I was all about Chipotle's Chicken Burrito Bowl. I think I ate a Beef 'n Cheddar once after giving birth. But since the association with this now acrimonious smell it may be off my favorite sandwich list for a while.

I'm super curious- have any other moms or dads had a similar experience with their infants dirty diaper situation? Please let me know I'm not alone on this.

Monday, June 17, 2013

It's A Miracle #1...How to Kill Fruit Flies (NATURALLY)

I used to be one of those people who thought miracles were things only folks like Jesus Christ did and although I'm a HUGE fan- esp. of the water into wine one, I'll be honest I was a touch skeptical about some of them.


I have a comedy mommy friend Jennifer Palumbo who echoes that sentiment beautifully. She has a great bit in her act detailing the level of her Catholicism where she essentially says the she believes Jesus DID walk on water...she just thinks it happened on a VERY cold day in December. (HAH!)

But this entry isn't about Jesus, Disney's "Jesus on Ice" or anything of the sort.  This is my first of several blog posts about little everyday things that I am finding miraculous. Like the fact that I didn't kill my husband, CJ, today when he posted a photo of me on Facebook while I was sleeping and was positioned like Al Bundy (that will be covered in another post I assure you.)


Today's post is about something that I'm sure all of us in the Western Hemisphere are dealing with now that summer is essentially upon us. FRUIT FLIES. Sure, they have their place- like in science laboratories. But that is the ONLY place I'm okay with these annoying gnat/fly cousins. I cannot stand them in my kitchen or any place else they choose to venture in my home.


It doesn't matter where I am- in the apt in NYC, the house in SoCal or at my folks in Texas the wretched fruit fly seems to have a constant presence when we have fruit or veggies around. They seem to LOVE bananas.  And since CJ ALWAYS has a fruit shake in the morning we have bananas galore in our kitchen-- which in turn means we have fruit flies galore. But ALAS!!! I found the end all be all ALL-NATURAL way to get rid of them and it doesn't require any nasty pesticides that could harm your sweet family.


APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!!

Yep! That's all you need. Well, Apple Cider Vinegar AND... a cup; some saran wrap; a rubber band (if you'd like) and a toothpick. This is SO simple you'll kick yourself for not knowing about this sooner. 

All you have to do is pour about an inch worth of Apple Cider Vinegar into a cup, cover it with the saran wrap, (make it secure with a rubber band if you'd like), puncture the center of the saran wrap with a toothpick about one dozen times (just make sure the holes aren't too close together). Then place the cup near the area that's attractive to the fruit flies. Within minutes these little critters will be on their way out of your life forever and within days you should be rid of your fruit fly problem completely.

The photo above is from my kitchen after about 1 day of setting my trap. It's been 4 days and I've caught about 24 of the little buggers.

So I wish you all good luck and GOOD RIDDANCE to your fruit fly situation. And the BEST part is that this is an ALL- NATURAL SOLUTION.

More ALL-NATURAL SOLUTIONS coming soon!

Much Love,
~Karith