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.
 ******************************************************************

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
 

The Best Damn Lactation Cookies You'll Ever Eat

Now, I am the first person to admit that cooking is not my forte. In fact, the closest my celebrity has ever come to a celebrity chef is being the warm up comic for a television pilot that Paula Dean was a guest on. And just for the record she IS as sweet in person as she is on TV and she loves butter just as much as you think she does- I don't care how much she's changed her diet post diabetes.

But that's neither here nor there. This blog entry is dedicated to the "Milk Mommies",  the ladies who like myself are doing their darndest to keep the milk flowing for their little nursing ones.

I applaud all of you who are part of this club. Breast feeding is SO not the easy task that one might think it is nor does it come as second nature or as naturally as it seems it should. It's hard work made harder when the baby you so wish to nourish doesn't have an abundant milk supply. Some women's boobs runneth over. Others of us must use supplements like Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Goat's Rue, etc...but the tastiest thing I've come across thus far is Lactation Cookies- that I swear on my cracked nipples work.

There are several recipes out there, I've take a bit from here and there, but this is my own recipe that has made some of the best batches of cookies me and CJ, my non-lactating husband have ever had. Oh, and these cookies were a hit at "Baby Breastfeeding Bootcamp" so I can vouch for them.

Here is goes...

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of old fashioned oatmeal (NOT instant)
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 1 cup of chocolate chips (I prefer the milk chocolate morsels)
  
• 1 cup of butter (I prefer salted)
• 4 table spoons of water
• 2-4 tablespoons of Brewers Yeast (be generous)
• 2 tablespoons of Flaxseed Meal (I've used plain and the milled Flaxseed from Trader Joe's with blueberries)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda (yes like Arm & Hammers)

IMPORTANT! Do not substitute the brewers yeast… that’s the ingredient which makes them work.

Method:

Preparation time is around 15-20  minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
1) Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.
2) Cream (beat well) butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well.
3) Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the butter mix. Beat until blended.
4) Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips.
5) Add to butter mixture. Stir in oats then chips.
6) Scoop or drop onto baking sheet. The dough is a little crumbly, it might be easier if you use a scoop- I just use a spoon- no need to get too  fancy.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies. Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.

*Again, I can only vouch for myself, but this definitely increased my milk supply and it was a delicious treat that was easy to make. A HUGE plus when you're crazy busy with a newborn.

**Where to Get Brewers Yeast
You can get brewers yeast from health food stores, or in the health food isles of supermarkets. It’s a bit cheaper to buy brewers yeast from supermarkets than from health food stores.

***While these cookies most definitely helped my milk supply it was only temporary (the more lasting affect was my ass getting bigger- these suckers are addictive so be careful.) My real saving grace came about 4 months later when I was introduced to doTERRA Essential Oils. I was told to use Basil Oil topically to assist with my milk supply. I was super skeptical as most of us would be, but IT WORKED. I wrote about it here in my other blog entry: It's a Miracle #2: Basil Oil Cured My Breastfeeding Blues.

As Paula Deen and I would say, HAPPY NURSING Y'ALL!!!
 

Motherhood: It's A Numbers Game

4 and 1/2 the number of batches of Lactation Cookies I've made so far.

3 the number of pediatricians I've interviewed and still haven't found one that isn't a complete ding bat.

2 the number of times I've threatened to beat my husband to death with  my  My Brest Friend breast feeding pillow for saying stupid sh*t to me like "Why do you look so tired?"

2800 the number of times I've Skyped with my family in Texas (a 3000% increase since the baby was born)

4 the number of jeans sizes I've gone up since having this little darling. (Let's just say I used to be a "perfect 10".)

3 the number of breast pumps I've had my boobs on.

11 the number of different versions my husband has for the songs "The Isty Bitsy Spider"  and "Baa Baa Black Sheep"

8 the number of C batteries we've wasted on baby gear who's vibrating feature was supposed to calm her down.

0 the number of times ANY of those things has calmed her down for more than 45 seconds at a time.

73 the number of times I've exposed myself to breastfeed in odd placees i.e. the Trader Joe's parking lot, Target parking lot, The Improv Comedy Club's back seating section before a show etc... 

12 the number of hours I spend a week at lactation counseling- although to make it sound more fun I call it Baby Breastfeeding Bootcamp.

2 the number of flights I've taken with the baby and the Chihuahua all by myself.

0 the number of times I'll do that again.

4,862 the number of photos I've taken of my baby with my phone.

2 the number of times I've accidentally dropped my cell phone on my baby's head while trying to get work done. (*Okay one time I was playing Angry Birds.)

 
7 the  number of times I've stopped and started this blog before I was able to complete and post it.

Sleep?! What the F*@k Is That?

A few nights ago (really more like 3am) I was trying to wax poetic about my insomnia; so for my Facebook status I posted. "O' sleep where art thou?" as I was clearly lacking in it. Now, as if you couldn't tell from my headline- I'm over trying to be quaint and I'm just down right pissy. I understand that this is Mother Nature's way of preparing me for when Baby Bean arrives and I get sleep maybe in 2 hour intervals after feedings. But can't Mother Nature wait just a few more weeks?! I mean good Lord I've still got 8 weeks to go. Can't this madness start in another 4 -5 weeks. What's the rush MN?

I really don't think I'm asking for that much. I'm someone can do wonders with five even four hours of sleep. I've never been a BIG sleeper as it is- even in childhood. Do you remember the good old days in preschool when after playtime and snacks you'd grab your totally uncomfortable macrame- like mat and lay on it for a quick 20- 30 minute nap? 

I could NEVER get into that. In fact it was so bad that my mom just had to write a note to the powers that be on my behalf saying that it was fine to let me stay up. All they had to do was stick me in a corner and give me a book and I was good to go. Now looking back I'm like what the hell was wrong with me? 'Cause as this point in my life I would pay somebody to make me take a nap in the middle of the day. But I guess I'm 30 + years late and a dollar short on that one.

What gets me now about this insomnia BS is that it's not like I'm not exhausted. Running around New York City, having shows, going on auditions etc., meeting up with friends for lunch or dinner, walking to the subway, trudging up and down the stairs in the ridiculous August heat with super swollen legs and feet (trust me I could put Hilary Clinton's cankles to shame) all I want to do when I get home is conk out. But I can't. 

I can't relax. I can't quiet my brain. I can't get comfortable. Well, that's not entirely true, I can do those things just not all three at once. And on the super rare chance that I do get the magic mojo for sleep working in my favor that's just when Baby Bean thinks it's time for a Zumba class to take place in my womb.  I can't tell y'all how many times I've been kicked in the ribs at 6am- just when I'm starting to doze off.

I know I can't take anything- nor do I want to medicate myself. But I am open to any and all natural methodologies. If you told me I had to stand on my head for 5 minutes with an ice pack on my vagina and that would give me a good solid 6 hours of sleep I'd be willing to try it. I am seriously that desperate.  

Just an FYI I am in a contest for the 25 Top Mom Blogs of NY- I would SO appreciate your vote ONLY a 10 days left. You don't have to give any personal info just click the button by my name from this link: http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-New-York-Moms-2012?trk=t25_Top-25-New-York-Moms-2012

Thank you for the LOVE!

An Orgasmic Birth? Um, Yeah, I'll Have What She's Having!

With the due date of my baby steadily creeping up. I've been inundated with checking things off my MUST DO/ MUST HAVE list. Found a pediatrician I'm in love with. Check. Been accumulating cloth diapers and accessories. Check. Secured a midwife and birthing center. Check. If you read my previous post Apparently Midwife is a Bad Word, then you know my husband CJ and I are planning to go as natural a route a possible with Baby Bean's arrival. That means ideally there will be no hospitalization, doctors, forceps, vacuums, IV drips or needles i.e. EPIDURALS involved. 

I've had plenty of needles in my life for allergy shots and blood tests etc, but is that not the scariest f*#king thing you've ever seen?

Now keep in mind this is my first kid- and I'm still a bit weary. I'm not gonna lie. Since I've not had the experience of squeezing something the size of a small watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon I'm a touch nervous. I do not have ANY reference whatsoever to the pain that will most likely be involved. 

But I really want to go the no drug route for my sake and Baby Bean's. I have no doubt that it will be better for both of us. So I plan to get my relaxation, meditation, and "Hypnobirthing" on... See, I've been doing my research. Which is actually why I had to write about this as soon as I heard about it: Orgasmic Births! (I kid you not.)

As far as I know- none of my friends have had one- at least they haven't shared if they did. But there are women out there who would swear on a stack of O Magazines that they've experienced the sensation of an orgasm while giving birth. That may creep some people out, but grow up- it's not sexual, just as breast feeding your little one ISN'T sexual. 

From what I gather it's just this warm tingling feeling that permeates your whole body and releases the "feel good" chemicals that come with the "Big O". But since it's never happened to me  (the orgasmic birth not the Big O), but fingers crossed it does, I don't know if it's fact or fiction. But IF there is even the slightest possibility that I can feel that much pleasure from this magical but otherwise extremely uncomfortable experience- sign me up 'cause I'm ALL for it. Who the heck wouldn't be?!

Psychic Mommy

So I'm not a psychic, but I did play one on the radio this morning and I think through osmosis via the part I'm starting to develop some psychic abilities. For example I can foresee it being JUST me who's going to be getting up in the middle of the night in just a few short months. 

Case in point, I had to be on the air at 6am Eastern Time- that's 3am Pacific Time for those of you who are still a little too groggy to do the math. Either time is too frappin' early to be up if you ask me. But I'm also a comic who's preferred bedtime is 2:30/3am after my high from a show has worn off and the burst of creative genius has subsided. But I made myself go to bed early last night- 1:30am ET since I'm in NYC for a few weeks. 

I set my alarm to go off at 5:40am so that I'd have enough time to get up make some tea and not sound like Kathleen Turner after smoking a pack of Marlboros. BTW I kicked butt on the call, but I'm still a touch bothered by what happened just before.

My handy dandy alarm on my phone goes off and my Darling Husband, CJ, elbows me to get me to get up and shut it off. He didn't make a sound- there was no angry groaning as there could have been since he had the same bedtime, but there was also no, "Sweetheart- it's time to get up." or "Babe your alarm's going off". It wasn't a rude "I'm annoyed" shove but it was also up for interpretation as being a "You need to get that because I won't be able to finish my peaceful sleep" nudge. All of this non-vocal behavior leads me to believe that in a few short months when our sweet little Baby Bean is crying to be fed or changed it will be moi who will be doing 99.9% of the attending.

I fully understand that I'll be the only food source for quite some time- I should already get T-shirts made up that say "Milk Bar Open- 24 hours"- like IHOP. But I do plan on pumping and I hope he has some plans to do midnight feedings 'cause my being up at the crack of dawn or as my Aussie husband says, "The crack of a sparrows fart," when I'm NOT a morning person isn't going to fly. 

P.S. If you like this and other of my blog entries please vote for me as I've been nominated for a Top 25 Mom Blog of SoCal. You can vote everyday for the next 13 days. 
http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-SoCal-Moms-2012?trk=t25_Top-25-SoCal-Moms-2012

Thanks for the love and support! 

Enough With the Freaky Pregnancy Dreams

I've already admitted that being preggers makes you crazy, but add on top of it the whacked out dreams you can have that make you feel just to the right of certifiable. 

At first my dreams didn't seem to bad. I mean it was in a dream that I first knew I was pregnant. Honest to God within 24-48 hours of conception I dreamed I was pregnant. It's like my body totally talked to me. The subsequent dreams that followed have been about the baby, but have more to do with the sex. I've always dream that I'm carrying a boy. I think that's because I've always expected to have a boy.

≈

It's the weird ass dreams since that upset me. After the first sonogram and ultrasound where we could see our Little 

One's perfect little baby shape I had a dream a few days later that the baby's head and body were the same but my child had lobster claws for arms. I was so upset I woke up crying. CJ had to calm me down. He even got the ultrasound pic off the fridge and was like, "Do you see lobster claws here?" I shook my head "No" and whimpered back to sleep. 

In another dream I was breast feeding my new baby- something I plan on doing and have always thought I would do. But when I went to look down in my celestial state of mommy/baby bonding bliss instead of seeing my sweet infant looking up at me. I am eye to eye staring at my Chihuahua! As adorable as she is and as much as I love her I would never breast feed her! I'm not as cool or brave as that woman in Myanmar who breast fed tiger cubs. True story! While I admit it's a noble and again brave feat 90% of my brain is saying, "F- that noise!"

The last freaky dream was just last night. It really messed me up. I still can't shake it off. I think part of it was spurned by people, including a doctor I saw recently, who say to me, "Wow, you really don't look pregnant." But I know I have a baby in here because I see it on the screen and I feel it moving and God knows I've got the heartburn to prove it. But I think somewhere in my subconscious that makes me think something's wrong. 

For some crazy reason last night I dreamed that I gave birth to an exact replica of my Chihuahua. In the dream one of the pediatric nurses says to me, "Oh, Honey don't worry, just yesterday a woman gave birth to two Shih tzus." Like this was a normal occurrence. So I and had to act like I was okay with this puppy being my daughter. My mom had a really tough time with it, but it was her "grandog"/ grandaughter so she was doing her best to cope. I was even swaddling her and changing her diaper like a newborn. So messed up!

I'm trying to recount what if anything I ate last night that would cause such a raucous in my mind. Sadly, I think it's just some stress and my imagination getting the best of me.


If I'm not alone in the crazy dream boat- please feel free to share.

Creepiest Breastfeeding Ad EVER???!!!

Notice anything odd? Like a full set of teeth?

Those of you who know me know that I am the biggest fan of doing things naturally. I eat organically as often as possible. I use all natural cleaning products- I mix vinegar and water to clean my kitchen and bathroom. I’ve even cut out using any kind of beauty products with parabens in them. So you know this automatically makes me a HUGE proponent for breastfeeding. It’s definitely something I plan on doing as easy or difficult as it may come in the first few days. So in no way am I ragging on anyone who does breastfeed or is trying to promote it. That being said the brilliant people in Louisville, KY who came up with this entertaining albeit CREEPY public service announcement to promote breastfeeding in the African-American community have a major FAIL on their hands. It’s not ‘cause the kid isn’t cute- she is- even though she is talking. (Which happens to be a HUGE creep factor for me. Babies talking, dancing, doing tricks etc…freak me the f*ck out almost as badly as clowns.

 So you know watching Ally McBeal back in the day took real effort on my part- but that’s an entirely different blog entry.) I’ve captured a still photo from the video, but you MUST click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyvom56bzuw&feature=player_embedded to truly appreciate the creep factor. A baby with Hollywood veneers talking about getting her breast milk on. My nips ache just thinking about it.