Last year, at 37 1/2 weeks pregnant, I had what would be my second-to-last prenatal appointment. I didn’t know it then, but I would later revisit this day and the subsequent decision I made with much regret.Continue reading “The big what-if”
Category Archives: Health
Active transportation tastes better
Our housing hunt continues, and, the day after my birthday, we both took the day off and spent the morning running around (in a car unfortunately) with a realtor looking at houses.
We planned to wrap things up by late morning and follow the house tour whirlwind by treating ourselves to lunch. Due to excellent efficiency (and a few houses that we weren’t able to see), we were finished before eleven — too early for lunch — so we headed home. After being in and out of the car all morning, a separate car trip just for lunch was the last thing I wanted.
Bicycles were an option, of course, but I really wanted to WALK somewhere. Unfortunately, we don’t have many options within walking distance (if you discount a few fast food joints, which are not even on our radar). My criteria for a walkable non-fast food restaurant led us to La Tropicana, a restaurant we’ve been talking about trying for quite some time now.
After a bit of back and forth with the waiter and chef, we ordered some vegetized versions of a couple of their standard menu items. While I enjoyed the meal, getting to and from the restaurant on my own two feet was truly my favorite part of the outing. It felt both novel and right at the same time, and reminded me of our time in Italy last year.
I’m a little bummed that we’ve lived here for four years and just now ventured into La Tropicana — within weeks of a move that will most likely take us to a different neighborhood. We don’t eat out often, but having a good choice within walking distance is worth a lot. I hope we’ll have some walk & dine options in our new neighborhood (location TBD), because walking to a meal is the best seasoning.
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Blue Green Mama update
It’s been a few months since I wrote about my struggles with postpartum depression (though not officially diagnosed, my symptoms and their duration seem consistent with actual PPD and not just postpartum adjustment disorder). I met with a counselor soon after I wrote that post and continued to see her regularly for 3 1/2 months.
During that time, we worked on a lot of issues surrounding my derailed home birth plans, the unplanned Cesarean, and life as I’d known it being completely altered by the addition of a new little person. After about ten sessions, I felt I’d accomplished as much as I could in therapy (at least for now), so I checked myself out at the end of February. Here are some things I’ve learned in that time.
This caring for a baby shit is hardContinue reading “Blue Green Mama update”
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Avoiding antibiotics
Time to crawl out from under this rock and return to writing. The past seven days took their toll.
I [barely] survived three days home alone with a sick and needy baby (while sick myself, of course). Every feeding brought the fear that he would cough hard enough to gag and vomit, which happened at least once a day, and all the mucous going through his system led to some interesting results from the other end, as well.
A comment by one of his caregivers that his cough sounded croup-like sent us to the doctor on Wednesday morning. The “good” news: just a bad cold with a “junky” cough. The bad news: mild ear infection in the right ear.
The pediatrician apologetically recommended antibiotics. I asked if we could wait and see if it cleared on its own, knowing that many ear infections are viral, in which case antibiotics are completely useless and unnecessary. She agreed, on the condition that we return in three days for a recheck, to make sure the infection was not progressing.
I took a copy of the prescription and returned home to deliberate: Just fill the darn prescription, which would probably cost us $5, or try to avoid unnecessary antibiotics (and the fun that goes with them, like diarrhea and/or constipation and secondary infections from eliminating the “good” gut bacteria), at the cost of an extra $25 office visit copay, not to mention the time and effort of a return visit? Quite frustrating when the better-for-health decision is significantly less convenient AND more expensive.
Still, after some discussion, Matthew and I opted for the wait-and-see approach, and I made the follow-up appointment. For the next three days, we applied warm compresses to The Dude’s ear and throat.*
Feeling worn down and negative, I fully expected bad news at Gabriel’s follow-up visit on Saturday, so I was pleasantly surprised when Matthew reported that, while not entirely cleared, the infection was “heading in the right direction,” no antibiotics needed.
Warm Compress Method**
Wet a clean washcloth, then ring out excess water. Fold in half, then in thirds. Place the washcloth in the microwave and heat for about 20 seconds. Carefully remove the hot washcloth.
Test the temperature on your own ear before applying to baby’s ear (remembering that baby’s skin will be extra sensitive) — err on the side of caution with the temperature.
Hold warm, damp washcloth over affected ear and side of the throat until the cloth cools. This will help drain the ear, facilitating the body’s efforts to fight the infection. Repeat several times throughout the day.
*The warm compress is actually recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). (I don’t always agree with all of their recommendations, but sometimes they get it right.)
**This is not intended as medical advice, nor should it replace consultation with your health care provider.
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Top 25 Vegan and Vegetarian Moms
HerGreenLife is in the running for Circle of Moms’ Top 25 Vegan and Vegetarian Moms. To support HerGreenLife, just follow the link and scroll through the candidates to vote. (You can vote once every 24 hours, and voting closes on February 14th.)
I’ve been vegetarian for just over seven years now. I know a good bit about nutrition (I have enough college credits in nutrition to be considered a “nutritionist,” though not a dietitian, by most employers), and that foundation makes me confident in my dietary choices.
Though I don’t need outside validation, the last 15+ months provide some satisfactory evidence that my diet is not lacking. Over nine months, I grew a big, healthy baby on a vegetarian diet*, and for the last 6 1/2 months, he’s thrived on nothing other than mama’s milk 🙂
As I wrote earlier this week, the time has come to expand The Dude’s one-item food menu, and we look forward to introducing him to our way of eating, meals filled with flavor, variety, and lots of nutrients, striving to eat in a way that is good for the body and gentle on the planet.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I took a high-quality fish oil supplement while pregnant, so I wasn’t quite vegetarian, technically speaking.
Read more about my thoughts on a vegetarian diet:
Vegetarian I
Vegetarian II
Her Green Life 