Breastfeeding and Milk Supply?

JJ Cole Black and Gold Satchel Diaper Bag

JJ Cole Black and Gold Satchel Diaper Bag

JJ Cole Diaper Bag

Pregnancy Update & MS

Pregnancy Update & MS

Where is My Strength?

Tomorrow I enter my third trimester and I must say I have not had any energy since around week 18 or 19. I can however tell you that my doctor has told me to limit my walking because of contractions. I enjoyed my walks, but I have to do what the doctor says. Let's see where do I begin with the updates.

I have exactly 93 more days to go before meeting baby boy. I am so excited, but definitely not prepared. We still have space reconfiguring to do and items to be gotten.I am holding off on buying anything else until after my baby shower. Since my energy has been so low, I'm not much help around the house. I can say that this pregnancy was nothing that I expected. I know that pregnancy places your MS in remission, but I have been beyond exhausted and achy. I'm doing the best I can to hang in there, but some days are so hard.

Happy Breastfeeding Week-Medela Breast Pump

 Check out my video on the Medela Breastfeeding Pump and my breastfeeding plan while dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Honest Company Sample Unboxing

A Look Back At This Week

This week was a rough one. In general it seemed to last forever, although it was the last week of school for my daughter little "Jay". The last week of school means little Jay will be spending the summer away with family, while I manage through this last trimester and prepare the house for baby. I have prepared some summer work to keep her up to par for school and she is working on her own business idea. So along with summer play and continued learning, she will have an enjoyable time.

In pregnancy news, I turned 6 months and it seems that overnight my belly expanded. Sleeping has become awkward. My body wants to sleep in until 7 a.m. When I sleep until 7 I feel a bit more rested. The problem with this is that I need to be up at 5:30 a.m. and leaving my house by 6:50, therefore 7 is not an option. This week I noticed that baby starts kicking at around that time. I'm really not being awakened at night by kicks. He is active all day long and calms down when I get home. His evening kick schedule starts at 8 p.m. and last until around 11 p.m., either I am sleeping really deep and not feeling the kicks, or he is asleep too.  If this is the schedule I can look forward to when he his born, then I can deal with it.

My check up went well,  with the exception of finding out I have been experiencing contractions while I walk, which is not good. I have been walking a lot for exercise and to keep my legs strong for labor, however that has to stop.  My team of doctors are going to monitor me before they take any further actions. I have decided to put myself on much needed bed rest when I am not working. This means, no more long walks during lunch, for meetings, and no more walking on the weekends. I have decided to come straight home and take it easy unless I am required to do something.

In MS related news, I have to meet with an anesthesiologist to determine if I can receive and epidural during labor. The reason for this consultation is because due to my multiple sclerosis and repeated relapses, I have multiple lesions on my spine. I have been told that it is possible to have an epidural by one doctor, but my OB seemed concerned. I have started to do research for alternative medications and I am planning to take Lamaze. Honestly if the doctor isn't concerned, I am still extremely nervous. I don't feel comfortable with something going into my spinal area, when it is already irritated by the lesions. In the past my spine has caused me great pain during flare ups and relapses, therefore I will proceed with caution. After my consultation and research, I will have a better understanding of what my birth plan will be. I may go all natural if I can tolerate it, but that is yet to be determined.

Overall this week was draining, but I did get three trips of couponing in. I have managed to add to my diaper collection extensively. We will be using disposable diapers, which due to the cost, I put forth a savings plan. I do not pay more than $.10 per diaper and $.02 per wipe. Using this method I am able to focus no the quantities of wipes and diapers versus the price per package. What you will find with doing this,  is that it can be much cheaper to buy several packages of jumbos instead of the huge boxes.

This week CVS had Huggies on sale for 2/$18 and if you spend $30 you get back $10 in a gas card redeemable at the gas station of your choice. I did the deal 3 times I spent a total of $11.98 after $30 worth of gas cards.  Overall I purchased a total of $107.91 worth of disposable for $41.98 and received back $30 worth of gas cards, making my diaper purchases $11.98 or $1.33 per package. I love coupons.  In the event that I am unable to get out after the baby is born, we will be prepared with the essentials and can focus on baby's and my recovery.

How was your Monday through Friday?

Thred-Up- Spring Cleaning and Making Room

I have to make room in our new house and closets and I have been procrastinating. Since I discovered the website Thred Up I am more motivated to clear things out. This company is awesome. If you don't know what the company is or how it works, let me explain.

thredUp.com is a place where you can buy and sell quality gently used and new clothing. The clothes are designer labels and in the best quality possible. I love the site for earning money. You can earn money by selling your old clothing.

It is very simple, first you order a large polka dot bag (which can hold up to 100 items). Then, you fill the bag with your items and return it to the company. The bag comes labeled and shipping is prepaid. You just drop the package at your local post office or FedEx. The company reviews your items and determines what they will pay you for and donates any unacceptable garments to charity. It is that is easy.

Last month I sent in my first polka dot bag filled with clothes for sell. The turn around time was amazing, within a couple of weeks it showed payment in my account. Over the weekend and last night I spent time purging and it felt so good.  There were items with tags on them that I had no intention of wearing. I am sending off two bags filled this weekend. Below is my progress and an image of the bag.

If you are fall cleaning or need to make room for a new wardrobe, I suggest you give thredUp.com a try. You won't be disappointed. Before you send off your bag, you will have the opportunity to see the potential cash value of the item you are sending in for review. I keep my laptop by me as I go through the closet and decide if it is worth sending in. They accept numerous brands, but the quality must be good. If you have a chance please check them out.

Am I Selfish?

Am I Selfish?

I often find myself feeling guilty for not wanting to do anything other than rest. Rest, doesn’t have to be sleep for a person, specifically a pregnant mother living with Multiple Sclerosis. Rest usually consists of me sitting on the couch or laying in the bed and surfing the internet. After a very long drive to work and 8 hours on the job, when I get home the only thing I want to do is prop my legs up and relax my mind. My mornings generally start off with exhaustion. I wake up feeling like I just can’t pull my muscles to doing what I am asking them to do, which simply is to, “Wake the heck up”. My brain is awake, but my body needs another two hours to get up the strength to be lifted from its resting place. Despite my body’s delayed reaction to join the rest of the world, I must keep moving. I have a child sleeping in the other room that needs to get dressed and fed, I have a miniature man doing flips in my tummy waiting on breakfast, and I have a job that needs my presence for the rest of the day. Having MS does not define who you are, but it does affect your life, and I am reminded of that on a daily basis. I think with my pregnancy, although my other symptoms are taking a break, exhaustion and muscle fatigue are still at the fore forth. 

I am currently in my second trimester, and I remember the anticipation of finally not feeling so nauseous or tired, which a seemly vague promise was made by all the articles I’d read turned out to be a lie. Well week 17 finally hit and yes I was no longer nauseous to the smell and/or sight of everything and everyone, what joy! Then week 18 rolled around and I felt a sudden burst of recharged energy. “Oh yeah this is about to get good”, I thought. Silly, naïve, and wishful thinking me, week 21 hit me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly I‘m exhausted again and boy does my body ache.

The answer for being tired is sleep, correct? Wrong, not with MS see let me explain. Fatigue is not the same as tiredness; everyone will suffer from tiredness at some point. Usually a good night’s sleep or fewer activities will beat the feeling of being tired. Fatigue is a daily lack of energy or excessive complete-body tiredness that is not relieved by sleep. In a chronic illness, like multiple sclerosis, fatigue may never go away and can disrupt your lifestyle. For me I suffer from chronic fatigue and pain. The problem with this is that is not a visible symptom, so to most people I just seem lazy or withdrawn. Sleeping helps, but unlike being tired, even after sleep, fatigue is still there. Besides, no one at my age wants to spend their days sleeping it away, so I fight. I fight to blend in, I fight to participate, I fight sometimes just to stay awake, but my efforts are never enough. No matter how hard I work on the job, I’ll never receive credit. No matter how hard I work at home, there will always be more to do or that goes undone. No matter how hard I work at maintaining healthy relationships, someone will go unnoticed. 

In order to combat fatigue, I have to decide what my priorities are in this stage of my life. I can’t drive far places anymore without wanting to fall asleep behind the wheel, I can’t stay for after school meetings at my child’s school, and I definitely can’t work excessively long hours or through my lunch anymore. Most weeks laundry will go undone and meals will be take-out. It’s unfortunate, but truthfully slacking in these areas seem minimal to me, when I envision my life not being mobile. There is often a sense of uncertainty accompanied by anyone diagnosed with MS. So to survive you have to take control of the things in your life that you can, not cooking a few days a week won’t actually destroy any lives, and asking others to take the wheel may just save me from a physical body breakdown. So tonight I plan to kick my feet with a movie, clear my mind mentally and rest. So I ask, am I selfish for not wanting to do anything except rest?

Welcome!

Welcome to MS. Mama’s Life, this blog is about the day to day life of a Mommy, full-time employee, daughter, sister and wife-to-be with Multiple Sclerosis. Over the past few years, I have searched the internet for someone living a life similar to mines. I’ve come across a few YouTube channels, older blogs, and professional advice articles, and none fit my needs. I was looking for someone to talk about the dark side of MS, the accomplishments, and the overall joys of life, but I couldn't find it. After not finding what I needed "MS. Mama's Life" was born.  I wanted to shine light, inspiration, and intimacy unto the foggy world of young adult mothers living with MS. This blog is to encourage, educate, influence, and guide moms living with this sometimes not so apparent illness. I’m a regular woman that loves her family and having a good time. Through my post, you will see that I love to shop, coupon, decorate, plan, and learn. I hope you will join me on this new journey to document the life of MS. Mama.