Breastfeeding and the Theology of the Body

Posted on by tobcatholicmom

Even after having 4 kids, you’d think that breastfeeding would come easier with the fourth kid, but nooooooooooo….. Jacob is throwing me for a loop. First it was the bottle feeding… That was interrupting the proper latch and his preference for the bottle seemed to overtake his want for breastfeeding, so we cut out the bottles. Second it is his latch, since he was bottle fed, his latch was smaller then the typical one. Mind you he also has a really small mouth because he’s a preemie, so we’ve been using a nipple shield to help open his mouth wider, but with that comes other problems: he doesn’t get as much milk as he would drinking from the bare breast. Third, since we’re using the nipple shield, he latches better using that than on the bare breast, but I’ve been working on getting him off the nipple shield. So that’s another transition. Fourth, he hasn’t been gaining as much weight as we’d hoped, so instead of adding formula, as other people would, we’ve been adding a tube while feeding him…to get him to a higher weight….Sigh…so many things going on.

There are usually 2 breastfeeding problems: 1) a milk production problem, where for whatever reason, your body isn’t producing as much milk as your baby needs and 2) a latching problem. This happens when your baby can’t latch properly and it makes breastfeeding hurt. For me, my problem has always been a latching problem. I have never had a problem with milk production, thankfully, but on the other hand, a latching problem can make any mother quit breastfeeding because it really hurts if you don’t get the help you need. Sigh… This is such hard work. Breastfeeding isn’t for everyone, and it is the least talked about in parenting classes, but let me tell you…. It puts things into perspective.

How much are you willing to sacrifice for your baby… To try to give him/her the best possible nutrition… It’s really hard… And the sad thing is… A lot of mothers give up before their babies. One thing I have learned in my life regarding breastfeeding is NEVER give up! If you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for it, it will be totally worth it. There is help out there if you really want it. But first you have to get over the painful latches of the milk production issues to be able to be in the clear.

Over the last few days, Jacob and I have been struggling with breastfeeding. He’s been fussy a lot at night which means that I’ve been up nursing him. I feel like I’ve been nursing him non stop over the last few days. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Breastfeeding takes a lot of patience, persistence and a heck of a lot of the miracle nipple cream I was prescribed! Let me tell you… Without that nipple cream, I don’t know where I’d be.

Thinking about how this relates to the Theology of the Body… In so many ways, a mother is that child’s representative of Jesus, metaphorically, of course.

She willingly feeds her child, losing sleep and other things that come along with it. But if you knew what the milk was, you’d also understand the parallels with that of the Holy Eucharist.

What is the Holy Eucharist? It’s literally transformed from bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. See John chapter 6 in the Bible. Jesus’ body and blood becomes the sustenance for our lives. If we eat of his flesh and drink his blood, we will have eternal life. He is the life source of our lives.

In the same way it can be for breastfeeding…the mother’s body and blood is transformed into sustenance for that little baby. Without the milk, the baby would die. But I guess one of the most beautiful things to think about is that mothers get to feed their babies just like the Blessed Mother fed the baby Jesus. She gave up her body for him so he could live by drinking the milk that her body produced.

If breastfeeding doesn’t make you a saint, I don’t know what will. While I’m sitting here, feeding Jacob, sometimes I wonder why I don’t just quit breastfeeding this little boy… And as I contemplate this, I think no… I could never give up on this. This is my sacrifice for him but also for those who need prayers. My struggle will be offered up for those who need and want prayers. So if you’d like me to remember you during my struggle please comment on this post, and I’ll be sure to pray for you during my breastfeeding journey.

Before I end this post, if you could also lift me up in your prayers, I could really use them. Breastfeeding is hard, but one thing I’ve learned is… Get the help…it’s out there if you need it.

This is where I got my help…

The Doctor’s Breastfeeding Clinic

The doctors here are great! And so is the lactation consultant. I wouldn’t have made it this far without their help.

One last note… I was reading another blog about 5 saints who should be known by breastfeeding mothers, and one that really stood out was St. Zelie Martins. She was the mother of St. Therese of Lisieux. She was unable to breastfeed her children and had to send them to live with wet nurses because she couldn’t feed them. And many of them died while they were separated from her. 😮 Can you imagine?? Your babies died because you couldn’t breastfeed them?? I’d be devastated and I’m sure she was. So I’m that note, I’ll end this blog with a short prayer.

St. Giles (patron saint of breastfeeding and breastfeeding mothers, St. Zelie, and Our Lady of La Leche, please pray for all the breastfeeding mothers out there that are struggling and wanting to give up! Give them the will to keep going even when they want to stop. Allow them to enter into the suffering deeply and unite it with that of Christ and the Blessed mother. Allow them to persevere by your grace. All this we ask in Jesus’ name! Amen!

My little milk monster! He keeps me on my toes!

Your sister in Christ,

Jeanette

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Adjusting to life as a mom of 4.

Posted on by tobcatholicmom

It’s been a week since Jacob has come home. It’s been fun and frustrating. Haha… Two very polarizing f words.

It’s been fun because Jacob has been a real gem. He’s a very sweet little boy. People are constantly asking us… Oh how many days old is he? And my response is… Don’t be deceived, he’s older than he looks….hahaha guess it could be the same thing for Rios. He still gets the whole… You look so young speech from people…But I notice they never say that about me… Huh… Must be the bags under my eyes and the ponytailed hair that must be giving away my age.

And on the other hand, it’s been frustrating because as much as I love my kids, they drive me crazy. They want to touch Jacob, kiss him, play with him, and be near him while I’m trying to breastfeed him. There’s nothing like telling your kid… Ummmm… Your brother is trying to drink his milk… Please give him, (me), space cause you’re crowding him (your face is too close to my breast)…. Get away child! Haha

Yup… That’s pretty much my life right now… A long list of to do lists… Feeding, changing, playing, praying… Ahhhh…. To be a mom of 4 is so fun!

We took Jakey, yes that’s Jacob’s nickname, to church for the first time on Sunday, and it was great seeing so many familiar faces. I love the community that we have at church. I look around and there’s people from all walks of life sharing in the great mystery of the Eucharist alongside me. How beautiful it is to witness such communion with others. One lady mentioned to us that her daughter lost a baby around 34 weeks, so the same age Jakey was when he was born, and it was devastating for her….of course…. That would be devastating for anyone. Everytime she looked at Jakey she’d start to tear up. But then she’d say that we were very blessed to have such a wonderful family. She was very kind. And a bonus and total parenting win was that my children all behaved at mass! Yesssssssss…. It pays off! Parenting a child for the Lord has slightly paid off on Sunday! I wrote a post a few years ago about mass and children…. Here’s the link…

https://tobcatholicmom.com/2016/04/25/mass-and-children-the-two-can-go-together/

The definite thing that I need to adjust to is caring for a newborn again. While Jacob was in the nicu, it was hard for me to picture life as a mom of 4. It felt like I was just watching someone else have the baby instead of me. It was only when we brought him home that reality started to sink in that our lives would change by adding another baby into the mix of life. Let me tell you, this kid is throwing me for a loop. He’s very different than my other three.

Jacob is the only one that stayed in the nicu. He was the only one that was a teeny tiny baby. He also is the only one that I bottle fed…I am planning to breastfeed him, but we’re working on that right now. Because he was away from me, I had to pump and bottle feed this little guy, so we’re working on establishing the breastfeeding.

If you’re looking for help with breastfeeding, I’ve only had success with this particular clinic: The Dr. Breastfeeding clinic. http://www.Drbfc.net they have helped me with all my breastfeeding problems…they’ve been there for me for all my 4 kids, and I highly recommend them

Anyway….it’s been an adjustment getting used to the newborn cries and all that comes with it.

Fun and frustrating are the two words I would use at this time to describe my experience this time around.

Thanks again to my readers for reading my blog. Please share the link with anyone that you think can learn a thing or two from me…. Or if you’d like to have a laugh or cry with me. Subscribe to the blog!

Also, if you’d like me to write about something in particular, please let me know.

Take care and God bless,

Your sister in Christ,

Jeanette

 

Discharge Day!

Posted on by tobcatholicmom

Today is the day we’ve been waiting for! It’s the day we get to take Jacob home! Oh my goodness … What a roller-coaster of emotions that are coming with it. It’s truly a bittersweet time right now. The nurses at the nicu made our lives so much better. I am truly thankful to the nurses that took care of my son. Pod 2, bed 2 was where he was for the better part of 5 weeks.

He first arrived there at 1140g. For those who don’t understand, he arrived as a 2lb 5oz baby… And he is leaving as a 1945g or 4lb 3oz baby!

I hope you know how much you mean to all of us. I will try to name all the nurses that I can, but please don’t be upset if I forget a name or two… Believe me, any little thing you did for my son, you also did for me and my family, and for that I am truly grateful!

To the following nurses, I want to personally thank you: Evelyn, Brandon, Sumol, Sue, Barb, Kavita, Sherry, Nima, Betty, Paula, Jennifer, Jessica, Liz, Wendy, Megan, Sally, Tanvir, Hibba, Molly and anyone else I missed. I also want to thank the admin team at the front: Camay and Jessica! You both made coming into the nicu everyday a pleasure.

The care and love that you have given to Jacob while he was there was so appreciated! There are so many words I could say, but at this point, I’m at a loss!

You have been so special to us during this journey, and I thank God everyday for bringing you into our lives. We will come back and visit and we hope to see some of you.

We love you very much and we hope that you continue to care for the other babies as you did for our little Jacob!

With that being said, we will pray for you!

On the back of one of the nurse’s shirts it said, “the nurses in the nicu have the future of the world in the palms of their hands!”

God bless you always,

Love 😍

Jacob (baby), Jeanette (mom), Rios (dad), Philip (eldest), Isaac (second), and Aaron (third)

First comes the baby… Then come the feelings and emotions!

Posted on by tobcatholicmom

Two blog posts in a week? I must have hit a new record! Haha

Thank you for reading my last blog post! I’m very grateful to the people who read it. It was my most read blog post to date, so yay! 😀

I have been off Facebook for a bit .. I needed a detox… It was sucking the life out of me, but my blog gets automatically uploaded to Facebook, so if you left a comment, I’m sorry, I haven’t read them… I’ll eventually be back on, but I don’t know when.

Anyway… Back to this post…

This has been a trying time having Jacob so early and leaving him in the care very wonderful nurses. It’s been manageable being away from him, but what I didn’t expect is the emotions and feelings that I have been going through.

With my other three, I never experienced the amount of emotions that I am currently….it’s hard to admit, but I feel like I’m suffering from post partum depression…..dun…dun…dun…

The three words no one ever wants to admit. But saying it out loud has a way of empowering the person who said it. You know what they say… The first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem.

So I’m freely admitting it to the readers of this blog. I think I am suffering from post partum depression!

Maybe my struggle will help you to overcome yours….

Generally, I’m a very private person. I don’t really share my life wth everyone… Hence why many people had no clue I was even pregnant. I’m just like that. It takes some time for me to trust people and if that trust is ever broken, it’s even harder to earn it back.

So this past week, the post partum depression hit me hard… Like a ton of bricks. I was supposed to write a certification exam on Friday, but I realized I was in no shape, mentally, to even begin to write it. During the exam… I started bawling uncontrollably. I stopped writing the exam and laid down. The depression got the better of me.

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed since I left the hospital less than four weeks ago. My recovery has been great. Physically I feel like I’m on the road to recovery, but I think people forget that I just had major surgery 4 weeks ago. Like what was I doing going to a bbq on Canada day after just having surgery? What was I doing cooking meals for my family after having just gotten out of the hospital? Why did I decide to go to two musicals within a few days of each other after having only given birth a week to a week and a half prior?? I must have really looked good to people on the outside… Because inside I felt like I was going to cry or scream at any time.

I was supposed to go out with friends on Friday, but I totally bailed, and I didn’t even mention it to them. I couldn’t go out… Truthfully, I didn’t want to go anywhere with anyone… I didn’t want to contact anyone…. I just wanted to either stay home in bed or stay at the hospital with my premature infant son. It felt like being at the hospital was the only source of relief. I didn’t have to cook or take care of my other children…All I had to do was be present for my little preemie. I could do that! I could actually sit and watch a whole episode of Brooklyn 99 without hearing “mom” 50 times during one episode

I was feeling depressed and angry all in one body. How can a person like me…who’s normally bubbly and positive be feeling this?? I’ve never felt like this before. I don’t feel like myself. On the surface, if you saw me, you’d think… Wow she’s doing great… But inside I want to either cry or kick someone’s face in. I hope I never get to the point where I actually act on my emotions. I’d never kick someone’s face in, but I’d probably think about it long and hard. Hahaha….

The important thing to note is that if you start feeling like this… Reach out for help…I spoke with one of my good friends who I know would be able to pray for me about this matter… He’s a priest! One of the best around! He offered mass for me twice in two days! I literally cried because I knew the only way to get through this was to rely on God to help! The highest form of prayer is the mass, so thank you to my dear friend for offering mass on my behalf! It is what helped me.

Of course I told Rios too! I’m just happy he’ll be able to be home when he goes on parental leave in a week. I’ll be able to get more help with the kids. If you know my kids, they’re very active! I love them to death, but I can’t deal with them too much right now. I’m exhausted, hungry, irritable and sad! It’s not the kind of emotion you want your children to see.

They deserve their mom to be happy and loving. I want to get back to my former self, but I know it will take time. Until then, I will suffer through this, emotions and all, and I will offer up my suffering for others!

So if you’re reading this, please know that you’re not alone! There are people willing to help you. No one is an island… Even though sometimes you wish you were… It’s better to live in a crowded village than to realize you’re alone on the island you created.

Do your best to keep people close to you! If you ever need to chat, shoot me a comment, and I’d be more than happy to engage in fruitful conversations.

God bless you, my readers!

May we always be united!

Your sister in Christ,

Jeanette

Preemie babies and Theology of the Body

Posted on by tobcatholicmom

I know it’s been a while since I last wrote anything for this blog, and I’m not making excuses, but life definitely got in the way of keeping up with this blog. However … I’m back now and hopefully I can contribute more to the blogosphere.

Ok…. So update….. I had a fourth baby… Another wonderful baby BOY! I know what you’re thinking… Another boy? Was it planned?  Were you going for a girl this time around? And. … You gonna go for the girl?? As in… Are you going to go for the fifth baby?

Let me start by saying that I love my kids and they bring me so much joy…even if they drive me crazy sometimes. To answer your lingering questions though… Yes another boy; yes it was planned with more thought; no we weren’t going for a girl persay, but if we happened to be blessed with a girl, great… If not, I know boys, so it’s not much of a stretch; but to answer the big question you’re all thinking…Yes we are open to having more children!

Say whaaaat?? Yes… We’re open to having more if God blesses us with more children. That’s part of what we agreed to when we took our wedding vows: “Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?” and the answer is an absolute YES! I just hope we are able to because I have had 2 C-section. It is a little more complicated to have children after the second C-section.

The story behind this little one is a bit of an epic tale. Rios and I were hoping to have a 4th child because when we first got married, we wanted to have 2 or 4 kids, so after Aaron was born we realized we would love to have another, so we decided to get back on the Billings Ovulation Method bandwagon and intentionally work with God to make it happen. It definitely wasn’t as easy as it was before. I was at my heaviest weight and having very irregular cycles.

Sidenote: using the Billings Ovulation Method has helped me figure out issues within my cycle.

http://www.toronto.naturalfamilyplanning.ca

I figured out that I had thyroid issues and low vitamin D, so as soon as I got those things taken care of, I found out that I was pregnant! What a joyous occasion! This pregnancy, however, was my hardest one to date. I was told that there was a chance that this baby would have down syndrome. I also ended up getting gestational diabetes with this pregnancy. On top of that, this baby was considered high risk because he was an intrauterine growth restricted baby aka (iugr) with only 2 blood vessels running through the umbilical cord.

So when he was born, he was 2 pounds 5 ounces. Even at 34 weeks, he was as tiny as a 30 weeker. He was very feisty when he was born though. His apgar score was 10. You don’t even see that in babies that are born to term. Needless to say, I knew he would change my world when he arrived. I wasn’t even expecting him to come when he did. I was in the hospital for a non stress test: they hook you up to the monitors to check the movements of the baby, but during the test, the doctor said his movements were not adequate, so they sent me for an ultrasound. After the ultrasound, they sent me back to labour and delivery for my results, and during that time, the doctor said that the fluid around the baby was depleting. This began my journey as a preemie mom.

He was delivered via C-section and I was happy but at the same time sad. It’s hard to sit back knowing that your little baby was taken so early from the warmth of your womb and now has to stay in the care of others. I was also sad knowing that the possibility of a large family was now limited by the multiple surgeries.

The first time I got to meet him was after breakfast the next day. I couldn’t believe my eyes at how small he was. I didn’t know what to do because he was so tiny. I was in awe that I had been a co-creator along with my husband and with God to bring this little human into the world. What a huge blessing this little guy has been in our lives.

He has been in the nicu for just over three weeks now, and it has definitely been an experience. There is an element of letting go of your little baby in the hopes that he will get the best care even though you wish he could come home with you. It’s realizing that you can’t give him what he needs right now. That he needs to be in the care of the nurses while you are at home waiting and pumping. There is also the element of pumping even when you don’t want to.

Let me pause for a minute and reflect on pumping versus breastfeeding. Let me tell you one thing… Breastfeeding is sooooooo much easier than pumping. When a mom breastfeeds her baby, you’re all he needs. No extra bottles, people, and sanitizing. But on the other hand, pumping requires an element of giving of yourself in a different way. Even though your baby isn’t with you physically, you are still responsible for producing the milk that sustains him. You still have to wake up every three hours to pump or your milk either won’t come in or it will diminish. It’s a different kind of giving of yourself. It is a weird feeling being away from your baby because while you’re pumping to keep up your milk supply, you’re essentially feeding a machine. It’s also a bit harder to connect with your baby because you are separated from him. When pumping you still have the very real consequences of sore nipples. It hurts and sometimes you want to cry because you are tired, sore, and cranky, but you keep moving forward because you know that little life that you birthed is depending on you.

So how does the Theology of the Body relate to having a preemie baby? It relates very much. In general, babies are the epitome of the Theology of the Body. Birthing a baby is living the Theology of the Body. But having a preemie is another aspect of TOB. It is giving of yourself even when you are away from the baby. It is trusting the nurses to take care of your new little bundle of joy. Without those nurses, you would be a hot mess. You have to rely on your village to raise a family. If we are meant for communion, you definitely live this way because those nurses are the ones that are caring for your little one while your are at home trying to live your life and be a part of your baby’s life. They make it possible for your baby to thrive, and sure it’s their job, but at the same time, they love what they do and the nurses at the nicu where my little guy is, well they’re fantastic! I want to thank each and every nurse that has taken care of my baby. If you’re reading this, please know that I appreciate all you do and I thank you for loving my son while I’ve been unable to care for him fully. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

I once asked Christopher West what kind of advice he could give to a mother who was about to give birth to a baby in a few weeks, and his response was perfect.

“I have nothing but deep reverence for the mystery about to be revealed through the Theology of your body!! Christ used labor pains and birth as an image of the paschal mystery. You are entering bodily into a sign that encompasses the mystery of existence, of creation, fall, and redemption. Live it prayerfully… Offer all of your sufferings for the redemption of the world… The veil between heaven and earth is very thin in these moments… ”

– Christopher West

As I reflect on the actual delivery of my new baby boy… It is very much like living in union with Christ at the time. I was laying down on the operating table, vulnerable and in the form of Christ. My arms were spread out just like Christ’s were on the cross. I was giving life and at the same time losing a bit of myself and my heart to this little life. Every time a new baby is born into my family, my heart expands to allow more love to exist. Love can only grow more with the addition of more children. That is what it means to live the Theology of the Body to live freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully. Love until it hurts, and even when it hurts, keep loving more because that’s how we are called to love one another. We are called to love one another as Christ loves the church in that he gave his life up for us. Love day to day in the small things and you will be able to love in the big things!

Welcome to the world Jacob Xavius Manrique-Reyes! We love you!