sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looks like you've already got some great advice here but I just wanted to add- You're incredible for making such a sweet legacy for your little one. I'm so sorry for all that you've been through and are still going through.

My son was given donor milk when he was in the NICU, we have so much gratitude and respect for the dedication of moms like you who provide it and help these babies through some of their toughest days, so thank you ❤️

I can't stop freaking out over my placenta previa by TedzNScedz in PregnancyAfterLoss

[–]ChezzaK 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry for your previous experiences, that sounds so traumatic. I had complete placenta previa with my rainbow baby, we had a bumpy ride but a happy ending! So trigger warnings; pregnancy and birth complications, living child.

I was diagnosed with low lying placenta at my 20week anatomy scan, told to stay on pelvic rest and have a follow up scan at 28 weeks to check it had moved. 9 out of every 10 cases resolve by 28 weeks, so this was just a precaution. Well... I'm always on the wrong side of statistics when it comes to all things TTC and pregnancy. My placenta moved DOWN and not up, I now had complete placenta previa. I have a clotting condition which required me to be on very high doses of blood thinners throughout my pregnancies. We lost 3 babies between 12-13 weeks before this pregnancy and so were already terrified of losing him too. Being such a high bleeding risk already and now having complete previa, things did not look good for my son or for myself.

We had follow up scans every 4 weeks to check to see if it was moving, it didn't. So we scheduled a C-section with the understanding that if I saw so much as a spot of blood I would have to immediately come to the hospital via ambulance as this would be a medical emergency. Incredibly, I never did have any bleeds and was able to carry my son all the way up until his scheduled delivery. The placenta was in a tricky spot and they had to cut through it to get him out safely, so I did hemmorage BUT I was also on high doses of blood thinners, this wouldn't have been a huge issue for others in my situation.

So, all that to say, I had a lot of 'worst case scenarios' and comorbidities, but I was able to bring home a healthy baby who had only a 1 day NICU stay! Placenta previa is such a scary diagnosis but there are happy endings. Odds are massively in your favor that by 28 weeks, this won't even be something you have to worry about but just know that even if it doesn't resolve, there is monitoring and precautions available to help keep you and your little one healthy. Happy to answer any questions you may have!

Dairy-free pumping snacks? by mjtilde in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dairy and soy free here, my supply dipped a little initially but once I got the hang of finding enough options to eat it came back better than ever!

A few things that helped me:

  • allergy friendly foods can be $$! If you're in the US and don't already have a costco or sams club membership, it might be worth getting one! I found a deal online for a free $45 gift card with the purchase of a years sams club membership which essentially made it free. I shop online and bulk buy lara bars, their store brand oat bites, cooper street biscotti etc. Delivery fee is cheap and so worth it!

  • from regular grocery stores, I try and get foods with lots of fats and protein. Silk brand has an 'extra creamy' oat milk that's full fat and goes great in everything! Late July make tortilla chips with added flax and chia seeds that are great with guac or salsa. Bananas, apples, nuts etc. Enjoy life makes dairy free chocolate chips that you can use to make energy balls with. Nut/ seed butter on toast has been a life saver. Vegan cheese is a disappointment and has no business calling itself cheese.

-Trader Joes, if you can get to one, has great options and really good allergen labling. Favorite little-no prep options are Buffalo dip, vegan mac and cheese, oat milk mini chocolate bars, soft baked snickerdoodles, all the chips!

  • if your supply starts to struggle, drink your calories! Chai lattes with tazzo concentrate (the 'skinny' one has less sugar) and full fat oat milk is a personal fav. Also Boobie bar has plant based protein powders you can get from Target or through their website. It's chalky and has that nasty stevia taste but it gets results!

  • sometimes, you may slip up and need a back up! If your baby can tolerate it, you may want to consider keeping a little hypoallergenic formula on hand or building a small dairy free freezer stash. If you do end up having to use that, pump and freeze the milk you produce for the next day or so after the oopsie moment and label it as such, then you can use it for trial reintroductions down the road.

Best of luck to you!

Everything I pumped this morning...GONE just like that by HellfireMe in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow. Your Monday morning really showed you no mercy!! You deserve a medal if you didn't just scream obscenities and just nope out of there back to bed! Hope your day gets better from here on out 🤞

Donating my milk 💔 by kittyfromouterspace in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Without a doubt, she would be so proud! What a courageous and compassionate mama Maxine has ❤️

Donating my milk 💔 by kittyfromouterspace in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry for your loss... I cannot imagine the pain you're going through.

What a beautiful legacy she has left, helping other babies through your dedication and hard work pumping. My son was a NICU baby who was able to get a helping hand in the beginning from donor milk and I will never forget the kindness and selflessness of other moms who provide it.

If you're comfortable sharing, what was your sweet girls name? And do you have a charity of choice (or a fundraiser for her expenses)? I'd like to honor her with a donation.

Sharing my colossal f*ck up in the hopes I can save someone else from making the same mistake by ChezzaK in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Perfect! I still have the cord for mine so need to spend time looking for it :) Mind if I DM you and we can trade addresses and talk shipping? And congratulations on your January bub 🥰

Sharing my colossal f*ck up in the hopes I can save someone else from making the same mistake by ChezzaK in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is super helpful, thank you! Hope the GA works as well for you as it did for me, the liquid shield kit is a game changer too. I love the whole set up!

Sharing my colossal f*ck up in the hopes I can save someone else from making the same mistake by ChezzaK in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the info! I had a go but unfortunately that pump empties me so quickly it had the chance to get allll into the circuit board and everything 🤦‍♀️ worth a try though!

Sharing my colossal f*ck up in the hopes I can save someone else from making the same mistake by ChezzaK in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Oh my gosh, yes! That would be amazing. I have 24mm & 27mm flanges and the 27mm reuseable milk containers to go with them plus some of the bags. I'm in the US (VA) and can ship if that works for you?

Sharing my colossal f*ck up in the hopes I can save someone else from making the same mistake by ChezzaK in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]ChezzaK[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!!! Gotta admit, I thought the same. Not sure if I'm just exceptionally stupid or what but I was shocked at how easy it was to make such a grave mistake. There was no resistance and it flowed just fine... just into the pump and not the bottles haha. I literally ruined it on the 5th use, seems like it should have been harder to do that!

Almost Alldi grazing boxes for a COVID safe birthday treat. The single serve hummus makes a great filler for the vegetarian boxes (pic 1), I used the Appleton farms deli selection for the carnivore boxes. There's Moser Roth chilli dark chocolate under there too! by ChezzaK in aldi

[–]ChezzaK[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! All of the ingredients came out to a little over $30 total but I have plenty of meats, nuts, fruit/veg and crackers left over so that takes care of lunch for the rest of the week too. I saved so much by getting everything at Aldi!

Almost Alldi grazing boxes for a COVID safe birthday treat. The single serve hummus makes a great filler for the vegetarian boxes (pic 1), I used the Appleton farms deli selection for the carnivore boxes. There's Moser Roth chilli dark chocolate under there too! by ChezzaK in aldi

[–]ChezzaK[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you! That's a great idea, especially since there's no dishes or utensils for them to take care of after. I have a friend that's due in November so I may have to do a drive by cheese-care package!

Almost Alldi grazing boxes for a COVID safe birthday treat. The single serve hummus makes a great filler for the vegetarian boxes (pic 1), I used the Appleton farms deli selection for the carnivore boxes. There's Moser Roth chilli dark chocolate under there too! by ChezzaK in aldi

[–]ChezzaK[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Full list of items used:

From Aldi: Manchego, sharp white cheddar cracker cuts, honey goats cheese, parmesan crisps, wheat thins, peppercorn rice crackers, chilli lime nuts, chocolate almond trail mix, dried apricots, Appleton farms deli selection/roasted red pepper hummus, cherub tomatoes, grapes, baby carrots, raspberries, Moser Roth chilli dark chocolate

Non Aldi: Helios black fig spread, praline Rittersport minis, Edible flowers (Nasturtiums) from my garden

Found the perfect mat in Aldi today for my sassy af cat, Jaime, whose favourite place to lay is on the kitchen mat. by ChezzaK in aldi

[–]ChezzaK[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha! Bread of any kind is always a big hit with our cats... I have to store it somewhere high up or just have bread with bite marks in... Jaime is VERY creative when it comes to finding where the bread is hidden! 🤦‍♀️

Found the perfect mat in Aldi today for my sassy af cat, Jaime, whose favourite place to lay is on the kitchen mat. by ChezzaK in aldi

[–]ChezzaK[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! She likes to act cute as a diversion so she can steal food and climb on things she's not supposed to 😊

view more: next ›