7QT: Mastitis, fruit flies, and other fun

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Mastitis. Ugh! WARNING - if you don't care about what I did to cure this...move on to #2...and, don't worry the rest are actually "quick" takes.

I was blessed to never have mastitis with my first 3 babies, not even so much as a clogged duct! Well, 6 weeks postpartum with Anthony and I awoke to much soreness and by that evening...bam! Fever chills, the works. Did the whole antibiotic thing because I didn't really want to be taking care of 4 kids for days while feeling like I've been hit by a truck.  After a week and a half of being finished with the antibiotics...I got it again! On the other side this time. Once again I went to the antibiotics, thinking "Okay, now after we cure this side, it should be done, right?" Wrong. I woke up on Wednesday to a very sore right side...What, again?! I really could not believe that this was happening again! I have not been doing anything differently now than I did with my other kids. The strange thing is, each time I am not engorged and I don't feel a clogged duct or anything. Just soreness and a little redness.

Well, this time since I didn't have a fever yet, so I was determined to try to fight it on my own. Then, only resort to the meds if I developed a high fever and wasn't making any progress. So, in addition to taking the advice from household sisters (christian sorority from college), I went to the internet. So, after searching and figuring out what I was willing to try, this is what I did, maybe it will help some of you in the future...

All day Wednesday I swallowed raw garlic sliced into pill size pieces. You can read about how raw garlic acts like a broad-spectrum antibiotic here. I did around 2-3 cloves every 4-5 hours. Warm rag, massaged the red area (again, I could not feel a clogged duct, so I had to just go with where it hurt), nursed him as much as he would allow. Tuesday night when I got to the natural food store I introduced echinacea, high doses of Vitamin C, and probiotics.  I also started nursing Anthony leaning over him on all fours. The gravity is supposed to aid in dislodging anything that is clogged. It was weird, but I did it anyway. I made sure to nurse him every 2-3 hours through the night Wednesday night. This pained me so much because Anthony only wakes up once a night and I didn't want to mess that up. But, had to risk it. One other thing that I did, once on Wednesday night, and once Thursday, was I put a cold thinly sliced potato in my bra all around the redness. I left it in there for an hour each time. It is supposed to draw out infection. Again, weird, I know, but I think it definitely helped. I also ordered sunflower lecithin, it's supposed to help in recurrent plugged ducts. You can read about it here. I chose sunflower lecithin rather than soy lecithin because is is healthier for you. When it arrives, I will take it for prevention while I am nursing. I don't know if plugged ducts is what is causing my mastitis problem because I can never feel them, but this site (which was very helpful) said you may not feel it, so I am hoping it will help. I also learned that you shouldn't sleep on your stomach. This made me sad because I love sleeping on my stomach, but I'm trying.

Anyway, I never developed a fever and the redness and soreness kept getting better. As of this morning, the redness and soreness were gone! I am going to continue with some garlic, Vitamin C, and echinacea for a few days to be sure I am cured. I can't say if one thing cured me or all. But, if it ever happens again, I will do all of these things again to fight it! Wish I did these things the first time, but hey, now I know, it works!

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I have every intention of writing more than just once a week for quick takes, it's just going to take some time I guess. Besides, this week I was very preoccupied with #1.

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I very stongly dislike fruit flies! I kinda want to say hate, but I have to be careful saying that because I have heard my kids starting to say it about ants, flys, and spiders. Woops! Yes, I do the apple cider vinegar with dish soap thing, and it works, but they are still here.

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I think I am going to make these rosary hangers with the kids soon. Joey and I have been meaning to start praying a decade of the rosary with the kids each evening after dinner, and I think this will be just the thing to jump start us and get the kids excited about it!

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Joey's parents have a pool and on Sunday we were enjoying a Labor Day celebration with them. Gianna and Dom both love swimming...I think I want to do swimming lessons with them next year...Anyway, Gianna was enjoying her Daddy being able to swim with her and throw her in the air! We got some cool shots!

Flying!

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I have been snacking on these almonds the last few days. Oh my! They are so yummy and addicting!

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Any other mommas out there sometimes just stop and look around at your house in awe of how quickly it goes from clean to a complete disaster? I do. After 4 kids, it still amazes me!

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