C-Section Scar Tissue Problem

I had my c-section almost 8 months ago. The incision healed very nicely and became white and flat 3 months after my operation. My incision began to itch at around 5 months and my doctor told me this was normal since it takes one year for the wound to totally heal. Soon after I began having sharp stabbing pains and burning at my incision. Then one day I noticed parts of my scar had turned bright red and had become very swollen. I began having the stabbing burning pain everyday and I decided to see my ob/gyn. She told me that pain so long after the operation is not normal and it appeared that I had developed adhesions. Adhesion is simply a medical term used to describe a scar tissue development. Sometimes the scar tissue forms around your organs constricting them or completely blocking them. She told me I would need to have surgery to cut the adhesion and to get rid of the pain. She told me the next time I got pregnant and had my c-section I could have the surgery done. Until then she could give me pain pills. Well I thought how stupid does she think I am? Why would I ever choose to have another c-section? It also made me wish I had questioned my c-section more. I never knew how many problems I could have. It also affects all my future pregnancies and births which is a real downer. Since she offered no real solution to my problem I decided to try and find one myself. I came across the LilyC Scar Therapy for C-Sections. It is very expensive at $42 but based on the description it looked like it could help with my pain. It mentioned healing red and raised scars. I haven't received the product yet but when I try it out I will be sure to post a  review. Hopefully it can help with my pain.

Product Review - The Healthy Baby Meal Planner

Since I decided to make my own baby food my pediatrician recommended I get a book from the library because certain foods have to be cooked differently. I went to my local library and I got a couple of books. They were ok but they didn't really have very much information besides making basic baby food. When I went to Buy Buy Baby I came across The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel.

I flipped through the book at the store and I really liked how much information it had. Since the book was so expensive there, it was $25, I decided to look for a cheaper place to get it. I found it for $5 on eBay, shipping was free. I love this book! It has such great information. It goes over all the vitamins your baby needs and explains each stage of the weaning process. The recipes are very simple but they taste great, I always taste the food I make before I give it to my daughter. They have lots of great puree blends so it makes mixing different veggies and fruits much simpler. It has a sample meal menu you can follow for each stage. It also explains when you can start switching to meats and giving your baby finger foods. It's not just for infants it also has plenty of great recipes for your toddler too. If you plan on making your own baby food I recommend this book, it's the only book you need. Just make sure you get it on eBay because it's much cheaper there!

Do you love crafts?

I have recently begun digging crafts. I don't have very much spare time right now but the little time I do have I like to use sewing or making some cool new craft. My husband has been helping me get my craft room ready and I am very excited to start! I found a great blog at Mothering, Wanda Wen. I love Mothering Magazine and Mothering.com they have lots of great stuff! I am really excited to make this fabric postcard. The Creative Place also has lots of great craft projects. Enjoy!

Tip of the Day

I recently came across a great article on raspberry leaves from Mothering Magazine. Below is a synopsis of what the article said along with a great recipe for Raspberry tea.

Raspberry leaves have been used throughout history to encourage safe, easy childbirth, to speed recovery from birth and to stimulate milk production afterwards. The astringent and stimulating properties strengthen and tone the uterine and pelvic muscles, while the soothing properties relax the uterus. In birth, the tonic and relaxing action of the leaves reduces the pain of uterine contractions and makes them more effective and productive, thereby easing and shortening the duration of childbirth. Raspberry leaf tea also has many uses well beyond the pregnancy and breastfeeding months—as it soothes the kidneys, allays diarrhea, stops hemorrhage, quells nausea, sedates, and relaxes. Raspberry leaf tea is the most popular herb used during pregnancy, and is particularly useful during the third trimester. Its astringent and stimulating properties strengthen and tone the uterine and pelvic muscles, while its soothing properties relax the uterus. Raspberry leaf tea also tones the mucous membranes, soothes the kidneys, allays diarrhea, stops hemorrhage, quells nausea, sedates, and relaxes. Raspberry leaves have been used throughout history to encourage safe, easy childbirth, to speed recovery from birth and to stimulate milk production afterwards. The tonic and relaxing action of the leaves reduces the pain of uterine contractions and makes them more effective and productive, thereby easing and shortening the duration of childbirth.
 
To make the tea
1. Fill a teapot with cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, fill a clean teapot with hot water from the tap. Let it sit until the water boils, then empty the teapot.
3. Place 2 tablespoons dried raspberry leaves or 4 tablespoons fresh raspberry leaves into the teapot.
4. Add 1 pint of boiling water to teapot.
5. Steep for 10 minutes.
6. Strain, pour into a cup and sip slowly.
To make a cup of tea, use half the amount of leaves and water. Drink 1 cup a day during your second trimester, and three cups a day during your third trimester.

Make your own cloth diapers UPDATE

I recently did a post on how to make your own cloth diapers and I wanted to give everyone an update. I haven't had a chance to finish my diaper, work has been very hectic nowadays, but I have made good progress and I wanted to share what I learned. I decided to make the all-in-one diaper. First off I got all the fabric I needed at my local Joann's store except for the PUL. I could only find PUL on ebay. They have lots of different colors online and the price wasn't bad, I paid $10 for one yard. I used 1 layer of knit fabric for the outer layer along with 1 layer of PUL. Joann's sells fabric to make cloth diapers it's cotton and it's similar to the old style cloth diapers. I used 1 layer of this fabric to make the hidden inner layer. For the soaker I decided to experiment a little. Joann's sells bamboo batting which is made of 50% bamboo and 50% organic cotton. They sell this in bags and I bought the craft sized bag since I was just experimenting. It is a little pricey $15 regular price but it was on sale for 50% off the day I bought it. I used 4 layers of this material for the soaker. I then used1 layer of the thinnest fleece I could find. Joann's doesn't sell micrfleece but the fleece I found was fairly thing but a little softer to the touch. It's an important note that I bought a yard to two yards of every fabric, depending on the width. Based on what I have cut so far I estimate I can make around 3 large diapers with all the material I bought. I decided to use velcro instead of snaps because they are easier to fasten while my daughter is squirming around. You will probably need 1 yard of velcro per diaper if you plan on having laundry tabs and double sided tabs. I decided to make my soaker much wider then what the pattern called for. I liked the shape of the soaker the pattern provided but I felt it was to thin towards the middle and top. So far I have been following the picture instructions without any problem. I am new to sewing and it hasn't been challenging for me at all. I will post pictures and another update when I have made more progress.