Brandy Keener

This is our first trip with 6 week old Baby Kai. We are heading to New York for 8 days. This is a pre departure picture of us traveling “light.” We brought 3 roller bags, 2 backpacks (mine doubled as my breast pump/purse) 1 diaper bag, 1 carseat and 1 stroller. I guess the days of Shrandy traveling carry on style around the Pacific for 4 months are over. Baggage claim-here we come!

Here are my Top 10 must have items when traveling with an infant.

1. The SnuggleNest
Gives the baby his own little nest right next to you on the bed. It also folds up and fits in your roller bag.

2. Medela Double Breast Pump with Backpack
Small, discrete and comfortable to lug around if you’re breastfeeding. I also scored some sterilization bags that work great in a hotel room.

3. Petunia Pickle Diaper Bag w/shoulder strap and backpack option
Love this diaper bag for the comfy backpack and the built-in removable changing pad.

4. Baby Bjorn Synergy Baby carrier or The Ergo Baby carrier
I bought the Bjorn Synergy while traveling because my Moby wrap was way too hot for New York in the summer. The Synergy is the best bjorn with lumbar back support and light mesh material that breathes in the summertime. It’s also nice because the baby can face the world whereas he can’t in the Ergo. Then again, maybe he doesn’t want to?

6. Graco carseat & stroller
This was the controversial item on our trip. First, we didn’t bring the carseat base and were told by the first taxi driver that he couldn’t take us without the base. Luckily, I met Christine at TBEX who told me otherwise. After hearing it was okay to use the carseat without the base, I ended up flagging down cabs for the rest of the trip.

The Graco snug ride stroller. Ah the big piece of plastic that my husband hated. I chose this stroller because the carseat fit into it and because of it’s light weight. It’s lack of steering is enough to drive anyone crazy not to mention its inability to handle any little crack in the sidewalk. I’m pretty sure we’ll bring the BOB stroller on our next trip.

7. Infant sunhat
Lifesaver when I was wearing my baby in the Bjorn and his precious little head was in the sun. Babies shouldn’t wear sunscreen until they’re 6 months old because it could prevent their immature skin from breathing (sweating). Sweating is important because it allows the body to self regulate your core temperature.

8. Baby Tylenol and any other medications since birth
Just in case.

9. Sleep sheep white noise maker
So handy for getting the baby to sleep especially in a new place. Velcro straps make it easy to use and move from thing to thing.

10. Pacifier
Kai is still deciding if he likes the pacifier but I brought it just in case.

Originally this post was titled “Drinking while Pregnant,” which seems similiar to “Drinking while Breastfeeding.” I missed the boat about the drinking pregnant lady so am seizing the opportunity to write about the drinking milk maid. However, I wanna touch on both topics because most people do it and few people talk about it.

In my experience, people tend to get excited when talking about drinking caffeine and alcohol. However, emotions start to fly when women talk about drinking alcohol when pregnant and breastfeeding.

Is it okay to drink while pregnant and breastfeeding?

It depends on who you ask and where you live when deciding if
drinking is right for you. My first OB GYN was completely against
drinking while pregnant-not a drop she said. Which was fine by me but the real kicker was when she said I couldn’t workout with a heart rate over 140. A heart rate of 140 bpm is the textbook recommendation for pregnant women who want to workout. Of course, I wanted to be safe but also knew that maintaining your current workout routine within reason was also widely accepted among the medical community. That was my first and last appointment with that doctor.

My progressive thinking OB GYN.

My second appointment was with a doctor who suggested I continue working out everyday and pay attention to my perceived exertion not my heart rate. I still bought a heart rate monitor just to KIR (keep it real) as I tend to get a little carried away when working out. In the same visit she answered my drinking question by telling me one drink here and there while pregnant is fine. In fact, pregnant women in France are encouraged to drink one glass of wine everyday. However, if you’re the type of person where one drink quickly turns into three then drinking while pregnant isn’t a good idea. She said the US is very conservative with drinking alcohol compared to the rest of the world, I completely agree. I appreciated her honesty about drinking while pregnant because I expected her to say the standard response-no alcohol while pregnant. I figured she’d say that for liability reasons, which I understand. She sealed the deal with me when she encouraged me to workout everyday while pregnant.

If you decide to drink alcohol while breastfeeding you can pump and dump. Right?

You may have heard that you can drink like crazy and pump and
dump to keep your breast milk clean? From what I’ve read, that doesn’t work. Supposedly, alcohol is metabolized the same way
while breastfeeding as it normally is. That makes sense to me. For me, one beer with lots of food, well timed (during a feeding or immediately afterward) is what I’m comfortable with. It still feels a little funny breastfeeding and washing it down with a fat tire but it takes some time for the alcohol to get into the bloodstream. And the amount that gets into your breastmilk is minimal with one drink. Surprisingly a midwife told me the other night that drinking beer while breastfeeding helps your milk supply. Which I’ve also read online. Funny thing is people tend to believe what we want to believe. And there’s plenty of stuff on the internet that supports drinking and not drinking during these special times. Personally, I’d rather error on the side of caution because it’s such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things.

Before I became pregnant I imagined that giving up the caffeine and beer while pregnant would be a bummer. Boy was I surprised when the first trimester nausea set in and Mac n cheese with a side order of pizza was all I wanted. A diet coke here and there to wash those carbs down was a real treat. I’ve always been a big H2O fan so got really good at chugging the water. I’m not a heavy drinker but was a “one a day” kinda girl before getting pregnant. One coffee in the morning to get the party started and one tasty beer at night while making dinner to celebrate the evening. In the end, I had a little caffeine here and there and maybe a total of 2 glasses of wine during my entire pregnancy.

By the second trimester I was used to not drinking so it wasn’t a big deal. As a matter of fact I think limiting my caffeine and not drinking alcohol for 40 weeks was good for me. If I wanted something special when out to dinner I ordered a Shirley Temple.

Variety is the spice of life.

All in all, being pregnant allowed me to embrace another level of
awareness. Just because it’s 5pm and I’m out and about with friends doesn’t mean I necessarily want a drink every time. Sometimes, I noticed that having a beer was more than a habit than anything else. Being pregnant encouraged me to think outside the box in more ways than one. I relished the opportunity to redefine my idea of happy hour in the beer capital (Portland, OR) of the US by enjoying those beat up looking maraschino cherries again as an adult.

Cheers to you and whatever you decide to drink!

This is Baby Kai at 3 weeks old!  I don’t know where the time has gone because he is 7 weeks old and smiling like crazy. There is nothing like seeing your baby smile.  It doesn’t get better than that.

As I walked into my 37th week doctor’s appointment.  Okay, who am I kidding I was waddling and had been for a few weeks.  Everything seemed normal, pee in the cup, get weighed, and get an eyebrow raise over my low heart rate & blood pressure. When my doctor came into the room she was dragging the ultrasound machine.  I wasn’t expecting another ultrasound but assumed it was standard procedure.  As we chatted about nothing, she lubed my belly and turned on the ultrasound machine.  She immediately had a painful look on her face as she announced “we need to have an entirely different conversation, right now.”  Of course, I thought oh no what is wrong with my baby?  She said that baby K was in the frank breech position http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/breechpresentation.html and not head down like she had predicted all along.  She said that I had looked extremely huge and out in front when I waddled in so wanted to double check with an ultrasound.  Funny thing because she was out of town a few weeks ago and I saw a different Doctor from her clinic who pushed on my stomach and confidently stated baby K was head down.  I didn’t know much about breech babies because I was spending my time reading pregnancy books and researching Doulas and labor positions.  She apoligized multiple times and told me she would give me my options in a minute.  While doing the ultrasound she took some measurements to predict the current size of the baby.  She told me at that time the baby was around 7 1/2 or 8 pounds.  Wow, that sounded really big to me, considering that we had another 3 weeks to go.  She mentioned that it could be a pound off on either side.  She said it’s possible he was breech all along or that he had turned recently.  There was a chance that he could turn head down but if he stayed in the breech position it’s a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks.

At that point, she apoligized and gave me four options.

Option 1: external cephalic version http://www.babycenter.com/0_breech-birth_158.bc

Basically, you go to the hospital, take a drug that makes your uterus relax and let your Doctor push on your stomach in hopes that she can push the baby around to the head down position.  Of course, the risk is emergency C-section from complications or the possibility of losing the baby. I cringed hearing that and knew that wouldn’t work for me.  For me, it seemed a bit selfish to risk the health and life of the baby so I could have a vaginal birth.  AND, she needed to do it tomorrow because how far along and big I was.  The risks were slim but I wasn’t willing to take any chances. I said I definitely wasn’t interested in that option.

Option 2: Moxibustion with Acupunture http://acupuncturetoday.com/abc/moxibustion.php

Burning an herb near my baby toe while receiving accupunture sounded more up my alley.

Option 3: Music and light therapy

Basically, the baby is attracted to light and music so playing music down low near my vah jay jay and shining a flashlight down there are two other ways to encourage baby K to turn around.

Option 4: Breech Tilt http://www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/242-breech-tilt

Similar to bridge pose with a board.

After reviewing the options, my Doctor told me that the likelihood of such a big baby turning so late in the game was pretty unlikely. Possible but unlikely.  At that point, I started crying from the shock of it all.  It wasn’t that I was so attached to a vaginal birth but more in shock of hearing the news.

I left the office in a fog and planned to still go shopping for my rocking chair.  On the way, I pulled over and called Sean to tell him the news.  He said to come home and forget about the chair.  When I got home we talked about it and he was onboard with the natural options as well.

My Doula: My Doula suggested trying to go into labor, telling us there were huge physical benefits for mom and baby to labor for any amount of time.  Meaning that if we went into labor but baby K remained breech at least we had a little time to labor before a mandatory C-section.  She actually knew a mama that the birth weight prediction was off by 2 pounds!  Obviously, it would be sad to have a scheduled C-section only to find out the baby wasn’t big enough or ready to be born.  She also referred us to an acupuncturist who performed moxibustion.  I called and made an appointment that day.  We jumped in the car and headed to burn the herb around my baby toe.  On the way, I played music from my iphone around my vah jay jay. On our way, Sean and I talked about how we would try a few natural things but only wanted a healthy mama and healthy baby.

My Doctor: On the drive, I called my Doctor who told me how dangerous it would be to go into labor with a frank breech baby.  She also said if that were my intention she wouldn’t be able to see me anymore and would have to refer me to a specialist, which she didn’t even know of one who would try and deliver a frank breech baby vaginally.

The acupunture and moxibustion was cool.  I could feel a lot of movement in my belly.  Sean had a few needles put in his head for fun.

A few days later, I had a huge moment where I made peace with the situation.  I felt really good about letting  baby K be where he wanted to be.  I felt calm and  happy as I talked to him and told him I only wanted him to be healthy and he could lay anyway he wanted.  I truly wanted a healthy baby first and foremost.  And if the little guy wanted to do yoga in my belly who was I to try and stop him…

Friday, April 30, 2010: The morning of our scheduled C-section we did a mini spin workout with some light yoga. Waking up at 4am was tough but figured it was worth it to get a little “somethin somethin” in.  I felt calm and happy as we drove to Good Sam to have our baby.

In the end, baby K stayed in that yoga position with his butt down and legs up by his ears.  We had an ultrasound right before surgery which confirmed his breech position.  We also found out that I was having fairly significant contractions that morning which I didn’t notice. When we had scheduled the C-section a few weeks prior we had the option of  April 30th or May 3rd.  We chose to have the baby on a Friday vs. a Monday for a couple of reasons.  First, I didn’t want to wait the weekend and risk going into labor.  Second, I prefer Fridays over Mondays-who doesn’t?

Kai Elliott Keener was born at 8:15am, weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces!

Healthy, happy and crying like a baby the moment he entered this world.

My Doctor told me after the surgery that she was relieved that I didn’t try the external cephalic version because the cord was wrapped around his neck when he was born. She said it most likely would have been an immediate emergency C-section and pretty stressful.  Also, because of my contractions on Friday there was fair chance I could have gone into labor during the weekend.

Ahhh, listening to my instinct never felt so good.

Doula Update-What about my Doula? Well, that part was pretty disappointing. We had prepaid $600 and asked to receive a partial refund because we were having a scheduled C-section due to a breech baby.  Initially, they said that there are no refunds, no matter what.  They told us with the elevated rate of C-sections, they can’t do refunds.  Hmm, I could understand if it were a planned C-section or if we would have labored for awhile and then had a C-section.  But our situation seemed unusal. (Breech babies are less than 4%) Sean sent the Doula an email reasoning why we should get some money back, not all but some.  After a little back and forth, they ended up giving us $200 back.  I think $400 was a lot to pay for a one hour house visit and a couple of emails.  I suppose it was better than nothing.  All in all, it’s a good lesson to learn about hiring a labor Doula-No Refunds, No Exceptions.

Yes, Baby Kai is here! I am just coming up for air 4 1/2 weeks later. I plan on writing his birth story very soon.

Here is a picture of us right after he was born.  http://bit.ly/bpdeeT

And us leaving the hospital. http://bit.ly/arhFbg

Life is good!

Here are my favorite belly pics.  I am blessed to have a long time friendship with a wonderful Portland, Oregon based photographer heather mcgrath photography.  Heather and I have know each other since high school so have seen each other through a lot of life.  I was honored to have her take my pregnancy pictures and share this special time with us.   I’m 37 weeks pregnant and feeling it.  All in all, I loved being pregnant while watching my belly grow.  The miracle of life is a beautiful thing!  We shot these photos inside and outside my house and also in NW Portland.

I was getting tons of emails from Cord Blood companies after I entered a few sweepstakes for free baby stuff.  So, no wonder I thought it was a scam when I first heard of Cord Blood companies.  After studying the companies and their services I became intrigued.  First, I thought what an excellent business.  The cord blood is collected from the disposable umbilical cord immediately after birth.  Second, there is zero risk to mom or baby as the stem cells from the blood are collected after the baby is born and the cord is cut.  The stem cells in the umbilical cord blood are a perfect match for the baby in the event they might be needed down the road.  Currently, there are 70-80 diseases that can be helped with stem cells from the cord blood.

There are two major choices when deciding to collect cord blood.  First, do you want to donate it or preserve it for your own baby.  Next, which company do you want to pay to collect and preserve the stem cells? The two major cord blood companies in the US are Cord Blood Registry and ViaCord.  After plenty of research and a few phone calls we decided to go with Cord Blood Registry http://www.cordblood.com/?fbid=gXLSb42HYRE .  The prices of the two companies were very similiar with maybe $100 difference.  I asked for a better discount and received an extra $250 off just for asking.  In addition, we paid for 18 years of storage and saved an extra $400.  When it was all done and said we both agreed that we hope to God we never need it but if we did, we’ll have it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on cord blood collection!

I wonder why I’ve waited so long to write about the number one question I get while being pregnant.  “How long will you teach spin class?”  As the weeks go on and my belly grows bigger, my students get more and more curious as to when I’ll take my “maternity leave” from teaching spin classes.  I’ve been saying all along that I’ll teach until baby Kai comes.

I did have to shop around for a doctor that supported my workout schedule.  Whether I’m teaching spin class or taking a 90 min, heated (80-90 degrees) power yoga class I wanted a doctor that was on board with my progressive workouts.  I’ve been pretty faithful with working out 5 days a week for my entire pregnancy.  The first doctor I saw was very honest in saying that she didn’t have experience with fit pregnant women.  She strongly discouraged a heart rate above 140 bpm.  Even though I’ve been teaching spin classes for 12 years and workout almost everyday she still frowned upon the idea.  For me, I can’t even break a sweat with a heart rate of 140 bpm.  I knew right away that we wouldn’t be a good fit and would keep looking for a doctor.  I understand that the textbook recommendation for pregnant women while working out is to keep your heart rate at 140 bpm or below.  However, it is also recommended to maintain your current workout regimen while pregnant within reason of course.  The second doctor I found recommended that I workout everyday and forget my heart rate.  Now, we’re talking.  She said I should focus on the talk test to monitor my intensity.  So, as long as I can talk and breathe fairly well, I’m fine.  I appreciated her laid back attitude but know myself all too well.  I knew I needed to keep myself in line because I am one of those crazy ladies that love going anaerobic while working out.  I immediately went to REI and purchased a heart rate monitor to KIR (keep it real).  Personally, I can “feel” and “talk” fine while teaching spin but my heart rate monitor alarm goes off to let me know my heart rate is a bit high.  I manage my intensity by getting off the bike a lot and pay close attention to my heart rate monitor.  My heart rate can be as high as 165 during the warm up so monitoring my exertion is a fair amount to manage while teaching.  Let’s just say that the hour flys by.

The funny part about teaching spin while pregnant is the poddy breaks.  So far, I have been successful in NOT having to go to the bathroom while teaching my 1 hour spin class.  However, when I take a spin or power yoga class I almost always have to dash to the restroom during class.  Go figure.

All all, I love teaching spin classes and feel most like myself while teaching.  Is it comfortable to teach spin while 38 weeks pregnant?  Hmmm, maybe not “comfortable” but definitely doable.  Do I always  “feel” like working out?  No, not so much.  But, I’m always glad I did!   “Is it worth it to continue working out while pregnant? Absolutely!  I think working out while pregnant has been a blessing and a treat for me and baby Kai.  I sleep and feel the best after my intense workouts.

I definitely recommend working out while pregnant, especially if you were a workout queen before you became pregnant.  I hope that my students feel encouraged and inspired while working out with me and my belly.  I certainly feel motivated and oh so happy while working out with them!

Did you workout while pregnant?  I would love to hear your take on working out while pregnant.

Overall, I’ve had a great pregnancy but just to KIR (keep it real) I wanted to share a few things that I won’t miss.

1.  My inner thighs being way too friendly and rubbing together when I walk.

2.  Not being able to go anaerobic while teaching spin class.

3.  Waking up every 2 hours to pee.

4.  Getting out of breath if I walk upstairs.

5.  Having to eat like a bird. (Or like a cat is what Jum said they say in Thailand) And if I get carried away and eat a normal amount I will regret it for the next 2 hours.

All in all, I’ve felt pretty darn good.  I mean I expect there will be a few things with all the extra weight and excitement of growing a baby in my belly.  I feel lucky because there are a ton of common pregnancy problems that I didn’t experience (ie: swollen hands & feet, constipation, pregnancy mask, and sciatica just to name a few)

I think the intense regular exercise, power yoga, massages, pedicures (Thanks Mom!) and a happy home have contributed to my easy pregnancy.