A mom's review: Tracking your cycle with Clue / June 30, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

I love hearing my friends say that they’re planning on starting their families. I can’t believe we’re at that age where it’s so normal to start having babies. Now WE’RE the aunties and uncles at the parties and no longer the teenagers that lock themselves in the room. Honestly, looking back at my childhood years, I used to think my aunties and uncles were so cool. I hope it’s that way with our kids in the future, lol! I am no longer the “auntie that only visits for the holidays because she’s always gone in some foreign country.” I have finally joined the ranks of “mommas” at parties! And it wasn’t easy getting here, but with the help of an app, Sean and I were able to successfully create Maverick.

Distance did not help, but it let me prepare

First of all, Sean and I lived apart so starting a family was already placed on the back burner while we were apart. There was no way in hell that I was going to go through a pregnancy alone. Thankfully, the Army finally listened and stationed us at the same post so having Maverick really was a blessing. While we were apart, I did what I could to make sure I was making the best environment for my baby. I worked out consistently every day, ate a healthy diet, and took prenatal vitamins. That’s really all you can do if you are an otherwise healthy individual.

The Clue App

The one thing that really helped me hone in on my uterus being primed for conception was tracking my cycles. I had an irregular cycle before because I was so little and so unhealthy in a way where my body was starving for nutrients. So making the lifestyle change made a big difference when I started thinking of having a family. The Clue app helped me track so many symptoms during these changes.

Clue Period Tracker, Ovulation & Cycle Calendar is a free app available on iOS and Android. It focuses on patterns of symptoms to predict when your period will come and what days you may be ovulating. The symptoms it includes are: bleeding, pain, mood, sleep, sex, energy, cravings, digestion, discharge, skin, weight, temperature, exercise, and medical things like medications.

“Period predictions are based on your cycle length, either from previous cycles or from what you logged while setting up your account. The fertile window is predicted based on the end of your cycle.” - Clue App

So it works best if you’ve been using the app for a few months already and your cycle has a strong prediction rate. I used this app for almost 1 year before moving to Korea to be with Sean. I used it while I was in Korea as well. It took me and Sean one year to get pregnant, and honestly, we were in the brink of seeking infertility assistance because it wasn’t working for us.

Now it’s not guaranteed that this app will get you pregnant, but it does help to track your symptoms. And on the other hand, don’t rely on this app to be your second form of birth control. Just because the app says you shouldn’t be ovulating, doesn’t mean you should take a chance if you’re not trying to get pregnant.

Another great feature of this app is that it has content that is beneficial for you to read. If you ever have a question about your period, symptoms, birth control, even fertility, there are articles in the app that you can read! It makes it so all of your questions can be answered in one place rather than you scouring Google for something easy to read.

How’d the app help me? How’d I “just know”

I knew something was up even before I tested. A couple weeks before I tested (5 weeks), I would get nauseous in the car. I couldn’t close my eyes when Sean would exit the freeway or I would feel super sick. When that would happen, I’d think to myself, “huh, that’s weird…”

1.) Nausea was never a symptom I had listed before.

Then a few days before we flew to Mexico, I felt an inkling that I could be pregnant. That’s when Sean and I bought the test. We said we would take the test right before Mexico, to make sure I wasn’t pregnant because we had a package where the drinks were free (lol, so responsible). When Sean left for Gunsan, I woke up the next morning and my BOOBS felt completely different.

2. Breast discomfort WAS a symptom I had, but it was always around the 2 week mark, not days before my period.

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I took the test by myself. PREGNANT. I only knew this because I paid close attention to my body’s cues. I charted my symptoms, moods, etc every month. It was just a couple of days BEFORE my period was supposed to start when I took the test. Being aware of your body is so important when it comes to pregnancy and your health overall. It took almost two years to make it happen, but now we’re blessed with Maverick’s fat butt and I couldn’t be any happier!

And lastly, even if you aren’t trying to get pregnant right now, using this app to track patterns that your body goes through during your cycle will help you out! Knowing when to “expect” pain and discomfort, and realizing why you’re in such a bad mood some days is really helpful, lol.

A mom's review of the hands-free Elvie breast pump / June 22, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

I gave in and I bought the Elvie.

The 2 biggest reasons I purchased the Elvie: compact size and easy to use at work

I only lasted 2.5 weeks with bringing the Spectra S1 from home to work. I only lasted 2 days using the Freemie Liberty pump at work. I think the main issue I had was dealing with the tubing and all the parts that came with each pump. Or how awkward they were shaped and how difficult it was to smash them into a bag to put in the fridge inbetween pumps. Either way, I gave up very quickly and decided to purchase the Elvie. I did purchase it from Target because they take open box returns. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to get the same amount of milk out as I would with my hospital-grade pump, so I wanted to be able to return it if I didn’t respond well to it.

Down & Dirty of the elvie pump

CONS

2-2.5 hour battery life
Relatively warm after pumping
May leak if you move too much or bend down
Frequently needs to be readjusted at beginning of session
Cleaning & drying the bottles is difficult

PROS

Completely hands free pumping
Quiet pumping
Quick & easy set up/clean up for at work use
Small in size, easy to transport
Smart app can be used as a remote and pump log

What are some of the features that make this product great?

The size is definitely a great feature of the Elvie. It’s so compact, that if I have a large enough top on, it just looks like I have giant boobs. This also means that carrying it in your purse or in your work bag is so much easier than lugging around the Spectra S1. This is a game changer for me because I really dislike having a lot of things in my bag. The dimensions of the Elvie are 5” x 4.3” x 2.7” and each pump only weighs approximately 8 oz! So it won’t stick out too far from your chest, it’s a little wider so it forms to your boob a little better, and it’s not too heavy in your bra.

It’s relatively quiet for a pump. In the hospital, you can’t really hear it with all the movement going on around you. I think my milk spraying out into the pump is louder than the pump itself, which says a lot about my letdown because it’s so forceful, haha.

It’s easy to assemble and it’s easy to clean. So I’m the person that utilizes the most out of her Medela quick wipes. There is no sink in our lactation room, and I still cannot bring myself to wash my pump parts in the break room sink. So I use Medela quick-clean anti-bacterial wipes in between pumps and store them in gallon size Ziplock in the fridge. The breast shields and the spouts are so easy to clean that wrapping up my session doesn’t take 10 minutes anymore. (I used to break everything down and then set it up again each session, NOT EFFICIENT AT ALL.) The one thing you want to make sure of is making sure all the parts are assembled correctly. Even the smallest little thing off with the valves could cause you to not have a good suction.

They make it fool proof to size to your breast shield. They have the standard size breast shields of 21mm, 24mm, and 28mm. They have lines on the breast shield that you compare to your nipple and it helps you choose the correct fit. Apparently there are also cushions that you can order to help with sizing if you’re in between sizes. Update: I looked it up and they’re literally silicone inserts! One is from a brand called BeauGen.

Lip of valve caught on pump will not give you suction

Make sure valve looks like this before placing flange in

What are some downfalls with the Elvie?

I haven’t come across too many downfalls with the Elvie yet. So I could be a little biased after using it for ~1.5 weeks. I have noticed that I have to readjust a lot in the beginning of a session. Sometimes the suction isn’t working so I redo all the parts, and I sit there finagling my boob into it. Putting it on is what takes the most time for me. It also gets pretty warm, so from what I’ve read and been told, you may need to change your breast shield size if you’re feeling the warmth of the pump and it’s uncomfortable. I haven’t had to do that because the 24 mm fit well for me, but there are cushions that you can purchase to make the fit a little better.

Cleaning the bottles is probably my least favorite part about the Elvie. The grooves tend to scratch me a lot, so I have to take caution in cleaning it if I don’t want to turn my fingers. So I just cut a sponge in half to clean it, that way I’m not trying to shove a big sponge inside. I let it air dry on my little lawn rack, but I come back to it and shake it up a bit to break the bigger water droplets.

The last thing is that the Elvie is the battery life is unforgiving through a 12 hour shift. The Elvie will only last me about 2.5 pumps before I have to charge it. It says it’s supposed to hold a 2.5 hour charge, but I’ve made it to about 2 hours before having to plug it in. That’s assuming that my pumping session lasts anywhere from 30-35 minutes. Typically my pump sessions don’t last this long with the Spectra, but since it’s not as strong a suction, I leave it on a little longer.

How does connecting to the Smart App benefit pumping?

I honestly love that it has it’s own app that serves as a remote control to the pumps, and it logs each of your sessions for you. The pump itself uses an Infrared light to get a real time measurement of how much milk you’ve already pumped. It’s not always accurate but it does help when you are full on a bottle and need to make a quick switch to not overflow. What’s also nice is that it will stop pumping if you’ve reached that limit. There is also an automatic switch from massage to expression mode, something you can also control from the app.

What’s included in the box?

So now that we’ve gone through my pros and cons (so far), what’s included in the box? The Elvie comes in a beautifully square box that displays the pumps as soon as you open it. It includes the following:

2 Elvie pumps
4 5-oz bottles with caps (extra 3 pack is $34.99)
4 breast shields (2x24 mm, and 2x28 mm) (replacement 2 pack is $29.99)
4 spouts and 4 valves (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 pump seals (closed system!) (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 bra extenders (replacement 4 pack is $14.99)
2 USB cables
2 bags for the pump itself

The current price for the Double Elvie is $499, but Target and Amazon have sales that can drop the price to $425. Save your registry coupon (did not do this, my mistake) to add on another 15% discount during those sales, dropping your total price to $390!

We're here for you / June 10, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

Where do we stand with all that is going on?

I feel like this post is something I’ve been wanting to write, but honestly… I’ve been so nervous to say the wrong thing or be misunderstood. So I’m going to preface this post with: I’m trying to learn. As a non-black person of color, I do have experience in what racism is like, but definitely not to the extent that Blacks have had to deal with. Trying to find the right words to relay how I feel about all that’s going on is hard. I’ve been ear-deep in podcasts, and I’ve probably read more history this past week than I had to in high school.

There’s so much that goes into the movement for equal rights and against police brutality. Far more than what I could learn in a couple of weeks.

It’s hard to even try to find where to begin. As a second-generation immigrant, my parents moved to the United States in search of a better life than what they had in the Philippines. Both of my parents joined the military and made sacrifices to make a better life for our family. America is where it’s at, right? Then why does it seem like life is just a tad bit better living elsewhere? I’ve lived overseas more than half of my life, to include the Philippines, Germany, Japan, and Korea. I remember when I was a kid, everyone would get so hyped to fly back to the states for vacations, me included. Filipinos break their backs over work visas or school visas just to come to the states, and I’m sure that’s the case for other countries as well. It’s the land of opportunity where you can “chase the American dream”. Well I want to inquire with y’all…

What the fuck is the American Dream? Cause I know this ain’t it.

Making something out of nothing? Pulling yourself up by your boot straps to keep on truckin’ along? Fake it until you make it? Big house with a wrap around porch and picket fence? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. What I do know, is when I pictured the American Dream, I didn’t picture it being so much harder for BIPOC to achieve the same goals that non-BIPOC people have. I didn’t picture a life where people were rude to each other because of you having a little more melanin and a lot more curl to your hair. I didn’t picture the bullying, segregation, and discrimination that still happens today. And I think that I’ve gotten so complacent on policing people for their discrimination. It’s sad to see that it’s a norm for BIPOC people to be treated differently. Well, I notice it, and I admit to have had the thoughts: “I guess this is just the way things are.”

I feel awful not doing anything because “it’s just the way things are"

I’m done being complacent, and it’s time to use my voice and stand up for equality.

I think this covert-racist behavior is so deeply rooted in my upbringing of literally being white-washed with Papaya whitening soap and Eskinol that I’ve just accepted this stupid socially-made hierarchy of skin color. And I think that’s why I have to start with myself and changing my behaviors. It’s active work to become an ally for Blacks.

I learned a lot when I became an Equal Opportunity Leader back in Korea, and that’s when I began looking into my biases that I kept in “my bag". It’s time for me to empty that bag. I do appreciate all of my friends who have been posting helpful articles, websites, movies, documentaries, and various resources to learn from. What I do know is that police brutality is very real and it can be very scary at these protests that have the potential to turn violent. I know that so many people did not deserve to die the way they did at the hands of people who are employed to protect the community. I know that the life my Black brothers and sisters lead are different than my own, and I don’t want them to have to raise their kids to “be a certain way” so it “doesn’t happen to them.” That’s fucked up.

That’s not the kind of world I want my son to live in. Looking back at these MLK Jr. photos and Civil Rights Movements, you’d think that it was way before our time… but it wasn’t. For some of our grandparents it could be a “seems like it was just yesterday” kind of story. It’s time that a proper reconciliation happen.

Listen to what BIPOC have to say. Fight to end police brutality. And say their names.

Graphic from NPR Code Switch, “A Decade of Watching Black People Die”

We can fight this together.

It's Halftime: Mental resiliency tips for rallying during 2020 / June 7, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

I read a meme the other day on Facebook saying how 2020 was different levels of Jumanji, and it’s crazy how accurate that feels. So let’s do a lil recap on some of the events of 2020:

January: Almost WW3
February: Australia is up in flames; Maverick enters my world
March: Coronavirus takes over the world; Toilet Paper becomes gold
April: Kim Jong Un in a vegetative state rumors; scared of the Auntie that will take over NK
May: Murder Hornets from Hunger Games released to keep it lively
June: Ebola: the Sequel & #BLM movements

It’s been a lot to take in. It seems like just yesterday, everyone reconnected over the interwebs due to social distancing and lock downs across the globe. Now it seems like everyone is more divided than ever. The news and social media can be exhausting if it’s all you look at. While it is important to stay informed of current world events and the status of our country, it’s also important to be able to take a moment to reground and recenter yourself.

Mental resiliency is so important if you want to keep yourself from burning out.

Unplug: Take a night off from all social media and news

It’s so much easier to say than it is to do this. You want to be connected. Going through the pandemic, we’ve become even more glued to our social outlets. Which is another reason why it’s a good idea to take a break from it sometimes. Put the phone down and take a breath. Rest your eyes from that ridiculous blue light that gives you life from the moment you wake up to right before your close your eyes for bed. Constant exposure to traumatic events can really take it’s toll on you.

If you’re out there trying to fight the good fight, you need to take care of yourself.

Watch a lighthearted movie or listen to feel-good music

Whenever I don’t feel good, I throw on a sing-a-long movie like any Disney classic. Right now, Maverick has been pretty happy watching Mulan, so that’s the one we go with. Or we’ll play Bruno Mars on Google Play and just dance. Music has this amazing ability to put you in a different mindset.

(Safely) gather with friends and laugh

Sometimes all you need to do is get with friends and just laugh about things. Remember with all that is going on, it is still okay to be happy with your friends. I know that when as a nurse, me and my friends have experienced some pretty sad shit together. The job gets crazy and overwhelming at times, and we literally have to laugh our way through it. If we didn’t, I doubt that any of us would be in this career field still.

Meditate

It’s so much easier said than done to sit still and not think about anything. With the overwhelming amount of information coming at you, it’s hard to redirect your thought elsewhere. Apps such as Calm or Headspace are really great to provide guided meditation. Or even throwing on some chill lo-fi music and just sitting in a room staring out the window can be super helpful as well. If you want to take in the next step further, make an account on doyogawithme.com and take some free yoga classes. Focus on nothing but your breath and the muscle you’re stretching.

Seek therapy if the events have become too overwhelming

Everything you’re going through right now is valid. Whether it’s battling the health crisis of COVID-19, or realizing how close racism is to your home. Whether it’s you personally experiencing it, or if it’s a friend or family member going through it. If you are starting to feel very down and depressed, or anxious, or scared (more than usual), you should seek professional help. Talking it out with someone who won’t judge you can be very helpful.

Be there for one another!

We all want to be strong and stick together, so check in on your friends and family.

Some of your friends and family may be overwhelmed but won’t voice their personal concerns to anyone. So take the time to check in with them to see how they’re being affected by this. It is a lot to take in during the first half of 2020. This is halftime! So rally your team up, give that pep talk, ground yourselves, and get back in the game stronger.

Tips from my experience on starting breastfeeding: The learning process / May 15, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

So I did a thing… I started coursework towards becoming an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)! I think it’s just a small step toward broadening my career toward women’s health, and I am learning through courses and personal experience on what works for myself and mommas. You would think that breastfeeding comes easy because so many healthcare providers will say things like, “it’s natural” or “it’s our innate ability” or even “you’re born to do this!”

But the truth is, breastfeeding is a working relationship between a mother and her baby.

I know one thing, most of the time the issue with breastfeeding is due to a lack of knowledge about how to start or how to keep going. So I’m going to just go over how I started breastfeeding and what I did to make sure that when my supply regulated, it would be enough to feed Mav every day + more for a freezer stash.

But first, disclaimer: The content on my website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

The Q&A

How did you even start breastfeeding? Is there a right way or any recommendations for the first latch?

Get that baby skin-to-skin as soon as they’re delivered! Your hospital team will most likely do this anyways because it helps calm baby and regulate the temperature as soon as baby hits that cold, out-of-the-womb fresh air. This will start the sensitive period with the baby, which is also sometimes known as the Golden Hour. (I personally don’t like calling it that because the Golden Hour has a different meaning in the military when it comes to medical attention). The sensitive period includes a few steps to include the birth cry, a quiet alert state, body stability, and the initiation of the first feeding. You’ll want to be patient with baby during this first hour. Give baby all the “welcome to the world” cuddles. Holding baby and allowing baby to wake up and take in all of the senses of your body will help prepare baby for the first latch. Once baby starts showing the cues such as stepping or crawling toward your breast, rooting or suckling on their hands, then they’re ready to try and feed. Making sure you’re in a good position to support baby’s head correctly, and the body so you don’t get tired is important.

What are some of the benefits of breastfeeding right away after delivery?

There are many benefits that come along with breastfeeding right after delivery to include: oxytocin release, stable blood sugars for baby, colonization of good bacteria between mom and baby, and limiting cold stress. Oxytocin is good for momma because that’s what helps the uterine contract in order to deliver the placenta and to contract the uterus after delivery. This is important because having a boggy (soft) uterus can lead to bleeding, which can be life threatening. Most hospitals have a standard protocol for running Pitocin after delivery to help with this process, but it’s always better to get it naturally by cuddling baby! Colostrum is great for helping with baby’s blood sugar because it’s so packed with all the nutrients baby needs. Babies tend to be pretty sleepy and calm after delivery, as you are going to be after laboring all day! Remember that baby worked hard too, so the colostrum is perfect for filling their little tummies so they can continue to sleep.

Skin-to-skin promotes good bacteria growth between the momma and baby which helps with keeping baby safe and helping fight infection. It also gets baby to be familiar with who momma is by the smell of your skin. This also helps regulate their temperature more effectively than the warmers. Babies still have trouble regulating their temperature even months after birth, so it’s important that they have you help them maintain it.

When did you start pumping or expressing milk for baby?

I started right away. I asked to be with baby for at least an hour, and they let me stay with him until he was done feeding. This is because my baby had to go to the NICU to be monitored for his respiration. Once I was transferred to the postpartum unit, I was given a hand pump to help express colostrum to give Maverick through the night. Colostrum is like a shot of nutrients for baby. It may not be a lot, but know that it is enough for baby!

I started pumping as soon as my milk came in a few days later. In the first few weeks, your supply hasn’t regulated yet. Your body works off of supply & demand, so if you’re not removing that milk enough either by pumping or by nursing baby, then you will likely notice a decrease in your supply. The problem that some women can run into if they’re choosing to breastfeed and pump is an over supply of milk. I’ll admit that I was very paranoid about having a low supply and then returning to work struggling to keep Maverick fed, which is why I started pumping 1-2 times a day in the beginning.

Mav wanted to eat at White Sands and I mean… I couldn’t say no

Do you feed on demand or on a set schedule?

I feed on demand when I am with Maverick. Every day I’m with him, I really try to hone in on his hunger, elimination, and sleepy cues. It may seem like I feed on a set schedule because Mav is like clockwork and feeds every 1.5-2 hours. Now at night, he’ll have a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep, but by then my boobs are so full I wake him up and make him feed. Feeding on demand is the best way to regulate your milk supply. If I miss a feeding with him because he’s napping, I will pump with my Spectra S1, which I’ve reviewed in a blog. But remember, your baby is your best pump. So if you can manage to wake baby up enough to feed, try that (unless you need sleeps too, then pump and sleep girl.)

Do you recommend sleeping or waking up to pump at night?

You’ll read a lot about “MOTN pump sessions”. MOTN stands for Middle Of The Night. In the first 2 months before Maverick slept longer stretches, I would be up every 2 hours to feed him anyway. Now that he sleeps longer stretches, I try to feed him right before I go to sleep and then he wakes up around 2-3 to have a sleepy feed session. If he doesn’t wake up, my boobs will be aching enough to wake me up to pump, so I’ll pump. If your milk hasn’t regulated yet, I would recommend doing a MOTN pump to keep your supply up. The longest most IBCLCs recommend for not pumping or nursing is no longer than 5 hours. With that being said, the best time to pump is in the early, early morning. After a few weeks of pumping, you may notice that your breast feel fuller in the morning, and this is due to a higher prolactin level at that time. So if you’re trying to build a stash, it’s best if you do force yourself awake to get that milk, girl!

What would you recommend if I don’t want to start pumping that early, but still want to make bottles just in case?

Bottles are great for those times where you’re on the go and you really can’t feed baby, or if your partner wants a turn to bond with baby through a feeding. If you aren’t wanting to start pumping early on, you can always catch your letdown from the other breast while baby feeds. This can be done using breast cups or the infamous Haakaa. The Haakaa is a non-electric, hands-free way to catch your letdown. It’s a silicone breast pump that uses suction as it’s method to draw out milk as baby is feeding. I’ve been able to catch up to 4 oz in a Haakaa in the early morning.

When would you seek help from a lactation consultant or certified lactation educator?

BEFORE YOU DISCHARGE THE HOSPITAL. It’s so important that you go home feeling confident in starting your breastfeeding journey, even if this is going to be your fourth kid. You want to make sure your baby is latching correctly so both of you are comfortable and you save your nipples from a whole lot of pain. You want to know the different positions. You want to know the importance of skin to skin. All of these questions can be answered by your healthcare providers, to include your OBGYN/midwife, RN, and lactation specialists. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER in breastfeeding, and you can never have enough.

That’s all folks ~

… for now! Like I said, there’s so much to breastfeeding that you’ll always have something new to learn. I’m working on making a printable for pumping sessions and tracking baby’s daily stats of diapers and feedings. I’m also making a few graphics for how to store your pumped breast milk.

Okami & Co.