#MoM Block Nr. 6

[casualist-tendency]

[beardyallen]

Well, that went quickly...

What day is it? I’m starting to lose track of how long I’ve been here...

Well, it’s been a week since my last post, and it seems that a lot must have happened, but honestly I feel like I’ve just been cranking through a bunch of comic books.

But I do know that Friday and Saturday involved a good deal excitement, so I guess we had might as well pick up pretty much where we left off!

Last Friday was Orientation for ICB, which meant getting all of the 35-40 instructors, 10 staff members, and the 6-8 people in charge of this program together in a room to introduce us to...basically what we’d been doing all that week. Also, aside from a couple study-abroad-undergrads and my officemate and me, everyone there had probably already heard the spiel.

It was scheduled from 5p-6p with a buffett afterwards, but a bunch of the Communications people from my floor were going out to eat (again?) afterwards, so I made plans with NR. She wanted to try this Mexican restaurant in what I’ll describe as the “international district” of Beijing. Most everything around us when we got there looked like it belonged in literally every metropolitan area in the world. Every major brand you can imagine had a store. Multiple. Too many...

But the Mexican restaurant we visited is owned and managed by a Mexican expat, apparently. He even stopped by our table to ask how the food was, and let me tell you: that quesadilla was the BOMB!!! And the margarita was pretty good (not as good as MHO’C’s, though!). By the time we finished up dinner, it was kind of late, so we wondered around the shopping center, found a bookstore. You know: the usual.

Fun fact: when a store or restaurant wants to indicate to their patrons that they are getting ready to close, they play smooth jazz and turn the lights down. Like for real. Had their not been windows open to the pavilion outside with it’s hundreds of light displays, I would have been seriously concerned when the lights in the place just went out and Kenny G popped up on the speakers.

We entertained the idea of finding the cinema nearby to see Alita Battle Angel, but during the 15 minutes that we spent wondering around in search of the complex, it seemed to elude us. Plus it was getting close to that time when the subway shuts down, and I wasn’t exactly hankering for a taxi ride this early in my stay....if at all.

The next morning, I got up early to meet back up with NR at the National Museum near the Forbidden City. Now, for the most part, the stairs I get don’t bother me. But I will say, if you’re going to stair at the pasty white guy with a hard-to-describe-its-color-accurately-beard, maybe don’t do it when you’re going 15 mph on a bike, facing in the wrong direction! *sigh.....Some people’s kids...

But what really bothered me, especially at the time, was the father-of-three who straight-up filmed me on his phone from 5 feet away for a solid 6 minutes, three hallways, and two escalators! I get it, I’m funny looking. But I really think I a picture would have done just fine...

One of the things that bothered me the most about that experience was that (a) he had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, (b) his daughters seemed rather embarrassed, (c) he filmed me with the screen aimed at me so I could watch myself on his phone, (d) there was text on the screen, and (e) it went on for a solid 6 minutes.

In hindsight, I was wearing sunglasses and a hat, in a subway system, in the morning, heading to the center of Beijing. Maybe he thought I was a celebrity? I had spoken to a Communications graduate student the other day who happens to be black, and he told me the story of how a citizen here pull out their phone with a picture of Samuel L. Jackson on it, and gestured to him as it to ask if it were him...even though SLJ is for sure at 70 years old and this kid is no more than 35. And he looks 25. #smh

Anyway, after dealing with whatever the hell that was, I got to visit the museum! They, for whatever reason, were not allowing people to bring their charging blocks into the museum (external battery that you can use to charge your cell phone and other devices on-the-go), but more surprising to me was just how many people carried one with them! At least, it was surprising until I took a moment to think about it. As I’ve mentioned before, basically every payment made in Beijing is through WeChat, which needs internet access, so I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising. You also really can’t navigate through the city with some sort of Maps app; there are just too many bus routes, train routes, terminals and stops to keep logged in your head.

As far as the museum itself goes, the gifts to China from foreign governments exhibit and the Ancient China exhibit themselves took most of the day. Also, no surprise: the gift that took up the most floor space was given by a U.S. President. I also got a refresher in 8th Grade Social Studies. Too many small countries to remember all of them, and that space made me feel somewhat moronic.

The Ancient China exhibit was exceptional, though. They broke up the last, oh...750,000 years of human-ish life in China into 8-10 separate eras, the first few cataloguing the life and evolution of Homo erectus pekinensis into Homo sapien, while the latter eras were segregated dynastically. I’ve never seen the progression of human evolution laid out in such detail! The rock tools became better rock tools, then pottery and paper, stamps, buildings and so much more! There were even ceremonial helmets that would put the Juggernaut to shame!

It was strange, though, to have all of this knowledge just beyond my fingertips both literally and figuratively. The literal sense isn’t too shocking, as I’ve been to a museum before and know not to touch the pieces, but to have placards written in a language that would take years to learn was frustrating. Fortunately, NR has a never-ending supply of patience, and she translated much of the text. She even quizzed me on several of the characters. I’ve worked out how to write “rock” for sure.

After the museum, we wondered over to a nearby mall that, honestly, puts the Mall of America to shame. No joke. This place was huge! It just kept going and going and going! There was a particular alley that has all of the “exotic foods” that you might see on The Amazing Race, which I haven’t tried yet but intend to, but the rest is mostly-outdoor shopping center. Our reason for being there was to find food (we had been in the museum for a bit over 7 hours), and then sit our fine asses down in a movie theater to watch Alita.

We found a restaurant that served food traditionally found where NR grew up. It was exceptional. And the beer just made it better. :P

The movie experience was something else entirely. I’ve gotten used to watching television and movies with subtitles so that, when people decide to talk to me, I can follow along with both bits. Or if people are just talking near me while I’m watching television, I don’t have to rewind the show. That helped a lot; the movie was still spoken in English, but there were Chinese subtitles. I recognized the Chinese character for “1″ frequently enough, but that was about it.

The movie itself was way more than I expected. I shouldn’t be surprised, given that one of the primary characters is played by Christoph Waltz. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely consider it.

Also, additional fun fact: I’m thinking that most (if not all) showings of major motion pictures here are in 3D. *shrug* Side note: we’re going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow and I’M SO FREAKIN’ EXCITED!!!!

After the movie, we wandered back to the subway station and parted ways mid-subway-ride to head home. The next day I spent playing Kingdom Hearts 3 and sipping some beer in the 3rd Floor Lounge. All day. It was blissful.

This workweek has consisted of four main things: teaching responsibilities, a bit of dissertation work, trying out another one of the cafeterias on campus, and reading comic books. Oh, and beer. But that kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it? There’s a convenience store on the other side of the building in front of the Guest House that has cans of beer. You can buy them individual for 3 yuan, or roughly 45 cents. I won’t lie to you: I bought 12 of them and it didn’t cost me more than 6 bucks. And it’s really not bad, and even more convenient than the liquor store I lived by in Denver.

Anyway, as I said, I’m going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow, then to “W-Town” (originally Watertown...so glad they shortened it...) in northern Beijing, which sits at the base of part of the Great Wall. More than 20 people from ICB will be heading up to their on Saturday, so I imagine one of them will take pictures. Probably ML or S. So you’ll have those to look forward to since you know I won’t be taking any!

Oh!!! I almost forgot the biggest thing that happened this week! Actually, it might be the biggest news of my entire stay!!!

I did laundry.

And I washed my slippers. I’m not convinced that they’ve stopped smelling, but I’m holding out hope that I’ve finally figured out how to resolve an issue that I know humanity has been seriously struggling with for decades. I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, people, I swear!

Anyway, time to finish this beer, read a bit more of Scott Lynch’s Republic of Thieves (WE FINALLY FIND OUT ABOUT SABETHA!!!!), and head to bed. Big couple of days ahead...

Sláinte,

BeardyAllen

P.S. I bet you thought I was gonna forget! After class on Wednesday, I worked out how to make a phone call from here to the States to wish my Mom a Happy BIrthday. Caught her at work, and we got to chat for a good long while. It really put a nice cap on my evening, and it seemed it gave her a good start to her day. Anyway, I hope you had a great evening, found something nice at C&B and enjoyed that glass of wine you mentioned! Love you!!

[sciencenewsforstudents]

I love to hate the phrase “sleep like a baby.” It’s a beautiful example of a saying that’s based on the exact opposite of what it’s intended to convey. Babies (many of them, anyway) are rotten sleepers.

During my last pregnancy, I wondered if I might luck out with a good sleeper. Or at least an average sleeper. But my third little sweetie didn’t deliver. At nearly 8 months, he (and I) still wake up several times a night. That’s a drag, but not a surprising or big one. This time around, I had very low expectations.

A recent survey of 388 Canadian mothers supports those rock-bottom expectations. It found that many babies don’t sleep through the night. At 6 months of age, 43 percent of infants were sleeping an uninterrupted 8 hours during the night. That means that 57 percent of these babies — more than half — were not. When researchers relaxed their “overnight” definition to mean 6 hours of blissful slumber, 62.4 percent of babies hit the mark; 37.6 percent did not. That’s 1 in 3 babies not sleeping 6 hours at a go — a large chunk of the infant population.

The researchers found some differences among the sleepers and nonsleepers. Breastfed babies were much less likely to sleep in long, solid blocks than formula-fed babies. And baby boys seemed to be slightly worse sleepers than baby girls, with fewer sleeping 6 hours or more at a stretch at age 6 months.

The results raise a question: Are all of those night wakings bad for the baby or the mother? Follow-up tests didn’t find any ill effects, the researchers report. Sleepers and nonsleepers performed similarly on mental and physical tests. And moms of sleepers and nonsleepers scored similarly on mood tests.

The study has all sorts of caveats, one of which is that the mothers were asked to report their baby’s sleep patterns. I know firsthand how unreliable I am on that. I can easily answer the question that greets every parent of a baby: “Does he sleep?” But I can’t necessarily tell you how bad it really is. It’s a dark, shuffling blur.  

It’s comforting to know that my babies aren’t the only ones that may force people to retire the “sleep like a baby” description. But another saying remains true and fits this phase of parenthood perfectly: “It goes so fast.” These sleepless nights with a baby in my arms will soon be gone. For now, I’ll enjoy all the snuggles as much as I can.

[chanelvenus]

30 questions tag

Rules: answer 30 questions then tag 20 blogs you would like to know better.

tagged by the cutest @pastelminhyuks

1. Nicknames: mom jana?? emo?? nerd?? 

2. Gender: female

3. Star sign: leo BITCH

4. Height: 5′11 / 181cm but i think i am like 183 by now idk

5. Time: 1:37pm

6. Birthday: august 12 

7. favorite bands: is mkit a band

8. favorite solo artists: so many god i cannot... like rockstah....ahzumjot...lance....loopy.....jonghyun?? Kyle???

9. Song stuck in my head: GUCCI BY JESSI bless ? also swalla bcs swalla is just. fun

10. Last movie watched: Constantine ! was good 10/10 Keanu reeves smoking and showing the finger to Lucifer while being send to heaven was a highlight of my life

11. Last show watched: Brooklyn 99 or rick n morty lol

12. When did i create my blog: sometime February 2016 ??

13. What do i post: memes...aestehtic...block b...khh... kpop.... dumb personal posts abt my life

14. Last thing googled: if the public transport ticket lasts till 6am of the following day bcs we wanted to get home lol

15. do you have other blogs: ya my aesthetic blog @givenchyifan n my pop culture blog @pkmn-ruby

16. Do you get asks: rarely cmon fight with me share ur life with me i wanna know what y'all up to :(

17. Why did u choose your url:  it perfectly describes how i feel abt kyung, i hate him and don't wanna see him ever and wanna fight him but when i do see him i get :’) bcs deep down... i lov him

18. Following: 554 but imma need to go through them again some time

19. Followers: 743

20. Favorite colors: pink and black, also red and dark green 

21. Average hours of sleep: i sleep anything from 5 to 10 hrs depending on what i need to do that day

22. Lucky number: 11 bcs its like the nr 1 but better bcs it got two 1s

23. Instruments: i can't even clap to a song and u think i play an instrument...

24. What am I wearing: striped long sleeve light wash baggy denim a beanie and a silver choker nachlace thing 

25. How many blankets I sleep with: 1 

26. Dream job: ask again in a couple years jhfgjkdghfdg but one of  my dreams is to be a prof or at least teacher at uni and do aesthetic/art philosophy classes bcs i think that field is so interesting yet barely taught anywhere 

27. Dream trip: just to all big cities in Europe with a shit ton of money

28. Favorite food: listen,,, that one cheap and unhealthy creamy pepper pasta sauce,,, 

29. Nationality: german

30. Favorite song now: Gucci by Jessi lol shits good also some stuff by very underground (read: unknown) german rap crew 

i don't tag anyone bcs im lazy and always tag the same 5 ppl ;_;

[gethealthy18-blog]

How to Clear Clogged Milk Ducts

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/how-to-clear-clogged-milk-ducts/

How to Clear Clogged Milk Ducts

If you breastfeed, you probably know that a blocked or clogged milk duct is a painful and frustrating challenge that many nursing mothers encounter. Clogged milk ducts seem to come out of nowhere and can present a real challenge! In order to prevent the clogged duct from turning into mastitis or another infection, it’s important to release the clogged duct and get breast milk flowing again as quickly as possible.

What Is a Blocked or Clogged Milk Duct?

A clogged milk duct occurs when a breast becomes engorged and is not emptied regularly or properly.

This manifests itself in a painful engorgement of the breast and the inability to release the pressure with nursing. This can be difficult for mom, not to mention baby, who is expecting a full meal!

Why Does a Blocked Milk Duct Happen?

There are several causes of a clogged milk duct:

Feeding Problems – If your nursing child is going through a transition in the frequency of feeding, or if your child is sick and not nursing as much, or if you are not feeding equally out of both sides, a clogged milk duct can occur.

Feeding Position – An incorrect latch, or constant feeding in the same position, can cause a clogged milk duct.

Improper Breast Care or Tight Bra – Too much pressure on your breasts can cause blockage. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach. Also, make sure you’re wearing the healthiest and best-fitting bra, preferably without underwire.

Plugged Nipple Pore – Sloughed-off skin cells combined with the fat naturally contained in breast milk may lead to a blocked pore or even physical blockage of a milk duct. Maintain breast health with some gentle dry brushing plus an Epsom salt soak may on a routine basis.

Plain Ol’ Exhaustion – Having a baby is tiring in more ways than one! Lack of sleep can affect milk supply and even lead to a clogged milk duct.

Natural Remedies for Clogged Milk Ducts

Thankfully, there are ways to help avoid or relieve a clogged milk duct before it becomes painful. I’m not just talking about using a breast pump or taking a hot shower, either (although those may help!)

Here are some practical ways to support breast health and continuous milk flow when breastfeeding. (Also see these tips for increasing milk flow if low supply becomes an issue.)

1. Follow Good Breast Care Practices

Trust me, I know… as a nursing mama, there are already so many things demanding your attention. It’s hard to remember, but being constantly aware of the condition of your breasts is a key factor in preventing a clogged duct or mastitis.

When you go to nurse, feel your breasts for unusual hardness, warmth, or pain, which are symptoms of clogged ducts. If you’re feeling run-down, pay attention to the signs. The sooner you can employ these remedies, the faster the clogged milk duct will be relieved.

2. Change Up Your Nursing Position

We all have a nursing position that is most comfortable and convenient for us and baby. But when you feel a plugged milk duct, try changing positions. Your baby’s jaw applies the most pressure to the breast, so aim their jaw toward the clogged duct. Always nurse from the affected breast first.

3. Use a Warm Compress or Take a Shower

If it’s not too painful, take a shower with hot water (even just a warm shower helps, but use the hottest water you can stand). Let the water hit the affected area. Use your hands to compress and gently massage the clogged milk duct to try to get it to release. A heating pad may also help, but the moisture + heat of a warm washcloth on the affected area of the breast or a shower is best.

4. Soak in an Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom salts work wonders in all kinds of situations, and a clogged duct is no exception. While you soak, try to gently hand express a little milk to get things going.

5. Massage With Coconut Oil

After your shower, massage your breast with coconut oil. There are many benefits of coconut oil for the skin, and rubbing it into the breast up to your armpit can moisturize the tender skin and can help loosen the blockage.

6. Apply Lavender and Geranium Essential Oils

I have great respect for the power of essential oils and use them sparingly especially around babies and children for that reason. Lavender and geranium essential oils are two safe oils to use (when properly diluted) and work in tandem to reduce swelling caused by the blockage and relieve it. Dilute 1 drop of each in 4 tablespoons of carrier oil (olive oil or jojoba oil work well) and massage the breast, avoiding the nipple area. It’s best to do this right after a feeding so it has time to absorb before close contact with baby.

7. Put Potatoes in Your Bra (Seriously)

There’s no scientific evidence for this that I can find, but many swear it works! Slice organic potatoes and place them in your bra. Make sure it’s contacting the affected area. Leave these in your bra for an hour. Reapply as needed.

8. Consume Garlic

Garlic is an incredibly useful natural remedy, and it aids in resolving clogged milk ducts, too. When you’re battling a clogged milk duct, throw some extra garlic into your meals. But if you can handle it, the best and most effective way to use garlic in this case is to crush a full clove of garlic and consume it. (It’s best to do this every few hours). Add honey, a pinch of good salt, and water to help with the strong flavor and get it down.

9. Drink Pineapple Juice

Pineapple contains bromeliad, which helps reduce inflammation. Drinking fresh pineapple juice can reduce the inflammation that can trigger a clogged duct and also helps prevents the formation of other plugged milk ducts.

10. Increase Your Probiotic Intake

When you’re body is fighting an infection (or the genesis of an infection, like a clogged milk duct), it’s important to increase your intake of probiotics. An adequate amount of good gut bacteria can help your body eradicate and recover from illness faster.

11. Rest!

The last, but possibly most important, remedy for a clogged milk duct is to rest. You’ve done all you can to unclog the duct and to shore up your immune system. Now, it‘s time to rest! Your body is working hard to prevent infection, and you can help its efforts by getting enough rest. Of course, if you’re nursing a little one, you might not be getting much sleep. Do your best to enhance the quality of the sleep you do get, and rest frequently during the day, even if that just means sitting down and putting your feet up while you read to the kids.

When to Get Help

It’s always a good idea to check in with a lactation consultant along the way. Even if you are a pro at breastfeeding, new situations can crop up. It’s comforting to have an expert on call as a back up.

Of course, if your plugged milk duct doesn’t respond to the above remedies or if you feel concerned in any way, seek the help of your healthcare provider. Even if an infection is not present, they may be able to help using therapeutic ultrasound or other methods.

Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, which may be warning signs of infection:

any hard lump in the breast, or an area of the breast appears lumpy

pain radiating from one place in the breast

hot or swollen breast tissue

flu-like symptoms

fever or chills

Have you ever remedied a blocked milk duct? What worked for you?

Sources:

Lavigne V, Gleberzon BJ. Ultrasound as a treatment of mammary blocked duct among 25 postpartum lactating women: a retrospective case series. J Chiropr Med. 2012;11(3):170–178. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2012.05.011

Infant and Young Child Feeding: Model Chapter for Textbooks for Medical Students and Allied Health Professionals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009. SESSION 7, Management of breast conditions and other breastfeeding difficulties. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK148955/

Jacobs A, Abou-Dakn M, Becker K, et al. S3-Guidelines for the Treatment of Inflammatory Breast Disease during the Lactation Period: AWMF Guidelines, Registry No.?015/071 (short version) AWMF Leitlinien-Register Nr.?015/071 (Kurzfassung). Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2013;73(12):1202–1208. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1360115

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/404771/clogged-milk-ducts/