Comments [0]
Mar 7
Liljana Learns the Fine Art of Being a Red Wings Fan
Click here to download:
liljana-learns-the-fine-art-of-being-a-red-wings-fan-mCAnCiHkHksGFhepEpka.zip (1470 KB)
Comments [1]
Mar 6
For nine months, you worry. No matter what people tell you, you are going to worry about every upcoming test, exam and milestone in your unborn child's life. You're going to worry about lying flat on your back and how much soft cheese you shouldn't consume. You're going to worry about not feeling your baby everyday. You're going to worry about the weight gain (or lack thereof), and if your hubby/partner thinks you're a whale.
The $20,000+ Baby
Then you go into labor. In my case, I went into labor four weeks early and wondered if it was too soon. I wondered if my baby's lungs were fully development. I worried that I worried so much during my pregnancy that I caused the early birth. I worried about my job and feeling horrible for not having conducted the full knowledge transfer that I was in the process of conducting. I worried that the epidural that I didn't want to have, but needed, would have a side effect on our little one. I worried that now that I was a mama, little Lily wouldn't latch on and breast feed right away.
Yes, I worried.
For those of you that have asked me about health insurance, get ready for a doozy. Delivery rates, I'm sure, vary by city, hospital, etc. We chose to deliver at Northwestern's esteemed Prentice Women's Hospital. That's right. A place that is for the ladies 100% of the time - no boys allowed. The building is pretty new and everyone talks about the joys of delivering in a luxurious environment (it really wasn't over the top, as I had expected). After retrieving my line item bill from our healthcare provider, I realized the prices were sure luxurious. I have an employer that is terrific when it comes to women, moms and healthcare in general. Much of our bills were taken care of with insurance, but we did have some out of pockets.
To the ill informed mom-to-be, you may be worrying about the cost of delivering a baby in our wonderful country of no national health care (yes, I'm annoyed). To prep you, I've decided to list the whole kit and kaboodle. Without further ado, I present the breakdown of what it cost to deliver Liljana. Note, these are just fees for the services at Northwestern and do NOT include any of my healthcare needs OR the charge from the midwife. These rates also do not cover the subsequent trips to the pediatrician for jaundice diagnosis and newborn care.
We were very well taken care of, but did have some not-so-great moments in recovery (ie. the revolving door of hospital staff). Many of you work for yourselves and candidly asked me the cost of what it would be to deliver at Prentice. Here you go:
My Bill
Room and Board: $5,475 (two-day stay after Lily was born)
Pharmacy: $799.60
Med-Surg-Anesth. Supplies: $1399
Laboratory: $800
Operating/Recovery Room: $7,676 (we were here for about 10 hours)
Baby's Bill
Room and Board: $1,700 (not sure how the baby was charged room and board, but she was)
Pharmacy: $43.60
Laboratory: $1,080
Respiratory: $613
Diagnostic Services: $613
Grand total: $20,198.60
Does this mean you shouldn't deliver at Prentice? Of course not. It does mean that you should know well in advance of the fees, what they mean and understand your insurance plan. I highly recommend signing up for a flexible spending account through your employer, should you have one. This may offset the fees you need to pay after your insurance kicks in. Another terrific option? Northwestern offers an interest free payment plan to pay off your medical bills. Sans credit hit. A nice perk to space out your payments, should you need a break in this zany economy.
Got more questions? Ask away. You know where to find me:).
Comments [3]
Mar 6
Love these cover ups from Bebe au Lait! First public nursing expedition a success! Available at Nordstrom and at Amazon.com.
The Art of Nursing in Public
Comments [0]
Feb 28
Don't give up!
For New Moms: A View from the Boob
It's Sunday. I spent the bulk of my day attached to my daughter's mouth, on and off, for about 5 hours. This is what is called 'cluster feeding'. You'll learn about this interesting phenomenon, along with other breast feeding delights when you have our own little one. I've been asked about what my experiences have been breast feeding, so here we go. To the men in Internet-land, you may want to read this post as well - it will help you understand what your lady will go through soon. What follows below isn't meant to scare you, but to provide real insight into what it's like to put the commitment towards breast feeding. It's a joke among moms, but yes, there are times when I felt like I spent the whole day on the couch, nursing my daughter, flipping channels and reading news on my iPhone. Things got better, but I continue to have daily laughs. I never second guessed wanting to breast feed. Not only is it the most nutritious for your baby, but it's pretty darn cheap. I was told that breast feeding was challenging, but nothing prepared me for what things would really be like. When Lily was born, I nursed right away - which brought its own challenges. Babies need to 'learn' how to feed, so not only was I getting the hang of positions (cradle, cross cradle, football hold), but Lily had a hard time latching on to me - and my nipples paid the price with some bleeding. You won't get milk right away, either. Instead, colostrum will supply the needing food your baby will need. This is natural. In a few days, your milk will come in - as will the tense, hard feeling of your breasts becoming engorged. More on that, in a second. On Day 1 of being a new mom, I had my mom in the hospital room with me. We noticed that Lily kept crying and didn't seem to get enough of my colostrum. Luckily, Northwestern had formula in the room, which we used to supplement. It was also important for the baby's weight. It wasn't until a few days later that we learned that Liljana had jaundice (which is common). The jaundice made her tired and irritable, which explained her not getting enough food from me and dropping in weight more than we wanted. Once the jaundice was clear and my milk came in, I entered the world of being a breast feeding mom - and it ain't easy. Trust me, if you would like to breast feed, give yourself three weeks before giving up (Note: I know many woman whose milk didn't come in, so using formula is more than OK!). Why do I say three weeks? In the first few weeks, my breasts would get so engorged and be in pain if I didn't feed my daughter or pump. Speaking of pumping, yes, you'll need to have some sort of apparatus around the house to pump out the access milk and store it in the fridge or freezer. Psychologically, I had a rough time for the first 10 days. I felt like my only purpose in life was to be a cow. My mom and Michael would tell me to sleep and wake me up to feed Lily. If I wasn't sleeping, I was racing to get stuff down around the house until it was time to nurse. It was exhausting. I also leaked - alot. Breast pads were (and still are) my best friends. Yoga pants were all I wore because there was always a chance of the milk leaking on my leg during a feed or falling out of the breast pump shield, should I be sitting the wrong way. Eating became a whole new sport because a balanced diet, full of REAL meals, were vital to giving the little one a hearty feeding - and kept my milk supply up. It was important for me to leave the house (as it will be for you) to clear my head, see the world and change up my routine. Oh sure, this was fine, but the tightness I would feel in my breasts in a few hours were a constant signal to me that I needed to dump my milk somewhere. I remember being at a tech event with a room full of guys and my boobs were in a state of major engorgement. I didn't have my pump with me and endured an hour of stinging pain. Lesson learned:). Now, when I leave the house, I ensure Michael has a full supply of mama juice, should I be out longer than expected. We drove to Detroit and I managed to stop along 94 and pump in a Panera parking lot while Michael did the feeding. Today, I'm back in the office. I get up early, get my showering and primping out of the way and pick up baby around 7. I give her a solid morning feed, then am off to work. I take the pump along with and spend about two sessions a day pumping, Blackberry in hand. I come home, place that day's extraction in the fridge and get ready for another day. Is it difficult? Yes, but getting a heckuva lot better. I publicly fed Lily once and getting the hang of doing this out in the open more (with a cover, of course). Seeing the progress of Lily's weight gain, knowing the bulk (we always keep formula in the house for those times my supply is low or she's super hungry and Michael is sans my milk) of it is from me makes everything worth it. Most importantly, those moments I get from nursing Lily and seeing her big eyes stare up at me is a connection that can't be replaced. :)Don't give up!
Comments [1]
Feb 24
Thanks for being my permanent Christmas present. Now, be good for Babbo and know that you are the most loved little girl in a 10 mile radius.Love,
Mama
Dear Lily, Mama Goes Back to Work
My Lily,
Tomorrow you will be 10 weeks old. 10. Can you believe it? For these last 10 weeks, you've been nothing been a joy to me and your Babbo.You came to us sooner than we thought and have been amazing us with your progress ever since. The first few weeks of your short life, I wished I knew everything, but you taught me to relax, calm down and get to know you on your own terms. Those initial sleepless nights rocking you in your bassinet were difficult, but it was worth every minute. I've lost count of the times we laughed at your diaper explosions and random acts of funny baby. Every bath you've had included both of your parents. Our home turned into a literal Baby Bunker and I didn't want to leave you too much. Your Daddy had me fall in love with him again, as his calm natured ways and no fear of your poop has amazed me in more ways than I can type. You are starting to develop your own little zany personality and I am astonished to see you developing some of my traits. Your big eyes seem to be a chip off the old mama block and your love of being naked must come from your father, who enjoys walking around the house in his tank tops:). I know you can't talk to us right now, but do you know how amazing it is to see you smile? When we were visiting your Baba and Dedo, you giggled for me and no one else. Too bad I was alone in the living room to see it - but I did. It's our little secret. I could absolutely stare at you all day long and discover something new about your nose, ears and even the fat in your little legs. We love you so much that we can't imagine our world without you in it.Tomorrow things will be a wee bit different. You'll be spending the bulk of the day with your Babbo, as I'll be going back to work. It's something you'll learn more about in the future, balancing life and its various responsibilities.You'll also learn that your Mama enjoys a wide variety of things and her job is actually one of them. What makes me happy is knowing that while I'm away, your Daddy will be with you, balancing his own work while making sure you're having a good time. I'm going to miss you, but know I'll be getting updates throughout the day from your Babbo.We find ourselves so incredibly lucky to be able to have one of us with you as much as possible. I used to stare at you and see if I could actually 'catch' you grow. I would fall asleep, wake up and feel like it was Christmas morning all over again.Thanks for being my permanent Christmas present. Now, be good for Babbo and know that you are the most loved little girl in a 10 mile radius.Love,
Mama
Comments [1]
Feb 23
(download)
Liljana Visits Mama's Office and Meets Monet
Click here to download:
liljana-visits-mama-s-office-and-meets-monet-DIJwfdpFeJhsgyElzHJm.zip (3198 KB)
Comments [0]
