Today was my first day of interviewing nannies. I’d like to start practicing having one come a few days a week in the morning while I write, run errands and like every mother that has gone through this – pray to god someone doesn’t run away with my child.
When interviewing nannies in New York you have the chance to meet women from all over the world. I promised myself that while I might not be used to the way another woman would more or less raise my child while I am not around that I would at least be open to hearing her suggestions on how to deal with certain situations – to a degree in which I was comfortable.
Today I met a very nice woman and asked her several questions. Somehow the topic of Lilian’s chronically gunky right eye came up.
Nanny: She has a cold…in her eye
Me: Actually it’s just gunky. The doctor said it is fine and will go away in a few weeks.
Nanny: (silently but disagreeing with pursed lips) Sometimes babies get colds in their eyes
Me: Yes. That is what I hear.
Nanny: (growing excited) You know what you can do for her? We do this in my country.
Me: What?
Nanny: You need to to find another mother….the mother of a baby boy – not girl… and you need to ask the woman if she can please squirt the milk of her breast into Lilian’s eye.
Me: Huh. Wow. Ok…
So…remember that whole part about being open to suggestions?
This is not one of them.
Yup. Good Decision.
Actually? It’s good to squirt your OWN breastmilk in her eye. Still sort of gross, but it’s true.
Are you going back to work soon? Always a big adjustment.
Um, another mother’s milk? No thank you!
But yeah, I’ve also been told that a drop of your own milk is a miracle eye gunk clearer-upper. Haven’t tried it yet, tho… the baby saline we bought seemed to work just fine.
i just want to know what you’re doing such that you look younger and younger with every new self-portrait you take with lili. if it’s another mother’s milk in MY eye…so be it; sign me up.
Ollie had a gunky eye for like three or four months. Our pediatrician said it was a clogged duct and would clear on its own. No mention of squirting milk into the eye. One day I realized the eye was clear and no more oozy gunk was coming out of it.
The count down to weaning Finn is underway. I think FedEx will expedite breast milk for an extra charge.
we had the same issue – a clogged duct. I was told to do the same thing with milk. reluctantly tried using MY own and to our surprise it worked!
Though I’m a guy, my wife was a breast feeding nazi, so I feel somewhat well versed in the lactating ways.
Breast milk (your own, not someone you presumably find off the street) can clear up the gunky eye. And it’s not gender specific either.
It also works well to clear clogged sink drains. It’s a wonder liquid!
(OK, that last thing might not be true. :-])