How Do you Know?

For me, this title is what goes through my mind daily about a million times in reference to a million activities and situations.  So my new thought is, how do you know when it is time to add solids?  And then what do you do when your baby would prefer to breast feed rather than take solids?  How do you know when you should force the issue of solids, or force anything really?  This is my stress to which I have no answer!
In my last post, I was able to write that my son was now ready for solids because he was showing the readiness signs, which he still is but will not accept the foods.  He wants to play with the dishes, spoons and bowls, but when you try and feed him he turns his head or spits as we try and insert the spoon.  I thought that perhaps this was because I was the one feeding him and he was refusing with the hopes of having the breast but once we switched to Daddy feeding, the same thing ensued!  We even tried my two year old feeding- quite the mess but we were willing to try anything!  So, no solids but a happy baby!  I guess we will try again in a couple of weeks.  As long as he is happy, so am I!
And just to note- one week away from being seven months old!  Back to the internet to search for common situations I guess.

Breast Feeding and Solids

My son is just about 6 months old.  I have been putting off solids for as long as possible to give him the full benefits of breast feeding without any interruptions or conflicting wants, however, the time has come.  The irony is that with my first born, now 2 years, I was eager, anxious and restless about wanting to feed him.  It was an exiting new stage to first time parenthood and I am sure I rushed it.  The one good thing was that even though I was 'rushing it' as much as possible I made my own baby food because that was an exciting part of it all too.  I did wait for the important stages that show your child's maturity has been reached, such as freely holding his head up, sitting in his own, tongue reflexes under control, and showing a desire to partake in food- ie- reaching out to food, opening mouth to food, licking and salivating while watching eating.  So perhaps, after all, I didn't actually rush it but rather, since my boys are so different and the cues and learnings are so different, since my first was a month earlier than my second, it feels rushed whereas it was probably just right for him.  I definitely know how much easier it is to bring baby somewhere and not have to worry about solid food but every stage is important and waiting too long can be just as detrimental as starting too soon.

Breast Feeding While Sick!

One of the hardest things to do will be to breast feed if you are sick.  Pair that with a sick baby at the same time and you have one terrible couple of days.  It is not only exhausting, but it is literally draining.  When I am sick I usually am not eating 3 solid meals and a couple of snacks paired with generous fluid intake.  I am usually struggling with eating several snacks.  That means that baby is taking out more than you are putting it.  It increases exhaustion and can cause you to be tired in ways you didn't even know were possible.  My advice, smoothies!  Drinks are generally easier to get in than full meals so make an iron rich smoothie and enjoy.  A large glass that can follow you around the whole day.  Gets some fluids, fruits and vegetables into you quickly in a fast way, not to mention they are delicious!  Great for a sick toddler too, just be weary of too much dairy because it can aggravate certain cold symptoms.  My favourite recipe:  strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, spinach, a single serve cup of yogurt, water (or ice cubes) and one garlic clove.  Puree and enjoy. (Another perk is that it will keep your bowels going!)

'The Green Smoothie Revolution' book has lots of great smoothie ideas and some food for thought.

No Baby Products Needed!

I read this article and it spoke to me so I figured I should also let it speak for me... Read on!

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/0910/no_baby_products_needed.htm

Please Do Not...

When you are breast feeding, there are some simple Do's and Don'ts to help make your baby's life a little easier:

- DON'T wear underarm deodorant.  It can travel to your breast and therefore your breast milk.

-DON'T wear perfume (or use scented bath products).  These harsh scents overwhelm your baby's system.  I started using baby soap, unscented and safest if consumed.

-DON'T drink coffee (or pop).  Now with that said, a large cup of chocolate milk can have the same amount of caffeine as a decaf coffee so indulge gently.

-DON'T eat hot and spicy foods in the early months (0 to 3 months).  These foods can actually harm the babies digestive tract, especially if these are not foods that you were consuming while pregnant.

-DON'T eat foods that contain MSG (monosodium glutamate).  These are very high in salt like product (made from bacterial fermentation) which are terrible for your system and also terrible for your babies system.

-DON'T eat foods that are highly processed or preserved.  This foods use very high salts and/or sugars to make them last for a long time, or worse, they use chemicals to alter the food so that it doesn't go bad.  Same thing with baby foods and toddlers foods; high amounts of salts and sugars.Stick to homemade baby food.  They are VERY easy to make.  Check out my links.

-DON'T be afraid to feed your baby in public.  You don't see other people apologizing or covering up when they bottle feed.  Starving your baby is silly, not to mention illegal.

-DON'T be afraid to source out help.  Your local La Leche League can support you greatly.

That's all for now.  I will update and add to this often.

Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek or Confidence?

Here is what I think, supplements are equally as good as confidence, however, sometimes in order to gain confidence, you need supplements... Placebo effect, right?  As long as the supplements are not harmful, go for it, but stick to supplements, do not go the drug route.  Try the breast pump method as well.  Here is the thing, breast feeding is not easy, just like parenting.  When it is easy, there is something wrong.  Kids take effort and mixing a powder with water and pouring it down your babies throat, without even caressing your child, is wrong.  Now don't get me wrong, there are exceptions to every rule, but if you can breast feed you should.  If you can't devote your time and attention to get it right when your child is most dependent as an infant then when are you going to?  Formula is convenient, but it is not the same as what your body is making specifically for your child 9 months after getting the formulation correct.  Convenient is not good parenting.  Every now and again seeking refuge in something easier, such as breast milk expressed into a bottle so that somebody else can take over, is okay but it still should not be a permanent fix.  Your baby needs all of the breast feeding experience, the warmth, the skin to skin contact, the bonding, your undivided attention, all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients received directly from the nipple.  There is no comparison and there should not be.  Nature designed it so that the mother soothes and nurtures, just like in many other species.  When you see a lioness bottle feeding her cubs then we can revisit this subject!  But again, I will restate, there are exceptions to every rule, and in the wild the solution to being unable to breast feed would be cruel and terrible in our eyes, and I am certainly not suggesting neglecting your baby in any way.  I am simply stating, when you can, do and when you struggle, look for ways to enhance, optimize and gain confidence rather than choosing to bottle feed.  I struggled with my first born in every way- latch, supply, nipple pain and soreness, sleep.  I frequented my hospital's breast feeding clinic biweekly, later monthly and my family doctor monthly until my first child was 10 months old.  Breastfeeding was not easy, but it got progressively easier as time went on.  By 1 month my supply became more regular, thanks to Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek drops; By 2 months I had done a ton of research to learn ways to improve supply, such as drinking ample water, upping my calcium intake and not over taxing through diet and exercise; By 3 months he corrected his latch; By 6 months solid food helped with supply and demand.  By 10 months I was feeling very confident and empowered by my choices.  I still was not producing tons of milk, and it was what I refer to as skinny milk, therefore my baby became a frequent feeder to compensate but I adapted.  We adapted!  Soon after this we  found out we were expecting number 2 and the supplements of Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek were dangerous to my developing fetus so we then went on blind faith that I would be able to continue to feed and I did.  I successfully breastfed my first born until he self weaned at 14 months.  Six months later, my second child joined us and I am successfully over producing, thanks to the resilient nature and memory of breast tissue!  ;)

You Can Take a Break During Breast Feeding

So, the most liberating piece of advice ever given to me as a breast feeding mom was that I was not locked in during a breast feeding session.  Someone said to me that when I was feeding, I could stop.  The baby may get upset but my needs are equally as important as his.  This advice was particularly freeing in the middle of the night or when I was home alone.  It is for the silly things, like needing desperately to pee while trying to feed, or being so parched with thirst the sound of the baby sucking and quenching thirst is literally painful.  This advice does not mean that you can deny your baby for simple things such as answering the phone, or turning the TV on.  It means that while feeding your baby is important, breaking during a feeding every now and again will not permanently scar your child, it does not mean you are a bad mother and it will not lead to any return to breast feeding issues.  Your baby may need to suck for a subsequent let down, but it is not the end of the world.  This advice was so wonderful to me because I really felt trapped while breast feeding.  After get this advice, I also realized that, if needed, I could even walk around while breast feeding or do it standing or with two children on my lap.  These scenarios are obviously not ideal when feeding your child for several reasons, such as comfort and ease while swallowing but, when necessary, it is okay.  The most important thing about breast feeding long term and without relying on breaks with formula or stopping before your child is ready would be to make it equally as comfortable and manageable for you as for the child, and this means methods and solutions to prioritize the Mom's well being, such as breaking when feeding.

Bobbing for Boob!

So this title is very important for breastfeeding Moms.  It can save you a lot of stress in attempting to decode what your baby wants from you.  Babies bob for food, literally.  No matter how young, a breast fed baby has the instinct to search for that nipple when hungry.  They literally take their heads and start bobbing, like in a pecking motion, some also nuzzle and dig.  They generally do this before they cry and get upset, assuming the cry is food related.  When I heard another breastfeeding mom use the statment 'bobbing for boobies' it really stuck.  I had a little chuckle and then I could not stop thinking about it.  That is when I realized how many women probably have not noticed their babies doing this.  Until I heard the expression and took note of my own breastfeeding baby, I hadn't realized how important noticing this was.  It changed my world.

Great Ideas and Deals

So, I was writing an email to my friend who is about to have a baby and she asked for some advice.  I gave her two pieces of advice that I wish had been given to me.  Stock up, but not on what you think.

 

Baby Clothes- let every one else buy you the under 1 stuff because that is the stuff that every thinks is sooo cute.  You will have mountains of baby clothes that your baby will likely only wear once.  What you need to buy is the 1, 2 and 3 year old stuff, but only buy it at change of seasons.  This is when the stores will be selling their selections for 50% off, but the fun thing is, they sell it before the season is over.  In spring they are already putting out summer clothes and selling off the spring clothes so you can swoop in and buy this year for next year at 50% off!  It saves huge dollars!

 

I have another great piece of advice... Diapers.  Sign up at the diaper websites under your married name and maiden name so that you get the coupons they send out twice... You will be very grateful.  Diapers can really add up.  When they are on sale, buy the bigger sizes, like 3's and 4's because they are likely what you will use in the future.  The coupons are for wipes and diapers, so make sure you stock up on sale wipes.  I try and coordinate with groceries or errands.  So when the diapers are on sale, this is usually when all of the other baby stuff goes on sale so I go and take a huge hit on my CC buy buying lots and then I budget to pay it off over the next 3ish months when I don't have to buy anything. ;)  If the diapers are mega on sale, save 1 or 2 of your coupons for when you run out and can't wait for the sale to buy new.

 

That's all for now... just had to make sure to share the wealth ;)

The Endless Night!

I thought I would start with a blog relevant to my most recent breast feeding experience, which was a very sleepless night.  My three month old son, we will call him (2), decided he would breast feed as often as possible last night to make up for a busy day where he slept  more than he fed.  Sometimes he does this and I assume it is a growth spurt, but other times, the 'why' doesn't matter because I am too tired to care.  I feed, and I feed, and I feed some more and simply hope it will end soon.  Last night was one of those nights, where the morning came before the end to breast feeding came.  I was, and am, exhausted but it comes with the territory.  At least with this child I do get some nights where I am able to sleep for six or seven hours straight because with my first son, we will call him (1), a full night sleep didn't come until after he was a year old.  Every kid comes with a new struggle and a new breast side manner.  The trick is not to compare or hope for something, but rather to accept what is happening and deal with it the best way possible so that you can be a happy healthy Mom for your kids.  Check back tomorrow from some tips and tricks to get through the first three months.  I will also explain the choice of the title "Bobbing for Boob!"  Stay tuned for more. ;)