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!  ;)