Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

A Few Good Things

I don't always like posts that tell you to travel all over the internet to find content, but I have a few things that I have written or collected recently and I think they are worth sharing, but without the redundancy of re- posting here. It's also not good for the content even though it seems counter intuitive. So...




August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, so I shared a little about that, plus I wrote a whole breastfeeding series on my experiences and what worked for me here on WL.


And today is the first day that I am free from both nausea AND my miracle cocktail.


Plus, my 6 Tips for Selling on eBay!  This is what sparked my series on streams of income (that I will conclude soon...)


Also, I have been collecting some really good stuff on Pinterest for Back to School

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Sample Infant Schedule: Nemo

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This is the third and final installment of my sample infant schedules. I have described in previous posts Princess's and Little Man's, now it's time to talk about Nemo :)

I followed a child led schedule with Princess and a pretty strict schedule adapted from On Becoming Baby Wise and The Sleepeasy Solution for Little Man.  Nemo has gotten the benefit of my experience with the others.  I started the schedule early, but I also took cues from him on what he needs.

Week one:
  • Nursed on demand, which was often
  • Found out he had lost weight and began supplementing with 1-2oz of formula after each feeding.
  • Sleep was often, but erratic.

Week two:
  • Found out he had acid reflux and started rice cereal mixed with is formula as part of his supplemental feeding.
  • Nursed on demand otherwise.
  • Sleep became a little more steady.  He seemed to be following his activity schedule from in the womb.  Nights and days were not confused as much as with the others.

Week three:
  • Began Zantac for acid reflux.
  • Stopped rice cereal (binding).
  • Started using formula as a full supplemental feeding in the evening (3-4oz).
  • He still mostly slept in between feedings which were about 2.5 hours apart except for at night when they were about 3-4 hours apart.

Weeks four and five:
  • Feedings stayed the same with the addition of one formula bottle in the AM (4oz).
  • He was awake more, but content.
  • His began sleeping up to five hours straight at night.

Weeks six and seven:
  • Added another formula feeding in anticipation of going back to work. 
  • Sleep jumped up to 7 hours straight at night.

Week eight:
  • I went back to work full time.
  • 6:30AM nursed
  • 7-9AM nap
  • 10AM formula
  • 11AM-12:30PM nap
  • 1-2PM formula
  • 4-5PM nursed
  • 7PM  pre-bed nap
  • 8-9PM formula
  • 9PM bed
  • 3-4PM nursed


5 Months:
  • 6:30 formula (6-7oz)
  • 10AM formula
  • 2PM formula
  • 5PM nurse
  • 7PM still takes a pre-bed nap :)
  • 8PM formula (6oz)
  • 3-4AM nurse and formula (3-5oz)
  • He usually takes a 1 hr nap in the AM and a 2 hr nap in the PM.  Sometimes he splits them into smaller increments.

You may notice some of the differences:
1.  Nemo started formula much earlier, but he has also nursed more that 4 weeks past what his siblings did.
2.  I generally don't lay him down awake.  He naps similarly every day on his own.  At night, he may go down groggy.  As long as it is dark and pretty quite, he will go to sleep.
3.  I still do not consistently offer him cereal.  He had it very early for his acid reflux and it bound him up.  I began offering cereal at 4 months but he is still adjusting to the texture.  I also don't give him rice cereal, he gets oatmeal which seems to be gentler on his system.
4.  He has a pre-bed nap.  I worried about this because I would never have allowed it with his sister or brother, but it works for him.  He only cries when he is hungry, tired, has a dirty diaper or his teeth are bothering him (haven't come in yet, but teething has begun).  He gets really cranky at 7PM like clockwork, falls asleep for about 30mins, plays for a while, eats and passes out for the night.  If it starts to affect bed time, then I will try to drop it.
5.  I am still nursing, though just barely.  He is the only one that I have been able to continue nursing after 4 months which is surprising because I have not pumped once.  I won't be doing it much longer, but so far he still gets at least one feeding from me.

I obviously don't have more information on Nemo's next six months, but I imagine it will be more of the same.  We have been blessed with a very happy baby :)


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Friday, July 12, 2013

Sample Infant Schedule: Little Man


I started a new series about the sleeping and feeding schedules that I followed for my children during their first year of life.  I started with my oldest, Princess.  Sometimes it’s nice to compare with other moms :)


Baby #2:  Little Man


Little Man came into our lives much easier than his sister and continued to be a very relaxed baby. My problem was that his sister required my constant attention being only 16 months old.  I immediately realized that I needed a better system and began the daunting task of putting both children on a schedule.  Up until that point, Princess slept with me most of the night and needed me to fall asleep. I got her in her own bed and able to go to sleep on her own (not easy).  Then, I used the time after she went to bed to research a little bit on how to start Little Man a schedule that we could stick with and avoid the drama we had just experienced with his sister.


I read two books: The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5 and On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the GIFT of Nighttime Sleep.  Both were great resources and gave me an idea of what my baby was capable of at what age and how I wanted to go about instituting a schedule.


I made sure that Little Man ate every 2-3 hours, no matter what.  I roused him from sleep by changing his diaper, fed him and then let him do whatever he needed.  He could go back to sleep or “play” or I would just rock him.  This went on for the first month.


At three weeks I introduced 1oz of formula at his last feeding.  He quickly needed 2-3 oz.  


Once he reached about 4-5 weeks I was more strict with what he ate and when.  I also made sure that he was kept awake after eating so that he got into the routine of being awake during the day and napping on a schedule.  It seems counter intuitive, but if a baby sleeps well during the day, they are more likely to sleep well at night.  There is a balance to achieve.  Not enough sleep is just as bad as too much.


If he ate on schedule and slept on schedule then the rest was easy.  He kind of did this on his own to begin with.  As long as I made sure he ate at regular intervals the rest fell into place.  He was also content to occupy himself a lot.  Sometimes after he ate we played together, sometimes he sat in the floor with his sister and I and sometimes I put him by the window or with toys to keep him stimulated. I worked out really well.  He still does great on a schedule!


Weeks one and two:
  • Nursed on demand.
  • Slept up to 3 hours at a time.


Weeks three and four:
  • Nursed every 2.5-3 hours.
  • Slept in between feedings.
  • Introduced formula at three weeks at last feeding.



Week five:  
  • Began trying to keep him awake after feeding to follow sleep-eat-play cycle.
  • Nursed every 3 hours.


Week 6:
  • Nursed every 3 hours
  • Napped after play period
  • Began sleeping for 6+ hours during the night.


Weeks seven and eight:
  • Began formula at every other feeding in anticipation of going back to work.
  • Napped ever 3-4 hours.
  • Switched to lactose free formula once we realized that he was lactose intolerant.


Weeks nine-eleven:
  • Went back to work part time.
  • Nursed or pumped at 6:30AM, 1PM and 5:30PM.
  • Formula at 10AM, 4PM and 7-8PM.


Week 12:
  • Back to work full time.
  • Schedule same as before.


Four Months:
  • Introduced rice cereal at AM feeding with formula.
  • Stopped nursing.


Six Months:
  • Introduced veggies and then fruit
  • 6:45AM rice cereal and formula (6oz)
  • 10AM 6-7oz formula, nap
  • 12PMish Lunch fruit and veggies (organic, jarred)
  • 2PM nap
  • 5:30PM Dinner fruit and veggies
  • 7-8PM formula, bed
  • 2AM formula


He began eating solid foods when his teeth started coming in.
Gave up the bottle at about 2 years old.
Two naps changed to one long afternoon nap at about 2.5 years old.


He still takes a solid 1-1.5 hour nap now.  He will be four in November :)


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Monday, June 10, 2013

The Natural Mothering eBook Bundle Sale is LIVE!

This promotion has ended, but I encourage you to check out the ebooks individually because they are worth it!
natural-mothering-bundle-600x400-sale   

Have you ever wished motherhood came with a manual? Whether motherhood makes you feel overwhelmed or whether you feel like you've found your stride as a mother, we are here to help you be the best mother to your children that you can be. We can also help you deal with infertility and prepare you for giving birth confidently and joyfully. We've got the resources you need to help your kids be healthier, to raise your children to be polite, caring people, to live more eco-friendly, and to make your home non-toxic. For 1 week only, get a downloadable package of 35+ e-books specifically designed to encourage and equip mothers to nurture their families (and themselves!) naturally for just $29.97. Since these books together are worth more than $525, this is nearly a 95% discount! There are also more than a dozen coupon codes and FREE products worth nearly $200 included to help you on your natural living journey! These e-books reflect the work of 32 well-known Ph.D.'s, fertility specialists, lactation consultants, natural health professionals, authors, and bloggers who are passionate about motherhood and caring for mothers. This is an intelligent, joy-filled collection that will inspire any mother to feed her beautiful babe well, feel confident in making difficult mothering decisions, and celebrate motherhood (even when it seems overwhelming).
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The eBooks

Want to meet the authors? Click here to read each author's bio.  

Natural Fertility and Pregnancy

Natural Baby and Toddler Care

Natural Health and Healing

Teaching Our Children

Help for Busy Moms

Non-Toxic and Natural Living

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The Bonus Resources

Once you have completed payment for the e-book bundle, you will get access not only to the books, but to FREE products and coupon codes for mothering products that will support you in your natural, non-toxic lifestyle. These special bonus offers include:
Lunapads Logo Oval JPEGGet a FREE luxuriously soft pantyliner from Lunapads and a $5 coupon for your next visit. Lunapads are smart, sustainable alternatives to disposable menstrual pads and pantyliners. Join the LunaRevolution and discover why thousands worldwide feel better about their periods! ($17 value. Standard shipping applies. US addresses only.)
granola babies logoGet 10% off any order from Granola Babies, THE go-to shop for everything babywearing and natural-living related. Granola Babies supports mothers around the globe in their mothering journey by providing sustainable hand-selected products, natural and holistic resources, and creating a village of community. (Standard shipping applies.)
Fit2B_LogoGet "2 Months for $2" ! Enjoy a two-month Membership to Fit2B Studio for only two dollars, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are "tummy safe" and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs), which affects many women postpartum. ($19.98 value.)
Flora_logoDownload a $6 coupon for 7 Sources Oil from Flora Health to use the next time you shop! Flora's newest product, 7 Sources, is a non-GMO, sustainably-sourced fatty-acid product with EPA and DHA, which are essential during pregnancy and nursing and support cognitive function at any time of life! (Value: $6. Good in-store only. US stores only.)
Deborah & CoGet 25% off any cami or nursing tank at Deborah & Co., a women's fashion shop for women who want fashion without compromise. You can choose from a number of camisoles, layering shells, tees, and nursing tanks, all of which are excellent for nursing moms or any woman who just wants to be both classy and modest. (Worldwide shipping.)
BlackOnlyBirthBootCampLogoGet $30 off the very popular Online Childbirth Education Program from Birth Boot Camp. You CAN have an amazing birth! The 10-class Birth Boot Camp online video childbirth education program will prepare you for a life-changing birth experience and specializes in educating couples together. You may also choose to receive the FREE Pregnancy Nutrition Report. (Good online or with participating live-class instructors.)
dwd 100Get THREE bonuses from Professional Parenting Canada and Attachment Parenting Canada: 1. Get the 440-page international bestseller, "Discipline Without Distress: 135 Tools for Raising Caring, Responsible Children without time-out, spanking, punishment, or bribery" (an actual paper book!) by Judy Arnall for only $10! Offered by (Value $24.99. Standard shipping applies.) 2. Get a FREE 1-hour webinar on "The Parenting Information Maze: How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family." (Value: $25) 3. Get a FREE download of the first 4 chapters of the e-book that should be in every parent's library: "The Parenting Information Maze: How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family." (Value: $9.95)
breastfeeding-simply-audiobookGet the audiobook of Pinky McKay's "Breastfeeding Simply" read by Pinky McKay for FREE! This way you can read the e-book OR listen to the audiobook - whatever is convenient for you. The audiobook is in mp3 format. Available for immediate download. (Value: $25)
A Practical Guide to Children's HealthGet "A Practical Guide to Children's Health (Abridged Version)" by Kate Tietje at Modern Alternative Mama PLUS a coupon code for 50% off the full version. There are so many confusing messages today about how to keep kids healthy. Parents just want some straight information on natural health! "A Practical Guide to Children’s Health" offers research on many common questions so that parents can make the decisions for themselves. (Value: $7.95)
orawellness logoReceive 10% off any order from OraWellness. OraWellness offers tools and educational products to help you take control of your oral health using organic ingredients and inexpensive natural solutions. (Standard shipping applies.)
Get a FREE Comfrey Salve with any purchase from the Creative Christian Mama Store. ($3.50 value. Standard shipping applies.)
Get 2 FREE sets of Baby's First Year Month-by-Month Printables (1 set with butterflies for girls and 1 set with ties for boys) from The Humbled Homemaker. Each set contains 12 printables to mark each month of Baby's first year. ($16 value.)

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A Few FREE eBooks and eCourses - no purchase required!

Because we are SO absolutely passionate about getting excellent natural living resources into the hands of every mother (and want-to-be moms and soon-to-be moms!) we've compiled a number of e-books that are FREE just for signing up for updates.
There is no purchase required - just click here to get your freebies!
(And as a gesture of paying-it-forward, please tell your friends about this amazing sale!) Tell your friends on Pinterest: Tell your friends on Facebook: facebook
 
And there's more!

The Fine Print

This Bundle contains digital downloads in ZIP and PDF formats, so there is no shipping involved. You will receive your unique download link immediately after download. Please note that this Bundle is provided as is: no refunds, no exchanges, and no late sales will be provided.
While you must purchase the Bundle by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 17, you have until June 30, 2013 to download the books and redeem the bonuses. It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase by June 30, 2013. After that date, the books will no longer be available for download.
With proof of purchase, we can renew download links until June 30. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Please read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, deadlines to redeem your bonuses, and reading the books on your eReader device.
Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase. You may purchase multiple bundles in order to redeem a bonus offer more than once.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are the sole responsibility of the bonus sponsors to provide and are subject to availability.
 
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Friday, June 7, 2013

Natural Mothering Preview

When I wrote my series on Breastfeeding, I knew that it wouldn't come off very "crunchy." But that wasn't what I was going for either. I was sharing my experiences and the knowledge that I have gained. I sit on the fence when it comes to living naturally. It is always something I strive for, but I also have to keep a balance and do what I need to do to take care of my family on limited time and resources. We do what we have to do with what we have. I want to introduce you to an eBook Bundle that is a collection of awesome resources for those of us who want to live a natural lifestyle. It takes all the guess work and research out of the equations so that you can focus on implementing. Many of them are practical guides to balancing it all with your lifestyle.
natural-mothering-bundle-600x400-sale
These are just SOME of the freebies!

Simple & Natural Green Cleaning Guide from A Delightful Home  
How to Be a Natural Mama from Mama Natural
 Secrets of a Successful Homeschooling Mom from Simple Homeschool  
Beautiful Babies mini-ecourse from Food Renegade  
Real Food Nutrition for Kids mini-ecourse from Food Renegade  
The Chemicals in Us from Non-Toxic Kids  
Dealing with Picky Eaters from The Happy Housewife
 How Do I Get My Kids to Cooperate? from Raising Small Souls  
It's Not About Money from Stacy Makes Cents  
Delightful Customizable Chore Charts and other printables from Somewhat Simple  
Traditional Foods Kitchen Toolkit (4 digital books, 1 video) from Traditional Foods  
Whole Food Family Favorites Cookbook from Nourishing Joy  
First Bites Baby Food Timeline and Simple and Healthy Homemade Baby Food Recipe printable from Accidentally Green  
Trust Birth (mp3) from Natural Birth and Baby Care  
How to Make Kombucha from Modern Alternative Mama  
More Than Numbers from Trina Holden  
How to Create the Healthy Baby of Your Dreams: The 11 Pillars to Optimum Fertility (CD) from Gabriela Rosa  
Taste of Herbs: Secrets of Herbalism Revealed Through Your Sense of Taste from Methow Valley Herbs Guide to In-Season Produce from Creative Christian Mama

If you have any interest in any of these topics or even just some of the freebies,this price is unbeatable. Please join us on Monday when this sale goes live ~ You won't regret it!

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Friday, May 31, 2013

Breastfeeding: A Series {Mobil Apps}

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My iPhone is practically an appendage so, while I love pen to paper, mobile apps are a huge help!  If you are attached to your phone the way I am, this list will excite you :)

I chose these particular apps to share bases on usefulness, ease and design.

We'll start with free and go from there ;)

I am not at all affiliated with any of these companies or programs.  I am simply passing along information that I feed will be useful to other mothers.  Instead of paraphrasing, I am going to go ahead and quote the companies so that you can get a clear idea of what each app can do for you.

Baby Nursing/Breastfeeding helps you track your baby’s nursing progress, growth, diaper changes, doctor’s visits, and more.

Similac Baby Journal easily track your baby's eating and sleeping habits, diaper changes, and more.
  •  Email journal entries and reports to others.
  • Access the complete library of Similac® StrongMoms® tips and advice.
  • Call a live Similac Feeding Expert with the tap of a finger.
Nursing Clock and Flashlight Convenient clock and flashlight designed for parents to use during late night check-ins on the baby. Includes a LED flashlight for soft light to use in the nursery and a bright, clear digital clock that is easy to read. Use the clock to set a quick alarm to remind you when it’s time for a feeding. Also tracks how much bottle was fed and what side to nurse on. Stopwatch timers track how long the baby has been feeding, crying, or sleeping.

Pump@Work Simplifies the features you love about spreadsheets and hand written pumping logs in a chic, digital format for the busy mom heading back to work. pump@work is a stress-reducing solution to pumping, storing and providing just the right amount of milk for your infant each day.

Breastfeeding Management 2 An evidence-based application developed by the renowned Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition to help the clinician identify, triage, and manage common breastfeeding problems in the first weeks of life. The Breastfeed App, formerly available for free, now includes 5 calculators, including two feeding calculators and a weight loss calculator. It also includes information on medications as well as a link to LactMed, the comprehensive online resource from the National Library of Medicine.

iBaby Feed Timer  Designed by and for breastfeeding/nursing mothers who want to track when and for how long their baby feeds. Including a useful reminder for when a feed is due.

  • Log book and diary of baby activities
  • Memory book of baby milestones
  • Photo gallery of baby memories
  • Timer to record events like naps and feedings
  • Share baby news over email, facebook, and twitter
  • Growth charts to monitor development 
  • Reports to help visualize baby’s routines
  • Monitor medical records and vaccinations
  • Available as a universal app for iPhone and iPad
  • Retina display ready
Milk Maid Designed to help pumping moms manage their stash of breast milk.

Total Baby  will help you log and time all aspects of your child's care through a smart and sleek interface that makes tracking easy and fun.  This one is my Favorite!  There is too much information to put here.  I highly recommend you check this one out!

  • Track daily information about children: feeding, diapers, sleep, mood, activities, medicines, photos, ...
  • Several authorized users can be specified for each child: parents, family, daycare staff, ... Entries are immediately securely synchronized on each user account
  • Parents and Child Care staff can easily exchange messages via the application
  • Available on iPhone/iPod touch, iPad, Android devices, or with a browser by logging to www.baby-connect.com
I hope that this list assists you in finding the right app for your needs!



Breastfeeding: A Series
The natural Mothering Ebook Collection has wonderful resources for Breastfeeding and approaching Motherhood naturally. 

natural-mothering-bundle-600x400-sale

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