Hard Starts Are Not an Indicator of Your Breastfeeding Realtionship!

Welcome to the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party! Bloggers around the world have gathered together to share posts which provide current or soon-to-be breastfeeding mothers with a wealth of well-researched information, personal stories, and statistics designed to help you have the most successful breastfeeding experience possible. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more about this movement as well as to link to and read more informative breastfeeding support posts.

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Penny was born in the water at our local birthing center, without complication or medication. It was a beautiful, joyous birth, one that I could not have hoped for in my wildest dreams. Her birth, however, was a week before my due date and I had prepared myself during my entire pregnancy for a late birth. Imagine my surprise going into labor at midnight, two hours away from our birth center!

8 hours and 40 minutes later, my sweet Penelope Helena was born and I had her in my arms. Within a few minutes of being transferred to the bed for rest, my midwife encouraged me to nurse her and between inexperience and a sleepy baby, it was a little bit of a rough start. Due to slightly flat nipples my midwife recommended we pick up a shield (just to get started) and she worked with me for the remainder of my stay and made plans to visit me within 48 hours to see our progress.

But like so many other things in life, as soon as I was away from the comfort of her supervision, it wasn't so easy. It was painful. I felt like I wasn't giving my baby enough. Within 48 hours, her weight had dropped dangerously close to 9% of her birth weight and although the midwife was not concerned, it had her attention. Penny didn't want to nurse every 2-3 hours like most newborns do. Looking back at my logs that I maniacally kept during the first (no joke) 3 months of her life, she typically nursed every 4-6 hours, even for such a small thing. This wasn't helpful for my incoming supply that needed to be released and it certainly didn't help for the impending mama guilt that maybe I wasn't made right for her.

Every other day for the next two weeks we went to the birth center and Penelope was weighed to see if her weight was going up. It was, of course, but a little too slowly. I alternated between seeing my attending midwife and another one and although it seemed like it would work while at the birth center, it just didn't at home. There was so much frustration from both of us. And the pain - which was later explained to me as my ligaments stretching and possible vasospasms. Eventually the secondary midwife suggested that I ditch the shield. Ditch the shield?! Isn't that what is getting Penny whatever milk she can get right now? I didn't feel comfortable letting go of what I thought was my land line and for a few more days I tried to use it, even though sometimes I would bleed.

Finally when Penelope was about 3 weeks old, as I sat in the office for another weigh in, the midwife (who is a certified LC) gave me a dose of very tough love. She said if I am not comfortable giving up the shield, perhaps I should seek the help of a different LC. At the time, I felt abandoned. But later I realized what her intent was. She gave me that final push to really get rid of that shield. That afternoon when we returned home, I gave it a shot. And she latched on, without hesistation.

I'm not going to lie, it still wasn't smooth sailing from there. I was still getting over the learning curve and I think that her small mouth made it really difficult to make a good deep latch, which made it still pretty painful to nurse. It wasn't until she was about 9 weeks old where one day it just didn't hurt anymore. Shocked, I looked down at my daughter and actually felt at ease, relaxed and comfortable. This is what breastfeeding mothers are talking about. Total bliss.

My story may not have the same level of hardship that many other new mothers face. I didn't have trouble with supply, I got the (bare minimum) amount of sleep I needed, eventually my child and I adapted to each other and at almost 13 months old, our nursing relationship is still going strong. But it's our story - and hopefully serves as a support for other moms who had a difficult time at the beginning and felt like they just weren't biologically made to do it. To those moms, I say - push though! It was 9 weeks of hard work, but at almost a year later it's all forgotten.

You can also find my somewhat humorous tale of nursing while on our first vacation with 2 month old Penelope at A Little Bit of All of It.  

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This gathering of breastfeeding support comes in response to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s (WAPF) continued stance on breastfeeding, which we all have a great concern with. While the WAPF does support breastfeeding as the best option for feeding babies, it does so with a caveat. Breastfeeding mothers must follow the strict tenants of the WAPF diet and mothers who are not following their nutrient dense diet recommendations would be better off feeding their babies homemade formula (based on the WAPF recipe). In addition, they are outspoken against using donor milk.

The bloggers sharing posts today are concerned with the confusion this may cause breastfeeding mothers. Not only does research support the myriad of health benefits of breast milk for babies regardless of the mother’s diet, it also outlines additional benefits of breastfeeding such as better bonding, deeper trust, and a long list of other emotional benefits. Let’s not forget the health benefits for moms!

We will have a complete list of all the blog posts published today (as part of this Blog Party) in a separate post on Sunday, March 31st. We welcome you to join this blog party by linking up your own new and previously published posts which focus on any positive aspect of breastfeeding and breast milk. Please enter using the Linky Tool which can be found at Hybrid Rasta Mama, Cooking Traditional Foods, Whole New Mom, Alternative Parenting, or African Babies Don’t Cry. (All links will be subject to moderation. Any link not following the spirit of the Blog Party will be removed.

The Neighbor's House Fire

A few weeks ago, there was a house fire in our neighborhood.

I had seen one other house fire before, when I was in kindergarten, and I only have memories of the firefighters putting it out. I didn't see the flames or the family or any of the aftermath...It was in a friend's neighborhood so the exposure I had was very limited.

This time around, I was very close. And as it turns out, very involved.

We just moved into our new rental (where we'll be for the next 6 months) and I was taking a break from unpacking with Penny. We had just settled down onto our couch for Penny to take a nap with me and for a little bit of veg-out time. Our family room sits on the back of the house, overlooking the backyard. The neighborhood is tightly packed, with the fronts of houses right on the street and everyone's driveways and garages on the backs of the houses. After a few minutes, I noticed there was a little bit of smoke puffing up from the other side of our fence. I thought to myself, quite annoyed, that people shouldn't be burning trash in such tight neighborhoods. I turn back to my movie and a minute later that little smoke puff had turned into a slightly darker, meaner plume. Penny had *just* fallen asleep on me and I was really reluctant to get up, the excitement of the move had made nap time difficult for her and I wanted to take advantage of a few minutes of rest for her.

The dark smoke plume quickly turned black, and I realized that this wasn't someone burning trash. I quickly stood up on the couch, to look over the fence, and saw the house across the alleyway begin to open its garage. Inside, the garage was a complete inferno. That garage is directly behind our house, facing our TV room. My husband had met the owner of the house the week before, who shared that he was rebuilding a car in the garage. That was probably the cause.

I ran out back and found a few people milling around in the alley. I asked what had happened, and a woman says

Everyone is ok - the little boy got out.

A little boy?? Oh this hits close to home. I asked if there was anyone else, any pets? Most people don't consider the pets. Had anyone called the police?

No one had called the police.

I am so relieved that the people in my new neighborhood got up out of their couches (while I scoffed and sat in mine) to check what was going on. I am so relieved that someone had helped that little boy escape. But out of the 5-6 people out there in the alley that day, why hadn't anyone called the police yet?

It ended up being me who called it in. My call came in roughly 15 minutes after I had noticed that little smoke puff. In 15 minutes, a family had faced tragedy, danger and the father had lost a lot of work that he had done on his car. Not to mention, how much of this family's belongings were stored in that garage? Hand made Christmas ornaments or important documents? Precious photographs? That little boy's bicycle? 

Within a few minutes five fire engines and two ambulances pulled up. I stood back, watching the firemen pull their hose over and quickly and efficiently put out that fire.

I watched as a terrified mother ran up to the house, with a young boy in her arms, screaming about if her little boy was ok. That she had left her 9 year old son at home for a few minutes while she went to go pick up her other son. What if that was me? Is 9 years old too young to be left home alone for 15 - 20 minutes?

The fire was extinguished and the authorities milled around, at ease, surveying the damage. Then we noticed that there was smoke now coming from the upstairs bedroom. More scrambling, hoses fired up again and firemen running into the house to stop the spread. Less than 10 minutes later, the house was gutted by the fire and a large portion of the roof was missing.

A large group of neighbors began congregating, excited by the sensationalism of a house fire and concerned for their neighbor. Having lived here for less than a week, I admitted that I didn't know the family by name, but no one else could tell me either. It's sad, isn't it? Even in a neighborhood where you could send a spit wad out and it'd hit the neighbor's window, no one seemed to actually know these people.

Within a few days the windows, doors and garage were boarded up. A tarp was stretched to cover the gaping hole in the roof. Uselessly, because within a few days (true to Washington fashion) we had rain and the weight of the water tore the tarp.

Each day I am reminded of how close that fire was to us. Each day I am thankful that it wasn't my house, or that my child had to face such terror. I watch the house each day to see if a family member comes to it (though I know I wouldn't ever want to see that house again).. Hoping to come out and offer a little bit of peace, help in any way I can. But only contractors have been coming and going.

That event made a profound effect on me. I was terrified. Fire biologically rocks us to our core. It can be so devastating. I was afraid for my daughter, our dogs, myself, shamefully - our stuff. In the days afterwards, I laid awake at night going over and over in my head about what to do if there was a fire, at any time of day or night. How I'd grab Penelope, what would the procedure be if Adam was home, if it was night time, where I'd be in the house, how would I get our geriatric dog, Romeo, out safely while Penny is in my arms?  Would I dare grab anything? If I could take something on my way out the door, what would it be? Would it be our laptop, which holds priceless pictures? A blanket to keep Penny warm? It's not something I can easily answer.

One thing for sure is that I am now allowing these fears to take hold of me and render me useless. Adam and I will be formulating a get-out plan. We will have a family emergency kit, in case of an earthquake. And yes, I'll be considering how to safely store what I consider to be my most prized possessions - pictures of our family - in a secure location.

Do you have a family emergency kit? What do you keep in it?

Spring is here! Cookie Gift basket Giveaway!

Is it Spring yet for you? Washington's mercurial weather pattern has me wondering on the hour if it really is Spring yet. I mean, come on, Easter is this Sunday! We've got our bunny and Easter basket dutifully displayed, but for me there is a big part of Spring missing. The daffodils! Crocuses! It's not Spring without flowers!

Well, I suppose there is one way to bring in the Spring if you can't have real flowers.. with SUGARY ONES!

Check out the giveaway below to have the chance to win one of two  Flower Cookie Gift Baskets (up to a $65 value). This would be great for livening up your home in preparation for whenever Spring will get here, a house warming gift, birthday, anniversary, get well.. the possibilities are endless. And who doesn't like cookies just because? With tons of flavor options (and sugar free) you really can't go wrong!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The fine print:
Giveaway sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents in the continental states (e.g. lower 48) and only to those 18 or older! Winners will be picked randomly. Two winners will receive their choice of a Flower Cookie Gift (up to a $65 value) from this page.
Winners will be notified via email so be sure to provide your correct address. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that time period, a replacement winner will be chosen.
Prize will be fulfilled by the contest sponsor http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com.
Giveaway ends at midnight EST on April 7, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by April 14, 2013.

Disclaimer: This is not a product review. 

I am participating in a shared giveaway.

  

Blog Lovin

Did you know that Google Reader is being phased out in July? A lot of my friends have made the switch over to Blog Lovin'. Although I'm pretty new at it, I'm liking how easy it is to see all of the blogs I follow.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hyundai's Epic Playdate: Encouraging Sprouting Foodies Through Play

One of my dream playdates? I'd love to encourage Penelope to have an interest in cooking. So introducing her at a young age and making it fun is a great way to start! Our dream playdate would be creating a dish that makes it easy and fun at whatever level Penny and her friends are at. It could be simple sensory play by filling a tub full of Jello and letting the kids go at it, a one or two step dish or going a little more complex and making a whole meal out of it!

Having your toddler be a part of the meal making process helps her begin to develop an understanding and respect for where food comes from (you mean it doesn't just magically appear??) and sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle and autonomy.

Some fun ideas for various abilities:

• Greek Yogurt parfaits
• mini pancake cinnamon rolls 
• Snickerdoodle cookies - let the kids make the balls in their hands and roll the ball around in a bowl of cinnamon/sugar.
• Chocolate dipped pretzels or mashmallows (on a stick). Be sure to dip the pretzels or marshmllows in the chocolate yourself, as it could be hot! But kids will love sprinkling different toppings.
• Fruit and Cheese kabobs - cut up your toddler's favorite fruits and cheeses and help them spear the pieces with a long kabob stick (you can cut off the pointy ends ahead of time).

Of course, it goes without saying, always supervise your child and make sure they can safely play to their abilities! Some of my suggestions are not a good idea for all development levels.

Do you have any meals that your toddler can help you make?

Hyundai’s Epic Playdate Weekend is on April 27 from 9am-5pm in Santa Barbara, CA. Warm up  (#Washingtongirlforlife) Chill out with familiar bloggers (like Dooce, Mighty Girl, Oh Happy Day, Oh Joy, Say Yes To Hoboken, Girls Gone Child, BoingBoing, and How To Be A Dad) on the beach and check out their awesome workshops for kids, like an ice cream sundae bar, paint fight, kids’ photography class, and hula-hooping workshop!

The awesome part? Enter to win a trip for four to the event! The grand prize includes..

Round-trip transportation to Los Angeles for the winners and their families

A two-night stay at a Los Angeles hotel

One night of camping in Shelter Co Luxury tents (that include a camp butler) at Rancho Dos Pueblo in Santa Barbara

Access to family fun activities including making s’mores and building compressed air rockets

$270 in spending money

Some of the rules:

• Readers must have a Pinterest account to enter (see here for complete details)
• Because this is an invite only event, you will need to select The Clever Girl Collective under "How did you hear about us?"

So what are you waiting for?
Enter to win, or comment below and tell me what your epic playdate would be!

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective,

and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The Maternity Sash: The process of one year

Ahh the wonders of Pinterest. I love looking there for inspiration, don't you? I was newly introduced to Pinterest when planning for my maternity shoot (thanks to the wonderful Theresa at TC Photography) and was able to find quite a few ideas that I loved and that my photographer helped me recreate.

One of the sweetest ideas I came across was the maternity sash. You can find beautiful versions on Etsy, but I opted for the DIY route. One of my manifestations of nesting was becoming a little crafty.  We were in the process of moving so I didn't have a way to put that energy towards a baby room, which wouldn't have been necessary anyways because even at a year we still bed-share.

So I visited my local craft store, used a few tutorials on fabric flowers and put together my own maternity sash!

The end result - a sash that I used for belly, newborn and one year old pictures. Who knows? Maybe it'll stick around for many of Penny's other milestones. Adam would like to put the kibosh on that because he thinks the feathers are gaudy, but I thought they were quite cute!

P.S. - I miss those little squishy cheeks so much!

Did you use a prop throughout your baby's growth to keep a theme going?

The fastest year of my life: Penny is 1 year old

Welcome to Post #101!

Little Pennypot-

Yes, I am 11 days late in writing you your 1st year birthday letter. Oops! You already know how busy mama and daddy's life is, but I promise you that all this moving around is the path that we're working on to get us into the perfect home and perfect job for daddy. We just have to be patient. Luckily you love exploring new places so this new home has been a total adventure for you.

It seems like just yesterday that we brought you home. You were so small! As your mama I accepted you wholly for who you were, but looking back now it is simply unbelievable how perfectly portioned you were.

Every time I look at this picture of you at a mere 48 hours old, I'm astounded by how different yet the same you look.  Every time I look at this picture, I am reminded of the very sudden waves of different emotions I had during those first two days. Utter and complete love. Fear, as your weight was dropping and I was so afraid of losing you (your dad did a great job at diffusing those fears, reminding me how strong you and I are). Admiration. Your smell. Literally intoxicating.  I should also mention that for the first probably 6 weeks of your life you were usually only dressed in a diaper and wrapped in a snugly "luly." I preferred the skin on skin contact and honestly..was just too tired to dress you.

Looking at you now, still a short little cutie pie but in a very independent toddler frame.  It was only a short while ago where all you needed was to lay snuggled inside of me, and later n my arms. Although we don't spend as much time laying together, it's become more special because now you search out mama or daddy's embrace.

Sweet Penelope, I never knew love until I met you. Love was stirred in my heart in ways it never has before, I never understood the depths of commitment or selflessness until I had you to care for. You were, are, the perfect reason to remember why every day is so precious.

Some of my most cherished memories in the past year..

• watching your daddy pat you to sleep on his chest to the tune of "Sweet Child of Mine" in your first couple weeks.
• the first time we shared a laugh together.
• you crawling around calling for mama or dada.
• the way you play ball with Squirty.
• as a newborn, how your cheeks would droop so low (almost to your shoulders) when you were so ready for a nap. You never cried for your naps, you just got very quiet, still, contemplative and droopy.
• how you know exactly what the Boppy represents and how quickly you come clambering over to me, demolishing everything in your path to get to me as quickly as possible!
• the look of recognition when you see your grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins.
• how absolutely tickled pink you used to be when you saw this silly chicken keychain that played the Chicken Dance.
• the certain icy blue your eyes turn when you are just about to fall asleep.
• how you wake up happy and with a clean slate every day. It's something I aspire to do too.

Penny's Birthday Party

Ok, a short break from moving/unpacking while Penny naps and I get to decompress...

This weekend was a whirlwind! It started on Friday night when my parents and brother drove up to have dinner and help out in the morning for the party. Saturday was Penny's birthday party - with probably over 30 adults and close to 10 kids. It continues ended on Sunday with us moving to our temporary home for the next 6 months.

Side note: My mom is the party food QUEEN. She knows how to arrange a veggie / fruit / cheese & cracker platter like none other. Although I would say that I inherited her love of entertaining, I definitely did not inherit her platter arranging ability at all. Everyone has their niche in this world, and I guess that is one of my mom's. Sadly, looking through the pictures from this weekend - there are no pictures of the food :(

On the menu:
melon balls wrapped in proscuitto
deviled eggs - it's not a party without deviled eggs, in my opinion. 
various platters of veggies, fruits, crackers and cheese
smoked salmon with cream cheese and pear jam dip
Rigatoni "Pasta Pie" with ground turkey and mushrooms - a big hit!

Marble cake with butter cream frosting and ice cream.. I was going to attempt the paper towel trick for a fondant look a like, but got side tracked and ended up just frosting it. Oops!

do you think her cake topper is adorable? It was a custom order,
but you can find more of the artist's work here.

And what you've been waiting for.. {cup}CAKE SMASH!

There were actually 2 smashes for Miss Penny. A week before her birthday, we scored an awesome deal at Target and got her one year pictures taken. Here's a sneak peak..

 And the real deal. As you can see, her practice the week before came in handy!

Also, at Adam's request, we had a pinata for the kids. Which really ended up being for him.

It was a crazy, hectic and fun party and I couldn't imagine celebrating Penny in any other way.

Guest Post: Bone Broth in the Crockpot at That Mama Gretchen

Good morning!

Here in my corner of Washington it sort of feels like winter is just beginning. True, we had snow a few months ago but sometimes in the same day we'd have a balmy 50 degree afternoon. These days, as I settle into our new house and take Squirt for walks around the neighborhood I'm reminded that winter is not over. There's frost on the ground, and a foggy mist obscures the sun into a hazy glow.

I'm also reminded that it's still winter because this week, probably from all the hustle of moving, Penny and I have battled the flu, sore throats and residual congestion.

One of the best bits of "old world wisdom" that I carry in my pocket is the power of bone broths. It's not as unappetizing as it sounds. It's so easy - especially in the crock pot! So why don't you check out my recipe at That Mama Gretchen today and start reaping the benefits of bone broth.

Here's a couple resources to check out if you don't know very much about bone broth and why it is good for you:
Underground Wellness: Top 5 Reasons Why Bone Broth is the Bomb (the video at the bottom is particularly informative)
Nourished Kitchen: How Bone Broths Support Your Adrenals, Bones and Teeth / Traditional Foods 101

How Bone Broths Support Your Adrenals, Bones and Teeth

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.

How Bone Broths Support Your Adrenals, Bones and Teeth

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.

Happy Family Toddler Food Review and Giveaway!

Today I'm pleased to share with you a little bit about Happy Family baby food!

We first introduced Penny to solid foods at about 6 1/2 months via the baby-led weaning route. She started out with soft food, like avocado, and has since graduated to pretty close to eating exactly what we eat at every meal (reduced to bite sized portions, of course!). But as adults, we are prone to fall into our own routines and I know that not everything I eat is completely nutritious (we all know about my borderline unhealthy chocolate addiction) and certainly not organic, even though we are edging closer and closer to eating as naturally as possible.

However, as wholesome and nutritious as I endevour to be, it's not always possible. Some foods just aren't available in organic options where I live. So I decided that it was time to take a look at what kind of baby/toddler food is available on the market that fills in the gaps at home. I wanted to be sure that if I am going to be paying for baby specific food it needed be above the ordinary.

So when I discovered the Happy Family brand of baby and toddler food, I was able to breathe a big sigh of relief.  Why? Because their baby food is all organic and many ingredients are non-GMO certified (for a list of their non-GMO certified products, click here). GMOs or "genetically modified organisms" are a big deal for this mama, I've made the commitment to making sure Penny stays away from the whenever possible and am working on cutting them out of my and Adam's diets as well.

Along with having the standard flavors for baby food (pears and butternut squash), there's also a wide variety of ingredients that aren't old fashioned standard, such as kale. Or grains that I've never even heard of - like salba.







For this post we reviewed Happy Yogis, Happy Tot Meal Bowls, Happy Tot and Happy Tot Plus food pouches and Happy Munchies.

Because I am a stay at home mama and love to cook, it isn't very often that I use prepared baby food at home. But when we are out and about, it's a different story. Although Penny is still nursing, as a mama of a very interested toddler it's becoming more and more difficult to just sit down and nurse for a beat. Playing peek-a-boo with the hooter-hider is Penny's favorite game, but definitely not mine!

So for short trips away from home I keep a few different treats in the diaper bag handy. I like to use Happy Yogis and Munchies in the car. If Penny is getting a little grumpy I can pass them back without really worrying about her making too big of a mess back there. The Yogis are little freeze dried drops of yogurt and fruit with pre- and pro-biotics. We were able to try the Mixed Berry flavor and Penny is definitely a fan. They melt quickly, which is great for babies just trying out the concept. As for the Munchies, we've tried out both the rice cakes and cheese and veggie snack...Which remind me a little of Pirate Booty! These have been Penny's favorite lately as she's sprouted 4 teeth since January and is in super crunchy mode.

The food pouches are also a major hit. When we're out on longer shopping excursions and again, Penny is getting grumpy, these are a nice way to momentarily distract her and help us keep going. It seems like my coping mechanism to a fussy toddler is to shovel food at her.. lol! But I convince myself that it's ok because it's full of healthy fruits, veggies and grains instead of sugary snacks. It's also been great on the nights where I don't have my stuff together for dinner and we end up with something simple, but Penny can supplement with a Tot pouch.

Penny's favorite pouches tend to be the sweeter ones (go figure) with fruit. Her favorite by far is the strawberry, kiwi, beet and pear pouch. We've found that the green beans, pear and pea Tot pouches are a little thick and pasty for Penny's tastes, so she wasn't an immediate fan.

Last night Penny had vegetable ravioli in the Toddler Meal Bowl. The little raviolis were so darling and perfectly bite sized! Penny went pretty crazy, signing "more" as soon as each bite was in her mouth! I loved this meal bowl because it keeps in line it our baby-led weaning technique of feeding her foods as similar to ours as possible.

So in short, the Happy Family brand of baby/toddler food is a great choice for making sure your little one is getting wholesome, organic food whether you are on the go or at home.

Love what you see? Happy Family didn't only set me up with these yummy delights, they are giving away a coupon package for The Pierogie Mama readers too! Check out the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Open to US residents only.
Disclosure: Thank you to Happy Family for sending me manufacturer's coupons to facilitate this post and to provide an honest review.  All opinions in this post are my own.