mom life

Real Life: Pinterest Addiction

I think I might have a little bit of an addiction to Pinterest… but I mean… really, who doesn’t? Just because I feel the need to share further validate my addiction.

Gwenyth Paltrow’s No Fry French Fries

Pinned Here

OK – Actually, I burned the heck out of these the other night because I didn’t refer to the actual recipe (how difficult could 3 ingredients be?) and clearly… I should have! We Daniel goes through a bag of the frozen variety biweekly (it’s his go-to comfort food – Also something that he is 100% capable of “cooking” for himself.) I think these might be an alternative that we could agree on. Don’t they look yummy?

Flare Jeans

Pinned Here

I didn’t click further to see what brand these beauties are – I’m sure they’re out of my budget either way – but I’m really craving some new, crisp, dark denim for fall. Perhaps something I would wear with a heel wedge bootie… Having finally shed 100% of my baby weight (WOOHOO!) I’m ready to do some shopping. Rather making some Christmas wish lists.

FP Mixing Prints Exotic Bedroom

Pinned Here

Dreaming of our “next house.” I joke with Dan about all of the qualifications our next house will have to meet… Living in a 100 year old house will do that to you… Just add this photo to the home inspiration style file.

Creative Pantry Storage Solution

Pinned Here

Speaking of home improvement…. and our house needs lots. I think this would be a wonderful solution to the wasted wall space in our kitchen . I also think we could TOTALLY manage this DIY. (Michelle – I know Tyler could do this!!!)

Eucalyptus Oil Cough Remedy for Infants

Pinned Here

I absolutely bought in to this home remedy when Olivia was sick a few weeks ago – Dan thought I was a little crazy.. rubbing Eucalyptus oil on everything, adding it to the humidifier, bath tub, etc. Not sure that it made a huge difference… but hey – at the very least I felt like I was doing everything in my power to relieve baby Kates symptoms.

Do you Pinterest? Folow Me Here

Are you P(interested)?

Momma Meg Loves: MOPS

This past summer Daniel + I finally settled on a church where we both feel at home. After living here for almost 3 years – bouncing from church to church, we FINALLY feel like we fit. We wanted a more laid-bak, less traditional, but not overly corporate church that still shared our core values and beliefs. White Rock “campus” of Fellowship Bible Church (meets at Hotchkiss Elementary near NW Hwy + Abrams) seems to be a pretty perfect fit. At the end of summer, when they announced that the Fall semester of MOPS was kicking-off at the Park Lane campus, I jumped at the opportunity to get registered.

After Olivia was born, my mom mentioned that she thought MOPS would be great way for me to get connected with other young moms in the area. Since I’m basically the first in my immediate circle of friends to take the plunge into parenthood – I was feeling just slightly isolated.  If you aren’t already familiar, MOPS, stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, is a community of mothers of kids, ages birth through kindergarden. MOPS offers fellowship between all types of moms; helping moms to meet and build friendships with other moms. Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure I would be ready to leave Olivia for 3+ hours in the care of a stranger.  Never imagining that I would send Olivia to daycare… I’d never really given any thought to when (At what age) I would be ready. The first time we took Olivia to the nursery at church was around 6 months and it was… WONDERFUL. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to not have to split our focus on hushing the cries and coos with listening to the sermon. My only other hesitation (about MOPS) was that the 9am-12am meeting time was smack dab in the middle of Olivia’s morning nap and certainly overlapped with a feeding. Of course, when it came time – Olivia did GREAT. I was able to feed her RIGHT before and RIGHT after and she even napped for 30 min in the nursery. I don’t know why it surprises me everytime… she really is the best, most mild mannered, and happy baby.

So now, every other Friday morning we head to the Fellowship Park Lane Campus. MOPS starts with breakfast and chit-chat followed by an ice-breaker of some sort. We listen to a speaker – inspirational, motivational, informational… etc. – and finish with some casual discussion. It’s been nice to start to connect with some other moms in the area. Already looking forward to meeting more friends with kiddos who live closer to us. MOPS has been the perfect addition to our weekly routine. (Also participating in MBS @ Fellowship Park Lane on alternating Fridays) 

Find a MOPS Group near you here.

 

Olivia: Bed Time, Best Time

In so many ways I really do believe that we were blessed with one of the BEST babies in the world. Olivia is generally happy, doesn’t cry or fuss much, nurses like a champ, is easily entertained, etc. HOWEVER – she still struggles with that whole sleep-through-the-night thing… Let me preface this quick rant awesome praise, by saying that I would NEVER trade her sweet temperament for 12-hour nights and that I LOVE LOVE LOVE our precious girl, even in the sleepless nights. That being said, bedtime is our favorite part of the day – maybe it’s the hope that tonight will be the night… the night that Olivia finally sleeps through the night.  I’m sure that day will come… hopefully sooner than later… until then, I’ll share the good.

Our evening routine usually starts after dinner, around 7. Olivia and I usually snuggle up in our big bed and read 3-5 books. These are our favorites:

Baby Einstein Rain-forest Discoveries – Here

Baby Touch and Feel Animals –  Here

Where’s Spot? – Here

Olivia – Here

Mommies Are for Counting Stars – Here

Book time usually lasts around 30 minutes, then Daniel takes over for bath time. I usually take advantage of the next 20 minutes or so and finish up the dishes from dinner, fold laundry, etc. Daniel LOVES giving Olivia a bath (with bubbles) – it’s kind of become their special alone time. After her bath, I spend about 15 minutes giving Olivia a little massage with our favorite baby lotion (Thanks Poppa G for introducing me to the good stuff!), brush/rub her gums, condition/brush her fuzzy head, get jammies on, etc.

Weleda Calendula Baby Lotion – Here

The Honest Company Shampoo + Body Wash – Here

California Baby Calming Bubble Bath – Here

Then we sit in the rocker and I say our prayers and sing a few songs while Olivia nurses… usually another 15-20 minutes. (She eats a TON at her last feeding of the day).

So total that up – Our bedtime routine takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Although that sounds like quite the process – I think Dan + I agree… it’s a pretty great part of the day…

UNTIL…

11:30 PM rolls around – Dan + I have been asleep about an hour (If we’re lucky!)… and Olivia lets out a few mild complaints… Rarely resulting in rolling over and going back to sleep. Usually I go in – let her nurse for a few minutes… rock her for a few more, thinking “surely this will be enough to top-her-off and she’ll definitely make it though the night”

THEN…

3:30 AM… and she wants to eat again… Except this time… we rock for a few minutes, I put her down…and her eyes POP open… “Mom! I’m not asleep yet!” so we rock a few more minutes… and I try again. Occasionally she drifts back to sleep. More often than not… after the 2nd or 3rd attempt, I’m too delirious and/or keep rocking myself to sleep, so I just throw up the white flag and let Olivia join us in bed. Immediately – she crashes. What is it about our bed? (Actually I know EXACTLY what it is about the super fancy memory foam mattress is AWESOME and pre-baby gave me some of the best nights sleep I’d ever had…)

BEEP BEEP BEEP…

5:00 AM Daniel’s alarm goes off… always enough to wake me up… luckily, Olivia sleeps through it. Daniel tip-toes around, showers + makes the coffee… Olivia squirms (still mostly asleep) and wiggles kicks for another 2 hours… I TRY to stay out of her way… and eventually get up, get a cup of coffee… read, check email, etc. only slightly irritated that she’s still sleeping… and I’m NOT.

I know we’ll get there eventually… Until then, I plan on joining my napping baby at least once a day.

Happy Siesta,

XO

Momma Meg

Featured Image Here

Family P: Am I doing this right?

I must admit – I feel like I’m finally starting to get a hang of this whole MOM thing. Olivia has her first cough/cold this past week – going on 6 days of the snottiest and crankiest little Liv… No fever. Just snot. and LOTS of it. Standing in the hall bathroom (it’s much smaller than ours) with a steamy shower running and a tearful baby wrapped tightly to my chest – it hit me  – You’ve Arrived, Welcome to motherhood! Just as I started to feel completely hopeless, unable to do anything to soothe my miserable baby girl- she laid her head down on my chest, whimpered then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Most rewarding are the moments when you just feel like, “I’m doing it right!” 

In the past 7 months I have become increasingly thankful for such an amazing support group of friends and family. They (Y’all – because lets just face it… y’all are likely the only ones following this blog) are my constant assurance that I am actually “doing it right;” that I am a good mother.  I want each of you to know how appreciated your words, advice, time, prayers, etc. are. Your support means so much to Daniel + I. We truly believe that it takes a village to raise a baby – Family and Friends alike – We feel incredibly blessed to have you and consider YOU part of our village. 

We are among the first in our circle(s) of friends to have a baby(ies). As much as we’ve made an effort to not let “having a baby” change who we are and what we love to do; there are some lifestyle changes that are inevitable. For the most part, our young married and single friends have been wonderfully accepting, understanding and accommodating as we navigate through this change. I’m reminded of this every time Olivia spits up on a girlfriend’s silk blouse and she pretends like it’s REALLY no big deal… or it’s overlooked when show up 15 min late but still have to leave promptly to catch bedtime… or when we bring a big embarrassing animal-print high chair cover in to a trendy upscale restaurant. I’m constantly juggling feelings of eagerness to have some of y’all join the club with understanding when dinner + drinks invitations taper and  still contentment with exactly the life we’d imagined (It’s unreal how insanely happy we are). Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to our amazing friends, who have not abandoned us because we had a baby, and became SIGNIFICANTLY more dorky than we were before.

Would also love to mention how grateful I am to have some good new-Momma friends, nearby and far away alike. I love knowing that y’all are out there for 2 am text messages or emails about diaper rash, spit-up and sweet potato puree. Ready and willing to answer the questions I’m too embarrassed to call my pediatrician about. It’s amazing how something a baby in common can bond you to someone instantly… Hope y’all feel the same.

Much Love,

Momma Meg

PS. I guess I get kind of sappy when Daniel is out of town. 

Olivia: 7 months

Stats:

16.8 lbs

26.5 inches

Size: “9 Months”

Nicknames: Sneekle Freetzie, Little Bug, Liv, Liver Dude

 

Loves:

Freezie Treats (Frozen Teething toys of any variety)

Sophie

Raffy the Giraffe

Playing on the floor

Playing in the laundry basket

Listening to dad play piano/ guitar

Flipping upside down

Playing with the baby in the mirror

Mom’s new glasses

Listening to tunes in the car

Play dates with Charley

Riding in the Moby Wrap with Mom, Snugli with Dad

Bath time with Dad (especially fond of the red octopus squirty toy, orange starfish + eating bubbles)

Favorite Books: “Where’s Spot?“,  “Rainforest Discoveries” AKA Ooey Gooey Rainforest and “Animals”

Favorite Bedtime Songs: “Are You a Dreamer?” Denison Witmer , “Bitte Ein Kuss” Jonah Matranga

Cucumber

 

Cranks:

Being in the car seat for extended periods of time

Sleeping in her own bed at night

Eating Baby Food

Having her nose suctioned – boogies wiped

Milestones

CRAWLING!!! As of 9-14-12 🙂 At exactly 7 months!

(Video + Coaching compliments of Auntie B)

Licking Lips

Motorboat noise

First time at MOPS

Exclusively cloth diapering 

Successfully napped in the pack + play @ Michelle + Charley’s house!

Consistently taking 2 good (1-2hrs) crib naps a day

TRIED solid foods for the first time (Rice/Oat Cereal, Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, and Carrots)

Sitting up alone (but can’t be trusted to not “tump” (tip + dump) over)

Maneuvering from seated to crawling position and vice versa

Making Dinosaur Noises in her crib when she wakes up (on the rare occasion that she ACTUALLY wakes up there)

Learned how to kick mobile in crib until it comes on

First Cold (YUCK!)

It’s getting increasingly difficult to snap an in focus of this lil mover…

Daily Routine

5:00AM-7:00AM Cuddle (Read: Kick) mom in bed until she wakes up

7:00-7:30AM Nurse then play in bed while mom checks email, pays bills, blogs, internets…

7:30-8:30AM play on the floor while mom attempts to work out

8:30-9:30AM Hang in the Exersaucer or Moby while Mom gets something to eat for breakfast, makes a plan for the day

10:00AM Nurse then morning nap

11:30AM Wakes up from morning nap

12:00PM Attempt to eat lunch

1:00PM Nurse

(Run Errands with Mom, Play dates + fun stuff, chores + cleaning, etc.)

4:00PM Nurse

5:00PM Play on the floor in the kitchen with “The Durch” while Mom cooks dinner

(6:00PM Sometimes Nurse)

6:00PM Hangout with a Freezie treat (sometimes a Veggie Pop) in highchair while Mom and Dad eat dinner.

7:00PM Read Books with Mom

7:15PM Bath time with Dad

7:30PM Lotion + Baby Massage, PJs, Vit D, brush gums, etc.

7:45PM Nurse, cuddle with bunny blanket, songs + prayers

8:00PM Asleep

3:00 – 4:00AM Usually wakes up to eat, then ends up in bed with Mom + Dad  after multiple failed attempts to go back to sleep in her crib.

On any given day… our living room looks like this:

Mom Life: Starting Solids

Olivia is just a week shy of 7 months old – and should be well on her way to enjoying solid foods. I say should lightly because I don’t REALLY agree that babies should master certain milestones by certain ages. That being said, most parents begin to feed their babies solids around 4-6 months. Since we were in California when the clock struck 6-months… we delayed just a bit past the target window. Almost 2 weeks ago, at 29 weeks, we finally decided to take the plunge…

Many month ago, I picked up a copy of Tyler Florence’s “Start Fresh” and started planning. All along, I’ve known that I wanted to make Olivia’s food. Mostly, I’m concerned with the amount of preservatives and additives in even the organic varieties available on the shelves. Obviously, we also considered the cost-factor as well – knowing that it would be significantly cheaper to DIY. I love Tyler’s one-family, one-meal mentality… Kids should eat the same meal that the family eats for dinner. Mom WILL NOT make multiple meals to please multiple family members’ tastes. Very much aligned with the “You don’t have to like it, but you have to try it”  rule. His book includes recipes slightly altering “the family meal” for babies, toddlers and younger kiddos.

Buy Here

Totally in-line with our pediatrician, Tyler suggests starting with cereal (rice or oat) for the first few weeks then moving to veggies for the first month or so before introducing sweeter (more desirable) fruits. He suggests creating combos (adhering to the 3-day rule) after baby has mastered several foods, at around 9 months. His cookbook includes wonderful combos and stage II/III meals for older baby/toddler.

My daughter, who puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, and I do mean EVERYTHING, doesn’t want ANYTHING to do with food. Two weeks of our most desperate attempts to get Olivia to swallow even ONE bite… and she’s STILL completely uninterested.

We started with 3 days of Rice Cereal, then 3 days of Oat Cereal, followed by 3 days of sweet potatoes, 3 days of avocado and now we’re making our way through 3 days of carrots. I’m out of ideas…. Ready to call the pediatrician on Monday if things don’t turn around. OR give it a break and wait a few more weeks. I mean… what’s the harm? She doesn’t seem hungry, or cranky… and there’s lots of earthy-crunchy material suggesting that it’s perfectly healthy for babies to exclusively breast feed until 9-12 months.

Oat Cereal

Sweet Potato

Avocado

Believe it or not – we did start with a plastic bib… when she seemed more interested in eating it… it came off and I decided that Rice Cereal wouldn’t stain and I could easily just toss her outfit in the laundry… then came sweet potatoes… knowing that those might stain, we tried a cloth bib… after a week+ we’ve resolved to eating in the nude. Still followed by a hose-down in the sink…

Note: Ignore the fact that I still need to DIY a high chair cover… notice that even it got caught in the crossfire and ended up in the laundry before Avocado day.

COOKING GEAR: We decided against the uber fancy BEABA or Baby Brezza mainly because of the cost. When we put in perspective the span of time that we would be making pureed foods – it just seemed silly to invest. We even decided to forgo the BabyBullet  in favor of using the high end blender/food processor we own. With limited freezer space (we’re storing close to 500 ounces of frozen breast milk) I’m still unsure of the most compact way to store prepared food. We have some of the Oxo Tot 2oz and 4oz containers that I like (and will probably buy more of as I have 20% off coupons to BBB/BBB).

Interested in trying these Tovolo Silicone Ice Cube Trays too.

Recently I’ve done some more searching online and found some other great resources that are worth sharing…

Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food – A friend referred me to this site – Awesome nutritional information, suggestions on what foods to start with, recipes, etc.

Tyler Florence’s Sprout Organic Baby Food – Tyler Florence’s line of organic baby food + more recipes.

Mash Your Heart Out Baby Food – great recipe and combination ideas

 Featured Image Here

 

Momma Meg Loves: Babywearing

While I was pregnant, I spent a great deal of time wondering what it would be like to leave the hospital holding a baby that was INSIDE me just days before. Although I hadn’t given it much thought before Olivia arrived, I could have predicted that I would be a huge fan of baby wearing. From the newborn stage, I have loved carrying Olivia close to me – the same way I loved carrying her for 9+ months in my belly. (Yes, I am one of those crazy people who can say I truly loved pregnancy – physically and emotionally. I can honestly say, I’d never felt better…healthier and happier – More on that Here)  

On the subject of babywearing (one word – the act of wearing a baby); I am no expert. Among other things, babywearing is one of the topics I wish I had researched more while I was pregnant. Mostly what to buy vs. what not to buy. We were gifted both a sling + structured front carrier (both items I registered for) which I love(d)… And even after the few purchases I’ve made in the past 6 months – I’m finding myself with a growing wish list of baby carrying contraptions. 

The Peanut Shell Adjustable Sling –  Only recently started to become more useful. Olivia didn’t like laying in a reclined position in it… even as a newborn.  never could figure out how to nurse with her in it either. However, in the past few months, now that she’s sitting up, she’s more comfortable sitting on my hip and so this sling has started to come in handy. It’s much easier to get her in/out of than the Baby Bjorn – great for just running in to the grocery store/dry cleaners/etc. but not nearly as secure. READ: No heavy lifting or bending over. The quality is definitely great – durable yet soft. washable. Darling pattern (I have the Vanilla Bean).  The Peanut Shell also makes cute shopping cart covers and other accessories.  Here

Baby Bjorn Mesh Carrier – Mentioned Here this was one of my MOST essential baby products in the first few months of Olivia’s life. Since it’s really structured, it was easy for her to sleep in while I walked (I walked a TON after about 3 weeks) and did chores around the house. We used the Bjorn at the very least, daily up through about 4 months. Now that Olivia is a little bit bigger (Almost 16 pounds) it doesn’t seem to fit quite as well (leaves marks on her chubby little thighs) and puts too much pressure on my lower back and shoulders. Hindsight is always 20/20 – and I am definitely glad we had the Bjorn for the first 3-4 months but it didn’t grow with her as much as I wanted it to. Here

Bjorning all the time

 

Seven Sling – I ordered this sling online Here during a “Giveaway” where you only paid the shipping fee. It was TINY, the fabric was too stiff  to stretch and by the time I was ready to give it a go – Olivia was already too big to fit in it.

 

Here are the most recent additions to our babywearing arsenal:

Snugli Front/Back Carrier – My mom actually found this carrier at a resale shop in CA and snagged it for us to use while we were in town. I had mentioned that I wanted to find something that worked more like a backpack to use while we were hiking and playing outdoors. Also secretly knew that Dan would be more inclined to share the experience if it were a back carry. Here

Hiking in the Snugli

Moby Wrap – Just picked this up a few days ago – Let me tell you… it’s a game changer. I LOVE it. I might not ever use any other baby wearing contraption again. Why didn’t I start with this?! Would have been PERFECT for the newborn stage and yet still perfect for a bigger baby. In the first 3 carries – Olivia giggled (my happy baby is very smiley – but she saves the giggles for the REALLY good stuff- Like Moby) and fell asleep twice… FELL ASLEEP. While I was doing laundry. Just layed her little head down… and konked. At first, I thought – Whoa. She must have been really tired and I didn’t notice the signs. Then the next day – It happened again. One minute we were doing housework, talking, she had “Chewie”  and the next minute… KONK – asleep, “Chewie” still in her mouth. I think the Moby might have magical powers. Highly recommended. Buy  Here    Video Tutorial Here

Hug Hold in the Moby Wrap

 

Helpful Resources

  • http://www.thebabywearer.com/
  • http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/

Instructional Videos

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tabl1-dQfjM
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_qpFYDpHcw
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXn3yr9-X4

One for the road…

Watching Manatees at the DWA

Mom Life: Baby Signs

Lately, I feel like Olivia is trying really hard to be able to communicate. She’s started making the most annoying precious “MMMMMMMMmmmm” noise when she’s frustrated. I’ve been doing some reading on baby sign language and I think we’re ready to give it a go. 

Buy Here                   Image From Here

“Baby Signs” says that it’s best to wait until your baby shows interest in communicating. The authors suggest asking the following questions to determine a good time to start.

  • Is baby at least 6 months old?  ALMOST!
  • Baby is beginning to point at things. Not yet
  • Is baby bringing toys or objects to you and looking for a response? No, Not really
  • Is your baby beginning to wave “bye-bye”? No
  • Is your baby beginning to shake head yes or no? Not at all
  • Is your baby beginning to show an interest in picture books? Mom says YES, Dad says NO
  • Is your baby frustrated when you don’t understand what she needs? Yes.
  • Are there still important things your baby doesn’t have words for? Duh.
  • Are you an over eager parent? Will you ignore the number of times you answered NO to the above questions and start signing anyway? YES.

That being said…

We’ve already started waving and saying “bye bye” when someone leaves a room and beginning to point at things and talk to her about them. For example, pointing to the fountain and talking about water (Have I mentioned how much my child LOVES water? Swimming in it. Looking at it… Her latest obsession is ice cubes.. great dinner table distraction when mommy forgets to bring a toy). We’re hoping that she’ll start pointing on her own so that we can help her assign words to things she sees. (From what I gather, this is the general direction that the book suggests)

We’re going to start with 5 signs. (I didn’t make it past the first 50 pages – after reading that I was breaking all the rules by starting early… I abandoned everything but the dictionary of signs in the back of the book)

  • Milk
  • Diaper
  • Bath
  • Book
  • Sleep

Milk

Diaper

Bath

Book

Sleep

Great Resource + Images above found Here

Featured Image: Natural Wooden Baby Signs Blocks Here $45

Anyone have any pointers on signing with baby? 

Mom Life: My Breast Feeding Story

In celebration of World Breast Feeding Week  I thought I would share my story here. I hope you find it encouraging and uplifting… 

I was determined to breast feed from the moment I got pregnant. In fact, at my first prenatal appointment, my OB-GYN said something along the lines of “Are you planning on breast feeding? Because your body definitely is!” I was even more than determined. I was downright excited. I never considered any alternative. It was the one thing I didn’t need to do any research on… I didn’t need statistics to tell me what I already instinctively knew. So I’m going to completely skip the preachy part that these stories always tend to include and skip right to the personal stuff. 

Olivia nursed on the delivery table just moments after being born. She latched on with no trouble whatsoever. In fact, she was quite literally attached to my breast for 24 hours. I’m sure this is true with most infants in the first few days of life. Looking back, I’m not sure how I blocked out the searing pain of nursing a baby for 24 hours STRAIGHT. I mean… she literally wanted to nurse every 15-30 min. I guess I was too high on a more intense love than I’d ever felt… Finally, on the second night, with nipples that were cracked and bleeding, I called the nurse desperate for suggestions. Since obviously Olivia wasn’t actually getting anything other than colostrum, she suggested that I let her suck on my pinkie finger for comfort. I HAD NO IDEA HOW STRONG AN INFANT COULD SUCK! I was so shocked that I woke Daniel up and made him stick his pinkie in her mouth just so he could understand. I scheduled time with the lactation consultant the next day to make sure that a poor latch wasn’t causing the pain. Nope. Her latch was great. And the pain – totally normal. And it makes sense that your nipples would need an adjustment period. More than painful, it’s frustrating. And the first few weeks definitely didn’t get much better in our case. I winced when Olivia would start crying in the middle of the night for a feeding… When you’re deliriously tired and incredibly sore down there… there’s nothing wonderful about rolling over (we were co sleeping at the time) and letting a little monster latch on with the strength of a pirana. Enough about the pain, I don’t think anyone can adequately express it.

Around 3 weeks, the pain tapered and my milk supply began to adjust to Olivia’s demand.  Like a light switched, I started to really enjoy nursing. More than enjoy it… I loved it. Just as much as I thought I would. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and emotion every time I nursed. Even the middle-of-the-night feedings, I enjoyed. Nursing was, and still is, our most special bonding time. I make a point to try and keep the TV and other distractions off – which was more difficult during the first few weeks when nursing was basically ALL we did – but I really cherish the time now. I’m already trying to emotionally prepare myself for the day when Olivia doesn’t want to nurse anymore.

I read a few different books while I was pregnant about what to expect when nursing a newborn. Most sources said to expect about 10-15 minutes on each side. Quickly I learned that Olivia was a remarkably fast eater! I obsessively timed each feeding (Using the Total Baby iPhone App – Mentioned Here) for the first 5 WEEKS! Olivia never ate for longer than 10 minutes on a side – More often 6-7 min on the first side, then 3-4 min on the second side. By 3 months, she was eating in under 10 minutes total – usually only on one side. And thus started my obsession with my milk supply. When Olivia began eating on only one side, I began pumping (after almost every feeding) on the opposite side. Obviously this created an over supply problem leaving me with 100+ ounces of frozen breast milk. As you can imagine, pumping after every feeding got old REALLY quick. And… being totally lopsided was especially inconvenient when we were out and about. So I stopped pumping as frequently… then pretty much stopped pumping all together (With the exception of 1x in the morning to empty overnight excess). Naturally, my body adjusted to what it was sensing was a lower demand level. Psychologically, I knew that this would happen… but I still panicked that my supply would “dry up.” And when I say panicked… I mean stressed day and night, EVERY DAY for almost 2 months. Was she getting enough? Was she really a fast eater or was I not producing enough for her to nurse as long as other babies? So a friend, after listening patiently for so many hours, shared an article on things I could do to boost my supply. And I tried them ALL. Mother’s Milk Tea, Fenugreek, Oatmeal, Beer…. you name it, I tried it. All of which had some small effect. Almost 6 months of successful nursing and I STILL worry about my supply.

It makes me incredibly sad to think about the number of women who are equally committed to nursing but have REAL issues – supply, latching, jobs with unaccommodating bosses etc. I feel like women should be encouraged.. more than that…. supported (financial and emotional) with breast feeding. It isn’t easy at first, but there are several completely FREE resources available.  Online forums and message boards as well as local branches of LLL make finding support and information easy. In a culture that has become obsessed with convenience – I’ve found breast feeding to be a wonderful reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment. I hadn’t given much thought to my opinions on extended breast feeding pre-baby. I’ve come to feel very strongly about letting Olivia decide when she’s ready to wean. I have no qualms with the appropriateness of nursing a “toddler”  and plan to nurse as long as possible. 

That being said… our breast feeding journey is nowhere close to over. 

 

Some of my nursing must-haves

Mother’s Milk Tea

Coupon Here

Aiden + Anais Muslin Blankets

I found that these are just as easy and lighter weight to cover-up while nursing in public.

Buy Here $49.95

 

Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads

These are an awesome, more eco-friendly alternative to disposable nursing pads.

Buy Here $29.99 Multi Pack     GIVEAWAY Here

GlamourMom Nursing Tank

By far, the best nursing tanks out there, pricey, but worth it.

Buy Here $59.00

 Some other great breast feeding stories over here:

world breastfeeding week blog round-up

Featured Image Here