Winner

I picked a winner for the csn | stores $40 giveaway! It is Kimberly Dunek-Buck! Congrats. I will be sending her an email shortly.

Letter From Medela

I got this letter yesterday from Medela. There are some free chats about breastfeeding coming up. I'm spreading the word. Anyone can join in on the chats! Happy breastfeeding!


Hi Mom Maven!


Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with Medela, August 1st-7th. To help you continue your breastfeeding journey successfully, Medela is hosting two free live chats with breastfeeding experts on Tuesday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m. EST AND Thursday, August 5 at 4 p.m. EST via a toll-free number.



(8/3): Maria Lennon is a Clinical Education Specialist with Medela. Maria has been with Medela for 10 years, is a Certified Nurse-Midwife, and has been a board-certified as a Lactation Consultant since 1985. Maria is the mother of four breastfed daughters who are now grown and having babies themselves.



(8/5): Cindy Wagner, MS, RD, IBCLC works with Medela as a Sales Consultant and is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She speaks locally on various breastfeeding topics, including workplace lactation and breastpumps. She is the mother of three sons, all of whom were breastfed, and the grandmother of three breastfed grandchildren.



(8/3 and 8/5): Julie Hamilton hails from Nashville, Tenn., and, in addition to recently earning her certificate in lactation counseling, is a mother of three breastfed children, including 23-month-old twins who are still nursing. As Mrs. Nashville, Julie works to spread the message of breastfeeding preparedness and is dedicated to helping moms and babies have breastfeeding success.



If you're interested in joining this live chat, please email medela@mommavens.com with the subject line "MMM Live Chat" by August 2nd. Include your name and any questions you'd like to have answered during the call. We will provide dial-in information closer to the live chat date.



Do you have a pregnant or breastfeeding friend who'd appreciate advice from an experienced mom? Invite her to join the call, too! We welcome any and all breastfeeding questions. Our goal is to help you (and your friends!) successfully breastfeed. We look forward to seeing you there!



Regards,

The Medela Mom Mavens Team

Giveaways Ending Tomorrow at Midnight!

• I have two giveaways going on that end tomorrow! 
• They are both for csn | stores ($40 gift certificate) and can be found here and here.

Myths About Breastfeeding

I heard a few of these myths when I was nursing my two son's:

1. Feed times should be timed and the baby should feed every few hours.

This isn't true. Feed your baby when your baby is hungry. There will be times when they are going through a growth spurt, and they want to eat all the time. Then they'll go through a time when they are not growing, and not as interested in eating. I found that when my babies had a cold they ate less, when they were getting better they ate a lot!

2. You can't have enough milk to feed that baby so often.

Most women's bodies accommodate to how much the baby needs. Some people have problems producing enough, and some people have problems producing too much. Once you've nursed for awhile successfully, your body will accommodate to what your baby needs.

3. You have mastitis, so you must stop nursing!

You should keep nursing, and talk to your doctor about what to take to help you get over the mastitis. Otherwise your milk supply will go down.

4. Your milk is too strong or too weak.

Breast milk is just right for your baby. It does change as time goes on. In the beginning it is more yellow from the colostrum you have in your milk. Colostrum helps fight off infection. There are times when your milk is more fatty, and times when it is more watery.

5. Too much milk can make your baby overweight. 

Not true. Babies are just sometimes fat. I've seen a lot of toddlers that are skinny, when they were fat babies. Breast milk is balanced right for your baby. Some babies do better with shorter feedings. That is if they spit up a lot. There is nothing to worry about if they spit up as long as it doesn't smell, or a funky color.

6. It is impossible to get pregnant while breastfeeding.

This is not true. It's harder to get pregnant, but it's not impossible. Talk to your doctor about birth control pills to go on. There are different pills they will prescribe you while you are nursing.

7. You should only nurse your baby for the first few months. 

This is the recommended time. I see anything additional as a perk. Really it is between you and your baby. If you feel done, then it's time to start weaning. If your baby is done, they will start weaning themselves.

CSN | Stores - Giveaway!

• I'm so excited because this is my first giveaway!
• CSN | Stores has so many things to choose from with their 200 + stores. 
• I had a chance to do a review for them on my family site, The Apel's.
• I picked out a clock and valance for my son Isaak's room.

• CSN | Stores has most anything you can think of! They have a great selection of baby items, lighting and rocking chairs.

 CSN | Stores is giving away to one lucky reader a $40 gift certificate! 

Include your email address if you do not have it public in your profile. You can enter if you are not a blogger.

1. For your first mandatory entry, check out CSN | Stores and tell me what you'd pick out with your gift certificate if you won!
2. For a second extra, entry copy and paste my Milking the Issue button and add it to your site. 
3. For a third extra entry, {like} me on Facebook. Leave your Facebook name in your entry.
4. For a forth extra entry, enter my other CSN Giveaway on my site Cookie Art.
5. For a fifth extra entry, Google Friend me.

• You do not need to enter all of the entries to be qualified, just the first entry.
• Remember to leave your email address if it is not public in your profile. 
• This contest closes in 2 weeks, July 30 at midnight. 
• The winner will be chosen using random.org.

This giveaway closed on July 30.

Disclaimer: The opinions on this post are my personal take on the products. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. If you have questions about this post please contact me at: alissa4illustration@hotmail.com

Tips From Mom

• Having a new baby is just that, new. 
• Here's a few tips tips from my mom that I thought were really helpful.

1. Sleep when the baby is sleeping. 
2. Wear your pj's around the house for the first few weeks. This way if people come to visit, they can see that you are not ready to go. Therefore they will not stay long.
3. Before you have your baby, prepare meals ahead of time to put in the deep freezer.

• Here are tips from me.
• Things that I wish I knew before having my babies.

1. Pump and store as much as possible.  If your baby gets sick, you're supply is going to lessen. It's nice to have back up.
2. Save that colostrum! I gave my babies milk with colostrum when they were sick to help give them antibodies to get better.
3. Know how to use your pump before you go to the hospital. It's like a printer, they even have tech support for pumps now a days. I had no idea how to use mine. I'm so glad I had a sister that could help me.

Trouble With Latching?

• I've been reading a lot on the proper latch. As a new mom getting this down for me was a tough one. 
• With my second baby I thought nursing would be so easy since I had already nursed my oldest that had a few tongue complications. Not so. My second was not latching right like I thought he was. I had sores all over my nipples!
• There's a few things you can do:

1. Work with a lactation consultant. Most hospitals have them, so ask for one many times. There are different lactation consultant's, so if you find that one is not helpful, work with a different one. I was hesitant with this when it came to my second because I thought I knew what I was doing. Remember that the baby has never nursed, so they have to learn how to do it correctly before it works.
2. Try and nurse a lot when your baby is fully awake! My oldest was a sleepy baby, and his doctor told me to tickle his feet to keep him awake to nurse.
3. Place the babies mouth close to your nipple, back their face away, they will open their mouth wide to reach for the nipple and put them on.
4. Some babies get a little impatient for the let down. It takes awhile for milk to come out for some women. Try pumping for 5 minutes, then try and nurse. The baby is more satisfied quickly. Once they know what it's like to get the milk, they will be more willing to work for it. This process may seem pointless to you because when you pump you may not produce much in 5 minutes. Your baby will get milk a lot faster though.
5. Here's a video showing you how to latch a baby correctly. This probably looks a lot easier then it is when you first attempt to nurse. Just to warn you there is some graphic content in this video.

Giveaway Scout

• Giveaway Scout is a very useful tool to get the word out about giveaway's.
• If you are someone that has giveaways, I strongly recommend using this connection.
• I entered the giveaway above into Giveaway Scout. 

Weaning a Two Year Old

I was on a role with weaning my two year old Isaak from nursing. He was down to nursing once a day months ago.

Then he got a cold, or cut a tooth. There always seemed to be something that would bring him back to nursing more often then I'd like. I wasn't ready to be finished with nursing, but I wanted to be nursing him a lot less then what I was.

I always wanted my son's to self wean. I think if I would of let them go on to end on their own accord they would of nursed past kindergarten. That's normal in some countries, but not here in the US.
I've gotten asked from close relatives about when I was going to stop nursing? Of course I thought I was weaning a lot earlier then now. Then they'd say something like, "I thought you were weaning him a long time ago?" I thought so too. It's just not cut and dry like that.

Many habits you can take away like a binki or a blanket. With nursing, or sucking a finger, well you just can't take those things away. No out of sight, out of mind, no throwing them in the trash can together.

The truth is, is it is a hard task. Just as hard as starting in my mind, which was pretty dang hard.
Everything I've read says not to wean while your baby/toddler is cutting a tooth or sick. Isaak's mostly always cutting a tooth. I think he's cutting one now.

I see Isaak as my baby. His hair is soft like a babies. He is my baby. Then I saw him hold my friend's newborn, and he looked like a giant compared to her.


I sat Isaak down two days ago and said, "Isaak, I need to talk to you about something that's going to be hard for us. You are getting too big for Mommies bottles (this is what I've always called nursing to him).  You're going to have to stop nursing. Do you understand Mommy?" He said, "O tay Mommy." Two seconds later he said, "Bottles Mommy?" and was trying to lift at my shirt.
Some people say kids understand more then what we give them credit for. This may be the case sometimes. In this case, not so much.

We cried together yesterday. He cried much more then I did. I gave in before bedtime because I felt not full, but uncomfortable.
Today he cried and asked for "bottles," but less then yesterday. He had no bottles today.
Nursing has always been his comfort, and I'm trying to replace that with cuddling and singing. It works, but he still tries to tug at my shirt, and gets really mad when I don't give in.
It's been a rough few days.
It's hard saying goodbye to something I worked so hard to make work in the first place.
I wonder if Isaak understands that giving this up is hard on Mom too?

On a happier note, Isaak has been dry for two day. He really is getting to be a big boy.
I've let him run around in the nude, and he's been going on his own standing up.

Breastfeeding 101

• I have to say that this is one of my favorite breastfeeding books. I actually got this book through the hospital I delivered my boys.
• Do you have any favorite breastfeeding books?

Upcoming CSN Stores Giveaway!

• I'm hosting a $40 giveaway soon for CSN Stores! I'm going to start this giveaway tomorrow, so keep checking back!
• They have a lot to choose from. CSN has 200 + stores.
• They have a broad selection of whichever bedroom vanity you like, lighting, children's furniture and much more!
• Browse through CSN | Stores to see what you'd like to win. 

Milk Woman

• I remember back to when I had each of my boy's, I felt like such a milk woman!
• I was leaking like crazy with Mica. I pumped a lot when he was first born because of all his tongue issues. I just wanted to make sure I had enough milk produced for him, and his pediatrician kept recommending to me to pump.
• I had a deep freezer full of frozen milk cubes in no time. 
• I just want to tell any new mom that nursing and sleeping gets better! The first few months are draining. I think that's why a lot of mom's give up with nursing. 
• I loved my babies, but I also remember feeling like a failure with nursing. I was tired, emotional and having trouble with both of my son's latching.
• Just stick with it, and it gets easier. Nursing is much more enjoyable as time goes on.

Making Your Own Wipes

• I never made my own wipes, but after reading the chemicals found in many of them I wish that I would have. 
• When my babies had a bad diaper rash I would use a baby wash cloth to clean them. I just didn't like the idea of rubbing alcohol on their sore bum!
• My sister has made her own wipes and diapers. She even sewed her own diapers. She did this because her youngest had such sensitive skin! 
• In these recipes it talks about using Bounty paper towels. This is the best paper towel to use. My sister has replaced paper towels with baby washcloths. You have to have a lot of them, but remember that you can wash them and reuse them. Paper towels you can not reuse, and they are harder on the bum.

Here are a few recipes for making you own wipes:

Recipe 1

You will need:

1. 10 cup Tupperware container
2. 1/2 roll of Bounty paper towels
3. 2 tablespoons of baby oil
4. 2 tablespoons of baby bath wash
5. 2 cups of water

• Cut a roll of paper towels in half, remove cardboard. 
• Each roll of towels makes 2 containers of wipes, which lasts roughly 3 weeks.
• Mix the liquid ingredients, pull up first towel, pour on top of paper towels. 
• Let them sit for at least an hour before using them. 
• Don't shake the container, it will foam up.

Recipe 2

You will need:

1. 6 cup Tupperware container
2. 1/2 roll of Bounty paper towels
3. 2 cups water
4. 2 tablespoons each baby bath and lotion
5. 2 cups of water

• Cut a roll of paper towels in half, remove cardboard. 
• Each roll of towels makes 2 containers of wipes, which lasts roughly 3 weeks. 
• Bring water to boil and add baby bath and lotion. place one half of paper towel roll into plastic container, and pour solution over paper towels. Once cool, pull your "wipes" from the center of the roll. keep sealed when not in use to prevent evaporation. 
• Let them sit for at least an hour before using them.

Recipe 3

You will need:

1. 10 cup Tupperware container
2. 1/2 roll of Bounty paper towels
3. 1/8 - 1/4 cup oil (mineral or baby oil)
4. 1/8 - 1/4 cup baby shampoo 
5. 1 3/4 cups water 
6. 8 drops of lavender oil 
7. 5 drops of tea tree oil (optional)
8. 2 cups of water

• Cut a roll of paper towels in half, remove cardboard. 
  
• Each roll of towels makes 2 containers of wipes, which lasts roughly 3 weeks. 
• Mix everything together. Add the baby shampoo last to prevent foaming. 
  
• Let them sit for at least an hour before using them.

Peel and Stick Decals

• I won a peel and stick tree from RoomMates hosted by Now What Baby. 
• These peel and stick decal's are great! I love how I could reposition the leaves, and they'd still stick.
• They make for a wonderful nursery!
• I've been working to add more character's to Isaak's tree in his room. 
• At first I was thinking of just making a bird's nest. 
• I decided to make a sleeping owl too. The owl has to be asleep because it's day time.
• These two characters are now made, but not attached to the wall yet. I'm still trying to figure out what the best way of attaching them is. Our walls and ceiling isn't dry wall. It's cement mixed with plaster. Something like that. Hard as heck! I'm sure structurally the walls are great to withstand a thunderstorm, but horrible to attach anything to them! 

 

• Here's the bird's nest. It will go on the bottom right branch.

• A detail of the nest. I just sewed in scraps of thread and I left the ends showing in a messy manner since nests are organized, yet cluttered at the same time.

• Here's the wise old owl. He'll go on the bottom left branch.

• This is a detail of one of the owl's eye's. They were sewn in.

•  I'm still in the process of making a puppy for a hill. He's going to be chasing one of the butterflies on a different wall. Isaak loves puppies, so I had to add one in.
• I was thinking of creating a puppy Doctor Seuss style. To be honest I think Max from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is kind of ugly. I'm going with more of a puppy look from The Poky Little Puppy.
• It will be a brown puppy, and he'll have a funky pattern for his spots. I thought brown will be better then white; just in case a little boy decides to touch him a lot.
• And last, but not least Isaak's going to have a kite on that same wall as the puppy.

Giveaway from Hatley

• When you are a new mom having comfortable pajamas is so important!
• Two of a Kind is hosting a giveaway for a women's pajama tank top and boxer shorts of the winners choice from Hatley! 
• Hatley has pj's for not only women, but men and kids too. They also carry rain gear as well!

Ear Infections

• I know a lot of parents and their children struggle with ear infections!
• I'm lucky that my youngest has never had a single ear infection. 
• My oldest on the other hand had many. He almost got to the point where they were going to put tubes in his ears, but decided not to because he all the sudden stopped having them. One time he had an ear infection, and got a staph infection on the same side on his neck. It is my belief that one small infection started this more serious one.

• Breastfeeding is supposed to help with ear infections. It does because the antibodies from the breast milk are so helpful with fighting off infections.
• There are some babies and toddlers that still just get a lot of ear infections. Mainly it is from the tubes in their ears being underdeveloped. There really is nothing you can do to help the tubes in their ears to develop; except by putting tubes in them.

Antibiotics

• If your child gets an ear infection, many doctors will just let them be. Studies have shown that antibiotics do not help as much as they once thought. My oldest only got antibiotics when his infection got really bad. If it seems like your child isn't getting rid of their infection on their own they may need antibiotics. 
• Antibiotics takes away both good and bad bacteria out of one's system. Having too many antibiotics can cause baby eczema, thrush and a yeast infection on their bottom.
• There are probiotics that help put the good bacteria back into your child. They are over the counter. You'll need to get a powder form to mix with breast milk, or baby cereal. 

• Probiotics are in yogurt. So if your child is old enough to eat Yo Baby Yogurt, you may want to try that instead. It's made with whole milk too!
• They even have baby cereals that have probiotics in them as well.

• Like anything, you should always talk to the child's doctor about giving your baby probiotics. Ask them how much you can give your child throughout the day. It's important to even tell a child's doctor if you are giving them a daily vitamin.

A few things you can try to help prevent ear infections is:

• Try breastfeeding your older baby or toddler in the sitting up position. The milk then doesn't pool up like it does when they are nursing laying down. You can try adjusting a Boppy Pillow to help younger babies to sit up more when nursing.
• If a dad or someone else gives your child a bottle, tell them to try and sit the child up as well.

• Again...Nurse them as much as possible because if they do get ear infections the antibodies will help fight the infection off.
• Never smoke around a baby. 
• Never let a baby sleep with a bottle in the mouth.

Knowing When Your Child Has an Ear Infection:

• It is annoying to have to go in to the doctor all the time to test for an ear infection! 
• I remember the constant co-pays with my oldest child! 
• We'd take him in and bam it was teething and not an ear infection. 
• They have a device that tests for middle ear ear infections.
• If your child has a lot of ear infections; I'd recommend getting one of these handy devices. They run around $50, but are so worth it! Some co-pays are $50!

Fun Follow Friday!

• It's Fun Follow Friday! 
• Click on the link above and add your blog. Other people will check out your blog and you can check out many blogs too!
• When you visit a blog that you like and want to follow, leave them a comment with your link telling them you are following from the Fun Follow Friday. Of course, they would love for you to follow both hostesses blogs, Simply Stacie and My Wee View, but it isn’t mandatory. If you do follow them, just leave them a comment and they will follow you back.
• The main goal is to have fun and follow the blogs that interest you!
• If you like this blog you might like one of my other blogs as well: The Apel's and Cookie Art.

A Mom4Life Giveaway

• One the Mom4Life Blog they are giving away the $12 Cover-Me Nursing Strap by Little Carr.
• One reader will win The Cover-Me Nursing Strap in the Bukhara pattern.

• All you have to do to be put in the pool to win is make a comment telling them how you could use this product.
• I put that I think it could be used at the pediatrician's office. A baby could be cuddled up in a blanket, and the blanket can be used to nurse him/her when they are naked waiting for the doctor or nurse to come in.
• I'd love to win this for my friend that just had a baby! I know she would use it.