A Mom and Her Baby - One Year of Breastfeeding

One year is quite an accomplishment! Check out Carla's blog!


Congrats to Carla and happy birthday to Hannah! Read all about their journey on Carla, the Bubblelush’s blog and YouTube channel, and get inspired.

Club Foot

My nephew Emerson was born with a club foot. This is harder to fix on it's own then bowed feet. Bowed feet can happen with any baby.

He just got his foot cast yesterday. No bones are broken. They just massage the foot to bend it; then cast it.




I got to sign Emerson's cast yesterday.

Bowed Feet

I had problems with my youngest having bowed feet/leg. In particular the left foot/leg.

Kids can get this from being in the womb. Basically they position themselves with the curvature of Mommy's belly. Their feet form to that curve. I was told by our pediatrician, "Don't worry about it. His feet will fix themselves over time."

He ended up going through teething and was really off balanced. He literally tripped over his own foot and ran smack into my sister's coffee table. We had to take him in to get stitches in his forehead.

Later we saw a different pediatrician to get Isaak's stitches out. Our doctor was not in the office that day. He told us to see an orthopedic doctor. The orthopedic doctor wrote us out a prescription to get special shoes to wear. I was freaking out! I was thinking my son would have problems with walking, running and was worried about the cost of special shoes. They basically looked like they were on the wrong feet. They were supposed to mold his feet back to being straight. Cost: $100, that insurance company does not cover. Insurance believes that all special foot ware is cosmetic. Therefore they won't cover the cost.

We went in for a check-up back at our pediatrician. Our doc said that those shoes do nothing to fix their feet. It's actually better to let them run around barefoot or in soft shoes like Robeez. We went back to wearing shoes like these:

Found here.

Today my son Isaak is now 3 years old. His feet look just fine.

You can find more information out about bowed feet here.

What is DHA? - Do We Need it?

DHA is something that is added into some milks and formulas. I always knew it was a good thing.

According to this website, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a long-chair polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acid. DHA accounts for about 97 percent of the omega-3 fats in the brain and 93 percent of the omega-3 fats in the retina. It also benefits the heart.

By taking it, it strengthens the brain, eyes and heart. Just like calcium is essential for building strong bones.

DHA is found in cold water fatty fish, such as salmon. It is also found in fish oil supplements, along with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Vegetarian sources of DHA come from seaweed.

A study was just done where med students added DHA into formula to see if babies would pay attention to pictures and computer screens longer. They did.

If your child is given cows milk, try and get one where it is rich in DHA. Talk to your pediatrician about adding DHA into your child's diet.

Give to Operation Smile

 

Operation Smile is a nonprofit organization that focuses on healing children's smiles. They look into safe, effective reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Some children are born unable to socialize, speak, eat or smile because they have a cleft palate.

Image found here.

My oldest child was born with a cyst under his tongue. This made his tongue deformed. They told me my son may never talk or eat. I'm thankful he does both just fine. Operation Smile is a nonprofit organization that I can relate to.

Donate to Operation Smile here.

A company called Campus Book Rentals proudly donates to Operation Smile. Rent a college book for 1/2 the price of buying a book. Campus Book Rentals will then donate some of that cost to Operation Smile.

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 a basket of chocolate covered fruit. If you have questions about this post please contact me at: alissa4illustrationAThotmailDOTcom

What Do You Think of Cow's Genetics Being Altered to Produce Breastmilk?

Is a crime against nature being committed solely for corporate greed? You can read about this in the article found here.

Image found here.

Myths and Facts About Breastfeeding

There was an article in the Living Section of the Omaha World Herold Newspaper on August 29th called Myths and Facts About Breastfeeding. It was written by: Katy Healey.

Myth: There is no way to know if the baby is getting enough milk.

Fact: There are several ways to know if baby is getting enough milk at the breast: Swallowing is heard, the baby is relaxed after feeding, it has adequate wet and soiled diapers and adequate weight gain. After breastfeeding, a baby should act satisfied and not continue to exhibit feeding cues or mouthing motions that typically indicate hunger.

Myth: Moms don't make enough breast milk.

Fact: Moms who breastfeed regularly and frequently will supply enough milk, assuming the baby latches on properly. Milk supply may decrease if milk isn't being removed from the breast. If it's not removed, it's not going to be replenished. Sometimes medical conditions do affect milk production. Contact a lactation consultant for more information.

Myth: Modern formulas are the same as breastmilk.

Fact: Modern formulas are very different from breastmilk. Breastmilk is made specifically for human babies, and therefore is the most easily digested and the nutrients are readily absorbed. Formulas are made from cows milk and plant derivatives and do not contain the immunologic properties that protect babies from infection. 

Myth: Breastfeeding is painful.

Fact: Breastfeeding can be painful if baby is not latching on properly. The baby's nose should be aligned with the nipple so when baby opens his or her mouth wide, the nipple goes to the roof of the baby's mouth. If it is painful to breastfeed, contact a lactation consultant.

Myth: Moms who have infections should stop breastfeeding.

Fact: Mothers do not need to stop breastfeeding with most infections. In fact, breastfeeding while mom is sick provides babies with extra protective immunities specific to that infection. Seek advice from a lactation consultant if there is any question.

Myth: Moms on medication cannot breastfeed.

Fact: Most medications are compatible with breastfeeding, especially if it is safe to take during pregnancy. There are some medications that should not be taken, but often there are others that can be substituted. Seek advice from a certified lactation consultant or physician to determine safety.

Myth: Mothers must wash their nipples before breastfeeding.

Fact: Mothers do not need to wash their nipples prior to breastfeeding because doing so can remove the beneficial oils that are secreted from Montgomery glands.  The Montgomery glands are small pimple-like structures around the areola that produce oil that lubricates the areola and nipple and discourages bacterial growth. Daily rinsing with warm water while bathing is sufficient.


Sources: Carlie Lesley, lactation consultant, Nebraska Medical Center; Sue Hall, lactation consultant, Methodist Woman's Hospital

ecomom - Baby Samples Review and $15 Giveaway!

ecomom sent me some baby samples to review. They have of 2,000 healthy, smart and safe products for babies, kids, moms and dads.

These are the products they sent me:

My sister and I have both tried their Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Milkmaid Tea. It tastes good, smells wonderful, helps boost breastmilk production and is caffeine free. ecomom sells a variety of their teas: For different stages in pregnancy, heartburn and No More Milk for mamas that are weaning.

My sister has had huge issues with breastfeeding my newest nephew since he has Trisomy 18. Her nipples are sore a lot. She uses Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter.  I love that it is ok for both mom and baby. I never knew that with some nipple creams, they are unsafe to digest. With this brand there are literally no worries. It is 100% natural plant-based nipple cream, made with out lanolin to safely soothes, moisturize and protect sore nipples.

I had the great opportunity of trying out Kiddo - Hellomellow Avocado-Mango Butter Body Massage Oil on my nephew Emerson and cousin's baby Alex. They both were calmed and soothed. I rubbed their feet, backs and tummies. If you give your baby a tummy rub, rub in a clockwise motion. The oil is made with bergamot, chamomile and sweet orange infused body oil. I thought they had a hint of citrus to them when I was done.

Kiddo - Hellomellow Diaper Rash Bumbutter is a great diaper rash cream. Mainly because all the ingredients are pure! They include: Avocado, mango butter, essential oils of bergamat, orange and chamomile.

I'm so excited to get and try out Episencial Soothing Cream for eczema, itched and bothered skin! My youngest son Isaak has eczema issues on his scalp right now. I've managed to get the symptoms to decrease. He had scratched it, so I put this cream on the places that are scabbed over. It really didn't make his hair greasy looking like most products do. It's free from additives, has probiotics in the cream and is BPA free.

ecomom wanted me to tell you about their great new program called ecopass. This allows readers to purchase a $99 annual membership, which provides for a 15% discount on every order, as well as free shipping with no $50 minimum requirement. ecopass pays for itself in as few as four orders and costs only $8.25 a month.

Now for the giveaway. It is for a $15 gift certificate to ecomom.
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This contest closes in 2 weeks, September 19 at 10 pm. This is open to US and Canada Readers.

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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: alissa4illustrationAThotmailDOTcom