Udder Covers

Udder Covers is giving away one free cover! All you have to enter is "ONEFREE". It bring the $32 price to 0! You do need to pay for shipping, which is $11. That's still and steel for a very pretty nursing cover.

They have more selection on their site!

Nursing in Public

First off I love this link! It's a very sarcastic post about how Breastfeeding is Offensive - NOT! Basically it illustrates how many women who breastfeed show a lot less than women in magazines. It socially acceptable for women to show their breasts in a sexy way, but not in a natural way? So crazy how a lot of society is!

Here are four tips for nursing in public-

1. Practice in front of a mirror. Reason being is that it's awkward at first. That shows on your face. If you are in front of a mirror, you will get used to it. The less awkward it is for you, it is the same for others.
2. Prepare things ahead of time. I usually made sure I went to places that had areas to breastfeed. Some places have mothers rooms. Babies R Us and Von-Mour are a few places that do. Other good stops are places that have more than one dressing rooms. I used to take clothes in with me to act like I was trying on something; instead I was really breastfeeding. You want to make it comfortable for you and your baby. A restroom wasn't that place for me! I would have rather gone to my car than a restroom.
3. Dress so it's easy to breastfeed. It doesn't have to be a nursing top. Just try and dress with loose clothing. Many people like a breastfeeding cover. This allows for privacy, yet has easy access. My sister used to breastfeed in public. People would come up to her to see the sleeping baby. That is all they thought, was that her little baby was sleeping. When in fact he was breastfeeding.
4.  Have extra nursing pads. I leaked a lot more with baby number 1 than baby number 2. Sometimes a baby starts crying, and a mom starts leaking. It doesn't even have to be your own baby crying to have this happen. This is when extra pads come in handy. Layers help to. If you leak, you may want a thin shirt or jacket to put over your shirt.

Posh Nursing Pads

Posh Pads is a really great company! I had never heard of them until just now! I'm super excited to tell you about finding this company!

Life in the Lost World is hosting a giveaway for Posh Pads! One winner is going to receive a 4 pack of her adorable heart shaped, "My Heart Belongs to You" nursing pads!

A Doll That Mimics Breastfeeding

A doll that promotes breastfeeding. How do you feel about this doll?

I blogged a long time ago {before I had this blog} about the controversy doll that mimics breastfeeding.

My take: My youngest Isaak and my sister Terra both mimicked breastfeeding with their dolls/stuffed animals. 

I feel like it's great to have a doll that mimics breastfeeding. I do not think it is necessary to have the halter top with flowered {nipples}. In fact, why not make more more dolls that have the sucking nature? Kids can play with the doll how they want to. If their parents want to buy them separate bottles to go with the doll, so be it. There are many women that pump and bottle feed. If the kid wants to mimic breastfeeding, so be it. Kids will play out what they see adults doing with babies. I don't think a breastfeeding doll is any less disturbing then a doll that pees it's pants.   

In America, it's the land of the free. I strongly feel that this doll should not be banded. On the other end parents are free not to buy this doll, or free to buy it. 

I really stand with George Stephanopoulos on this one. He has no problem with his kids playing with one of these dolls.

Good Morning America had a excerpt on this doll two days ago. They blocked out embedding the video, but you can watch it here; they have more you can read about here. They waited until now to feature this doll on their show because it's just starting to be sold in America. It's $89. Of course since it's a hot talked about item, they are racking up the price.

Good Morning America has a pole here asking:

Do you think a breast-feeding doll that makes lifelike sounds goes too far?

A) Yes, it forces girls to grow up too quickly.
B) No, it teaches a positive message about nurturing and motherhood.

I picked B. What would you pick? I will in no way judge you for what you pick. I have some family members would would be dead set against this doll. On the other side, I have many family members that would be for it. Everyone has a right to an opinion.

Things to Do While You Are Nursing or Pumping

While You're Nursing:

1. If you have an older child this is the perfect time to read to them. They can turn the pages. They won't feel left out.
2. Sing to your baby. They love hearing your voice.
3. Trim their nails. I used to do this all the time! They hold still better then if you are not nursing them.
4. Listen to audio books, or music.
5. Talk on the phone. 
6. Rock in a rocking chair.

**Do not attempt to drink anything hot while you are nursing!

While You're at the Pump:

1. Eat.
2. Drink.
3. Call to check on your baby.
4. Listen to audio books, or music.
5. Rock in a rocking chair.

**Many pumps are double pumps. This makes doing things much easier!

Breastfeeding

We went to the zoo this weekend. It was nice! The weather was perfect.
I saw a monkey breastfeeding and thought it was so sweet.

I began to think about why it is not acceptable for humans to feed their young in front of each other.

I mostly felt uncomfortable nursing my own in front of other people because of how awkward it made them feel. I just never felt comfortable to nurse in public. I nursed in front of my inner family, and that was pretty much it.

When I was in the hospital I was really self conscious about breastfeeding with both of my kiddo's. A few people I know couldn't stand even being around someone who is nursing. I was trying to nurse my babies under the covers while anyone visited. If I had to do it all over again; I'd just ask them to leave if they didn't feel comfortable.

Especially with having c-section's, Mica's cyst under his tongue, his frenotomy, Isaak not latching right and both not gaining enough weight.  I kind of needed to see what I was doing! I did get smart with Isaak my second child, and said, "No visitors on the first day." That was so great! No one watched me try and nurse, no one saw me throw up from the anesthesia, I could feel my legs and walk before I had visitors outside my inner family.

When I saw this monkey nursing, I thought, "That is really special!" A bond between a mother and child can be made stronger just by nursing.

Note that the mother doesn't care who in the heck is watching. I'm sure the people watching didn't care either.

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.

Weaning

• Both of my kid's were difficult to start with nursing, and didn't want to quit when it came time to wean them.
• Mica, my oldest stopped nursing at 1 1/2, I think...it all seems to be a blur. My son Isaak just turned two. He's still nursing once or twice a day some days.
  
• The hardest time for Isaak to stop is when I go to pick him up in the evening after working all day. He jumps up and down because he misses me so much. He wants to nurse right away. Many times, I try and hurry up to get out of my sister's or mom and dad's house because I just want to keep his mind off of nursing.
• In the morning I've found that if I'm up, dressed and breakfast is made, he is less likely to want to nurse. He has a nice meal waiting for him instead. But...I never know for sure when he's going to wake up.
  
• If Isaak has something to keep him occupied then he's mostly ok with not nursing.
  
• Sometimes if he nurses, gets distracted, I'll cover up. He wants to latch on a min or two later. I'll just say, "Mommy's bottles are empty". I've always called nursing, "Mommy's Bottles".
  
• Ending breastfeeding and sucking a thumb is a lot different then giving up a binky or blanket. You can't just take it away to hide it, or throw it away in the trash can...it's there in front of them.
• Does any body have any other weaning tips for me?

A Taste For Whatever

• I hear a lot of people say that their kids will only eat SpaghettiOs®, Mac and Cheese or PBJ's. I'm fine with all those things in small doses. I just don't want my kids to get locked into eating only one of those and wanting it all the time.
  
• I've never had this problem with my kids. Sure sometimes they are cautious about eating something that looks different. I think that's pretty normal.
• We put a little of everything we are eating on their plates and we expect them to try everything.
  
• Our kids love a few odd things compared to most kids. They like red peppers, humus and Lima beans. They'll eat any kind of fruit. Isaak (our two year old) is not too fond of bread (which the rest of us like) and he likes curry in things, which is a little odd for someone his age. Now...both kids love ice cream and chocolate, so we're not by any means perfect eaters.
  
• Studies have shown that if you want your child to be more of an adventurous eater...start initially at the breast. They get flavors of whatever their mom is eating.
• As a mom, try and eat a variety when you're pregnant and nursing. Your baby will be more open to trying new things if you are.

Bra's

• Where and when should you get a bra? You want to wait close to delivery before getting a bra, but you don't want to wait too long, and find that you went into labor before you had a chance to get a bra.
• I got sized at Victoria Secret. I just knew they had friendly service. It made me feel even more relief when I went in, and one of the workers was pregnant too. I didn't actually get a bra that day. I really wanted a nursing bra, and Victoria Secret doesn't have them.
  
• I went to get sized for a bra 3 weeks before I went in to have each of my babies.
• Once I knew what size I needed, and what brand(s) I liked, I happily shopped from the comfort of my own home at Break Out Bras. They have free shipping, good prices and a lot of selection!
• The only thing I don't like is their website design.
  

Disney's Efforts

• I was really happy to run across this article about Walt Disney animal experts and their efforts to ensure mother-child bonding between animals.
• Being a mother and a child once, I feel that it's so important to have someone to look up to! I feel that other animals should be able to build a bond with each other as well.
• Let nature take its course.
  

Cover Up While Nursing

• My younger sister did nurse in public many times. She had a cover up that looked somewhat like:
  

• People would come up, ask to see the baby and she'd just say, "Oh he's sound asleep". She was actually nursing. I was envious that she could nurse without anyone knowing.
  
• I once asked my sister, "If you were me, would you have nursed in public?" She said, "No".
  
• She knows I had problems latching in the beginning, and active babies towards the end of nursing.
  

In Regards to the Previous Post

• I have no problem with people nursing in public.
  
• I have never felt comfortable nursing around people myself. I have nursed in front of family, and the Baby and Me Group that I went to.
• I would have been more open minded towards nursing in public if I did not have so many struggles in the beginning. It was just so hard latching both of my newborns. I really had to see what I was doing.
• When both of my babies got older, they were too active to nurse in the public eye.
• If you are someone who is like me and feels uncomfortable nursing in the public eye...dressing rooms in the mall work great to sneak into. Many malls also have a Mother's Room outside the restrooms.
  
• Sometimes I'd just pump before hand, and give my baby a bottle in public.
  

Getting Pregnant and Sex while Nursing

• Topics that many are afraid to discuss.
  
• There is a myth that breastfeeding its self is birth control. You can get pregnant while nursing, but it is harder to get pregnant since a woman's cycle is not consistent.
  
• A woman's sex drive can be lacking while nursing. I have to admit that I loved not having a period for a long while, but I was not in the mood for sex at all. There were many factors that can lead to a low sex drive.
  

1. Nursing its self and being on the pill both change your hormones.
   
2. Many woman are scared of having sex after for the first few times after giving birth. I had two c-section's. It burned when I had sex.
3. There's also the lack of sleep. Your husband may get up with you to help out in the middle of the night, but you're the one staying up to nurse, and you are literally getting your energy sucked out of you.
   
4. You are also busy with taking care of a new little person.
   

• The crazy thing is that the boy's pediatrician talked to us more about having a low sex drive, when my OB doctor didn't even mention it.
• Talk to your husband. It may be hard to do, but you have to talk about the issue.
  

Do You Need to Take Prenatal Vitamins When You are Nursing?

• It is a good idea to take prenatal vitamins during the first 2 to 3 months of breastfeeding. I was told to keep taking prenatal vitamins with my youngest, but not with my oldest.
• With my oldest I took a Woman's One a Day vitamin. You should continue to take of woman's vitamin after you are done taking prenatal vitamins.
  
• This makes sure you're getting essential vitamins and minerals. Most women can get all necessary vitamins and minerals if they are eating a well-balanced diet.
  
• But that can be hard to do when you're taking care of a baby, a home, perhaps another kid and career as well.
• Iron is the main mineral women lack. Women who give birth lose quite a lot during delivery and loose blood every month when they menstruate.
  
• Also, you need a lot of calcium a day when nursing. You need about what you'd get in three 8-ounce glasses of milk. It can be hard to get that much calcium from food.
  
• Even prenatal supplements contain only about 200 mg of calcium, so you still need to drink your milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, and eat dairy products such as yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese.

Ending the Pacifier

• It really annoys me when I see kids that can talk clearly, and still suck on a pacifier.
  
• I guess the same could be said about nursing, but I feel nursing is natural. It still gives your child antibodies to fight off colds.
• I got rid of the pacifiers as soon as my kids started throwing them out of their crib. I saw it as a sign that they were done with them.
  
• The same goes with potty training. If a kid starts to wiggle and be difficult with getting their diaper changed, they are probably ready to start potty training.
  
• I don't go by an age with these things. I simply try to read my child's cues.

Sibling's Role

• I was really nervous about what to expect with a newborn baby, and having a toddler at the same time.
• With nursing it wasn't so bad. My oldest, Mica and I did a lot of reading. We read, while Isaak nursed.
  
• I showed Mica where the spit up rags were, and he'd get me them when I needed one.
• Mica was pretty apprehensive when it came to his new baby brother. I had to teach him how to touch Isaak softly.
  
• He tried giving him his binky when Isaak was old enough to take one. Mica would put it in Isaak's mouth upside down. Isaak didn't seem to care.
  

Nursing a Sick Baby

• My 4 year old Mica had a staph infection at 7 months. He caught it through an ear infection, so we believe. There's no sure way of knowing how he really got it. His neck kept getting bigger, so my parents who were taking care of him rushed him to the doctor. His white blood cell count was super high.
  
• My almost 2 year old Isaak had meningitis when he was 2 months. It felt like deja vu for us. Oh...the worst was when he got a spinal tap done! I was told to wait in the waiting room. I filled up with milk because I could hear him crying. To this day we don't know if what Isaak had was viral or bacterial. Bacteria never grew in the samples, but antibiotics seemed to help when they'd only help the bacterial meningitis.
  
• With both kids, we were asked by the infectious disease doctors if we had illegal immigrants in the basement of our home? Plus other crazy questions that they just have to ask to get to the bottom of what they have.
  
• I got free meals in the hospital with Isaak because I was a nursing mom. They figured I was helping him to get better with my antibodies.
  
• I think the key thing to do if your baby gets sick is to pump, pump, pump. You are going to loose your supply otherwise. My supply went down, but the key thing is, is that it didn't go away! Both kids were not too into nursing when they were sick, but when they were on their upswing that's all they wanted to do.
• Doctors and nurses just love to walk right in without knocking, someone will walk in while you are pumping. Don't expect the doctors and nurses to shut the door while you are pumping. Oh...privacy is what I longed for! They had a drape that went across the doorway. Shut that! It seemed like they always left the door wide open when I had it shut.
  
• Another thing I learned through the experience...find a way to take your pumped milk home. The hospital only kept it for 24 hours. Some of my "liquid gold" as Lactation Consultants call it, got thrown away.
  
• When Isaak got sick I learned. I kept only what I had to at the hospital. When someone else was watching him, I took my milk home to freeze. The hospital has disposable bottles on hand that work with any pump. So...ask for them. There is less clean-up, and you can write dates right on the bottle.
  
• If you have a sick baby that's hooked up to all kinds of wires like Mica was at 7 months, if they are old enough try and sit them up to nurse. Remember he had a staph infection in his neck, so it hurt to turn his head. This is the only way we could nurse. This way they don't get tangled up in wires that can be set off if they become disconnected.
  

Isaak's Birth Story

• Isaak is now almost 2 years old. He was a repeat c-section. I was told even before Mica was breach, that I may never be able to have kids naturally. I elected to have another c-section.
• When Isaak was born, I thought nursing him had to be a breeze compared to Mica.
  
• I was wrong. I think the only thing that made it easier this time around, was that I actually knew how to use my pump.
• I got sores on my nipples really bad because Isaak was latching the wrong way.
  
• He lost too much weight, and I had to supplement with formula. Oh...I was upset!
  
• A week later, he was nursing just fine!
  

Mica's Birth Story

• My oldest Mica, who is now four was a breach baby who refused to turn. I even tried to get an external cephalic version, which is so painful! He was long, I was low on fluid, so turning him from the outside just wasn't happening.
• Mica came out mooning the doctors. Since he was a c-section baby I didn't get to nurse him right away. We were separated. This is one thing I wish would change.
• Once I did see Mica my sister's, mom and I realized that his tongue looked funny.
• It wasn't until the pediatrician came in that we found out Mica had a salivary cyst under his tongue, and he was tongue tied.
  
• A doctor came in that night to lance his cyst and complete a frenulectomy. Talk about difficult to nurse!!!!!!!!!!
  
• When people complain about how hard it is to start nursing, I always want to say, "You have no idea". It was hard!
• I was determined. I refused to give Mica a bottle because I didn't want him to get nipple confused. I had a birth plan, and that was already changed drastically with the c-section happening; I didn't want another thing to get in the way of bonding with my first born. Looking back...it was silly I should of just given him a bottle. Instead I pumped. I actually fed him with a syringe. I'd try and nurse with shields too.
  
• A few days later I was told that Mica wasn't gaining enough weight. I had to remove the shields, and nurse naturally. It was a bad night. Mica and I were both in tears!
  
• A few days later we had it down. He still had an asymmetrical tongue.
  
• Latching under a blanket was out of the question. I had to see what I was doing!
  
• He went on to nurse until he was 2 1/2 years old.