So for now I don’t set a time to start weaning. I will watch his cues and deal with him biting and pinching. The thing that I have to remember, and anyone else with a one year old is nursing changes drastically at this point.  You can go a lot longer without nursing, especially  if your baby is eating table foods. As for my son, he mostly nurses before nap and bed times, when I go to sleep, once in the middle of the night and when he first gets up.  He will nurse a little during the day but not like a few weeks ago.

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

I have an electric pump now.  My sister got it froma friend of hers.  It’s a heavey duty Medela Pump Style pump.  It’s the kind that comes in it’s own carrying case that looks like a briefcase. I was very impressed when I first got it.  However, I have had very little luck with it.  This is not unusual. A lot of women have problems with electric pumps.  I am taking my oldest on a field trip next week and need to leave my son for the longest I have every left him.  I can not rely on my electric pump to express enough milk for the entire day so I ordered the old manual pump I used to have.  It’s by Avent and the thing that i think that makes it more productive then any other pump I have used is it’s cushion like top.  It has this rubbery part with different raised bumps that is designed to be more like what happens when a  baby nurses.  They do have electric pumps with the same tops (by Avent) but I am cheap so I will stick with the manual.  Besides, I am not working so I do not need it everyday.  However, I am hoping that when my new pump comes I will be able to pump some milk to put in with my son’s cereal. I am using water right now but his weight is low so I’d rather use breast milk.

Anyway, if you are looking to buy a pump, see if you can try out friends or family members pumops first to see which is best for you.  Good luck!

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

Teething sucks, plain and simple.  Teething a nursing baby can be a really trying time.  Babies can often feel pain trying to nurse while they are teething.  Make sure to have orajel handy.  It seems like with my son, nursing is the only time I need to use the orajel.  When I go to nurse him and he pulls back and cries, I know his gums are hurting. I give him some orajel and a few seconds later he’s tached on and nursing.  However, there are a few occasions where he doesn’t want to nurse.  Keep this in mind, sometimes teething babies seem to go on a nursing strike.  Babies won’t let themselves starve so if your baby just refuses to nurse a few times, don’t be overly concerned.  Your baby will most likely be over the pain and anxious to nurse soon.  You can also try giving your baby a little pain reliever such as Tylenol and then trying to nurse again in about a half hour.

Once a tooth finally cuts through, a whole new problem accurs.  Yes, your sweet baby might bite your nipple. Ouch! It shouldn’t happen often and will happen less if you can nurse in an area where it is rather quiet.  Any loud sudden noises could make your baby chomp down.  Also, if there is movement and your baby turnsit’s head to watch, biting can happen.  There are things you can do to deal with the biting such as telling your baby no. All in all you should be able to get the biting under control. Good luck!

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

I never thought much about Selma Hyak before. I don’t think I can name any     of her movies off the top of my head. I do enjoy the role she’s had on 30 Rock lately.  However, she has now become one of my personal heroes.  While in Africa, she met a sick baby who needed to be breastfed. So, she did what any good nursing mother should do, she nursed that baby. When talking about her experience, she explains that her great grandmother did something similar and she felt like it was the right thing to do.

However, this act of kindness has gotten all sorts of comments.  Some people are actually kind of appalled by this.  Others, ignorant about how breastfeeding works, actually accuse her of stealing milk from her own baby.

In my opinion, she is a true hero. She gave that baby some much needed nutrition.  Watching the video is amazing. You can see the baby looking at her with love and thanks in his eyes. I would hope that if my child was hungry and in need, someone would step up and feed him. Way to go Selma!!

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

The story of a  woman breastfeeding in a North Carolina Denny’s who was asked to leave is making headlines all across the country. She was enjoying her brunch when other patrons got upset.  The manager asked her to leave or finish breastfeeding in the bathroom and she refused.  The manager then called the police and learned the woman was not breaking any laws.

The first report I read said that other patrons claimed she was very exposed. However, I am not certain how true this is. I have also heard reports that the baby in question was around 2 years old, which might have caused the offensive.

When I nurse in public I try to be discrete and I do believe nursing a 2 year old mid morning is a little excessive.  However, why on earth was this woman harassed? She did nothing at all wrong. I have nursed at resturants before and for the most part, you have a very small area to do so. Most of the time chain resturants have booths with benches.  There is not much room to fit the baby. Having said this, I would imagine that the child was rather close to it’s mother.  This leads me to beleive that the “offended” party was going out of their way to look at the mother and baby.  After seeing the mother nursing, why didn’t they just look away?  It seems a lot more offensive to stare at someone then to feed your child, doesn’t it?

Stories like this upset me. I can not believe that we still live in such a barbaric society.  When is the last time you went to the manager of a resturant and complained that someone who was formula feeding their baby offended you? I almost feel like we should do this at least once or twice.  Let’s see how society reacts when formula feeding offends.

Anyway, Denny’s has since apologized to the mother and no further action will be taken by either party at this time. Let’s just hope this is the last time this happens in this country.

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

Safe to Take in Usual Doses

Probably Safe in Usual Doses
Little is known about the effects of these drugs on a breastfeeding infant, but if there is an effect, it will probably be mild. In rare cases, a child will have an allergic reaction.

Potentially Hazardous
You should avoid or use these drugs with caution, particularly while breastfeeding a newborn or premature infant.

Not safe to take
You shouldn’t use any of these drugs while breastfeeding. If you must take them for health reasons, you should stop breastfeeding — either temporarily or permanently — depending on how long you need to take them. To keep your milk supply up you can “pump and dump” — that is, use a breast pump and discard what you collect until you’re ready to breastfeed again.

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

I have stated before that I am leery of general medicine doctors. I also believe   measures and preventative health-such as breastfeeding. I was raised in a house that made it a point to get to the chiropractor at least a few times a year. I have been adjusted since I was a newborn. As an adult, I have slacked off a bit do to insurance problems and lack of money and life getting too busy. Unfortunately, I did not get there at all during my pregnancy, a time which myself and my son could’ve used it most.

First, I must say that I am a firm believer in regular chiropractic care. I am the youngest of four girls and until my oldest sister was about 12, my family didn’t go to a chiropractor. When my oldest sister was about 12, she got very sick and missed a lot of school. My mom took her to just about every doctor you could imagine. One of the last doctors told my mom that my sister was crazy and that it was all in her head. Finally, my mom took her to a chiropractor. My sister started to improve almost immediately and was fine a few weeks later. She has never had that problem since. Since then, my mom insisted that my whole family get regular adjustments.

A lot of people I talk to think chiropractors are just looking for money because they keep wanting you to go back. Well, the thing is, they know that chiropractic care can benefit your health. Think about it, every single day you are using your body and getting your spine out of alignment. You turn funny, lift the kids, clean the house, etc. Everything you do puts strain on your body. You don’t go to the dentist just to fill your cavities, right? Therefore, you shouldn’t go to the chiropractor just to fix your sore back. Regular chiropractic care can result in fewer colds, fewer headaches, fewer earaches. and just fewer health problems.

That being said, should you take your newborn? And, is it safe? The first thing you need to realize is that newborns probably need an adjustment more then any of us. Being born has got to do serious harm to your body’s natural alignment. Next, understand that a newborn adjustment is not much more than a gentle massage. Chiropractors gradually increase the type of adjustment a person receives as they age. The adjustment you receive as an adult is no where near the adjustment you receive as a baby or child. Also, baby adjustments are a lot shorter, lasting only a few minutes at most.

What if my pediatrician disagrees?  My pediatrician actually told my fiance that the chripractor could do more harm then good to my son. Why? Well, two reasons come to mind. First of all, my peditrican could be ignorant and not as holistically savy as i had hoped. Or, the pediatrican, like most medical doctors, realizes that regular chriporactic care equals better health equals less sick babies which results in less money for them.

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

The hardest part about having a baby, kids for that matter, is having to wake up at night. Yes as they get older, it gets easier and you won’t be waking up as much. What about now? Nights are tough for me. I am lucky (knock on wood) that my son only wakes up about twice a night but it’s still hard. What can you do to make it easier?

First, you can nurse laying on your side. Unfortunately, my son is still to young to master this. He usually ends up getting mad and I have to sit up anyway. Hopefully in a few more weeks, he’ll be able to do this.  I must warn everyone that this can be a bit dangerous. With my girls, I remember waking up and finding my breast still exposed and a baby laying in my arms.  The possibility to fall back asleep in this position is great, just make sure your baby is safe.

Second, make sure you have a bassinet or are planning on co sleeping. Having the baby near you eliminates the need to get up in the middle of the night.

Third, find a position that works for you but try not to make it too comfortable. Personally I sit up in bed with my legs crossed. Honestly, it hurts my neck a bit but if I get my pillows behind me and sit right, I find that I will fall asleep sitting up. This no only scares me as I worry about my son falling off the nursing pillow, but it also usually leaves me more sore in the long run.

The best advice I can give is try not to wake yourself up too much. The more awake you become, the harder it will be to fall asleep.  God luck and good night!

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog

The last day of 2008! Wow, I can’t believe it. It has been a crazy but wonderful year for me.  Our family took it’s first camping trip, we moved and had a baby. I don’t think 2009 will be as hectic…well until October when we get married!

What are my New Year’s resolutions? I want to try and be a stronger person, I want to do more for my kids and I want to be a better friend. I also plan on enjoying every second of my son’s first year, it goes too fast!

This year we are going to let the girls try and make it to midnight. I don’t think they will but we are going ot put a mattress on the ground in our living room. If they get sleepy, they can lay on that and then we will wake them (if we can) for midnight. It will be fun. I hope they’re not too cranky tomorrow!!

Have a wonderful, safe, happy new year! See ya next year!

This is a post from Baby Nursing Blog