Breastfeeding tips from a nursing MOM

Breastfeeding can be daunting, especially since no one ever prepares you for the roadblocks that show up from feeding or not feeding.  I've breastfed all my babies (my first well beyond 1 year) and I was sure surprised to see how easy it got as it progressed.  Beware though, I believe the first 3-4 weeks are the hardest, it's a test of your will.  I've read so many articles and tips, talked to multiple lactation consultants, and have had my husband back me up 100%. Here are some tips so you can hang in there while you work things out to provide the very best for your special little angel(s).

FIGURE A

1. It helps to talk to your baby and make eye contact as you nurse, this stimulates your brain and sends your glands a message to produce more milk and make your letdown flow easier.
2. In the beginning, you'll feel like you don't make enough milk. This could be that your baby hasn't learned to productively suck well yet or you're engorged (painfully full). It takes time (about a month) so don't reach for the formula or bottle just yet. If you're engorged, try gently pressing with your finger tips around your nipple for 10-second presses as flower petals (figure A) to soften your nipple to make it easier to feed from.
3. A good latch is when your baby's mouth is open wide, chin gently massaging your breast underneath, and tip of your nipple way past the front of your baby's tongue inside.  THIS is what makes your milk letdown be better and leads to you producing what your baby needs.
4. Breastfeeding your baby is time-consuming, it's part of being a nursing mom. Don't feel that it will tie you down, instead feel the bond you're building that is irreplaceable. 
5. When you start feeling pain (like dozens of paper cuts on your nipples), then soothe with simple things like lanolin, Olive Oil, your own milk rubbed on, and sleeping topless...yes, this works wonders! Just cover your volumptious beauties with small towels and sleep on your back. The towels will air-dry fast while gravity will help your milk not leak out like if you sleep on your side or sleep on your tummy (which can lead to painful infections from the pressure).
6. Don't get into a diet just yet! If you eat a restricted diet to get back into shape or take pills or "diet" smoothies, then you're robbing your baby's milk from good fat he/she needs. Many moms experience disappointment when their babies aren't gaining enough weight as they grow, but they are more focused in what they eat to stay thin. Guess what? YOU eat less, then so will baby. Your milk will have all the minerals and nutrients your baby will ever need, but the quality of it will depend on you eating right, resulting in a fuller baby quicker. Wait until baby starts solids to get on a diet. No one is rushing you, and if they do, what's more important: baby or someone's harsh opinion?
7. Whatever you do, don't supplement with formula to provide "more." If you allow your body to produce for small meals, then it won't magically produce bigger meals in time. In fact, you might end up drying up by 3 months (a very common mistake in moms).
8. Your mind being determined is key! When you start to get fear every time your baby has to latch on because of the pain you may start to feel, then just push through it. I used to chant, "Push through it, it's worth it" and chewed on ice. The ice lowered my upper chest temperature and lessened the pain (it's about the sensory receptors here being kinda numbed.)
9. Try pumping to produce more if your body is lagging in milk production. These foods and herbs help production increase: oatmeal, red and orange veggies, barley in porridge, fenugreek (herb), and fennel seed (herb). If you're like me, a heavy producer, then massaging between meals helps alleviate engorgement and placing cool cabbage leaves (just ONCE a day) in your bra will slow production (3 times a day will dry you up!).
10. Feed ON DEMAND AND ON SCHEDULE...don't get it? This means to feed when baby shows signs of hunger and to never let baby go unfed for more than 3 hours as well. Feeding on demand works perfectly while at home, but when you're out and about, your baby will get too stimulated by his/ her surroundings and may slide on to skipping a meal even. Keep an eye on that because once you start to skip meals or prolong break times, your body will then think it needs to produce less since baby isn't eating like before.
11. It may take up to 2 days for your body to readjust as your baby grows from time to time and feeding demands change. So give it time as baby grows.
12. If your baby sleeps through most of the night, you might be engorged by morning and baby won't eat everything you have in one feeding.  This is the best time to pump, before they wake up, and store in the freezer for future dates with the husband or doctor visits. You'll be surprised at how much milk you'll accumulate.
13. You relaxing and your comfort level helps in your willingness to keep going too so: sit up and use a pillow under baby if feeding upright, lay down and get comfy before feeding, or close your eyes if you're tired. Avoid bad posture and back pain. Avoid feeding baby if you're too emotionally stressed (crying, super angry, etc), it can lead to acid in your milk for baby = more spit up.
14. Baby will never "empty" you.  Our womanly bodies are a beautiful thing, and were made to feed and nurture babies, so even when you feel like your empty when baby seems to be hungry still, just switch sides and feed until he/she is full. THIS is how you make your body produce more. THIS is how you show your determination to be a nursing mom to a healthy breastfed baby.
15. If you do get a breast infection, my advice is to push through the pain, unless your baby has thrush, then go to a doctor.  I've had breast infections with my babies and I freaked out with my first and they gave me antibiotics to help, which still took days. With my second, I simply fed less from that side, and when I was sitting I placed diapers with warm water inside on my breast. The diaper's warmth alleviated my pain and soaked up milk that would run out. Easier than going to the doc's, getting a prescription  and taking pills.
16. Get support. If you live with your significant other, ask them for support and to let you relax while you feed. My husband is an angel during these times, propped up my pillows, brought me water and ice, wakes up to get baby at night crying, and often gets the baby as soon as I'm done feeding and bonding to help me relax. You'll need help since nursing does take energy from you (burns about 500 calories per feeding), you'll maybe feel weak, tired and overwhelmed...it's completely normal, but you still need special attention too ;-).
17. You're still eating for 2 as long as you're breastfeeding, so drink plenty of water and avoid the urges to snack o anything. I've eliminated sweet snacks and salty snacks at home to force my cravings to resort to fruits, small veggies (like baby carrots), and water. This happens because your body is still sharing what you consume with 2 bodies. 

So, that's it! You'll be happy you breastfed your child once they begin to grow and learn. You'll also not spend of tons of money on baby bottles, formula, proper water for formula, and time in preparing bottles at home or while out and about. Here's some quick facts too about breastfeeding benefits:

My bad!...not really

Sheesh! I cannot believe how long it has been since I truly took the time to write on my blog...I miss it! Truth is, having an infant (with acid reflux being treated) all over again is super time-consuming (both kids are watching Baby Einstein as we "speak") and I have been making tons of tiny little girl stuff while crocheting and using fabrics.

Here's a quick low-down of what I've been up to and hope you can get into it too!

I just recently discovered the Crafty Chica blog and I'm lovin' all the latina-inspired, and culture rich materials and projects.  Don't take my word for it, check it out! It's like nothing out there!

Now, I've also noticed that while I love DIYing and crocheting and creating and etc...Pinterest has totally eased up the inspiration (about 60% of the time) while searching.  Mind you, it IS addictive, but as long as you do all your house chores and bathe/dress your kids in the morning then you're set for the day to be a mom and a Pin freak at the same time ;-).  For those of you who aren't into Pinterest yet, I think of it like cutting out catalog/magazine stuff you love and compiling it all in one place divided into your own categories to reference later or do at the moment.  It's easy and you can download an app for your phone (I have android) so you can use it anywhere at any time!  You can follow what I pin by searching meo86 in "search" under "people" setting since I'm going to start pinning up everything I've blogged about too. Here's a peek at things I post about, most with tutorials included:

Yeah, I pretty much want to marry Pinterest...almost. Though I've been happily married 4 years now (this past October 1st! whoo hoooo!) and it was quite a memorable one. Celebration at home doesn't stopped (not like that!) and hopefully we can fully enjoy it this weekend!

Ok, gotta go since the Einstein video is finished and I need to start "school time" with my kid before snacktime, then playtime and naptime (while diaper changing and breastfeeding in between ♥).

Much love, muchachas!

Toddler Birthday Party Ideas: 3rd Birthday

Theme: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

My boy's third birthday just recently passed and he enjoyed it so much he kept talking about it for days.  I think the best thing you can do as a parent is to wear your heart on your sleeve for your kids.  Never be afraid of showing them your love and excitement.  They'll know without a doubt that you love them and it won't matter how much you spend to make them happy if in the end you don't give them the time and attention they deserve.

For birthdays, I suggest asking the BIRTHDAY BOY/GIRL what they want.  Show them 3-5 options for themes and let them narrow it down.  My kid actually wanted Star Wars as his #1 pick and Caterpillar as his 2nd.  I thought of how unpredictable toddlers are and so the idea of having light sabers being gashed in people's faces wasn't very appealing.  I read him his fave book (The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle) to really convince him otherwise.  He agreed to having both, which didn't work out for me, so I surprised him with the Caterpillar theme, which he adored and helped out with too.

Here are some samples of what we did.

 The invitations were simple and just showed the birthday boy from the most recent photoshoot he went through 3 weeks before his birthday.

 The number 3 was mosiac in his favorite style too and the caterpillar was holepunched and then hand-drawn.

 The leaf inside had 3 holes to represent his 3rd birthday.

 These centerpieces were made by my mother.

 The cake was provided by my dad.

 The party favors were labeled with "Caterpillar Food", tied with bright green ribbon, and inside were  colorful M&Ms.

 My family made balloon caterpillars to hand from trees.

The craft project was finger caterpillars with washable paint and then bubbles that floated like butterlies since we did all this at a nearby park.









THE BEST PART: All the kids had fun!

Taking it slow

This past half year has certainly been a very eventful part of our little family's life.  Let me list some highlights in the past months that we experienced:

January...We find out I'm pregnant...surprise! 17 weeks already with an IUD.
February..."It's a girl!" and my husband gets a call from California for a new job.
March...We leave Utah and I leave behind a wonderful group of Young Women (that I still pray for every night :'-/ ), but I had complete faith in our new journey in California.
April...Hubby's Birthday and we move out yet again into a new apartment. Got anemia again and IUD causes delicate pregnancy. New calling again in Young Women's organization.
May...Most painful month, couldn't even sit. Put on bed rest until I deliver. IUD falls out at end of month, which Doc totally reprimands me for because I removed it myself (totally dangerous, but I felt it almost out, so I went for it. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS, very PAINFUL and RISKY!).
June...1 month left til delivery! Most challenging month as I struggle to keep energized and start really bad contractions. Doc tells me she'd like to induce delivery after 35 weeks due to size and circumstances.

Well, we have had our ups and challenges, but it's been quite memorable and full of joyful news because we're expanding our family.  I've decided to let our little girl decide when she's ready to come to this world and not induce like recommended.  I've also decided to get a midwife this time for delivery and I'll be attempting to go as far as possible without any pain medication.  I want to try natural delivery and have been learning relaxation techniques of all sorts in the meantime.  Although delivering naturally is somewhat scary, I know it's possible and hope to have the strength when the time comes.

So, because of everything still going on and me needing more rest, I won't be able to blog as much as I wish I could.  I wish I could share so much more and do more, but as a mom I gotta learn to prioritize and manage my time appropriately.  I will sorely miss blogging while my boy naps and creating posts that helped inspire me to be better too.  I won't be gone for too long though.

Hasta luego!

It's a GIRL!

I don't recall if I was able to show some of my new baby's ultrasound pictures.  If not, here it is: (I have even lower memory intake lately, I blame the pregnancy!!!)

Well, so far I keep thinking about the name and what-not, but then I thought to myself, " You're just shy of 5 months left, why not relax, focus on the move to California, enjoy Andrew and maybe browse ideas for princess' theme and colors." So I searched and searched, more like quickly scanned, and found some lovely ideas.  Though the hot bright messes and pastel colors are both popular and common choices, I wanted a different approach.  I've always liked fairies, not Disney, just classic and garden type.

So below I'm showing what the feel is mostly and some adorable outfits I found real quick too.  Starting from the top right and going clockwise: A personalized Fairy Growth Chart, Fairy Booties (classic), a Baby Fairy Dress (isn't she adorable?!?!?), some Fairy Giggle Dust in a bottle for decoration sealed, a Pewter Bubble Wand with 3 stars, and a yellow Fairy Costume, a magical Fairy Flower Staff, and topped with a Fairy Flower Garland on her hair.

All of these items can be found online at chasing-fireflies.com boutique store. Sign up for a FREE catalog!

I love flowers, and much more when they're given to me ;-) so I think this is something that works well for tiny, little. angelic newborns, especially one I plan to make a home with too.  Then I thought of colors: Well, I love gray (such a neutral color) and like pink, but also like the happiness of yellow too. So I came up with this for a color scheme:

I know the colors aren't common, which is what I'm all about and I love a challenge, especially one that makes me appreciate everything more.

So this is it for now.  I need to get back to my moving-out-life with boxes and clothes that keeps shrinking when I try them on...I wonder why :-)  I love being pregnant mind you, simply because my husband becomes very sweet and caring and tender and touchy and...well you get the picture.  It becomes excessive sometimes, but I love it! Plus, he buys me anything I want at this stage.  I'm not much of a craver though mostly nauseous, and I don't think it's all true since I never experienced constant cravings with my first pregnancy. Mostly you either lean towards either salty or sweet foods.  This one is sweet and I love fruits and fresh salads without dressing or anything, just crunchy and fresh.

Got to go!  I hope I can update again in the future since I love to write, create collages, do anything creative.  Online is my only tangible source for now, so it helps me out :-)

PS. Can't wait t make her vintage flowers, paint her tiny nails, and fix her soft hair!!!

Completely Unique and Vintage Inspirations for YOU!

I LOVE vintage chic quality with a modern flair.  I don't per say wear it daily nor do I try to personify it in any way, but I do appreciate the details involved and do accessorize and decorate to accentuate my home in some ways.

Here, I will share with you a website that has an amazing array of products that you can buy or use to inspire you.  You can shop by body type, style, family, jewelry, arts and crafts, and even special occasions!

Many of these looks work great also for pictures or portraits of YOU and your loved ones. Not only are they unique, but wearable for longer than just for one photo session and they are more real than a costume!  I would love to see all my clients dressed up like this or accessorized with this to some degree as long as they stay true to themselves and feel comfortable.  That's what life is about, being YOU and finding what works for you to be better always.

Take a look into this wonderful site, just shop around and take it all in with a deep relaxing breathe like that of fresh air, but instead, fresh individuality!  There is a certain classy flair you'll see and hopefully you want to try it out, it's flattering on EVERYONE and it's not some fad that will fade with the season, it's timeless...like YOU!