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Traveling with Baby
Traveling with a small child in tow can be very stressful due to the many unknowns which can occur. The first time I traveled with my son was when he was six months so he was a little older. He was in between nursing all the time and crawling – it was the perfect time to travel with him. He was a charm to travel with. Now granted, I had my significant other with at the time (one way, not the other way back) so it wasn’t too bad but it was still VERY stressful! After lots of preparing with regards to packing, I felt well prepared to take on any disasters that might happen. My friend over at Whole Parenting wrote a great post regarding her travels overseas with a little one, read it here.
I packed based upon a very diligent list that I pondered over for weeks before we left. Each time another thought occurred to me that we might need this or that, I wrote it down. Then as time reached closer I would re-evaluate the list and go over what I deemed seriously necessary, somewhat, and overboard not necessary. I was pretty proud of myself in the end because we packed pretty light for having a six month old with us! I saved the list on the computer and then was able to refer to it the next time we traveled and tailored it to D’s latest needs.
Here’s a list of the general items I found to be a life saver while traveling. A good thing to keep in mind when packing the carry on bag is pack what you normally have in your diaper bag (if you have one) times two plus more “what ifs”, etc. You can never be too prepared but just remember that it’s only a short amount of time and, in general, they will survive if you don’t have that particular item.
1. Be sure you pack for the weather you might endure at your destination – wherever in the world you might be going. And remember if you REALLY need something you can always pick it up at a store near where you’re staying.
We were going to Minnesota in early September, so that meant ANY kind of weather could happen! But thank goodness my Mom (whom we were visiting) was prepared and got us some items that we might need while there so we wouldn’t have to buy/pack them as well. I also packed a sweatshirt for each of us to carry/wear on the plane as it’s always cold on the plane. Also, make sure you have a light blanket for baby on the plane for multipurpose needs.
2. Bring a carrier of some type for the airport.
I found this to be a SAVIOR for me! I had a shoulder bag thingy that had easy accessible pockets and was comfortable to wear while wearing my child. I’ve used a Beco carrier for our travel needs thus far and LOVE IT! We opted out on not bringing a stroller as there would be one on the other side of our trip if needed and it was just more stuff to add onto everything else we had! Each travel experience calls for different requirements so it really just depends on your personal needs/preferences. I traveled back by myself using just the carrier and didn’t mind it at all. However, some people that were traveling alone might prefer a stroller as well to carry their bags etc., which is totally understandable! It also depends on the child’s age big time!! Next time we travel I’m sure I will re-evaluate things depending upon D’s age.
3. Lots of entertainment!
I brought a variety of toys – most, if not all, were on strings (secure-a-toy – pictured here) so I could hold onto it before it fell onto the NASTY floor of the airport and/or airplane! Bring a toy or two that they’ve never seen as it will be something new and exciting and worth it’s money in gold for the amount of time it will entertain them! Books, teethers, shakers, etc.
As they get older, sometimes just stickers or containers work wonders. My child LOVES containers and add something inside it to make noise while shaking and he’s set for a long while! 🙂 He was also VERY entertained by all the people on the plane – he even found someone who was willing to make faces at him which was just grand in his eyes, so it kept him entertained for quite some time! Also, if you are traveling solo, keep your eye out for a Grandma and/or friendly woman and if things get desperate and you see her staring, ask her if she wants to hold/see the baby. Believe me, it’s a lifesaver if needed!!
4. Sanitizer, Clothes, Emergency stuff, etc.
I brought a zip lock bag filled with sanitizing wipes to wipe down EVERYTHING around our seats! I love the CleanWell brand as it’s all natural and isn’t filled with all the crap that Lysol wipes have in them and work great! This is a requirement and the least you can do when it comes to trying to keep your child healthy while traveling. Also, bring a change of clothes and a bag to put the clothes in just in case you have a blow out, etc. And an extra shirt for yourself is a great idea too – you never know if you might need it (and will be so thankful if needed)! You can never be too safe in this area! 🙂 Of course bring lots of diapers, wipes etc. as these would not be items you would ever find yourself without! I found the changing table in the bathroom not as crunched as I thought it was going to be. But you definitely want to cover it with something before laying the baby down on – who KNOWS what’s on that table!?!?! I also packed some of those sticky place mat things for when we were out and about at restaurants while on vacation (and in general). I use these ones here. They are perfect for dining out and keep baby entertained too!
5. Food, Snacks, Beverages, etc.
I can only speak from a breastfeeding perspective regarding milk but be sure you bring what you need to keep baby satisfied during your travels (and beyond)! Bottles, scrub brushes, formula, water?, etc. Plan for the possibility of an unplanned layover and/or overnight stay, stuck on the tarmac etc. Better to be way more safe than sorry in this area!! Check the TSA’s website for the latest restrictions regarding formula, breastmilk, etc. I DO know that if I had to travel with frozen breastmilk, I would have stored it in the middle of my check-in bag, in a cooler type bag, wrapped in newspaper (before putting in the cooler bag). That’s the best way to ensure it will stay cool for at least 5 -8 hours. As long as it doesn’t completely un-thaw it will be just fine!
If you need to bring a pump, see if you can take it apart further. I had a Pump ‘n’ Style and it was detachable from the carrying bag so if I had to bring that I would have detached the motor part to save room. There’s also the possibility of renting a pump at a reputable place upon arriving at your destination if need be (or emergency if something happens to your other pump while traveling, etc.) I also packed a lightweight swaddle blanket to use to cover baby if it was cold/drafty and/or cover us while we were nursing. You never know who you might end up sitting near – there are some pretty strange weirdos out there. I don’t usually mind with regards to my modesty and breastfeeding but when it comes to being in a confined area for long periods of time, I prefer to just cover up and not have to deal with any weirdos or stares from people.
TREATS, SNACKS and LOTS of them!!! Those squeeze packs of baby food are saviors for traveling!! Whoever thought of 
those has got to be millionaires by now, for sure! We traveled with a few jars of baby food – OMG, never again!!! Our little man LOVES veggie sticks so we brought lots of those and puffs too. At the time, he was still exclusively breastfed except for a few little snacks at times so it was “pretty easy” to keep him happy. However we did travel again when he was nine months and we just brought lots of snacks based upon his liking at the time at that worked perfectly! Maybe even bring a snack they have never had (within their realm of food possibilities and you are sure they aren’t allergic to, of course)! And a sippy cup of whatever their liking is at the time, filled with water. The flight attendants always have bottled water on hand if you need some.
Also, make sure no matter what, that your child is nursing or sucking on something during take-off and landing to help their ears with the pressure changes. Just like we chew gum, they need something to help their sensitive ear canals while flying. Doing whatever you can to help prevent any ear issues or other illnesses while traveling will always make for happy parents and the best time!
6. Other stuff
It might be a good idea to have some Ibuprofen/Advil or something of the like just in case, along with any other medications and teething gels in your carry on. You never know! The net-teether things by Nuby or Munchkin are also great as an instant soother – put ice, a piece of apple etc. in them when on the go while traveling and this should help them deal with the pressure/pain and keep them occupied too.
Make sure you know your insurance plan(s) as well and know what your options are when out of state. Each insurance plan is different and you always want to know your options for the worst case scenarios.
Each Airlines is different so I would just bring a copy of their birth certificate just in case you might be asked to show one. You’re better off being safe than sorry!
We didn’t travel with a car seat so I can’t really guide anyone regarding that but I do know that if you bring it through the 
airport, just like with a stroller, they will check it at the gate and have it ready when you arrive at your destination. Some car seats are FAA approved so you can (should) be able to bring one on the plane if you would like (and have purchased the ticket to do so). We have one that is FAA approved just in case we may ever need it while traveling but so far we haven’t needed it. There has always been a car seat at our destination. We own a Sunshine Radian Kids car seat and LOVE it (now called a Diono Radian)! (FYI: I will have another post soon regarding car seats and safety.) Also, be careful of rental car seats and their sizes. Make sure you have a few options available since car seats vary SO much with regards to size etc.
There is also another option which is a shoulder harness extension that you can slide over the back of the airplane seat. I personally have never used one of these yet but will probably look into getting one if we end up flying in the near future. It’s called a CARES Child Aviation Restraint System, check it out here on Amazon.
Fly Southwest if you can – they are the easiest to travel if you have kids. You will board after Group A but before Group B – so you are guaranteed whichever seats you need. They also offer a $10 fee if you want to guarantee yourself a Group A boarding pass. Or just make sure your child is screaming/crying during boarding and NO ONE will want to sit with you! 🙂 It worked for me! hehehe 😉
TSA is pretty leinient when it comes to traveling with babies/toddlers/small children. However, in my experience, they would never hold my child or help much with the luggage. I have heard variations of stories so it’s really hard to predict one way or another what will happen. I thought they would help me with regards to having a carrier, where to put the baby when I had to take the carrier off to put it through security. But they wouldn’t even hold him while I was trying to get my stuff. So I ended up just putting him in the bin for a moment while I strapped the carrier off and back on. It was pretty funny, wish I had a picture of it! I had to do what I had to do at the time and that’s what worked without him going on the floor…so that was next to best at the time.
However, the thing to remember regarding TSA is they each have their own ways, rules, etc. so nothing ever seems to be true across the country. Going through security by myself with baby wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. So just be as prepared as you can be and have your liquid stuff in baggies before hand, etc. and it won’t be bad at all. Worst case scenario is they have to search your bag, etc. and I’m sure after that they’ll regret ever asking! LOL (have a nice poopy diaper in there, hehe j/k).
All in all, traveling with a baby is an experience that we all have to go through at some point as a parent. I definitely learned to be a LOT more understanding when it came to small children on planes than I was before. I learned a lot from our two trips thus far and by talking with other Moms about their experiences. Ask others what they found to be helpful and what they learned and you will be a lot more confident when it comes to travel day. Best thing to remember – it’s not as bad as you will stress it to be so try and relax and go with the flow. Enjoy your trip and make lots of amazing memories!! 🙂
7. Traveling by Car or Train
With regards to other means of transportation for travel I really don’t have much experience. We have taken one road trip (5 hours total) since D was born and it went really smooth and easy. Best advice when traveling by car is to drive towards the end of the day when baby is most likely to be tired and sleep. However, this probably doesn’t work when traveling long distances by car (or train). If we had to do a long road trip I would probably end up giving in and getting some type of movie player for D. As much as I try and keep TV watching to a minimum, there are times when a DVD (educational video of course) is just easier. I would also probably pick up some fun music CD’s that we could listen to and sing along to during the car ride. All in all, it really just depends upon the age of the child with regards to what kind of entertainment to keep the child occupied while being confined to their car seat.
What are some of your necessities when traveling with a baby/child? Do you have any suggestions/advice to add regarding your experiences, etc.? Please feel free to add more in the comments! 🙂
The other day I asked my Mom if we should get some door handle child proof knob protectors because D has learned how to open doors. Her response was, “We all survived without all of these products and extra protections…” — She has such a good point!! Yea, times change but in general they really don’t change THAT drastically to the point we need a child proofing device for each and everything “unsafe” in our house which our child might get hurt from. But do we? I think it really has a lot of depending factors: Is your child the next Hoodini and figures out anything and everything you do to try and keep him from getting into the dog dishes or drawers? Does your child know how to open doors and is obsessed with the toilet? (Well this one is a given because almost every kid has a phase where the toilet is the fascination of their day but you get the point.) 🙂
There will always be the children who require a few more child-proofing devices for the sanity and security of everyone in the household. There’s also children who could care less…but those are few, far, and in between and you’re lucky if you have one of those kids. 🙂 Child proofing also happens in phases as a child learns new movements and abilities. First you have to protect the crawler, then the walker, then the CLIMBER — It’s never ending! But in all reality the child does need to learn boundaries and discipline without getting too hurt and at the same time, not be protected from every little thing in the house.
In our society there’s always a product for everything and as easy as it can be at times to just give in and buy it all because it will help protect your precious child from getting hurt, sometimes it’s better to just save your money and wait out that little time of whichever phase by solving the problem in other ways or not at all. There’s usually an easy fix product for our temporary problems like keeping the door handle locked. But in the end, the child has to learn right from wrong, good from bad, and there’s no time like a real-life situation to start teaching them. Persistence pays off but it does take lots of patience and calmness (speaking from lots of personal experience).
I’m not saying that you should let your child touch the hot stove so they can learn that it’s HOT. But you can reinforce some language that they can understand so they won’t be so obsessed about wanting to touch the stove all the time. A toddler loves to get reactions from people around them. D will look me straight in the face as he’s dangling his sippy cup over the side of his high chair and just drop it, looking for my reaction. It’s tough not to react after the 15th time that day but just ignoring them is the best way to curb that habit. And FYI, that phase will also pass onto another phase so for the interim just find other ways to react and deal with it, if you can.
So when it comes to child proofing as your baby is becoming more mobile, don’t go overboard and get one of everything
they sell at Buy Buy Baby. Just child proof the things that help your sanity in knowing your child won’t chew on the TV chord or have the TV topple on top of them. Put gates near stairs, tie blind strings high, put a fence around your pool, etc. Some people will put outlet covers over their outlets (we do) but I have heard these are high on the choking list so it’s something of a personal choice in the end. I believe they do make new ones that are more high-tech and less of a choking hazard but come with a high grade of annoyance if you ever want to use that plug again. So it’s all in the eye of the beholder. 🙂
Lock the cabinets that are off limits and eliminate the possibility of them getting into the cleaners by storing them up high or outside of the house. But don’t lock every lower cabinet so they can’t get into any of them – they have to have some drawers and cabinets where they can just empty out the pots and tupperware. 🙂 Believe me, pots and tupperware can be HOURS of entertainment = freedom for a bit for Mommy!
One of the biggest death traps in the house has got to be the bathroom and bathtub (next to the pool outside). So be sure to ALWAYS WATCH YOUR KIDS AROUND WATER! Get a padded protector for the water spout in the bathtub as this can be a big owee. Along with grippy stuff for the bottom of the tub. The hardest yet most dangerous part about the tub is when they slip and fall and hit their head. So PLEASE be sure to drill not standing in the tub with your child!!!
I ended up just taking all possibilities out of the house and took all poisonous products out of the house and/or threw them away. I actually stopped using all harsh chemicals in general as well, which is something I plan on talking about in a future post soon. I also keep Ipecac syrup and bennadryl on hand in the house just in case we may need it and the poison control number.
IKEA has these great corner protector devices that are in the shape of a hand and their cheap – 8 for around $5! Not sure what they go for at Baby stores but this was the best price I found. We got those and loved them! They were perfect for all the glass table corners we had. I used the pool noodles, cut down the middle and put those on the long glass portions of the entertainment center that was at head level for little man, but these didn’t last very long. I’m sure there’s a way to make it more stay-proof but after he started taking bites off the ends I was done with that. And it ended up that he didn’t need those anyways. The rare times he hit his head near there it wasn’t very detrimental and he was just fine. I also just kept lots of distraction items around there so he wouldn’t want to stand and or go near the glass and/or TV as well.
Child-proofing is obviously something every parent should take seriously but be sure to do your research about everything and READ USER REVIEWS before buying things – anything. I have found these to be a LIFE SAVER!! And leave your own reviews too so people can gauge their purchase decisions upon lots of reviews. That’s what the internet is there for to use (and much more, but this is one of the many things :).
Please do take child-proofing seriously of course and take what precautions you feel are necessary for your household and your sanity!
Post Script – I have a thirteen month old so this is all the personal experience I have thus far regarding child-proofing. There may be more things I need to know but this is what I have learned thus far! 🙂
Homemade Baby Food – made with love
The decision regarding of the best way to introduce food into your babies diet is a huge one! There are a lot of options out there in this day and age. Making your own baby food and baby led weaning are two very popular methods. I knew that I wanted my child to have very positive, healthy associations with foods and hopefully have a great pallet as well. When a baby is exclusively breastfed they are introduced to a variety of flavors already through their mommies milk. So I wanted to continue to feed him the most natural foods and decided after some research that I was going to make my baby all his foods from the start (and still do to this day).
My friend over at Whole Parenting was a huge inspiration in this venture. One day I was reading through her wonderful blog and I stumbled upon her post (and here too) about Super Baby Food book by Ruth Yaron. I got really inspired and ordered it off Amazon that day! I couldn’t wait to start reading what this book had to say! I learned a bunch regarding fruits and vegetables through using this book. I am so glad that I chose to get this book, it opened my world (and my babies world) into a whole new realm of foods and eating.
So around 6 1/2 months I started on the fun new venture of making fresh, pureed foods for D. His main meal was porridge – which was ground up, cooked grains mixed with veggies and/or fruits, with added nutrients like flax seed, brewers yeast, kale, egg yolk, and much more (although some weren’t introduced until he was a little older). He LOVED it!! I will post pictures with step by step directions on how to make delicious, healthy, and nummy porridge. The book really helped guide me in this new venture and helped me feel ten times more confident in what I was feeding my child, knowing it was all healthy and wonderful for him!
One interesting thing I learned was that commercial baby cereals are so flavorless and aren’t really an important, 
required part of a babies diet. They are great as a first food starter but not needed as part of a daily nutritional need. In fact, some of the first foods recommended are avocado, yogurt, banana or sweet potatoes. Babies can get their required iron intake from numerous fresh foods – there’s no need to give them fortified gross cereal. That’ll just dampen their urge to want to learn to eat solid foods. In the U.K., babies aren’t fed infant cereal at all, baby led weaning is what a huge portion of the population does there. It’s a pretty simple concept – you just feed your baby whole, large carrots or celery for example, and introduce solid foods (not in the puree form) and allow your baby to lead the way to what they want to try out and eat. As long as a baby is still nursing or being formula fed they are getting all their nutrition they need during the first year. Everything else is just practice for the big kid table after age one and beyond.
Another reason why I went the homemade baby food route is that it is SO much more cheaper and of course a lot more 
healthier! It may take a little more time and effort for preparation but in the end the time to prepare a meal for baby is equal to the amount of time it takes if we did the “Gerber” food processed route. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with baby food sold at the grocery store but there’s nothing that beats fresh, homemade food, especially while introducing all the foods in the beginning. As baby grows and you’re on the go, there are some wonderful options for on the go foods. They have these packet spout purees that are easy and squeezable, straight into their mouth. No need for a bowl or spoon! Whoever thought of these pouches is laughing straight to the bank. There’s also some delicious, organic options as well, like Happy Baby or Plum Organics, that are great for those parents that prefer organic over non-organic foods for their child(ren).
There are a few things you need to make your own baby food: some kind of food processor, food mill, etc., some ice cube
trays, a steamer basket/pot, and freezer zip lock baggies. That’s it! Just steam the food, puree, freeze it, and put the cubes into baggies and voi-la – you have homemade baby food! It’s SO easy and really not that time consuming at all. Any mom – stay at home or working – can do it. I have working mommy friends who made their babies food and the night before they would just put a baggie together with the cubes of food for the next day and sent it off to daycare – even the daycare workers loved how simple it was too!
The picture here was taken one day when I needed to re-organize our freezer space because D’s food was taking over! So in each of the bags there are different food cubes, some mixed cubes and grain cubes. I also liked to put a variety bag together of vitamin A foods, vitamin C foods, super foods, etc. so that way when I’m making his porridge I can just grab each bag and I don’t have to individually open each bag. The trick sometimes was trying to decipher which cube was what in the mixed bag. 🙂
So the decision of how you would like to introduce foods to your baby is actually a pretty big one, in my opinion. Food associations are created at a very young age and the best way to teach them to eat an assortment of foods is to stimulate their pallet early on. Allow them to explore the different tastes, textures, and colors together with you as you bond in a wonderful new experience together.
You Know You’re A Mom When…….
I wanted to post this wonderful list created by the mommies group I’m a part of. We have a private Facebook group where we can post questions, comments, frustrations, and everything else in between. We also get together frequently for play dates and fun activities with the kiddos. It’s such an awesome group of women! Here’s the perfect list to read if you need a good laugh or having “one of those days”. I thought it would be a fun post, enjoy!
You know you’re a mom when…
- Your child vomits all over you and your first response is “are you okay?”
- You get to the car ~ you have the baby, diapers, wipes, toys, sippy cup, snack, your pocketbook with wallet, phone & NO KEYS… Whoops !!!!
- Wearing jeans = a special occasion / dressing up
- You feel well rested after 4 hours of sleep
- Your shirt becomes his Kleenex, and you are ok with that
- A wait at a doctor’s office (baby free) is like a vacation. When they call your name you actually ask them for 5 more minutes…
- You find yourself saying things like “p.u. Daddy has stinky toots!”
- Sesame Street and Barney are no longer distant memories.
- You prepare 4-5 meals a day and somehow still forget to eat.
- You pick up giant turds with your bare hands that roll out of the diaper as you acrobatically change the diaper in the car.
- When you listen to baby lullaby music in the car when the baby isn’t even in the car.
- All your commitments are “tentative” now and revolve entirely around nap schedules.
- You are suddenly aware of the teeming bacteria and germs on every single surface on Earth.
- You have to choose your outfit based on nursing convenience.
- You often pass up date night because you don’t want to be out late or pay 2x as much for an evening out because of a babysitter.
- You’ll never be able to fully relax until you’re dead.
- You dread the second birthday because you finally have to cough up an additional $300+ to fly with your kid.
- You make certain meals not because it’s exactly what you want, but so it’s child friendly…good bye super spicy or anything crunchy and hard!
- You get Little Einstein’s theme song or Elmo’s World song stuck in your head.
- When it drives you crazy to be with them, but is pure torture to be without them!!! That overwhelming love!
- You forgot what enjoying a shower feels like, even when you get 5 minutes to yourself your always wondering what the baby is doing.
- You feel guilty for letting your mom watch your kid and send you out for me time.
- You are so tired or rushed when showering that you either forget to wash your hair or you forget to rinse out the conditioner!!
- When I am brushing my teeth and I start singing brush up, brush up, brush up.
- When you get a chance to go shopping alone, you find yourself talking to yourself because you’re so used to talking to your toddler the whole time! You start referring to yourself as “we” all the time, even when you’re not talking about something to do with your baby! You’re suddenly capable of striking up a conversation with any mom/pregnant lady when you’ve never been good at small talk before.
- You have to plan your next drink around your nursing schedule
- You can’t remember what “free time” is. Seriously, what is that?
- You wish you had taken a picture of your house pre-baby – clean house? I don’t know what that is either…
- You are waaaaay more compassionate toward babies on planes.
- When you get a chance to go run errands by yourself, you find places to go just to go browse around because you don’t know the next time you might be able to do so. You prioritize your life around nap schedules so that you can get at least one thing accomplished a day, if you’re lucky! And then the hubby comes home and asks what you did today, you struggle to think of anything you actually did except change diapers and do dishes constantly.
- When every time you leave your house you have 3 large tote bags & your purse & you don’t find that to be ridiculous at all.
- When you walk out the house having not looked in the mirror, to later find that you had blackberry smoothie on your nose, from sharing one with your child earlier.
Ahhh….The Joys of Teething
Nothing can ever fully prepare you for a teething baby. You always hear how much teething sucks for everyone involved but until you experience it first hand, you really don’t know how your baby will react and what to expect. I prepared heavily for the teething stage and got a bunch of remedies so when the time came we were ready for war and ready to win that war (or at least survive it for the time being)!
Every baby is SO different when it comes to teeth and teething. Teeth have a time line of their own. D started teething around 4 months but didn’t get his first tooth until he was 6 months old. When his first tooth was breaking through we were about to leave on our first plane ride and the days leading up to us leaving, D was a complete disaster! He would have complete meltdowns where he was inconsolable and screaming. It.Was.No.Fun.!!! I thought we were going to have to cancel the trip because there was no way I could handle all of that on a confined plane for 3 hours!! However, he got over his pain issues and was a happy boy by packing day and we were fine on the plane, yay!!
The one big thing to remember about teething is that every baby copes differently and at different times. It feels like every time I think we’re done with teething for awhile another tooth decides to pop its way through! If only they just got all their teeth in within a few weeks span and then they were done for a few years sure would be nice. ;(
After doing some research I discovered that Baby Orajel is not good for babies at all. The numbing ingredient, Benzocaine, can cause the baby to choke because they cannot feel the back of their throat. So I chose to get Hylands Teething Gel, Teething Pellets, and Camilia Teething Gel. I felt that as long as we went with homeopathic products that it was OK to use them as needed, compared to if we used Orajel, which has restrictions due to the chemical ingredients. We 
also used Tylenol and/or Motrin as a last resort when needed to sooth the pain when it was really bad (usually at night). I also found that Gripe water really helped sooth and calm him down. There is also a natural tincture called Quiet Time by Wish Garden Herbal Supplements, which can also help calm the child down. (FYI, I never used all of these at the same time! Please discuss all your options with a Pediatrition before making an major decisions.)
We also used a Baltic Amber teething necklace during the day to help hinder the teething pain. Baltic amber contains Succinic acid and once heated against the skin it releases an all natural analgesic (pain relief) that helps with teething pain as well as colic, gas and other ailments. Baltic amber has been used for centuries and is a wonderful way to help hinder teething pains. You can keep the necklace on 24/7 if you choose but I opted to keep it on just during the day and take it off at night (just a personal paranoia that I have).
Teething has gone in waves for us. He just turned 1 and has his four front top and bottom teeth. The bottom teeth have been the most painful for him and the top teeth have come in without a fuss (for the most part)! But the one constant thing has been drool – LOTS of it – buckets worth!! Some days he goes through two bibs! There have even been times where he had such dry, chapped skin under his chin from the saliva overload that I had to put Aquaphor on it throughout the day to help repel all the saliva and Calendula lotion on it too.
We have a bunch of different teething rings/devices but in the end he seems to prefer his fingers to gnaw on with his gums. A friend gave us this teether that vibrates and looks like a bushel of grapes but with a handle and plastic – he uses that the most. It must be something about the 
vibrating that soothes his gums or he just likes the sensation, who knows! He also loved his Sophie the Giraffe teether, which is a popular teether for the parents that prefer Phthalates and BPA free plastics and is 100% natural rubber and food paint. D didn’t really like the soothing cold remedies, like a frozen wash cloth, to teeth on in the beginning but eventually enjoyed their soothing properties after he realized that it helped keep the pain at bay.
Some remedies that lots of people utilize are wet, frozen wash cloths, teething rings, your knuckle, a toothbrush, etc. There’s also mesh feeders that work GREAT for putting ice cubes or frozen fruit in without posing a choking hazard. As long as there is something to sooth the pressure and pain of the teeth
breaking through on the gums, the baby should be somewhat comforted for periods of time. The biggest thing to remember when dealing with a teething baby is that sometimes teething pain can only be soothed with some good ‘ol TLC. Sometimes there is just nothing more a parent can do to or apply to make the pain go away but to just hold them, rub their gums, rock them, sing to them – do whatever it takes to get their mind off the throbbing pain. At times, it felt like we were regressing in terms of sleep, etc. because he was up at all hours of the night with teething pain and nursing lots. It was so hard because as a parent you feel so helpless. You just want to make the pain go away for them. It’s one of the first big lessons we learned as new parents – the feeling of helplessness.
It’s so hard to deal with a baby who is in pain and there’s nothing much more you can do for them. Teething was my first experience dealing with an uncontrollable, crying baby, and it was NOT FUN!! D was such a laid back and easy baby until teething started – I freaked out more than he did! I had difficulties trying to calm him down when the boob wasn’t doing the trick during his high pain times. During such times I thought about how Mommies handle melt downs without a boob. The boob in our household solves world problems! If it wasn’t for the boob we would be in for a rough road! 😉
Now, we haven’t had to deal with teething pains beyond the front teeth so I cannot attest to molars etc. If you have dealt with these issues and would like to share your experiences, please do so. Anyone else as well who has additional tips and advice for parents regarding teething are more than welcome to share, please help each other out in the comments below! 🙂
Babywearing Rocks!!
When we were at Babies R’ Us registering for baby stuff Cliff insisted that we put the Baby Bjorn on the list. He spent the most amount of time looking at the different kinds of baby carriers they had and tried them all on. (I really didn’t see a purpose at the time for such a device but later I would become very surprised by such inventions!) It was the cutest thing ever to watch him try them all on and get so giddy and excited! He ended up choosing the Bjorn because it fit him best and was easiest to put on. We were blessed with some amazing gifts from people and one of the gifts was the Bjorn Cliff so diligently picked out. 🙂 It was a bright green color. I wasn’t so sure about it at first but as time passed and the more and more we used it, it ended up being one very handy thing to have around the house and out and about! We put D in it at a very young age when he was cranky and he loved going outside and looking at things. It was instant calming! The Bjorn became a staple in our household. As the weeks passed, I found that I couldn’t use it as much because it really hurt my shoulders after a while.
The weight distribution just didn’t fit me comfortably like it did for Cliff. So I did some research and discovered that there are a multitude of carriers on the market! After lots of research I found a carrier that I really liked – the Beco Butterfly. It was exactly what I was looking for – weight distribution, optional back carry, easily adjustable, and of course comfortable. I found one on craigslist for an amazing price and picked it up that same day! It was the best purchase ever! I use this carrier all the time when we’re out and about. And I am going to be using it more when we’re home too since he’s becoming more and more clingy to me. D loves it and it seems to calm him down if he’s ever really tired and we’re not quite done shopping or something. Anything that allows him to be close to his mommy he loves. 🙂
There are numerous benefits to wearing your baby – bonding, enhancing development and sense of well being, learning 
via enhanced visual and auditory alertness, less crying, motion stimulus, etc. It is also perfect for a breastfeeding mommy who can feed more often by wearing the baby and nursing simultaneously. The baby is able to bond more with whomever is wearing the baby by learning their voice, smell, heartbeat, rhythm of movement, and lots more. Wearing your baby benefits both Mom and Dad equally and is a wonderful thing for all involved. Even Grandma and Grandpa can wear the baby!
The one thing that I really do not like about a Bjorn is the fact that it is not good for the babies developing spine and hips. 
The way that the Bjorn is made it does not have enough fabric/support to truly support the baby without straining their spine. A baby carrier should always have fabric going from knee to knee to avoid dangling legs. If this is not achieved correctly (like the Bjorn) then the baby is essentially hanging from their crotch, being held and barely supported. Both upper legs need to be supported in order to truly carry the baby without any possible permanent hip/spine damage. This website does a wonderful job explaining how the “M-position” is the best position for your child to be in while in a carrier, wrap or sling.
Lots of Moms really enjoy using a sling to carry their child, newborn to toddler hood. I personally do not have much experience with them but plan on looking into getting one in the near future. I think that it will be helpful for the hip carry when D is really moody, teething, needy, etc. Anything to help save my back and arms from the strain is worth the small investment in a sling.
Wraps are also very popular for lots of mom as well. I used a Moby wrap a little when D was a tiny baby but besides that I didn’t find it helpful. But like anything, it all depends upon the users likes 
and needs.
If you would like further information regarding carriers, wraps, and slings, local boutiques will usually have them to try out and purchase in the store or look for a local chapter of Babywearing International group on Facebook for your city, as well as on the internet.
Please do keep in mind that each baby has their own likes and dislikes as well, so not every carrier works for every baby. It really is something that you want to try out with your baby and see how it works for both of you. Make sure the baby is in a good mood, well fed, and changed too!
To Cloth or Not: Why I chose to cloth diaper
To cloth diaper or not, that is the question!? I used to think that disposable diapers always existed until my Grandma told me how she had to hand wash all the diapers herself and hang dry them! This sounded just terrible and very arduous!! I always knew that when I had a baby I would just use disposable and call it a day. However, after a few months of going through disposable diapers like they were going out of style, I began to re-think our strategy. I did LOTS of research about cloth diapers and discovered how EASY it has become compared to the days when my Grandma used cloth diapers.
In this picture to the left, you will notice the clothespins and cloth wrapped around the baby – this is a 
pre-fold cloth diaper. This is the “old-fashioned” way of cloth diapering (like what my Grandma used to use) and what lots of people think of when you tell them that you cloth diaper. They now have invented “snappi’s” which affix to the cloth and are a LOT easier to use then the clothespins. This type of cloth diapering is great to start off using and very economical too!
Over the pre-folded cloth diaper is a waterproof cover used as an extra barrier from any wetness or leakage. This is the cheapest and easiest way to cloth diaper your baby. However, as the baby gets very wiggly and squirmy it becomes increasingly more difficult to put a pre-fold diaper on and in a correct manner that will hold all the waste in. So lots of people will move into an all-in-one or pocket cloth diaper, if they haven’t already been using this type of cloth diaper.
An all-in-one diaper includes an open area where you can “stuff” separate cloth inserts into the diaper between the outer and inner cloth that makes up the diaper. A pocket diaper is very similar except the inserts are sewn into the diaper and come out when you wash them. These two types of cloth diapers are very popular because you can adjust the amount of thickness you need to absorb the liquid, as well as lots of them are made to adjust sizes, thus allowing one diaper fit from start to potty training.
For example: During the day, one insert is usually enough to absorb the liquid between changings. For an all night option, most people will use bamboo and/or hemp inserts to help absorb all the liquid throughout the night. Both these diapers require the entire diaper to be washed once it is soiled. There are a few in between types of cloth diapers that do allow multiple uses per diaper. Also, wool covers are very popular for a night diaper option, however I don’t know much about this one.
1. Numerous savings!!
It can become really overwhelming when you’re first starting off learning about all the different options out there for cloth diapers but once you figure out what fits your babies needs it’s a great all around savings! When you cloth diaper you are protecting your babies health, your pocketbook, the environment, enjoying the convenience, and the fun designs too!
The average amount a parent will spend using disposable diapers from newborn to 1 year is $2,577.35 (found from this 
website). The average amount a parent will spend using all-in-one diapers from newborn to potty training (and can resell the diapers when done) is about $400 – $500 ($14.00/diaper (incl. inserts) x 30 = $420). I purchased my diapers from a work at home mom business here in the USA because I believe in supporting people who work hard at their business, care about their customers and their country. I could have chosen to get a “good deal” by purchasing some cloth diapers made in China for a lot cheaper but I felt that if I was going to make such an investment for my child then I was going to spend the extra money supporting a work at home business with a great quality product. JustSimplyBaby is where I purchased my entire collection of cloth diapers and would never go anywhere else!
2. Issues and Benefits
Disposable Diapers –
- Disposable diapers are more likely to cause diaper rashes for a variety of reasons
- We don’t know what effect the chemicals used in disposable diapers have for the long term health of the baby. Disposable diapers contain super absorbent polymers, petroleum based ingredients and traces of chemicals used in manufacturing
- Many babies are allergic to the dyes and glues used in disposable diapers and these chemicals can cause quite a severe rash, so just imagine the effects these chemical dyes are doing to the liver and other long term health problems
Cloth Diapers –
- Rarely cause diaper rashes (when washed correctly) due to the moisture instantly being absorbed and pulled away from the skin of the baby, thus allowing them to feel dry longer
- Easily washable and reusable for many years, if taken care of properly
- Babies usually potty train a lot earlier and easier when cloth diapers are used instead of disposable
- You can adjust the absorbency amount of the diaper to last up to 12 hours without needing to change the baby for over-night protection
Environment –
- Disposable diapers take over 500 years to decompose in the land fills – why add more to the already overflowing land fills and save planet earth, one diaper change at a time!
- Even though cloth diapers require water and soap to clean them, it is a lot less water wasted in comparison to the amount of fumes and chemicals disposable diapers emit for centuries in the land fills
3. Learn lots of tricks about laundry
I was never a very good laundry person. I just separated the colors from the whites and towels, did the three loads and was done. I am not a very good person to get out tricky stains without completely ruining the clothes. But after having to learn about the best wash method for the diapers and the science behind how much soap is really needed, etc. I can now call myself a master laundry woman!
My first lesson was in stains – just lay the stained diapers out in the sun (or any other types of stained clothes) and let the sun do the bleaching naturally. And it really works! (Well, except for the few really stubborn stains.) So, I will do this all the time. I will usually hang all the diapers and inserts out to dry anyways so they don’t get too beat up by the dryer. But I always have to fluff them in the dryer for a bit after hanging outside to dry because they get really stiff and the dryer helps soften the cloth.
My second lesson was in the amount of soap truly needed in order to get the diapers clean. We have a water softener (which is a savior for the hard water that we have in the desert) and it.is.AWESOME!! I only use a tablespoon of soap to a full load of diapers and that’s all they need! I use Rock in Green laundry detergent, which was made specifically for cloth diapers and is phosphate free and safe for babies skin. When washing cloth diapers you have to ensure you don’t use too much soap because that will cause build up and make the diapers less absorbent and may even cause a bad rash too.
My wash routine is: one full cycle of washing with cold water (no soap), one hour soak in hot water and soap, then another full wash cycle (cold rinse), rinse again, spin, and spin once more. The entire process from start to dry usually takes up a good portion of the day, so I will just wash them on a day that we’re staying home. It’s SO easy and cheap, I love it! (I’m sure my wash routine is different than others but no two are identical and this is what I have found that works for me.)
I also have begun to make my own laundry detergent for washing our clothes and I LOVE it! It’s amazing how much you can save by making your own soap! I will make a post regarding homemade cleaning supplies soon, so stay tuned!
4. Coconut oil
When using cloth diapers, regular butt paste cannot be used on cloth diapers because it will repel liquid and you will have to strip the diaper (meaning go through a rigorous wash cycle to try and get the paste off the cloth). After doing some research about what we could use on the babies skin if it looks like a rash is forming or just as a general skin protectant and discovered the wonders of coconut oil! I purchased a big bottle of coconut oil (found in the baking section of the store) and put it into a few smaller containers to have around the house and diaper bag and we use it all the time. Coconut oil is wonderful for cooking, your health, your skin, hair, etc. It has many wonderful properties and I cannot say enough about it. Unfortunately it doesn’t have that wonderful coconut smell though. 😦 There are other options to deal with rashes while using cloth diapers as well but I have found that coconut oil works just fine for us.
5. Out and About
When we’re out and about I find that cloth diapering is a lot easier to do then disposable. I will usually just carry a wet bag with a diaper and some wipes and that’s it. When we’re out and about for a longer period of time I will usually have a diaper bag but for just running errands I just have a wet bag with supplies in it. I also used diaper liners once in a while, which are a mix between toilet paper and dryer sheets and are put between the diaper and the babies skin to help “catch” things. So when it comes time to change the diaper you can just gather both ends of the liner and toss into the toilet. It is a savior at times but definitely not a necessity.
6. Dirty diaper issues
With a newborn, dirty diapers are the story your life! Actually, until they begin solids it is a continuous fountain of poop! So what to do with all that gooey poop each time you change a cloth diaper?!?! Two words: Diaper Sprayer! We didn’t invest in one of these until about five months but sure wish we did earlier. A diaper sprayer is a device you hook up to your toilet, it’s like a shower sprayer except it’s a lot smaller. As much as poop becomes a part of your daily routine, a diaper sprayer will be your lifesaver and best investment ever (next to cloth diapering)! Your other option is rinsing off the diapers in the sink each time…Y.U.C.K.!
Once they begin eating solids their poop FINALLY becomes somewhat normal and it will just plop into the toilet. But until that happens, a diaper sprayer is really a necessity. It can also be used after giving birth as a rinsing device for mamma too.
Also, I’m sure your wondering where the diapers are put until wash time!?! I purchased a garbage can with a cover and a diaper pail liner that is washable. So this way the smell is for the most part contained until wash day and then once wash day comes around I just grab the pail liner bag and off to the laundry room it goes to get cleaned!
7. Conclusion
I am so glad that we finally decided to go with cloth diapers instead of continuing using disposable diapers. The initial investment isn’t really that bad in comparison to the continuous drudge on the pocket book for disposable diapers. I felt like we were a slave to Huggies in the beginning, always needing to get more and more and ensure we had enough on hand. Now all I have to do is the laundry if we are running low and we have more on hand! I enjoy not having that feeling of always ensuring we have diapers. One less expense off our budget to put towards more important items is wonderful! And always keep in mind that once you’re done using the cloth diapers you can always find someone who is willing to buy them from you! 🙂
sLeEp……….
Everyone always says that you better enjoy all the sleep you can get before the baby is born…and you just shrug it off, thinking, “eh, I am…I’m having lots of it!” (hopefully…) And then it happens…sleep deprivation sets in after you get back from the hospital stay. Any new parent has NO idea what they have gotten themselves into until they realize after the few nights that their sleep patterns are going to dramatically change FOREVER!!
In the start it was alright because the adrenaline was still pumping but then as the weeks passed I settled into survival mode: sleep is when baby sleeps and that’s it, 24/7! And then you will always feel as if you are trying to catch up on sleep (good luck, maybe after their 18 and out of the house will this happen…). Sleep is achieved still but not at the depth it was pre-baby. It feels as though the wonderful deep sleep I used to get is a thing of the distant past forever! I had these fears while pregnant that I wouldn’t hear the baby cry while I was sleeping because of how deep of sleep I got. But within a few hours of D being born I was attempting to sleep but once he made a peep or cry I was wide-awake and alert! It’s just so amazing how the human brain changes once a baby is born and your sleep alertness is completely transformed forever!
Now, Daddy on the other hand seemed to not suffer this kind of interruption in his sleep. He can sleep through ANYTHING! Once I laid there while listening to D cry and looked over at him and he was snoring logs – nothing was phasing him! There were lots of really tough nights in the beginning where I was waking up by myself, sitting there watching infomercials while the baby ate and Daddy snored away all comfy in bed. But he did realize that my sanity level had lost control and started helping me during the middle of the night feedings. Each couple’s schedules vary but be sure to let each other sleep in at least once a week, it makes all the difference in the world! 🙂
Sleep is such a crucial thing to get – it allows you to be the best parent you can be, alert and fun, and is crucial for your health too! Once you discover how to just simply survive with the amount of sleep you were blessed with that hour, day, week, etc. things will change. But after the first months things start to settle into a routine and the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter. I think for an exclusively breastfeeding child they are much more demanding more often then a bottle fed baby because breast milk goes through the babies body a lot quicker then formula does. Formula usually allows the baby to sleep for longer periods of time because they feel more full longer. So a breastfeeding mother has to endure lots of lonely, middle of the night feedings and crying fests by herself while fighting sleep deprivation badly! It really begins to take a toll on a person but in the end, after a few weeks/months the baby seems to settle down in their very frequent feedings 24/7 to longer sleep patterns. (Also, the milk production will settle into normalcy so engorgement won’t be so treacherous in the morning after a night of minimal/no feedings.)
After the first sleeping pattern has a hold the next one occurs and it seems to consistently change. After about 3 months, D would no longer sleep in his swing or boppy pillow on the couch and then I turned to swaddling at nap times to help get him to sleep. Then around 6 1/2 months I had enough of the swaddling to take a nap and turned to the Dr. Ferber Book and mommy friends who had gone through sleep training to help with the nap times and numerous night wakings. We began sleep training around 7 months and have never looked back! It was such a relief once D slept through the night without waking Mommy up! (Which he is now waking up once a night for a short feeding before going back to sleep for a few more hours. This feeding has been hard to drop because I feel like it is always my last hope for a little more sleep each early morning that I don’t feel like seeing what happens if I just let him sleep through it.)
I always felt that each time I encountered a new hurdle regarding sleep, it might have been hard during the hurdle but
the outcome ended up being the best and only option for everyone. So, once you reach a new bump in the routine, just keep referring back to the basics and stick to whatever works.
Bed times are also a huge thing to stick to. We never pushed or chose the bed time for D, he told US when he was ready to go to bed – 6pm. So as 6pm approaches each night, he changes into a cranky little thing and we know he is telling us he has had enough for the day and wants to go to bed. We do the same routine each night too so he knows it’s time for bed. It’s amazing how much babies thrive on routine, from a very young age too! So be sure that whatever routine you choose, you stick to it. A routine should also be something that you can do anywhere, so when you’re on vacation or Grandma is taking care of baby, the same (or close to it) routine can be done. And you can just amend the bed time routine and use it for the nap routine, as this is also an important part of successful nap times.
In the end, just try and do your best to keep a balance within your life between sleep, family, and personal time. Go with your own gut of how to best approach the situation at hand. Keep any kind of sleep associations at bay for the baby and allow them to lead the way through their learning to sleep. I think it is one of the hardest first lessons, next to breastfeeding, to teach your baby – how to sleep by yourself. We all need uninterrupted sleep (after 6 mo.) in order to feel completely rested each morning/day, so be sure to show your baby how to sleep on their own, without mommy/rocking/nursing/nuk, etc. as a “‘need in order to go to sleep” crutch.
Best thing to always keep in mind…they are only young once so never stress about the big stuff (laundry, clean house, etc.) and keep your mind on the small things that make your day complete, each and every day! Some day they will move out of the house and you won’t know what happened to the time and wish you would have done/spent more during this/that time, etc. Never regret or mull over a past occurrence and live in the present and important instead of fearing and delaying the future.
Once you become a parent sleeping patterns will no longer exist and will always be constantly interrupted and at times you may never feel caught up on rest. It’s a full-time job TIMES TWO!! But just keep the coffee flowing and enjoy every moment you can as it is the best job you will ever have!! 🙂
All About Breastfeeding
I want to start this post off by first saying that I am a complete Lactivist and believe in exclusively breastfeeding your baby from birth. However, formula is a good second best thing for your baby when needed for those few instances when mother nature just doesn’t allow a woman to create enough milk for her baby or any unforeseen other events. So, I just wanted to say that I am not anti-formula and do not think it is the devils milk or anything of the sort. I am just a passionate person who believes that breast is best. 🙂 Please be aware that this post will mention boobies a lot so if you get weird-ed out by this sort of subject matter, you may want to skip over this post. 😉
Breast milk is the best gift you could ever give your baby, next to giving them life of course. Breast milk will provide your baby with ALL the nutrition he/she needs and more for the first year of their life! Breastfeeding does NOT come naturally to any mother and is not easy (at least from mine and other experiences I have heard). However, most babies instinctively know what to do when their born and will go right to the breast. It is the greatest gift ever!!
I don’t want to go into too much detail about breastfeeding specifically. There are two wonderful online resources that can help any mother who is in need of specific details with breastfeeding: www.kellymom.com and www.lalecheleague.org. I am just going to cover the main aspects which help ensure a mothers continuous success in breastfeeding her child past the hospital stay and beyond!
Colostrum, also known as “liquid gold”, is the first liquid that the mammary glands make, which provides the baby with all the antibodies and nutrition needed during their first few days of life. Then within a few days the mother’s milk will begin and produce exactly what nutrition the baby needs from there on out until six months of age, which is when they usually begin solids as a second form of nutrition. As the baby grows, the milk changes as well, to adapt to exactly what the baby needs in terms of nutrition. It is AMAZING how the human body works!
Breastfeeding is the natural, normal way to feed a baby. Here in the USA it seems like it’s the shunned way to feed your baby and people just assume that formula and bottles is how babies are fed. I have a friend who is from Scotland and she
was telling me about how her friends overseas had never heard of “hooter hiders” before. This is because in their culture it is the norm to breastfeed your child in public (and in general), no one ever stares like people do in the USA. Now, I can understand a woman’s desire to be as discreet as possible by using such things as “hooter hiders” or a blanket but it’s sad that our culture has come to this point. Breasts are made for feeding your child and nothing more. Their not made to be enhanced with synthetics. It seems like breasts in our culture have turned into being seen only as sexual objects and “gross” if you are feeding your baby.
But I digress…Breastfeeding is the most natural thing ever. When I was asked if I was going to breastfeed my baby, I said yes without even thinking twice about it. I was a bit naive however because I never did any research or preparation. I just assumed that it was as simple as putting the baby towards your chest and voila, they latched, sucked, and drank milk. And for the most part, it is easy once you get the hang of positioning and latching. 🙂 Each baby is SO different however, so it really does depend on the baby. The best thing to do while in the hospital after birth is to ask for the lactation specialist whether you are having issues or not. These women know their stuff and will give you the best advice and tips ever! The second best thing to do after you are discharged from the hospital is to find a local breastfeeding support group to attend.
Support from all areas of your life is really what determines whether success will continue for months or not. The hospital where I delivered was next to the children’s hospital where there was a weekly support group held there. I went when my baby was just seven days old. I wanted to make sure that I was doing it all correctly because his pediatrician said she was worried about his weight gain, so they got me all worked up about it and worried. Not the nicest thing to do to a first time mom and still very hormonal!! So my mom drove me to the group meeting and picked me up since I was unable to drive (it was like I was in school again LOL). It was very intimidating for me at first but SO worth it in the end. I continued going there weekly until my baby was around six months old. I learned from the lactation consultant that I was doing everything correctly – meaning my baby was eating 8-12 times a day or more and having plenty of wet diapers! She said a lot of pediatricians get this way regarding a babies weight gain, especially when their breastfed. They go by charts and numbers that are calculated from formula fed babies and can’t compute exactly how much their eating from the breast, so they get the parents all worried for no particular reason most of the time.
I just figured I would attend the support group once to have my questions answered but I felt so confident and proud about what I was doing after the first meeting that I had an urge to go back the following week and months to follow. It was such a wonderful thing to look forward to each week – I was able to get out of the house, have all my questions answered, meet other mommies with similar issues, and get the extra support and encouragement as well! Most weeks I didn’t have any crucial problems or issues but just hearing everyone in the group talk about a variety of topics really helped me gain more self-confidence and pride in my parenting skills. So, I definitely recommend to every mom who is breastfeeding to find a local support group and attend their meetings. La Leche League always has local meetings and you can find further information on their website. Also, lots of hospitals have a breastfeeding support group, so call and ask to see what they offer as well. The WIC program (women, infant and children) also has support groups available. And if a group setting is not something for you, then there is always local lactation consultants that make home visits too. So there is never any lack of help and support for breastfeeding moms. It’s all out there but a lot of moms don’t know of all the support offered so be sure to spread the word! And if you can’t find the right support group, then start your own! 🙂 The benefits are just astounding and life-long!!
Support is really what ensures complete success when breastfeeding! Having the support from your significant other, family, friends, and other moms is really crucial! It is a full time, 24/7 job that is harder than any corporate job ever could be! Especially for the moms that have to return to work and insist on continuing to exclusively breastfeed via pumping while at work. I haven’t had to endure this myself but definitely give working moms lots of credit for their motivation and perseverance in continuing to exclusively breastfeed and work full time!
Pumping has a very fine line between keeping the milk supply flowing correctly and creating an oversupply of milk. If done too much then a mom could end up telling her body to make milk for twins or even triplets, which sounds OK hypothetically, but is not OK for the babies system or the moms breasts. The baby can end up having digestion issues and/or green stools and much more, and the mom will end up with engorged breasts. Creating an oversupply of milk can take any where between two to four weeks to correct for the mom and babies system! So, it is highly recommended that any mom who is planning on returning to work to definitely do her research and/or talk to a lactation consultant about how she should go about beginning pumping, etc. Also, you can now write off the cost of your pump when doing taxes so this is a HUGE step forward for working, pumping moms! If you are a WIC participant they will provide you with a pump to take home too, which is another HUGE step in helping pumping, working moms!!
Make sure that someone besides mom practices giving baby a bottle a few times a week so that when the time comes and mom needs a break the baby is fully capable of taking a bottle as well. A slow flow nipple is the best way to go and make sure that the person giving the bottle takes breaks during the feeding. Otherwise the baby will gobble it all down and not realize until too late that it drank WAY too much! We weren’t consistent with bottle feeding and ended up with a child that refused to take a bottle so we have definitely learned our lesson! He did finally take a straw sippy cup around seven months, so that was good to have, as well as solid foods to keep him full if I was gone for a longer period of time.
Breastfeeding in public took me awhile to conquer. I think the reasoning was is that I fed my son doing the football hold for the longest time and never practiced the front hold much so it was difficult for me. But we finally mastered the front hold and fed in public all the time and still do to this day. I really believe that it is good for everyone around to feed your baby in public. It needs to be practiced more so that people will eventually understand that this is natural and normal! It is a shame that breastfeeding has become the underdog over formula, at least in the United States.
The benefits to baby in receiving breastmilk are endless! I could go on for days but to sum up the most crucial points, they are as follows – antibodies from mom to protect baby during their most vulnerable time in their life, specific nutrition made for the baby, overfeeding is impossible thus keeping obesity at bay for later in life, less ear infections, a decreased possibility for allergies (controversial but for the most part is easier to control compared to a formula fed baby), better dental health, and much more.
It is hard to see in this picture (cell phone picture) but this was a banner placed on a door showing what ingredients they know thus far that is in breast milk (left) compared to what they know is in formula (right). It really puts it all into perspective!!
The benefits for mom are huge as well! The main one is a decrease in the possibility of postpartum depression, ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Mom also saves herself a LOT of time in terms of not needing to prepare formula/bottle and cleaning/prepping/sanitizing bottles. Breast milk is always readily available, warm and ready to go too! And a breastfeeding mom will learn how quickly her boobs will solve ANY problem, even world peace! 😉 I swear it is so easy to just pop the baby on the boob if they are hurt, having a melt down, sad, hungry, etc. It really does solve everything! I don’t know how moms do it otherwise! Not to mention the enormous amount of money saved from not needing to buy formula is astronomical (over $1800 a year)!
There is also benefits to the workplace in terms of the pumping/breastfeeding mom missing less days at work because her baby will most likely not be sick as often as a formula fed baby! (For more information regarding pumping, etc. please check out KellyMom for their plethora of information regarding this subject.)
So I really don’t see why more moms don’t choose to breastfeed their babies! Please do your research before making such a major decision as to how/what you are going to feed your newborn. What better gift to give your child as a baby then the wonderful gift of nutritious, healthy, breast milk! It has been the norm for centuries and should continue to be for many more to come but with the way the world is transforming, it is becoming scary at how quickly formula is taking over. Between all the processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, and environmental harm that is being passed onto our children, the least we can do for the next generation is provide them with the best start possible with breast milk. So, whether you were breastfed or not, isn’t it the best time to start fresh and ensure that your child is given the best nutrition possible during their first years of life?? It’s the least we can control in this ever changing world we all live in!!
I wanted to leave a few links of resources and products I have grown to love and cannot live without regarding breastfeeding:
- Sore nipples, talk to Dr. Jack Newman – www.drjacknewman.com
- Not sure if you can take a certain medication while breastfeeding, reference InfantRisk Center – www.infantrisk.com
- Another site that has a HUGE database where you can search the medication you are curious if you can still take while nursing – toxnet.nlm.nih.gov
- If you are in the Phoenix metro area and are in search of a local breastfeeding support group, there are MANY out there! The two that I highly recommend are Pump-n-Go and Cardons Children’s Hospital (next to Banner Desert in Mesa) where there is a weekly support group at 1pm on Thursdays. The first is hosted by Doris Christensen, a wonderful resourceful woman that has endless resources regarding breastfeeding and beyond. The second is hosted by Doreen Conner (email doreen.conner@bannerhealth.com) who is a wonderful woman that can help you with any issues you may be encountering, her website is nursingandbeyond.com.
Three wonderful companies that sell some wonderful nursing tanks and other various nursing items are:
Baby Registry Essentials
Registering for your baby shower can be a daunting task! Once you walk into Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby you are instantly overwhelmed at how much there is! Each person will have a different registry then the next but there are those essential “must haves” that most parents couldn’t have lived without. Now, one major thing to remember is that each and every baby is different so I can only speak for what I found to be most helpful. So, here’s a summary of what we found to be most helpful and useful.
1. Where to put the baby
In the beginning we pretty much only used the Boppy Pillow for D to sleep on. It made him feel nice and snug and comfy in between all his numerous nursing sessions. It is also a savior if you plan on nursing!
We rarely used his bassinet because he preferred feeling snug and didn’t want to lie flat, so we used the changing accessory from his pack and play for him to sleep on. He slept in that until he was getting too long and then we moved him to his crib (which was hard for me to handle, knowing my baby was already growing up). I posted a picture of one so you can get the idea of what I’m talking about as pack ‘n plays have changed so much from when they were first invented!
Of the people whom I know that co-sleep, they LOVED their co-sleeper and a few still use it. So if you are considering co-sleeping, co-sleepers are something I highly recommend looking into. However, you might want to hold off on purchasing it until you really feel that it is something which will be useful for your family.
After a month or so, we found the swing to be a LIFESAVER! He slept in the swing ALL the time. Although it is recommended that babies get their best sleep without motion, I believe that in the end one must find whatever works best for their own sanity purposes.
The vibrating bouncy chair that has toys hanging from the top was rarely used. However, when it was used I found it to be a huge help while in the kitchen or getting ready. I think that in our case our baby was just so long that he didn’t like that chair.
One of the best investments that we still use at 9 months is the Prince Lionheart bebePOD PLUS (just like the Bumbo 
Chair). We chose this one over the Bumbo for the simple reason of the price for what you got. It had everything included and more compared to what came with the Bumbo chair (the tray was a separate item you could purchase). It comes with a tray that easily comes on and off, has divots in the tray for the toy that comes with it, an attachment to put in place of having the tray installed and two place mats. D just LOVED sitting in there while we were cooking in the kitchen or eating dinner. (We allowed him to sit in it while on the kitchen counter because our kitchen counters have two levels, thus allowing him unable to fall back if he pushed back from his strength, if he ever were to. The Bumbo chair has been recalled because children have fallen and severely hit their head. So just use common sense when using such devices and NEVER leave a child unattended!) As he got older he also has used it as a high chair when we’re out at a friends house.
2. Ways to Carry the Baby
The stroller and car seat is something that really just comes down to personal choice for the most part. The major thing you want to look for, besides of course high safety ratings, is the length/weight maximums for the infant car seat. The 
safest car seat for your baby to be in is the infant seat, so you really want to keep them in this seat for as long as safely possible. So this is a huge factor to keep in mind when looking at the millions of car seats available. Be sure to have your seat checked at the local fire department to ensure it is installed correctly. The travel systems (car seat and stroller combos sold together) look nice but in all reality are not the best way to go. The strollers are usually big and bulky and the last thing you want to be dealing with when it comes to traveling around town. I would recommend just getting the snap n’ go stroller as this is the easiest for travel and then as the baby gets older, purchase a stroller if you still feel it is necessary.
There have been many studies published regarding “carrying” your baby and all the benefits to this. Baby slings and carriers are a great investment and are a LOT easier to use than lugging around a car seat when your out and about. Even in the house they are great to use, especially if you are breastfeeding. There are SO many different kinds, styles and brands out there so you definitely want to do your research. My best recommendation is to go to a local store that carries baby carriers and try them out with your baby 
and see what you feel most comfortable in. Biggest thing to remember is that there are different carriers that work better for different ages and uses. We have a Baby Bjorn which is a very popular one. My husband uses this one more because it fits his body type better. After I did some research I discovered that it is actually not good for the babies natural spinal curvature to use carriers like the Bjorn where they are facing outwards. So I found a Becco Butterfly carrier (similar to the Ergo carrier), which evenly distributes the weight with a hip strap and the baby faces towards you. This carrier was the best investment ever and is also something we will be using for a while since you can also turn the baby to be carried on your back as well.
3. Feeding the baby
My baby was a boob man all the way! Around 6 weeks I started pumping once in the morning (after D ate) so that Daddy could feed him and Mommy could get a little break. 🙂 We tried a LOT of bottles and after our experience I would say that it’s not the bottle that makes the difference about whether the baby will take the bottle or not, it’s usually the baby. But this is from a breast fed babies experience. In general, a lot of people like Dr. Browns bottles. But if you’re formula feeding that is a LOT to clean, so you might want to get a bottle with less accessories. We did get a drying rack which we still use to this day to dry his bowls, sippy cups, etc. so that is a sure thing you will find many uses for!
I cannot really say much in regards to pacifiers except you will probably want to just hold off on buying those and wait and see if your baby is even interested in them. If you do get any to have on hand just in case, I would get the Soothies by Avent (these are the ones that every hospital carries and uses).
Breast milk is the best gift that you could ever give your baby. I could go on for days about all the benefits for baby and mom. There are also SO many resources available for any mom who needs extra support, encouragement, and guidance when it comes to Breastfeeding. I will be covering more regarding this topic in another post so I don’t want to get too detailed here. But I believe that every woman should offer the breast first before formula from the very first feeding of a babies life! Also, find a lactation consultant to guide you through any questions or issues you may encounter, their there for support in every single town! The best online resource for Breastfeeding I have found is www.Kellymom.com. And if you are adopting a baby, there is also a possibility that you may be able to Breastfeed the baby as well, so don’t count that option out! 🙂
As the baby grows beyond six months, it’s a whole new story with regards to feeding your baby. I will cover this in a future post as well!
4. Keeping the baby warm and snug
Swaddling babies is done in every culture known to man since history was recorded. No matter what culture you are, there is some form of swaddling a baby. But believe it or not the swaddle sure has evolved since! There’s the good ‘ol fashioned receiving blankets that every baby is wrapped in from the time their born. To the Muslin blankets which are very popular now for the breathability of the fabric their made of and the large size. They are about 47″ by 47″. The fabric is very similar to cheesecloth but is very soft! I have found many uses for this blanket, especially because I live in a warm climate so it’s nice to have a light blanket available. I also use it to cover me when nursing in public sometimes.
Now there is the ever popular, must have, 
SwaddleMe blankets, which is a self-adjusting velcro blanket to keep your baby tightly swaddled. So whichever you choose, they all work the same way in the end. It all just depends on your own personal choice.
Now don’t get me wrong, the SwaddleMe is wonderful for its easiness of keeping the baby bundled up but a receiving blanket swaddle will do just as good for most people. And you can re-use the receiving blanket to make your own cloth wipes too! However, as the baby starts to move more and the startle reflex begins to wake them up a lot, a sturdy, firm swaddle is the way to go. One step beyond the SwaddleMe brand is the “Woombie“, which offers the utmost in possibilities for swaddling a baby. It has numerous ways you can use their product to either keep one arm out and/or legs out, all while keeping the baby cool enough when sleeping.
We were given a sleep sack as a baby shower present and it was the best gift ever! 
I was so bummed once D was too long for it anymore. Sleep sacks are such a nice and easy pajama option and help the baby feel free and comfortable when they sleep. Also, our baby was under six months during the summer heat of Arizona so it was a great way to keep him cool, yet warm enough at night without needing a blanket.
5. Keeping the baby clean
There are so many options out there for diapers that it can become really overwhelming for a parent. There’s an entire aisle at the store dedicated to just diapers, it’s nuts! In the end, we found that Huggies worked for us but Pampers worked better for others. So it really comes down to personal preference and what fits best on your baby. In the beginning they go through diapers like their going out of style so we just got the best deal of the week at the store. There are always coupons as well on their websites and local stores, so be sure to check those out too. We found the best deal wasn’t always the largest box, so you wanna be vigilant about this. Those companies are out there trying to take advantage of all the sleep deprived parents!
After noticing how expensive diapers were becoming and feeling bad about contributing to the land fills, I did a lot of research regarding cloth diapers. I never thought I would ever cloth diaper but when D was about 4 months old we switched over to cloth diapers. At first I was going to just use them when we were at home but I fell in love with the diapers and switched to cloth full time. It’s a larger expense in the beginning but once you do the math, you will most definitely save money in the long run! And a huge positive regarding cloth diapers is that you can sell them when your done with them! 🙂 You can also use them for more than one child, thus multiplying your savings even more! And the benefits to the baby are huge! I plan on writing a post just about cloth diapers so I will go into more depth there for those who are interested in learning more.
Wipes are all the same no matter what brand you get. Just make sure you have lots on hand for the never ending diaper blowouts you will endure. 🙂 We found that just a wet soft wash cloth worked the best during diaper rashes so you might want to think about getting the sensitive skin kind just in case (and lots of wash cloths). Or you can just make your own cloth wipes and reap the benefits and savings there as well.
With regards to what kind of soap to use, that’s a toss up. Every babies’ skin is different and there are endless kinds of baby soaps for sale. I would recommend keeping away from the ones which contain parabens and other harsh chemicals. There are some great websites that can help you with such decisions regarding what’s best for your babies skin with the least amount of bad chemicals. For soaps, as well as sunscreens, I have found this website to be very resourceful about what various products contain. My personal favorite soap to use for D during his baths is Weleda baby Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash. And we use California Baby Calming Lotion for after his bath.
6. Baby Clothes
I thought we would need a lot of clothes for the baby as soon as he came home but what I discovered is that babies really don’t need all that much for clothes. They grow SO fast that you really only need a handful of onesies, pants, socks, and a cute outfit or two. Once they start slowing down their growth (around 6 months) then a few more outfits and variety makes more sense to have. We were thankful for all the hand me downs a friend gave to us and we still haven’t needed to buy D much clothing. The best places to buy baby clothes are second hand stores most definitely! There’s no reason to spend full price for an outfit that they will only wear a few times. Also, with regards to the sizes of baby clothes, I always double the babies age and that’s about the size of clothes they fit into. However, this is a general statement because brands vary GREATLY in sizes, as well as babies bodies too.
Baby shoes, as cute as they are, are really not needed until around 8 months or so. It’s a good idea to get them used to 
shoes before they can walk so you will want a pair of soft soled shoes to put on them once in a while. Bobux is a great brand if you are looking for a chemical free kind (since everything goes in their mouth, it’s something to consider). Target and Stride Rite also carry similar, easy to put on, soft soled shoes. Once the baby starts walking it is recommended they they still wear soft soled shoes for developmental reasons and then once walking is mastered, hard soled shoes are OK.
7. Everything Else
I’m pretty sure I have covered the major points of what items we have found to be most helpful since our baby was born. It is definitely a constant learning experience when it comes to babies and there will always be new products out there that they have thought of to “help” you with making something easier. The best advice I could give to any new parent is don’t get caught up with all the hype that you need this and that – just focus on the necessities and you will be just fine. 🙂 Also, do your research about products and read what people have said before you make any major purchases or put items on your registry.
Super Baby Foods
Natural Mommas 