Hailey Mugica – Breastfeeding World http://breastfeedingworld.org Spreading the Breastfeeding Love, One Latch at a Time Wed, 17 Jun 2020 03:52:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 https://i1.wp.com/breastfeedingworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cropped-BFWorld_logo-16x16.png?fit=32%2C32 Hailey Mugica – Breastfeeding World http://breastfeedingworld.org 32 32 96133341 Thanks for the Inconveniences; Feeling Blessed http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/12/thanks-for-the-inconveniences/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/12/thanks-for-the-inconveniences/#respond Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:16:41 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=2629 It’s been a while since I have been here (or anywhere) the write. (Thanks to a crawling baby, sick mamma, a house that gets messier by the minute, and trying to completely redo my own blog {am I insane?}) But it’s really nice to be back with all of you. This week is Thanksgiving week, which is always a nice […]

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It’s been a while since I have been here (or anywhere) the write. (Thanks to a crawling baby, sick mamma, a house that gets messier by the minute, and trying to completely redo my own blog {am I insane?}) But it’s really nice to be back with all of you.

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This week is Thanksgiving week, which is always a nice time of year to reflect on all our blessings, and I am always humbled by the fact that the very things that can make me crazy, and seem like such an inconvenience are the very things that some people are praying for. A house that needs cleaning, food that needs making, a sweet babe that needs nursing to sleep (several times a night) and demands that I sit on the floor and throw balls with him when I can SEE the dishes that need to be done. This week I am going to choose to look at all these things and remember how blessed I am to have them. I’m going to let those dishes pile up and cuddle with my baby. After all, the dishes that need to be done are just proof of the food we have to eat, and the house that needs to be cleaned is just proof of the roof over our heads.

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I’m going to keep it short this week and just leave you with a story that a friend sent me this week so that you can get back to your families. Hold  them a little tighter, kiss them a little longer, and give thanks for all the blessings in your life that sometimes disguise themselves as inconveniences.

Learning to give thanks amongst the chaos of parenting, and remembering to hold on a little tighter.

When did I last wash her hair? By: Hannah Keeley

let them be little

I thought it was a night like any other night. I was folding the laundry on my bed, listening to my daughter sing her heart out in the shower. Then my throat tightened and I felt panic set in. When did I last wash her hair?

I ran to the bathroom and opened the door so I could yell inside, ‘Katie, do you need any help washing your hair?’

Her reply brought tears to my eyes, ‘No, Mama. I’m fine.’

I’ve always tried my best to appreciate every day with my seven children. There has been a motto I’ve lived with in parenting ever since I had my first child:

Make sure they remember joy yesterday, experience joy today, and anticipate joy tomorrow.

I just didn’t know tomorrow would come so soon.

I’m a firm believer in kids playing hard and getting dirty. And my two oldest daughters sure did that. Every day, they were out in the Arizona sunshine–climbing, digging, swinging, and getting very, very dirty. Children have to get dirty. It’s a universal law. And I’m not about to tamper with universal law.

But with dirt, comes baths. I remember when my two oldest daughters, Kelsey and Katie, would take baths together. I would wash their hair, then let them play in the bathtub for a while. It was our routine. Then they got older. Baths turned into showers, but I was still there to come in and help them wash their hair. Then the hair washing turned into just helping them rinse out the shampoo. Then the rinsing turned into the occasional, “let’s go back in the shower and I’ll help you rinse that one spot on top of your head.”

Then came, “No, Mama. I’m fine.”

Here’s the deal with motherhood: It’s our job to raise independent kids; but no one tells you how to handle it when it really happens.

That night, it happened.

I thought back–When was the last time? When was the last moment I rinsed the shampoo out of her hair? Why didn’t I know it was the last time? If I would have known, I would have done a better job, or made it last longer, or kissed her head, or something.

I would have done something!

I couldn’t see the laundry anymore because the tears blurred my vision. But I kept folding. Folding and praying. ‘God, help me remember how quickly this is going by. Help me appreciate every single day–even the hard ones. Show me the beauty in each moment–even the bad ones.’

The cure isn’t to slow down. That’s impossible. The cure is a heart of wisdom. The wisdom to know that broken dishes, stained clothes, and spilled food are never reasons to lose your temper. The wisdom to know that school assignments can always be done later, after the sun sets and the mud puddles have all dried up. The wisdom to know that every moment is a sacred moment–changing diapers, snuggling on the sofa, swinging at the park, even washing hair. They’re all sacred, if you can just slow down enough to see it.

There will be a last fort with chairs and blankets. There will be a last story before bed. There will be a last outfit put on a Barbie doll. There will be a last swing at the park. We don’t need to know when the last one will be. We just need the heart of wisdom to appreciate each one.

I took a little longer brushing her hair tonight. And I lingered as I put her hair into a single braid down her back. When I kissed her goodnight, it lasted a couple more seconds than usual. Because after seven children and years of thinking I had all the time in the world, I realized something. Life will run off with you if you let it. Sometimes, you just have to stop and breathe it in.

Thank you, God, for braids before bedtime. Thanks for messy kitchens and Legos on the floor. Thank you for noisy dinner times and late-night conversations, for forts, baby dolls, finger-paint, and bedtime stories. Thanks for broken wrists and shampoo for brunettes. Thank you for teaching me to number my days. And, God, when I forget, please give me a nudge and number them for me.”
haileys Signature

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Baby Led Weaning…Where to Begin? http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/11/baby-led-weaning-begin/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/11/baby-led-weaning-begin/#respond Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:17:22 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=2369 In our culture today, when we start babies on solid foods, we are told to start with “stage one” purees, which are the thinnest, most runny, and gradually move up. If you have heard a little bit about Baby Led Weaning and have decided that you want to try it with your family, you might assume that you give your […]

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In our culture today, when we start babies on solid foods, we are told to start with “stage one” purees, which are the thinnest, most runny, and gradually move up. If you have heard a little bit about Baby Led Weaning and have decided that you want to try it with your family, you might assume that you give your baby teeny tiny little pieces of things to start, and gradually move up to bigger ones. What I am about to tell you will go completely against our culture, and what you would assume, but giving your baby small pieces of food is a) more dangerous and b) highly unsuccessful and frustrating for a baby because their pincer grasp (the ability to use their pointer finger and thumb to grasp small objects) is not developed until 9 months.

BLW

When you are starting with Baby Led Weaning you give your child large pieces of food, at last 2 inches long, so that baby can hold one half and gnaw on the other. I would cut watermelon into wedges and give it to him, rind and everything. Cantaloupe is great because it is think enough for baby to get his or her whole fist around it and it is firm enough to only break off little bits at a time. (Cantaloupe can also be a great teether if it has been in the fridge! My son LOVES cantaloupe, especially to teethe on!) I would do toast cut into strips, either bow-tie or rigatoni pasta, whole stalks of steamed broccoli, a steamed carrot stick, slices of avocado. Mangos and peaches were a big hit. I would give my son a slice of mango with the skin still on so he could grasp it (mangos are slippery!) and he would just suck the flesh off, same with peaches. Bananas with a piece of the peel still on because when babies are first starting out they aren’t very good at controlling how hard they squeeze their little fists, so the peel helps them to not demolish the more squishy foods before they can get it to their mouth. The beauty of Baby Led Weaning is that they can eat anything and everything. Whatever your family is having for dinner, just give your baby a deconstructed version.

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Why is giving a baby tiny pieces of food more dangerous?

Because, if you give a baby a small piece, and they do manage to get it into their mouth, they now have a whole piece of food in their mouth to maneuver, instead of just sucking off little pieces that have already been smashed with their gums and tongue. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but as soon as you get going and you witness it for yourself, it will make so much sense.

Finally, your baby does NOT need teeth to start Baby Led Weaning. Their gums and tongues are all they need to mash-up those first foods. Use wisdom and discretion when deciding what to give your baby at the very beginning. The stage of “give them everything” that makes BLW so convenient is coming, and it is not far off, but as they are just learning, you have to be a tad more subjective. As always, never ever leave your baby alone with food, true choking is silent, and try not to interfere when the gagging happens, because it will.

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We would love to hear from you! What great tips can you share with us?

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Encouragement for the dreaded breastfeeding through “biting season” http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/encouragement-for-the-dreaded-breastfeeding-biting-season/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/encouragement-for-the-dreaded-breastfeeding-biting-season/#respond Tue, 27 Oct 2015 01:32:12 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=2226 Biting… All nursing moms dread the moment when their sweet nursing babe that has been all gummy smiles and bright eyes until this point, sprouts their first tooth! Don’t get me wrong, getting teeth is a big step for our babies, and I was so excited for my son, as it meant there was a whole world of foods he […]

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Biting…

All nursing moms dread the moment when their sweet nursing babe that has been all gummy smiles and bright eyes until this point, sprouts their first tooth! Don’t get me wrong, getting teeth is a big step for our babies, and I was so excited for my son, as it meant there was a whole world of foods he was getting ready to explore, but what would it mean for my nipples? And then it happened…

My son bit me, and hard enough to draw blood.

biting

There is no perfect way to deal with biting. The experts say “don’t yell because then you will scare the baby and they might go on a nursing strike” which is horrible, because I have a goal of nursing my son at least 2 years, so I didn’t want that to happen, and yet it is very hard not to let out a shreak when your nipple was just bit, and those cute little teeth dragged from the base of your nipple to the very tip, leaving a nice little slice in their wake.

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Our biting season went on for 2 weeks, which may not sound like much but 2 weeks is a LONG time to have your nipples munched on several times a day, every day. For a few days I even resulted to pumping and giving it to him in a sippy cup, more because I was afraid of being bit than the actual bite itself. I think the worst part for me, was that he would bite me, and I would immediately take him off and give him a very stern “no, that hurts mommy” and my sweet, precious son would laugh! Even though I KNOW that it isn’t logical, and he didn’t really understand what I meant, that really hurt my feelings.

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If your are going through a biting season, there are so many things you can try. My sister-in-law swears that her son bit her once and she screamed and that scared him enough he never do it again (like I said above, experts don’t recommend that technique). I was advised by one friend to pinch the back of his arm or leg so he would’t know it was me doing it but he would begin to associate the bite with mild pain (as I’ve said before, no judgment here) and what I found worked best for me was, I would immediately stop nursing, and put him on the floor facing away from me for a few seconds, maybe a minute and then try nursing again later. Also be very aware during your nursing sessions, watch your little one’s face and mouth for signs that they might be done and a bite is coming. That way you can take them off before IT happens.

Whatever you choose to try, I want to encourage you by telling you that it doesn’t last forever. Your baby will catch on, and he or she will stop biting. It may be a few days, or it may be 2 weeks, but your nursing relationship can continue, and your nipples will heal! Hang in there mama you are not alone in this biting season!

We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what helped you and your baby during your own biting season? Any techniques you know of that may help the process? Leave us a comment below!

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Attachment Parenting: what it is to me, what it isn’t, and why we practice it. http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/attachment-parenting-isnt-practice/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/attachment-parenting-isnt-practice/#respond Mon, 12 Oct 2015 03:49:23 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=1908 Attachmentparenting.org defines attachment parenting as: “The practice of nurturing parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure attachment, between children and their parent(s). This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to children’s emotional needs, enabling children to develop trust that their needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps children develop the capacity for secure, […]

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Attachmentparenting.org defines attachment parenting as: “The practice of nurturing parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure attachment, between children and their parent(s). This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to children’s emotional needs, enabling children to develop trust that their needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps children develop the capacity for secure, empathetic, peaceful, and enduring relationships that follow them into adulthood. “

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Of course, all parents have to find what works for them, and no one parent is going to follow any one way of thinking 100%, but at the core of it, AP is focused on creating a strong bond between parent and child, so that regardless of each parent’s discipline techniques or what they allow or don’t allow, the children, first and foremost know that the discipline is because they are loved, and it is our God given responsibility as their parents to direct them and guide them into adulthood.

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Attachment parenting is NOT lazy parenting. I know too many parents that don’t tell their children no, who will give their whiny toddler the toy they are screaming for to avoid the fit, who ignore the usage of bad words, disrespect, and over-all undesirable behavior under the guise of attachment parenting. Attachment parenting, for me is not purely positive reinforcement. While that may be a useful tool to have in our arsenal from time to time, to encourage good behavior, I have yet to see how it is useful to stop bad behavior. Plus, I would like one person to show me one real-life, adult example of how that works in the real world. It’s not there. Our children’s bosses, college professors, high school football coaches, etc. will not work that way. It is our job to prepare them for the realities of life with grace, kindness and love.

Remember to always discipline with love

You may be thinking, “she only has an 8 month old, what does she know about discipline?” but hear me out. Before I became a mom, I was a nanny for 5 years. (I was with one family of 3 kiddos for 4 years, and had 3 more for a year after that.) These children all ranged from 12 months-10 years. I know a thing or two about the day-to-day discipline or children. Refereeing sibling rivalry, getting homework and chores done, nasty vegetable eating disputes…I have handled it.

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When disciplining our children, whether you believe in spanking (no judgment here) or time-outs, a calm-down jar or a sticker chart, it is not beneficial to just enforce the punishment and not have a conversation. It may be easier, it may take less time, but it does not teach the child WHY the behavior was unacceptable so that they can continue to make the positive choice when you aren’t around to enforce it. It doesn’t reinforce that the discipline is out of love. Take the extra time, get down to your child’s eye-level, explain why you had to discipline them, what you would wish they would do in the future (offer an acceptable behavior replacement i.e., he hit his brother because he wouldn’t share the toy, tell him next time he needs to come tell you) and most importantly, always end the conversation by telling that you love them and getting a hug and a kiss. Do not skip this valuable conversation and teaching moment. Yes it takes time and effort, but our children need it.

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Finally, if you give your child a warning and they continue with the undesired behavior, you MUST follow through. If you said you would have to leave the party if she screamed at the top of her lungs again, and she screams, no matter how much you don’t want to, or how embarrassing it is, you get up and leave. Do not make a threat you are not willing to follow through with. This only teaches children that you don’t care enough to follow through, that you aren’t strong enough to handle them (all kids like to brag that their dad is strongest right? what if their behavior was a test of your strength? Children get their security from the strength of their parents) or that you don’t mean it and they can get away with whatever they want. The good news is, no matter how you have chosen to handle discipline in the past, it is never too late to change, and our children can always learn. Say what you mean and mean what you say, take the time to talk to your children, to get on their level and listen to them while still holding fast, and make it very clear what is acceptable and what is not. It’s never fair to discipline for something a child didn’t know was unacceptable. Always give a warning, always follow through, and always discipline out of love.

We would love to hear from you! Do you practice Attachment Parenting? Feel free to share with us all your thoughts! 

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Intro to Baby-led Weaning – Part 2 http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/intro-baby-led-weaning-part-2/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/10/intro-baby-led-weaning-part-2/#respond Sun, 04 Oct 2015 15:51:41 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=1586 If you missed my first post about Intro to Baby-led Weaning make sure you check it out first! If you read my post last week (Intro to baby-led weaning) I hope you’re at least a little bit intrigued about this process. Whether or not you think I’m crazy is a different topic. The fear of choking is a very real […]

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If you missed my first post about Intro to Baby-led Weaning make sure you check it out first!

20150623_200435538_iOSIf you read my post last week (Intro to baby-led weaning) I hope you’re at least a little bit intrigued about this process. Whether or not you think I’m crazy is a different topic.

The fear of choking is a very real fear for most parents as they begin to introduce solids to their babies, and there is no doubt that fear is elevated with baby-led weaning. However most of that fear is 1) a good thing because it makes us hyper vigilant when our babies have food, and 2) is largely unwarranted thanks to the infant gag reflex.

Infant’s Gag Reflex

20150716_163608198_iOSAt six months of age, an infant’s gag reflex is very high up in their mouth, as they get older, the gag reflex gradually moves back to its permanent place at the back of the throat. This is great for Baby-Led Weaning because, as babies are learning how to maneuver food in their mouths, how much food is too much, how to get food out of their cheek with their tongue, their bodies give them a warning far before they have actually entered the danger zone (in the form of gagging).

Most of the time, a baby will gag food back to the front of their mouth, and either spit it out or keep chewing and he or she will be completely unfazed. Once they have triggered the gag reflex a few times, they learn not to do it. As they get older and more experienced, gagging happens less and less often. However, as the gag reflex moves back (around 8 months), it becomes less effective as an early warning sign. Babies that haven’t been able to explore food and textures from the beginning will actually be in danger of choking by the time the gagging starts.

In our culture today, many well-meaning people (whether through observing what “everyone else” is doing or being instructed by their own mom) believe that babies should be started on some form of solid food as early as 3 months. I know that we moms are just trying to do what is best for our babies and if you want to do BLW, that’s awesome, if you choose to use purees, good for you. If you cloth diaper…gold star, if you use disposables….high five, whatever works for your family BUT I firmly believe that solids before 6 months is a no-go for several reasons:

  • 20150806_161326019_iOSSolid foods are not as densely packed with nutrients as breast milk or formula and are not as easily digested for babies.
  • Baby’s digestive system is still immature and they are not able to pull all the nutrients out of solid food so they just pass right through
  • Babies have small stomachs and if they are filled up with food, they will not have enough room for all the breast-milk or formula that baby still needs to develop properly, resulting in even less nourishment
  • Finally, babies that are given solid food before 6 months are at a greater risk for infectious diseases and allergies

Many people think that because baby is watching them eat or makes lip-smacking movements that they are wanting to eat too or are hungry. Keep in mind that babies are fascinated with ALL of your day-to-day activities, it is how they learn about the world around them, and how they fit into it. They don’t even realize that food is meant to make them full, even once they first start eating. If they are being fed on-demand, they aren’t hungry, they are just trying to hone their skills and be like mom and dad.

When is your baby truly ready for solid foods?

If you notice any of these signs then that means your baby is ready to start solid foods. 

  • Sitting up unsupported
  • Reaching out to grab things and gets them to his or her mouth quickly and accurately.
  • The very best sign is once baby is putting food into his or her own mouth which they can only do if given the opportunity.

Whatever the case, however you choose to feed your little one, never ever leave a baby alone with food, and it’s always a good idea to get certified in infant first-aid/CPR.

I would love to hear your thoughts, if you have done BLW and loved it, if you are intrigued and looking more into it.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

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Intro to baby-led weaning http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/09/intro-baby-led-weaning/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/09/intro-baby-led-weaning/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:54:47 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=1469 There is SO much I need to share with you about baby-led weaning (BLW), but today I am just going to start the basics. What is Baby-led weaning, how did I decide it was right for us and what are some of the benefits, but first…a disclaimer I do not endorse Baby-Led Weaning for every family or every child. I […]

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There is SO much I need to share with you about baby-led weaning (BLW), but today I am just going to start the basics. What is Baby-led weaning, how did I decide it was right for us and what are some of the benefits, but first…a disclaimer

I do not endorse Baby-Led Weaning for every family or every child. I believe this method is highly personal and is truly only fitting and beneficial for certain people. I’m not saying that I believe BLW is right and traditional purees are wrong, nor am I saying that BLW is better or worse, however there are definitely some benefits that are undeniable. If you tend to be a worrier, or a little more on the up-tight side, this may not be the method for you, as freaking out and trying to pry food out of your babies mouth at every feeding will take the fun out of it for everyone and removes virtually every benefit in the first place.

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

20150711_025436000_iOSBaby-led weaning does not mean weaning in the way we understand it as Americans. The method originated in the UK where weaning simply means, the introduction of solids. You can use baby-led weaning and still enjoy a long, fulfilling breast-feeding relationship.

Simply put, BLW is feeding babies solids without the introduction of purees. Babies eat real, whole foods from the very beginning. I know that that sounds crazy and scary, but over the next few weeks I will share with you why you may be interested, how I have seen it benefit my son, and why I would choose it again and again

 

With baby-led weaning, there are absolutely no solids until 6 months of age. Including rice cereals and oatmeal. (The myth that solids will help baby sleep longer has been debunked anyway!) And at 6 month, the real fun begins. With BLW, babies feed themselves. You provide and array of tastes and textures and baby decides how much or how little of each he or she wants to try. If you have no history of allergies in your family, there is no need to introduce one food at a time. If you have 20150828_032126000_iOSwaited until 6 months, babies’ digestive system is mature enough to handle anything and everything except for whole nuts and honey. (Until age 1) Beyond that, use common sense and NEVER EVER leave your baby alone with food. Next week I will share why I believe Baby-Led Weaning is safer that traditional feeding, and how I overcame the fear of choking.

 

Especially in the beginning, babies are really learning HOW to maneuver food in their mouths, how to use their tongue, how to get food to the back of their throat to swallow, and how much food fits in their mouths. There WILL be gagging. Gagging IS NOT choking, nor is it dangerous and it freaks us out a lot more than it bothers them. As long as your baby is still making noise, and seems unfazed, try to avoid interfering. Most of the time, they will gag as a way to bring food back to the front of their mouths so they can continue chewing or spit it out, but more on the infant gag-reflex and the protection measures God put in place for children next week. (After-all purees haven’t always been around, but babies, and their need for food has!).

How I decided Baby-Led Weaning was right for us

1) My husband and I tend to be very laid-back people, and I felt confident that we could make wise choices and be discerning about when to interfere and when to let our son figure it out.

2) My son is very independent, and his coordination is advanced.

3) I only have 1 child, so I knew I would have the time to sit with him through every meal without having to hurry him along or needing to get to another child.

4) I began to see the benefits for my son immediately and I saw how proud he was of himself and how much he was enjoying the food. I was sold.

20150828_162909246_iOSAnd finally, I read A LOT about Baby-Led Weaning and it just made perfect sense to me. I don’t want to raise a picky eater, or a child fussy about not wanting to get dirty. This provided so many flavors, he knows what a carrot tastes like, not just an orange mush that MAYBE MIGHT have some carrot in it. He loves mangoes, peaches, strawberries, bananas, asparagus, broccoli, plums, bell-peppers, parsnips, zucchini, chicken, eggs, toast, yogurt…anything and everything. It also really supported his sensory development. This makes meal time, also play time, and learning time. My son is encouraged to squeeze his food. To feel it squish between his fingers. He feels slimy, squishy, firm, cold, soft, warm, and if gives me an opportunity to teach him about all of those textures.

 

Baby-Led Weaning is messy! This is how we clean up after, and having some “puppy vacuums” doesn’t hurt!

The benefits have seemed limitless. He now knows that HE is capable, that HE has control of how much or how little of what he wants. His fine motor skills are far beyond most kids his age. But the best thing of all, is the level of confidence it has helped to support. If the idea of Baby-Led Weaning is intriguing to you, I hope you will be back for the next several Sundays to continue reading. Get the baby-led weaning book, read other blogs, educate yourself and let the fun-feedings begin!

We’d love to hear from you! Have you ever tried BLW with your little one? Hoe did it work for you?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Breastfeeding Tips for the New Mom http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/09/breastfeeding-tips-new-mom/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2015/09/breastfeeding-tips-new-mom/#respond Sat, 12 Sep 2015 17:55:27 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=1118 I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. I was one of those women that secretly used to think that women that chose not to breastfeed were selfish… until I had my son. One week in, I completely understood why those women might have given up. I understand that some women may have supply issues, or latch issues and my heart […]

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breastfeeding tips, breastfeeding world, nyc breastfeeding world, nursing a newborn, breastfeeding tips for nursing a newborn, new moms what to do, breastfeeding newborns, breastfeeding mothers, breastfeeding challengesI always knew I wanted to breastfeed. I was one of those women that secretly used to think that women that chose not to breastfeed were selfish… until I had my son.

One week in, I completely understood why those women might have given up. I understand that some women may have supply issues, or latch issues and my heart breaks for them and the disappointment they might feel, but what I also now understand, is that breastfeeding is hard, it is really painful at the beginning, and it is extremely time consuming.

The most frustrating thing in the world that I kept reading on EVERY blog those first few weeks was “if you are doing it right, breastfeeding should not hurt”. I met with lactation consultants, I took classes while at the hospital, they kept telling me that my latch was great, but why was it still hurting?

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While I do understand that on some level they are right, I also know that your nipples are now being constantly used for something they have never done before and there will be an adjustment period. So if you are finding yourself with your seemingly starving newborn, carousing the internet at 2:30 in the morning with cracked, bleeding nipples trying to figure out what in the world you are doing wrong, I’m here to tell you…maybe nothing.

If you are like me and you’ve watched the YouTube videos, met with LCs, took your classes, called your local La Leche League, and your still coming up empty. Stick with it and in a few weeks you will be on the mend, and in the meantime…

Here are a few Breastfeeding Tips for Nursing a Newborn

  1. Breastmilk is a miracle worker: For everything from your baby’s cradle cap or clogged tear duct to your sore nipples, put it on EVERYTHING. It will help to speed your healing even faster than lanolin or nipple cream thanks to its plethora of natural antibodies.
  2. Don’t use soap on your nipples while in the shower: This seemed so obvious but it never occurred to me until the on call lactation consultant told me. Soap is drying stuff!
  3. Let your nipples air dry as long as possible: The same on-call LC told me this one and I walked around the house topless for an entire day afterward and my scabs were gone! This was the turning point for me. We all know that moisture provides the perfect environment for bacteria. If you don’t have time to air-dry, use your blow dryer on the “cool” setting (also true for the sight of your perineal stitches after a shower!)

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Beyond these few tips, be persistent and stick with it. In a few weeks, you will be so glad that you did. If you have to, put post-it notes up around the house reminding you of the benefits for you and baby to help you remember why you are doing this: decreased risk of diabetes, decreased risk of obesity, tells your body to produce the pathogens baby needs when he or she gets sick to help speed healing, it’s an awesome parenting aid as baby gets older, decreased risk of cancer for mom…just to name a few.

Remind yourself that countless other women are up right now, rocking their precious babes, tears streaming down their faces from a combination of the pain and post-partum hormones, and so many others have been in those same seats for centuries before us. We are all in this together so don’t give up without trying your best! 

We love to hear from you, do you have some breastfeeding tips that have not been mentioned which worked for you? Drop us a comment below and let us know! 

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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