To me, to us, it’s just our normal, our life. My friends often tell me that they don’t know how I do it or that I’m Super Woman. But in all honesty, I’m just me, doing the very best I can to be the mom he so deserves.

But some days, I feel that I come up short.

I lose my cool.

I yell despite my best intentions.

I just want to sit on the couch for one minute and not play every minute of every day.

I let us eat out more often than I’d like.

I don’t clean as good and as often as I should.

I get frustrated.

I get cranky.

And coffee. So much coffee.

But for all my shortcomings, all my misgivings, and despite all of this and so much more, he loves me.

And he’s growing up to be the most caring, empathetic, and smart little guy.

So often we focus only on the negative in ourselves. Single mom or not. But what if we all just took a minute to stop and see all of the good.

The ‘round the clock breastfeeding sessions, diaper changes, burping sessions that I did with no help day after day and night after night.

The hours I worked grading and working at night so I could spend the time during the day playing and being there for him.

The hot evening summer walks pushing him in his stroller, frozen teething rings in hand and nothing but a cloth diaper on.

The first time he signed ‘more’ or ‘please’ or ‘I love you.’

The awe in his eyes staring up the Christmas tree all decorated and lit up.

The cuddles he shares with our two dogs and the love he shows all animals.

The three meals a day that we usually cook together, and always eat together.

His smile.

His laugh.

How he stops and picks every single flower he sees to give to me.

How he asks to hold my hand and tells me holding my hand is his favorite.

His hugs.

His kisses.

His love.

When you stop and look back, there really is so much good and so much happiness.

Our children don’t see us in black and white, as good or bad.

They see us, all of us, and love us unconditionally. Isn’t it about time we did the same for ourselves?

Being a mother is hard, and we are only human.

Let us show our children how to make mistakes and then ask for forgiveness, how to lose your temper but then apologize and do better the next time. But most of all, let’s learn to love ourselves and give ourselves the grace we deserve, so that they are able to do the same as they grow up and when they are grown.

If no one has told you lately, you are an amazing mother.

You little one is beyond lucky to have you as their mother, and you are doing a great job.

Celebrate yourself this Mother’s Day, because you more than deserve it.

Be sure to join us on our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project.

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using the hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

Allyson Lux

I am a single mom to the most amazing little boy in the entire world. He is the light of my life! We also have the two sweetest doggies who complete our little family. I am a high school teacher and a photographer, and am very passionate about breastfeeding, babywearing, attachment parenting, and raising my son in the most natural way possible!

www.myluxphotography.wix.com/home

The post Unconditional love appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I’m willing to bet that was all before you had any children. I’m not saying that the love between spouses or significant others doesn’t matter in comparison to the passion you feel as a parent, however it’s incomparable and far more intense when it is for your child.

Speaking of parent and child relationships, did you know that today is Bring your Daughter to Work Day? It’s also the Month of the Military Child and in order to honor both or those occasions I created a list of all the reasons children are amazing and do wonderful things for us as parents every day.

1. We Experience Unconditional Love

They challenge us and make us smarter for it. I’m sure you remember telling yourself that long division was something you could never forget, or how to solve an equation (PEMDAS anyone?). Little did we know we’d be in our 20’s and 30’s having to quickly teach ourselves how to not only figure out long division the old fashion way, but now relearn it with these new methods with a youtube video in the pantry before your kid can find you and realize you’re less knowledgeable than you lead on to be…

2. They Remind Us How Great The World Truly Is

While you’re stressed out typing away a report for work or frustrated because the dryer is stuffed with lint your little girl is curious about all the “Why’s”…I don’t know about you, but if your child hasn’t made you contemplate the universe itself from all her questions then you have to think harder about what she’s really asking.

“Why is mommy moving really fast and yelling at the machine?”

Seriously, why IS mommy so mad and angry at the dryer? Deep down we know that isn’t going to do anything to benefit ourselves, so why do we continue to feel such a negative fueling emotion? Not to mention–have you ever just tried to see things from a babies perspective before? No, really. I mean getting onto all fours or laying on your back to try and pin point what the heck your baby is giggling at when all you see is the fan on your ceiling. A baby sees a dangling object floating above in the air above her. However, as an adult we have the opportunity to appreciate the finer things behind how it’s even possible for that fan to exist. The blades are held by a metal paddle which is connected to the outer shell of the motor, which screws hold in place. (Screws alone are fascinating. Who the heck was genius enough to create a screw?! Those things hold our world together!)

There’s so much life appreciation and gratitude we can learn from these pure minds.

3. Raising Girls Make You Rethink Societal Standards.

As a mother who tries her best to exhume self love, raising a girl in a world of young make up artists and never ending options to enhance natural beauty is not easy. Just like there’s a fine line between teaching your girl to stand up to bullies with force versus knowing when exactly to stand down and tell an adult.

As parents we’re taught to lead by example, but who are WE supposed to look up to? Society doesn’t do a very good job of cheering on the realism of the world, so it’s up to us to decide what the “norm” is.

I’ve learned that for everything you wish to teach your daughter you must implement into your own routine.

The best part about young girls (and children in general at young ages) is their innocence to societal rules and norms. When they see their mothers get dressed in the morning they see beauty no matter what they wear. Same goes for the makeup they choose to put on and all other decisions.

We know kids question many things. The rules parents implement is certainly a big one to question. As parents we spend a lot of time trying to protect our children at the same as raising them to be strong individuals, but our biggest flaw is neglecting to parent and be kind to ourselves. The confidence we pass onto our children is hardly ever implemented within ourselves. We live in a world where its unbelievably easy to pretend or recreate who we are as people, including looks and in order for our impressionable girls to believe what we want them to we need to believe it for ourselves. We are our worst critics and our children are our biggest confidence boosters.

4. Girls Radiate Energy and Exhume Happiness.

Even under the toughest of circumstances and stressful of times I can always look over at my daughter to find a smile pasted across her face. They have the lightest of hearts and know no evil. It is the most contagious feeling in the world to watch your children run and play for hours without a lapse in happiness, not to mention seeing them get right back up after falling down.

So on this day of stress remember that you have a little one staring up at you like you’re the tallest and most magnificent creature they’ve ever seen. They admire the way you pour water into a glass and as a matter of fact they admire how quick you are to catching the glass when they “accidentally” tipped it over.

Rather instead of buckling at the craziness of bringing your sweet daughter to work today, take the day to live by her rules.

 

Slow down and look at the world in pure amazement. We only get this day once, so if you can, dedicate your world to her a little extra today.

Be sure to join us on our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project.

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using the hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

Katherine Hovey

Katherine Hovey is a young first time mom, stationed on Guam, living life over 7,900 air miles away from her home and everyone she knows as she navigates her place in life as a mother. Currently she is studying to become a Certified Medical Assistance and spends her free time volunteering as a writer for Soldier’s Angels and a part time freelance photographer. Katherine’s motivation is the compassion she has for others. Ultimately she wishes to reach out and impact every life she can touch. Whether that’s getting the chance to help out a family in need, finding a home for an abandoned dog or getting the opportunity to hear someone’s story. She is an avid people person yearning to make a change and leave her mark on this world while never ceasing to observe the world’s lost beauty. If you’d like to learn more about Katherine you can find her on YouTube and Instagram at Hoveylife.

www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLjPPckEfB4M3QOKf-TQ3g

The post Reflections of the greatest love: Bring your daughter to work day appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Allyson Lux

I am a single mom to the most amazing little boy in the entire world. He is the light of my life! We also have the two sweetest doggies who complete our little family. I am a high school teacher and a photographer, and am very passionate about breastfeeding, babywearing, attachment parenting, and raising my son in the most natural way possible!

www.myluxphotography.wix.com/home

The post Our Mother Earth: Earth Day Activities appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

As a childcare provider, there are two times of year that I DREAD. Back to School, and the New Year, because it seems like my home is an endless germ fest of children parading in and out, and as much as you clean, there is no way to stop it.

The only comfort I give myself when my family is all out of commission due to nausea or vomiting, is that is that my kids are building super strong immune systems from growing up in a daycare environment.

So as I sit snuggling in bed with two sleeping and sickly kiddos, I thought I’d share my favorite hacks for beating nausea and vomiting

Some of these work great for morning sickness too!

1. Activated Charcoal
2. Essential Oils
3. Pressure Points
4. Elderberry Syrup
5. Humidifier
6. Ginger, Cinnamon, or Mint
7. Take your Vitamins
8. Probiotics, Kefir, and/or Sauerkraut
9. BRAT diet

1. Activated Charcoal

Activated Charcoal is a type of charcoal that is processed to be more porous. It works by trapping toxins and chemicals in your intestinal system, and because it isn’t processed by the body, it carries those toxins straight out of your system through your bowels. (source) It’s recommended to take 2 every hour for adults. For my kiddos, I find it easiest to smuggle it into my kids by breaking open a capsule in a glass or purple grape juice. (There are some trains of thought that think grape juice helps with the nausea and vomiting associated with stomach bugs. It doesn’t, but it doesn’t mean those grapes aren’t good for you!) The activated charcoal doesn’t have a flavor, but the dark juice hides that “yucky” black color.

I SWEAR by this solution (hence why it’s number 1!) because of how effective I’ve found it to be in my own home, and I recommend it to all of my daycare families. Use it to cut sick time in half or prevent it when you’re exposed to others who are sick.

2. Essential Oils

The Hubs makes fun of me for my “witches brews” and essential oils obsession. It’s true. I love the way they smell, but more than that, I love that I can often treat my family’s ailments holistically and in a safe manner. Because I run a family childcare, I refrain from using Thieves around the kids, so I stick diffusing to KidSafe “Germ Destroyer” from Plant Therapy, but any Child safe anti-germ Blend will do.

Using Essential Oils Safely recommends diffusing or applying the following oils for nausea and vomiting:

(These can also help with heartburn & Indigestion)
Diffusing or properly diluting and rubbing on the tummy the following oils may help.
These oils can also be used in a personal aromatherapy inhaler.
* Ginger
* Spearmint
* Citrus oils (Please check for proper topical max and phototoxicity if using topically.)
* Peppermint (Not safe for children under 6.)
* For indigestion you can also try consuming a spoonful or apple cider vinegar or papaya enzyme.

3. Pressure Points

“Acupressure is an ancient healing art that’s based on the traditional Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture. With acupressure, pressure is applied to specific places on your body. These places are called acupoints. Pressing these points can help release muscle tension and promote blood circulation. Research suggests that it can also relieve many common side effects of chemotherapy.” (Source, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

You can do acupressure yourself by using your fingers to apply pressure various points. Check out this video to help find the points to help reduce your child’s nausea or vomiting.

4. Elderberry Syrup

Because of it’s terrific benefits for building a healthy immune system and helping ward off bugs, Elderberry is a lot easier to find at the local drug store, but you can also make it yourself. I love this recipe from Faith at the Little Herbal:

Elderberries are basically virus zapping magic. Ok, that’s nnot ture. But, even better, its scientifically proven to help prevent and shorten Influenza and viruses.

Based on this randomized control trial, the results said:

Elderberry has been used in folk medicine for centuries to treat influenza, colds and sinusitis, and has been reported to have antiviral activity against influenza and herpes simplex. We investigated the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry syrup for treating influenza A and B infections. Sixty patients (aged 18-54 years) suffering from influenza-like symptoms for 48 h or less were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study during the influenza season of 1999-2000 in Norway. Patients received 15 ml of elderberry or placebo syrup four times a day for 5 days, and recorded their symptoms using a visual analogue scale. Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo. Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza. These findings need to be confirmed in a larger study.

So go buy yourself some gummies, or whip your family up some elderberry syrup a la Hershel from the Walking Dead, but no matter what, you can’t argue that Eldberberries are an imperative stable during this awful stomach bug and flu season.

5. Run a Humidifier

If you or your kiddos are having troubles with nausea and vomiting, or particularly if you are fighting cold and sinus issues, chances are you’re fighting off dehydration, too. Help your body out by making sure there’s plenty of humidity in the air, particularly in the dry winter months. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping your home at a humidity between 30%-50%. It may not help you overcome the viruses floating around, but it will hep your body’s overall comfort level.

6. Ginger, Cinnamon, and Mint

YEEEEARRS ago, Hubs (then fiance), and I worked waiting tables on a cruise ship in Hawaii (pretty amazing, right?). I get serious motion sickness, so I learned fairly quickly tips and tricks to keep the Nausea at bay. Ginger begged off the sushi chef, bitters and ginger ale (make sure it’s the brand made with real ginger) from the bartender, and peppermint tea with a little honey for shift’s end. I kept a packet of big red cinnamon gum in my apron for the nights we went into open sea, and I was made in the shade.

Want to make a tummy bug triple whammy? Make some homemade popsicles for your kids with chamomile tea, grape juice, and activated charcoal.
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Fast forward 5 years to early pregnancy, and my tried and true nausea and vomiting tricks came in handy, and I still use those go to’s for when my kids start to complain about tummy troubles. While they may not be a cure, they’re an excellent holistic treatment to make flue season a little easier. I adore Tazo Zen Green tea with lemongrass and spearmint, and it’s light enough my kids will drink it too. Want to make a tummy bug triple whammy? Make some homemade popsicles for your kids with chamomile tea, grape juice, and activated charcoal.

7. Take your Vitamins

Around this time of year, it’s best to just make chugging vitamins a habit. I’d love to preach and say healthy eating and a balanced diet, but let’s get real, I ate a Christmas cookie for breakfast. So at the minimum, keep your medicine cabinet stocked with Emergen-C. (Again, another Cruise Ship hack to keep me on my feet for 10 hours surrounded by vacationers possible carrying GI, or as we called it, Code Brown.) airborne works well too, but as a WAHM caring for 7 kids at a time, I like the boost from the extra C and B vitamins. Can’t run to the store? Take your pre-natals. If you’re breastfeeding, chances are you should be taking them anyway.

Because let's get real, moms don't get sick days, so we need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves and staying healthy.
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8. Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria that line your digestive tract and support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection. There are actually 10 times more probiotics in your gut than cells in your body! (source)

Right now, your gut (or your child’s) is a disaster. The best thing your can do for it is to help restore the healthy bacteria in your gut. Introducing probiotics, keifer , and sauerkraut to your diet will go a looooong way in that. But probiotics aren’t just good for recovering from a nasuea and vomiting inducing bug, or restoring healthy gut fauna after a round of antibiotics. Probiotics are an important part of a healthy digestive system (after all, 80% of your immune system resides in your gut). So focusing on a healthy gut for you and your child is one of the best things you can do for your immune system.

9. The Brat Diet

Good luck Mama, caring for a sick family is HARD!

Remember, even when if you or your child is struggling with nausea and vomiting, the immunities and gut healing properties in your breastmilk are the absolute best thing you can do for babe. Breastfeeding while sick is it’s own battle. Remember,  you are a warrior. Sending your love and healthy thoughts.

XOXO,

Lauren and the Breastfeeding World Team.

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post 8 Home Remedies you need to ease nausea & flu symptoms quickly appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

The princesses we grew up with were beautiful and in love.  They were also victims of circumstance. To play princess meant two things. First, you must be beautiful. Second, you must fall in love with a handsome prince. And the prince didn’t matter. Heck, half of them didn’t have names in my girlhood memories. You see, only the princess mattered. Only the beauty, grace, and passion of love mattered.

As I grew into womanhood, I felt repulsed at the princess image

I hated everything it stood for. To make choices or wait for a man to rescue you is ridiculous. Pretty isn’t everything. I felt determined to raise my daughter differently. No princess fascination. No Barbie’s, whose focus was only shopping and Malibu Ken.  My daughter would be raised to value hard work, compassion, intelligence, and strength.

Posts you May also like: “My Preschool Princess, You are never Merely Pretty” from Breastfeeding World.

I never wanted my children to grow up thinking that “pretty” was important. Forget society. But that’s difficult. Because if you are a “pretty” child, lots of doors open quickly for you. You see, growing up, I was always told how beautiful I was. Poor me, right? The problem arose when I was told how beautiful I was far more often than how smart, how strong, how hard working…

And that’s the problem with the emphasis on complimenting a little girl’s beauty

Between princesses and compliments, the little girls of our era grew up feeling that our worth is wholly wrapped up in how beautiful we are. If we aren’t seen as meek and helpless and beautiful, how can we ever find a handsome prince to sweep us off of our feet? And really, isn’t that all that is important in life? Of course not.

And let us not forget our sons, who also grew up thinking that the ideal woman is this unrealistic version of a timid princess. One who worships at the feet of her love, if only he take care of her financial needs. It’s a stigma and mentality damaging to both sexes.

Our generation of weak, beautiful, in love princesses are pushing back for our daughters. We want more out of them than just beautiful.

“Yes, you are beautiful,” We tell them. “You are also smart, kind, creative, and strong. I love the heart you have, caring for others. See how hard you work, how stubborn and tenacious you are? Beauty isn’t everything. Don’t you see, our amazing daughters? How you treat the world around you means more.”

My creative, tough, thoughtful, passionate, intelligent girl.

The inventors of the meek, beautiful, silent princess- Disney- finally heard our collective motherhood cry- “We want more for our children!”

You see, in the last few years, I’ve noticed a huge shift in the Princess model that our children are growing up with. Of course, these new princesses are still beautiful. That stigma will take much longer to break in our society. However, today’s princesses are so much more.  Let’s look at them:

• The Princess and the Frog: Tiana isn’t looking for love- but she is dreaming. She works hard, cares about others, and fights for what she believes in. Her dreams are bigger than some prince- she is ambitious, intelligent, and won’t stop until her dreams come true.
• Tangled: We are still dealing with “love” themes in this movie- but it doesn’t encompass the plot anymore. Rapunzel is fearless and determined. She learns to stand up for herself and her journey is about self discovery and in her self discovery, she finds love. Which is a lot more realistic. 
• Brave: Merida is strong willed, determined, free-spirited and strong. She doesn’t even have a love interest! It’s about family, self-acceptance, and of course, bravery.
• Frozen: Speaking of self discovery, Frozen is the movie that broke the princess mold. I could go on and on about all the empowerment themes in this movie, but perhaps that’s a post for another day.
• The Live Action Beauty and the Beast: Moving past the Stokholm Syndrome thing- Belle and the Beast fall in love with the other’s personhood. It’s not about the amazing library. Or that she can break the spell cast over his castle. They fall in love in a real, intellectual basis. And let us not forget that Belle, not her father, is the inventor in this version!

Yet with all of this positive Princess paradigm PR Disney was spouting out, I still hesitated

It was still that princess mentality that didn’t sit well with me. I could play with dinosaurs and build blocks and color with my daughter until the cows came home, but it didn’t stop her from entering the “princess phase”. It wasn’t until we were watching Moana, that I realized that the negative mentality towards princesses that I inwardly carried was mine, not my daughters.

We were watching the part where Moana’s grandmother imparts her necklace to Moana, telling her to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save the island. Imp looked at me and said,

“She doesn’t look like a princess until she puts the necklace on. When she puts the necklace on, that’s when she looks like a princess.”

“Oh”, I responded cautiously. “What does a princess look like?”

“A Princess is someone who does good and saves the day. She puts on the necklace and saves the day, that’s why she looks like a princess.”

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A Princess is someone who does good and saves the day. That’s what today’s Disney has done for our daughters. (No wonder Hubs and I love going so much!) It’s shaken up our preconceived notions, and inspired our girls to do good and save the day. Now, as parents, caregivers, nannies, childcare providers, grandparents… we have help inspiring our daughters to build their own greatness. And who would have thought it came from Disney?

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What do you feel about Today’s Princess model vs. the ideal princesses we grew up with? Is it different from you to your daughter?

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post From Pretty to Powerful: How Today’s Princess Paradigm has Changed Everything for our Kids appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Can we all just stop the pretending for a moment?

Who else feels like a disorganized mess?  I mean where is the clean house, the organic home cooked meals, the workout DVD at? Why am I 17 months postpartum and still wearing my maternity jeans?

Why do I feed my child waffles with syrup that may or may not contain high-fructose corn syrup because I forgot to check? And, did that McDonald’s french fry really just slip in my kids mouth without my permission!?!

I am going to lay all my confessions out right here for you

Why? Because I know that profile picture, that selfie, that cute pic of your child laughing… took about 50 takes, and, behind those family portraits? You guys were arguing and getting frustrated between takes.

So, here are my confessions to make you feel better about your life. Sit back and laugh at mine, while reading intended run on sentences, because they increase the intensity of the mess.

I eat ice-cream, daily. I want to lose 50 pounds, but, I eat ice-cream daily.

My house is a wreck. I clean my house on Saturday and by Wednesday… my house is a wreck.

We have enough clothing for a family of 5. We are a family of 3; the majority of our clothes are PJ’s.

Sometimes I wake up and make a healthy breakfast. Sometimes…is really only 5 times in the past 17 months.

I can organize your life in 2 minutes. My life can’t even be organized by Alejandra Costello, the most organized woman in America. But I can whip you into shape really fast.

I look forward to bedtime because I can eat ice-cream; I eat ice-cream daily

My son is 17 months and sleeps in the bed with us. He watches Paw Patrol and Bubble Guppies every night before bed.

He doesn’t sit in a high chair.

Nope, high chairs are for babies. He either sits in this contraption from the 70’s, that was probably recalled because I have never seen one in my life until my MIL gave it to us for our son…OR….he sits on the table, that we don’t have.

I didn’t even clean up the “table” for you

We don’t have a table. Our kitchen leans.

So, plates fall off and chairs are in danger of tipping over, so…We 3 sit at this lovely piece of wood on the wall.

As I type this, in view, is a zebra, a towel on the floor, a book about boundaries (which I need to create), an empty Dr. Pepper bottle, a dying plant, instruction pamphlet for some device, I don’t know what. One flip-flop, a box of diapers…

And…. a grocery sack from Aldi, you know, that inexpensive grocery store? It sits next to a $900 sweater someone didn’t WANT that they thought I would want, but I can’t wear it because it is 4 sizes too small and… I eat ice-cream daily.

Plus, they probably wanted it, but they felt bad for me and figured if I saw this, 4 sizes too small sweater, hanging in my closet, that I would get motivated to not eat ice-cream daily.

It will never fit me.

Yep, I had it all planned out. My entire pregnancy, consuming organic foods; making healthy choices. I was going to walk my “just lost 50 pounds” self every day. When my son was born, he would bathe in only the most organic products. I would slather him in the most fragrant lotions and dress him in the finest clothing. My home would be clean.

I would get out and be present in the world with my son, daily. We would attend play dates. We would be all I ever dreamed as mother and child.

As we all can see, that isn’t happening. And you know what? It’s okay. Because…

We laugh daily.

My son loves when all 3 of us climb in the bed and watch his favorite TV shows.

When Mommy gets brave enough to get the ice-cream out in front of baby, she gives him some and he squeals.

The lack of a kitchen table has prompted us all to squeeze into a tight space and really bond…like, really. It also calls for many picnics outside on a blanket in the backyard.

The wreck of a house I am in, signifies that life is lived here. My son gets to play without being scolded for touching the valuables. He can run free in the kitchen because there is more space without above said table.

And, I have a new piece to add to my family of 5 clothing collection, a $900 sweater to remind me that I once would fit in it, and strut my stuff…but my new 50 pounds heavier body is okay if I don’t anymore.

Well, we are keeping it real, right?

I am semi-okay that I won’t fit in it. The vain part really wants to show it off. But, the reasonable part remembers this body birthed a baby that it wanted for 15 years.

It housed a child that was in danger of being miscarried. This body spent 4 months on the strictest bed rest in order to save the life inside of it. This body continues to nurture the child it bore 17 months postpartum. While there may be messy things in my disorganized life, really it’s okay, because it’s really all just noise.

The laughter, extended breast feeding, cuddling in bed as a family, and picnics outside…those are the memories. And they’re all better with ice-cream.

Rachel Price

Rachel is a mom, writer, & advocate for women at her local crisis pregnancy center. She lives in South Georgia where she raises her son alongside her husband. She is currently in training to become a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor.

www.bananasandbreastmilk.wordpress.com

The post I’m A Mess, But It’s Okay appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

We first met in September 2015

Newborn

I remember the heady, sleepless days of his babyhood. How he would nurse with vigor: constantly, incessantly, hungrily. It used to feel like I might never satisfy his need for milk, but still, we continued. Through tongue ties, vasospasm and mastitis (on Christmas Day!), breast milk seemed enough to get us through it all.

I remember the first time I nursed in public: the anxiety coursing through my veins, expectantly awaiting a rude comment. How funny, two years on, and we still have never received a wrong-word.

Mama’s milk

I think about when, at 3 months old, breastfeeding had become ‘easy’ – the pain of the early days had ceased. And, I had begun to enjoy it more. It was then that I began to feel a strong passion for breastfeeding. How my initial goal of reaching a year had changed to getting to the WHO minimum recommendation of 2. Funny, now we’re there, and my goals have changed again. After all, children really do only get older a day at a time.

Through sickness and hospital stays

Changes

At 4 months, so began the sleep regression, still engrained in my mind, as a time straight from hell. I remember so vividly wondering whether I would ever sleep for more than 20 minutes again. But still, we continued to breastfeed.

At 6 months, with his first taste of food, I remember being worried that food might replace milk very quickly. I was wrong: my hungry boy seemed to have two separate stomachs – one for milk and one for food.

Comfort, nutrition

At 7 months, I recall how those first 4 front teeth burst through his gums, and my fear of being bitten. It rarely happened, and I laugh at my worries now as I nurse a toddler with all 20 of his baby teeth.

I remember, at 8 months old, I returned to work. I recall the devastating feeling of loss I carried with me as my engorged breasts swelled every time I thought of my son. The evenings brought with them reconnection; nursing sessions which lasted whole nights, that helped us to stay close despite our day time separation.

The perfect connection

Into Toddlerhood

I remember, we survived a nursing strike when he was one, following a nasty bout of hand, foot and mouth. How I cried at the thought of never nursing my little love again. The strike was brief, fleeting really, in the timeline of our journey, but oh so worrying. How would I ever have known that this would be the first of 3 nursing strikes (to date) and that we would overcome them all?

Little, yet determined

At 14 months, I recall how my gorgeous boy found his feet – and with the realization that he could run off, came a new-found air of independence. But still, we found ourselves nursing on, breast milk always the ever-still calm after the toddler-storm.

Sometimes breastfeeding looks like this

At 15 months came the language explosion, and I remember my initial embarrassment at my fierce, loud boy shouting ‘boobies mummy!’ at my chest at the top of his voice in the supermarket. Who would have thought that at two, I’d be engaging in public negotiations over when would be a good time to nurse, and how mid-hair cut might not be the best opportunity.

I remember how all the events, the big ones and the little ones, have been peppered by nursing sessions. Every day, every single day, for the past 2 years, I have breast fed my son.

‘And beyond’

As I sit here, on the eve of his second birthday, I cannot believe how far we’ve come, how important nursing is to our relationship. Yes, it’s changed: no longer is my boy a small, quiet, suckling babe in arms. More often, I am breastfeeding a child who sincerely wishes I could detach a boob so he could play and nurse. But, as the light draws in, sat in the comfort of our old, familiar nursing chair, I realize that although he’s grown, and will continue to grow and change and evolve, one thing remains the same for us: breastfeeding is important. Breastfeeding is pivotal to his childhood years. Mama milk keeps him growing: healthy and strong. It’s always been the same, and it always will.

And then you were two

Read it, love it, share it, pin it- but whatever you do, keep sharing the breastfeeding love!!

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Read it, love it, share it, pin it- but whatever you do, keep sharing the breastfeeding love!!

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

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Emily Lipscombe

Emily is a 20-something year old mama and teacher, living on the south coast of the UK with her husband and their toddler, balancing motherhood, family life and work (with varying degrees of success!) She writes about breastfeeding and parenting and everything else in between – check out her blog!

squidmamma.wordpress.com

The post And Then You Were Two: How Breastfeeding Changes As Your Nursling Grows appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Betty Rose

Betty Rose is a writer and the voice behind the #MomLife Column. Born and raised on the Pacific Island of Guam, she now resides in Seattle, Washington. After having her first child, she began sharing her new role as a Chamorro mother living in the stats and continues to contribute feature stories of Pacific Island communities in other publications. She embraces the diversity, the struggles of motherhood and hopes that, through her writing, she can break and bring awareness to the barriers set on minority communities across the world.

www.facebook.com/TheMomLifeColumn/

The post Moms Are Eager For Next Year’s Seattle Big Latch On appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

We sat beside one another in Art Class in our Senior Year of High School. He was funny. He was smart. Oh, how he made me laugh, and complimented my artistic style. Over a short period of time I began to develop feelings for him, but I never let him know.

One day after class, he handed me a cassette tape and a note. The note told me he’d been wanting to talk to me and ask me out for weeks. It spoke of my beauty and wit; how charming and sweet I was. It spoke of wanting to make me happy and that pursuit of an exclusive relationship with me was his highest priority. I injected the cassette tape into my best friends player and U2’s ‘With or Without You’ began to seep from the stereo speakers and into my heart as rapidly as she drove out of the school parking lot.

I was officially smitten

Our relationship was a whirlwind. We played and laughed, we sang and danced. We joked and loved hard. Until the day he slapped me right across the face. We were in his bedroom watching television. His mom was preparing their family dinner and his father was in the living room. We had a slight argument and mid-sentence he raised his large hand and whacked it straight across my cheek.

I froze
In shock

He fell to his knees, wrapped his arms around my legs, and sobbed. His body shook and his voice trembled. He begged for my forgiveness and promised it would never happen again. I felt compassion for his remorse.

I forgave him.

As the weeks passed, I eased back into trust in our relationship. It seemed he meant what he said. He kept true to his word; he never slapped me again. Instead, he kicked me – hard – in the stomach. He bit my top lip and drew blood. Sure, he didn’t slap me, he pulled me across concrete, scraping me up. He choked me. He held a knife to my throat. Instead, he whipped me with keys on a long key chain. He raped me. I weighed 98 pounds; he called me fat.

He broke my spirit, sucked all the life from me, threatened to kill my family if I left, and then to make it all better… he would buy me expensive jewelry and clothes. Then, he would take me to dinners and give me flowers. He sang our song as he danced me across the room, stroking my face lightly and promising to never hurt me again.

The old me, was gone.

I could not live with him and I could not live without him. I was being held in a relationship against my own will, through coercion and manipulation. Truly believing everything was my fault. My body was no longer my own, but his.

Domestic violence is an epidemic.

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner. 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon. (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV))

Visible bruising was rare, he knew how to attack me in a way no one would know. I kept silent about the abuse. When friends noticed he may be a “little” controlling or jealous, I defended him. I dare not let on that their concerns were valid. Doing so would risk not only my life, but possibly theirs.

The beginning of the end came, when I began to gain a little independence

We began our Freshman Year in College. No longer were we surrounded by the walls of our small High School. Gone were the summer days of endless time together. We were pursuing different degrees which meant we would not attend the same classes nor hold the same hours. He joined a fraternity. He had to pass an initiation involving an entire week of having no contact with the outside world, including me. During this time, I rested.

The first day out of initiation he asked me to visit him at his home. His mother was there. The three of us were talking in the living room and his mother began to pick lightly with him. I eased into comfort and joined her. I knew the repercussions, but somehow, I no longer cared.

He was so angry with me, his rage so intense.

As I left to go home, he waited but a second to begin attacking me. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me across the driveway. He slung me in the dirt and started kicking me in the stomach, with steel toed boots. As he started to throw rocks at me his mother ran out of the house and grabbed him. Yelling in his face, threatening him, and challenging him to hit her, she turned to me and gave me my way out. She ordered me never to come back again.

Finally free, I slept for days. I gathered my girlfriends around me and told them about the past two years. We spoke with his Fraternity brothers and made them aware of the situation. I surrounded myself with people who knew and were committed to making sure I was safe. I stayed with different friends over the course of a few weeks so he would never know where I was. At school I made sure I was never alone.

I thought it was over. But, I was wrong.

I was afraid of my family’s disappointment in me, so I never told them of the abuse or the breakup. This was a choice that would lead to a life or death situation.

One morning while home sleeping, my ex stopped by my house. My Grandmother let him in as she had numerous times before. He walked right in my room and sat on my bed. I awoke. He pulled out a gun, cocked it, and held it to my head. He said:

I’ve been driving around all morning wanting to end my life and I thought to myself, why ruin your life when you can eliminate the problem? The problem is you.

My story ends, thankfully, in a way many do not.

The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner. (Statistics – NCADV)

I lay in bed, frozen. Silently, I prayed to God, asking repeatedly that He spare my life. I became so strong over the past few weeks, I earned freedom. I did not want to lose it now that I was unshackled.

My ex stood up, put the gun in his pocket, and walked out of my room. Just…like…that.
I realize that every situation is different. Some of you reading this may be in an abusive relationship or marriage. Some, even with children. Your situation looks dark and scary. You are sure that lives are at stake should you plan to leave. While that may be true; while nothing is ever guaranteed safe, this remains true:

No one deserves to be abused; you can FLEE!!

F – Follow…

a specific plan. Determine where you are going, how you are getting there, and set a date and time to leave. Do not stray from this plan unless an emergency arises.

L – Leave…

with money, clothes, medication, a few personal keepsakes. If you have children, pack one or two items they love that makes them feel safe. Document evidence. Seeing is believing. Unfortunately, there are times when words are not enough. Document with photographs, notes, calls to friends, etc… and take this with you to authorities.

E – Explain…

your situation to the people you trust the most in your life. Break your silence. I know it feels shameful and it may even feel like a betrayal to your attacker. You may be afraid of judgment for staying as long as you did. However, if you have trusted individuals in your life telling them gives you accountability and enhances safety.

E – Evacuate…

On the day you plan to leave make sure there is help present. Professionals are best. If there are none available, please get a trusted friend, Pastor, or Law Enforcement Officer to help you. You can contact your local Law Enforcement Agency or The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.

My story, unfortunately, does not end here. I did have several years of freedom from physical abuse. However, I later found myself in an 11 year marriage where there was emotional and mental abuse, as well as neglect on many levels. But, this is another story.
Today, I am free. I have been free for 4 beautiful years. I am now in a loving and safe environment with a wonderful husband and a beautiful son. And, I am proof that leaving is possible and there is life outside for you to live in freedom.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. Please strongly evaluate your current situation. You know in your heart where you need to be. You can leave. The benefits far outweigh the risk. You are worth it and your children are as well. Break the silence, break the cycle, and break free; FLEE!

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Rachel Price

Rachel is a mom, writer, & advocate for women at her local crisis pregnancy center. She lives in South Georgia where she raises her son alongside her husband. She is currently in training to become a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor.

www.bananasandbreastmilk.wordpress.com

The post Unshackled. Breaking Free From Abuse appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I have compiled a list of 10 creative Halloween costumes that will make that beautiful baby bump the centerpiece of your Halloween costume

1. Because your bundle of joy is sure to be sweet as can be, turn your belly into a gumball machine.

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I have always loved this idea. It looks relatively simple, provided you have the patience and coordination to use a hot glue gun to apply these colorful pom poms one-by-one. You know what would be even cuter? If the dad-to-be could wear all black and attach an over–sized coin made of cardboard to himself!

2. “I Came In Like A Wrecking Ball” – Miley Cyrus hit song inspired costume.

Instagram/@monbustam

I admittedly am not very familiar with this song beyond its title. When I saw this costume idea in Good Housekeeping’s Article, “23 Best Pregnant Halloween Costumes for 2017”, I thought it was adorable and SUPER simple to pull together! Black shirt with a hole, gray tank top underneath, long chain necklace and small doll.

3. Pick your mood!

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How about an emoji? They are so popular and EVERYWHERE now. I did a whole birthday party themed around emojis for my oldest’s 13th birthday this year. Another simple, minimal effort costume that you can totally customize to your mood that day, week or minute! Grab a black dress, preferably stretchy because, let’s be real, mama ain’t got time for all that tight fitted stuff, and some felt. Get to crafting your emoji and attach to your black dress! Idea courtesy of Good Housekeeping, 23 Best Pregnant Halloween Costumes for 2017

4. Oh Yeah!

Image Source Unknown

This one might take a little more effort than the previous ones, but as a 90’s kid, I LOVE this! I can’t help but say “Oh yeah!” in my best Macho Man Randy Savage voice…in my head. The Kool-aid man part should be simple, but crafting the broken wall may take some time. Some cardboard, paint and an exacto knife should get you on your way!

5. Of course I’m Prego!

Vanessa.Welton/Instagram

I am a huge fan of witty puns and this one takes the cake! I have seen Preggo pasta sauce used as a pregnancy announcement, but as a costume it is epic! Red shirt, felt cut into veggie shapes and Prego label….ta da! Pure Wow posted their own list of costume ideas for pregnant women which is where I saw this.

Or try one of these other cute costume ideas…

• Winnie the Pooh w/ Honey Pot (Popsugar)
• Sunny Side up egg where your bump is the yolk (Popsugar)
• Bump Ahead

Enjoy a darker side? Try one of these spooky costume ideas!

• Unicorns are all the rage. Here is a unicorn baby in utero costume idea!
• Let me out!

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Laranda Colbert

The post These 10 Last Minute Halloween Costumes for Pregnant Mamas are Totally Winning appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project^®?

The idea behind the Teal Pumpkin Project^® was actually conceived during an awareness activity hosted by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee. FARE launched the project as a national awareness campaign in 2014. It serves to promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters in a way that makes it safe and still enjoyable. People who wish to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project^® display a teal pumpkin outside their door or hang a flyer or poster outside their home with the teal pumpkin logo. The display of a teal pumpkin indicates to trick-or-treaters that non-food treats are available.

Why should everyone know about this?

Halloween can be a scary, even life threatening, experience for those living with food allergies. And I don’t mean because of the ghosts, goblins and zombies that you will often encounter when you take your children trick-or-treating. Does anyone else get chills when they see the spooky creations others come up with? No? Ok, I’ll move on. When you have a child with food allergies, every knock on the door, every doorbell that is rang causes the parent to hold their breath.

My son has a peanut allergy. We cannot allow him to touch the wrappers of candy that contains peanuts since we have no way of knowing what level of exposure will result in anaphylaxis. When taking him trick-or-treating, I hover over his bag and watch what is given to him. Any candy contaminated with peanuts is quickly removed by myself or my husband and put into a separate bag that is later to be removed from our home. We have three children. Only one has an allergy, but we have to take any dangerous candy from all three children to dispose of it. That is three separate trick-or-treat bags that I am carefully watching simultaneously. Trick-or-treating for our family is a scary and exhausting process.

Here’s How You Can Help

It’s easy peasy lemon squeezy! FARE offers many free resources for advocating and educating on food allergies! You can paint a pumpkin teal and sit it outside your door or you can download a free poster from the FARE website to display outside your home! Teal is the color used to support food allergy awareness and has been used as such for over 20 years.

Just because you are supporting families with food allergies, does not mean you cannot continue to hand out candy. Just keep the candy and non-food treats in separate bowls! Guess what, the non-food treats can help other families of children that cannot have candy for a reason completely unrelated to food allergies! Win win!

Help! I have no idea what non-food treats to use!

Worry not my friend, I have compiled a list that will help you get some ideas. This list is not exhaustive, and I am sure there are many other options than what I have listed below, but this should give your brain the boost it needs to decide what is best for you! Hit up the local dollar store or wholesale distributor to get the most bang for your buck.

• Glow sticks
• Bracelets & Necklaces
• Crayons, markers, pencils, erasers
• Whistles, kazoos, noisemakers – the parents will totally love you for this!
• Stickers
• Mini-notepads
• Vampire fangs
• Cars
• Bouncy balls
• Finger puppets or other novelty items
• Bookmarks
• Puzzle books

There are many affordable options. One of my friends has even visited her local Goodwill to purchase miscellaneous trinket toys so that my kids have something other than candy to choose from! You should have seen the two youngest. They were thrilled!

“The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT and the Teal Pumpkin Image are trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).”

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

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Laranda Colbert

The post What You Need To Know When You See a Teal Pumpkin appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

What is a food allergy?

My knowledge comes from personal experience

Kids in Public School with Food Allergies

How do I handle schooling and food allergies?

What can you do?

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Laranda Colbert

The post My Child Has A Food Allergy, And Yes, You Should Care appeared first on Breastfeeding World.