Chronicles of a Nursing Mom

Cupfeeding E

2012-02-25T18:23:00.000+08:00

As I prepare to go back to work, foremost in my mind is how E will be getting my breastmilk. I had nipple confusion issues with N. However, with N, I went back to work when she was already 7 months so I didn't have any issues with giving her the bottle then. With E, I will be going back to work when he is 2 months old. We have a great breastfeeding relationship and I don't want to jeopardize it by introducing a bottle.

What's the best solution? Cupfeeding! Breastfriends like Velvet, Dr. Mianne and Dr. Jessa teach cupfeeding and recommend that I teach Erik. However, I could only get to them at the last week of February. I wanted my nanny to learn earlier to give her time to practice. She had been attempting to cupfeed E with little success because she lacked confidence and was afraid of E every time he cried!

Velvet referred me one of Arugaan's community leaders - Nanay Rich Talle. Nanay Rich was actually an Arugaan-trained lactation masseuse. However, Velvet said that she could also teach my yaya how to cupfeed E. So I contacted her and asked her to come for cupfeeding instructions and a massage.

Nanay Rich came on a Monday. Normally, the lactation massage comes with breastfeeding counseling. In my case, I didn't ask for counseling anymore but cupfeeding instructions instead.

Here's Nanay Rich teaching E to drink milk from a cup

According to Nanay Rich, babies also need to be taught to cupfeed. She also asked me to warm my milk a little so E won't be "shocked" by the cold temperature. Nanay Rich also massaged N (who had colds and coughs) which was extra. She taught my yaya how to massage N and E.

E's nanny was happy that Nanay Rich came because she felt more confident cupfeeding E. She's practicing everyday and hopefully will be able to successfully cupfeed E when I go back to work.

You can reach Nanay Rich at 09163086434.

Happy 2nd month Baby E!

2012-02-22T10:35:00.002+08:00

New product: Snuza

2012-02-21T10:00:00.000+08:00

One of my online store clients, Sheryl, recently started a company - Momhattan Corporation to bring in Snuza. Here is her story:

While I was struggling with my baby paranoia and sleepless nights, I stumbled upon Snuza, an innovative baby monitor which detects movement and breathing. I was so impressed with the product that I decided I wanted to bring it here in the Philippines and eventually was awarded exclusive distributorship. This has seriously saved my sanity! :)

I am happy to share with you more information on SNUZA. It significantly helps parents be free from worrying over SIDS. SIDS to this day remains to be a major threat to babies and the frightening thing about it is while it is globally acknowledged, we still do not know what exactly causes it. So as parents, we are left to worry over safeguarding our babies especially at night. While Filipinos usually sleep with their babies in the same room or even co-sleep on the same bed, the risk of SIDS is still high and most of us know someone who had unfortunately experienced this.
Snuza is a breathing/movement baby monitor which attaches to the baby's diaper and can be brought anywhere you go. It is currently available in 44 countries and we are the 2nd Asian country to have it.
Snuza uses a leading and patented technology, which can detect a slowdown in baby's breathing and can set off an audible alarm at 20 seconds. There are 2 available models: Halo and Go! Halo also features a Rouse Warning if it detects that breathing has stopped for 15 seconds. This warning lets the monitor gently vibrate to encourage breathing again by the baby. If there is still no breathing in 20 seconds, the audible alarm will be set off. On the other hand, Go! features an adjustable alarm time if it detects the baby has stopped breathing at 15, 18 or 20 seconds.

With N, S and I were also paranoid and had our own movement and sound monitor. However, the monitor we had was quite bulky and cumbersome that we eventually abandoned its use. The Snuza is a small gadget which you clip to your baby's diaper. One concern I had was whether the gadget will bother my baby, especially since the tip needs to be in touch with your baby's tummy. Here's Sheryl's answer:

The gadget is small and it curves along where the diaper usually bulges so it kind of bends with it. The tip is soft and flexible so it won't hurt your baby. My baby uses it until now and she plays on the bed (crawling, sitting, lunging forward) with it.

Sheryl is still in the process of launching the product so the list of retailers is not yet available. Meanwhile, you can check their Facebook page for updates or contact Sheryl via email if you're interested.

The Gift of Breastmilk

2012-02-18T02:59:00.002+08:00

With E's jaundice scare, I decided to start expressing milk. N had been required to take formula and I was not able to express enough milk to match the formula requirement. So I wanted to be prepared and in case E was going to be put under phototherapy and be required to take formula, I wanted to make sure that I had enough stored milk to match the formula requirement.
I started expressing milk, once a day, on new year's day. Luckily, at his 2-week check-up, the pediatrician said that E's color was much better and no phototherapy was required. Thus, I was able to stock up on milk and by the end of January, I had about 100 ounces stored.

I don't keep my frozen milk for more than a month so I decided to donate about half of my stock. I posted on the Human Milk for Human Babies webpage and was referred to a family who had a chronically ill daughter. The daughter was in serious condition about three years ago and was given breastmilk. Recently, the daughter had 2 surgeries which severely impacted her immune system, leaving her unable to tolerate anything, resulting to a significant drop in weight.
I called the mom and she got teary eyed. Apparently, she just requested a friend to post the message and in about 2 days, I replied with an offer of about 50 ounces. We talked on Friday and the mom came to pick up the milk on Saturday - she lived about 1 hour away. About 2 days later, I received this email from her:

Yesterday, when my daughter took your milk her hands got warm andher stomach was not only able to accept the milk but it started feeling better. The life force in this milk was miraculous. You have truly given us the greatest of gifts.

Breast milk is truly wonderful and it is really a gift without parallel. With N, I was able to donate to twins, triplets, orphanages, hospitals, milk bags, etc. etc. and I hope to continue doing so with baby E.

========
I'd like to redirect you to this post entitled "Enough is Enough" by my carnival co-host Mec. It is not your obligation to donate your breastmilk. As Mec said, it is better for you to have quality time with your baby and other kids, rather than spend your time pumping. For this nursling, I am lucky that I am able to express milk quickly and have excess milk to donate. I am also preparing to go back to work in about 2 weeks, which is why I am continuing to pump once a day to collect milk for my first day back.

Babywearing 4? It will be a FAB Event!

2012-02-15T19:49:00.000+08:00

This is a long delayed post. During the last week of September, we were able to organize the 3rd Babywearing Meet at Gymboree. For details of the event, you can read The Painter's Wife and Mimma Benz write-ups.

nursing E in a next9 sling

With baby E now here, I am more excited about babywearing. I am currently using Jen's Next9 ring sling with baby E as we nurse and go about during these early days. I must say that babywearing saved my sanity during the early days!! I was able to eat, blog, entertain Achi N, etc. etc.
Aside from my ring sling, I went crazy with purchasing various carriers and now have a babyhawk meitai, olives and applesauce soft structured carrier (SSC), peanut shell pouch and hotslings AP (for S!). Add this to my existing Saya and Moby wraps.

I was able to attend a meeting of Babywearing International and this makes me excited for the next babywearing event! The moms who organize the meetings have a library of more than 50 carriers which they let participants try - from stretchy wraps, woven wraps, hybrids, SSCs, pouches, meitai, ringslings, etc. etc. - name it and they are sure to have it. They even had a korean podegi! For each type of carrier, they had several brands available.
The other organizers and I have been talking about how to promote babywearing and "regularize" the events. We were thinking of creating our own library of carriers and charge a fee for membership which will allow people to borrow from the library. We've even thought of a name (FAB - for Filipino Association of Babywearers!) A lot of moms are interested in babywearing and sometimes just need the push or affirmation that the way they are using the carrier is correct.
We haven't scheduled the next event yet and welcome suggestions, comments from interested moms. In case you are wondering why the last event was limited and required RSVP - it was because the space was quite limited and we wanted to have some semblance of order during the event - unlike what happened during babywearing event 2, when we invaded Starbucks!
Interested? Share your thoughts!

On Breastfeeding Number Two - Redux

2012-02-12T13:30:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received and/or the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.

The best breastfeeding advice I received during the early days of nursing N was that it will get better and to take breastfeeding a day at a time. And this advice was also most helpful during my experience with nursing baby E.

Early in my pregnancy, I wrote about my worries about breastfeeding baby E (nicknamed Flower at that time). S and I were joking about how I had to live up to my blog (being a breastfeeding mom with Baby E) - otherwise I would have to rename it!
Baby E came on 21 December 2011 at 39 weeks and 2 days. Labor and delivery was uneventful and although my wishes for a delayed cord clamping were not met, we were eventually put skin to skin and he latched within the first 30 minutes. I kept him roomed-in during my entire hospital stay and nursed him round the clock.

With my experience with N who nursed until she was 3 years and 5 months, I was confident that I had milk. While nursing E during the early hours of his life, I did breast compressions and was even able to see some colostrum leaking out! By Friday, my transitional milk had come in and over the weekend, my mature milk came.

breastfeeding E at 21 days

Given that this is my 2nd baby plus the fact that I run this breastfeeding blog, you would think that I had it easy this time around? Well, not exactly. I knew that I had the position and latch correct but I still had sore nipples. So what was the reason for it? I think it was the learning curve - that E had to "learn" how to breastfeed even if it was natural and instinctive. E's mouth was also small that he could not help but latch just on the nipple. He was also quite stubborn. I position him and we get the correct latch initially then he would reposition himself to his preferred but incorrect latch!

My sore nipples started on day 4-5 and lasted for about 1 week. The soreness was worse this time since E drew out blood! I just kept at it and kept repositioning him to teach him the correct latch. The soreness subsided at around day 7 and by day 10, E was nursing like a champ!
Aside from issues with the latch, I also had issues with jaundice. I previously wrote about my experience with N who was diagnosed with breastmilk jaundice at day 14. With E, I was worried about his yellow color and asked the pediatrician to keep a close watch. During our first doctor's visit on day 6, E's bilirubin levels were checked and it was at a high 18.7. The pediatrician asked us to come back the next day to do another test. At day 7, the levels were at 18.4. According to the pediatrician, the levels were still high but since it didn't go higher, it was possible that the highest level had been reached and the bilirubin levels were tapering off. She said to continue observing E and when we return for his 2-week check-up, she will decide whether another bilirubin test would be needed.
E's 2-week check-up was scheduled on January 5. The pediatrician noted that his color was better and she didn't see the need for the test that day. She said that since E was on pure breastmilk, it was normal for his jaundice to be prolonged. Plus, I think the fact that E gained almost 2 lbs since hospital discharge also helped! When he was discharged, he weighed 6lbs, 5oz. At day 15, he weighed 8lbs and 2.6oz. The pediatrician informed us that the jaundice resulted in cosmetic issues (E's yellow color) and that if we were still worried when E turned 1 month, we can bring him for another bilirubin level test. She said that the only way to eliminate jaundice would be to stop giving E breastmilk (which I definitely won't do) at this point.
Compared to my breastfeeding experience with N, this time with E, I was more informed and more confident about my capacity to produce sufficient milk for my child. During the first day (Wednesday), I constantly put E on my breast and did breast compressions. By Friday, my transitional milk had come in. I also knew tricks such as breast compression to hasten milk flow and taking lecithin to avoid plugged ducts (since my milk was quite viscous).
What about N? During E's early days, she was asking to breastfeed and I was holding her off since I had sore nipples. She asked me if I could express milk for her instead for her to drink in a cup. Finally on new year's day, I was able to express milk for her. She was so excited and asked her dad to put it in a glass for her. After 1 sip, she made a face and said that it was different from her old milk! She still attempts to breastfeed directly albeit half heartedly and comments that she can't seem to draw out milk anymore -- they really do forget how to breastfeed!
To end, I really do encourage first time moms to persevere and get help when the breastfeeding challenges seem insurmountable. Breastfeeding each baby is a different experience but knowing how to face the challenges is a huge step in breastfeeding success. As you can read from my experiences with N and E, I experienced similar challenges whether or not I was a first time nursing mom or an experienced nursing mom. Thus, I can only tell moms the same advice that was given to me - that breastfeeding does get easier each day and to take it a day at a time.

=========Check out these other carnival participants==========
The Articulate Pen's Breastfeeding needs Patience
Diapers and Stethoscope's Back to Basic
My Mommyology's What I've Learned About Breastfeeding
Ms. Masungit's From One Mom To Another
The Odyssey of Dinna's Breastfeeding Words of Wisdom
Mrs. Bry126's We're All in this Together
I Am Clarice's Paying it Forward
My Mommy Kwentos' Sharing My Favorite Breastfeeding Advice
Planet Marsy's Better Than None
Mommy {T} Coach's Saved by the Nursing Mommas
Mama Drama's Patience and Breast-friends
Adventures on Planet Mom's Stubborn Me! Sure Glad I didn't give up
Nanaystrip's Eat Malunggay, Say "I Have Milk" and Love your Baby
Starting at Twenty-Five's My Husband's Best Breastfeeding Advice
Nanay *Loves* Purple's Why Attend Breastfeeding Class/Seminars
Truly Rich Mom's My Top 5 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
Legally Mama's Take it from the non-expert!
Mommy Mama Rat's My Breastfeeding Mantra
Mr. Jacob's Mom's Breastfeeding Tips from a Non-Breastfed Mommy
Hybrid Rasta Mama's Breastfeeding Lists, Advice, Links and More
Apples and Dumplings' One Word of Breastfeeding Advice
Touring Kitty's Just Do It
EthanMama's Only the Best for My Baby
the canDIshhh tales' My Breastfeeding Advice
Mec as Mom's Enough is Enough
Chronicles of a Nursing Mom's On Breastfeeding Number Two - Redux

Giveaway: Marshmallow Mama's Milkin' Cookies!

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Cyrene Ng and Michelle D Boras for winning the giveaway!

Early this year, fellow lawyer Joyce contacted me and asked me if I wanted to sample her milk-making goodies. Joyce previously posted as guest on this blog while I was on extended vacation in April. Joyce shared how she decided to move from being a full time lawyer to a full time mama.
Joyce has now ventured into a new business - baking - and has been making Mango Malunggay Milking Cookies since October 2011. She has asked her breastfeeding friends to sample her products and was met with success! Her friends reported that their milk output increased after 2 days of eating 3-4 cookies per day. The main star of her cookies is the local malunggay, instead of the usual fenugreek and brewer's yeast.

packaged for shipping

I received a batch of sample cookies this week. She sent me a week's supply of 20 mango malunggay cookies and 8 sugar free dark choco oats malunggay cookies.

individually wrapped to ensure freshness

The cookies are individually packed and can be kept at room temperature for about 2 weeks. To prolong the shelf life, Joyce recommends that the cookies be stored in the freezer.
If frozen, you can choose to eat the cookies cold, let them sit for a few minutes to soften up or wam in the microwave oven for 5-10 seconds.
Each cookie contains about 200 mg of malunggay powder. My verdict: I love the mango malunggay cookies. I can hardly taste the bitter malunggay. I'm not really a fan of malunggay powder/teas as I find them quite bitter. However, the cookies mask the malunggay flavor quite well. I also love the chewy texture.

check out the texture of the cookies

The Dark Chocolate Oat cookie was not a win for me. I found it a bit bland - still I couldn't taste the bitter malunggay. I prefer regular cookies but this could be a great alternative to moms who are watching their sugar intake. Joyce said that she can also make the dark chocolate cookies using regular sugar. She is also coming up with a new variant - banana oat walnut cookies.
Joyce bakes the cookies as ordered and sell them in batches of 28 cookies (or a week's supply of 4 cookies daily). The mango malunggay cookies and the regular dark choco oats cookies cost 33 pesos for 4 cookies or 231 pesos for a week's supply. The sugar free cookies (dark choco oats) cost 53 pesos for 4 cookies or 371 pesos for a week's supply. Shipping to Luzon is 130 pesos while shipping to Visayas and Mindanao is 150 pesos. However, shipping charges may vary for areas not serviced by courier or for bulk orders.
Moms can order assorted cookie variants but Joyce recommends that moms order a 2-week supply (56 cookies) to maximize the shippings costs.
To celebrate the opening of Marshmallow Mama, Joyce is giving away a week's supply of mango malunggay cookies to 2 lucky mamas! Join through Rafflecopter below. Contest ends on 16 February 2012. You can also order the cookies directly from Joyce through her Facebook page or via email or text her at 09176265187.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Busting Those Breastfeeding Myths and Beliefs - Part 3

2012-02-06T21:40:00.000+08:00

This is Part 3 of a series. To complete the series, read Part 1 and Part 2.
==================

Dr. Calibo, noted pediatrician and supervising health program officer of the Department of Health-National Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s Family Health Office, explains the medical evidence (or lack thereof) behind more folk beliefs or pamahiin on breastfeeding/motherhood:

Pamahiin No. 1: Pregnant women should avoid slippery foods (e.g. okra) because these would cause the uterus to slip.
Dr. Calibo: “No basis for this. Vegetables are vital sources of fiber and other nutrients. The uterus is safe inside the abdominal cavity.”

Pamahiin No. 2: A mother should not breastfeed her child if she has been working hard or has been exposed to the sun because her milk would then be too "hot," turn salty and sour, and possibly cause illness to the child.

Dr. Calibo: “A mother can breastfeed her child even after coming from work. The breastmilk has a stable temperature inside the mother’s breasts. The mother can make herself comfortable right after arriving from work and can breastfeed her child without anything to worry about.”Pamahiin No. 3: Lactating mothers must avoid sour foods because these would curdle the milk and harm the infant.
Dr. Calibo: “Not true. Sour foods will not cause the breastmilk to curdle. Citrus fruits and some tamarind-based or sour-flavored broths provide the needed nutrients to a lactating mother. This type of food will not affect the quality of breastmilk.”Pamahiin No. 4: Mothers should not breastfeed when sad, upset or angry because such emotions affect the quality of the milk.
Dr. Calibo: “Painful stimuli may affect breastmilk production. Hence, postoperative pain should adequately be addressed after the mother has given birth. Restrictive episiotomy is now being recommended as part of the “mother-friendly practices” of the Mother-Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI), and also as part of the essential intrapartum care component of the Unang Yakap program.

I think the emotional problems of the mother would only affect the overall ease of breastfeeding. These emotions do not affect the quality of the breastmilk.”

Pamahiin No. 5: Colostrum is harmful to the child because it is “dirty” or “impure.”
Dr. Calibo: “This is false information and should no longer be propagated. Colostrum is rich in antibodies needed by the newborn in the first week of life. This is mistaken to be “spoiled” because it is golden yellow in color and not white as what the color of milk is associated with.”

Pamahiin No. 6: Unfulfilled pregnancy cravings for particular foods would result in illness to both mother and child.
Dr. Calibo: “I think the local term here is lihi. This does not influence the appearance of the child nor should it have ill effects if unfulfilled.”

In conclusion, Dr. Calibo says that physicians and other health professionals in general are trained to be socio-culturally sensitive to these myths or pamahiin. He stresses that it is the responsibility of the health professional to provide the right information regarding these beliefs.

“Once the parents and other relatives see the overall picture and the reasons why such practices should not be continued anymore, they immediately appreciate the beauty of factual information that is needed to better address the health of both the mother and her newborn,” Dr. Calibo explains.

Join the February Milk Mama Diaries Carnival

2012-02-02T18:31:00.000+08:00

For the 1st carnival of 2012, our topic will be "Back to Basics". Participants are asked to share one of two things:

1. The best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND

2. The best breastfeeding advice you can give to new moms.

Check out my previous carnival posts to get an idea of how the blog carnival works and how posts look like. To join, please fill up this FORM. Please include this short blurb on the top of your post:

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."

If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me or Mec so we can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger. Deadline for registration for the carnival is on February 10, 2012. Posting instructions and carnival rules will be e-mailed to all participants on February 11 and the carnival will go live on February 12, 2012. PLEASE POST ON 12 February 2012, beginning 12MN.

PLEASE NOTE:

Please write about the theme provided. We currently do not moderate or screen posts but we do reserve the right to exclude your entry from the list of carnival participants should your post be offensive, irrelevant to the carnival theme, contain personal attacks, off-topic articles, articles that are anti-breastfeeding or are articles that are aimed to market products or services.

Kindly note the deadlines and please POST your entries on 12 February 2012. The deadline of 10 February 2012 is also strictly observed for REGISTRATION.

*You can already send in your URLs beginning 10 February 2012. We will only include those who send in their URLs in the blog list. Please do not forget to email me and Mec so your post can be included in the carnival list.

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The Placenta Diaries

2012-01-31T03:03:00.000+08:00

I first heard about ingesting the placenta from a friend who was trying to get pregnant. She had been trying to conceive and was informed about the benefits of placenta encapsulation. She contacted a good friend and obtained this friend's placenta for encapsulation. She ingested this friend's placenta pills and true enough - eventually naturally conceived her first born.
I had been toying with the idea of encapsulating my placenta and already contacted several specialists before I gave birth. However, when I brought up the idea with my doctor, she told me that she was unsure of the hospital policy about it. Further inquiries made by myself and my doula had no results. We could not find out whether the hospital where I was going to give birth at allowed the release of placentas. I then decided not to book an encapsulation specialist until I could get my hands on my placenta.

So why do I want to ingest my placenta? If you visit this page, you will learn all about the benefits of this practice - from beating baby blues, restoring mother's strength, increasing milk supply, etc. etc. You can also read this post from Mama Pokie and learn about the two ways to prepare your placenta. Meanwhile, Emma Kwasnica posted photos of how she encapsulated her daughter's placenta at home.
What happened to Erik's placenta? After several inquiries, I was finally able to find a friendly nurse while I was already in labor at the hospital. She was able to find out that the hospital allowed the release of placentas for religious reasons. I signed a waiver - which stated that the placenta was for religious reasons, not to be ingested and that the placenta may have been treated with some chemical additives (disturbing!). Plus I was informed that we could only get the placenta on the day of my discharge (2 days after delivery) from the pathology lab. At that time, I hadn't decided whether I wanted to encapsulate the placenta or bury it but really wanted to take it with me.
After giving birth to Erik, I signed a waiver and my placenta was placed in a plastic container. I didn't see it until discharge day and Stan picked it up from the Labor, Delivery and Recovery Unit where it was kept refrigerated. Luckily, the hospital made follow-up calls checking up their clients and I was able to confirm that the hospital now had a new policy on the release of the placentas. Yes, they do still require patients to sign a waiver but the placenta is stored in the refrigerator in the LDR Unit and not transferred to the pathology lab. Plus the LDR Unit does not add anything to the placenta. As soon as it is delivered, it is placed in a plastic container and refrigerated until discharge day.
On d-day, Stan and I were prepared with ziplocs and newspapers. I scooped up the placenta from the plastic container while a squeamish Stan held the ziploc open. We then packed it all up in a newspaper and put it in the freezer when we got home.
I was given pitocin to jumpstart my labor but had a natural delivery (no epidural) so I decided to have my placenta encapsulated. I found an encapsulation specialist who charged a reasonable fee and went for it. I also confirmed that despite being given pitocin, I can still have my placenta encapsulated since I had an otherwise healthy pregnancy.

Erik's placenta - encapsulated

Since giving birth, I had already ingested several of the pills during days that I was feeling quite low or experiencing the baby blues. I kept the rest to share to my sister and possibly to ingest when I am in menopause.
In Manila, there is no placenta encapsulation specialist. But you can opt to do it at home using the recipe that Emma Kwasnica used which is posted in Dr. Momma. You can also choose to contact Sr. Regina Liu who can help you encapsulate it. But you will have to dry and grind the placenta yourself. She does give instructions on how to do it.
If you are feeling squeamish and don't want to ingest it, you can still opt to keep your placenta and plant it in your garden with a tree. It will be a great memento to your child of how he or she was nourished by your placenta while in your womb.

My learnings from Erik's Birth

2012-01-27T19:18:00.000+08:00

Want to read Erik's Birth Story? Click here.

My learnings from his birth:

Nurses make a difference!

As I mentioned, the LDR was quite busy during the day I came in so I was seen by 4 different nurses. To my bad luck, the nurse in charge of me was quite against natural delivery. She was very skeptical when I said I wanted to do natural. Then when I asked to use a birthing ball, she immediately said no because I was on pitocin and she had seen moms crack their heads open on the birthing ball! My doula and I looked at each other - WHAT?!! My doula explained that she had previously assisted 2 moms in the same hospital with induced labors (both at 42 weeks) and who were on pitocin at much higher doses that I was on, but were allowed to use the birthing balls!

Then as I was laboring, I was trying to get comfortable by trying to labor on my side and she was quite nasty about it. She wanted me to remain on my back so she didn't have to continuously adjust the fetal and contraction monitors! She was quite antsy every time I asked her to adjust the monitor as I was switching from side to side.

The worst part was about my request to take home my placenta. I had already spoken to another nurse earlier who had made arrangements with the charge nurse to have me fill up some papers so I can sign a waiver allowing the hospital to release my placenta to me. Apparently, the only reason the hospital will release your placenta to you is if it is for religious reasons. As I was reminding Tane about the form, she told me, aren't you Roman Catholic? And I said yes. Then she said, I am Roman Catholic and that's the first I've heard about wanting your placenta for religious reasons! WHAT?!!! Was she seriously asking me that?! But since I was trying to be a good patient, I just smiled and said it was for my husband. Luckily, she got off at 7pm and I was able to deliver Erik without seeing her or hearing her snarky comments!

Preparation is Key!

For Naima, I never took any childbirth classes as I didn't see the need. However, for Erik, I had done some research and talked to some friends about natural delivery. I decided to go for childbirth classes, even if it was already my second pregnancy. I chose a hypnobirthing class which you can also take at home through HypnoBabies or HypBirth. The techniques helped me relax during the labor and I was able to manage the discomfort through breathing techniques. I also listened to the CDs during my entire stay at the labor, delivery and recovery unit. I have to say though that my pain tolerance is quite high and what I consider merely discomfort might be considered as pain for other moms. I also read several childbirth books and the top book I would recommend would be Birthing from Within.

I also had a doula to help me achieve my natural childbirth goal. Read more about doulas here. I decided to hire a doula after reading MyMommyology's positive experience with her doula. Stan was still there as my birth partner but the doula filled in the gaps as they have had more experience with births, are more in control and have the presence of mind to keep me on track with my birth goals. My doula, Heidi, reminded me to use my breathing each time my contractions or surges became really intense. In the last moments, when I wanted to get that epidural, she helped me realize that my goal for a natural childbirth was very close that I ended up NOT getting any pain medication AND achieving my goal!

Natural delivery is empowering!

Naima was born via natural delivery although with an epidural. The difference I could tell here was that with Naima, I was dependent on the monitor to tell me that I was having a contraction. With Erik, I was still dependent on the monitor too since I really didn't feel the surges until they got intense. However, when it was time to push or breathe down the baby, I was in control. With Naima, the nurse was telling me it was time to push while for Erik I was the one who was telling them that I needed to push and they took their cue from me.

I was also quite glad that I had informed my doctor of my birth plans and even though they were a conservative practice, I did think they tried their best to accommodate me and give me a natural delivery.

I've had some friends ask me if I was going to do natural for the third baby. Well, as of now, Stan and I have agreed on 2 babies. But IF we do change our minds, yes, I think I would also go for natural delivery but in a "friendlier" hospital which will allow me to labor in other means and not in bed stuck on my back.

Guest Post: Busting Those Breastfeeding Myths and Beliefs - Part 2

2012-01-24T21:38:00.000+08:00

This is Part 2 of a series. Click here for Part 1. Part 3 next.
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Belief No. 5: One breast contains the “food (or rice)” while the other one contains “water.”
Dr. Calibo: “Both breasts contain the same nutrients and composition.”

Belief No. 6: As a mother, I need to “mix feed” because my baby is not satisfied with whatever he/she is getting from me.
Dr. Calibo: “Contrary to this belief, the mother’s breasts adjust to the needs of the baby as he/she grows. Unlike milk formula that is the same all throughout, breastmilk is a dynamic substance that automatically adapts to the age, physiologic and nutrition needs of the baby.

If a mother decides to “mix feed,” the needed stimulation for her breasts to continue receiving the suckling action of her baby will be diminished. This will then be perceived by her brain that there is not much demand by the baby.

Breastmilk production is affected by the baby’s suckling and the proper positioning of the baby on his/her mother’s breasts. The interaction of these two factors sends signals to the brain to produce the hormones oxytocin and prolactin responsible for milk ejection and milk production, respectively. Mix feeding is not helpful to the breastfeeding mother.”

Belief No. 7: Mother is sick or is taking antibiotics or other medicines. Therefore, she cannot breastfeed.
Dr. Calibo: “There are only two absolute contraindicated substances when a mother is breastfeeding—chemotherapeutic (cancer) drugs and radioactive iodine (RAI).

Mothers who are sick can take their medication. They can breastfeed their babies first before taking their medicines. A mother who has coughs, colds or fever can continue breastfeeding as long as she is reminded to cover her mouth and practice strict handwashing.”

Belief No. 8: I need to wash my nipples (the nipple-areola complex) with soap and water (or just plain water) before my baby breastfeeds.

Dr. Calibo: “This is not needed. Doing this washes away the oils that protect the nipple-areola complex, consequently drying them and making them prone to nipple cracking and soreness.

This also makes it hard for the newborn baby to locate his/her mother’s breasts through the baby’s ability to “smell” the nipple-areola complex.”

Erik's Birth Story

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000+08:00

On 21 December 2011, our early Christmas gift, Erik Raem arrived. My waters broke at 545am. But I wasn't feeling any surges then. I woke up Stan and we waited for Naima to wake up. I called my doctor when their office opened at 9am. Since I wasn't feeling any contractions, they asked me to go to their clinic where the nurse practitioner on duty could check me up. Since Stan wasn't up to driving, I drove to the clinic and the nurse practitioner confirmed that my waters indeed had broke. She spoke to the OB on call - Dr. Grimm (who also delivered Naima 4 years ago) and informed me that I had to head out to the hospital ASAP!
I knew that since my waters already broke, my OB will be watching me closely and will eventually put me in pitocin. So we decided to grab some lunch first. The nurse practitioner told me that I shouldn't be eating anymore since to do a C/S delivery they would need me to be on an empty stomach, with the last meal 8 hours ago. So I told her, that's ok. If I eat at 12nn, you can do C/S at 8pm.
We finally got to the hospital at about 2pm. Dr. Grimm was already there and he had me checked into a Labor Delivery Room (Room 308). The thing about my hospital is that they are a baby factory and their goal for this year was to deliver 10,000 babies! So I know that my hopes for a natural labor were quite limited. Plus my doula was sick that day! So she had to send a back-up doula - Heidi who was quite terrific.
From 2pm, I was debating about whether to ask Heidi to come or not. She was constantly in touch through SMS and phone calls. But at that point, I wasn't feeling any of the surges yet. The difficult part about having a back-up doula was that it was going to be the first time I was going to meet her and we didn't set parameters of the birth I wanted, etc. etc.
The LDR that day was quite crazy and I was seen by about 4 different nurses. At about 4pm, Dr. Grimm came into the room and told me that he wanted me to start pitocin to jumpstart labor since my surges were really irregular. During his IE, I was only 4cm dilated and about 90% effaced. In hindsight, I think I should have asked Heidi to come immediately when I checked in so we could have done some things to jumpstart my labor naturally - e.g. bouncing on a birth ball.
Anyway, I agreed to the pitocin (which Dr. Grimm told me was to be at the lowest level only). It was administered by the nurse in charged of my LDR - Tane (who was horrible - more on that later!!) at about 430pm. She told me that Dr. Schulman was coming to replace Dr. Grimm at about 530pm. Heidi came at about 5pm. My surges were beginning to be quite regular but quite manageable. Heidi told me that she could help me sit on a birth ball (ruled out by Tane!). Heidi also heated up some pads for my back. Meanwhile, Stan was playing one of my hypnobirthing CDs in the background. Heidi had a Masters in Public Health and did her thesis on the use of pitocin. So I spent sometime during my labor interviewing her about her paper and learned how cow hormones (yikes!) used to be injected in laboring mothers until they were able to create a synthetic hormone - now marketed as Pitocin.
Dr. Schulman arrived at 630pm and did another IE. At this time I was already 5cm dilated with baby in 0 station. I expected to deliver at about 9pm. By 645pm, the surges were beginning to be quite intense and I was feeling better trying to labor on my side. But again the nurse Tane was quite horrible during this time (see below). During intense surges, Stan was holding my hand while Heidi was patting my legs and reminding me to breathe.
At 715pm, I told Stan that the surges were very intense and I WANTED THAT EPIDURAL!! Heidi then called the nurse and asked the doctor to come. Dr. Schulman and the new nurse on duty - Susan came at about 730pm and went into panic mode. Apparently, I was already fully dilated, with Erik at +3 station - meaning he was already crowning!! Stan said he could see Erik's head already!
I felt the strongest urge to poo but was told to hold it as they were preparing for my delivery. Heidi told me to do whatever feels comfortable to me. After about 4 huge pushes, Erik Raem was born at 745pm. During the pushing, Stan said I was turning purple :O. I did tear - minor according to Dr. Schulman who stitched me up with a local anesthetic.
Stan, Erik and I stayed in the labor and delivery room for about 1 hour. During this time, I signed a waiver for the release of my placenta and big Achi Naima visited us. She was so excited and Stan was able to shoot a photostory. My placenta was stored in the LDR refrigerator and we picked it up two days later on discharge day.

===========
Next up: My learnings from Erik's birth

Guest Post: Busting Those Breastfeeding Myths and Beliefs - Part 1

2012-01-17T19:31:00.000+08:00

I'm quite lucky to have my officemate Margaux offer to write this article about busting breastfeeding myths. She was able to rally the expertise of Dr. Anthony Calibo, a pediatrician who has made breastfeeding his number one advocacy. Margaux has divided the article into 3 parts and throughly tackled the myths and beliefs through a Q&A with Dr. Calibo. Read and learn.

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Have you ever been told by well-meaning relatives not to breastfeed when tired from a day’s work? How about not to breastfeed when you’re anxious or stressed, lest the baby “suckles” your sadness or worries?

A lot of Filipinos, especially those who still believe in such concepts as usog,pasma and kulam, still pass on a myriad of beliefs (pamahiin) about breastfeeding. Dr. Anthony Calibo, supervising health program officer of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s Family Health Office (Department of Health), said that thesepamahiin are still prevalent and actually affect breastfeeding efforts in the country.

“Some of these beliefs specifically affect exclusive breastfeeding rates,” Dr. Calibo, a pediatrician at St. Luke’s Medical Center and a diplomate of the Philippine Pediatrics Society, says.

He explains: “When families (mothers and their relatives) give other substances aside from breastmilk or start breastfeeding at an inappropriate time, exclusive breastfeeding rates drop.”

Dr. Calibo says that there are two sides of breastfeeding practices that doctors encounter in local clinics. The first involves “practices” that receive little attention from medical practitioners (pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists, family medicine specialists, midwives and nurses) due to a lack of formal lactation management training or lactation counseling courses.

The second, according to Dr. Calibo, encompasses the socio-cultural-anthropological context of breastfeeding as it takes place in the communities. These communities are located mostly in rural, geographically isolated, and disadvantaged areas where there is a lack of health workers adept in breastfeeding concepts and practices.

It is usually in these areas where pamahiin are widespread.

Dr. Calibo sheds light on the truth behind these folk beliefs and practices:

Belief No. 1: Babies cry and therefore need breastmilk right away.

Dr. Calibo: “Crying is not always a sign of hunger or a need to breastfeed the baby. When mothers who have just given birth choose not to room-in their newborn babies and insist that their babies should be in the “nursery” because they need to “rest,” they miss the opportunity to observe their babies’ feeding cues.

With the implementation of the essential newborn care (ENC) protocol (fondly called “Unang Yakap” or First Embrace) in all government and private health facilities (DOH Administrative Order 2009-0025—Adopting Policies and Guidelines on Newborn Care), newborn babies who are immediately and thoroughly dried and placed on skin-to-skin contact with the mother, are able to initiate breastfeeding at birth within the first hour of life (hence Unang Yakap).

Feeding cues can be appreciated by a non-sedate mother after she has delivered her newborn baby. These include tonguing, licking, rooting, sucking of his/her fingers and locating for his/her mother’s nipple-areola complex. These feeding cues manifest as early as 20 minutes after the baby is born up to the first 90 minutes of life.

While the obstetrician-gynecologist performs the proper cord clamping and cutting, skin-to-skin contact is maintained and the baby is not separated from the mother until they are transferred to their room.”

Belief No. 2: Babies will get hungry because there is no breastmilk coming out of the breasts.

Dr. Calibo: “This is a common notion that health professionals in birthing homes and health facilities encounter. Thus, violations of the Milk Code (Executive Order 51—National Code of Marketing for Breastmilk Substitutes) continue.

If only babies go through the four time-bound interventions of the essential newborn care protocol, they are assured that they would not get hungry in the first 24-48 hours of life. The immediate drying, aside from maintaining a delivery room with temperature of 25-28°C (air-conditioners turned off), will prevent hypothermia. Thus, the babies’ caloric reserves will not be used up.

This is further enhanced by the skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, which increases the body temperature of the newborn courtesy of symptothermal synchrony of the mother (the mother’s temperature automatically adjusts to the temperature needs of her baby). Aside from the transfer of good maternal skin flora, skin-to-skin contact also increases blood sugar levels.

Eventually, the properly timed-clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord transfers not only hemoglobin but also blood sugar to the baby.

Therefore, the baby should just be kept with the mother and allow her newborn to suckle her breasts so that breastmilk production will proceed.”

Belief No. 3: There is very little breastmilk coming out, hence there’s a need for additional milk aside from breastmilk.

Dr. Calibo: “As the Department of Health Breastfeeding TSEk (Tama-Sapat-EKsklusibo) campaign emphasizes, little breastmilk coming out from the mother is enough for her newborn (“Ang kaunting gatas ng ina ay sapat na para sa kanyang sanggol”).

The stomach (“sikmura” in Filipino) of a newborn is just the size of the Philippine lemon (calamansi). Therefore, the traditional milk formula ounces being fed to the newborn (in the nursery or in the private room) in the first hours of life are not needed.

This artificial milk will just be vomited because the newborn’s stomach cannot hold the volume given to him/her. These isolated vomiting episodes (without any risk factors) have unfortunately been seen as a sign of neonatal sepsis that cascades to antibiotic treatment and the prolonged hospital stay of the newborn.”

Belief No. 4: Babies need water when breastfeeding.
Dr. Calibo: “Breastmilk has 88-90% water, hence no water is needed.”

================
Part 2
Part 3

Breastfeeding Plan?

2012-01-13T21:28:00.000+08:00

For my first pregnancy, I never prepared a birth plan (or a breastfeeding plan for that matter) but this time, I am really hoping for an all natural albeit hospital birth so I took time to make my birth plan.

I realize now that a lot of moms do make birth plans but NOT breastfeeding plans. And I have to admit I am quite nervous in making both plans. I do realize that each birth and baby are different and despite all the planning and preparation I make for this birth, it is definitely possible that none of these plans will be followed.

Despite that, I would highly recommend that moms draft and prepare both a birth and breastfeeding plan to remind them of their goals even if some detour needs to be taken. You can also read here why it is important to prepare a breastfeeding plan. And if you are reading this and newly pregnant, I would suggest that you check out Best for Babes Breastfeeding Checklist which outlines a breastfeeding preparation schedule as early as the first trimester.

You can download some sample breastfeeding plans form:
1. Lara of MamaPearDesigns
2. Texas WIC - Breastmilk Counts

Apart from drafting your breastfeeding plan, you can also write a letter for the health worker assigned to you during your hospital stay, emphasizing the importance of his/her support your breastfeeding success.

Remember:

from www.breastmilkcounts.com

In my breastfeeding plan, the essentials would be:

Exclusive Breastfeeding, Skin to Skin, No Artificial Nipples, Rooming-In

A lot of moms are quite wary about rooming in especially since the nurses at the hospital scare them by saying - "Mommy, once you get the baby, you can't return her to the nursery" or "Mommy, the hospital stay is your chance to rest because someone else will take care of your baby - unlike when you go home, there is no nursery for baby". In my opinion, rooming-in is critical in breastfeeding success. Honestly, when your baby is in the necessary, you don't know whether someone gives him/her a pacifier or worse - glucose water or formula!

As for the other essentials, I am happy that they are being espoused in the Essential Newborn Care Protocol promoted through the DOH's Unang Yakap Program. I know that the ENC team has been quite busy going around the country to promote this program. And I hope that the hospitals being visited DO implement the program.

Did you make a breastfeeding plan? or are you planning to prepare one?

Going Raw (for a while!)

2012-01-10T20:00:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the January 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Experiments in Natural Family Living
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have reported on weeklong trials to make their lives a little greener. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

My family loves and enjoys good food! As long as food tastes good, we used to be unconcerned about health consequences. Things changed when I had kids. When N was born, I became more conscious of the food we ate - more so when I found out that S was predisposed to having high cholesterol. Some changes I did were having weekly organic vegetable deliveries and enrolling my cook in several healthy cooking classes.
One of the classes I found was a Raw Food Class organized by Dahon Kusina. It was a weekend cooking class which I was supposed to attend. But considering that I left the cooking to our helper and rarely stepped in the kitchen (yes, N cooks/bakes more than I do!!), I decided to send our cook G instead. I felt that it would help our family more since she will learn about the benefits first hand rather than I learn about them then instruct her thereafter - with a chance of losing out on some of the information given.
After that weekend, G was able to whip up some raw food goodness for the family.

soaked shiitake mushrooms

raw salad - cabbage, tomatoes with cayenne pepper

california maki

raw pasta (zucchini strips) with pesto

unfried rice

So how did they fare? The raw pasta was quite good with the pesto sauce. N loved the california maki. However, the other dishes were a bit too spicy for her because the main spice used to flavor the dishes was cayenne pepper.
I had resolved to have 1 raw meal per week for the family. Then I got pregnant and with my hormones and appetite going haywire, the 1 raw meal per week experiment eventually got cancelled.
I resolve to go back to this experiment again - probably try to have 1 raw meal per month first before increasing the frequency. I don't see my family going 100% raw but I would love to include a regular raw meal in our diet for 2012.

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

Make your own moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.
Cold Water Only — Brittany at The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot water to wash laundry.
Family Cloth... Really?? — After lots of forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides to take the plunge with family cloth.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day — Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and recycling every day.
Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she feels.
Craftily Parenting — Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting makes her a better parent.
Changes — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen couldn't choose just one area to experiment with, so she wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!
Life without Internet: Not all it's Cracked up to Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.
My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting progression all the way to trying raw milk.
mama's new little friend. — Sarah at Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to "green her period," and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!
Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works better than the store-bought chemicals!
Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the oil-cleansing method.
I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro couldn't decide which experiment to run, so she did them all.
7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family — The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the "holiday junking" with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an explanation of macrobiotics.
Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.
Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution — Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over to crystal deodorants and definitely isn't looking back!
Going Raw (for a while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares her family's experience with raw food.
Do we get to eat gluten today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in his diet … but it's really hard to tell for sure.
Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.
Our cupboards are full...but there's nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather than going shopping — but there's something that she just can't bring herself to do …
Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.
Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.
Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the future.
Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.
Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home, and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.
Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.
The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.
Experiments in Natural Family Living - Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.
Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family's switch to and search for organic foods for one week.
My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.
Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.
My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.
My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.
Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.
Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.
All you need is...vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.
Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, "YES!!" to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.
Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been hanging around the kitchen for too long.
Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.
Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.
From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.
Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn't Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that's so easy she didn't even realize it was happening.
Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn't sure how successful her worm bin will be, but she's having fun anyway.
Miles to Go ... — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she's in real deep.
My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.
OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.
Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.
Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No 'Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the world of no 'poo.
My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning — Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.

Mamaway Showroom in the Philippines finally opens!

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000+08:00

After almost 3 years of distributing Mamaway in the Philippines, sisters Jonie Cheng and Jaydee Tan are finally opening their showroom!

I first met Jonie in February 2008 when I was looking for breastfeeding clothes. It was way before Mama.Baby.Love started. We became business associates and eventually good friends. I'm really quite excited with their store opening because I know Jonie and Jaydee have lots of planned activities for breastfeeding moms.

Today, 7 January 2012, the store will be on soft opening at 130pm. The store is located at Unit 14, Madison Square Granada, 2 Granada cor. Valencia (between Ortigas and N. Domingo), New Manila Quezon City.

Regular store hours are from 10am until 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Moms are required to take off their street shoes and change into the provided slippers or go barefoot to ensure cleanliness of the store and to allow the little ones to be underfoot.

Here is a sneak preview of the store. For more information, contact Jonie at 09178832484

Guest Post and Giveaway: Nursing Twins!

2012-01-06T15:00:00.000+08:00

This article was contributed by MedelaMoms Maricel Cua and Beng Feliciano. The exclusive authorized distributors of Medela in the Philippines, these mommies walk the talk! MedelaMom Maricel breastfed her now 6 year old daughter for 2 years and 7 months before she self-weaned. Firm believers in attachment parenting, the Cua couple never had a yaya and are now homeschooling daughter Lia. MedelaMom Beng breastfed her 4 year old son for 2 years and is now breastfeeding her 20 month old twin daughters. Quite the attached parent herself, MedelaMom Beng, together with lawyer-husband Jim, make it a point to dedicate quality time with their 3 children and are homeschooling their 4year old son, Nico. You may reach them for any queries, breastfeeding, parenting, or otherwise (!) at medelamoms@gmail.com or send them an sms at 0917-5614366. Landlines are 964-7331, 725-3723, and 738-6272
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The Blessing of Two

When we first heard we were expecting two

We asked, “Why did God trust us this much?”

Would we know what to do?

Imagine this:

Double plea for cuddle,

Twin call for breastmilk,

Would they at least take turns

Or at the same time, demand’s to the hilt?

Fast forward…

Now they are here,

At 19 months of age

At the breast, is where they still stay.

Summer on the left, Carly on the right,

Yes, that picture is quite a sight!

Truthfully, there is magic with these two,

With each other, the tricks, games, ideas and fun

Kindle laughter and amazement, thru and thru.

Add big brother Nico who nurtures them at heart

And Daddy Jim who treasured them from the very start.

Carly and Summer, we are all enamored by you.

Before our very eyes, it is revealed… the blessing of TWO.

--- Mommy Beng

The best way to prepare for breastfeeding multiples is to prepare for breastfeeding multiples (I can’t stress this point enough!). So here’s a straightforward, no non-sense advice (mommies with multiples don’t have time to beat around the bush, … hahaha)

Secure or prepare a check list of breastfeeding needs. Below is mine.

A positive mindset (yes! I can breastfeed two!) with supportive family and loved ones.

Knowledge of the various latching positions (I think this would vary for mothers).

Medela Purelan 37g- Even “seasoned” breastfeeding moms will experience the drying effect (and eventually the pain that results from it) of a newborn’s suckle. Best to have lots of Purelan. Applying it will be like drinking water, especially in the beginning. First step to not give up on breastfeeding is to have immediate remedy for the expected pain.

A high powered Medela pump.

Medela Freestyle pump- mom will need the extra hands to comfort baby or babies. Plus, hands free pump can allow the mom to momentarily close her eyes to rest. At the start, mom may feel exhausted from birthing experience

Medela Pump In Style Advanced

2 pairs Personalfit shields- all the suckling that the breasts will take may result to greater pain to some so pumping is the ideal option and then mom can let breasts rest (while shifting to cup feeding meantime). To avoid further pain, use the right fit of shields

A pair of extra connectors with membranes (for Freestyle)

10 Storage bottles- just for what it is… milk storage

20 pcs. Medela Pump and Save Milk bags (initially) - don’t be surprised if all of a sudden, with all the breast stimulation, mom finds herself with lots and lots of milk! Enjoy that! Have at least one box of Pump n’ save bags.

2 Medela Advance Softcup feeders and 10 cup feeders- it is ideal to latch babies at the same time but just to be prepared for the tough times (if for some reason it will be impossible to latch at the same time), be ready to cup feed until both infants have established their latch. The advantage of cup feeding is that dad, other family members or caregivers can give feeding support.

Extra ice pack- at night, mother can already store pump milk in the cooler carrier (best to have 2 ice packs to let them survive through day/night) if a refrigerator is not available in the room.

30 pcs. Medela Bra pads- be prepared for the leaking!

Sterilizer

Drying rack inside an enclosed bin

A separate bin/ basket for all the dry accessories

Nursing pillow

Nursing bib/cover

Nursing wear (more of home wear since you may not find yourself outside the house for quite a while)

Comfortable intimate apparel

Comfortable wrap (for those delivering c-sec). Mamaway’s binder is heaven sent. Unfortunately, I only found this when I wasn’t using the wrap anymore. No sharp Velcro edges like the ones I initially used and gave up on since they scratch my babies’ skin.

Prepare EVERYTHING in the checklist in advance (while you can still walk and not if and when you are being wheeled in everywhere.... I was on a wheelchair during the latter part of my 3^rd trimester). Buying at the last minute or when babies have arrived may be stressful and may lessen milk output.

Make a set-up of where you will breastfeed, system of how all the items used will be used, cleaned (by who, etc.).

Talk to parents of multiples who are well adjusted with multiples.

Invite and welcome the support of loved ones and hired help.

Pray. Know the guardian angels of the children and ask for their help.

When all have been prepared…let go of everything and focus on the arrival of the two (bring out the camera!). Whatever happens, know that you will more than survive having to take care of two. Just remember, what you sow, you reap. Happy breastfeeding!!!

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MedelaMoms is also sponsoring this week's giveaway, especially for parents of multiples (expecting or already breastfeeding). The prize will be 20 Pump and Save Bags, packed by 2's. You can purchase these bags at The Medela House or get a chance to win them through Rafflecopter below. Please note that this contest is open only to parents of multiples.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T21:56:00.000+08:00

Wishing you all the best for 2012 from the Chronicles of a Nursing Mom family!

Glamma Momma Shirt Giveaway

2011-12-30T19:35:00.000+08:00

This week's giveaway is sponsored by Erlaine, a fellow N@Wie who started the brand Glamma Momma. Erlaine was inspired to create something that moms would want to wear to help them become proud of themselves. Since she was a t-shirt gal, she thought about making statement shirts for moms! Erlaine conceptualized each shirt and has them designed and printed by her brother in law. New designs will be released from time to time.

of course, you know what my favorite design is!

Her Glamma Momma shirts are currently available in Spoiled! Store in Millenia Suites (Pasig) and in Tees Me (Pop Culture, Alabang Town Center).

Erlaine graduated with an Electronics and Computer Engineering degree and previously worked as a programmer. However, when her daughter Kelsea came to her life, she decided to resign from corporate life and be a hands-on mom. She started working in her husband's family business and started Shopping Spells. Her Glamma Momma line is her second online store, available in Multiply and Facebook. Aside from her two online stores, Erlaine also works from home through oDesk and is a part time Avida Property Specialist and insurance agent. Talk about being a busy mom!

Glamma Momma shirts are made of cotton and polyester and cost P350 per piece or P1,000 for three (3) shirts. You can purchase from Erlaine's Multiply and Facebook stores or try your luck and win 1 Glamma Momma shirt - winner chooses any design/size - through Rafflecopter below.

Guest Post: Our Lady of La Leche Shows the Way

2011-12-27T17:07:00.000+08:00

Last month was the Feast of Our Lady of La Leche. One of the Batch 3 LATCH Peer Counselors, Bianca Gutierrez became involved with the movement just as she was undergoing her training. Since then, she has been quite active in the movement and in fact has organized another activity - "The Mother's Way," A Pilgrimage by Mothers and Mothers-to-Be held last 10 December 2011. Her story on how she became involved in the movement is inspiring and it also paved the way for her to decide to proceed with the LATCH training and become a full-fledged peer counselor. Read on.

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Good afternoon brothers and sisters, and fellow mothers, believers of Our Lady of La Leche, Nuestra Senora de La Leche Y Buen Parto.

My name is Bianca Atienza-Gutierrez. I am a wife to my husband Aaron and a mom to my 15-month old son, Christopher. I am also managing a full-time career at a multinational corporation, in which I head the parenting club, a consultant for MAPECON pest control, and in training to become a certified lactation counsellor with LATCH. I am a working, breastfeeding mom.

Why am I speaking in front of you today? It is because Our Lady of La Leche asked me to tell you the story of how I met her.

I have been a very staunch breastfeeding advocate since I gave birth to Christopher. I have always believed that breast is best, and, like any other mother, I want my son to have the best. Even when it was time for me to go back to work, I knew I wanted to keep that bond with my son alive. Breastfeeding is what allowed me to be separated from my son during the day, because I knew that he still had the best of me through the nourishment I left for him at home and the food that I continued to express for him in the office. This is not to say that I had compromised my value as an employee. In fact I still received recognition for the various projects I did both for the multinational company I am employed in full time, and for MAPECON, which I work on part time. I discovered then that we working moms didn’t have to choose between our babies and our careers. It can be done, we CAN have it all. This was the message I felt I had to share with other working moms.

When my officemates started to notice that I was still expressing milk even after my son was 6 months old, 10 months old, even after my son turned one year old, pregnant employees started asking me questions, seeking advice on how to breastfeed and how to sustain it. This is when I realized that the women in my office needed support in order to make breastfeeding while working work for them. Contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding is actually a learned skill, something that needs to be studied, taught, practiced. And only with the right support system can a woman succeed in lengthening her breastfeeding journey. So I set up a Vibrant Parenthood Wellness program in my workplace. But I knew that my personal experiences would not be enough to support the other working moms in my office. I researched, studied, reached out to experts who could teach me how to counsel other women. I posted questions on Newlyweds@Work, an online community for, well, newlyweds trying to cope with raising new families. I bought books, read blogs like Chronicles of a Breastfeeding Mom. I subscribed to newsletters from the What to Expect When You’re Expecting website. I attended seminars by the Medela House. And it was through these "mommy networks" that I had come to learn about LATCH.

LATCH is a non-profit organization that aims to support breastfeeding moms by providing awareness, counselling, and training. When I found out that they were looking for volunteers to be trained as lactation counsellors, I immediately wanted in. This was exactly the kind of training I was looking for in order to help other moms breastfeed their children effectively. Of course, there were limited slots and so I had to go through an application process, which included an interview. During the interview, I was asked how I could possibly manage my time, squeeze in volunteer work with everything else I had on my plate. Wouldn’t my family suffer, considering it is for my family at I am breastfeeding in the first place? Isn’t it good enough that I just give advice to my little circle of mommy friends from my own experiences? Why would I want to burden myself with the problems of other women when have issues of my own? It felt to me like I was being discouraged from joining this group. But, passionate person that I am, I held my ground and defended my cause.

But after passing that interview, the questions laid out to me started to haunt me and eat at me for the next few days. How WAS I going to manage? Where WAS I going to find time to do counselling work? WAS I going to compromise my family life to help others? These questions swirled in my head and brewed doubt and uncertainty in my decision.

The Sunday before the training was going to begin, I decided to hear mass at our parish church, Our Lady of Fatima in Mandaluyong. I had lived in the area for seven years already, but only seldom would I go to church there because weekends were usually spent with my in laws or in Sta. Rosa, where my mom and sisters are based. But that weekend, I was drawn to the parish church. And throughout the mass I kept thinking about my breastfeeding advocacy. I kept asking the Lord if I should go through with this training, should I add this to my already full schedule? What, Lord, do you want for me? What do you want to use me for? I was very specific in my questions.... and therefore I got a very specific answer.

When it was time for communion, I started to head for the front of the church, towards the priest, but my eye caught sight of a lay minister towards the back of the church, and I felt I needed to take communion from there. I headed then towards the back of the church, head bowed down in prayer, still asking, Lord, what do you want me to do. As I turned the corner at the back of the church, I lifted my head, and my eyes fell right onto an image of the Blessed Mother, gently breastfeeding her Baby Jesus! How much clearer could the Lord be with His answer? It was not subject to interpretation! It was like a General giving a direct command to His soldier, and all the soldier can answer is "Sir yes Sir! Loud and clear!” I have never heard of our Lady of La Leche before, and for the first time in my seven years of living in the area, THIS was the time Our lady chose to reveal herself to me, when I needed to know if I should pursue breastfeeding as an advocacy.

I was stunned. Even my husband could not believe it. We took pictures of Our Lady being brave enough to bare her breast (in church, no less) to give sustenance to the Christ Child. I could not forget the loving expression on her face as she cradled her Baby sweetly. As soon as we got home I went over to the trusty internet to research about her. I am a devout Catholic and grew up knowing all sorts of references to Mama Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lado of Lourdes, etc), but never of her breastfeeding. Surprisingly, material about her on the internet was scarce, but I did manage to find out about the Our Lady of La Leche Movement. Our Lady's message to me became even clearer after discovering that the head of the movement, Tita Baby Gonzales, lives 5 minutes walk away from my house! I called her immediately to share with her the story of how Our Lady had revealed herself to me, and why, and she revelled in the great timing Our Lady had because she had been looking for someone to speak about breastfeeding on the Feastday of Our Lady of La Leche. And so, here I am today.

Breastfeeding is tough. It is time-consuming, at times uncomfortable and tiring. It is an act of complete self-sacrifice, almost as if dying to oneself for the benefit of this little angel that was crafted for us by God Himself. It is a spiritual act. It is a prayer of thanks to the Lord for the gift of a child. It is an outpouring of pure love, an exclusive experience only mothers can share.

And to share this experience with other mothers is something we all need to do.

Support, in my opinion, is the biggest factor in the success of a breastfeeding mom. Sa totoo lang, my husband is actually my biggest breastfeeding supporter, an even bigger advocate than I am... kasi sya nakakatulog sa gabi, ako hindi I feel very blessed to have been introduced to other breastfeeding moms. I feel very blessed to have been introduced to Our Lady of La Leche and the Movement, because now all the more, it becomes compelling for me to breastfeed, and to help other mothers who wish to breastfeed, because she is there to serve as support, as an example, as an intercessor for us mothers and mothers-to-be. When it gets too hard, when you feel like giving up, look to the gentle eyes of Our Lady of La Leche for the strength to keep giving the best of yourself for your child. And with her prayers, may we be inspired to show our children that the world is full of love and compassion, which hopefully will help them grow into kind and compassionate citizens of this mortal world.

We all know the benefits of breastfeeding to our babies. We all know that breast is best. Now with the example of Our Lady of La Leche, we know that breastmilk was best for the Baby Jesus. And if breastmilk was good enough for our Savior, shouldn’t it be good enough for our children?

At this point, I would like to invite all pregnant and breastfeeding moms, and those trying to conceive, to please rise as we pray for you.

Heavenly Father, You are the Giver of all that is good and Source of every blessing. In grateful appreciation of the gift of life and the vocation of motherhood, we humbly implore that you grant every new mother and her baby the graces and merits that can be attained through the selfless act of breastfeeding.

It is through this humble act of self-giving that they experience and get to know You in a deeper way. Thank you for giving mothers the special privilege of sharing in your creative and sustaining power.

Jesus, our Lord, was nursed at our Holy Mother's breast and it is in this faithful imitation that mothers partake in the joy, consolation and beauty of breastfeeding. Respect, dignity and security are bountiful fruits of this maternal act of love.

May new mothers embrace the opportunity to be always available and attentive to her child who solely depends on her care.

May they experience the transforming power of breastfeeding, as it affords all mothers the necessary growth in faith and sacrifice to be able to attain a more mature disposition.

In times when they may feel discouraged or overwhelmed, renew and sustain them Lord. Teach them to hope in Your Providence. Help them to realize that Your Grace is sufficient.

Help all mothers to realize the truth that they have all it takes to breastfeed and that their bodies were created to sustain life.

We submit to your Divine Plan and trust that both the trials and victories encountered during this momentous time can only help deepen their sense of purpose and impart lifelong lessons and truths that will ultimately aid them in fulfilling their sacred vocation of motherhood.

Bless every breastfeeding family and their efforts. May they realize the substantial contribution they are doing to society, their country and the whole world. May the simple act of breastfeeding bring out the best in us all.

Our Lady of La Leche, Nuestra Senora de La Leche Y Buen Parto, kindly intercede for all nursing mothers, protect their interests, attend to their every need and hear our prayer. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN!

DFABShop Ecobag Giveaway

2011-12-23T19:37:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Shirley Mae Tabora and Bing Lorenzo for winning the giveaway!

Please check your emails.

This week's giveaway is hosted by Dona Acero, a fellow member of N@W. Dona used to be an IT System Engineer. She is currently a stay-at home mom of a 6-year old daughter and a 2-year old son. Dona breastfed both of her kids exclusively and decided to be a SAHM to focus on raising her kids.

She recently started a business DONA bags this year and also became a seller of Human Heart Nature products. Dona is proud that all her bags are made in the Philippines. Her idea to manufacture her own bag line came from a fruitless search of a multi-purpose bag (diaper bag, ecobag) that was lightweight and functional.

Dona is still developing her line and hopes to offer a wide variety of bags, pouches and accessories from teens to professional moms that are lightweight, functional, affordable and stylish. From her current line of bags, the best seller is her Denise All Around Bag - a fashionable eco-bag that is designed for daily use in any situation. The Denise Bag works as a reusable shopping bag, diaper bag, gym bag, beach tote, overnight bag or an in-flight carry on. Dona personally uses her Denise as a diaper bag and a shopping bag. The Denise Bag has 4 interior pockets which works as an instant bag organizer. It comes in 2 types of material: Taffeta and Fabric (Cotton, Linen, Canvas). It also has a leather strap for a comfortable shoulder fit.

Aside from her bag line, Dona also started reselling Human Heart Nature Products. She decided to switch to organic and natural products when she got pregnant because she wanted to use the safest products for her children. Dona found that the HHN products were affordable and effective. Her favorites are the Bug Spray and Bug Shield.

You can purchase Dona's products from her Multiply Shop or Facebook Page. Or you can win 1 of two (2) gift sets consisting of 1 Denise All Around Bag and 1 HHN Bug Shield. Join through Rafflecopter below!

Guest Post - Vegetable Wars: How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies!

2011-12-20T20:50:00.000+08:00

Are you having trouble getting your kids to eat veggies? Then today's guest post written by Anne Mercado would be a perfect read! Anne is a mom who is passionate about raising happy, healthy and smart children. How? With a glass of information, a pitcher or two of love and patience, and of course, a bucket of humor. She believes that though parenting is challenging, it doesn't have to be boring. You can catch her at Green Eggs & Moms.

I was lucky that for N, eating vegetables was not an issue. We did make some effort and made her food quite presentable so she would be happy to eat the veggies. We also involved her in the food preparation process which I think accounted for her hearty appetite. If you do have a picky eater, read on and get some tips from Anne. For further reading, you can also check out this book from Elizabeth Pantley - The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution.
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Vegetables are the enemy!!!

This is probably what you think your toddler or pre-schooler screams in her mind when you tell her to eat veggies. To be honest, I don't have the slightest idea on what goes on in her tiny little head. Although, I do know this: there are ways to getting kids to like veggies, and hopefully stuffing themselves silly with this nutritious food.

Get your battle gear ready because here are awesome ways to win the veggie war!

For the purpose of this post, the term enemy shall refer to kids. From personal experience, I know that veggies are friendly folk; kids on the other hand may not always be.

1. Surround the enemy!

Serve a variety of vegetables as often as you can. Make these nutritious folk a staple in your home to drive the point that there is no escaping them. Okay, I'm exaggerating. The idea is to "promote" veggies. In this case, instead of TV commercials and billboard ads, opt for something cheaper: having real veggies on your breakfast, lunch and dinner table.

Get to know veggies. Dr. Sears from AskDrSears.com suggests to place different chopped veggies in ice cube trays; offer them to the enemy. This is a good way for your kids to experiment and see which veggies appeal to their discriminating taste buds. Watch their expressions and take note of which veggies they take a liking to. Also, don't expect them to like all or even most of the veggies.

Dress up veggies. And no, I don't mean with clothes. Dipping sauces or toppings can make veggies seem friendlier to the enemy. Chances are, eating veggies with a side of ranch dressing, cottage cheese, peanut butter or whatever goes deliciously well with them, will be more palatable for the young ones.

Presentation is everything. The enemy may be more receptive to veggies that are visually appealing. Veggie art, as Dr. Sears refers to it, will do wonders for encouraging your kids to gobble them up. Cut and arrange them to make smiley faces, animals or whatever your artistic side allows you to create.

Enemy see, enemy do. In real warfare, this probably isn't true. But for children it is. If they see parents and siblings eating veggies, they will be more inclined to follow. Even better is if they see their peers eating veggies! This is definitely a case wherein peer pressure is more than welcome.

If you've implemented all these methods and are still not getting the desired results, don't despair. You can retreat momentarily and follow the next tip.

2. Trojan Horse.

Remember when the Greeks used a seemingly empty and innocent wooden horse to enter Troy? Turned out, Greek soldiers were hiding inside, waiting to spring into action. Well, you can do the same thing here. Mask veggies into seemingly non-veggie meals. And boy, have I got great tricks up my sleeve.

Here are 2 amazing recipes I found.

Carrot Croquette. This recipe from ZiggityZoom.com should do the trick. Boil carrots, mash them and then mix with a few other ingredients. Shape into carrots, coat in bread crumbs and fry using a non-stick skillet. Voila! Serve with a matching (sinister) smile. Watch your kid eat what he thinks is a veggie-free meal while you laugh deep down inside. You know the truth.

Speedy Stove Top Lasagna. This deceptively delightful dish is from TheSneakyChef.com. What's hidden in the layers of gooey cheese and tomato sauce? Spinach leaves, broccoli and green peas. Once again, remember to serve with a smile.

You can look for more creative recipes that cloak veggies, or you can come up with your own. But do remember that eventually, you will have to teach the enemy how to eat veggies without applying the Trojan Horse technique.

You can win the vegetable wars with creativity, patience and consistency. Give your kids the opportunity to choose healthy food by offering them, surprise, healthy food.

Have any tricks that worked for you? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Source:
AskDrSears.com - Feeding the Picky Eater: 17 Tips
Photos (all by Creative Commons):
Vegetables - from Martin Cathrae
Ice Cube Tray - from leif.maxfield
Veggie Art - from 4nitsirk
Toy Horse - from Mountain Roamer
Lasagna - from Maggie Hoffman

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As I am enjoying my babymoon, I welcome guest posts from writers who would like to contribute articles to this blog. You can read more about how to guest post here.

Woombie Philippines Giveaway

2011-12-16T20:35:00.000+08:00

Our Winners are:

RiCalyn Sicad for liking the blog's FB page. She wins 1 Woombie Swaddler (newborn)

Ria Denamarca Laab for following the blog on networked blogs. She wins 1 Woombie Sleeper.

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This week's giveaway is hosted by Val Choa of Quintbelles and Woombie Philippines.

I first met Val (who runs a cake business - Quintbelles - together with her sister) when I asked her to make N's 2nd birthday cake with the theme Strawberry Shortcake:

In the middle of this year, Val contacted me about a new business she started - distributing Woombies in the Philippines. Val is not yet a mom but found the swaddlers so adorable and decided to bring them in. She also did some research and confirmed that swaddling babies really help them to sleep better. For those unfamiliar with it, the Woombie is a one-piece zippered peanut shaped swaddler that is soft and stretchy and creates a little happy womb-like space for sleeping babies. The babies can still move and push their extremities out and work those muscles but the stretch of the fabric always brings them back in and cuddles them. The Woombie also help babies sleep better, preventing startling issues, face scratching, overheating and allows parents to avoid the use of dangerous, loose blankets which may cover the baby's face. The Woombie has been included by Glam-o-Mama Amanda Jacob in her Kiddo Picks.

Woombies range from P1,200 - P1,500 depending on the style and can be purchased from Woombies Facebook or Multiply pages. You can also take a chance to win one by joining the Woombie Philippines giveaway with 2 winners! Prizes are 1 Original Woombie Swaddler (newborn size) and 1 Woombie Sleeper. Join through Rafflecopter below. Thank you Val for sponsoring the contest!

Gifts of Breastfeeding

2011-12-13T18:03:00.000+08:00

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (December). For this month, we want to honor breastfeeding for having enriched our lives and blessed us, maybe even empowered us, in a way that only breastfeeding can. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

The holiday season is here and what better topic for the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival than the gifts that breastfeeding has brought to my family? I won't be talking about the benefits of breastfeeding but rather about the new horizons that breastfeeding has opened up to me.

Top of the list would be this blog. I am always happy to read feedback about how the blog has been very informative and has helped readers in their own breastfeeding journey. As I'm preparing for the arrival of my second nursling, I know I am more prepared this time but still doubts linger as each baby is different. The best I can do is to continue to read up, pray and of course - think positive and be confident!
Because of breastfeeding I was also able to start a small business on the side, focusing on the needs of breastfeeding mom. Because I used various products (what can I say, I love shopping!), I'm able to bring in and share to my fellow breastfeeding mothers - although I do agree that you actually just need a breast and a baby to successfully breastfeed. I'm still happy to feed the breastfeeding mom's shopping wishes through my online store. Next up is a breastfeeding library as I really would want to share my breastfeeding library to other moms. Just figuring out the mechanics how to ensure that my books will be returned to me in good shape.
Breastfeeding has brought me new friends - like minded moms who share my passion and parenting ideals. Aside from the friends I met through LATCH, I have also met friends who are also in the business of selling gear intended for breastfeeding moms. These friends have become excellent sounding boards in helping me make major decisions in my life.
Finally, what better way to celebrate this holiday season than by welcoming our family's second nursling - Erik - coming soon (hopefully before Christmas!)

Check out the other participants of the Carnival below (to be updated throughout the day):
Shaps- Beyond Being Thin
Gretchen - Breastfeeding Gifts for Christmas
Carol - The Gift of Miracle
Jenny O.- The Gifts of Breastfeeding
Anne - The Gift of Breastfeeding
Nats - We Wish You Merry Nursing
Jenny R. - If the Magi Were Queens
Em - The "Breast" Gift
Isis- Got Milk?
Armi - Breastfeeding Gifts
Liv - My Breastfeeding Journey
Laya - Time in a Drop of Milk
Mec - The Gift of a Changed Man
Marnellie (Hosted by Jen CC Tan) - Tis the Season to be Giving, From a Donee to a Donor