African Babies Don't Cry

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 31

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Another week gone by, I cannot believe how quickly the month of May has flown by! We are enjoying the mild winter weather with warm days and cool nights, spending plenty of time outdoors (I find we spend more time outdoors in the winter than in the summer because the sun is just too hot in summer). This weekend we will be making the trek to join up with a local March Against Monsanto, have you found your nearest march? Here's a google doc of all events worldwide.

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : 17 Weeks at Ashley's Green Life

Ashley is mom to a toddler with another one on the way, she is a preschool teacher and green and vegan - think I am going to enjoy her blog :)

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts! We are also looking for contributors to join this board, if you are interested, email Shannon at info [at] growingslower.com and she can add you :)

Placenta Encapsulation in South Africa {Guest Post}

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Melissa from Organic Birth shares a bit about placenta encapsulation and how it is growing in popularity in South Africa.

Placentophagy is the act of consuming one’s own placenta for cultural, religious or medicinal reasons. This has been reported for decades to help stop the baby blues and diminish postpartum fatigue. Some women have cooked the placenta in a stew, mixed it into a smoothie, or even taken it raw to tap into its powerful effects. For many who feel squeamish about this or want to reap the benefits of placenta for more than just a day or two, there is another option: encapsulation. Powdered placenta has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. In the study “Post-birth Rituals: Ethics and Law”, it states that at least 10% of South African mothers wish to take home their own placentas for either consumption or for post birth rituals. With the availability of placenta encapsulation, we estimate this percentage to rise.

In many cultures, the placenta is considered a sacred part of the birthing process – such as in the following:

Some African cultures swaddle the placenta in blankets and bury it beneath a tree as a tree symbolizes ongoing life.
A belief held by many Arabs is the future fertility of a woman is connected to the disposition of the placenta. Should something unpleasant happen to it the woman might be rendered sterile.
In some cultures such as Vietnam and China the placenta is viewed as a life-giving force. Therefore, it is dried and added to certain placenta recipes in order to increase a person’s energy and vitality.
In Indonesia, the placenta is seen as the baby’s twin or elder sibling and is perceived as the baby's guardian throughout life. It is the father’s responsibility to clean, wrap, and bury the placenta on the day of the birth.
Filipina mothers are known to bury the placenta with books, in hopes of a smart child.
In Korea the placenta is often burned and the ashes kept. During periods of illness the ashen powder is given in a liquid to help heal the child.
The commercial use of "placenta extract" found in some cosmetics, such as facial cream, is sold in France. In 1994, Britain banned the practice of collecting placentas in hospitals from unsuspecting mothers, after it was learned that 360 tons of it were annually being bought and shipped by French pharmaceutical firms. They used it to make a protein, albumin, for burns and to make enzymes to treat rare genetic disorders. Placentas are still used in beauty products today.

Placenta consumption and encapsulation is becoming popular in South Africa after the re-emergence of this service in USA, Canada and the UK. Locally, it is becoming a regulated industry where midwives and doulas offer it as an add-on service to their offerings. The benefits are numerous in that the placenta’s hormonal make-up is completely unique to the mother. Benefits include:

Preventing and lessening the risk of postpartum depression or “baby blues”
Replenishing iron from blood loss during birth and prevention of post birth anaemia in the mother
Lending a consistent flow of Oxytocin (the love hormone) long after the birth euphoria ends
Provides the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply for breastfeeding
Stabilizes constantly fluctuating hormones post birth
Replenishes B vitamins and energy that were used during the birth process
Protection from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes

There is study currently being conducted by a placentophagy research team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in participation with Placenta Specialists in the area with preliminary results showing “96% of the women who participated in our survey (190 women at the time the data was compiled) found placentophagy to be a “positive” or “very positive” experience. Additionally, nearly everyone who tried placenta for postpartum would use the placenta for a subsequent child (98%).”

A Time article from over 10 years ago, already indicated that there was a benefit to consuming one’s own placenta for the long term immune-protection properties that the placenta offers, to the mother as well as the baby.

Lucine Biotech goes on to say that "Since the placenta is known to contain many of the components that a postpartum woman is lacking following birth, many believe that by ingesting the placenta capsules, postpartum women can re-balance their systems more quickly. Placental encapsulation, the process by which the placenta is dried and encapsulated for future ingestion, has become popular among celebrities and women seeking more holistic birth experiences.”

One of the primary questions to be answered is whether the processing of the placenta would ruin or eliminate some of the hormones, vitamins and minerals present in the placenta. Some preliminary research, to be published out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that many of the compounds present pre-processing remained post-processing. The study analyzed several components present in placenta before any type of preparation, and after the steaming and dehydration that is common in converting the placenta into capsule form. The results demonstrated that “while some components are reduced in the dried state, many components do still remain. In fact, the research has shown that the iron content, in particular, is even more highly concentrated after dehydration (Benysheck 2012)."

Sources:
Cultural traditions source: http://www.birthtoearth.com/FAQs/Placenta+Traditions.html
The South African Tissue Act of 1983
Study “Post-birth Rituals: Ethics and Law”
http://blog.placentabenefits.info/index.php/2010/11/aaa-conference-in-new-orleans/

About the author, and her company:

In South Africa, Organic Birth – a company run by experienced doulas and midwives passionate about birth, women, babies and families offer Placenta Encapsulation services in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. We are the first group of Placenta Specialists in South Africa to receive international training, aligning ourselves with peer reviewed standards which include: in depth tutoring as well as case studies, legal training, evidence based research and up to date studies. Within these services we offer placenta encapsulation in two methods, placenta powder and placenta tincture which can be used homoeopathically for the mother and baby.

A mother would find a supplier in her area, meet with the Placenta Specialist – either face-to-face or telephonically, whom will answer all the mother’s questions. She would sign a contract with the specialist as well as supply STD blood-work, which is normally done in early pregnancy. All information is kept in the strictest confidence. The contract would state information regarding the benefits, dosage, laws etc. If the mother tested positive for any STDs, she can still encapsulate her placenta, the Placenta Specialist will do it in the mother’s own home with the mother’s equipment. The mother or family member will advise the Placenta Specialist when she is in labour and the placenta will be collected within several hours after the birth. It should be bagged and stored in a special but fairly simple way. Ideally, the placenta encapsulation process is started within 48 hours after the birth. The family should arrange this collection and release of the placenta with the hospital/caregiver prior to the birth. The Placenta Specialist will then prepare your placenta in a disinfected environment where there is no risk of contamination from other blood sources etc. Your encapsulated placenta will be ready to be collected within an average of 3 days.

There are two ways to prepare the placenta, in South Africa we mostly use the Raw Method which delivers the highest potency of benefits. These expire though after one year of freezer storage. The other preparation method is the Traditional Chinese Method where the placenta is steamed with special herbs before the dehydration process. These can last for an unlimited time in freezer storage and some women even use their own placenta capsules to lessen their menopausal symptoms. A placenta will make between 150-200 size ‘0’ capsules depending on the size of the baby and gestation. The mother can begin taking them right away for maximum postpartum benefits. Capsules can be taken 2-4 times a day during the first 6 weeks. Some can be saved for hormonal imbalances like when weaning baby off the breast or the mother’s first post-partum period. Placenta pills should be stored in the refrigerator and then transferred to the freezer to be stored for up to a year. Placentas that have been properly frozen can also be encapsulated up to a year after the birth.

We don't just supply a jar full of capsules and expect you to manage on your own. We are available at anytime to answer your questions about dosage, storage and times when you shouldn't take your placenta. We are also able to help in other areas regarding early parenting should your Placenta Specialist have that expertise.

Contact: Melissa Jacobs @ Organic Birth, Professional Doula - Advanced Skills,
Placenta Specialist, Holistic Women's Health Emissary
082 601 4108, melissa@organicbirth.co.za
www.organicbirth.co.za / www.placentaencapsulation.moonfruit.com

Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 30

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:28:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

I do apologise this is going up late! Still plenty of time to link up below! :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : 5 Months from a sorta fairytale

Loving Camille's blog at the moment, and her baby updates are too precious. Check out the pics of her gorgeous daughters and more :)

GIVEAWAY: Naturalmente Bio Baby Body Cream, Body Oil & Baby Shampoo Set {25.05;SA}

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Naturalmente is offering readers the opportunity to win a hamper of their Bio Baby products, including their Calendula Chamomile Body Cream, their Calendula & Chamomile Nutrient Body Oil and their Mandarin Baby Shampoo. For entry details, please read to the bottom.

Naturalmente is a great ethical choice if you are looking for body and especially hair care products in South Africa. They stock a wide range of products ranging from body, hair to baby care and even have a natural home care range. Naturalmente products are gentle on us, and the environment. They use ethically sourced ingredients which are organically grown and harvested, and use only essential oils and natural fragrances. Even their packaging is Eco-friendly! Products are available to purchase from their online shop for ultra convenience.

Jesse loves water, full stop! :)

The Bio Baby range does not contain petrochemical by-products, preservatives, sodium lauryl sulphate, mineral waxes, paraffin and silicones nor does it use synthetic fragrances, oils or colourants.

I had the pleasure of reviewing their Bio Baby range, which consists of a lovely body cream, a nourishing body oil (great for as we go into winter!) and a lovely baby shampoo.

Calendula Chamomile Body Cream

This is such a lovely light, yet nourishing cream which I used liberally on Jesse face and body. It has the subtle, pleasant fragrance of calendula, chamomile and sandalwood essential oils. The body cream, as with all their products, contains only plant-based natural ingredients and are non-irritating. Indeed I found it soothed Jesse's sensitive skin, and did not irritate his eczema. Naturalmente have a long list of ingredients that are commonly found in commercial skin care products, which they avoid, among them you will be glad to know are parabens. I am so pleased to know that this cream carries no harmful ingredients, and so is safe to apply to Jesse's skin daily!

Calendula & Chamomile Nutrient Body Oil

It is with great timing that I started using this nourishing nutrient oil on Jesse's skin as we move into winter. This, too, has a light, pleasant fragrance of calendula, chamomile and sandalwood. This is a great oil to be used for massage, and will remain my oil of choice for Jesse's after bath massage from now on. The Bio Baby body oil is a tissue oil, and is great for scars as it regenerates tissue growth, and I definitely noticed an improvement in the appearance of Jesse's few scars from scraped knees etc. Of course, because of this, it is also great for pregnant women to reduce the likelihood of developing stretch marks!

Mandarin Baby Shampoo

This baby shampoo / baby wash is so gentle that I even used it as bubble bath a couple of times, with absolutely no effect on Jesse's eczema! It smells great, with mandarin and almond essential oils, a light fragrance and one you wouldn't mind your baby's head smelling of ;) This shampoo is one of the best natural shampoo's that I have tried, it lathers fantastically, containing only natural sulphates derived from coconut and glucose, and leaves hair shiny and soft. My son has long, curly blonde hair and it left is manageable and tangle free - always a good thing! All round I loved this shampoo / wash, and so did Jesse's hair and skin! :)

BUY IT!

You can purchase your own Naturalmente Bio Baby body cream, body oil or baby shampoo online at the Naturalmente store. Plus, for African Babies Don't Cry readers only, Naturalmente is offering a 20% discount on all purchases made for the duration of the giveaway. Please email marketing@naturalmente.co.za for the coupon code to use in your purchase to get your 20% off.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win one of a hamper of Naturalmente Bio Baby products including their Calendula Chamomile Body Cream, their Calendula & Chamomile Nutrient Body Oil and their Mandarin Baby Shampoo, enter by leaving a comment and using the Rafflecopter system below. The winner will receive all three products. Contest is open to SOUTH AFRICA ONLY.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Naturalmente website and leave a comment here telling me one thing you have learned about the company or their products! You must enter your name and email address in the Rafflecopter entry system for your entry to count, after leaving a comment on this blog post.

Leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. Email addresses in Rafflecopter are not made publicly visible. Please leave the same valid email address in your mandatory comment so I can verify entries. You may leave it like this: christine [at] africanbabiesdontcry.com to foil spambots.

BONUS ENTRIES:

See the Rafflecopter entry system for bonus entries to increase your chance of winning after completing the mandatory entry. All bonus entries are entered directly into Rafflecopter. Give it a try, and email or leave a comment if you have any questions!

Contest closes 25 May 2013 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT+2)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

30 Before 30 Challenge {Update}

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:28:00 +0000

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

On my birthday last year I posted this list of goals, or to-do's that I wanted to accomplish before my next birthday, i.e. before I turn thirty. I promised to keep you all updated on how I was doing, but that didn't really happen... until now! ;)

I have been slowly working my way through this list, ticking them off and changing a few as I grow and as my circumstances change, here is how it stands at the moment.

1. ~~Start my diploma in nutrition~~ - this one is not going to happen this year, mostly because instead I have started a diploma in metaphysics. I will postpone this goal until after I have completed my metaphysics diploma. So, number one will now read: Start my Diploma in Metaphysics :)

2. Find a daily routine and rhythm that I can stick to and be proud of - who knew this would be so difficult! Wow, anyone with any tips, please share them! Clearly I am not a routine kind of gal, and we never know what we are doing from one day to the next... my poor son :(

3. Write and publish a small ebook - in the works, watch this space ;)

4. Start a regular volunteering service - I volunteer for the Natural Parents Network as their sponsorship manager, now while this is not quite what I meant by volunteering service, it may have to do for another year as I struggle to fit everything in to my busy life.

5. Start up belly-dancing lessons again - also posing a problem as the nearest lessons are over an hour away, but I am still keen to get going on this one.

6. Revamp my kitchen into my 'dream kitchen' - still in the planning stage (dreaming stage)

7. Make this blog worthy of advertisers - getting there, see all those shiny advertisors blog badges in the sidebar? :)

8. Start a regular cardio and strength routine - I have started this a couple of times since writing this list, but have yet to stick to it. We plan to soon purchase a small home gym which will make it easier... I hope!

9. Slowly organise and simplify every inch of my home - we're getting there, watch out for upcoming organisation posts.

10. Put dreads in my hair - I may possibly chicken out of this one ;)

11. Become as close to a refuse free home as possible - We have renewed our dedication to our compost heap, and I have been trying to make all my purchases as minimally packaged as possible, still a long way to go, but we have made a start.

12. Get my new business of the ground, and start it off with a bang - See this post for more details.

13. Get my veggie garden going to almost self-sufficient standards - we have had great success with growing veggies from seedlings this summer, but anything I have tried to grow from seed has been a fail. My grandmother recently gave me a mini, portable, green house, and so I am hoping my results will change.

~~14. Send out home-made birthday cards for family and friends birthdays~~ - I'm scratching this one off the list, because it was an epic fail, and doesn't seem so important to me anymore.

15. Get my diet to 80% raw foods and completely sugar free - I have been on a journey to correct my health ever since my stint in ICU after Jesse was born, and this road has by no means ended. I started this year off trying a 21 Day Raw Food Cleanse with The Garden Diet, but only managed a week before poor planning and poor budgeting made it impossible. Eating high raw does require you to go to the shops more often, which is a problem for me because I live in the middle of nowhere. However, I am now trying a intestinal flora correcting diet (to cure my candida) and will then try the 21 Day Raw Food Cleanse again :)

16. Visit the Wild Coast again - planning this as a birthday trip, let me know if you'd like to join me, the South African Wild Coast is not to be missed ;)

17. ~~Complete my Bachelors degree~~ - this will be postponed until I complete my diploma in metaphysics.

18. Begin a daily meditation practice - I have yet to make this a daily habit, although I am meditating more now than ever.

19. ~~Do Jesse's playroom out in a mix of Montessori and Waldorf styles~~ - done, pictures to follow on the blog soon.

20. Start a savings plan for Jesse's university fees - oops, forgot about this one!

21. Organize all digital photos and print at least one from each month - well they're all organised, now to just start printing...

22. Learn how to knit - anyone have any links for good online (preferably free) resources?

23. Start a daily yoga practice - as with the meditation, its a long way off from a daily habit, but I am doing yoga more now than ever.

24. Buy a better camera - a birthday gift to me! :)

25. Start collecting eggs from our own chickens - funny story... our chickens were under constant attack from a wild mongoose living at the bottom of our property, we lost plenty and not even an electric fence would deter it. So the chickens refuse to sleep in the hen house, they now sleep in a tree right near the house, close to where our dogs sleep. The result? We cannot find where they are laying their eggs, and now have 8 new chicks running around ;)

26. Start charting my cycle - crikey, forgot about this one too. What is a good online resource for this?

27. Get a new tattoo - I know this will definitely be my sons name, I just cant decide where...

28. Read at least one non-fiction book per month - Yes! Done! So far at least, and I am so enjoying reading again, cant possible think why I stopped!

29. Get a hive, and keep bees for our own honey - proving trickier than I thought to find a hive, but I am still determined to keep bees and have been reading up on how to keep them ethically.

30. Visit my sister in the UK - Louise was just out for a 3 week visit, and plans to return to SA permanently by the end of the year, so I better start looking at tickets!

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 29

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:43:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

My sister has left gone back to the UK after a lovely three week visit, *sniff. And now life goes back to normal :) Expect a few more blog posts from me this month, I have big plans :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : Rebozo Tutorials from A Little Bit Of All Of It

If you need to know anything about babywearing, Julia's blog is the place to go. This post on Rebozo's is another example of her helpful babywearing series. Enjoy!

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 28

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

We have had such beautiful weather this past week here in South Africa, the days have been quite summer-y. I hear we are in for a warm winter, which makes me smile - I don't enjoy the cold. We had a busy weekend of two birthday parties, so plenty of avoiding sugary foods and explaining why to nosy but well-meaning relatives ;)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : Yoga with a Toddler at Little Old Souls

Have you seen Bettina's yoga challenge she has running at the moment? Its fantastic, each week she posts a routine, with pictures and instructions for you to try at home. All are toddler friendly, but this post especially, go check it out!

Mama on the Mat - For Healthy Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:56:00 +0000

Today I welcome Jennifer of Every Breath I Take for a guest post on the best ways to get your children involved in your yoga practice. Jesse loves the idea of doing yoga with me, but more often than not doesnt end up doing many poses, Jennifer has some great tips here and spoiler alert, you can get Jen's current 5-class virtual yoga series for only $25 when you register using the discount code MAMAONMAT!

By: Jennifer Hoffman

When I post a picture like the one on the right, everyone wants to know how I got my daughter to do that. Moms who have experienced the physical and mental benefits of practicing yoga want their kids to do yoga, too. The good news is you don’t have to be a certified yoga teacher to share this practice with your kids. In fact, very little formal instruction is required. Children have a natural curiosity that will draw them to the mat. We mamas just have to intentionally use our influence to inspire that curiosity. I didn’t make my daughter do the pose pictured above. I wasn't even in the room when she got into it. She chose to do it all on her own. If we give them the tools, and help them recognize the benefits of yoga, our kids are likely to enjoy this practice as much as we do.

There are two aspects of a yoga practice that I think are particularly beneficial for children – asana (poses) and savasana (relaxation). Together, they will foster a healthy mind and body.

Asana

If you want your kids to practice yoga, you have to practice yoga in their presence. It isn't always easy. My kids crawl on me and on my mat all the time. I have stepped back into down dog and landed on a Lego more than once (OUCH!). But, my daughter also strikes a pose with me when she’s in the mood. For kids under ten, I would suggest you simply practice 10 – 15 minutes of active asana. A few rounds of sun salutations are a great place to start. Share the major points of alignment with them, but don’t worry about perfection. While you are doing a pose, make the sound of the animal the pose is named after (e.g., bark like a dog in down dog, hiss like a snake in cobra, etc.). Giggle! Have fun! As you build up the repertoire of poses your child practices, take pictures of him or her doing the asana. You can assemble those pictures into a routine or even make yoga flash cards. Leave those printed routine pages or flashcards with their yoga mat in the space where you keep toys. One of the most important things we can do to motivate our kids to practice yoga is to help them reflect on the impact of practice on them. Try not to say things like “That’s a great down dog.” Instead ask, “Wow, you are in down dog – how does that feel? Is it fun? How do your legs feel?” After they've practiced a few poses ask, “What did you like about your yoga practice today? What was challenging? Do you feel more relaxed?”

Savasana

"Calm down!" "Relax!" "Settle down!" These phrases spill from our mama lips on a regular basis. Whether directed at our kids or other adults, they rarely have the desired effect. In fact, they often set into motion the opposite response. We inspire relaxation in our kids (and others) not by telling them it's time to relax, but by being a relaxing authority in their presence. We can invite them to settle down by first settling down ourselves and then calmly inviting them to join us. Relaxation is a learned skill. And, we have to practice it ourselves before we can teach it to others. The age of the child will greatly impact the amount of time he or she is able to practice formal yoga relaxation, but here are some tips for getting started:

Allow them to catch you practicing Savasana. Many kids will want to try it just because they see you doing it.
Keep a basket of yoga props and mats on the floor so it’s accessible. Everyone enjoys Savasana more with props!
When you see them naturally slowing down, develop a relaxation “script.” When they are awake, but mellow try massaging their face, shoulders, back, arms and legs while saying, “relax your face, shoulders, back etc.” Make audible sighs (big exhales) and encourage them to copy them.
Make the room as dark as they are comfortable with. Light stimulates the brain; darkness quiets it. It’s really hard for kids to relax in a bright room.
Keep your expectations realistic. They won’t always be in the mood to relax, and you can’t make the choice to relax for them. Success may be 2-5 minutes of relaxation.

If you are interested in practicing yoga at home (alone or with your kids), and yoga DVDs grow monotonous, then come by and check out my virtual yoga studio, Stay-at-Home Yoga. The current 5-class series is wonderful for moms, even if you aren’t a desk jockey. Plus, it comes with 10 yoga break videos that can be quickly added throughout your day and easily practiced with kids of any age! Save $5 off the regular full series price of $30 when you use the discount code MAMAONMAT before April 30th.

This post is the last stop in a three-part blog tour. Check out the schedule and links to the other two posts, hosted by Shannon at Growing Slower and Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama.

Jennifer Hoffman is not your average yogi. A public accountant turned certified yoga instructor, Jen now balances an active practice with her busy life as a blogger, mother, and wife. The key to this balance is simple: Jen lives life with intention. At EveryBreathITake.com, she encourages her readers to do the same, writing with a heart for whole and healthy lives on parenting, faith, relationships, and, of course, yoga. She is also the host of the Intentional Chatter Podcast. Jen teaches Virtual Yoga Classes from her home studio in Northern Virginia and relies on her husband Derek to keep their two lovely children – and two furry Labradors – off camera through Namaste.

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 27

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:14:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : Raw First Foods at Farmers Daughter

I just have to feature another one of Abbie's gems, this one on starting solids and what are the best first foods - raw fruits and veg, couldn't agree more! ;)

Latching [Guest Post]

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:56:00 +0000

Welcome to Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series, today I welcome Rachel from even one sparrow to share her experience and advice on latching whilst breastfeeding.

Alright, here's my deal with breastfeeding.

Everyone posts about how it's not easy but it's amazing, and then they give a gazillion pointers on how to get through the rough patches. But can I tell you about MY rough patch -- the one that tends to get glossed over?

Latching.

It absolutely drives me crazy to hear things like, "Latching is as simple as X, Y, and Z." Because you know what? I've tried X, Y, and Z. A million times. And latching has never been that simple for me or for my babies -- not for my first daughter, nor for my second. For whatever reason, latching has been and always will be a source of great difficulty for this small little family.

Since I figured I'm probably not the only one with this problem, I thought I'd share a few things I've learned along the way to ensure a good latch (or at least, help steer you in the right direction).

Please note: What I will NOT do is give a step-by-step guide for getting a baby to latch. Numerous resources from lactation experts are available (here, here, and here, among other places). Personally, I "knew" the diagrams inside and out, but it didn't actually do anything until I followed the following steps.

1) Diagnose the Actual Issue

There could be a number of reasons why your baby is not latching. Are your nipples flat or inverted? Do you have an overabundant supply? Is your infant tongue-tied? Seriously, before you get worked up over the whole thing, really figure out the exact issue.

For instance, with my first child, I had flat/inverted nipples and ended up using nipple shields for three months to get her to latch (I wouldn't recommend using them for three months, but that's a separate topic). With my second child, I figured it was the same issue -- until the lactation consultant informed me that my nipples were now fine having breastfed my first child. It took me a while (and a lot of research) to actually diagnose the problem this time: an overactive letdown and overabundant milk supply. These are two entirely separate issues with entirely different solutions.

2) Lactation Consultant = Your Biggest Ally

Before you go ahead and try to figure it out on your own, save yourself the headache: see a lactation consultant. They'll be able to see things you don't and can save you WEEKS of unwarranted stress.

Now to be honest, LCs don't come cheap, so do some digging in your area and with your insurance. For instance, I found out that my insurance will cover an LC visit if it's connected to a practice. Luckily for me, one of the doctors at the pediatrician's office is also an LC. Problem solved. Some other idea: La Leche League, asking around for friends of friends who are training to be an LC, etc.

However you can manage it: go see a lactation consultant early on before habits form and before tears are shed.

3) Play With Positioning

Find out what positions are best for what type of problem you may be experiencing. For instance, did you know that the football hold is the best position for mothers with flat/inverted nipples? Did you know that the side-lying position is the best position for moms with an overactive letdown/overabundant milk supply? Did you know that there are moms who don't even use the typical 3-4 positions and make up their own?

So try the positions out. ALL of them. At different times. Is it time consuming? Yes. Will you be able to breastfeed and multitask? No. But it will be temporary. Figure this out, and your baby will get more effective at nursing -- and, over time, will become a better latcher.

4) Have Patience

It won't be easy. If you don't have a baby that latches naturally, you have to go in to breastfeeding with great patience. I freaked out the first time around and didn't give myself or my daughter the time and patience needed to get the latch down correctly. I wanted to rush things. Eventually (three months in), she got it -- but maybe she would have gotten it sooner had I just had patience.

This time, I didn't freak out in the hospital. I asked for help, and I tried out different things. I let my daughter take her time. If she started to get upset, I gave her to my husband to calm her down before trying again. I had patience.

5) Change the Scenery

If nursing in bed isn't working and you're both getting flustered, take a minute and change locations. Seriously, I would get so worked up in the middle of the night that we'd wake up my husband or my toddler, that it wasn't worth trying to figure it out in bed. So for the first few weeks, I'd run downstairs to the couch and try again. We were both calmer and it helped to just change the scenery a bit.

6) Relax

...and by this, I don't just mean, "breathe," I literally mean R E L A X. Find a position that's comfortable. Make yourself comfortable. Get more pillows. Get a glider. Get whatever you need and can afford to make yourself INCREDIBLY comfortable. I couldn't believe what a difference it made once I gave myself the extra two minutes I needed to rearrange the pillows on my bed. If I was relaxed, my baby was relaxed.

7) Research, Research, Research

And finally: use the internet. I just spent hours upon hours reading every article I could on breastfeeding -- even ones that I didn't think related (special thanks to Christine of this blog for her breastfeeding series -- which I de-voured!).

Also: don't underestimate the powerful help of Youtube. I just searched high and low for videos on different positions, different latching techniques, different breastfeeding issues, and some of the videos I found were unbelievably helpful.

Rachel Stephan Simko is a mother of two, a professional writer for a marketing company, and loves cooking with squashes. She blogs about faith, simplicity, and mommyhood at even one sparrow.

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 26

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:44:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Have you all seen my current giveaway? Joanna Steven has kindly offered up two copies of her wonderful eBook, The Milky Way: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding on a Raw Food Diet, be sure to enter for a chance to win!

In other news, my sister is out from the UK, and I am enjoying having her home so much, as is Jesse. He loves his aunty. We are off to the beach for the day :) Happy Tuesday to everyone!

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : Postpartum Herb & Salt Bath at Creative Christian Mama

This is a wonderful, soothing and healing mix. Pin for your next birth! :)

Giveaway: The Milky Way : The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding on a Raw Food Diet eBook (TWO Copies) {28/04;WW}

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 06:37:00 +0000

To continue with my hugely successful breastfeeding series, Mommy's Milk: A Breastfeeding Series, Joanna Steven is offering my readers a giveaway of TWO copies of her eBook, The Milky Way: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding on a Raw Food Diet, with a value of $19.97.

This is one of the best eBooks and possibly books I have had the pleasure of reading on the topic of breastfeeding, do not let the title put you off, this book is not necessarily aimed at raw foodists or moms on a high raw food diet but is packed with great information no matter what your diet looks like. And, this book is surely enough to inspire you to eat your greens! It is, however, aimed at Vegan or Vegetarian mothers, and is a great resource if you are currently on this type of diet, or are thinking of joining us ;)

There is never a better time to start eating healthier than when you are breastfeeding, and Joanna addresses the subject of detoxing whilst breastfeeding with great tips and advice.

Not only is it full of great breastfeeding information, with an emphasis on nutrition, what nutrients you should be consuming and where to get them from, but it is also a great resource on natural parenting, and has a fantastic section on sleep and naps - this is one area that Joanna's son and my son have in common in that they could never seem to calm down for a good nap. There is great advice for how to maintain your weight whilst breastfeeding, when to introduce solids and what foods are best to start with, how to keep your milk supply up and advice on the care of babies in the first year. All round, this is a fantastic parenting resource.

Wanting to eat more nutritiously, but don't know where to start? This eBook includes plenty of easy and fantastic raw recipes, plus meal plans and Joanna includes a handy food journal documenting her typical diet over a couple of days, making the transition to eating even healthier so much easier, and when you are a mom you need easy :)

Joanna Steven and her son, Franklin

Joanna Steven is the author of Well Rounded - The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Raw Food Pregnancy, and a writer for publications and websites like Get Fresh!, the Tera Warner blog, the Raw Mom Club, EcoHearth and more. Additionally, Joanna is the co-author with raw vegan celebrity Tonya Kay of The Raw Nutritional Analysis Series, a series of eBooks detailing Tonya Kay’s diet throughout the seasons with full nutritional breakdown of the recipes, as well as Smooth! Bubble Teas and Irresistible Drinks for the Smoothie Connoisseur. She regularly writes about her family’s high raw diet, including her toddler son’s, on her blog.

BUY IT!

You can purchase your own copy of The Milky Way: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding on a Raw Food Diet eBook from Tera Warner's shop for $19.97.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win one of TWO copies of The Milky Way: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding on a Raw Food Diet eBook, enter by leaving a comment and using the Rafflecopter system below. The winner will receive the plus package. Contest is open WORLDWIDE.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Tera Warner shop and tell me one thing you would love to learn from this eBook! You must enter your name and email address in the Rafflecopter entry system for your entry to count, after leaving a comment on this blog post.

BONUS ENTRIES:

Contest closes 28 April 2013 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT+2)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 25

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:26:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Tissue Salt and Facial Analysis course with Eva of ATIFA. Because I live in the middle of nowhere, this meant tons of traveling back and forth to Durban. Jesse tagged along, and was an absolute pleasure as usual. I am now a qualified Tissue Salt Facial Analyst! :) It was all SO interesting, do you know how important micro-minerals (Tissue Salts) are to our well-being? Very! I will write about them more on the blog, I promise :)

A warm welcome to Melissa of Adventures of Captain Destructo, she has joined us as an additional host :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Melissa at Adventures of Captain Destructo

Featured Post : Breastfeeding, The Ultimate Convenience Food over at Farmers Daughter.

Don't you agree? Love the post from Abbie at Farmers Daughter. Breastfeeding is the ultimate lazy moms convenience food for babies, and what is so fantastic is that you can rest assured that you are always giving them the best! :)

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 24

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:52:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Last week I hosted a Breastfeeding Support Blog Party in response to the WAPF's surprising recommendations that you should switch from breastfeeding to home-made formula if your diet is not up to WAPF standards. We felt that this recommendation could make vulnerable mothers change their views on breastfeeding, and so wanted to share our passion on why breastfeeding is always best, no matter what your diet. I wrote 101 Reasons Why You Should Breastfeed Your Baby, and had a great response to it. Other than this, my family spent a very chilled Easter at home, I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : The Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding at Smithspirations

Continuing with my breastfeeding theme that started in February and seems to taken over this blog ;) I am highlighting this short, but information packed post from Smithspirations :)

Breastfeeding Support Blog Party Round-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:04:00 +0000

On Thursday, bloggers from around the world came together in a show of support for breastfeeding mothers. New mothers have enough challenges without having to feel guilty for how they feed their baby, especially when they are choosing the most natural of means - breastfeeding. Over the last few days there has been a lot of heated debates, controversial posts, and social media outcry against the position that the Weston A. Price Foundation takes on breastfeeding. While they do present sound information on the ideal diet for breastfeeding mothers, they do so in a manner that brings about guilt, fear, and confusion.

The bloggers who participated in the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party are not trying to create a divide between mothers. They simply want to offer support, in the form of blog posts, as to why breastfeeding should always be the first choice both for baby and mama. We hope you take some time to read the posts that were written as part of the Blog Party.

There are also over 140 posts linked up as part of this. Take some time to check them out here or link up your own breastfeeding support post!

Dionna at Code Name: Mama has come up with 40 ways that family, friends, coworkers and employers can support mothers who pump breastmilk, along with a ton of resources for you and the pumping mom in your life. There are also some fun graphics you can print and pass out, with 70% of all proceeds going to buy pumps for moms in domestic violence shelters!

Destany at They Are All of Me writes about ten common breastfeeding myths that scare women out of breastfeeding.

Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses how her diet wasn't WAPF perfect, but she still breastfed a perfectly healthy baby.

Christine at African Babies Don't Cry is passionate about breastfeeding, here are her 101 reasons why!

Kelly at Becoming Crunchy discusses the question of whether you should still nurse - even if your diet isn't 'right'.

Jorje of Momma Jorje has enough pressure in her life, she is glad she doesn't have to worry about what, when and how much food she feeds her son since he is also still nursing.

Angela at EarthMamas World discusses a few of the most common problems that a mama may encounter while breastfeeding. Angela also shares natural remedies for each of these breastfeeding problems!

That Mama Gretchen reflects on the beautiful bond breastfeeding has created as her two children have transitioned from their womb experience to their earth side one.

Julia at A Little Bit of All of It shares ways breastfeeding and breastmilk are unique and special in a way only they can be.

Amy W. at Natural Parents Network shares 5 scientific reasons that mother's milk is an unequaled form of nutrition and nurture: so awesome, and so unique!

Laura at Authentic Parenting shares solid information on iron intake for the breastfed baby.

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares the questions (and answers) about breastfeeding she wished she had a friend to answer for her before becoming a mama.

Abbie at Farmer's Daughter choose to breastfeed her children in part because it’s easier than bottle feeding, not to mention that it is the best nutrition for babies, that it has health benefits for both mother and child, that it encourages bonding, and of course that it’s free! Basically breastmilk is the ultimate convenience food.

KerryAnn at Cooking Traditional Foods shares how the rush to recommend raw milk formula actually harms mothers.

Starlene at GAPS Diet Journey shares her experience with nursing and why she feels it is an important piece of the your baby's health.

At Living Peacefully with Children, Mandy draws a connection between how formula companies market and how women are treated by society.

Amy at Anktangle outlines a few of the many ways breastfeeding benefits both mom and child—aside from providing excellent nutrition.

Adrienne at Whole New Mom shares Part One and Part Two of 100 Reasons Why Breast Is Best.

Dawn at Cultured Mama shares her personal breastfeeding journey and how she overcame low supply issues and successfully tandem-ed nursed with only one breast.

101 Reasons Why You Should Breastfeed Your Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party!

Bloggers around the world have gathered together to share posts which provide current or soon-to-be breastfeeding mothers with a wealth of well-researched information, personal stories, and statistics designed to help you have the most successful breastfeeding experience possible. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more about this movement as well as to link to and read more informative breastfeeding support posts.

*******

I consider breastfeeding to be one of my biggest achievements. I am totally passionate about it, and try to promote it however I can. If you need any encouragement, here's 101 reasons why you should be breastfeed your baby!

1. Breastmilk is nutritionally perfect for your baby

The unique composition of your milk is perfectly suited to the specific growth requirements of your baby, ensuring the correct quantities and types of nutrients for healthy development, at all stages of development.

2. It is virtually impossible to overfeed an exclusively breastfed baby

Formula babies tend to put on weight more quickly than breastfed babies, however we all know that optimum growth does not equal putting on as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. When you breastfeed your baby, he takes exactly what he needs and in turn your body responds by producing the right quantity of milk. Studies have shown that slower infant growth rates make for slower ageing in adulthood, and whilst your baby may get nice and plump on formula they may be starving at a cellular level.

3. Your baby will have fewer infections, including viral infections.

Breastmilk contains factors that protects your baby from infection. Numerous studies have shown that breastfed babies do not get sick as often as formula fed babies, and even when they do fall ill their average recovery rate is much faster. Dr John McDougall points out the risk of influenza ans spinal meningitis for formula fed babies is as much as sixteen times greater than the risk for breastfed babies.

Photo Courtesy of Marisa from Hippie Safari, photographed by Melissa van Zyl

4. Your baby will suffer from fewer allergic ailments

Although it is possible for a baby to develop colic, eczema, asthma or other allergic conditions whilst exclusively breastfeeding, chances are minimised dramatically. If you find your baby is reacting to something in your milk, give the elimination diet a try.

5. Your baby is less likely to suffer from obesity

The July 1999 issue of the British Medical Journal reported a study in which German children nourished exclusively with breatmilk during the first 3 to 5 months of life were less likely to suffer from obesity when they reached school age than those raised on other foods.

6. Less chance of your baby developing heart disease later in life

Cholesterol is present in most body tissue and is an important constituent of cell membranes. It is needed for healthy bone formation, hormone synthesis and for brain and central nervous function. The high levels of cholesterol in breastmilk serves to establish lower cholesterol levels in adulthood.

7. Your baby will suffer from less dental decay

It has been shown that dental decay is lower in breastfed babies than in formula fed ones.

8. Your baby will have better jaw and mouth development

Studies have shown than breatfed babies have fewer jaw and mouth problems than babies who are bottlefed. Abnormal action is required of the muscles in a baby's mouth and tongue when sucking and swallowing from a bottle.

9. Your baby will have less chance of developing diabetes later in life

It has been proven that dairy products increase a child's risk of juvenile diabetes considerably, and most formulas are dairy based. Remember to eliminate dairy from your diet too, as cows milk protein is passed to baby from breastmilk.

10. Your baby will suffer less exposure to stronium 90

Stronium 90 is a heavy radioactive material from nuclear fallout, it is reportedly more concentrated in bottled formulas and animal milks than in breastmilk.

11. Breastmilk contains lower quantities of herbcides, pesticides and dioxins than dairy based formulas

Artificial baby milks are more contaminated than breastmilk, in different ways. They have been found to contain pthalates, bisphenol A, aluminum and heavy metals, GM ingredients, phytoestrogens and spore bacteria. Any increase in artificial feeding would result in greater contamination of the environment. (babymilkaction.org)

12. You will have less chance of contracting pre-menopausal breast cancer

Mothers who breastfeed have significantly lower risk of breast cancer later in life as do breastfed babies.

13. You and your baby will be calmer

Breastfeeding triggers the release of stress-relieving hormones which are also passed through your milk to your baby.

14. Your baby will have a higher IQ

Breastmilk is perfectly formulated for maximum neurological growth, it contains perfect quantities of GLA and DHA whilst most formulas do not contain them at all. DHA is the essential long-chain omega-3 fatty acid needed for brain development and the fatty acid found in highest concentration in the brain. A deficiency of DHA is associated with lower IQ.

15. Your baby will have better bone growth

Tests have shown that breastfed babies develop about 90% of bone growth expected at nine months, whereas formula fed babies only have 50% of their bone growth by that time. This is due to the perfect quantity of protein found in breastmilk as opposed to dairy formulas.

16. Your uterus will shrink quicker

Your uterus normally contracts more rapidly when breastfeeding your baby, due to hormones released.

17. Your baby will suffer from less winds, need less burping and is less likely to suffer from colic

Baby will need less burping from a breastfeeding mom because he won't swallow as much air.

18. You will save TONS of money

Breastfeeding is free, other than a healthy diet and a few supplements. Formula on the other hand is very pricey, and if you go with the healthiest option (organic, goats milk formula) then it becomes almost unaffordable.

19. You will have TONS of free time

Breastfeeding saves you from having to prepare bottles, sterilise them, pack a feeding bag when going out. Breastfeeding is the ultimate convenience and you will have much more time to spend snuggling your baby.

20. Your baby will be more well-adjusted

Psychological tests have shown that breastfed children are better adjusted. They are held very near to mother in her arms. Baby will hear your breathing and frequent feedings that breastfeeding requires will ensure than your baby gets the nourishment and the attention it requires.

21. Your baby will be more in tune with its natural needs of nutrition and comfort

If you feed on demand and keep baby off a feeding schedule your baby will inform you when it needs nutrition or comfort, resulting in a healthier, more relaxed baby.

22. Your baby will have less chance of suffering from constipation

It takes much more energy to digest formula than the little energy required to digest human breastmilk and excess protein found in formula will come out in baby's stools making them big and bulky.

23. Your baby's pooh will smell sweeter and you will have to change less nappies

Breastmilk results in fewer and sweeter smelling stools, it is not abnormal for a breastfed baby to go a couple of days without doing a pooh due to the small quantities of waste produced from breastmilk.

24. Your baby will receive perfect nutrition for each growth and development stage

The composition of breastmilk changes as baby grows, this is why milk banks try to match the babies ages with the donors and is also why milk obtained from milk banks is still preferable to formula.

25. Your baby will have less chance of being deficient in any nutrients

When formula was first being developed there was one that was lacking in Vitamin B6, no-one knew that B6 was present in breastmilk. Many babies had convulsions and died. There are many nutrients not yet identified in breastmilk, and formula is lacking in all of them.

26. Your baby will have less chance of developing eye problems

Although the protein content of breastmilk is relatively low (as opposed to dairy milk), the types of amino acids that form these proteins are crucial. One of these amino acids, taurine, is abundant in breastmilk. Studies have shown that taurine is important in the development of the brain and eyes.

27. Your baby will get all he needs for adequate weight gain and growth

The 6% protein content of breastmilk is perfect for growth and development for most of baby's first year, you will not need to supplement his diet with any other foods until at least 6 months of age. Dairy milk contains 15% protein, for the growth and development needed by calves to make them into big and bulky cows, it is no wonder that formula fed babies put weight on more quickly, but as I previously stated, putting on as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time does not equal optimum nutrition.

28. Your child will have a stronger immune system

Colostrum contains huge amounts of immune-boosting antibodies, proteins peptides and transfer factor. Transfer factor appears to transfer information to major immune cells about specific pathogens. The cells destroy these pathogens if they are ever encountered As your newborn suckles, all of these nutrients are absorbed through the baby's permeable intestine. After about six hours, the baby's gut seals up and the colostrum becomes sweet with sugar. Mucus begins to line your baby's intestines and the sugar feeds the microflora. The microflora then stick to the mucus. This is how babies get a fully functioning immune system.¹

29. The bond between you and your baby will be stronger

Breastfeeding stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother's body. "It is now well established that oxytocin, as well as stimulating uterine contractions and milk ejection, promotes the development of maternal behavior and also bonding between mother and offspring."Uvnas-Moberg, Eriksson: Breastfeeding: physiological, endocrine and behavioral adaptations caused by oxytocin and local neurogenic activity in the nipple and mammary gland.: Acta Paediatrica, 1996 May, 85(5):525-30

30. Your daughter will have less chance of developing breast cancer later in life

Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher rates of breast cancer as adults. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.

31. Your baby will pass meconium quicker and more efficiently

Babies are born with a sticky tar-like substance called meconium in their intestines. Colostrum, is a laxative and gets rid of all traces of it quickly.

32. You will suffer less post-partum hemorrhage

Breastfeeding causes your body to release oxytocin, which stimulates contractions which help shrink the uterus back to pre-pregnancy size while expelling the placenta. These contractions also shut off the maternal blood vessels that formerly fed the baby and discourage excessive bleeding. Women who choose not to breastfeed must be given synthetic oxytocin to insure against hemorrhaging.

33. You will lose your baby weight faster

Breastfeeding burns as many as 500 - 800 calories per day.

34. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend it

"...breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; ... it forms a unique biological and emotional basis for the health of both mother and child; ...the anti-infective properties of breast milk help to protect infants against disease; and ... there is an important relationship between breastfeeding and child spacing".

(See The WHO/UNICEF International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes).

35. Your baby will have less chance of developing Crohn's disease

Research has indicated that Crohn's disease is linked to the type of feeding a baby receives and especially with the early introduction of solids.

36. If you suffer from endometriosis, you will benefit from breastfeeding

Breastfeeding stabilizes the progress of endometriosis.

37. You will have less chance of developing ovarian cancer

Research suggests that breastfeeding lessens the chance of a women developing ovarian cancer.

38. Your baby will suffer from less ear infections

Dairy is mucous forming and one of the main contributors to childhood ear infections. Read more here.

39. Your baby will be less likely to die from SIDS

Formula feeding may increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

40. In this instance, size does NOT matter

Breastfeeding is possible no matter what your cup size, big or small they will produce milk for your baby.

41. You will be lightening your carbon footprint

Breastmilk is delivered to baby without the use of any packaging or waste.

42. You will have a key toddler tantrum soother

An integral part of your child's development includes those big emotional tantrums, breastfeeding is an instant soother, no matter what the situation.

43. Your baby will have less reliance on artificial soothers

With the attention and comfort that breastfeeding supplies, your baby will have less need for pacifiers, comfort blankets and dolls.

44. Your child will have better speech development

As with the jaw and mouth formation, the muscles used for suckling at the breast ensure great speech development for later in life.

45. The ozone layer will thank you

We have all heard about how the methane gases produced by cows are destroying our ozone layer. Breastfeeding eliminates the need for dairy in your child's diet.

46. Your monthly periods will stay away for longer

Mine only came back when Jesse was 18 months old, although this is dependent on your body and your feeding routine.

47. You can have unprotected sex for up to 6 months

If you plan it correctly, this is possible. Although I wouldn't personally chance it unless you don't mind Irish twins ;)

48. Going out of the house does not become an hour long planning marathon

You will not need to pack a feeding bag at all, period.

49. Your breasts will be gorgeous

Breastfeeding breasts are full and you will get porno nipples, this makes up for what you will lose in perkiness ;) (at least whilst you are still feeding)

50. Your baby has less chance of suffering from diabetes (type I)

Studies show that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 5 months with no formula given had lower rates of type I diabetes.

51. You will be using your breasts for what nature intended

There is nothing more natural than breastfeeding.

52. You can help normalising breastfeeding

It is unfortunate that bottle feeding has become more socially accepted than breastfeeding, get on board and help change this for future generations.

53. You will be giving your baby a great tasting meal

Breastmilk is sweet and fragrant, whilst formula tastes awful!

54. You will be providing your premature baby with the best nutrition

Pre-term breastmilk is nutritionally perfect for premature babies

55. If you are diabetic, you will benefit from breastfeeding

Breastfeeding helps to decrease the insulin requirements for diabetic mothers.

56. You will enjoy optimum child-spacing, naturally

See my note about menstrual cycles not returning above, depending on the length and frequency you breastfeed for.

57. You will be saving the government and tax payers millions

This doesn't sound like a great reason, until you realise that in turn it, will be saving you.

58. You will make less visits to the doctor

Jesse has never been to the doctor, he has been to the emergency room once for a spider bite but that is it. See notes above on increased immunity.

59. You will be less likely to abuse your child

This is always a plus, thanks to feel good, calming hormones released.

60.Your baby will be exposed to different tastes and flavour pre-starting solids.

Flavours will transfer through your breastmilk.

61. You will get more sleep

No having to getup to prepare bottles etc in the middle of the night.

62. Your house will be less cluttered

Breastfeeding means less equipment to be stored and organised.

63. You will never have to worry about which the best brand of formula or worry about recalls.

Breastmilk is always best.

64. You will not need to worry about contaminated water

Formula feeding increases the exposure to contaminated water, especially while traveling etc.

65. Your baby will have great skin

Breastmilk equals less baby acne and other skin complaints

66. You'll have less chance of developing Schizophrenia

Always a good thing, due to feel good hormones.

67. Your baby will smell gorgeous

Nothing like a whiff of a breastfeeding baby

68. You'll have a natural all-purpose, incredibly useful liquid at your disposal

Breastmilk has over 58 uses!

69.Your baby will have less chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis

Breastmilk is alkaline whilst most formulas are acid forming and this could increase chances of arthritis

70. Your baby will have a healthier gut

Babies can digest human milk more easily than the milk of other animals, probably because human milk contains an enzyme that aids in this process.

71. You will have less chance of developing maternal osteoporosis later in life

The odds that a woman with osteoporosis did not breastfeed her baby was 4 times higher than for a control woman. Blaauw, R. et al. "Risk factors for development of osteoporosis in a South African population." SAMJ 1994; 84:328-32

72. Your baby will be less likely to suffer cardiopulmonary distress while feeding

Bottle-fed babies are at increased risk of cardiopulmonary disturbances, including prolonged airway closure and obstructed respiratory breaths due to repeated swallowing. Koenig HS, Davies Am, Thach BT. "Coordination of breathing, sucking and swallowing during bottle feedings in human infants." J Appl Physiol 69: 1629: 1623-1629, 1990.

Infants can experience oxygen saturation below 90% when bottlefeeding. Nine of 50 healthy term infants in one study experienced bradycardia during bottlefeeding. Six of these episodes were preceded by apnea, three showed hypopnea (marked reduction in ventilation) and one had certral apnea (no respiratory efforts).

Matthew O, Clark ML, Ponske MH. Apnea, bradycardia, and cyanosis during oral feeding in term neonates." J Pediatr 106:857, 198

73. If your baby needs surgery, they will only need to fast for a much shorter time period

Breastfeeding may continue until three hours before arrival time at the hospital in healthy children having elective surgery.

74. If you do decide to vaccinate, breastfeeding is best.

Breastmilk enhances vaccines effectiveness and soothes inflammation and any infections that may occue.

75. You can be lazy, whilst looking like an amazing mom

It is SO much easier to breastfeed rather the prepping bottles, cleaning bottles, sterilising bottles etc. You can literally lie in bed with your newborn and let the housework pile up, and no-one will think badly of you ;)

76. No need for bottle warming contraptions

Breastmilk is always the right temperature

77. No need for electricity full stop

Breastmilk will not need to be refrigerated etc unless pumped

78. Your baby will be getting species specific milk

Cows milk is designed for calves, breastmilk for human babies.

79. You will have a natural pain reliever

Breastmilk contains endorphins acting as a natural pain killer for teething pain etc.

80. If your baby does become sick, there is no need for supplements

Breastmilk is easier on the digestive tract than formula and contains antibodies and nutrients needed.

81. You and your baby will not be contributing to cruelty on animal farms

Cows are subjected to the most inhumane living conditions so that we can ingest billions of litres of their milk a day.

82. You will have less mess to clean

Breastfed babies' nappies are easier to clean and its also easier to clean up breastmilk spit-up

83. Your baby will have less exposure to GM products

Breastmilk contains no GM products, although these could pass through your milk, so eat organic.

84. Your baby will be receiving no artificial growth hormones

Cows are routinely given growth hormones which make their way into their milk.

85. Your child will have less chance of developing Multiple Sclerosis

Studies have shown a correlation between being formula fed and contracting MS.

86. Your baby has less chance of developing an inguinal hernia

Breastfeeding is protective against inguinal hernias. For unknown reasons breastfed babies experience significantly fewer of them. Human milk contains gonadotropin releasing hormone, which may affect the maturation of neonatal testicular function. One recent case control study showed breastfed infants had a significant dose response reduction in inguinal hernia. Pisacane, A. "Breast-feeding and inguinal hernia" Journal of Pediatrics 1995:

Vol 127, No. 1, pp 109-111

87. Your baby will be less likely to develop urinary tract infections

Due to the alkaline nature and antibacterial properties of breastmilk

88. You will be less likely to suffer from anemia

Since many exclusively breastfeeding mothers do not begin to menstruate for a year or longer their iron stores are not depleted by monthly bleeding.

89. You will spend less money on menstrual supplies

I had more than a two year break from periods, what a saving!

90. You will have a more confident child

Due to the constant comfort and attention breastfeeding gives the your child, he will feel less need to demand it.

91. You can save other babies' lives

You have the choice and opportunity to donate milk to babies in need.

92. You will have a natural fever reducer

Breastmilk will keep him hydrated and provide antibodies

93. Its one less thing to feel mothers guilt about

With motherhood comes an ever increasing load of associated guilt, from letting your child watch TV to him falling off the bed. This is one less thing to worry about.

94. You will be less likely to suffer from insomnia

Breastfeeding triggers the release of prolactin which relaxes you enough for you to become drowsy

95. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you breastfeed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that your baby begin breastfeeding within the first hour of life and that they only receive breastmilk until they are older. It's also recommended by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

96. You will be less likely to develop baby blues

The release of feel good hormones can decrease the likelihood of suffering from PPD.

97. You will have a less fussy eater later in life

The flavours transferred through breastmilk set your child up to enjoy a variety of foods.

98. Your nights will be less stressful, for mom, baby and dad

Because baby's needs are met quickly and with ease, they will go back to sleep quicker and with less fuss.

99. Useing cloth nappies is a breeze, lowering your carbon footprint even more

As I have said, breastmilk pooh is a breeze.

100. You will feel like a superhero!

When people compliment you on your healthy, plump six month old (or 10 month old) you will feel amazing knowing that it is all you!

1 Evie's Kitchen by Shazzie^↩

*******

This gathering of breastfeeding support comes in response to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s (WAPF) continued stance on breastfeeding, which we all have a great concern with. While the WAPF does support breastfeeding as the best option for feeding babies, it does so with a caveat. Breastfeeding mothers must follow the strict tenants of the WAPF diet and mothers who are not following their nutrient dense diet recommendations would be better off feeding their babies homemade formula (based on the WAPF recipe). In addition, they are outspoken against using donor milk. The bloggers sharing posts today are concerned with the confusion this may cause breastfeeding mothers. Not only does research support the myriad of health benefits of breast milk for babies regardless of the mother’s diet, it also outlines additional benefits of breastfeeding such as better bonding, deeper trust, and a long list of other emotional benefits. Let’s not forget the health benefits for moms!

Meet The Sponsor: ATIFA Academy of Tissue Salts & Facial Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:24:00 +0000

In my quest for optimum health I have researched many supplements, but have experienced so much success with Tissue Salts that I have become quite passionate about them. I will write more about Tissue Salts, and their benefits in the future, but for now, read this excerpt from the ATIFA website, and find out why everybody should be taking them!

Why is it so important to take Tissue Salts? 130 odd years ago Dr Schuessler did not realize what blessing he discovered. At his time we would have found lots of minerals in our soils and plants – which is not the case anymore. South Africa is completely barren of Selenium and Zinc (Immune boosters!) as well as Magnesium. Too many pesticides and insecticides have been used in order to grow vegetables and fruits; the result is not only barren food, but the huge amount of hazardous matter in our bodies – here we can use Tissue Salts! Times have changed, people’s bodies and habits as well. The need for minerals to refill the depleted deposits in our body is increasing also due to hectic lifestyle, wrong nutrition, radiation etc.

I happened upon ATIFA in my research on Tissue Salts, specifically in Southern Africa, and knew immediately that I would not only benefit from a professional facial analysis, (to see what minerals I am deficient in) but that I would love to become a certified consultant!

If you, like me, are interested in a facial analysis please see a list of ATIFA's certified consultants here. They also stock the ATIFA range of Tissue Salts which are manufactured in SA. Their range are all powders which have better absorption rates without the tableting glue, and includes not only number 1-12 but also the number 13-27 which are exclusively available at ATIFA.

ATIFA's popular compact courses on Facial Analysis & Tissue Salts (Level 1 No 1-12, Level 2 No 13-27, Level 3 Psychosomatic connections & Tissue Salts) are held all over Southern Africa and abroad. The following courses will be taking place in April, please email eva [at] atifa.co.za for more information.

Level 1: Durban/Westville 2. - 5. April 2013

Level 1: Pretoria/Muckleneuk 16.-19. April 2013

Level 3 / part 1: Pretoria 15. April 2013 for all Level 1 and 2 consultants.

The part 2 of Level 3 will take place:
Tzaneen: 13. May 2013, Pretoria: 5. August 201

The Tuesday Baby Link Up : Week 23

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:55:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

We have had a dreary wet Monday here in Natal, and it looks to be another miserable day here today. Trying to keep Jesse inside and out of the rain, without the use of a TV is always challenging. What are your go-to activities on rainy days? We're going to make playdough :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : Five Awesome Things About Parenting No-One Ever Tells You About at Molly Makes Do

On a miserable day like today, I think we all need a little reminding. What is your favourite (surprising) thing about parenting?

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts.

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 22

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:19:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

After my hugely successful breastfeeding series last month, Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series, I took an (albeit unintended) small blogging break. It was great, life is more hectic than usual, but I managed to read two whole fiction books that have nothing to do with babies :) What have you been up to?

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : Why I Don't Stress About Sleep at One Organic Mama

I wholeheartedly agree, no point in getting yourself worked up over missed naps and late bed times... I mena there's no point in adding anxiety and stress to your constant exhaustion ;) Go with the flow, although it certainly doesn't feel like it, your

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts.

Life Lately... PLUS! Im Giving Away Free Ad Space!

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:29:00 +0000

I cannot remember the last time I posted a Jesse update here on ABDC, let alone a recent photograph of him. So here is a Jesse and Christine update :)

Last month I held the very successful Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series, this went so well that l have decided to keep it on as an indefinite series here on ABDC, and I will continue to write on the topic of breastfeeding and accept guest posts on the topic in the future. (If you would like to contribute a guest post, email me at christine [at] africanbabiesdontcry.com.)

This series took a lot of time and effort, more than I usually spend on my blog, and so for the past two weeks I took an (albeit unintended) small blogging break. I kept myself busy with my day job (boring bookkeeping - financial year end etc, bleh) and editing our Earth Sisters website (which is still, can you believe it, not live!). We have, however, been accepting orders via email, and have already sold out on most colours of Fuzzibunz! New order arriving early next month :) Life has been chaotically busy as I take on more and more part time work to make ends meet. Our daily rhythm has therefore gone out the window, and little things like sleep routines and rising times have become a shambles. In my desperate attempt at balance I have been forcing myself to take some me-time and started reading books again, I love reading, and can't believe I went so long without a book beside my bed.

Jesse is currently obsessed with anything that has a motor; graders, diggers, motorbikes, lawnmowers and brush cutters. He spends plenty of time watching them work, whenever he gets the chance in fact. His vocabulary is increasing daily, and its so lovely to have a conversation with him now. A recent conversation included him asking me to buy him a baby monkey, because he wants to hug it and kiss it - my affectionate child. He loves other children, a bit too much, to the extent that he rugby tackles any child he sees in the supermarket to give them lots of loves... so, I keep him in the trolley at all times, lol. We have started attending a little weekly playgroup, where he has tons of fun, the best bit is the playdough - which he never enjoys as much when we play with it at home, oddly enough.

We have been working in the garden a bit, and I currently have cucumber seedlings growing on our little fence. We are still waiting for the first signs of an actual cucumber, but if we do get some, that will be a tick on my 30 Before 30 list! :)

The days are getting shorter and the morning are very cool indeed, Autumn is finally here and I am not impressed. I am a Summer gal, and will miss the heat. Jesse is enjoying the cooler days, as he gets to spend longer period out of doors, without his mother pestering him to stay int he shade ;)

A little FREEBIE:

I took the plunge and signed up for Passionfruit ads, and in honour of this I am giving away a couple of medium (150x150) spots. Just head on over to my advertising page, click on the medium buy now button and use the code 'giveaway' to get one month of advertising on African Babies Don't Cry for FREE :) Please note that I reserve the right to refuse any ads, I am looking for small business, work-at-home moms and blogs only, and they need to suit the interests of my readers.

So, whats news your side? Leave a comment, I love them :)

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 21

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:25:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : Exercise for a Healthy Pregnancy at Growing Slower

During my last pregnancy I looked on exercise with despair, I was so uncomfortable and lacked energy. All the more reason to do exercise!

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts.

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up Week 20

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:16:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

This week has hinted at the coming Autumn, with chills in the air first thing in the morning and the light disappearing much earlier in the evening. I will be very sad to summer go, as always, but we experience a mild winter at best, so I can't really complain. My breastfeeding series is dwindling down, but I will continue to take on guest posts that are breastfeeding related all throughout the year, as lets face it, breastfeeding is always applicable :)

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : Cute Ways to Save Children's Artwork at The Non-Martha Momma

What an awesome idea to make all those first baby scribbles into something frame-able! Love it!

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts.

Guest Post : Reflux and GERD

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series. Today I have the pleasure of welcoming a guest post from Melissa of Organic Birth on the very hot topic of reflux in breastfed babies.

In many countries worldwide reflux is over diagnosed. Unfortunately parents don’t really have an understanding of what real reflux is and so they medicate or operate before trying to fix the problem holistically. The majority of babies posset, and many of those majority spit up quite a considerable amount.

When does reflux become “gastro-oesophageal reflux disease” (GERD – in the USA oesophageal = esophageal) where it needs to be treated with medication and surgery?

Babies spit up because they have small stomachs and because they have a weak or under-developed gastro-oesophogeal sphincter. As long as baby is happy for the majority of the time, has plenty of wet and soiled diapers and is gaining weight, it is a completely standard expected thing.

It becomes a medical problem when the ‘spit-up’ contains stomach acids, baby doesn’t sleep, the baby is in pain and always inconsolable, arches back and neck (though most babies do this – we look for symptoms that are present for the majority of the time), spits up blood, breathing problems and the baby is not gaining weight at all. Babies who don’t vomit can also have reflux. When GERD is present without vomiting or spitting, it's referred to as silent reflux. Symptoms would be as above.

As mentioned before, most of the time it is normal – but there are situations where one can make it
worse:

Formula feeding overfills the stomach and is not absorbed as easily as breast milk
Babies lying on their backs for extended periods of time
Swallowing air which causes distention
Teething which causes baby to swallow saliva – its unnatural to have a large amount of saliva in the stomach, therefore baby will vomit it up to get rid of it
Colds and a runny nose which causes baby to swallow mucous
Food sensitivity to what mother eats which does follow through into breast milk
Overabundant milk supply
Rapid let-down causing baby to swallow lots of air

What can we do to assist in making this a little easier, before we go the medication or surgery route?

Frequent nursing which ensures small amounts of milk consumed at a time. Science tells us that it takes 1.5 hours for a baby to digest breast milk. So keep your feeding as close to these times as possible to relieve the symptoms of reflux and/or GERD
Ensure a good latch which minimizes air swallowing
Skin to skin contact encourages frequent nursing and will calm your baby when it panics from possetting
Upright nursing and posture for mom
Baby can also sleep on its stomach during the day if it is going to be SUPERVISED the whole time, this will also sooth the stomach
Put baby in a baby carrier or a sling but not in a car chair which makes the problem worse because it compresses the digestive tract
Encourage comfort suckling at the breast
Eliminate tobacco and caffeine from your diet
Consider mother to child allergies (cow's milk, wheat etc.)
DO NOT THICKEN FEEDS! Baby is not ready for solids anytime before 6 months. This is not as harmless as it seems and studies are showing that doing this is causing lung complications in some children. It works in a sense that there is less spitting up, but the baby still has internal reflux (silent reflux)… this will increase the chance of perforating the oesophagus and the pain is terrible for baby.
Buy and let your baby wear a hazelwood necklace – this reduces acidity within the body

If your child is truly diagnosed with GERD (in many countries, doctors will just call it reflux – but it needs to be medicated when it is TRUE GERD) there are ways to treat it, the medical protocol to follow are the following options:

Antacids (Telement Drops)
H2 Blockers and PPI (Zantac and Losec)
Prokinetics (Maxallon)
Cytoprotective Agents (Alsanice and Gaviscon)

Surgery is the last possible step – they will perform a procedure called “Floppy Nissen Fundoplication”. In some hospitals they are now doing this via laparoscopy but this does not reduce the risk that your child will need to go under general anaesthetic and it is major surgery. Please get a second opinion before surgery is considered.

There is no cure for true GERD, though many children grow out of reflux. Medication and surgery only serve to hopefully ease the pain and symptoms.

In conclusion, is spitting up bad? No, God created babies this way. The majority of the time, it’s just a laundry problem!

Melissa Jacobs is a professional doula, holistic women’s health emissary and placenta specialist. Qualifying in 2008 as a doula she has spent the last 5 years being involved and becoming an activist for women’s issues. Her passion is to serve women and families, encouraging them to make informed choices for their children.

She attended courses with Rosalia Pihlajasaari, Sally Baker and Maria Sterrenberg (The Village Doula Workshop), and mentored with Sally Baker; Social Worker and Doula. She attended the advanced doula course with Jacky Bloemraad de-Boer; a midwife based in Holland; covering rebozo, moxa,n acupressure, cupping and reflexology. Melissa attended a workshop on Limbic imprinting with Elena Tonetti; Russian Spiritual Midwife. She organised and attended a workshop by MarianneLittlejohn; Cape Town Spiritual Midwife; on the Polyvagal Theory and Rebirthing. She has also completed the Holistic Women's Health Emissary qualification, a course on pregnancy and; post-natal massage, placenta encapsulation and; acupuncture.

Melissa has created and organized various short workshops for aspiring midwives in practical skills and attended various midwifery conferences and breastfeeding workshops, and continues to do so.She has contributed and written articles for various pregnancy and parenting magazines, including Mamas and Papas (South Africa) and Oh Baby! (Canada - French/English).

Melissa offers various services to couples wanting to fall pregnant, pregnant mothers as well as during the birth and postpartum. Including professional doula services, bodywork for women, holistic baby-care classes and placenta encapsulation. Melissa’s company; Organic Birth; has grown into a national presence with Placenta Specialists offering encapsulation in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Melissa consults from her offices in Westville, KZN. You can contact her on melissa@organicbirth.co.za, 0826014108 or www.organicbirth.co.za

The Tuesday Baby Link-Up : Week 19

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:56:00 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Baby Link Up!

My week started with internet issues... hows yours going?

Grab the Badge

Your Hosts

Shannon at GrowingSlower

Jennifer at Every Breath I Take

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama
Christine at African Babies Don't Cry

Featured Post : You Might Be Parenting A Spirited Child IF... at Adventures of Captain Destructo

This made me laugh out loud, who else is parenting a spirited child?

Follow our Oh Baby Baby Pinterest board for even more featured posts.

Guest Post : Side-lying Nursing: A Breastfeeding Tutorial To Give You More Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Powell) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Welcome to Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series. I am thrilled to re-post Hobo Mama's tutorial on how to breastfeed whilst lying down. This tutorial hands down changed my life when I first read it. Here's to get plenty of rest! :)

I want to put a tutorial out there for how to breastfeed lying down, because it makes such a significant difference to how enjoyable cosleeping and breastfeeding will be for most mamas. If you want to get the best sleep while breastfeeding, I recommend cosleeping. And if you want to get the best sleep while cosleeping and breastfeeding, I highly recommend learning side-lying nursing early on! It can take a little time to get the hang of it, but once you've got it down, you can pull your baby in for a feed and then both of you can drowse, safely, back to sleep.

First, let's imagine you're in the cosleeping position I recommended in my cosleeping tutorial, or something like it. To recap, the most important bits are (you can find more details in the link):

lying on your side (hence the side-lying nursing — get it?)
making sure pillows and blankets are safely out of the way of your little one
having your boobs nice and accessible (I prefer a shelf-bra cami so there's no fiddling in the dark)

That wide flat space next to you is for the baby. All right, now you lay your baby down next to you in the bed, and here is how you position the baby:

with her mouth roughly in line with your breasts
on her side or back — if she's on her side, she'll be in line to eat. If she's on her back, she'll just turn her head to nurse; this is easier with older nurslings who have bigger heads and more neck control. Regardless of how you position your little one to feed, she'll probably roll onto her back after the feeding; this is completely normal and a testament to the safety of cosleeping while breastfeeding.
with the baby's legs wherever they want to go — you'll see in the picture that I prefer sleeping with my knees pulled up to round my back, which means that only the smallest newborn has room to put his legs straight down. That's OK, though, because your baby can fold his legs as well, angle his body and legs off to the side, or stack them on top of your thighs like a cozy ottoman, whatever's comfortable for both of you. Experiment to see what works.

So here's how it looks:

This is with a toddler, of course, but the principle's the same no matter the age of the baby. I was going to try to take some pictures with a doll to simulate a newborn, but we couldn't find any of the dolls! They get around; what can I say?

Here's the view from the child's back. In both of these pictures, I'm nursing with what we'll call the "bottom" breast, as in, the one closest to the mattress. This is usually the easiest breast for mamas to learn side-lying nursing on. So now you've seen it done, here are the steps to getting the baby latched on to the bottom breast while you're both lying down:

Lean back slightly until your nipple is at a comfortable angle to fit into your infant's mouth. I find having a pillow tucked well down behind my back and bolstered against something sturdy (a bedside table) helps to support me as I lean. How far back you'll need to lean depends on your own particular breast (size, fullness, etc.). Just use your observations and common sense to gauge it: Is your nipple angling down into the mattress? Then you need to lean back farther. Is your nipple pointing more toward the ceiling? Then you need to turn more fully onto your side. You want your nipple at the height where it will be comfortable for your baby to latch on.
Now pull your baby in close to you. Really close. There are many ways to do this. For very light babies, you can snake an arm underneath and gently pull the baby over. For older and heavier babies and toddlers, I prefer the method of yanking the arm and leg closest to me (well, he's never complained!). Some mamas find it easier to place the baby onto a thin receiving blanket or prefold diaper and pull on the cloth instead. Once your baby's kind of close, really snug her in tightly, by using your upper arm to push on her bum. Particularly for very young babies, her lower body should be touching your tummy. The shape you make together, your torso and her body, will now feel something like a V.
If your baby needs support to stay on his side, you can tuck a rolled-up receiving blanket or prefold behind his back. Don't place it behind his neck or head, because he needs freedom to pull away from your breast when he's done eating or needs a break to breathe. You can also use your bottom arm to hold him closer, letting his head rest on your upper arm.
If the baby's too young to latch on immediately, help her latch. Try teasing her upper lip with the nipple. You might need to support that breast with your upper hand (as in, the one not pinned under your body) and guide it more fully into your baby's mouth, doing the C-hold as necessary to match your infant's mouth shape. If the baby's latched on and something doesn't feel right, wet one of your fingers and slide it beside your baby's mouth to break the suction, and then try again. Don't get discouraged if it takes awhile to learn, because it does get easier and it is so worth it in the end.
Older babies will just get what's going on (hey, nummies are nearby!), so not as much persuading is necessary.

Now for the kicker! You can switch sides when your baby needs to switch breasts, or…you can learn to nurse from both breasts while lying on the same side. More sleep = win! To switch breasts without switching sides, you need to learn to nurse from the "top" breast, as in, the one closest to the ceiling. Since nursing from the bottom meant leaning back, nursing from the top means leaning forward a bit. How far forward you lean depends, again, on your breast size and shape. I have large breasts and find I'm almost perfectly perpendicular when nursing from the top rather than pitched very far forward. Just do what works for you, again using your own observations to note when your nipple is in line with your baby's mouth. As you're pitching yourself forward, you might find you need to use your top leg to act as a sort of kickstand, angling it slightly off your bottom leg onto the mattress. I find with the top breast even more so than the bottom that the baby is often more comfortable on his back, his head slightly turned toward you (as in the photo to the right). Experiment with putting your baby on his back or side to see what works. If you want to switch sides for your own comfort while sleeping, here are a couple tips:

Sit up and hover over your baby while pulling her to the other side. Again, this is where a thin receiving blanket or prefold under your baby can help you in sliding her over.
While lying down, pick your child up onto your chest, and then roll together with him. You might need to scootch one direction or the other afterward, too, depending on how close you are to the edge.

I've done the switching-sides thing, but I much prefer the staying-put idea for the better sleep it gets me. See what works best for you! In the comments on my cosleeping post, Kristin of Intrepid Murmurings, a mama of (adorable) twins mentioned one more way to nurse lying down that worked for multiples and works for singletons as well: Lie or recline on your back, and have your baby or babies sleep on top of you, with pillows to support your position as necessary. I found having Mikko sleep on my chest was especially good when his nose was stuffed up, either in those early days of post-birth congestion or in later times of having a cold. As your nursling gets older and more mobile, she'll find her own ways to nurse lying down. This is one of Mikko's favorites:

Half sitting, and leaning in, and when I'm on my back, he has free access to switch breasts to his toddler's heart's content. I'll often wake up to find him just so. If side-lying nursing is not working for you now, it's always worth trying again in the future. As you and your baby become more comfortable with latching in general, and your baby gains some head and neck control, you might find side-lying nursing possible in a few weeks or months. So stick with it, because eventually nursing lying down will become so easy for both of you that you can literally sleep right through it! More resources and pictures for nursing lying down:

Ameda: "Breastfeeding Basics: Breastfeeding Lying Down" — straightforward advice
Mother-2-Mother.com: "Nursing Lying Down" — helpful pictures of real-life breastfeeding babies
La Leche League International: "How do I position my baby to breastfeed?" — general latching help along with many breastfeeding positions, including lying down
Bella Online: "Nursing in the Side-Lying Position" — including tips on how to nurse from the top breast
kellymom.com: "Lactation Yoga" — on positioning for nursing from the top breast, and it gives it an amusing name, so that's always good; now you can feel like you're working out while you sleep!

How has side-lying nursing worked for you? Any other tips to pass along?

Safety Disclaimer: In sharing how we do things in our family, I am not trying to suggest bed sharing is right for you. Please consider the safety issues, and take all precautions. Babies under six months might be at higher risk, and a separate safe sleeping surface in the same room might be a better choice for young infants. Each family must consider this decision carefully and weigh the risks to benefits, as I have done.

Lauren blogs at Hobo Mama about natural and attachment parenting and is the co-founder of Natural Parents Network. She lives and writes near the beach with her husband, Sam, five-year-old son, Mikko, and one-year-old Alrik. All four enjoy their family bed.

This post originally appeared on Hobo Mama.