2/1/11 – Adventures in Baby Food – Sweet Potatoes

So, my plan was to post about by journey through making my own baby food, in hopes of inspiring others to do so, by showing just how easy it is. As I mentioned yesterday, I made my first batch, sweet potatoes. Well, as you read, a very unexpected event took place, that deserved my attention on yesterday’s post. Today was a very rough day. We both overslept a little….between being up late, crying and unable to fall asleep, and Amelia waking up, I didn’t get much sleep at all. But, we got up, and I stumbled into work. I couldn’t bring myself to actually tell anybody about Frank, even without saying anything; I broke into tears several times throughout the day. My mom did mention it to a couple of my closest co-workers, otherwise nobody really knows.

We got through the day though. I’ve decided to take it easy this week as far as exercise goes. My body is really hurting right now, and I’m mentally not focused at this time. I just know myself, and I know that if I push myself to doing it, when I’m really not in the place to do it, I’m going to resent it and quit completely. So, a little break is in order. After work, I did meet up with my BFF for dinner, and that was much needed.

Now, for the sweet potatoes. The process was SUPER easy. I was very intimated at the thought if making my own food with Olivia, so I’m excited to see just how easy it really is. Sweet Potatoes are a highly recommended first food for babies, ready for introduction between 4-6 months (we don’t start anything until 6 months though). They are high in Vitamin A and beta carotene as well as potassium. They also contain a good amount of Vitamin E, calcium and folate. These wonderful vegetables are a great first food as they are packed full of nutrients, highly palatable and due to their fiber content, help digestive tract and bowel health. In the United States, Yams and Sweet Potatoes are one and the same and the terms are used interchangeably for the same vegetable. The difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes in the United States is only in the labeling, the color, the texture and the marketing.

Baking sweet potatoes is the very best way to cook them. Baking sweet potatoes, especially for baby food, brings out their natural sweetness and good flavor while retaining the most nutrients. This is the simple, 4 step process I followed:

1. Preheat Oven to 400-410 degrees. Wash the potato, poke holes in potato with a fork, run the potato under water again then wrap the potato in foil – do not peel for baking/microwaving. The water trapped in with the foil will help bring the flavor out in the potato.
2. Place the foil wrapped potato in a baking dish, and into the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until soft. The skin will turn brown and start to pucker when the potato is done.
3. Remove skins by slitting the sweet potato lengthwise when cooled then scoop out the “meat”.
4. Place potatoes into an appliance of your choice for puréeing. Use a liquid from your preferred source to puree or thin the potato – typically water. I used ¾-1 cup of water for 2 potatoes to make it liquidy enough for this stage.

Simple as that; and the potatoes were delicious!

Cost Savings:
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes = $2.00 – Made Roughly 15 Jars
- 15 Jars of Gerber Stage 2 Sweet Potatoes Baby Food = $10.12
- Savings of $8.12

Here are some before and after pictures of the sweet potatoes.

1/31/11 - Goodbye, Sweet Frank

Today did not end anywhere near where I thought it would.

The day started off great. Work was super busy and crazy, I spent the day playing catch-up from being off on Friday. The snow arrived in full force, but my drive to work, or home, was not nearly as bad as I expected. I arrived home in an odd mood. I just felt off, like something was wrong, but just couldn't put my finger on it. I threw in a load of laundry, and went about my business...

Christian dropped the girls off and made a trip to the store with his mom. Olivia was running around like mad woman, Amelia was sitting in her chair in the kitchen with me, I did the dishes and cleaned up the disaster that was the kitchen. I started cooking dinner, and baking some sweet potatoes for my first shot at baby food. Christian arrived home just as dinner was ready, so he and Olivia started eating, while I pureed Amelia's potatoes and successfully completed my first batch of baby food (and, it was delicious!). I made my plate and joined the others for dinner.

We spent a little time playing, but it was already getting pretty late, so Christian started getting baths ready, while I got the girls undressed. I finally remembered that I was doing laundry, and ran downstairs quickly to switch loads. I turned on the basement light and saw Frank laying right inside the door. As I usually do, I yelled out "Hey Frank" as I walked by, only to be met with no response. This was definitely NOT normal, I always get a reaction out of my animals. I got closer, and realized Frank was not moving, and was not responsive at all, and I immediately thought the worst.

I yelled up to Christian, exclaiming that something was wrong with Frank. He ran down and picked Frank up. At this point, Frank did move slightly and let out the most painful meow I've ever heard. I started crying, and we just knew something was very wrong. We searched the basement to see if there were any signs of him being sick, and found nothing. We placed him on top of the washing machine, and he was just limp...he would not move, stand, sit. Nothing. Christian could feel something bulging from his stomache, and just looked at me with a blank stare and said, "This does not look good".

We left Frank in the laundry room, Christian put the girls in their baths, and I googled emergency animal clinics in our area. I came upon one, that didn't have the best reviews, but it was the only one close by. We were at a loss, and really didn't know what to do at this point. So, of coures we did what most people would do...I called mom. She offered to come down and sit with the girls while we took Frank in, because I could not face that, or the decisions that may come of it, by myself. So, Christian put Olivia to bed, took the dog out and did his usual nightly chores, while I fed Amelia and put her down.

My mom arrived just as I got Amelia to sleep, Christian pickedup Frank, wrapped him in a blanket, and we were on our way. As we took off in the car, the No Doubt sing, "Don't Speak" came on. I felt like it was an omen, and in that moment, I knew things were not going to go well. As we walked in the door, the receptionist literally jumped up, and ran over to us. She quickly took our information, ran over some basics and ran Frank into the back room. She came out and said the doctors wanted to take blood and do a bunch of tests, and it was all very overwhelming. We said we really needed to talk to the doctor.

We sat in the cold, dark exam room waiting for the doctor, and I just felt lost. The doctor came in, and very matter of factly stated that Frank was dying. He has a massive urinary infection, technically speaking, he had Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, and his bladder was litterally going to explode at any time. She said the only thing they could do was place a cathedar, and monitor him for a few days...we were looking at $1,500 minimum, and no guarantee that it would work. Looking at her face, through my tear filled eyes, I could tell she did not have much hope for him. She looked at us and said, "I know this is hard, but you really only have about a minute to decide what you want to do, or Frank is going to make that decision for you".

I broke down beyond belief at this point, and we knew what we had to do. He was suffering enough, and we needed to let him go. She brought him in so we could say our final goodbye's. He was wrapped in heating pads because his body temp was already so low, that it wasn't registering. His heartrate was barely audible at this point, and he was leaving us. We spent a few minutes with him, and I held him as they put him to sleep.

Leaving him there, in the cold, dark room, was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. The thought that we will never see him, never hold him, never hear that whiny little meow of his, or watch him battle Chuy again, is beyond devestating to me. I would not with this process, this experience, on my worst enemy. I found Frank in the basement around 8:20, and we were home from putting him down by 10:30. That was the longest, most torturous 2 hours I have ever experienced.

Frank came to us as a tiny, runt of his litter, bull legged little kitten, with a pipe cleaner tail and the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen in my life. We had 3 wonderful years with him, but his life was cut far too short, and my heart is truly broken.

Frank, simply stated, I love you, and I will always miss you.

1/30/11 – Not Enough Hours

It was a pretty busy Sunday for us. We’re not quite used to that! We started off bright and early…I started some laundry, and we got ready for my BFF’s sons baptism. It’s amazing how long it can take to get up, ready and out the door when you have two little ones in the mix. But, we made it one time, and that’s all that matters! Christian and I had never been to her church before (and, being that it takes about 40 minutes to get there, most likely won’t be back), and we really enjoyed it. It was very laid back and the pastors were great at getting their sermon’s across, with a little humor and real life mixed in. It’s the kind of church we could see ourselves in. Apparently they are going to be building a new chapter a little closer to us, so maybe when that’s done. We’ll see.

After the service, we joined her and her family at McDonald’s to hang out and let the kids run wild in the playland. Olivia was NOT happy when it was time to go, but she passed out within about 5 minutes of driving. Amelia survived the event pretty well. She slept the whole way there, and the whole way home. We had them in childcare during the service, and the ladies said she was fussy and cried here and there, but nothing too bad. That didn’t surprise me.

Amelia enjoyed her Avocado’s much more today. She ate quite a bit more than yesterday. Olivia decided her 30 minute nap on the way home was enough for the day and refused to go down when we got home. So, I quickly wrote out our shopping list for the week, and Olivia and I headed off to Target. Christian made us some dinner when we got home, while I put the groceries away and continued on with laundry.

Finally, it was time for bed and baths. It was a long, busy day, and I can’t believe the weekend is over already! The laundry is not quite done, the dishes are piling up, toys are scattered everywhere, and the kitchen needs a good cleaning…now, when will that all get done?!? To top it off, the snow has returned, and is supposed to continue for the next couple of days. Just what we needed…MORE snow and another run of horrible commutes. Ick.

Amelia new favorite toy is the bottle of Tylenol (which was Olivia’s favorite for a while as well!). The two have been fighting over it for days now…

1/29/11 – Amelia’s First Food

Today was a pretty laid back day. We spent the morning just hanging out, doing a whole lot of nothing. Once the girls were down for their naps (very LATE naps, I might add), I cleaned up the living room and Christian was off to get a haircut. He also spent some time replacing some lights in the truck.

The big excitement of the day was Amelia’s first solid food experience. We started her off with Avocado’s (they are a great first food because they are high in good fats and protein). She didn’t know what to think of it before her nap, and only took a few bites. But, we tried again around dinner time, and she was much more into it. I’m sad that she won’t be relying solely on me anymore, but I’m excited for the next step at the same time. And, after her appointment yesterday, I’m really hoping this helps her pack on some pounds!

I really wanted to stay up and watch a movie after the girls went down, but A) I was beyond exhausted, B) I’m going on day 3 of a headache that just won’t go away, and C) Amelia hasn’t been sleeping well, so I knew I was in for yet another long night, and it just wouldn’t be a good idea to stay up any longer.

Here are some pictures from Amelia’s first food experience. She opened right up for it; then she was intrigued by it; then thought she could just do it herself; then she was DONE with it. LOL

1/28/11 – Band-Aids Galore!

Well, today was a big day…Check-Up day, for both girls. I was quite nervous about it. I’ve taken them to the doctor by myself a couple of times now, but this is the first time they both actually have appointments! So, it was a mad rush this morning to get everybody fed and ready to go, but we managed to get up and going with little fight.

The appointment didn’t start off well when I checked in and was told the doctor was an hour behind! Really, I have 2 young kids and you expect them to survive sitting in the waiting room for an hour?! A heads up would have been nice! But, apparently the reception area wasn’t up to date on their facts, because we were called back into the office just a few minutes later! Thank goodness! The nurses did her weights and measurements, the doctor came in shortly after to chat and check over the girls, then the nurse was back to do vaccinations. Then it was off to the lab…

Olivia was first. She now weighs 28lbs (up 3 pounds since her 18 month check), putting her at 65%. She measured 35.5” (up 3” since 18 months), putting her at 85%. And of course, her head is still off the charts at 95%! She’s growing along the same line, so the doctor was happy with that. She’s now free to eat anything and everything, and can go down to 2% milk if we want. Her heart murmur was barely audible, which is GREAT news! She is doing and saying and acting exactly how a 2 year old is supposed to, so the doctor was more than satisfied developmentally. She did great through the appointment. She said and read her books and was a perfect angel. She didn’t need any vaccinations (she is done until she turns 5!), but did need to get her blood drawn to check her lead levels and everything. So, off to the lab we went. I was a little nervous, but the lab tech was great. He talked to her and got her calmed down and ready. I took a risk and decided to have her watch and get her interested in the whole process, hoping she would handle it better that way. Which, she did! She didn’t flinch or whimper or anything. I was so proud. So, she got her band aid and her sticker and she was happy as a clam!

Amelia was next. She now weighs 13lbs (only up .12ozs since her 4 month check), putting her at 4 – she dropped down from 16% at 4 months. She measured 25.5” (up 1” since 4 months), putting her at 41%. Her head is a nice, proportional 25%. Her height and head are growing great, but her weight is a concern. I was actually very shocked by her weight. I knew she was still tiny, but she seems like she’s really packed on the pounds lately. Apparently not. The doctor said not to worry too much. Just keep nursing her as much as I can, and hopefully with the introduction of solids this weekend, that will help her bulk up. He said she is below the 5% mark, which is usually when they “intervene” (whatever that means), but is going to give us some time to see how things go. We’ll be going back in a month to get her weight checked again. She ended up getting her oral vaccine, two other vaccines, and dose one of her flu shot. When she goes back in a month, she’ll get the second dose of her flu shot, and her the vaccine that we skipped today. She did pretty well with her shots again, just a little cry, but nothing too horrible.

They both ate some lunch and took their naps once we got home. Amelia didn’t seem to have any reactions to her vaccinations, just a little fussy and didn’t sleep too well. Olivia of course milked her “ouie” as much a she could all night. Once Christian was home, we all just hung out, played for a while and tried not to be too concerned about Amelia’s weight. A friend of mine did point out that there is some logical research into the idea that breastfed babies should have a separate growth chart, so I’m on the hunt now to find some more information on that, hoping for a little reassurance!

Here are some pictures of my poor little ladies, after their doctor visit.

1/27/11 – 6 Months + 1 Day

Apparently this is my new theme…being a day late on Amelia’s monthly update! Oh well, I’m sure she doesn’t mind!

Amelia is 6 months old now! It’s hard to believe. She seems to be growing so much these days, but we’ll find that out for sure tomorrow! She can now sit on her own for a pretty extended period of time. She attempts to crawl, and can ALMOST put herself into the crawling position from sitting. She is very into the world around her…she is very focused and just likes to take everything in. She thinks Olivia is the best, most entertaining thing in the world (oh, how I wish Olivia felt the same way). She is quite the inch work these days…she’ll lay on her tummy, prop herself up on one side, then kind of “throw” herself down, moving forward slightly, then repeat it over and over until she gets to her desired location. She is able to hold on to her toys very well these days. We’ll be starting her on solids this weekend, which I’m pretty nervous about. She is still 100% exclusively breastfed, so it makes me kind of sad to know that she’ll no longer be relying on me ALL the time. And, now I have to hope the addition of food doesn’t affect my supply! She seems to be doing much better these days, attitude wise as well. She still seems to have a pretty strong stranger anxiety, but she seems much happier all around, and much easier to handle. I’m thinking when she finishes her current box of probiotics, we might take her off and see if her reflux is any better without it. We’ll still have to talk about that more though.

Today we didn’t do too much. Just the usual work, exercise, dinner, play, bed. I’m getting really anxious to do our taxes, but of course, we haven’t received our house statement from the bank yet. So annoying. Christian and I were so tired and ready to pass out, but there is a new show on A&E, Beyond Scared Straight, and we couldn’t pull ourselves away. This show basically takes all of these horrible, bad teenagers to a hardcore prison, and has the prisons talk to them and “scare them straight”. It’s very intense, and it makes me cry. You just never know what path your kids are going to go down, and that scares me! I need to NOT watch shows like that!

1/26/11 – Play Date!

Well, my “caught up” period at work ended quickly, and I’m back to being overly swamped. 4:30 sure comes faster than ever these days. Oh well, as always, I just have to hope that means job security!

This week’s weigh in was not as exciting for me. I stayed the same. I know that’s better than gaining, but it’s frustrating. I’m hoping that it was just my body’s shock period from actually exercising, and from losing quite a bit last week. I also know that I have to accept that my body is not going to just drop this weight. Breastfeeding is going to make it hard, so I just have to keep exercising and eating well, and everything will work out in the end.

As I was leaving work, I got a call from my friend Kelly, asking us if we wanted to join them at an indoor playground so our little ones could burn off some energy. So, I quickly ran home, did my workout, Christian got home with the girls…we quickly ate dinner and packed a bag and were out the door. We went to the Eagan Community Center. We’ve been there before, but never in the playground. It was super cheap, and we were the ONLY ones there, so the girls had the run of the place. It was great. It was nice to get out and Olivia definitely needs these play dates and needs to get out of the house. Amelia did well…it looks like we really can leave the house once in a while now! We ended up staying right until closing time, 8:00. We thought about skipping baths, but knowing Olivia has been climbing and running through the playground, we thought she needed a good cleaning. So, baths and bed it was. Amelia is back to sleeping horribly, so right now she’s about ½ in her bassinet, ½ in bed with me. I don’t know what her deal is, but I’m praying for the day she sleeps through the night for good! I think the bags under my eyes have bags under their eyes! Some days, I just don’t know how I even function anymore!

Here is a picture of Olivia and her BFF playing!

1/25/11 –Topic #1 – Breastfeeding “101”

Well, it’s Tuesday. Nothing too interesting going on…just work and the usual home stuff.

I’ve decided to add a little something to my blog this year. Anybody who reads my blog knows, we don’t have the most exciting lives ever, so I definitely run out of things to write about. So, I’m going to try to write about an actual topic once a week now. Something that’s important to me. Since my life pretty much revolves around being a parent now days, they will most likely all be child/parenting related. So, feel free to skip over that weekly post if you aren’t interested. This week’s post is going be my own little lecture/advice on breastfeeding. This topic can be very uncomfortable for a lot of people, so again, just skip on over if you aren’t interested!

My Breastfeeding Lecture
So, I do not claim to be an expert on breastfeeding. I never would, not in any way. But, the topic does interest me greatly. During my so-far short stint as a mother, I have done a lot of research on the subject, and it has become one of those “if only I had known” subjects to me.

Breastfeeding with Olivia did not work out for me. Now, she was (and is) an extremely happy, healthy, energetic, smart, top of the curve kind of girl. In the end, this is all that matters. But, it will always haunt me that I gave up so quickly on breastfeeding with her. I truly blame all of our issues on my c-section. The pain and recovery from that overwhelmed my every thought. I was exhausted from it. Nobody taught me how to nurse her laying down (preferred method for recovering c-section mamas). Between my pain and recovery, and all of Olivia’s medical appointments (jaundice blood draws, hip ultrasound, echocardiogram, etc.), I just couldn’t focus on it. I did put in the effort…I had some pain due to a poor latch on Olivia’s part, so we worked on that and I tried nipple shields as recommended by a lactation consultant (which, knowing what I know now, I would NOT have done), we drop fed her to get her senses stimulated, tried different holds. I saw two consultants during my hospital stay and another one after we had gone home. After two weeks, I threw in the towel. I continued to pump until Olivia turned 4 months old, several times a day, but with never establishing a real supply, and not knowing what I was doing, by 4 months I was no longer getting enough for even one bottle a day. With that, my breastfeeding journey with Olivia came to an end. While I did feel a sense of relief and “freedom”, it was heartbreaking at the same time.

When we found out Amelia was on her way, I knew I was going to give it a REAL go with her. I was determined to make it work. Not only do I truly believe it is best for baby, it is cheaper, and we are broke! So, I did my research, and when she was born, we worked and worked and worked at it! I made it through that first 6 weeks of torture, and suddenly, everything clicked. We had it down, and we weren’t looking back! Amelia is about to turn 6 months old, and to this day, has not had a drop of formula, cereal, baby food, etc. She is growing, and happy and healthy, and I feel such an immense bond with her, that I can’t even describe it. During the “6 weeks of torture”, we had a very rough patch. She was a really bad cluster feeder, especially at night. So, at the pediatrician’s recommendation, I started pumping when I could, and we started giving her one bottle in the evening. After two weeks, she got over that hump, and we didn’t need any more bottles. Now, I am not a public nurser, it’s something I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable with. Although, Amelia is quite a homebody, so I don’t know how things would be with a more adventurous infant. For now, we usually just bring a bottle of milk with us when we go somewhere. If we’ll be somewhere for a long period of time, I just excuse myself into a separate room to nurse her. Or, if we’re at a public event/place, I find a designated nursing location to nurse her. This has worked great so far.

Now, I know I am only halfway to that 1-year, formula free goal, but I’m feeling strong, and feeling confident. Breastfeeding can seem like an overwhelming, time consuming, uncomfortable task, but it really doesn’t have to be. And, you may be surprised how you feel after you really give it a try. I am as modest as modest gets, so honestly, if I can do it, anybody can! Here are some of the best tips and advice I have picked up along the way:

1. Know that, though it is a completely natural act, breastfeeding does not come naturally to every mother. Not to most in fact. It takes time, and work, to establish that relationship with your newborn. Along the same lines, know that breastfeeding is basically a full time job for the first 4-6 weeks, and you really need to succumb to that. While it may seem like a never ending battle at the time, it’s a very short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and you will get through it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask to see the hospital lactation consultant before your baby is even born! That way, you’ll get some time in with one sooner after delivery…and the sooner, the better! There are a lot of online resources and support boards as well, and they can truly be life (and sanity) savers.

2. You DO make enough milk for your baby. In the beginning stages of life, your baby will eat typically every 2-3 hours (from the start of one nursing session, to the start of another). Baby can also take a REALLY long time to nurse at some/most sessions. So, you’ll often find yourself in the following scenario…begin nursing at 1:00PM, baby nurses for 45 minutes total, baby is hungry again at 3:00PM. Now, that only gives you a little over an hour between sessions, so (especially if this happens often) you will start to question your own supply and feel like ALL you do is nurse your baby. Know that this scenario is VERY normal, and necessary in fact. The only way your body knows to produce milk, and produce more of it over the first couple of months, is by your baby nursing. Only 1% of women TRULY cannot breastfeed, but many more give up on it before they really reap the benefits of it. Just lay back and let your body, and your baby, do what they are meant to, and you’ll be successful.

3. There are natural ways to try to increase your milk supply if you are truly concerned about it. First and foremost, as mentioned above, putting your baby to breast as often as possible is THE best way to increase/sustain your supply. Pumping after you nurse can help stimulate your body into thinking it needs to make more milk. There are herbs you can try…Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle are the most successful that I have heard of (but remember, you need to take 2-3 pills of each, 2-3 times a day). There are teas (i.e. Mother’s Milk) and lactation cookie recipes you can try. The only things I do are drink plenty of water (I usually drink about 100-125ozs a day), eat Oatmeal, and eat a well-balanced diet, high in fiber and protein.

4. Buy a high quality breast pump. Even if you will only be a rare/occasional pumper, a good quality pump is still essential. You will want a double, electric pump. Single pumps can get the job done, but will not be as efficient. Manual pumps are far too time consuming, but are helpful in the early days if you need engorgement relief. The thought of pumping can be stressful, and you’ll go through a phase where you’ll question “what if baby gets hungry, and needs to nurse”. Don’t worry…your baby is WAY more efficient at getting milk out of your body than the pump is. So, even if your baby is hungry shortly after you’ve pumped, there will be plenty of milk left. And, bonus, your baby will end up getting more of the fatty hind milk that helps them bulk up and keeps them full, longer!

5. Do not worry about having a huge stash of milk in the freezer. You’ll be able to save some here and there, along the way. Some women panic at the thought of little to no “extra”, but it really is OK.

6. When/if you bottle feed your breastfed baby…1) Do NOT give your baby a bottle in the first 4-6 weeks (except for very rare, necessary times) and 2) NEVER use anything but a Low Flow/Stage 1 nipple. Babies can get milk out of a bottle much quicker than from the breast. The quicker they eat, the more they will appear hungry when they’ve finished eating, leading you (or more likely Dad, or the daycare provider) to believe they need more milk, leading you to overfeed your baby, eventually leading you to believe you have a low milk supply, eventually forcing you to introduce cereal, solids or formula as a supplement. It’s just a downward spiral. This downward spiral can still happen on Low Flow/Stage 1 nipples, so it’s important for you to know that it’s normal for a breastfed baby to appear hungry after finishing a bottle. Not only because they get their milk much quicker, but they are also missing that comfort they usually get from mom. It’s important for dad’s and/or daycare providers to find other means of comfort for handling the post-bottle melt down they will likely get from baby from time to time. Don’t be afraid of the pacifier. We went through 4 weeks of hell in the beginning, refusing to resort to the pacifier. Not only for fear of eventually breaking the habit, but more because we were scared it would interfere with the breastfeeding relationship. It didn’t, and it was a lifesaver!

7. It is important to know that your breastfed baby should never need more than 4-5ozs of milk, per bottle. Breast milk, unlike formula, changes in caloric value as your baby grows. It changes nutritionally to meet your baby’s needs over time, so you do not need to continue increasing their intake like you do with formula.

8. Breast milk storage and use can be confusing. I send fresh milk with Amelia to daycare every day. 3, 4.5ozs bottles. Usually by Sunday, with my weekend pumping sessions, I have 1-2 bottles worth of milk to freeze. Personally, I live by the rule of 6 when it comes to milk (some do less, some do up to 8)…
a. Fresh Milk can be out for 6 hours
b. Milk can be stored in the fridge for 6 days
c. Milk can be stored in the freezer for 6 months

When it comes to freezer storage it’s important to relate back to the fact that your milk adjusts as your baby gets older. You will want to rotate your freezer stash every so often, so your stash is keeping up with your baby’s nutritional needs. Personally, at the end of every month, I start sending 3 frozen bottles to daycare, and freezing my fresh milk, until I’ve used up the previous months frozen milk. Then I go back to sending fresh milk, and repeat at the end of the next month.

9. Working Mother Tips:
a. Pumping as a working mother can become VERY tiresome and downright annoying. But, it does not need to be time consuming. While at work, I pump at 9:00, 12:00 and 3:00. I leave my desk at the top of the hour, make the trip down 7 floors and across the building to the lactation room, pump, clean up and get back to my desk by quarter after. Before I leave for work in the morning, I hook the bottles up to the pump so all I have to do is plug it in and go at 9:00. After that, I rinse the horns thoroughly in HOT water, wipe them dry, put the bottles into the cooler that comes with the pump, and pack everything up. Next time I pump, I pump directly into the same bottles, just adding to the milk previously pumped, until I reach the amount needed for an actual feeding bottle…then I move on to a new, empty bottle for the next pumping session, as needed.

b. You do not need to thoroughly wash your pump parts every time…I only do once, at night (then rack dry overnight). You can even skip rinsing by placing your pump parts in a Ziploc bag, and storing the bag in the fridge. I also never sanitize. I think it’s a waste. When I wash my parts at night, I let them soak in scalding hot water until it’s cooled down enough to wash and rinse.

c. By pumping into the bottles, up to the exact amount I need, I am basically ready to make her bottles for the next day when I get home. We use the Playtex Drop-Ins feeding system, and I truly think it’s the ideal bottle for breastfeeding. You can buy a storage kit, that makes storing and traveling with bottles super easy. And, you really only need one bottle, and a few nipples, and you are good to go. Cleaning, washing, etc. is cut way down, and it’s as easy as it gets!

d. I try to pump once on day’s I don’t work, after Amelia’s early morning session (when your milk supply is at its highest). This helps me building up a little stash, or some extra in case I had a lower producing week for some reason (which I have yet to experience).

e. Unless you frequently travel for work, you do NOT need a huge stash of milk in the freezer. When I returned to work, I had her three bottles for that first day, and MAYBE 5-6 extra bottles in the freezer. I’ve been able to pump at least what she needs the next day, every day at work, and can usually freeze 1-2 bottles a week. So, if you are “only” getting enough for your baby’s bottles the next day, it’s OK! Anything more than that would really be considered an oversupply, which while the thought of that sounds AMAZING to many mothers; it is just as hard to deal with as an undersupply.

f. Most importantly, know that, it is now the law that EVERY employer in the United States provide a private, secure location, other than a bathroom, and time for you to pump. No matter the company size or the type of job, it is the law. Make sure to talk to your supervisor, human resources, health and wellness, etc. about your needs as a breastfeeding mothers and find out if your employer has a designated location.

So, this is my journey (so far) and lecture on breastfeeding. There is a lot more information out there; not every tip will work for every woman, and ever experience is different. While I hope it may help somebody along the way, I myself find it fun to think back and rehash all of these troubles, worries and sought out advice. In the end, if the benefits and simplicity of breastfeeding doesn’t win somebody over, maybe the cost difference will…

The average formula fed baby will require about $2,000 worth of formula that first year. It appears statistically normal for formula feeding families to start on cereal and/or solids earlier (additional cost, and a controversial link to childhood obesity). Formula stains clothing. You have to worry about recalls, which is very scary when it comes to something so necessary for your young child.

Breastfeeding, in essence, is free! I bought my pump; using a 20% coupon at Babies R Us, for about $200.00…it lasted while I pumped for Olivia, and should definitely get me through Amelia’s breastfeeding career. And, if we do have another child in the future, it should still be working just fine. Because I work, I have to buy freezer storage bags. I use the Lansinoh Storage Bags, and a $10.00 box of 50 bags will last me a few months, so I’ll need maybe 4 boxes through the first year. Breast milk does not really stain, so you never have to worry about baby’s clothes, excessive use of burp cloths or anything like that. Just another time saving advantage! You will need bottles and accessories in both cases, if you choose to/have to bottle feed your breastfed baby. But, with breastfed babies, you will never need more than the Low Flow/Stage 1 nipples, saving you money.

Olivia sat down next to Amelia to spend a little quality time with her tonight, and I snapped a couple of cute pictures.

1/24/11 – Baby Food

It’s Monday…that about sums it up. Looking forward to a 4 day work week though! I love when I have Friday’s off!

I made a big decision today…I am going to attempt making my own baby food with Amelia. I’m a little nervous about it. I thought about doing it with Olivia, but was concerned about the time commitment, and didn’t think I would stick with it. I’ve decided to go for it this time. I saw an infomercial for the “Baby Bullet” (spawn of The Magic Bullet), and fell in love with it. It looks super easy. They were running a “Buy One Get One Free” special, so I talked a woman I work with into going in on it with me, so I got it for a little cheaper. My Bullet isn’t going to be here until next week, but we’re starting her on solids this upcoming weekend. It should be Ok though…we’re starting her on Avocado’s, which we’ll just feed right from the peel, for the first 3 days. Then, I’m just going to have to use our home blender to make her next food, sweet potatoes. Then, the Bullet should be here in time for the next food introduction. I’m really excited to try this out. It should end up saving us quite a bit of money in the long run, and I’m thinking I’ll be able to make a few batches of food on the weekends, and freeze most of it for future use, so the time aspect shouldn’t be an issue at all. And, most importantly, I’ll always know what she’s eating. No preservatives, no extras…just fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables. Man, I can’t wait!

I feel like I’m becoming “crunchier and crunchier” as time goes on. Next thing you know, I’ll be cloth diapering our “next” child (and to be honest, I’ve already started researching the world of cloth diapering…so you really never know! LOL)!

Other than that excitement (which really isn’t exciting to anybody else in the world), today was just a normal day. Busy bees at work, workout video when I got home, dinner with my loves and a little play time. Olivia has been doing great with Amelia, and I am beyond thankful for that. Amelia has been happy and cheery and so fun lately, which I am also beyond thankful for! Life is good…now, if only that good life came with some sleep, we’d be on could nine!

As you can see from this picture, Olivia was not really feeling Monday either…

1/23/11 – Another Weekend Down

Today was a pretty typical Sunday for us….except that both of the girls decided to sleep in this morning! I couldn’t believe it. I was able to get up, do a few things around the house and get the pictures from our maxed out camera onto the computer before the rest of the house woke up! Christian made us all some breakfast while I hung out with the girls. Then, one by one, we got ready to head out. We took a family trip to Target! Yes, we risked taking both girls out in public! And, it went well. I think things in that department are finally starting to look up – thank goodness! Although, the Target shopping is MUCH easier to do without Christian (sorry honey, but its true). Maybe one day it can just be me and the girls. LOL

After Target, the girls went down for their naps. I quickly put the groceries away and made lunch, then Christian and I settled into watch some football. It was hard for me to get past my own bitterness and watch the game…even more so since it was the Packers vs. the Bear. Ick. Once the girls were up from their naps, I was able to resume my chores. I did the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and got their clothes and gear ready to send over to my in-laws house for the week. Finally, we were able to all sit down and hang out together for a little while before baths and bed. Another weekend over, and back to work again tomorrow! Here’s a picture of Amelia to share today!