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Now Is A Good Time To Learn About Breastfeeding

Whether you are thinking of breastfeeding your baby or you are trying to decide whether you will breastfeed your baby, it is important to educate yourself about breastfeeding. Of course, the best time to read up on breastfeeding is while you are pregnant, so that you can be ready to nurse your baby when she arrives. It is also good to become familiar with breastfeeding resources that offer information and support. That way, you’ll know right where to turn when challenges or questions come up along the way. One great resource that I have used to answer many of my … Continue reading →

Tips For Adressing Common Early Breastfeeding Challenges

Even though your baby has not made his or her arrival just yet, it is not too early to educate yourself about breastfeeding. It may come as a surprise to learn that something so simple and so natural can actually be somewhat tricky to master. Unfortunately, many new moms do not realize that breastfeeding does not always happen easily right away. Don’t feel bad if you have a little trouble getting started and, more importantly, don’t give up. If you would like to breastfeed your baby, here are two of the common difficulties that you may encounter during the early … Continue reading →

The First Six Months of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding my daughter has been an entirely different experience from breastfeeding my first born. It took her a couple hours after she was born for her rooting reflex to kick into gear. I remember trying to nurse her thirty or forty minutes after she was born and she was not ready to latch. As soon as she was ready to nurse, she latched on really well and seemed to nurse really well. She would only take as much milk as she needed and then she would stop. Unlike, my son, who was a cluster feeder and would nurse for an … Continue reading →

Put Those Grounds To Good Use!

Has your relationship with coffee changed since becoming a mother? Mine sure has. I grew up in Seattle, and inevitably have had a lifelong love affair with Starbucks. I couldn’t imagine anything more refreshing on a warm summer afternoon then an Iced Vanilla Latte. Nothing warmed me up better during rainy fall afternoons than a Pumpkin Spice Latte. After I got married and the reality of paying bills set in, paying $3-$5 for a cup of coffee was no longer a reality. I soon began brewing my own Starbucks coffee at home. The love affair continued. Then, I got pregnant, … Continue reading →

The Start of Smiles

After over 30 days of horrendous crying, or (more pleasantly) a furrowed brow and a look of confusion or dissatisfaction only being quelled by breastfeeding, my son smiled at me this week. It was quite intentional as I sat that wonderful morning in my office chair, in front of the glowing ambiance of computer screens signaling the near and inevitable dawn. It was in this modest location, on a day like any other, that my son smiled at me. My wife doesn’t believe it but it truly did happen. He was, perhaps, a bit groggy from his recent pre-dawn feeding … Continue reading →

How to Relax for Breastfeeding

One of the biggest obstacles to a good breastfeeding relationship and plenty of breastmilk is a stressed out mom. Being well-nourished and well-rested can go a long way to having a good milk supply. But, hey, you have a little baby to take care of, so how restful can that be? Well, just being to control your levels of stress, especially right before you breastfeed can help. Studies have shown that the milk-eject reflex is negatively affected by stress. When you are stressed, your body naturally makes less breastmilk, Having less breastmilk makes you even more stressed, so the pattern … Continue reading →

Weight Loss: Getting In Shape After Pregnancy

Here you are with this beautiful bundle of joy and you are on a high. Feeling like this it might not hit you right away. One day you get a glimpse of yourself in a mirror or maybe it will strike you as you are walking past a window at the shopping plaza. You do a double take and wonder who it is. Okay, now the depression might set in, but do not worry. You can conquer the post baby fitness battle. Your body has undergone a tremendous workout. You have just had a human being inside your body for … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: June 2008

June was my first official month posting for the Baby Blog. It has been a great experience. I love learning new things about babies and sharing it with friends. Of course, I could use your help. Whether you are a first-time mom or an experienced mom of a large family, I want to hear from you. Please share your advice, your questions and your comments. On which topics would you like to see more blogs? Meanwhile, take a look at all of the articles we had in June. June 2nd Introducing Babies to Birds Perhaps it is the fact that … Continue reading →

Oat and Toffee Shortbread

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I have always been a big fan of shortbread. Good shortbread is a combination of creamed butter and sugar with enough flour to make it into a dough. The trick to great tasting shortbread though is the quality of butter and vanilla that you use. When you are looking for vanilla, get pure extract as opposed to imitation. Likewise, buy unsalted butter rather than using a butter substitute. This recipe makes a fantastic after school treat, in part, because it goes together so easily. However, it’s tasty enough to serve to guests. For the shortbread you will need: 2 cups … Continue reading →

Nine Months On, Nine Months Off

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We’re constantly bombarded with the images of new celebrity mothers who, though they porked out and really put on pounds during their pregnancy, seem to have lost every ounce of baby weight within their first postpartum month. Then, when asked their weight loss secrets, they demur “Oh, I’m just so busy with the baby”. Well, I have one thing to say to that: SHENNANIGANS! You can’t gain 70 pounds, have a baby and then drop the remaining 50 pounds in a month without doing something pretty special. A few are honest about their battles with baby weight and I find … Continue reading →