Staying Healthy While Breastfeeding {Delta Labs Postnatals}

One thing I've struggled with post-baby is finding a great vitamin to take that will also include the nutrients I need while breastfeeding. I've simply been continuing to use my prenatals as a suppliment but recently found a better alternative from Delta Labs.

For the past two weeks I've been using Delta Labs Postnatal Fat Burner in an effort to continue to get the nutrients I need for breastfeeding (and increase milk supply) as well as helping me burn the fat that I still have from my pregnancies and before. While I'm at pre-pregnancy weight right now, I still have a long road to go.

These postnatal vitamins not only are safe for me but are safe for my daughter as well. The pills contain healthy CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), L-Carnitine, and B6. These three ingredients have been proven to promote weight loss, build energy, and increase metabolism leading to healthy weight loss.

The ingredients included in this little pill are 100% natural and are manufactured under strict cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines in a facility that carries a NSF certification.

Delta Labs offers a wide variety of supplements and nutrients made specifically for women so that any woman can find what they need! And if you want to know what works best for you simply contact them to find out. You can also reach out to them on Facebook and twitter.

Delta Labs is also committed to conservation and a greener planet. They will give you a $5 discount on future purchases simply for returning your empty bottle. How awesome is that?

Interested in WINNING a two-month supply 

of the supplement of your choice?

Enter to win two bottles of any Delta Labs health and wellness formulas in the rafflecopter form below. Two winners! Giveaway ends August 10th at 11:59 EST so hurry up and enter now. Good Luck!

And if you don't win this time around make sure to head on over in September to enter the Noise Girls For the Family giveaway for another chance to win a two month supply!

My Biggest Fear Planning for #BlogHer12

I'm a pretty social person.

I get along with a wide variety of personalities and have no problem being alone or walking around in numbers. I think it has something to do with my confidence and my own personality.

But the one thing I'm always super conscious about is the fact that I'm a lactating mama. And some other mamas might not be as understanding when it comes to the fact that I, personally, want to nurse my daughter for as long as I can. OR as long as she wants to.

So when I started to plan for BlogHer'12 in NYC (my FIRST trip away from the family) I realized I'd have to either bring a pump with me or figure out the best way to hand-express my milk to keep my supply going since I wouldn't be bringing my nursling.

The one fear I had was my roomate having an issue with a moo-machine in the room and breast milk storage in the fridge.

Last year there was a lactation lounge at the conference with milk donation set up but I haven't seen any news of one at this year's event. So I am not sure if milk donations are being arranged or not; I'd rather bag my milk and see if I could give it to someone instead of dumping it down the drain.

Liquid gold and all.

The whole time I've been making my check list for things to pack, outfits to wear, shoes to bring I've had this nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me to talk to the roomie about my lactation issues.

The miracle of coincidence and timing is awesome though.

Because my fears were for naught.

And how'd I find this out? I was just chatting about being nervous about leaving the family alone for so long for the first time and she agreed then mentioned the need for a pump. Relief!

Turns out my roomate is also still nursing her daughter and will be bringing along her pump as well! Talk about things working out perfectly, right? I mean, we aren't going to have a pumping party or anything but at least I'm rooming with someone who "gets it," you know?

So if there's something on your mind just speak up! More likely than not, those who you talk to will understand and be there to support you!

Worried your roomie is going to walk in on your pumping? Pick up some of these awesome door hangers I found! I so wish I had these when I pumped at work...

When to Wean {Breastfeeding}

As my daughter gets closer and closer to 18 months of age I keep thinking about when we will wean from breastfeeding. From a young age we knew that she would be a difficult one to wean. I was even told by one of her pediatricians that she would more than likely nurse until she was three if we let her.

And you know what? That sounds fine to me!

Some days it can be hard. She wants to soothe and relax by nursing while I'm trying to do housework or take care of my son. She still nurses 5+ times a day although never longer than 5 minutes at a time unless its naptime or bedtime. So while it takes me away from the task at hand, it's quick and then she's ready for the next thing on her list.

I recently read a post over on Naptime is My Time on weaning your baby.  The post was part of a series from The Mommy Mindset where a handful of bloggers share their experience. I was relieved to hear that a few other mommies were in the same boat. Their kids just aren't showing any signs of readiness even at 18+ months.

With my son I felt almost relieved when he finally decided he was ready to wean at 19 months. I was going into my third trimester with my daughter's pregnancy and I honestly don't think I was even producing much milk still. Plus he loved sippy cups (and took a bottle when he was younger!) which made a difference.

He happily stayed with family for a few days out of the week while I worked part time away from the home and was used to using his sippy for comfort instead of nursing. But since I've been home with my daughter she hasn't had much experience with having to take her milk from a sippy. I have been told, however, that she happily took her milk when we recently out for a date night that didn't end until well past bedtime.

I'm hoping that by following her cues and going with what feels right for both of us we'll figure out a great time to wean. And while nursing can sometimes take a toll on me (my body tends to hold onto weight when I am nursing) I cherish this time I have with my babies. It's definitely worth it in the end!

Leading Lady {#mommetime Sponsor Spotlight}

Are you a full figured or nursing mama like me? In need of a great bra? Well look no further! 

Leading Lady is one of the country's oldest and most successful intimate apparel manufacturers. They specialize in quality lingerie for mothers-to-be and new moms, as well as full-figure bras, sleep/leisure bras and other specialty lingerie and accessories.

Leading Lady is a premiere intimate apparel company dedicated to creating comfortably functional, remarkably affordable, stylish and easy-to-wear bras, camis and sleepwear. A family owned and operated business, Leading Lady has been expertly tailoring full figure and nursing bras for top brands and retailers across North America for more than 70 years. For the first time, Leading Lady’s comprehensive line of full figure and nursing intimates – including our new spring collection – can be purchased directly on LeadingLady.com.

I had the opportunity to try out one of their products and I must say that I loved it! I received a Sport Wirefree Nursing Bra to use in my daily walks and trips to the gym.  I used the Find Your Fit tool on their website and ordered what size was calculated. The sports bra was not only comfortable but fit perfectly. And the material, 86% cotton, was soft and breathable.

I didn't have to keep digging at it while I was working out and found it easy to move in as well. It wasn't as binding or tight as the other sports bras I own. But it did keep the girls in line as we moved along. I love that this sports bra is not only comfy for working out but it can also be used in my day-to-day activities as well. The support it gives in the straps keeps my neck and shoulders from aching at the end of the day. A well-fitting bra makes all the difference! 

Leading Lady feels a great responsibility towards women’s issues, and are committed to making a difference. They offer our support to organizations that focus on the health and welfare of women and their loved ones in the communities where they live and work, directly linking them to their company’s values.

In addition, they proudly support and encourage their employees to volunteer their time to charities of their choosing.

Leading Lady is committed to protecting the environment and understands the effect that disposable products have on our environment. They've taken the responsibility to drive positive changes toward more environmentally friendly practices both in business and in communities.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

In 2008, Leading Lady implemented a Sustainable Packaging Initiative to reduce the amount of packaging that they create, thereby eliminating it from reaching landfills and reducing harmful emissions from entering our atmosphere.

Leading Lady currently recycles all shipping cartons so that they do not end up in landfills. This is done voluntarily and the company does not receive compensation for this effort. All vendors are also encouraged to follow eco-friendly packaging practices, including:

• The use of Recycled Paper and Post-Consumer Fiber
• The use of Recycled Paper and Post-Consumer Fiber
• The use of Biodegradable & Compostable Plastics
• Reducing the Product-to-Packaging Ratio

Eco-Friendly Best Practices

In addition to the Sustainable Packaging Initiative, Leading Lady has utilizes several best practices within the organization that are beneficial to the environment, including:

• Recycling all paper
• Recycling plastics, glass, aluminum and steel
• Recycling computer hardware, cell phones and office equipment
• Using recycled, biodegradable, compostable products whenever possible
• Donating discontinued products to local organizations
• Working towards a paper-less environment Encouraging our workforce to follow eco-friendly practices at home 

At Leading Lady, one of their most important corporate values is their role in sustaining the environment. Leading Lady is proud to celebrate “Leading Ladies” everywhere through its products, programs and philanthropic activities.

I'm excited to announce that Leading Lady is sponsoring my Mom ME Time giveaway prize and is offering one lucky reader one free product on their website with free shipping on their whole order! That means if you love what you see you can buy another item or two and have it shipped for free with your free item!

Keep in touch with Leading Lady and like them on facebook, follow them on twitter, or connect with them via Google+. And make sure to head back to the Simmworks Family Blog for your chance to WIN a Leading Lady product in the Mom ME Time Giveaway Hop on April 22nd.

Want to purchase from Leading Lady now? Just head over to their website and check out all of the great products they carry! I can't wait to get a few of their underwire bras once my daughter decides she's done with the boob. Their styles and size selection are perfect for this full figured mama.

Disclaimer: I received a Leading Lady Sport Wirefree Nursing Bra for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  

Dear M: Eleven Months Old

My Dear Miss M, I cannot believe we are a month away from your first birthday! It really doesn't seem as if that much time has passed since you blessed us by joining our family. But so much has changed in that short amount of time. Especially in the last month!

You are a full fledged walker/toddler. It started with your first steps and now you are walking everywhere! You almost start running when you get excited or are playing with your brother. You are quite balanced on your feet and can stay upright for a long time before you take a tumble or trip. Shoe shopping was quite fun! We got you your first pair of Stride-Rite shoes (pink w/ pink & orange hearts!) in a size 3.5 and as soon as they were on your feet you took off down the mall path.

I am also loving how verbal you are becoming. Not only can you say a few words but your gestures and sounds are hilarious to listen to and watch. You are so expressive and really do let everyone around you know how your feeling. You have started making this little pouting face where you make an o with your mouth and go "whoo, whoo" with a scowl on your face when you're starting to get upset. Then if someone doesn't respond right away you start to cry. It's like the warning before the tantrum. Not that you have tantrums yet!

And the way that you are picking up on more and more signs excites me. You've started signing airplane and butterfly back to me. We started our sign language classes with Joann of Sign4Baby and I'm enjoying the time I spend alone with you. Mommy usually even gets to drink a cup of coffee after class while it's still hot! Hows that for awesome mornings? I can't wait to see what signs you'll start using next!

You are most definitely a Daddy's girl. You love your daddy and get excited as soon as you see him when you wake up and when he comes home from work in the evenings. On the weekends you aren't far away from him and you always make sure to know where he is. That includes being under his feet as he works outside or in the garage. And he's pretty keen on you too!

I'm still having a hard time figuring out your eating habits. You're still breastfeeding about every 3-4 hours however you do have interest in our food. I just give you bits and pieces of what we're eating and you eat until you're done. Never more than 4-5 bites though. And that's ok. You try a variety of things and know what you like and what you don't. And you love snacking on whatever Brother has on his plate! Good thing you don't have any allergies so far.

You are becoming quite the animated, excitable, and loving little girl and I love every minute we get to spend with you. You are even starting to grow on your brother a bit :) Love you, Miss M! You're one amazing girl!

Love,
Mommy

Fearless Mommies

I have quite a few mommy friends in real life (IRL) and online. So I've seen and heard a lot of different situations when it comes to choices we as mothers make for our children. One of those choices is whether or not we breastfeed or formula feed our children. Now I've been blessed with the ability to breastfeed both of my children with only a few minor bumps in the road.

Breastfeeding was something that was very important to me. Even if I was only able to breastfeed for a few short days or weeks I was determined to try and get it right. I'm even seriously considering becoming a lactation consultant to help others on their breastfeeding journey. But I know that not everyone is as lucky as I have been in breastfeeding their babies. And for a myriad of reasons, some women cannot breastfeed.

Now I'm sure some reading are very passionate lactivists who think that women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed weren't "trying hard enough" or didn't try this or that solution. But what they don't know is that sometimes these women DID try everything under the sun to breastfeed. Others may have turned to formula feeding for other reasons, medication being a primary reason.

So I want to make sure that readers know that while breastfeeding has been a great decision for my family, it might NOT be for everyone. And you know what? That's OK. We as mothers should not judge other mothers for the decisions they've made (as I've said in the past) and we shouldn't force our beliefs on those around us simply because we feel like we're right.

And with all of this rambling I do have a point to this post! I wanted to introduce my readers to a blog I follow and a person I respect and love, The Fearless Formula Feeder.  I think the description in the title of her blog says it all, "Standing up for formula feeders, without being a boob about it." So if you have turned to formula as a way to feed your child and need a little support I think this blog is a great resource.

There is also a weekly segment called FFF Fridays where formula feeding moms share their stories about formula feeding. Recently the FFF posted that she was running low on FFF Friday entries so I'm posting to ask if you have a story to share, please send it along to formulafeeders@gmail.com. I am sure that she, and other moms, will appreciate it!

My Weight Loss Journey through Miscarriage, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Now I know I've posted about losing weight and being on Weight Watchers before but I looked back and didn't see any recent posts on my goals and my progress thus far. So I thought I'd update the blog with my journey and progress.

When I first started Weight Watchers after gaining 30 or so pounds after my miscarriage I felt strong. I felt like I was finally in control of my body, and more importantly, my emotions. I lost almost 25 pounds and a little over 10% of my weight. I was on the right track. Then I found out I was pregnant with E. And even though I was so happy to be pregnant, I was also a little resentful because I really wanted to get to my goal weight before starting a family. I wanted to be healthy before I brought a little one into our family.

And then I had my beautiful baby boy and the weight didn't matter. Sure I went back to Weight Watchers right away at 6 weeks post partum to begin the journey again but that didn't last long. It took until E was 10 or 11 months old before I finally jumped back on and got serious. When I started again I was nervous. Nervous that adding exercise and losing weight would somehow affect my milk supply. I would push myself too much and wouldn't be able to be successful in nursing my baby. So I quit. And waited till I was comfortable enough with a. being a mom and b. starting to work on myself again.

And if you know me you know what happened next. After 3-4 short months back on track I got pregnant. Again. Thus began the process all over again. Once M was 8 weeks old I felt strong enough to start the Weight Watchers journey again.

I officially started Weight Watchers again on January 31st, 2011. And since then (25 weeks/6 months have past) I've lost 16.6 pounds. This time around  I have no worries about my milk supply being affected. I was in it for the long haul and had the resources (and confidence) I needed to continue breastfeeding.

I am losing on average about 2/3rds of a pound a week. And I'm pretty darn certain that the reason why I am losing this way is because I am breastfeeding. My body is just holding on to everything. It doesn't want to let go. So in order to get a jump start on this next phase of weight loss I've joined the YMCA (after a bit of a breakdown with E in the midst of his awesome two-year-old attitude - might have had something to do with our potty training fun) and am now getting to the gym about 4-6 times a week! And wouldn't you know? My supply hasn't been affected in the least!

Even though I'm exercising regularly and getting back on track I still don't feel successful yet. I haven't seen the change I've wanted for myself and my body. So as I just posted I'm going to invest in a few shapers like Yummie Tummie products to make my body do what I want it to do for now until I start to feel better in my body again. That way I still feel confident in my body enough to continue this journey until I reach my goal.

I am open to any and all suggestions to further aid my weight loss journey. If you've set a goal or created a plan I'd love to hear it! I think that Weight Watchers is the easiest program for me to follow but if there are any snack or meal suggestions please pass them on :) And I'd love to hear about your journey too! Support is something that has been key in this journey for me. 

I'll leave you with the most recent family photo (from Ms 6 Month mini-session) by the wonderful Tessa of Grin & Share It Photography... you won't be seeing that round face again! I hope I look just as fabulous for M's 1 Year photos as I did for E's :)

It Aint Always Rosy {Breastfeeding}

Breastfeeding

I have had a fairly easy time breastfeeding. My children, from the start, had a great latch and breastfed well. And they seemed to really enjoy breastfeeding. There was not something I did, or read, to allow for this. It really was just the right combination of everything that allowed me to continue to breastfeed with ease. And because it was so easy for me I just kept going.

I had to introduce a bottle to my son fairly early on. When he was only two days old I was told I had to supplement with formula until my milk came in due to jaundice. He had no problem taking the bottle and nipple confusion was non-existent. He took a pacifier, he breastfed and he took the bottle. It was pretty awesome. Then he gave up the pacifier at 9 months. And only wanted me to soothe him. It was hard. But we got through it. And now, even though I am not breastfeeding him anymore, he still rubs my arm to soothe himself.

When my daughter was born I just assumed she would take a bottle as well. Trying to figure out our lives after we brought her home we just forgot about the whole bottle thing until I started pumping when she was about 3-4 weeks old. I wanted to start a freezer stash for when I went back to work so I started pumping once in the morning. I asked my husband to give her the bottle when I was out for a bit one evening and came back to a screaming child. She had refused to take anything from the bottle.

We thought it was a fluke. So we continued trying every few days and she never seemed to take anything from the bottle. I was starting to get worried when my return date for work fast approached. The day before I was scheduled to come back to work I tried the bottle again. And she took 1.5 ounces!!! I was relieved. And I happily left her with my husband for the day. And she didn't take anything from him so he ended up coming to me at lunch for her to nurse. And so it continued.

The two days I worked she would hold out until my husband, mother-in-law and aunt-in-law brought her to me. I couldn't handle it any longer and decided we would be better off if I was home with her 100% of the time until we could focus on other foods for her main source of nutrition (solids are not the main form of nutrition for infants until they hit 12 months, formula or breast milk should still be the main portion of their diet). So I have actually quit my job to feed my child.

I don't know what would have happened if things didn't go well with breastfeeding from the start. I really didn't have a large support group of lactivists around me when I came home with my son. Sure there was the friendly internet but I didn't feel like I had a buddy right next to me whom I could confide in for help. I think I felt more of the opposite. Those around me were more willing to encourage me to throw in the towel and start formula. I'm not sure if I'd push forward and seek the help I might need if I did need assistance or if I had problems I couldn't figure out the answers for.

I now know that I need to be more open about my knowledge of breastfeeding, my experiences and the research I've done. I want new mothers to feel empowered, not scared to admit that it isn't as easy as everyone makes it to be. I want new mothers who run into problems to know that if they truly want to exhaust all resources before throwing in the towel then there's someone here for them to help them along the way. I also want new mothers to know that they AREN'T horrible parents if they choose to formula feed. That is their personal choice and no matter what the story is behind it they should not be chastised or feel bad about their choice.

Miss M's 2 Month Well Baby Visit - A Recap

So apparently Molly is going to BF till she's three...

I brought up the fact that Molly is refusing the bottle. She said you can't force it and reassured me that she wouldn't starve. Some babies have no problems going 4-5 hours without the bottle and some will even wait till their mom's get home 8-9 hours later until they realize that the bottle isn't the devil. Or they'll continue to refuse the bottle for 8-9 hours and than get their days/nights mixed up and will sleep through the day and eat all night. OY!

So after telling me all this she then asks how long I plan on BFing. I told her I plan on going until she weans herself just like I did for Ethan. She said that I should prepare myself to BF till she's in preschool because from how she's acting now she will probably prefer the boob over everything else (she also refuses pacifiers but uses her hands to self soothe when I'm not nursing). And that mixed with my not wanting another one will probably allow my body to continue producing milk as needed.

But even though all of the above sounds crazy if we make it past a year of BFing than I have no problem continuing until she's ready to wean. Even if this means 2.5-3 years. 3 years will be my limit though. I know I will need my body back by then. I just pray she doesn't give her dad hell when he watches her when I go back to work. And luckily I only work out of the home 2 days a week. I foresee stress in my near future!

Oh, and her stats:

10lbs 13oz - 50th %tile
23in long - 75th %tile

and I think her head was 15.5in which is 50th %tile

So all in all a good appointment. She also will most likely have eczema like her brother and dad but we're ready for it and know how to treat it. And she's super strong. She was holding her head up like a champ when the dr put her on her belly for tummy time. She was straining up with her head to see me past the doctor :) Love her.

The World of Breastfeeding

Now that Miss M is two months old I feel comfortable talking about our success (and failures) in breastfeeding. Miss M is completely different from her brother in many ways and eating is one of them. Now she's a champ at latching and sucking just like he was but she's not as driven by hunger (or she's more successful at nursing long enough to get enough hindmilk to fill her up). She lets me know when she's hungry but she never acts ravenous like E did. I can let her go 2-3 hours and she'll let me know by her facial expressions and coos when she's ready to eat. Her brother wouldn't let me go much past 2 hours for the first two months of life much less past 1.5 hours!

Now the problem comes with her taking a bottle. I feel totally fine leaving the house for 2-3 hours at a time while Joseph watches her but anything beyond that and I have to rush home. Sometimes she doesn't even last that period of time for him and is screaming by the time I arrive at the front door. She has only once successfully taken a (pumped) bottle and that was two ounces from me when I decided to try on a whim a few Fridays ago. She has yet to take another and is quite irritated that we keep offering it to her. I really hope she starts taking it soon! I have started a pretty good freezer stash for when I return to work and I don't need the added stress of her not eating to add to the craziness of returning to work...

Another problem we've run into is Thrush. She's basically had it since day one. It's a yeast build up in the mouth and hasn't quite effected me the same as it did when Ethan had it (oh the excruciating pain!) and I think we've managed to keep it under control. But we've been giving her medication for it since she was a week old and it's still there! I HATE yeast! I'm hoping we can clear things up at her next pedi appointment this week.

Now the yeast isn't hurting her. She probably doesn't notice that anything is off or different but when that yeast goes to me and starts to build up or worse, create an infection, then I'll be in a world of hurt. Itching, burning pain. Yes, it's treatable but I want to prevent it from even happening! So I'm currently taking probiotics and eating yogurt every day to build myself some resistance from it. And hopefully this is transferring to her through my breastmilk.

I have been really lucky with these two wonderful children. Breastfeeding for the most part has come quite naturally to them and with the help of nurses, lactation consultants and friends I've grown to be very educated and confident in breastfeeding. I nursed E until he was just over 18 months and hope to be as successful in breastfeeding Miss M. We'll start with the same goals I set for her brother in that if she makes it to six months we'll try for a year and if we make it to a year we'll leave it up to her to decide when she wants to wean. I pray that things go as well as they are now and am prepared to do what I can to keep it going. Now we just have to work on that darn bottle!

I think it's over

Breastfeeding that is. We're down to one nursing session a day and with all the aches and pains of this pregnancy I really think that both of us are ready to wean. He sometimes asks to nurse during the day but I can usually keep him happy with a sippy of milk. So that's what we'll continue doing in the morning instead of nursing.

It's been an amazing journey. We lasted 18 months and I am SOOO proud of that. I went through thrush, low supply, teething and many other challenges but made it through. I am hoping and praying that nursing my second will be as smooth as my first. I loved nursing and the extra snuggle time I had with my little boy.

Now so that I remember this precious time always here a few pictures of us nursing (don't worry... not too much is showing. If your offended... sorry). I didn't know that either of these pictures were being taken when they were but are glad I have them.

(Almost) 16 Weeks Along

I've been pretty bad about blogging about this next child so far... And I apologize for that but E has been keeping me quite busy over the past few months. I've been pretty bad at taking pictures this pregnancy... I think I have one at 5 weeks from Easter, one at 6 weeks and than again another at 9 weeks. Well I was going to take one at 12 weeks but completely forgot so I made sure to have Joseph take a picture of me last Sunday when we went to the beach. Here I am at 15 weeks and 1 day.



Once I got past the first trimester (around week 13) the nausea subsided and my energy came back. Every once in a while I get a little bit of nausea and sometimes I still find myself falling asleep with E but for the most part I feel like my normal self.

I'm still breastfeeding E and so far have only gained 2 pounds this pregnancy. This feels good because during my last pregnancy I was already up 7+ pounds by 16 weeks. I'm not breastfeeding to reduce weight gain... E just isn't ready to give it up yet and I'm not going to force him to stop nursing. If that means tandem nursing than we'll give it a try.

I feel like I'm getting bigger but looking at a picture of me at 6 weeks and than at the pictures from Sunday I'm not sure I am getting bigger. I guess the bloat has just been permanently replaced by a baby belly. It's pretty nice to be pregnant right now. One of the main reasons being that I can indulge in a few things I wouldn't normally indulge in... like the fair food! This will be another post but E and I had a blast last Tuesday at the Del Mar Fair (oops... I mean the San Diego County Fair). We took advantage of $2 Taste of the Fair Tuesdays and saw lots of animals!

Back to the pregnancy... I have my 16 week appointment on the 22nd (same day E turns 16 months!) and will update if anything new arises.

We Made It!

I cannot express how excited I was on February 22nd. Not only was my baby 1 but I breastfed for a full year. It makes me feel so good to know that I made another goal in breastfeeding.

When E was first born my mini goal for him was to make it to 6 months once we had established a good system. He was an AMAZING sucker and had an awesome latch (latched on successfully 1 hour after birth). And now I've made it to my second mini goal. Now I'm leaving it up to E to decide when he wants to stop nursing.

Well... within reason :)

I have always said that successfully breastfeeding had nothing to do with me and I still believe it. My little man just loves the boob. And I know that if he didn't than we'd have to find a way to make it work. Whether that be exclusively pumping or slowly transitioning to formula (which I really did not want to do).

Now that I have more friends with babies I definitely understand how hard it is for some to breastfeed. And I commend each woman for the decision she makes for her and her child. It is a totally personal choice and I would never think differently of another woman for the choice she makes. I think that we all need to support each others decision in these types of situations because it is so hard to make the decision or come to terms with the decision made for us.

I know that with the next little one* I am going to try my hardest to successfully breastfeed again but I think I'll have more of a peace about it than the stress of worrying if I'll be successful or not. Because I know that no matter what I will be feeding my child.

* No, I am not pregnant.

Breastfeeding: A Vent

Can I vent a little here?? When I first got pregnant (well... I guess before then too) I knew that I wanted to do everything I could to successfully breastfeed my baby. I read about all of the health benefits of breastmilk and the statistics of breastfed babies vs. formula fed babies. I was very aware of the different problems I could have and the ways to get help if needed.

Now that I am actually breastfeeding I am lucky enough to have had no major problems and no supply issues. I had a bit of thrush early on but that was quickly resolved by applying yeast cream to the nips (yes, I put vag yeast cream on my boobs!). E seems to enjoy breastfeeding as much as I do and it just feels so natural.

Now that I've been breastfeeding for 7.5 months I'm starting to get comments from various people about when I am going to stop. Why do people feel the need to ask this? Why would I consider stopping? Why would I share this personal information with others??? I completely understand if a family member or close friend were to ask this if they were truly curious but I get this comment from people I barely know and from co-workers.

My standard answer is I'll stop when he wants to. And I get various reactions. Some are shocked that I would even think about breastfeeding after he gets teeth or after he turns one. Others ask if he wants to keep breastfeeding until he's in school will I continue. And sometimes I get the jaw-drop. "Seriously? You'd breastfeed for that long? Isn't that a bit weird?" Again, there's a line... and they just crossed it. I shouldn't have to justify myself with regards to how I raise/care for my child.

And FWIW, I will probably try to wean E when he's two if he hasn't already done so himself. I don't mind getting through the teething. I don't mind the night wakings. I don't mind his using me for comfort by nursing. I actually quite enjoy it. I am nourishing my baby and he is thriving. And if he chooses to earlier than we'll do that.

This post is in no way criticizing those who choose to formula feed, or who breastfeed for a few months. I think that whatever works out best for the family is the best thing to do. And this works for us.

Now you tell me how you feel on the subject. I know I don't have a lot of readers but those of you who read my blog... let me know how you feel :)

You know your milk comes in when...

Funny story :) My milk came in on Wednesday. And I figured this out on our first morning feeding.

No... it wasn't because my boobs have doubled in size (cause they have), nor because they felt super heavy (I figured that was normal and a sign it was coming soon) but the fact that when I tried to entice him to eat by expressing some colostrum I accidentally sprayed him in the face!

Haha! I just about jumped up in excitement but had to contain myself since I had a hungry baby in my arms.


Ethan being held by Auntie Janelle on Tuesday