Breastfeeding

Before I actually had my baby I always thought that the labor would be the hardest part, and then everything would be peachy afterwards!  I was wrong! :)  For me, labor was the easy part.  It was the postpartum recovery and breastfeeding that were the biggest struggle for me.  I always knew I was going to breastfeed my babies because it is the best possible nutrition I can provide them.  Besides that it also brings a special bond between Mommy and baby and other great health benefits.  Now that I have the process down I'm so grateful I stuck with it because now both baby and I are reaping the benefits.  However, I do wish I had been better prepared for the pain that came with it the first few weeks...  So, if you are planning on breastfeeding, GREAT CHOICE!  Just know that it won't be all peachy at first! :)  Something that I have a strong testimony of is the Lansinoh breast cream!  It saved me!  The cream works great for healing. And the great thing about this cream is that you do not need to wipe it off before you feed your baby. I always applied a pea size amount right after I was done breast feeding to allow time to heal before the next feeding.  

I was blessed to have the opportunity for some skin to skin bonding with my baby as soon as he was delivered.  I am so grateful for this!  The hospital allowed me to hold him for what felt like a long time and then I was able to introduce him to breastfeeding!  It's so amazing how Heavenly Father created our bodies!  I had no sign of any milk production or even breast pain before I had my boy.  But as soon as he latched on, my body produced the colostrum.  As a newborn, your baby only needs a teaspoon of colostrum at each feeding.  This was a relief since I was so nervous that he wasn't eating anything!  The signs that your baby is eating is to listen for sucking and look at his throat for swallowing.  For the first few months my baby was an eating machine, not going for more than 2 hours without eating.  This was one of those big shockers that came to me after becoming a mom.  What?  I have to feed him every 2 hours?  Even at night?  Yup. Say goodbye to sleep! Especially if your breastfeeding because you are the one always feeding him.  This is a good thing though, at least in aiding your milk production.  Your body knows when more milk is needed for production based on how often you are utilizing it.  So the fact that I was using my body every 2 hours got my milk supply up and running well.  Something else that helped with breastfeeding was the fact that i didn't introduce a pacifier until 2 weeks after my boy was born.  This helped prevent nipple confusion. If my baby needed something to suck on for soothing, I offered my finger which he loved.  I also stayed away from using any bottles until 5 weeks after baby was born.  Yes, it was a sacrifice being the only one who could feed him, but it was worth it for me because now breastfeeding has been well established and I know my baby is receiving the nutrients I had always planned on him receiving.  If you have the option of saying no to a pacifier/bottle while your baby is kept in the nursery I would highly suggest it, that is if breastfeeding is the way you choose to go:)  Something else that I believe helped and is still helping with my milk production is WATER!  Carry a water bottle with you everywhere and make sure you are hydrated and eating well.  Also, if you have the option of purchasing a breast pump I would recommend it!  My insurance covered one for me and most insurances do now days.  My lactation specialist at my hospital researched it for me and made sure I got one to me ASAP, especially since I was going to be a working mother.  I started pumping when michael was about 4-5 weeks old to build up a good storage supply to use while I was at work.  I have a double electric pump- Ameda- Purely Yours.  It works great!  It takes about 20-25 minutes for me to pump.  I don't do storage bags so I just store my milk in the Avent and any other bottles that I was given at showers.  I write the date on tape and stick it to the bottle.  Milk in the fridge with stay good for up 5-6 days; In the freezer 30 days.  For 0-3 months be sure to use a "slow flow" nipple so that your baby still has to work to get his milk (as he does when you breastfeed).  This will make his transition back to breastfeeding when you're home a lot easier.  When you pump make sure you go until you are dry.  This tells your body that you are using that supply and that it needs to produce more for you!  At around 3 months my body was set up for a "supply and demand" system.  It was ready to produce as soon as it was notified of the need.  Now that my baby is sleeping through the night I was nervous that my body might slack off in it's production and I would be in trouble.  But it hasn't, granted that I still pump 2-3 times a day at work.  Breastfeeding is still going strong and I'm so grateful for my Mother-in-law who is an expert and has past on her knowledge to me and stuck with me every step of the way!  I know it is not always an option for all mother's and we do what we can!  Being a Mommy is the best calling on Earth!  Way to go everyone!  We are preparing a great future generation!  Let me know of any tricks you found and if you have any questions!  My mother-in-law is a lactation specialist and absolutely loves giving any advice that she can to help these sweet little babies!  

Welcome to the Hospital

Before discussing what to bring to the hospital, I wanted to acknowledge some fun comments I got from my last post.  Maybe they will be useful and you can give them a try.  One of my friends suggested that tearing the Huggies wipes has been useful for her.  When her baby girl just has a wet diaper, she tears the wipe in half and that makes it easier for her to fold the part you've used and saves you part of a wipe for next time!  Great way to save money!
Another friend suggest some different economically friends diaper brands and wipes she's enjoyed.  She likes the Parent Choice Wipes from Walmart and the Target brand diapers.  Go ahead and experiment with these ideas and let us know what you've discovered! :)

Now for today's topic: The Hospital
What a wonderful day, Mother's Day to discuss the day I became a Mom.  My little guy's delivery went much smoother than anticipated.  In fact, he came so fast that I didn't even have time to gather all of the things I wanted to take to the hospital.  Luckily, I had the absolute essentials in my hospital bag and my baby was overall ready to go when it was time to go home.  Here are some things that I had with me when I went to the hospital:

-3 pairs of baby outfits- I had my baby wear the hospital clothes provided during our stay but then changed him into a fun new outfit for our drive home.  the reason I had 3 was because I couldn't decide which one I wanted him to wear! ha ha.  I also had one that was a 0-3 month size incase he ended up being a bigger size than anticipated.

-baby hat, mittens, socks, jacket, and blanket- My baby came in the winter so I bundled him up tight.  I'm interested in hearing what everyone else did for different seasons so post away.

-cozy cover for car seat- again, my baby was a winter baby so I used this to keep him nice and warm!

-Boppy- I am so glad I brought this to the hospital!  This was so nice to not only use when breastfeeding but as a back support pillow while I slept.  I don't know about others but I hated being stuck in that hospital bed!  It was so uncomfortable!

-Camera-  This was one of the things I was not prepared to take with me. I am still so upset that we misplaced my video camera and couldn't find it when it was time to go to the hospital.  Luckily my sister-in-law borrowed one and brought it to us.  Also, thank you for high quality smart phones for some awesome picture of my little guy arriving.  :)  As I look back at these photos I realize how priceless they are!

-Extra Pillows- for yourself and your husband if he plans to stay the night.

-Computer- I enjoyed watching videos and posting pictures on my computer while in the hospital.

-Car Seat- Of course you need your car seat with you!  You think this would be an obvious one but we forgot ours.  Our plan was to install the car seat that weekend, but our boy came early so nope, car seat was not ready to go.  But that was okay.  It gave my husband something to do while we were stuck in the hospital for those 2 days!

-Music- I did not bring this but I really wanted to try it.  I've heard of women listening to a particular playlist while they were in labor to help them.  Again, my little guy came so fast that we didn't even have time to think about hooking up music to listen to.  We're just grateful to have made it to the hospital.  :)  What do you other mom's suggest when it comes to music? Did you use any to help you?

-Snacks- Sad news, your husband can't order a meal from the cafeteria with you.  Well, at least at my hospital he couldn't.  So have lots of snacks handy or have a family member bring food for him! :)

-Nail Polish- Okay. So I got a little bored laying in that hospital bed.  My cute sisters-in-law painted my toe nails while they visited me.  After delivering a baby it was nice to be pampered a little bit and feel pretty.

This is all I brought to the hospital.   A lot of things were provided for me while I was there which was really nice.  Here's a list of things the hospital gave me:

-a really attractive hospital gown- okay, I was being sarcastic about it being attractive. ha ha.  But it was nice to have a gown on for those fun bathroom trips and for learning to breastfeed for the first time.

-An awesome hospital water bottle- Okay, I'm obsessed with water!  My hospital provided fun pebbled ice to chew on too!  I drank so much water while in the hospital and this really helped me build up my breast milk supply.  I use my water bottle even today!

-Pads- So after you have your baby you bleed... :) I guess that's what you get for not having a period for 9 months.  The hospital gave me lots of pads so I didn't need to bring my own.

-Lansinoh breast cream- they provided me with a small sample size to use.  This saved me!  Breastfeeding is so worth it, but painful at the beginning.

-Diapers and wipes- they supplied us with Huggies diapers and wipes and let us take home whatever we didn't use in the hospital.

-Baby clothes/hat/ swaddling blanket- They provided all of these things for my baby.

-Bathing and hygiene supplies for the baby- They gave us a whole bunch of samples of baby shampoo, lotion, etc.  They also gave us a sponge/brush for bathing, a bucket to use for the sponge bath, a nasal aspirator (or what I call the snot suckerupper).

-Pacifier- I didn't use one until my baby was 2 weeks old.  I'll explain why in my breastfeeding post. :)

I delivered my baby at the American Fork Hospital.  I absolutely loved my experience there.  I'm sure every hospital is different with what they supply so I'm excited to hear  everyone's experiences, so feel free to post some knowledge! :)


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Before your baby arrives

A book that I enjoyed reading while pregnant is, "What to Expect when Expecting".  It takes you week by week through your pregnancy and helps you understand not only what development your baby is going through but also what physical and emotional changes you may be experiencing.  There's even a section for you husband so that he understands what you're going through too!  For me, my pregnancy went smoothly overall.  I had evening sickness meaning I was nauseous but never had throwing up episodes.  I found that when ever I was feeling sick, if I snacked on some grapes or carrot sticks I would immediately feel better.  Oh yes, and drinking a lot of water helped too!  I also found out that my pre natal vitamins were to blame for a lot of the sickness.  I switched over to a simple gummy vitamin from the Vitafusion brand and it helped a lot.  The only problem was that this vitamin did not have a lot of iron in it.  My doctor just told me I could get Iron from having a well rounded diet.  Thank you Vitafusion for making such yummy vitamins too, they taste like candy and you just chew.  They are also fairly inexpensive and you can find them at Walmart.  The other thing I got used to while pregnant was shopping for new clothes!  What a great excuse to shop! But oh my heavens, maternity clothes can be expensive. So, I chose the alternative, just buy a size up and aim for clothing that is loose around your belly.  For maternity pants, Burlington Coat Factory became my best friend.  However, my favorite most comfortable bottoms to wear were leggings!
Towards the end of my pregnancy I got really bad back pain.  Some things I learned: never lay flat on your back!  At night I had to elevate my self and sleep with a pillow in between my legs.  Back pain was one thing I was so happy to not have anymore once the baby came. :)

Below is a list of things that I feel are essential to have ready to go before you bring your baby home from the hospital:

-Crib or bassinet- my sister-in-law let me borrow a small bassinet that I was able to set up next to my bed in my room.  This was convenient for the first 5 weeks. It was so nice to have when I had to breastfeed in the middle of the night.  I could just feed him quickly and then get back to bed.  If you don't have a bassinet a crib works just fine.  Having your baby in your room can be a plus when they are so little, but it is also nice to have them in their own room.

-Changing Table- this is not essential but I loved having one. Realistically you can change your baby on any flat surface but having a nice changing table with a washable pad makes everything easier.  Plus you don't have to bend down so much and if your baby has an accident while you are changing them, it's an easy clean up. :)

-Boppy pillow- This saved me when breastfeeding.  It goes around your waste and helps you support your baby so your arms to give in.

-Diapers and wipes- don't buy too many newborn diapers.  They grow out of them so fast!  I really enjoy the LUVs brand or Huggies.  LUVs because they fit our budget better, but Huggies are nice too, they come with a blue indicator line so you can see when they are ready for a change.  I am anxious to try to Kirkland Costco brand, I've heard they are really nice and a good price! :) Huggies wipes are the best by far.  They are thick and soft, and don't break easily.

-Clothes- I have not had to purchase any clothes thanks to wonderful baby shower gifts!  I also had some friends give me their old baby clothes that they are done with.  Again, don't overload on newborn size clothes as they really only end up wearing them for 2-4 weeks ( especially in my case with my long and heavy baby).

-Baby Laundry Detergent- I bought a big case from Costco to stock up on.   Pre-wash all your baby clothes to prevent any allergic reactions!

-Burp clothes- This is a must!  You need lots unless you plan on doing a load of laundry every day, which is impossible for me to keep up on with my work schedule.  :P My cousin suggested buying simple car cleaning wash clothes to use as burp rags.  They are really cheap and work great.  You can even sew on a cute fabric edge on if you want to make them look a little fancier.  If you buy burp rags, don't get anything too thin as it will not serve it's purpose of catching all that fun baby spit up! :)

-Hooded Towel- This is so nice to have especially when giving your baby her first sponge bath.

-Baby Shampoo/soap- Johnson & Johnson is the way to go.  We use the "head to toe" product.  You will also want a sponge or wash clothes while washing.

-Nursing bra- get a few if you are nursing.  I love the Madela bra we got from Walmart.  It  is a sleep one and is so nice to use in the middle of the night.

-Breast pump- if you are a working mom and are wanting to still breastfeed then you need a pump.  I use a great one called "Ameda-Purely Yours".  Even if you're not working, you may want to buy a simple manual one as it is useful to increase your milk production.

-Bottles- if you are pumping then you can store your milk in bottles.  We use Avent and Ventaire bottles.  Have a variety of 4-8 oz bottles.

-Diaper Bag- especially if someone is going to be watching your baby for you.

-Lansinoh cream- if breastfeeding this will help you with the pain :) Get it from Walmart!

*If you have these things ready then your first weeks home should be smooth for you and your baby (well beside that fact that you're a mom now and live off of zero sleep).  I know because I didn't have all these things ready! More baby experiences to come! :)

Welcome to my new blog!

As a new mom I have learned so much about how to take care of a baby, breastfeed effectively, the importance of continuing to have a good relationship with my spouse, and how to attempt to balance a busy career with being a mommy.  I want to use this blog, at least for now, as a way to record what I've learned about parenting thus far.  I've been blessed to have been taught about breastfeeding from my awesome mother-in-law and I'm so grateful I have been able to give my baby the best nutrition possible.  I have a very patient and good baby that I get to learn from.  I swear Heavenly Father sends the patient children as your first-born so that you can experiment. :)  What I record in this blog will obviously not be the answer to every baby problem I or you have, as every situation is different.  If anything it will serve as a reminder to me about what I learned from my first little one.  If you have any advice or suggestions to add feel free to leave a comment.  Enjoy!