It is advised to avoid abrupt weaning as this may cause engorged breast and possible breast infection.  Here is an article that I found extremely helpful with weaning your baby.

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/weaning-your-baby

100% cotton.Unique rigid neckline allows for ventilation, as well as direct eye contact between mom and baby.One size.Used as a nursing cover, a blanket, or even a sunshade to protect baby’s fragile skin from harmful UV rays.Machine washable. Nurse discreetly and in style. The Bebe Au Lait Nursing Covers have been touted as a mommy must-have by mothers, celebrities, and medical professionals. Our patented, award winning nursing covers are sought by nursing moms worldwide. This comes in one size and is made up of 100% cotton. It can be used as a nursing cover, a blanket, or even as a sunshade to protect baby’s fragile skin from harmful UV rays. This is machine washable.

Read more Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover, Mint Chocolate

Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover, Mint Chocolate Feature

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Take care of feeding your baby with the luxury and privacy you both deserve. The Au Lait Mint Chocolate nursing cover features a brown with turquoise feather pattern; a “Mommy Must-Have” by mothers, celebrities, and medical professionals. This 100% cotton, machine washable cover boasts a unique rigid neckline for ventilation, as well as direct eye contact with your baby. The generous size will keep mommy completely covered at all times and can double as a blanket or even sunshade when not in use.

My favorite baby shower is an open house, where you can “pop” in, grab some yummy buffet-style food or treats, visit for a as little or long as you’d like, drop off a present, and leave — all at your own convenience within a couple hour time frame.

If you have great baby shower ideas, we’d love to hear them!

Keep a  latchOn in your diaper bag,

With a latchOn in your diaper bag, then no matter where you are or what you are doing, you’ll always be “covered”!!  The latchOn really brings the convenience of home with you when you are on the go.

Embrace Your New Roomie

Moms do better when babies sleep in the same room as mom as opposed to in a nursery

Start Early

“Breastfeeding in the first hour is likely to have an influence on whether it goes well,” says Barbara Holmes. She is a lactation consultant at New York University Langone School of Medicine.

Don’t Swaddle the Baby Right Away

Instead, “place the baby on the mom’s chest and encourage skin-to-skin contact,” she says. “Babies want to suckle and can find the nipple on their own many times.”

Ask for Help

“If you are having trouble after leaving the hospital, talk to your pediatrician or another resource in the community,” says Sahira Long, MD. She is a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and runs the Children’s National East of the River Lactation Support Center. “Babies’ first well visit is often several days to a week after coming home from the hospital, so this may be a good time to help women troubleshoot any breastfeeding issues they are having and meet their goals.

Choose a Breastfeeding-Friendly Hospital

Women who intend to breastfeed should make sure their hospitals provide breastfeeding-supportive cultures, Long says.

Take a Lactation Class Before Birth

Attending lactation classes before birth can go a long way toward educating soon-to-be moms on what breastfeeding really entails. “It will help a woman understand how to breastfeed, how often you breastfeed, and when milk comes in,” says Melissa Goist, MD. She is an obstetrician-gynecologist at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “These processes, when understood, make things much easier.”

After I read the article, I was left with the feeling, “there has to be something we can do to convince these mothers to breastfeed”.  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Have you ever had a fish pedicure?  I have!  My son, Matt, and I tried it a couple of years ago in Malaysia.   Here we are:

Those hungry fish sure got a great lunch on our feet.  We basically wore socks of fish for a half hour as we dangled our feet in this pool while hundreds of teeny fish ate every bit of our dry skin.  We made complete idiots of ourselves though –  I’ve seriously never felt anything that tickled so much.  According to this article, the fish pedicure is making a “splash” here in the US, in DC.  So if you live in the area, you might want to check that out.

If fish-foot therapy isn’t your thing, here are some other ideas.  Here’s a link to an article that spells out a whole routine, including a homemade foot scrub, moisturizer, and wearing socks to bed.

This suggestion from Dr. Oz involves an epsom salt soak, and plastic wrap.  And this article from Daily Glow talks about pumice stones and hydration.

My personal pumice stone choice:  sit on my front porch and visit with my girlfriend neighbors in the evening, while we all scrape/rub our heels along the cement for 15 minutes.  It’s seriously the best pumice stone EVER!  Then wash your feet and slather on a great moisturizer before going to bed.

I am definitely going to try some of these other ideas though.  Here’s to summer fun, and soft feet!

Options for cover-ups may range from simple receiving blankets to specialty nursing covers. But receiving blankets, muslim cloths, or baby blankets are rather “noticeable” and may not provide enough “coverage”. I’m a mother of 2 kids and have had that muslim-cloth-slipping-off experience, and how I’d wished I could dig a hole and hide.

So we’ve developed this nursing cover with a “hook” that goes over your neck, which provides your line of sight with the baby (which is important to check for proper latch on) yet providing adequate coverage so that the baby can’t kick it off and leave you exposed.

Our nursing shawl is 100% silk, and comes in different prints and colours. They are perfect for nursing anytime, anywhere, and especially good on the plane and in restaurants (I have done it numerous times “unnoticed” in restaurants!). These shawls are so beautiful others won’t even know they are your nursing covers. And because they are made of silk, they are so light and compact that it can slip easily into any purse or diaper bag. With a size of 28” x 73” that’s coverage enough even for twins! And works perfect as a sun cover over the stroller or a light blanket!

And you may just want to consider keeping it as a decorative shawl after you have stopped breastfeeding.

NURSING COVER dengan warna ceria dan desain yang simpel. Berbahan katun 100%, dengan dua sisi yang berbeda sehingga dapat dipakai bolak-balik untuk tampilan yang lebih bervariasi

Tersedia dalam 3 varian warna : Blossom, Cherry, Sakura

Rp 85.000,-

Details
- Ukuran 90cm x 70cm
- Terdapat “Ring” untuk menyesuaikan panjang pendeknya tal
- Pouch warna senada

1 cup Countrytime Lemonade mix, 2 cups cold water, 1 can of chilled pineapple juice {46 oz}, 2 cans chilled Sprite = best lemonade stand in the neighborhood.  Enjoy!!

Here are 4 ways that breastfeeding saves money.  Yes, it definitely is the cost of formula, but there are other factors I hadn’t thought of either.  You may click on the link to read the whole article.

Breast Milk Is “Free”

Formula currently costs around $2,000 to $3,000 for the first year of a baby’s life if purchased at retail prices. On the other hand, breast milk is produced by the mother from the food she consumes, so it is essentially “free,” since the mother needs to eat anyway.

Breast-Feeding Equipment Is Tax Deductible

You may have to buy breast pumps and other breast-feeding equipment if you intend to store your milk. A recent IRS ruling on breast-feeding equipment just made this expense tax deductible, so you can use your Medical Flexible Spending Account to pay for them. This means that you can potentially use pre-tax money to buy breast-feeding equipment, and that makes the costs even lower.  Some medical insurance companies even cover breast-pump rentals.

Breast-Fed Babies Are Sick Less Often

There are numerous studies that show that breast-fed babies are less likely to experience Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other childhood diseases. One big reason is that breast milk carries many antibodies produced by the mother, and the baby gets some of the immunities against the diseases the mom has already experienced. A healthy child incurs very few medical costs, and in an analysis published in Pediatrics last year, the authors state that if all U.S. women followed the recommendation to breast-feed their babies exclusively for the first six months of life, then the nation would save $13 billion a year in medical costs.

Health Benefits to Mom

There have been numerous studies that show that moms who breast-fed for six months had less chance of developing diseases such as reproductive cancer and diabetes. Another huge benefit is that breast-feeding moms lose their pregnancy weight a lot easier than moms who do not breast-feed. This is because producing a full day’s milk for a baby burns 500 to 600 calories. This is equivalent to running for an hour and a half.  Less obesity and health issues for breast-feeding mom also means fewer medical costs.

Fenugreek is an herb that helps raise milk supply. It’s been used for centuries in cultures across the world, both as a galactagogue (milk-making aid) and as a spice (you’ll find it in curry powder, for example). Nobody really knows how it helps moms make more milk, but it does.

You can find fenugreek in capsule, powder, seed, tincture, or tea form. Use fenugreek with caution if you have a history of diabetes or hypoglycemia, asthma, abnormal menstrual cycles, peanut or chickpea allergies, migraines, blood pressure problems, or heart disease. And, of course, always discuss any supplements — herbal or not — with your doc before starting treatment.

Just an interested tidbit of information I found.

I’ve had some amazing fabric for a while that I originally purchased to make myself a purse, but never got around to it.

Alexander Henry Kenyan Tea Leaf in Blue

I found a great tutorial for a nursing cover over at Prudent Baby.

I am so in love with this print and look awesome as a nursing cover. Although I would have loved to have made it out of some chevron like in the tutorial…

I also was able to make a much needed doggie bed for our pup Zooey. She likes to lie behind the nursing chair while I am in the nursery with Oliver and I wanted to give her something comfy.

I made it out of some Jay-Cyn Pebble Lines Aqua and used recycled poly fill from a futon we tore up a while back.

She loves it!

Fits perfectly in the corner too! Glad I tapered off the top.

Later on tonight I am hoping to make another tag block for Oliver that is black, white, and red. Hopefully I have some black and white chevron leftover from the crib skirt!

Oh, and Oliver is just over 4 weeks old! Time flies fast!

So in love.

Day 1. See a “one dollar” movie at the theater.  Alternative: Have a movie day at home by streaming a classic from Netflix.

Day 2. Sprinkler day.  Delay your sprinklers for one day so they come a little later in the morning.  This way everyone can get on their bathing suits and have fun jumping through the sprinklers on a hot day.

Day 3. Attend “story time” at your local library.

Day 4. Set up a lemonade stand. This is probably my favorite idea because of the lessons in entrepreneurship involved.  Loan your kids $10 as “seed money” for supplies, or better yet, let them use their own money from savings.  This way they don’t get used to the idea that borrowing leads to prosperity.  Take the kids along to the grocery store one morning and let them pick up the lemons, sugar, cups, and a couple bags of ice to keep in a cooler.  Yes, Crystal Light lemonade works, too, but is less authentic and more expensive.  This is a great way for neighborhood kids to work together, as they can divide into teams to man the lemonade stand, make the lemonade, handle the money, etc.  Please remember that an adult needs to be with the kids at all times, both inside and outside the house, so have a neighbor help.

Day 5. Teach your kids to fly a kite. Check your 10-day forecast and look for a windy day in the coming week.  Pick up an expensive kite for the kids.

Day 6. Make homemade play-doh.  I haven’t run a cost analysis on this recipe to determine it’s “frugalness,” but I can tell you it is a lot of fun!

Day 7. Bake a cake.  I remember having a ball helping my mom bake something when I was young.

Day 8. Build a “fort” in the living room.  When my son was smaller he got the biggest kick out of playing in giant cardboard boxes.  We would color them, and cut “windows” out for him to look through.  A living room “fort” could be as simple as a few kitchen chairs gathered in a circle with a large bed sheet thrown across them and draped to the floor.

Day 9. Go bowling.   These days, bowling can be an expensive activity.  Call the lanes ahead of time and ask if they have any summer specials (certain days may be cheaper). Also check those coupon mailer packs for coupons for free games.  To keep costs down, just let the kids bowl – you can work on your game another time.

Day 10. Declare a “bored” game day. I learned to play chess, checkers, backgammon, and poke one summer while staying with my grandparents.  Few kids today don’t realize you can play games without a computer.  Most of these old board games are inexpensive in their basic form

Day 11. Have a water balloon fight.   The kids participated in games like a water balloon toss – they start close together, but take a step back with each toss to increase the distance.  The last one to break the balloon is out.  With that was left, the kids had an all-out water balloon battle.

Day 12.  Create a “mini-me.” Find a piece of large poster board, or large heavy-duty paper (such as a butcher paper) wide enough for your kids to lay down on.  Use a dull pencil (less chance for boo-boos) to trace their entire body to the paper from head to toe.  Now let the kids decorate the kids to look like themselves in the same clothes they are wearing, same color eyes, hair, etc. When they are finished, help them cut out their mini-me for proud display.

Day 13. Pajama day.  I feel like having these days as an adult!  Stay in your pajamas all day long.  Make pancakes in the morning, bake a pizza for lunch, and lounge around watching movies.

Day 14. Spend a day volunteering your time. A good way to wrap up your two-week blitz of summertime fun is to allow your kids to donate their time to a worthy cause.  Contact a few local charities and find out which ones will allow kids to volunteer some time over the summer (under your supervision).

Have fun this summer.  Remember they are only little for such a short time.

I guess this nursing cover does not really work for a toddler

When I was pregnant with JP, I went on a major nesting phase at the end of the pregnancy. Actually, I should clarify by saying “what I THOUGHT was the end of the pregnancy”. Since my little man decided to delay his grand entrance into the world by a month, I had plenty of time to try to waste time (if that makes sense?).

During those few months, I went on a baby sewing rampage and among other things, made this nursing cover.

I had every intention of making another, taking more pictures, and giving one away BUT then I got busy. The pool opened, my boys started taking better naps (translation: I took naps), and we travelled.

So, this post is kind of a lie… There is no giveaway or tutorial today. Maybe when we get back from an out of town wedding I will put one together? Forgive me by laughing at a pictures of T in a nursing cover??

If you nurse your baby for 4-6 weeks:

• You will be helping to ease his transition through the most vulnerable part of his infancy.
•  Babies who are breastfed have lower rates of many illnesses, including digestive and respiratory problems, pneumonia and meningitis, and SIDS.
• Breastfeeding during the early weeks helps you recover from childbirth faster. Nursing ‘forces’ you to stay off your feet and sit still for  long periods of time.
• The hormones prolactin and oxytocin that are released when you nurse are called “the mothering hormones”, and help you relax. When researchers give them to laboratory mice, (even males), they start building nests and doing motherly things. They really are powerful hormones, and many mothers report that even when they are extremely stressed, they feel a rush of relaxation when their milk lets down.

If you nurse for 3-6 months:

• Your baby will be healthier than the baby who is formula fed.
• Studies have found that babies who were exclusively breastfed for at least four months had half as many ear infections as formula fed babies.
• Nursing can help you lose the extra weight you put on during pregnancy. Mothers who breastfed lose more weight by the time their babies are 3-6 months old than formula feeding mothers who consumed fewer calories, because breast milk production mobilizes the fat you stored during pregnancy, and also uses up about 500 calories each day.

If you nurse for 6 months:

• Your baby will be much less likely to have problems with allergies, since at around that time, your baby’s intestinal tract begins to produce antibodies which coat his intestines and protect him from foreign proteins and allergens.
• Mother’s milk will supply all the nutrients your baby needs for at least the first six months of life.
• Most mothers who exclusively breastfeed for six months will not have a period during that time, and rarely ovulate. If you are nursing with no supplements or solids, you have about a 98%-99%  rate of protection against pregnancy.This only applies if you are totally breastfeeding: no water, formula, pacifiers or scheduling feedings.
• Many of the studies of the protective effects of breastfeeding use the six month mark as a cutoff. That means that researchers have found that nursing for at least six months has been shown to have protective effects against many illnesses, such as child hood cancers.

If you nurse for 9 months:

• You will be helping your baby through one of the most important developmental periods of his young life. Babies between six and nine months go through so many changes – sitting up, teething, starting solids, crawling, pulling up, and more. Even though an older baby is eating solid foods, breastmilk is still the most important part of his diet, and continues to provide him with important immunities at a time when he is crawling around and putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, including yucky, germy stuff.
• Lots of research points to the beneficial effects of breast milk on a baby’s intellectual development. Breastfed babies score an average of 8 points higher on IQ tests than formula-fed babies.

If f you nurse for a year or more, as recommended by the AAP:

• Your baby will receive health benefits that last a lifetime. Long-term nursing protects against ulcerative colitis, diabetes, asthma, Crohn’s disease, obesity, and high cholesterol in adulthood. Babies who are breastfed for a year or more are less likely to need speech therapy or braces later in life.
• Think about the cost savings if you nurse for a year! Formula can cost as much as $200.00 a month, depending on the type you use. The cost of bottles, nipples, and extra doctor’s visits also add up. You can easily save at least $1,000 during the first year by nursing your baby.
• You will continue to provide him with the best form of nutrition. The fact that most babies can tolerate cow’s milk after one year doesn’t mean that they don’t continue to get benefits from breastmilk. The concentration of antibodies in human milk becomes more concentrated as the volume they consume goes down.
• During the toddler stage, your baby will encounter many spills and bumps and bruises as he navigates his new world. Nursing provides a perfect way to comfort a toddler who has bumped his knee, or who is fighting sleep after a busy day.
• Children who are breastfed long term tend to be more secure and independent than babies who are weaned early, because they have had their needs met during the vulnerable period of infancy.
• Long-term nursing provides benefits for moms, too. Many of the benefits of breastfeeding are dose-related. This means that the longer you breastfeed over the course of your lifetime, the lower your risk of breast cancer and osteoporosis.

Whether you nurse your baby for days, weeks, months, or years, you will both benefit. Some mothers are hesitant to begin breastfeeding if they know they won’t nurse for long, or are uncertain about whether it will hurt, or tie them down, or whether they will be able to produce enough milk. It’s always worth giving breastfeeding a try. Even if it doesn’t work out, you can always stop nursing at any point. Many mothers start out with the intention of only nursing for a short time, and then find that they keep going much longer than they ever thought they would. Take it one day at a time, and remember than even one feeding at the breast provides important benefits to both you and your baby.

I would love for everyone to weigh in and tell us when you think a child is too old to breastfeed.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there is no right or wrong answer.  I’ll even start, again this is my own opinion, I think when the child is around one year old.  I’ll let everyone know the results at the end of the week.

Have a great week!!