always a yes

Baby S has learned how to say no. This "no" can look a couple of different ways:

-a small head shake
-a big, affect the whole body head shake
-pushing my hands away
-shoving my hands away
-a small "ah"with a smile and head shake
-a large scream with a full body head shake and throwing whatever is next to her.

So you see, this "no" has different degrees of "no-y-ness" (Yes, I know that's not a word, but you get the idea). And this "no" is coming out more and more. New food? No. Mama wants to change my diaper? No. Mama wants to put some clothes on me so I'm not running around naked in the freezing cold? No. Mama's trying to buckle me into my car seat? No. And so on... we are running full steam into toddler-hood!

But there is one thing that she will never say "no" to, and that is breastfeeding. Never, ever has she refused the breast. She might take a couple of sips and then wriggle away, but she always has to take a little bit if it is offered to her. And who can blame her? "Hey there, come get a little cuddle and something sweet in your mouth." Would you say no?

Thanks breastfeeding- in a growing world of toddler "no's" and tantrums, you always get me a "yes" and a snuggle.

formula wastelands

I realize that when some people think of baby formula, pretty pictures come to mind- Family. Mommy sitting with baby. Happy babies eating. Cleanliness and purity. An advanced, modern society.

Not me. When I think of baby formula, among the many thoughts that come to mind (nasty chemicals, hurtful propaganda, the denial of the beauty of our motherhood), one stands out- a picture of landfills overflowing with the waste of the formula industry. Bottles. Nipples. Formula containers. Packaging. Above it the haze of pollution created by the factories that produce the formula and the trucks that deliver it all over our country and world.

Our experience with baby formula was so full of waste, it sickened me. It started in the NICU with Toddler B. Because of her severe special needs, she was unable to breastfeed. Add to this my rocky start with pumping- the result was the need to use formula (by the way, this is one area where I am thankful for the creation of formula- the needs of babies who without it would die).

co-sleeping tips

A common complaint of new mothers (well, all mothers!) is the lack of sleep. Babies wake up constantly throughout the night wanting to be fed. In my experience, the practice of co-sleeping is a way for breastfeeding mothers to gain those extra hours of sleep that we so desperately need.

There is much controversy over the practice of co-sleeping. In the United States, most medical professionals warn against it. However, some do advocate the practice, and it is widely practiced in the non-Western world.

When done correctly, it is yet another reason to be happy that you are breastfeeding- no getting out of bed in the middle of the night to mix formula, warm bottles, and feed baby!

Below are some of my tips for successful co-sleeping with a newborn:

why i breastfeed

It's World Breastfeeding Week!

Everywhere I look there are posts, articles, lectures, lists (even a list of 101 reasons!) and what-have-you detailing why breastfeeding is so damn important and why you should do it.

These are my reasons for breastfeeding:

1. It's the best option for your baby. Period. If you are able to do it (and some women are not, for many reasons, or have difficulties), then why not do it? If you had two plates in front of you- one with a McDonalds hamburger and one with a fresh salad loaded with nuts and other veggies, which one would you feed your child?

breastfeeding changes your brain

A recent study shows that breastfeeding alters a mother's brain, mentally bonding her to her baby and making her more sensitive to it's cries.

Researchers told MSNBC that breastfeeding mothers were more responsive to their babies' cries than formula feeding mothers, and that this was reflected in regions of their brain.

I do believe that this is true- I sleep in the same bed as Baby S, and am able to wake from a deep sleep the second she stirs and wants to eat. I also have somehow avoided all those evils that they say will befall the mother that sleeps with her child- no suffocating in blankets, no rolling over on her.

I will credit it to my new breastfeeding super brain powers!

link: microscopic views

Check out a microscopic view of breast milk, cow milk and formula over on Peaceful Parenting.

Kind of makes you think twice on the claim that formula is just as good as breast milk.

article: breastfeeding and the environment

Great article from The Green Mama: Is Breastfeeding an Environmental Issue?

The article outlines the three main areas where breastfeeding has a green impact: the environment, impact on health, and economics.

Reducing harm to our planet: yet another reason to breastfeed!

Read the full article here.

Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!

Part of the nationwide celebration of the 37th Nutrition Month this July 2011 in the city of Dipolog, capital of the province of Zamboanga del Norte in the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

The theme is:
Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!

kissing and breastfeeding

Why Mothers Kiss Their Babies

Judy Rall

Article taken from here. I've added links to further information. It's amazing how our breast milk is tailored for our babies specific needs!

After a baby is born, it is natural to see the mother kissing the baby. One would think this is simply because of the emotional bond that has formed between mother and child. While this is true, there are also other very compelling biochemical reasons why it occurs.  These reasons reinforce the understanding that our bodies have inner wisdom which we seldom recognize or trust. Just as our bodies know how to give birth even if we don’t have intellectual knowledge of the process, our bodies’ biological systems also have reasons for the complex social interplay between mother and baby. It just goes to show that, more than ever, we should trust our mothering instincts.

Five Senses

no-fuss breast milk

From the list 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child:

Reason #8: Breast milk is always ready and comes in a nicer package than formula does.

In my opinion, this should be in the top three. Maybe top one! As a mama with experience using formula, expressed breast milk and straight breastfeeding, I have to say that using nature's package is the easiest of them all.


Formula was a nightmare. Toddler B has special needs, and feeding her was frustrating from the first day in the hospital. I sobbed when they forced me to give her formula for her very first feeding (while we had a kick-ass lactation consultant, Toddler B was born on a Saturday and she couldn't be reached. We instead were left with crazy nurses who did not understand my desire that she only drink breast milk). After she was moved to the NICU, they showed me how to use the breast pump, but even then I couldn't get more than 15 mL at a time- probably due to all the stress, confusion and frustration.

on sleep

Recently, ParentDish posted an article with this title: Breast or Bottle Feeding? No Difference: Moms are Equally Tired.

Sounds great, but I have to disagree.

Yes, I'm tired. Pretty tired all the time, in fact. But not as tired as I was when I had to bottle feed my firstborn, who had breastfeeding issues due to her special needs.

Yes, Baby S wakes up in the middle of the night, sometimes up to 3 times a night! But since she sleeps with us, my favorite position allows me to pop a boob in her mouth and fall back to sleep with ease, ninety-nine percent of the time.

With Toddler B, it was a whole different story. We finally get her to sleep, and fall into bed exhausted (sex? what's that?). After a couple of hours- if we were lucky- she would start stirring and whimpering. By the time one of us had dragged our sorry asses out of bed, heated up the milk and brought it back, nine times out of ten she would be fully awake and ready to par-tay! It usually took about 2-3 hours to get her back to sleep. There were also the middle of the night fights over whose turn it was to get up.

Nothing that I would want to relive.

So, while I am definitely tired, breastfeeding by far gives more opportunity for sleep and ease than bottle feeding. Thanks, boobs!

did you know?

image by laura vida

Some interesting breastfeeding facts, courtesy of abbiebabyd at tumblr.  I've added some links to follow for further reading.


Did you know….

1.Human milk has over 300 ingredients, including interferon, white blood cells, antibacterial and antiviral agents, while formula has only 40 ingredients.

2.Human milk has been shown to kill cancer cells in a laboratory dish and has been used in oncology.

3. The human breast “custom-makes” antibodies to fight whatever pathogen the infant is exposed to in the environment.

4. Breast milk has been used to treat eye infections, ear infections, pimples, cold sores, and nail fungus and prevent infection in scrapes and scratches.

5. In some parts of the world, donated organs are bathed in breast milk for the protective factors.

6. There were 22 “significant” recalls of formula for potentially life-threatening situations.

why breastfeed?

Article: 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Baby, courtesy of ProMom.