Extended Breast Feeding

Today's post is long overdue..Momma has been taking a writing break. Call it writer's block or mommy busy time, or whatever you want - but finally I'm making my way back into the blog world.

As most of my readers know I have survived my little ones first year on planet earth. Among other goals, one of the "buzz word" goals I have heard all year is breastfeeding your child to the one year mark.   From the start I always took the mantra of breastfeeding as long as it worked for both myself and my son and now that he is past the one year mark - it is still working.  This decision is mine alone and I am very comfortable with it but there are (as always!) issues with it in my world and in the social world around me.

I can deal with the issues in my world. Basically I can strip them down to some sharp teeth and attention shifting. He sometimes nips me, rests his chompers while suckling and pops off without warning to follow a sudden sound or sight.  Those things I have adjusted to. It's the outside things that I struggle with.

Is it just me or is there a negative connotation associated with breastfeeding a baby to a certain age by most of the general public? And is it just me or does the media perpetuate this? Time magazine had a 'controversial' cover a few months back of a little boy standing on a stool so he could feed while his mother was standing and posing for the cover of the popular magazine. I've seen it on news reports, magazine articles - how long is too long? When is the "right" time to wean? Many movies make fun of it by having children who can walk and talk sidle up to their mothers and help themselves to some milk amidst judgemental and harrowing glances from the other characters present - poking fun at this in an extreme way.  The sad part is, before baby I was inclined to side with this "disgusting" view of it. Funny how being in the situation has shifted my views, as is usually the case with everything.

At this point in mine and my son's life I am still comfortable feeding him from my breast. The number of feedings, the times of these feeds and when he eats other foods are up to us and we are happy with where things are. I FEEL that stigma that I should have started weaning by now though and I know I have to rise above it, but it can be tough. 

My motto - what works for me right now may not work for anyone else now or ever. I am not causing any harm to anyone (other than the occasional bite for myself....haha) and the message I would like to send - you never know how you would react to a situation until you are actually in it.  Before you can walk in someone else's shoes, you must first remove your own.

I plan on getting back in the blogging game more regularly now. Stay tuned for some new post 1 year old baby topics :)

Baby Products - Momma Weighs In

After my first year of being a mom I have had a chance to try all kinds of baby products and equipment. There are things that I wish I hadn't bothered with, others that I loved from the get-go, or wished that I had all along, and some are things I liked, but I could live without. Again, as always - just my opinion!

1. Pampers diapers. By far the best brand in my opinion. We tried out all kinds for long enough to know what worked best. The end results : Huggies leaked, Kirkland LEAKED, and while we did like LIFE brand from shoppers, Pampers were hands down the very best.
2. Travel System  - I had a four wheel system that was big and bulky. I liked it because it closed up and had lots of storage underneath but it was hard to access when the carrier was in it.  It was really hard to turn around and got caught on all kinds of things when we were going around, especially aisles at stores. I would opt for a three wheel system if I were doing it all again.
3. High Chair - I had a stand alone high chair and while it was good, I recently switched to a booster seat that attaches to a chair. This is more practical and less expensive. It takes up less space in the kitchen and can be taken with us more easily when we travel. In hindsight I would have just purchased the booster and not bothered at all with a clunky high chair. 
4. Jolly Jumper -  I'm talking about the simple harness over the door. This thing is awesome! I was skeptical in the beginning because it appears to be unsafe , but once I got over that I realized how great it is. My son improved in his leg strength after just a month of bouncing and now he loves getting in it. Not only is it a great way for him to release his energy and build strength, it has become something of a reward for him.  
5. Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium. This item was one of the greatest things we had for our little guy. It attaches to his crib, plays different songs, lights up and the fish inside can move and water bubbles appear when you select the option. This calms my son and allowed him to learn to put himself to sleep in his crib. It also has a remote which is bonus. Fisher price toys in general are great, I like all the ones we have.
6. Carter Clothes. These clothes by far are my favourite. They fit better than most others, and are great quality for a great price.
7. "Net" like ball - I'm talking about a plastic ball that is full of holes, great for a baby to grip. I don't have a brand preference here. This is a very simple inexpensive toy and one of the best. Babies love balls but they have trouble gripping them and keeping them, but the holes in the ball are great for ensuring they can play with them on their own.
8. Nuk Nestle Bottles and Playtex Sippy Cups. The Nuk nipples were the best for my little one and the best bottle he used by far. Playtex are a close second in bottles but come up first in Sippy Cups, at least for the ones without straws. They are easy to grip and don't leak, while the Nuk Sippy Cups do leak.  
9. Wipe Warmers and Diaper Genies. Convenient and good, but could take or leave. The wipes are warm and that's great, but when we go out they aren't but luckily my son never noticed the difference. The Genie is convenient because its right there and solely for dirty diapers, but to be honest, it wasn't as great as I expected for keeping away the stinky poopy smell. It needs to be changed more often than I thought in order to keep the smell away and it does fill up really fast. As far as places to put diapers I think it is one of the best, but a less expensive closed garbage can might be just as good. 
10. Baby Mum Mums - These are great for snacks on the go and were a wonderful thing that aided his independent eating. They taught my son how to chew and hold food and I would highly recommend them.
11. Disney Baby First Years Winnie The Pooh Calendar. This is a personalised calendar that allows you to put in the months and important dates using stickers provided. Each month you can add a picture of your little one as they grow. We loved this one for keeping track of the important moments.
12. Sophie the Giraffe. Admittedly I was skeptical at first about this toy but it was great, especially for teething. It is easy to grip and makes noise, and I now understand why just about every child has one.
13. Bassinet. I transferred my son to his crib really young, but the bassinet was great for daytime naps and helping him know the difference between day and night. We kept it in a lighted noisy room during the day and nighttime he slept in his dark room in his crib, so he soon got the concept of sleeping longer at night. It was also good travel bed for the early months as the top part of the one we had could be detached easily.
14. Breast Feeding Pillow. I only used this for the first couple of weeks of breastfeeding. I did not find it was overly helpful beyond that for feedings. However, later on when my son started sitting up on his own and was still wobbly, this served as a great cushion that fit snugly around him.
15. Pack and Play.  This is a must. Keeping baby safe and a place to hold toys without making a huge mess all over the living room. It's also good for sitting as if he falls he won't hit as hard, or for reaching up and eventually learning to pull himself up using the sides for assistance. It collapses quickly and takes up minimal space so it great for storing away or taking with you. We use it as a baby bed when we travel since our son outgrew his bassinet.
16. Umbrella Stroller. Get one! They are usually inexpensive and are so much more compact. Great for tighter spaces and for travel, and are so much easier for getting around. 

These are just some of my thoughts on some of the baby products I have used in the past year.

Sippy Cups and Other Stuff

My little boy has graduated to a sippy cup. It was a learning curve for both him and for momma as I have discovered with everything that he has learned. Today's post will work through this learning process.

When my son turned 6 months old I started feeding him slowly as I mentioned in my first post about feeding, and gradually increased. I started giving him water after about a week or two after food was increased. I read in my "feeding baby" handbook that babies his age can have up to 2oz in a meal but are not to exceed 4oz in a day. So I started off by measuring 2 oz and putting it in a sippy cup and giving it to him. This was a huge FAIL.  First, he thought the cup was a toy and tried shaking it and had no idea that he was supposed to drink from it. Then when I did try to assist him to drink from it he didn't react well. After a few failed attempts at this I realized that he had no idea what water was supposed to taste like, he had never had any before and had never seen this type of cup before, so maybe I was being over zealous and giving him too much "new" at once. So I backtracked - first I tried giving him a bottle with some water in it while he was in his high chair but he wasn't able to hold it himself so then I went back even further and gave him a bottle with some water the old fashioned way, lying him across my lap and feeding him. I did this a few times until he got used to the taste of water. Then I tried giving him the bottle in reclined position, then sitting up. When he was sitting up he struggled to get the bottle tipped enough to get the water out. Then I changed tactics again, filling the bottle all the way up so he could instantly have water as soon as he sucked the nipple. After this worked a couple of times I switched back to the sippy cup, filling it all the way to the top. Success!! By the time he was seven months old he was able to grab the cup when he was ready and drink from it on his own! Yahoo!

Since beginning feeding we have progressed to three meals a day, provided him with several meats, an array of fruits and vegetables, cheese, yogurt, bread and grains and yes..gasp...peanut butter. I gave him some on his toast shortly after he was nine months old and not only is he okay with it, he loves it.  To get him used to bigger pieces of food and to help him learn to chew, Baby Mum Mums are a great treat. These rice rusks are great at giving babies a chance to feed themselves.  I got a great surprise just two weeks after starting with bite sized foods on his tray - he picked up a piece of toast on his own and put it in his mouth! It was such a great moment! He had been struggling with the concept of trying to line up the food with his hand and then again his hand with his mouth up until then. I had encouraged him by giving him the food in his mouth first, then his hand, then having him take it from me and then putting his hands on it, all the while keeping the food available on his tray for when he was ready. That day he just did it completely on his own like he had always known how! I thought it was so funny how suddenly and confidently he achieved this.  My little boy is growing up!

I still have a few new things to introduce and have to tackle giving him a spoon to feed himself. We have been working on that one but when I give him a spoon full of food it more often then not ends up all over him, the floor, or me. Every little thing is a big accomplishment for a little one! I love the process, it is so great to see him gaining independence!

On Solid Ground - Introducing Food!

It's that time. 6 months old and time for a major diet change. What to give? When to give it? How to make it? How much to give? When to give something new? So many questions. Here is what I did - I trusted my instincts, plain and simple.

When : Some sources said to feed a little at every meal, another said to introduce one meal at a time adding the second and third meals after a week or more each. Yet another suggested feeding new foods only in the morning.  I took all of this and decided to try one meal a day and I first tried at 8am, around the time of his second feeding of the day. I gave the food a little before he showed signs of hunger so he wasn't starving when time came to eat. I had to tweak this a bit and found that lunch time was his best time as he hardly ate anything at that morning feed. After about a week, I started giving him another small meal at supper time - when he appeared hungry around the 5-6 feed.

What/How much : I started with Rice Cereal and chose to mix this with breastmilk. I started with a half tbsp of cereal and about 3 tbsp of lukewarm milk. I increased this amount based on his appetite. If he still welcomed the food, didn't turn his head away and appeared hungry I increased the amount a tbsp a day or so until we hit 5 tbsps. After 3 or so days we tried Oat Cereal mixed with water and he was fine here too. I added water gradually, mixing to get the right texture. We soon found out that he preferred food a little thicker than thin and runny. After another 3 more days we introduced the first meat - pureed pork. I gave him this meal at supper time. He has been a little more hesitant about the pork but it came down to trial and error for texture and timing. It's really all a guessing game.  Plan is to then add another meat (beef), and move to vegetables, and finally fruits. I will mix it up in between by giving a new cereal or introduce chicken sometime soon also.

I decided to make my own baby food. We baked, chopped and pureed the meat mixed with breastmilk. The veggies - basically the same just boiled/steamed instead of baked.  We froze the food in icecube trays overnight and then placed the frozen food cubes in ziploc bags labelled with food name and date.  I plan to alter the texture by spending by reducing the amount of liquid we add as well as how long we blend it as he gets more exposed to the food. When I feel like he can handle more lumps, lumps is what he will get!

So far things are going relatively well and I find I am eager to discover if he likes a new food. I am enjoying preparing it and like the whole process. He sits with us at our meal times and we alternate feeding him and feeding ourselves(when we can - sometimes he's so hungry that he simply can't wait for us to eat!). I will update my progress on this topic as new foods are attempted in weeks to come.

Momma's Musts :

• Trust yourself. Start your baby on solids when you are ready and when you feel he/she is ready. Start introducing the cereal/protein/veggies in the order that you feel.
• Listen to baby. You will know pretty quickly if baby likes the texture, is still hungry, is too full or simply just doesn't like the food. Try to alter your preparation to see if that helps, take a break from a certain food, or if all else fails, give up on a food and move on!
• You decide. If you want to make your own food, buy baby food or mix and match do what you choose! It's your baby and you are the one feeding him/her so trust what you think!
• Enjoy! Make meal time with baby family time! Have your little one sit with you and eat meals together as much as you can. This will get easier as he/she gets used to eating.