The great placenta debate!

I haven't given up on this. I am still trying to understand. I don't think I will ever be able to see eye to eye with those that practice placentophagia, or placenta eating. I'm trying, I think in order be able to care for families that perhaps live or accept things differently from myself I need to truly make attempts to understand people with different views than myself. Sometimes it's so easy and then sometimes, like with this one, it is a little harder. It's not that I am trying to convince myself it's good and ok and all that. No way! I am just trying to understand it a little more so that I can see why for someone else it would be ok.
It's been easy to find testimonials from women who have consumed their own placenta's (I'm told even vegetarians can do it as the killing of an animal doesn't occur in it's harvesting) by simply googling. I love google. I've gotten quite good at it actually, which is why when I posted the last post I was so surprised to find so much of what I would categorize as "opinion" and little scientific research. Even the website that claimed to have scientific research had very little. I did get a giggle out of some of the reasoning on some of the websites though. One sites major claim was that other mammals do it and that is why we should, plain and simple. It's mother nature's way. *clears throat* ok, well, other such animals do it as to not attract predators that will eat their young. It's their instinct as to survive. I don't remember the last time someone came into the hospital because they had sniffed out someones after birth. :) I giggled to myself last night while doing research on the computer which in turned made my husband question what I was giggling at. I told him, I was just thinking about our likeness to other mammals. I explained to him the theory of eating our placenta because other mammals do and I told him I giggled cause I wondered what would happen if we as humans also did as other mammals and abandoned or even ate our week or injured young. You know, like my dog (who did eat some of her placentas) who ignored one of her puppies because it was much smaller and weaker than the others. Something was obviously wrong with it. Everyone told me that was mother natures way of weeding out the ones that wouldn't survive. Hum. I guess if dogs do it we should too right? Lol.
The other thing I can't figure out is why we would think that the placenta was for our benefit. It didn't take much looking for me to find all the ways the placenta benefits the baby. The placenta is made by our bodies with a specific purpose. There's no question as to how AMAZING it is. The whole process from conception to delivery is truly a miracle. So many times I just look at the new little humans and I am just in awe. I realize that THIS isn't a scientific study but just by reviewing the information there I learned so much. Even so much more about how the placenta is purely for the baby and the pregnancy. Even the hormones produced and stored in the placenta that many have claimed are for the mom and that help against post partum depression or will help with building a good milk supply, those hormones are for the pregnancy! Progesterone is vital in making sure that the pregnancy is not lost and Estrogen functions in stimulating uterine growth so that it can sustain a growing fetus. I can accept cultural reasons people may have for burying or consuming their placenta but I am still having a hard time understanding that it's just "natural" or "mother natures way". I may be too "medical" to fully understand the meaning behind the decisions that some mother's make. One thing I know is that no matter how your baby got here or what you did with your placenta as long as your baby is healthy and happy it's non of my business. But it sure does make for a good blog topic. :)

Wanna come to dinner? Placenta stew.

Placenta. It’s what’s for dinner.

Placenta Pizza.

Do you think I’m crazy? I’m not but someone might be! Warning, this post is kinda gross and probably offensive. I don’t care if you read on but read on at your own risk. If you choose to participate in the discussion please keep offensive language out or your comment will be deleted. With that said, sit back, relax and enjoy the afterbirth. Lol.

·         I received the following on the Time 4 Me facebook page several days back, "Did you see the article about women eating their own placenta because it's supposed to help prevent postpartum depression? I think it was on Good Things Utah...not sure. I'll try to find the link. I'd love to hear a discussion on it!"

OMG! I searched and read and googled and read and then contemplated it until my head hurt. I just can’t wrap my head around ingesting one’s own placenta. Ya’all may be offended at my lack of open-mindedness  on this subject and I guess that’s ok. We can agree to disagree but please don’t invite me to dinner when you have placenta stew. 

There was an article on msnbc.com that I loved. I’m pretty sure the writer and I think alike, a little. The article is discussing the fact that there isn’t much if any research to support the effects that these women are claiming to receive from ingesting their placenta. They are quoting Diana Dell who at the time of the article was the assistant professor of ob-gyn at  Duke University. Drum roll please……favorite quote, “There’s certainly no data,” Dell says. “And, truthfully, the only place there may be data is in veterinary journals.” Excuse me? Veterinary journals? I have experienced the miracle of birth. I have experienced it 17 times. I have 2 children and I have watched 2 litters of puppies be born. You didn’t think I had that many kids did you? Bwahaha. So here’s what I know, my dog did ingest some of her placenta, but not if I could help it! My dog also licks her own butt, that of her puppies and for the first several weeks licks up their poop and pee! Are you trying to tell me that one of the arguments in favor of eating our placenta is because of the facts that we are mammals and other mammals do it? If that’s your argument I want you to think about one thing…..butt licking! I’d like to think that I am a slightly more advanced species of mammal.

I try to avoid being completely one sided on topics. So while I obviously don’t think this is much of a yummy topic I wanted to give you the reasons that people DO do this. One problem, there isn’t any actual factual research to support the benefits of placenta eating. Now I can’t say that if I had cancer and traditional treatments weren’t working that I wouldn’t try it, in capsule form, if someone, many someone’s told me that it worked to cure or slow the progression of the cancer. When it comes to post partum depression and milk production I can think of many artificial means to cure those ailments that I would try many times over before resorting to consuming my own placenta. But….if you are interested in it read the NY Magazine articles. If you already do this I would love, love, love to hear your side. What it does for you, how you felt before and after, where you found your research, anything that you have to say that could help me to understand. I feel like I am a pretty open minded person but like I said, I just can’t wrap my head around this one.

Contest Closing!

Alright, the contest is closing up. If any of our new followers want to get it on it look back through our older posts. Go to the "Contest" post and comment with something you like about the blog, a topic you want covered or whatever. Go to the Time 4 Me facebook page "like" Time 4 Me and find the status that asks, "What makes you crazy as a mother? Any pet peeves you have? and comment on it. Then post on your facebook wall the link to the blog. That's it! Your name will be entered into the drawing for the I-tunes gift card! Contest closes Thursday September 1st! Thanks for participating and good luck!

Girls' Night Out

American Fork Hospital's Girls' Night Out is tonight! Come on out. It's free for attendees and there will be some great booths. Hope to see all my Utah friends there!

"I want my mommy!"

Welcome to motherhood. It's an elite group really. Not for the weak. There is a serious disease that comes with the title of mom and induction into the motherhood group. Your friends and loved ones should have warned you prior to conception. WHAT? No one told you. Well, crap. Since bad news is better when it comes from a friend let me be the one to break it to you. Motherhood causes a very distinguishable lump on your hip. It's more a growth really. It's rarely not there and the further post-partum you get the large the growth. OH! Haha. That's your baby? Lol. Of course it is. I was finally able to detach mine somewhere around 4 yrs old.
Who am I kidding? I haven't fully detached my own growths. My children and I have been sharing a bedroom for the last week while we are on vacation at my mom's and my 10 year old just informed me that he WILL NOT go to bed without me. When explaining to him that he was old enough to go to bed without me my 13 year old jumped on the wagon and asked, "why can't you just come lay down while we fall asleep?" Geez, what's a mom to do? Those beautiful eyes of your baby boy and girl. Then the little man busts out the lip. Ugh. I'm had. So, here I sit, typing a post on separation anxiety in the dark bedroom while my "babies" fall asleep. So once again. I'm not the expert at much of anything except doing things wrong. Lol. But I can tell you what the experts say and we will sprinkle in a bit of what worked for me. (except tonight when clearly they are relapsing)
To understand that screaming growth clinging to your leg with a grip that not even Superman could mimic you've got to understand what's behind it. Isn't it ironic how mother nature is testing your abilities and frustrating that she's up in your business. I'd love to tell you that there is an easy fix here but there isn't. Unfortunately for us parents, separation anxiety is.....NORMAL. Ugh. Yep, totally normal and nearly every baby has it in some degree or another. Until somewhere around 8 months babies are blissfully unaware. Then it doesn't matter if you simply go around the corner, leave the room or drop them off for the evening with a friend so you can go out, they notice you are gone. They know you are gone and they have no concept of when you will come back. Usually around a year old they will loudly protest you're leaving as they are still without a concept of time. No ability to realize that you will come back for them. Sad hu?
It is different for each child as to how severely they develop separation anxiety and for how long it lasts. The good new is that you are a freaking FANTASTIC mama and you have developed a healthy relationship with your baby. You are well bonded. Ok, so what are some tactics to use to help ease that little growth off your hip and into the room full of toys and children? Ever heard the saying practice makes perfect? Yep, best way to approach this with a baby that is struggling with separation anxiety is to practice it. Like anything else if baby is hungry, tired or sick it's NOT a good time to practice. Best time to leave baby? Well rested and with a full belly. Get a plan in place. Make sure to hug and kiss baby good bye. You can even blow kisses and wave on your way out. Then make your big exit. Do it. You have to follow through. You leave. Now for the don't list. DON"T sneak out while baby isn't watching and once you leave DON'T go back. Not yet anyhow. It will just make things worse.
I know, I make it sound so easy. It's not, you know it and I know it. We question ourselves the second that pouty lip comes out and then Heaven help us when the tears come. If it's not only too much for your little one but also for you then start slow. One of our followers mentioned that her extreme mama's boy would be entering Sunday School and that he "just isn't ready". Well, you're his mom. You decide. Just because there is a time line that says he is old enough to go doesn't mean he has to. It doesn't mean that he NEVER has to, it just means that you get to practice. Practice at home. Find a friend you trust (writer clears throat) and leave him for 30 min, then and hour. Once you can leave him with someone else at home, take him to someone else's home. You have to develop the pattern of leaving him and then coming back for him. Over and over and over. Eventually, he'll get it. I promise. Do the same thing for Sunday school. Keep him with you for awhile and then leave him for the last 20 min. Pretty soon that 20 min will turn into the entire time. Some kids will just "peace out" mom and dad and hit the toy box in a dead sprint and others will find a good place on that hip to cling onto hours in advance of being dropped off. Just remember it's not a matter of if it's when. Practice makes perfect, give baby a good hug and kiss, take in that smell of baby lotion to get you through his tears and yours as you walk away and then enjoy your time knowing your are teaching your baby a very valuable life skill. You are a good mom, and if once in awhile you have to type in the dark then so be it.

I had the opportunity last night to have dinner with some of the most amazing women I've had the pleasure to ever know. Currently I am visiting my parents in Ohio and I met up with some girlfriends from H.S. for dinner. They are all gorgeous, talented women and every single one of them is also a mother. I suppose that anytime you put a bunch of mothers together to catch up on old times there will be much talk of the children. What mother doesn't wanna talk about her kids? Even when we say we aren't going to talk about them we do. Lol. Part of our conversation went to how to build self-esteem in our children. I got to thinking about that and decided it was totally post worthy. So, what's my take on it? I have a few thoughts. I think the most important is teaching your kids when they are with their friends that they don't have to give in to peer pressure. It doesn't matter the seriousness of what it is they are being pressured to do. Our children have their own thoughts, opinions and beliefs and they should stand up for them at all times. The next would be honesty. Remember children no matter how small learn from example. Teach your children to be honest at all times. The last of the things which I hope I am instilling in my children and which I think are important are the ability to love others, love work and to be spiritual. Whatever that means for your family. None of which are taught overnight and none of which are easy.  I found the following poem that I thought fits this post well. Whether you are a new mom or an experienced mom, teaching our children to be strong and to stand up for themselves is something we are continually teaching. Do you have any thoughts or comments? I'd love to hear comments from you more experienced mothers and from you new mom's as to what you are doing or have done to aid your child in having a strong self-esteem.

Myself

by Edgar Guest

I have to live with myself, and so,
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able as days go by,
Always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
And hate myself for the things I've done.
I don't want to keep on a closet shelf
A lot of secrets about myself,
And fool myself as I come and go
Into thinking that nobody else will know
The kind of man I really am;
I don't want to dress myself up in sham.
I want to deserve all men's respect;
But here in this struggle for fame and pelf,
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to think as I come and go
That I'm for bluster and bluff and empty show.
I never can hide myself from me,
I see what others may never see,
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself -- and so,
Whatever happens, I want to be
Self-respecting and conscience free.

The "you're letting your kid eat what?" look

You know what I'm talking about. "The look" is one of the most guilt inducing, second thought invoking, self criticising things there is for us as parents. It's not the look itself so much as the fact that someone, ANYONE, is judging you as a parent. Not only are they judging you but they think you are making the wrong decision. Yep, I know the look. I know it all to well. But, that's why I'm here and why you keep coming back right? So you can learn from my mistakes? NO! So you can release that parenting guilt. None of us are perfect. It's just that the people that give "the look" think they are.
So you're wondering what caused "the look" right? Well here's the story. It was an overcast Ohio day. The temperature was perfect. The family was all in town. My parents, my brother and his wife and my children and I headed off to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It's become sort of a family tradition. Our waitress was an older gal. Surely past retirement age. If she wasn't then life has not been kind to her. I don't know the circumstances behind people but every time I see someone that I know could be retired, like the Walmart greeter or my waitress at Cracker Barrel I get a little soft spot. It's a mix of pity and admiration just so I cover all my bases. They could be working just for fun to keep themselves busy and youthful or they could be working because they aren't able to retire. Either way I'm covered in my respect of them. Back to the story. A soft spot had been created for our waitress that day.
The first time "the look" came was when we were ordering our drinks. Coffee for my parents and my brother and his wife, my daughter wanted hot chocolate, Diet Coke for me (what? I don't drink coffee and I wanted some freaking caffeine! Lol) and a kids Coke for the boy. There it was, "the look". I let it go. I knew what caused it. Whatever. No big deal. Maybe she had a bad dream last night about someone and their Coke. Usually once you get "the look" you don't get it again. Once they have shown their disapproval for your parenting skills you are safe from the torture again. Nope! Not today. Our waitress came back to deliver the drinks and what to her wondering eyes should appear, my son quietly entertaining himself.....with his PSP. There it is again "the look". Well now I'm thinking, "listen lady, at least my kid is being quiet and not disturbing the other patrons or making a mess on the floor or whatever!" but I didn't say a thing. Just smile and pretend ya don't care. My story is too long hu? Ok, to the point. She went to take our orders and I ordered my son the kids pancake and a whole order of bacon. "Kids pancake and a 1/2 of bacon," she reads back to me. Then we go back and forth a couple of times where I tell her I need a WHOLE order of bacon for my son. Not a half, a WHOLE. (it's not like a whole order is that much, she'd probably die if she knew I had fed him 8 pieces the day before at home. Haha) The rest of our visit was uneventful. I let my kid have a refill on his Coke (which he didn't drink) and he ate his WHOLE 3 pieces of bacon along with his pancake and my sausage. Now are you wondering yet why I'm telling you this story? It's the guilt people. That stupid parenting guilt. Why do we do it to ourselves. I can't even begin to describe to you the number of times I have beat myself up over a decision I made or a parenting tactic I used. DON'T do it. Children are resilient. I am more concerned about whether my kid says please and thank you than I am over if he wants bacon for every meal. (of course he doesn't get it but we are at Grandma and Grandpa's and they can spoil him however they see fit)
I have been using this blog to give you some real world advice/experience along with the standard answers to what some of your questions have been. If you take nothing else away from here I want you to remember not to worry about "the look." It isn't possible for you to be the "worst mom ever" because that is a title I already proudly wear. I figure if my kids have clean clothing and a clean home, good manners, are active, spiritual and obedient children I will take the "worst mom ever" title. So let go of your mom guilt. Feed your kid bacon. If they ask for bacon again, then give them bacon. For you new mommies, quit feeling bad over letting your husband do the night time feedings or changing the diapers. Quit worrying about leaving the children and going out with your husband for the night. Who cares if you let your kids eat things that other people don't! You've heard the saying before, don't sweat the small stuff. If you hug your babies, kiss your babies, put your baby in time out and make them take a nap and then hug and kiss them some more. If you love your baby more than life itself then you have what it takes to be a good mom. Get rid of the guilt and just enjoy smelling the baby lotion!

Bananas, Peaches and Peas. Oh my!

Humans, even little humans won't last long on a liquid diet.We have so many food choices for us big humans, or should I say, more experienced humans that it's hard to decide what to feed ourselves. Now our littles are dependant upon us for their food choices too. Ugh. Luckily as parents we usually do better by our children than we do by ourselves. The first 4 months or so are the easiest in the fact that it is a liquid only diet. Breast milk or formula ONLY. Remember, while I am trying to give you the perfect facts I am far from perfect. I am the naughty mom who's baby wasn't gaining enough wait (although she was bottle fed) and who had reflux so bad that the thin formula would undoubtedly come right back up SO, what's a new mom to do? Nope, I didn't seek out medical advice. I wasn't that smart. I googled. Lol. I cut an X in one of the nipples of her bottle and I mixed some rice cereal with her formula. Not only did she quit refluxing so bad but she also started sleeping through the night longer. There, there is my dirty little secret. Do as I say not as I did, right?
So how do you know when your baby is ready to start experimenting outside of the world of breast milk or formula? Here are some things to watch for.....

• Can he hold his head up?
• Will he sit in a highchair?
• Does he shows interest in food? No, not your Diet Coke, your food. Mama doesn't EVER share her Diet Coke. Lol. (If only that was true, right?)
• Does he move his tongue back and forth? If you give him a little something is he able to keep the food in or does he push the food out with his tongue?
• Is your little tank still hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day?

Alright, baby looks ready for a real meal. Now what do you feed? If you are worried about allergies or anything my suggestion would be to start slow. It's better to avoid more allergic food like soy, dairy, eggs, fish and wheat. By slow I mean introduce something new only every 4 days. Feed baby breast milk or formula and then get some "food" ready. Start first with infant rice cereal. Mix 1tsp of cereal with about 4-5 tsp of formula or breast milk. It will be super runny but we are just introducing baby remember.If something you introduce baby to seems to not be a favorite just try it again in a few days. There is no "right" amount to feed your baby. He will require different amounts at different times. Don't try introducing new foods to baby if he is grumpy or tired. Some other great choices after infant rice cereal are pureed bananas, peaches, sweet potatoes and pears. Just like us babies would rather have sweet things so make sure and give your veggies first.
Keep feeding your baby breast milk or formula. There's no way you can replenish the important vitamins and nutrients that baby gets from breast milk and formula with solid foods. In addition to the nutrients imagine the calories. That little needs more calories than solid foods could ever cover.
So enjoy experimenting with your real life little person. Don't worry when he dribbles sweet potatoes or spits green beans at you. It's not the cooks fault or a problem with the food. It's all part of the fun for a baby of finding all the fun things they can do and the reaction they will get from you. Lol. Have fun getting the green beans out of your babies ears and don't forget to take time to stop and smell the baby lotion.

CONTEST!

This post is interactive my friends. Send the link to your friends in an email or post it to your facebook wall. I’m doing a contest for everyone! Yep everyone. Germany, Utah, Ohio, the Netherlands. Where ever you are following my blog from. What are you competing for? I am giving you one of the things that keeps me sane as a mom. MUSIC! $10 I-tunes gift card! So how are you gonna win that card? Here are the rules.
1. “Like” TIME 4 ME on Facebook. Here is the link to my Facebook Page.
2. Post a link to my blog http://www.time4mommy.blogspot.com/ on your Facebook page (yes you must have a Facebook account, this is the year 2011 people!)
3. On the TIME 4 ME Facebook page comment on my status about Pet Peeves. What’s the one thing that people do or say that as a mother makes you CRAZY!!!
4. Comment on this blog post. Not just a lame comment. Something more than a sentence. Something you like about my topics, a topic you want covered an experience you’ve had as a new mom that other moms could benefit from. Give me something good!
NOW HIRING-blog contributors. The pay is awesome; it pays zero dollars and zero cents. :)  You get the satisfaction of knowing you have filled your computer time with something worth-while.  I am looking for a contributor. You can contribute as little or as much as you’d like.  Your posts won’t go straight onto the blog. I’m not that crazy. You will email me your topic and then your finished post. I will review it, edit it if I feel necessary and then post it. (or not post it if it’s inappropriate or suckish) Email me your goods and when it makes it to the blog you get all my praise and thanks. I will be sure to feature you as the writer for that post. This isn’t an anyone and everyone kinda gig. I will take the first 3 truly interested people. You are thinking…..why would I want to be a contributor? The blogs is growing fast and furiously. You will be free to advertise yourself or link to your product at the end of each post you write.  SO, email me your first entry along with a little background about yourself and a couple sentences as to why you want to be a contributor.  Also if you will be advertising a product or service I will need to know what that is also. The last thing you need to know is if the service you offer is at all like my own then I won’t be accepting you as a contributor. If you aren’t sure exactly what the crazy lady here does then check out my website. No way I can let the competition in. Not yet anyhow. LOL.
O.K! Good luck with the contest and email me at time4momcare@gmail.com if you want to be a contributor.

Bottle Feeding....again.

I know, you are thinking we’ve been there done that with this. When I posed the question on facebook about whether to breastfeed or bottle feed your infant  I didn’t realize how often it comes up with new moms. So how do you decide what to do?

 1. Research, not too much though. Knowledge is power but sometimes people educate themselves so much with what I like to refer to as “book knowledge” that they loose their common sense.

2. Poll for opinions. You’ve heard the old saying, “opinions are like butt-holes, everyone has one” (LOL, I love that it’s my blog and I could use that phrase. It makes me giggle every time.) Ask people, ask your own mother, your sister, friends. Ask the nursing staff. They see a lot of babies. You will find a broad spectrum of answers.

3. Go with your gut. If your gut is telling you that your baby would do better bottle feeding, then do it. If your gut tells you that YOU would do better bottle feeding your baby. Do it!

There are three  things I don’t want you to do.

1.       DON’T ask lactation! If you need help with breastfeeding then ask them for help but if you want their opinion on the best way to feed. Don’t ask.  If everyone bottle fed their baby then surely these gals would be out of a job. Although some of them would tell you very honestly that if your babies blood sugar is low or your baby is loosing a lot of weight quickly that you would be better off to supplement with some formula after you breastfeed. 

2.       DON’T feel like if you give a little formula that you won’t ever be able to breastfeed. No baby is gonna want a cold rubber nipple with formula over a warm, soft mommy with sweet breast milk. (unless you are my baby and then you LOVE formula cause you’ll never get breast milk.)

3.       DON’T feel guilty!

So, you’ve taken the steps, made the decision and you decide to BOTTLE FEED! J Now what? Are all formula’s created equal? How will your baby take to the bottle. The good news is that now days all formula’s are made to be as similar to breast milk as possible. The FDA regulates how little and how much of the essential nutrients that babies need that the companies must put in the formula. Some companies are adding DHA and ARA to their formulas. These are essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in breast milk. The companies state that adding DHA and ARA to the formula help infant eyesight and brain development. Do I have an opinion as to which kind is best? Well OF COURSE I do. I feed probably no less than 6-8 babies a week at my job. Of the formula’s that are used Nestle Goodstart is my current favorite due to the whey protein they use. It is made to break down into smaller pieces and are easier for your baby to digest. Typically with babies we have that are bottle feeding for the night with Goodstart are less spitty than those taking Similac and Enfamil. 

Bonding with a baby who is bottle fed is the same as bonding with a baby who is breastfed. You can still do skin to skin. Hold the baby against your skin when you feed her. Open up your shirt and allow baby that close sensation. This helps your newborn learn to regulate her own temperature, feel  and smell you and is all around comforting to them.  Always hold your baby when you are feeding it a bottle. Never prop the bottle. I am guilty of doing it and it seems so easy to hurry and do the dishes while the baby eats but you are not only depriving yourself and baby from some very important snuggle and bonding time you are also putting your baby at risk for choking, ear infections, and tooth decay. Take it slow and don't always feed baby on the same side. Don't rush the feeding. Sometimes with bottle feeding babies eat much faster than a breastfed baby. If you take it slow you can enjoy the parent/infant bonding. Feeding baby on different sides allows baby to develop muscles on both sides and to see the world from a different perspective.

Enjoy these first few weeks with baby. Before you know it she will be holding her bottle independently and you will be missing all the snuggles and bonding you had before. They get big so fast. No matter how you feed your baby take time to smell the baby lotion.

Got Milk?

Alright! It's no secret that I haven't been as supportive of breastfeeding as I could be. In fact, I work on a postpartum unit as an aid and I frequently THANK HEAVENS that aids aren't supposed to do any breastfeeding teaching. I bottle fed my babies because when I tried to do the nursing thing with my first it was a night mare. Strange old ladies touching my boobs. No way I was doing that again with baby #2. SO....I have become the #1 supporter of the formula companies. I once recently joked with the Similac Rep when he came to the hospital that I would like to grow up and have his job one day. Changing the world one bottle at a time!
I have to admit though, lately, I am starting to see the error of my ways. I'm not admitting that breastfeeding is for me, I'm just saying that perhaps breastfeeding isn't as bad as I pretend it is. I have a friend that recently had twin baby girls. She is amazing. She will be the best little mom. She is VERY dedicated to strictly breastfeeding. She would never do so if it for any reason was dangerous for the babies. (for example if they had low blood sugars or lost too much weight) This got me thinking, for the moms that are really dedicated and determined to make breastfeeding work and work for the long term what could I do to be more supportive. So, let my research begin........here's what I learned. The most interesting for me wasn't how to build and sustain a good milk supply, it was the mechanics behind breast milk. I went HERE and learned about what they call endocrine control of milk which basically means that in the beginning your hormones control your milk supply. I love the way they describe it as "a safety net for the milk supply in case things between mom and baby don't get off to an ideal start." Then after the first few weeks as your mature milk comes in it is called the autocrine control of milk. This period basically means supply and demand. Your body is going to produce based on what is emptied. So if you have a baby that doesn't eat well or if you are spending long periods of time away from your baby then your milk supply will decrease. SO, what was the best advice I found on  keeping a good milk supply? Pump after each feeding. Keep in mind if you have a crappy pump then it's not going to do you any good. Best advice for if your milk supply decreases? POWER PUMPING! Anyone know what that is? I sure wish I had. Apparently the advice from lactation nurses is to power pump. To power pump you pump for 10 minutes then rest for 10 minutes on and off for 1 hour.  It's like tricking your body into a growth spurt. Well, a milk spurt. Lol. The other thing I found that they recommended was to take fenugreek. Stay tuned. Who knows maybe my next post will be about breastfeeding holds and other tips. Well, maybe not either. :)

If I have favorite lactation consultant the author of this book is her. Anything good I know about breastfeeding is from her. I <3 Michelle. Check out her book.

I found the following review of her book and I love it!

"When my daughter was born and wouldn’t latch on to my breast for the first ten days of her life I felt very helpless and alone. I had no idea that breastfeeding would be this difficult, had no one in my immediate circle who was able to help me figure things out and had no time to read a book. I eventually sought out the help of a lactation consultant and La Leche League but I wish I had Mommy’s Little Breastfeeding Book: 101 Tips Your Baby Wants You to Know About Nursing by Michele Leigh Carnesecca, RN, IBCLC in my hands.
Though there are plenty of breastfeeding books out there, what I like about this one is how to-the-point and easy-to-read it is. Written by a registered nurse and lactation consultant who realized that she was repeating the same breastfeeding tips over and over again to nursing mothers, the book is divided into three categories — Before the Hospital, At the Hospital and At Home. Each page offers important information without scaring off the reader. I also like that it offers product suggestions and can, at times, even be funny while still sharing crucial tips. The book’s small size is also appealing as it can easily be carried in a bag."

Carseat Canopy DANGERS!

You probably all have one? Right? Heck, I want one and I don't have a carseat to put it on.

 They are just that cute!

I wish that someone would have thought of this when my babies were babies! I love it! So why am I devoting an entire post to it? Well you see, I am thinking that someone, anyone may be like me and be a little sunny side up. You know? Glass half full kinda girl. I see things, I think they are wonderful and I want it. I am lucky though in that I have friends to bring me back down to earth and remind me to look at something fully when deciding to use it. Just like this. Super cute, eliminates the need for a blanket draped over the top, keeps people from coughing and sneezing all over my newborn, keeps strangers from staring at my baby. It's dark, baby sleeps. IDK, all around fantastic.

Well, maybe not. Maybe pretty wonderful but there are a few things to remember when you are using one of these. They are perfect for protecting your baby from the wind or rain or whatever mother nature is throwing at us that day. Like I said earlier, they are also great for keeping stranger from poking their heads in close and for keeping people from coughing or sneezing all over your baby. The risk involved here is when baby is covered there may not be adequate air flow. While that's the idea it's also the problem. If baby is "rebreathing" it's own Carbon Dioxide it could potentially cause SID's. Just make sure that if you are using one of these covers you take it off when the baby is safe in the car or house and that if you are leaving it down while you are in the store, maybe just make sure to vent out the sides or pull up one side only. While this isn't something that we hear all over the news it's definitely something to be considered. You don't wanna be the one to make the news. Right? At least not for that. Better safe than sorry.

Your car seat is how old?

Just like you wouldn't feed your baby expired milk. You shouldn't use an expired car seat. Well, I guess if you'd take a big swig of chunky goodness yourself then you would perhaps feed it to your kid, but NOT me!

Ever noticed the sticker on the back of your car seat? It's there, don't worry. It gives the manufactured date of your car seat. Did you know that car seats expire? Just like if your car seat has ever been involved in a car accident you aren't supposed to use it, the same is true with expired car seats. Generally car seats expire 6 years from the date it was manufactured. Why do they expire? They don't grow mold or explode. But technology changes. Well, technology advances. Along with advances the government is always changing its standards.

On another note let's talk about the switch from the infant carrier to the bigger car seat. The current AAP recommendation is that your baby ride in a rear facing seat until the age of 2 or when it meets the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer. That doesn't mean that you have to keep your 1 year old in it's infant seat, you can advance them to the bigger seat, just keep them facing the back. The AAP doesn't just make up a bunch of stuff they think would be funny to watch us as parents try to enforce. There is a science and real life situations to back it up. When it comes down to it you are the parent. It's your child and you are making the decisions regarding your babies safety. I just have to wonder at times if we are in such a hurry to have our kids grow up or to have that super cute car seat or to quit listening to the baby cry because it's sick of facing backwards. There are a million reasons we decide to turn our child's carseat to the front. But how many of them are good, truly good reasons. You know, selfless ones? How many of them are educated ones?
I'll admit right here right now. I was a carseat idiot. I made poor choices and thank Heavens my kids weren't hurt because of it. I didn't understand what I do know about why they should face backwards. I totally switched my kids to the front facing at 1 yr old. Even though my daughter was seriously too small for a front facing carseat. You and I as adults are fine to face forward. In a crash we are usually sent into a forward motion until our seat belt or car seat straps stop us abruptly at which point our head continues forward and then back in what we refer to as whiplash. If you've ever been in an accident you know that whiplash sucks!
It's not like that for infants and babies. They are very "top heavy". Their heads are heavier than their bodies, so, in an accident their heads are going to be thrust forward with 4x the force as ours would be. Now imagine them in a forward facing seat. I know right? Not to mention that their spine and spinal cord are different than ours in that the bones of their spinal cord are stretchy and flexible while their spinal cord itself is not. So....they can whiplash forward with little damage to their spine but the spinal cord itself is gonna snap. Paralyzed baby!
I get it. I really do. I know that your babies legs are getting longer and they are kicking your seat. I get that they freak out cause they can't see out like everyone else. I know that the bigger carseat is so weird strapped in backwards. I get all of that. Sometimes it's enough to make a mama down right crazy. BUT....now that you know WHY your baby should be facing backwards until they are 2 or big enough that they outgrow the length and weight recommendations on your carseat, do you still want to turn them front facing? What if it's that one time, that one moment. The person in front of you slams on their brakes and so you do the same. Too little too late and you run into their bumper at a pretty good pace. You have a sore neck and some bruises, but what about your baby? Kinda gives you that sick feeling in your stomach hu? I've got it right now just thinking about how stupid I was. Do everyone a favor. Keep the baby facing backwards. You're the mommy and you make the decisions. But I also know that you love your baby and would do ANYTHING to keep it safe. Just saying...........

Excuse me.

Sorry for the double picture use friends. Apparently I need more sleep in my life. That and I am trying to get ready for Girls Night Out and I will be taking a blog time out for a few days for some family stuff. Anyhow, thanks for checking the blog anyhow and sorry about the picture. I'll find some new material and do my posts during a fully awake period. Lol.

Excuse me. Did you wash your hands?

It's that time of year. August signals the start to fall. The kids start back to school and whether you have school aged children or not you will undoubtedly be exposed to the same things growing in those petri dishes we call school. Doesn't matter if it's public school, charter school or private school. Whether it's your first baby or your 6th, the risks are the same. Fall starts the beginning of cold and flu season. Which for your newborn can be devastating. How are you going to protect yourself and your family this year? I did the work for you, researched the sites and filled their fact with plenty of my opinion and the following is the result of my efforts.

1. Proper nutrition. Whether it is you are baby or your toddler, make sure everyone is eating healthy choices and drinking plenty of water. Stay away from refined sugars as I personally think they feed those stupid germs allowing them to multiply and take over. If anything they for sure restrict your bodies ability to ramp up the immune system and fight of virus's. Remember, babies immune system is very immature. Something that may be easy for our bodies to fight of could have serious complications if baby gets it.

2. Get your flu shots. Not just you, everyone in the family. I know all the arguments, I work in health care remember? I've heard it all, even from my colleges. You don't believe they work, or the last time you got a flu shot you got sick, or you get the flu anyhow so why bother? That perfect, beautiful baby is why bother! Your baby is depending on you to keep yourself healthy and in turn keep him healthy. You would give your life to protect your children right? So why not a stiff arm for a day to help protect them? While we are on shots.....everyone caring for baby should be current on their Tdap too. It's not the tetanus part as much as the pertussis. Pertussis or whooping cough has been making a come back in recent years. I can think of very little as sad as watching your baby cough until it turns blue and vomits or passes out or worse.

3. Hand washing is always important. Not only for good health but it is also just plain socially unacceptable to not wash your hands. It's super important for anyone who will be holding your newborn, especially during cold and flu season. It's not rude and it shouldn't be uncomfortable. It's your duty as a parent to insist that any visitors wash their hands. The only problem with hand washing is that often people don't do it effectively. If they are washing with soap and water they should do so thoroughly for at least 30 seconds. My favorite is to have hand sanitizer. I mean everywhere. I have it at each of the sinks in my house and I keep a big bottle just inside my front door. While it isn't the greatest decoration, if it's very visible people are more likely to just take a squirt. If you don't want to have to tell people and you think they will miss the hint of a huge bottle right inside your front door then post a sign. Just a little sign reminding visitors to wash their hands hands before holding the baby.

4. Don't take your newborn in public. Don't go to church and to the family holiday get together! It sucks to have to miss it. It's true, but it also sucks to spend a night or more at the hospital with your baby! Once flu season is in full swing, get yourself some indoor activities, find some help or someone to come in and take care of baby while you go out, or wait till your husband can be home with the baby.

5. So what if you do have to go out? You are just not capable of staying home. Covering the car seat with a blanket or those cute carseat canopy's that people have while in stores or public places or at family gatherings will help discourage well meaning admirers from touching your newborn and unknowingly spreading germs. (Just be sure to pull it back when in the car and keep a side or something pulled back when you are out. You don't want baby rebreathing to much of his own carbon dioxide) You should be sure to wash your own hands after touching door knobs and shopping carts and before you touch your baby. Pocket hand sanitizer is great for that.

When you practice these basic illness prevention strategies you can help prevent some serious complications from the cold, flu, or RSV. By making these simple changes you are making your newborn’s health a priority. Good luck and keep it clean. My favorite winter strategies are hand sanitizer, Clorox cleaning wipes and disinfectant spray.

Good luck and may good health be with you!

Oh the sadness

This is one of the happiest times of your life right? So why so grumpy and where are the tears coming from? Your poor body has been through the ringer. Preganacy and child birth are no walk in the park. Unfortunately for some of us it's not our favorite color but more the way we feel. Blue. The baby blues are a common during the week or two after you deliver the baby. Your mood changes are caused by the sudden shift of hormones. Things like stress, lack of sleep and the new lifestyle you have with the baby at home can add to or make the baby blues worse. Generally the baby blues will go away on it's one without any treatment. Just take time for yourself each day, get some extra help and rotate with your partner or another helper during the night for babies feeding. You need to get some sleep.
If the baby blues don't go away, you may have postpartum depression. After a month or so if you are still or begin to experience anxiety, a disinterest in your baby, you want to sleep often and are generally lacking motivation, or even if you are having trouble sleeping it may be postpartum depression and not just a case of the baby blues. My advice, see your doctor. Talk openly with the Dr. about what you are feeling. We can't control certain aspects of our bodies and this is one of them. Give yourself a break. It's ok to admit what you are experiencing.
I couldn't figure it out after my second baby. I had no problem with connecting with him and never had any thoughts of self harm or harming him or my daughter, but man did I cry at the drop of a hat. I'm pretty sure I nearly bit my husbands head off more that a dozen times a day and I SO didn't want to clean or cook. Well, I still don't want to do that. Lol. I don't even remember now what I went to the Dr. for origionally. All he had to say was, "how are you today?" and I burst into tears. How embarassing! NO! I am so lucky that it happened at the right time and to the right person. For whatever reason I guess I didn't really think about depression. My baby was 6 months old! The good Dr. gave me and antidepressant and within a week I felt like a new woman! With in 2 weeks my house was clean again, by week 3 I could sleep at night between the babies feeding. IT WAS WONDERFUL!
My advice to you is to not ignore the little signs. If you feel "not quite yourself" then you probably aren't. It's ok to seek out advice especially from a Dr. Medication doesn't always have to be a permanent thing. Just use it to get you over the hump. However, DON'T stop taking it without your Dr.'s instructions to do so.
Be happy or get happy. It's so much more fun to enjoy the baby and your new life when you can really ENJOY it.

You want the real deal here right? It's easy to find the articles written by the "experts" about C-section delivery, but how many of those experts are men? Ya, men are wonderful and can make absolutely wonderful Dr.'s (I've never been to a woman Dr. ever, IDK why, I just haven't) but they can't actually have a baby so they can't actually speak from their experience. Right?

So what? You didn't or aren't delivering vaginally. (Did you like my us of proper terms just now?) If you are like a growing percentage of us out there you just had or are going to have a C-section to deliver your baby. Didn't know that by entering the world of motherhood you were also going to be asked to have major abdominal surgery too. Hu? So, here it is, one of the many selfless decisions you will make on the behalf of that beautiful baby. C-sections are preformed because they are necessary. There is usually to much risk to the baby to deliver vaginally or there is something that makes it unsafe for the mom. You guessed it, unsafe for mom = unsafe for baby. See? Selfless. You are a good woman and a good mama.

Whether it's your first C-section or you've done this many times before it can totally be scary. I'm just gonna give you the "real deal" on having surgery to have a baby. You can look up all the medical stuff yourself but lets be honest, you came here cause you want to know from someone who has been there done that, what you are really getting into. Alright, well, IT HURTS! Not always just after surgery. I was the lucky winner for serious pain and discomfort during surgery. With my first baby I swore they gave me sugar water instead of medicine to make me numb. I didn't feel the actual cutting but holy crap the pressure and tugging sucked. I totally thought I was gonna barf. Good news for you is that it last only minutes vs the hours some women spend pushing and.....modern medicine is our friend. Ask for anti-nausea medicine. When they take you back for surgery, no matter if it's done emergent or scheduled they usually (again, things could be different based on different Dr.'s and different hospitals) give you medicine for pain, which can last for the 1st 24 hours, but for me, it DIDN'T, and they will give you something for nausea and possibly something for itching. The pain medicine they give you that is supposed to work for 24 hours can also make you itch. If you are like me you get all of the above. So what I learned with my second C-section was to tell them right up front, I told the anesthesiologist 1. I barf, give me the good nausea stuff, not the first choice but the GOOD choice for when the first choice doesn't work. 2. I get the chatters. My teeth chatter uncontrollably and it sucks! My favorite anesthesiologist gave me like 2 or 3 bags of WARMED fluid before my surgery with my son and it made a world of difference. 3. The sweet 24 hr pain medicine, doesn't work like that for me. After I start to feel the slightest bit of pain I ask for more pain medicine. There ya go, there are my pre and immediately post surgery suggestions. Just lay down and enjoy the ride. You will quickly be a the proud parent of a new baby girl, or boy. :)

So now what, we all survived surgery and surgery sucks, plus now you want me to take care of this new little human? Start now ladies, ask for help. Plan for help. Let the nursing staff be your help or your husband or both. You want someone that won't be more of a burden to deal with. Most things revolving around the baby will be the same. You are expected to feed the baby, change the baby, snuggle it, love it. You know? The fun part. :)
Along with the fun part you are also being thrown into the motherhood world of multitasking. You need to care for baby and focus on YOURSELF. Most important, believe it or not. Get up and walk. Just take a few steps. Walk from the bed to the bathroom. Anything. If your nausea is under control and you have pain meds on board (which you better cause  I just told you what to ask for) then get the nurses help. Only with the nurses help, and stand beside your bed. Remember to use your arms and legs to get up. You don't realize how often you use your tummy muscles until those muscles have been cut in half to deliver a baby. Lol. Resist the natural temptation to bend over. STAND UP STRAIGHT. Focus on a goal in front of you and go! Take baby steps if you must but getting moving is the best way to start to recover. Same goes when you get home. I'm not talking about the 5k you walked each morning before you got pregnant. I talking about getting off the couch and going to get your own drink. Sitting at the table with the family for dinner. The small easy movements.
Mom multi-tasking moment #2 Feeding- feed yourself and feed your baby. After the first day you and baby will both start to get/feel hungry. Day one, take an easy, stick to soups and pudding and juice. The boring stuff. For baby, she will probably be tired and you will have to wake her up to eat. There will be longer breaks between her feedings. Day 2, not so much. That sweet bundle is gonna want to eat every freaking 2-3 hrs if its breastfed and you are lucky and probably every 3-4 if you are feeding it a bottle and not over feeding it at each feeding. Remember, babies like to suck. it's comforting to them, so they will "eat" way more than they need to. Either leaving you with sore nipples or them with a huge tummy full of formula to spit up. I've said it before, for the heavy sucker, binki's are our friends. As for baby, if you are breastfeeding continue to feed on demand or every 3 hours, whichever comes first. Bottle feeding, every 3-4 hours and if baby starts to wake up after an hour to eat again you are probably safe to let it eat a little more than what you were originally feeding it. If it spits it up, you know you gave to much. Remember that whether breastfed or bottle fed babies do cry for reasons other than hunger. Make sure you are not just shoving food in it's mouth every time it cries.
So you done it. You've mastered multi-tasking at the hospital. Now they are gonna send you home and you have to learn to do it all over again! Lol. It's home. It's comfortable and welcoming and that's how you should feel. This is where you need help. If you don't have family or friends that can come help then hire someone. ( Time 4 Me, is very reasonable) The first week should be as relaxing as you can make it. No cleaning and vacuuming for you. No standing for long periods doing dishes and cooking. This next week should be about recovery and rest. Spend time with your baby just snuggling or with your other children watching movies and reading books while baby sleeps. Frankly, all of the above sounds good to me.  Take an easy on the food you eat, your bowels take like what seems forever to wake up after surgery and although my suggestion is to STAY ON TOP OF YOUR PAIN MEDS those pain meds have a tendency to slow down your tummy and cause some constipation. You didn't realize it was gonna be this fun hu? Take an over the counter stool softener, like Colace, regularly. It doesn't "make" you go but it will soften that first movement. You want soft. Trust me!
Week 2 and 3 you will start to feel better. You can start to reclaim your "normal" life in small pieces. Continue on something for pain. You may not need the narcotics except at night but you should have something on board. If you don't take meds for pain, you will feel pain. Most of us when we are sick or in pain we don't move around as much. You need to keep moving so keep taking something. Even if all you need to feel comfortable is Tylenol. Continue the stool softener. I like it until the end of week 3. Just in case. I don't want no freakin pepple poop to push. Lol. TMI? Just remember not to do it all. Even if you don't need help everyday you should probably have someone come a few times even if it's only for a few hours at a time. Have them tidy up while you nap or watch baby while you shower. It's the relaxation time that is so important.
The rest of your recovery is what you make of it. I was feeling pretty normal by week 3. I did my own tidying up. We still ordered out dinner a couple of times a week and we had simple meals the other days. I had help with vacuuming and bathroom cleaning. Bending over and picking up all the toys and stuff were the times that I "over did it". It was so nice to have my mom's help. She came and stayed with me for weeks 2 and 3. By the end of week 3 my husband and I were even able to get some alone time to go out to dinner without the children. It was awesome.

There ya have it my friends. Don't be afraid to wear your pajama pants all day, leave your hair pulled back and the toys on the floor. BUT, make time to shower and nap everyday. Get help! If you don't have someone to help it will be well worth your efforts to save up and pay someone to help. Good luck and as always, take time to smell the baby lotion!

Let's be specific

Let's get specific here. Comment on this post with topics that you would like covered. By covered I mean topics that you want researched and reported on. Topics that you want the "real" deal on. None of the typical answers carefully thought out and graphed by Dr.'s and specialists. Topics that you want covered by a real life mama. Yep, that's me! Let me have it. Circumcision, baby clothes, car seats, sleeping arrangements, food introduction, bathing baby. Pretty much nothing is off limits. Ask me and I will do my best to answer.

Expanded....

Nope, not my waistline after my lunch at Olive Garden today! Today was an awesome day out with my friends. It was what we have started calling our "sanity lunches" just fun, food and friends. While out with my friends I was looking around the restaraunt and it got me thinking. While I am focusing my time and energy with this business here on the home front, that doesn't mean I am not willing to travel. There aren't a great number of businesses that cater to women during the postpartum period like I do. So far the info I have found seems to be limited and pricey! Contact me for info if you are not within the state of Utah but interested in having Time 4 Me come and assist you during those first few days home from the hospital with your brand new bundle of joy. Check out our updated pricing page for an idea of what you may be looking at, but as always, these are just estimates. We need to discuss your families needs for me to be able to give you a solid figure. Thanks for looking and have a good night!

Baby Boot Camp

You have earned the carseat carrying rights into motherhood. Delivery is over, you are EXHAUSTED but thankfully you also have at least 2 days with Dr's and Nurse's that know what they are doing. They see over 300 babies a year. This newborn thing. They've got it! Thank goodness for modern medicine right? So, while in your exhausted stuppor what will be happening? Once you are transferred to the post partum unit you and baby will be again reunited. Where has baby been? In the nursery. One on one with a nurse, getting a full work up. As long as everything checks out normal (don't worry, that cone head that's all squishy on top or the bruise your baby has on it's arm, even the little baby zits that have appeared, all normal) your pediatrician most likely won't see your baby until tomorrow. What are the normal things your nursing staff is watching for? They are listening to your babies heart rate, counting it's breaths per minute and taking it's temperature. Are you freaking out because your babies hands and feet are blue! Holy Crap! Just kidding, perfectly normal too. Your baby is learning to regulate it's own circulation and temperature. Cuddle your baby close and give it a couple of days and this will subside. :)
So what is the nursing staff expecting from you? We are expecting you to let us know if baby has wet or messy diapers. We want to know when it feeds and for how long. If you feel like you are nursing ALL the time, you very well may be. Colostrum digests in 45 min. No wonder baby acts hungry hu? What should you expect from us? We will check mom and baby to make sure things are normal and staying normal. While we will help you take care of things, we want you to be as independant as possible when you go home so you don't go through the oh holy crap I can't push the call light here syndrome.

My next few thoughts are just dirty little secrets that I have learned over my many years working on the postpartum unit and from having raised 2 little blessings myself. But, before that, I found an awesome article on WebMd with great info on those first few hours/days with baby and what's normal/not. It talks more technical talk then I would get into here but non-the-less I thought it was an awesome article. Go here: Is my newborn normal if you want to read it. Now the dirt. (Disclaimer: keep in mind these are my opinions, there may or may not be medical evidence to support them but I have seen A LOT of babies and several different types of family dynamics) 1. Most of the staff doesn't believe in "nipple confusion" 2. Sometimes until your milk comes in a little (5-10ml) formula will make all the difference in the overall contentment of the baby. 3. We don't mind when you send your baby to the nursery for the night with a bottle. But don't expect to breastfeed exclusively and go 3-4 or more hours between feedings. If you feel like you just sent your baby to the nursery and now we are bringing it back to you. That's because it's hungry again! Lol 4. Hand hygiene is IMPORTANT, make sure your visitors are using hand sanitizer and/or washing their hands. 5. Don't let visitors come if you are tired! It's ok to say no. If you don't wanna turn them away, we are more than happy to do so. That also goes for your other children. Send the daddy home! He can watch over your little family while you and baby get the needed rest to Take On Life after the hospital. 6. Most of the delays in your care or discharge are due to the Dr.'s. We have to call them, wait for them to call back, give them certain test results or information and then implement whatever instructions they give us. It's like kindof a process. 7. Going home isn't just as easy as putting baby in the car seat and leaving. (stupid legalities and paperwork) 8. We really DO want to do whatever we can to help you in the decisions you have already made for your baby. You just have to be open and honest about what it is you want. We don't read minds. 9. Be flexible. We have to be and the nature of parenthood should make you do so to. :) and last but not least......10. Remember that we can't go home with you (although, you could hire Time 4 Me) but we want you to be prepared TO go home so listen and take in as much as possible. Write things down, whatever you have to do. Although it is a job for the nurses and Dr.'s we really are so excited for you. This is a major life milestone and is such a blessing. Congratulations and best of luck. The newborn period goes by so fast. Take time to smell the baby lotion and snuggle your little.

The built in babysitter!

No, I'm not the built in babysitter. Lol. While I would love any and all business that I could get for TIME 4 ME, I'm not talking about the kind of help I provide. (That was an awesome business plug hu?) I'm talking TV people. Sponge Bob, Moose A. Moose, Handy Manny, Dora. You know, all the best of children's programming. Where would some of us be without Disney and Nickelodeon?
It's one of those things that as parents we know isn't "recommended". The experts all warn us. "It's harmful to their development.", "the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages TV viewing in the first two years of life, but only six per cent of parents are aware of this advice despite ongoing publicity.” "TV watching and DVD's aimed at infants can actually delay language development." (Please don't pay attention to my punctuation, I know it isn't right. I watched too much TV as a child.)
So what about those of us that succumb to the pressure? My husband and I are among them. I had the best of intentions. Only watched PBS, had a 2 hr a day rule. Those good intentions and great rules lasted until my baby girl was..........3 months old. Lol. Are you beginning to think I fail as a parent? Not only do I bottle feed but I also allow my children to watch TV so young! Ugh. The truth is out. I am FAR from perfect. I wanted so badly to be a SAHM but alas, that wasn't in the cards for our family. I did find a happy medium for us, I worked nights while the hubs worked days. The kids were never without a parent. The sacrifice was my sleep and I guess my children's non-TV activities. It was during one of those omg!please don't make me get off this couch mornings that our relationship with Playhouse Disney began.
I admit, it's not the best parenting. But I hope that I am in good company. It's one of those guilt sources that I think, I hope, other parents also experience. It's my duty as a mother to steer my children towards good things. I want them to connect with good things and learn to be good people. There is a right and wrong for everyone, and maybe I am one of the lucky ones but I feel like TV has assisted me in not screwing up this aspect of parenting. Let's take Spongebob for instance. Little yellow guy who is always happy, always smiling, LOVES to work. Why wouldn't I want my kids to be that way. I often used Spongebob as my back up when my kids were younger. I would get resistance when I asked them to do something and I would point out, "would Spongebob tell Mr. Crab's no? or would he do what he was asked?" Lol.
For those of you who are good at limiting TV exposure or don't have one at all, teach me. Teach us. What trick do you have that have worked for you. Is it a lifestyle thing? Is your husband on board and that's part of what makes it work? For those of you that are like me, or are starting to be. There's your excuse. Just remember to do what will be best for your family and yourself. My children have turned out to be bright, healthy and I hope well adjusted adolescents.

Oh yes I did!

I know, y'all are gonna think, "Oh NO she didn't!" Well, yep, yep I did or am. Lol. I wanna get controversial. That's right! I wanna talk about. . . . .(drum roll please) BOTTLE FEEDING. May I be struck by lightening for the rest of this post, but, after caring for a mom with twins today, who....you guessed it, is supplementing her twins with formula and a mom who had a C-Section and was soooooooooo sick but insisted on Breastfeeding even though her baby needed her to feed it and she was NOT capable. I wanna discuss newborn feeding.
Why does it matter how you feed your child? I have watched mother after mother in those early days, their babies are obviously STARVING, cause the milk isn't in. Baby is fussy and unsettled but the thought of formula much less formula from a bottle is appalling to some parents. What? You'd rather your kid starve and cry? Fine.
SO, with my obvious side taken in that bottle feeding is and should be acceptable, let me say this, "there is NO real substitute for breast milk. It is simply the best food for your baby. It provides all the nourishment they require and builds immunities protecting your baby against developing certain infections to which they will be exposed."
Bottle feeding vs breastfeeding is a personal choice and as all things that go with parenting you MUST stay flexible. Educate yourselves. Most infant formulas now days contain the right blend of vitamins, including vitamin D, for a baby, so supplements are usually not necessary. Iron-fortified formula is recommended for a baby's first year and should contain up to 12 milligrams of iron per liter. Be prepared to do what will be best for you AND for baby. If you do anything, just one thing. Be open minded. Regardless of what you may think. the hospital staff doesn't actually care how your baby eats, we just want it to eat. Take any and all advice you can and then make your OWN decision. That's right! You get to decide for yourself how to feed your child! Crazy hu? So whether you choose to exclusively breastfeed, nurse and then top off, bottles through the night/breastfeed during the day, bottles only, whatever your choice make an educated one and a selfless one.
Thank you and.....good night!

J/K

Thanks for hearing me out. Snuggle your littles cause they don't stay that way long and no matter what side of the controversy you are on, be accepting of others and open to suggestion. :)

Happy feeding!

(Check out our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Time-4-Me/118744968210566 for a great link to information on bottle feeding)

Gotta get some Zzzzz's

The sleepless nights have begun. Just remember that newborns and infants have been stereotyped for YEARS as waking in the night. Why else are we all trying to figure out how the heck to get them to stay asleep. Well, my advice for you "develop a realistic attitude about nighttime parenting." Sleeping is like eating. It is just not something that you can force a baby to do. The best thing TO do is to teach your baby that sleep is calm, restful and nice. If through your efforts to teach your baby to sleep you cause an uninviting atmosphere or put your infant in a fearful state then be prepared for such bedtime fights for years to come. Teaching your baby a restful attitude about sleep when they are young will result in both you and your child sleeping better when they are older.
So, easier said than done right? First things first. Stay flexible. You have probably learned or are learning that as the parent you gotta just roll with the punches. All babies will have different night time temperaments and each family has different night time lifestyles. Just don't be disappointed when you develop a routine of having baby in bed by 7pm and then you are stuck to that routine for the next couple of years. Can't teach the kid one thing and then expect them to stay out late with you at your friends or for dinner. Unlike us......babies will NOT roll with the punches. Lol.
My suggestions to you, other than stay flexible. Which as a parent you will find out is one trait you will get lots of practice perfecting. Here, is a list of the other "important" aspects....
* Decide where baby is going to sleep. There isn't really any right or wrong answer. Crib, bassinet, in bed with you (although I personally DON'T go for this one), in a bouncer or swing. Here's my soap box for one minute, as medical personnel my advice is not to let them sleep in their car seat or in bed with you. But, I am a mom. I get it. Sometimes it's whatever you have to do to sleep. Ok, box away.
*  Get baby used to falling asleep in many different ways. If you rock your baby to sleep ever time then when he wakes up in the middle of the night he is going to expect you to rock him back to sleep.
*  Set consistent bedtime rituals. Calming bath, lotion, a snuggle while you read or sing to baby. The rest is what I talked about in the bullet previous to this one. This is where bedtime ritual ends and the "falling asleep" rituals need to vary.
*  Don't forget to tank up the baby during the day. Part of helping the baby sleep longer at night is by making sure he is getting enough to eat during the day.
*  Last but not least, how do you get baby to stay asleep? Make sure the room temperature is good. Most recommendations are to keep the room between 65 and 70 degrees F. Make sure baby is comfortably dressed and swaddled. Keep the babies room dark and quiet and provide white noise to prevent baby waking at sudden sounds going on in the house.

There isn't any fool proof method to getting infants to sleep through the night. Keep a laid back attitude, remember that every baby is different. If baby is having an extremely difficult time be sure to consult with your Dr. to rule out any medical problems and.....here's my plug, if you need an extra set of hands, enlist your spouse or partner OR hire Time 4 Me. :) Email me for rates and we an discuss your families individual needs. time4momcare@gmail.com

Good luck and here's to hoping you catch some Zzzz's

Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh!

Sometimes you just need to giggle. Tonight was one of those nights. Here's a treat for you to laugh along with me......http://youtu.be/CQo2FJPLeQk

"Why'd you make all the chocolate chip cookies!"

My daughter and I are away at dance camp. Basically, she works her tail off for 8 hours a day dancing and I get to come along to ensure her safety, pay for her meals and....blog. :) Rough hu? Anyhow, are you wondering what in the heck this has to do with cookies? Well......at camp we are in hotel rooms and each mom and daughter share a room with another mom and daughter. Our first night here (which was sleepless, ugh) the other gal sharing our room sits straight up in bed, 1am, and sCrEAmS...."Why'd you make all the chocolate chip cookies!" Well, now I was awake. Not just for a few minutes but the better part of 3 hours. Contemplating. What makes kids talk in their sleep? What causes night terrors and sleep walking?

We have a sleep walker in our house. Over the years I have been able to pin point that he does it when he is sleep deprived, too many late summer nights. I make him pee and he goes right back to sleep. None the wiser in the morning. It's amazing. But this is after many years of my baby waking up, screaming with those glossy eyes or wandering around the house looking for something or for the neighbor boy. Worrying about if I should put an alarm on his bedroom door to make sure I know when he is up. What is it that causes these things and WHEN will he out grow it? Frankly our roommate here is 15 so I REALLY hope he grows out of it by then. Lol.

Turns out that sleep behavior disorder and sleep terrors are two types of sleep disorders that may cause someone to shout out in their sleep. Just as our room mate did. Statistically 1 in 10 children have night terrors and children with night terrors usually sleep talk and/or sleep walk. Well, my son fits that description. Sleep talking may be brought on by stress, depression, fever, sleep deprivation, day-time drowsiness, alcohol, and fever. In many instances sleep talking runs in families, although external factors seem to stimulate the behavior. Sleep talking often occurs at the same time as other sleep disorders such as sleep terrors, confusional arousals, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and REM sleep behavior disorder.

I found some great information here: http://www.babycenter.com/0_night-terrors_142.bc on night terrors. The unfortunate part for me and you is that there isn't really a treatment for any of these childhood plagues. The good part is that typically there aren't any long term effects or reasons that these things occur. So, hang on for the ride and, "Don't make all the chocolate chip cookie!"

To plug or not to plug?

The great binky debate? Babies are born with the ability to suck which aids them in latching on to a bottle or a breast for feeding. But what about the babies who's desire to suck is greater than the their need to eat. Babies suck as a comforting reflex. There is concern that the use of binkies will hamper the success of breastfeeding and then there are the long term consequences to think about. Habits are never easy to break especially when it's the screaming, sad baby who won't sleep with out the paci.

Who's to say if pacifiers are ok or not. It's definitely a personal decision and each baby will be different. If you research the opinions of the lactation specialists you should find plenty of information to support the fact that pacifiers should not be introduced until after the first month of life and that pacifiers definitely undermine the breastfeeding mother's milk supply. I found many sources that state that the quantity of milk a mother makes in the long-term is largely determined by how well the baby drains the breasts in the first weeks. The following came from http://www.pamf.org/, "For example, the more frequently a baby nurses in the first week, the more prolactin receptors develop in the glandular cells of the breast, and the more milk the mother will make."
SO....lactation aside.....where does the American Academy of Pediatrics stand? From the great academy we get a big 10-4-good buddy. Green light! Here is the link to the AAP and the article on "non-nutrative" sucking. http://www.aap.org/oralhealth/pact/ch8_sect1b.cfm

So....my friends. Where do you stand? All things nice here. I am welcoming the posts and I really do wanna hear what you have to say. I just don't want any hurt feel goods. It really is a personal decision, I for one am a binky mom.

Well Crap!

*WARNING* This post may contain straight up TMI. The following post is full of honest crap. Lol.

Literally. Don't you sometimes feel like you are up to your eyeballs in crap? There's nothing worse than when the baby, or anyone for that matter, has a stomach bug. So what is it that gets us into this crap? The list of possibilities is long. Your baby's diarrhea could be caused by a viral or bacterial infection. It might also be the result of a parasite, a course of antibiotics, or something he ate. No matter the cause the effect is less than pleasant for everyone involved.
Luckily a case of diarrhea is rarely serious. It can however become complicated when baby has a severe diaper rash or becomes dehydrated. If your baby is successfully keeping breast milk or formula down then continue to feed as usual. If your baby can't keep breast milk or formula down, call his doctor, who may suggest that you start giving him a pediatric electrolyte solution. These solutions are available in drugstores and come in flavors that most babies will readily drink if they're dehydrated. They're generally easier to keep down than breast milk or formula, too.

Avoid things like Sprite or 7 UP and drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. All of these contain sugar that draws water into the intestine and makes the diarrhea worse. Other than keeping baby hydrated the best things you can do are to cuddle and love the baby. Provide all those things that make your baby feel comfortable and secure. Binki, blanket, stuffed animal. Whatever it is. Be sure to provide for diaper rash too. Inevitably with a case of diarrhea your baby will get a diaper rash.

Call the doctor immediately if your baby is 3 months old or younger and he has diarrhea. If he's over 3 months, call the doctor if your baby has diarrhea and doesn't seem to be improving after 24 hours. Also call if your baby has diarrhea and any of the following symptoms:

• vomiting multiple times
• signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, not having had a wet diaper for six hours or more, and crying without tears
• blood in his stool or black stool
• a high fever — 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) or higher if he's 3 to 6 months old; 103 degrees F (39.4 degrees C) or higher if he's 6 months or older. (If your baby is less than 3 months old and his temperature reaches 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit — 38 degrees Celsius — or higher, call the doctor immediately; a baby this young needs to be checked for serious infection or disease.)

And it goes with out saying but NEVER substitute the information you read here for actually consulting a Dr. If you have a question then call them. That's why they make the big bucks right? Haha. Most every Dr.'s or Pediatricians office has an "on call" Dr. If you call the office after hours there is either an answering service or a recording that will give you instructions as to how to get ahold of the on call Dr.

Fingers crossed and hand sanitizer ready! Let's hope we can avoid to much Crap this fall.

Under Construction

I was at one of my clients homes yesterday and she has a wooden plaque with the cutest saying in vinyl on it. I will be calling my friend Tiffany Bingham with Simple Inspirations Vinyl asap to have one made up for myself. The plaque read....."No, this house isn't under construction. Children live here!"

Hahaha! I love that. I am trying to remember it every time I go to my kids rooms. (They clean their own rooms, I just think they should) When you open the door at times it looks like their dresser or toy box or sometimes both threw up all over the room.

Sweet, sweet summer.....

It's the end folks. August is here and do you know what that means? Silly hu? Of course you do. We're all mom's here, or dad's or grandma's, aunties, or baby sitters or teachers and with the exception of the teachers we are all rejoicing. Why's that?  August signals the return to school! 
Don't get me wrong. I love having my babies home and I loath the school year schedule, but....when my kids are at school and then have their activities after school. My house stays SO clean.
I got to talking with one of my friends the other day. Her first born is starting kindergartenen this year. Oh I remember that! It's so scary to watch your baby go into the big, big world of the unsecured playground. (I know that schools say they are secure, but chain link around the property doesn't count when it's my baby they are protecting. Lol) Anyhow, what do we do about the kindergarten check up? Or the Jr. High, or whatever reason we are fighting with our kids to get them to the Dr. We are taking them to some stranger who is gonna do "that" to them. You know......give them SHOTS!

I found the cutest link today. We all know Big Bird. We LOVE Big Bird. What's not to love about the big yellow guy. Well the geniuses behind Sesame Street have an interactive page on....you guessed it! Visiting the Dr. It gives you instructions and the activity. Lists which Sesame Street episode goes with the activity.  Go to http://www.pbs.org/parents/sesame/activity_4206.html if I managed to post that right it should take you to the exact activity. The activity is geared for children ages 2-6 but frankly, I just made my 10 and 13 yr olds watch it and they loved it!

Period of Purple Crying....

This is a crying period that can make a mama (or papa) down right crazy.

It's so awesome when your baby starts to smile and coo. But what about when it cries for 4 or 5 hours straight? What happens when you start feeling frustrated and you just want the baby to quit crying?

It's not uncommon for infants to go through periods of unhappiness. Sometimes I think it's training for us parents for later in life. Patience training. You know, for the toddler years, teenage years and beyond. :) But seriously, have you heard the phrase, "knowing is half the battle"? Alright, some of us are older than others. For you young ones I'm pretty sure that phrase was from like School House Rock or something. Idk. I digress.......One of the best pieces of advice for as to how to deal with your colicky infant is to have a plan in place before it happens. The people with the tips and to help you plan is the NCSBS. The National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrom. There are article after article and tons of tips as to what is normal crying and what is normal for you to do. There are also even tips for dad's! Check out http://www.purplecrying.info/ and http://www.dontshake.org/.