BREASTFEEDING
What Color Should My Breast Milk Be? Here’s What’s Normal On The Breast Milk Color Spectrum
As a breastfeeding mom, you don’t always see your milk (with the exception of when let down is heavy and it ends up spraying across your tiny human’s face as he tries not to choke on what has become a milk firehose). You might have a general idea of what you expect breast milk to look like but find yourself surprised the first time you pump. Or perhaps you have been pumping regularly and suddenly see a change in your milk. Should you be concerned?
“Believe it or not, there is a pretty wide spectrum of colors when it comes to what’s considered “normal” for breast milk. According to Very Well, typical breast milk colors can range from clear, white, off white, and blueish. However there are a few other colors that can make appearances in your milk as well.”
This article will help you get a better grasp on the color spectrum. [Read more here.]
Human Milk, Tailor Made for Tiny Humans
A new video advertisement campaign has quickly reached millions of views. “Human Milk, Tailor Made for Tiny Humans” is a 90-second video that focuses on the composition of human milk and the incredible science behind breastfeeding and its benefits.
“The idea of an advert for human milk was initiated by music artist and film producer Claire Tchaikowski, with the intention of informing parents and society at large of the surprising content and workings of human milk. We hope that parents-to-be will find useful information here to help them decide how they would like to feed their baby, and that new and established breastfeeding parents will be inspired by knowing more about what they are providing for their child.”
You can support the initiative by following their Facebook feed or read more here.
PREGNANCY
Can a Birth Ball Really Help You Have a Better Labor & Delivery?
It’s likely you have done a lot of research in preparation for your new baby. In addition to having everything in the house and the tools you may (or may not) need to raise a baby, preparing your body for labor and delivery is just as important. There are many exercises and stretches that will help with this. One fairly inexpensive tool you can use for prep, and even during labor contractions, is a birthing (or exercise) ball.
“Birth balls are an excellent way to prepare your body for birth. Spend some time every day sitting upright on your birth ball. This can be at your desk, watching TV, or whatever you’re doing. Sitting upright helps support and open the pelvis, loosen the ligaments, and support the lower back.”
This article covers the what, when, why and how of this tool. [Read more here.]
12 Women On The One Pregnant Moment They’ll Never Forget
For many years, it is easy to believe we will remember things for decades. Having children is one way to realize that is not the case. Life becomes so hectic and crazy, you often cannot even remember things that happened the day before, let alone last week or last year. But then there are certain moments and events in our lives that we know, without a doubt, will never be forgotten. These moms have shared the moments (good and bad) they won’t forget from their pregnancies. [Read more here.]
MOTHERHOOD
What You Really Need for a Kid’s Birthday Party
Kid birthday parties have escalated to a new level in the past decade, thanks much to social media. You can seriously type any word plus “birthday” into Pinterest and find a slew of ideas to give your child an out of this world party that you never could have imagined for yourself as a kid. For some moms, this is your thing. You thrive on and live for planning an event that is larger than life for your children. For other moms, the Pinterest party frenzy has brought about birthday party anxieties. Whether you don’t have the time, the money, the craftiness or the motivation, extreme-themed parties are only a new thing to stress out over in parenthood.
This blog post by a real mom, dives into her own anxieties over birthday parties and her attempts to live up to the Pinterest expectations and what her own ‘failures’ made her realize about her kids’ birthdays and what actually matters. [Read more here.]
Personal photos: A look into the life of a new mom
Every mom gets advice and ‘warnings’ through their nine months of pregnancy. All that is shared is very sincere. In fact, she is likely to pass it on to moms-to-be in the future. The only problem is, everything you are told is a thousand times more intense than you can possibly fathom when it is put to you so simply on the inside of a greeting card. Actually being a mom is the only way to understand the weight of those words shared with you from those who have been there.
“You can’t be completely ready, not due to lack of planning, because it’s simply not possible. But I’ve been enjoying the ride and trying to learn all I can from my on-the-job training. From diaper explosions, to figuring out how to use the bathroom while holding a squirming baby to enduring lopsided breasts due to a teething ‘hunger strike’ from my son, I’ve come so far in four months… and washed a lot of laundry!’
The mom who wrote this post took to the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” to express how indescribable love, extreme exhaustion, and crazy situations all come together to make motherhood a perfectly crazy experience that words will never describe. [Read more here.]
INFANTS
Teething Symptoms: 7 Signs Your Baby is Teething
Teething is an inevitable and never enjoyable part of having a baby. There is only so much you can do for a child and it’s not fun for anyone, but it is a necessary step in growth and development. The only thing a parent can do is prepare for identifying when teething is taking place in order to best comfort and help the child through it.
“The process of getting these teeth can be effortless or excruciating depending on your baby. Even with minor cases, most babies show some teething symptoms.”
This article and video cover the signs to look for that indicate teething. See the end of the article for a link for effective teething remedies. [Read more here.]
5 Signs Your Baby Is Too Cold & Needs A Little Warmth
There are a few drawbacks to having a new baby during the winter months. Cold and flu bugs are an obvious one, but in addition to that is the cold weather. Whether you are out and about and have no control over the environment or if you are home but worry about an extreme electric bill, it is important to tune into your baby’s need for warmth.
“According to InfantCPR, babies don’t have the ability to self-regulate their temperatures like adults. Their bodies can loose heat through unprotected surfaces, like head, hands, or feet — called “radiated heat” according to Mayo Clinic. Similarly, if babies don’t have enough layers on or are in a very cold room, being too cold and, in rare cases, experiencing hypothermia are real threats. Even in warmer months, it’s important to monitor your baby’s temperature to make sure they’re warm enough, especially indoors. In the colder months, you’ll need to keep an eye on their temperature outside as well as indoors.”
Your baby spent nine months in the coziest environment possible, nestled snug in your belly. It’s hard to top that, but this article shares five ways you can tune in to be sure your baby is not getting chilled. [Read more here.]
TODDLERS
An Open Letter to Parents Struggling With Discipline
Discipline is a particularly tricky realm of parenting that most people do not look forward to figuring out. It would be nice if children did not need parental guidance and discipline to develop into level-headed and good people. The reality is constructing a form of discipline in a child’s life is an incredibly important part of parenting. This article was written by a psychotherapist of teens, but her analysis and advise is that which can be and should be applied in parenting from the time behavioral problems begin, which is usually in the toddler years. [Read more here.]
This Awesome Doctor Is A Real Life Doc McStuffins
There is nothing quite so heartbreaking as having to take your child to the hospital. A sick kid in general is hard on the heart and even holding their hand through a vaccine can bring tears. A hospital trip is not just about the fact your child obviously has a major issue, but that a hospital is not fun for anyone! It is scary and far from “warm”. Even as adults it is hard to understand what all is happening and what is to come next. This pediatrician knows that and has gone the extra mile to not just help children with their medical needs, but help their experience feel a little safer. How exactly? He treats their best friends: their stuffies!
“Dr. Travis Groth is a pediatric urologist at Children’s Hospital in Wisconsin. […] After operating on a 9-year-old boy, Groth performed surgery on the child’s stuffed Mike Wazowski, which he brought to the operating room for comfort and stress relief. Mike needed a little stitching up, and the doctor was more than happy to help him out.”
The stitches on Mike Wazowski were not a rare occurrence, as it is common for Dr. Groth to treat his patients’ special toys as a way to brighten the recovery and stay at the hospital. [Read more here.]
