What happens when breastfeeding with large breasts
Big boobs are a blessing? Depends on who you are talking to! For many breastfeeding moms, it becomes a curse. It’s easy to think “more size = more milk,” but this mom puts the reality of breastfeeding with large breast out there with 12 specific points in her post “12 Things That Happen When You Try To Breastfeed with Really Big Boobs”. From the sudden increase in bra size that require special order bras and needing a new wardrobe that fits right to not being able to sleep easily and having to worry you might suffocate your baby, big boobs are not a breastfeeding mamas best friends. There are lots of challenges when breastfeeding with large breasts. [Read blog post here.]
Reflections on the wonders of a first-time mom
The day-to-day duties of a mother can leave one exhausted with the moments blurring together. Some days and weeks seem endless, but somehow every mother knows the months and years still pass quickly. That is why this wonderfully sweet reflection on the perils and perfections of the unique experience a mother has with her first child, “The Last First Time,” is something every mother can relate to. No matter if you first child is your only child or you have 10 more, the journey with the first one–when so much is unknown by you both–is unique. A baby goes through many firsts, but your first baby goes through your firsts with you. Sometimes those first experiences are magical and sometimes they feel helpless, but you are in it together, forming a special bond from the start. [Read blog post here.]
Recipes for boosting your milk supply (from other moms!)
Are you trying to boost your supply or even re-lactate? It is a very common goal for mothers at various stages of their breastfeeding journeys. This blog post is a compilation of 10 recipe links and suggestions from real moms on what worked best for them when trying to increase milk supply for themselves. The list includes much more than some of the common lactation cookie recipes you find and branches out to things such as oatmeal, muffins, potato salad, brownies and smoothies. Or there is always the advice from the writer’s friend that comes at the end of the post: “I swear by a beer. A nice cold beer. After I put the little one to bed, I’ll have a dark beer and am usually nice and full by morning. I think it’s the combination of the yeast and the relaxing factor!” [Read blog post here.]
The hard truths on being a breastfeeding mom
Breastfeeding can be painful. Breastfeeding can be tiring. Breastfeeding is a full-time job. These are the reasons author and mother Liz Lewis gives in her post, “Truths About Breastfeeding That Nobody Wants To Discuss.” Many of these truths are why Lewis says it is all the more important to support women in their breastfeeding journeys. No matter the path taken, it’s not an easy one and support is needed from every direction. [Read blog post here.]
The differences in easy and hard babies are real
Moms are often reminded to not judge and compare each other and instead support one another, but another type of comparison that needs to stop are the babies themselves. Comparing your baby to another is only asking for heartache and doubt in your motherhood journey. Written by Perri Klass, M.D., pediatrician and mother of two, this post focuses on the differences in babies and the lack of control parents have over certain factors.
“I supervise pediatric residents as they learn to provide primary care, to offer guidance to parents as they struggle with all the complexities of baby and toddler sleep, eating, potty training, discipline and tantrums. All of the stuff that shapes your daily life with a small child, and I’m talking about an essentially healthy, normally developing small child. And the hardest thing to teach, especially to people who haven’t yet done any child-rearing, is how different those healthy, normal babies can be, right from the beginning.”
If your baby is fussier and harder than a friend’s, it is time to stop fretting over the struggle as though it is your shortcomings as a mother. “Some babies are just easier than others,” dives into the deep complexities of differences in children as told from both a parent and medical professional. [Read blog post here.]
Favorite Photo of the Week
