This blog is dedicated to my journey of motherhood and sharing my experience with others. I am the Non-toxic Momma literally and figuratively. I strive to live a clean lifestyle physically and emotionally. My son, Luke Angelo, was born on April 25, 2018, and shortly after, I decided to resign from my 8th grade English teaching position to become a stay at home mom. Due to battling postpartum anxiety, I put a lot of thought into what comes into my house, whether it be negative energy or toxic products. I am very passionate about finding things that improve the quality of life for my family. I welcome you to read my post all about my new lifestyle as SAHM!
My goal was to breastfeed until a year, and I did just that! I have officially weaned Luke at 13 months! You can give me my gold boobie award now, thanks!
So, let’s talk about weaning! When I first started, I didn’t know exactly how to approach it until I reached out to breastfeeding groups, my close friends, and my amazing LC, Nicole (contact me if you need her info). I took little pieces of everyone’s advise, and now I want to share my weaning journey!
DISCLAIMER: Luke hasn’t had a bottle since 5 months old, and he was exclusively breastfeeding when I started weaning him at 11 months and 3 weeks.
Offer a sippy cup of water starting at 6 months
This way, they are ready for it when it is time to drink milk! I recommend trying all kinds of sippy cups to see what your little likes the best. The 360 cup and anything Munchkin brand have been our go to! Luke drinks Gerber Pure. It doesn’t have fluoride and is designed for babies.
If you start this at 6 months, be sure to offer no more than two ounces. The amount of water they can have increases as they get older.
Cut one day feeding at a time for 1 week or longer
At 11 months, 3 weeks, Luke was breastfeeding 3 times a day: once before his morning nap, once before his afternoon nap, and once before bedtime. He would also wake up at night at least 2-3 times to get on the boob. Yep, you guessed it, he had a sleep association with breastfeeding. Unfortunately, I just replaced it with yet another sleep association, rocking. So, instead of breastfeeding I rock Luke for 5-30 mins until he falls asleep for nap and bed time. I cut the morning feed, followed by the afternoon, and finally the bed time feed. I just worked out the feeding starting from morning to night. I cut feeds within a span of 1-2 weeks. This was the perfect amount of time for him to not notice as much.
If your baby is on an eat, play, sleep schedule, I still suggest cutting one feeding per week. It seems gentle enough!
Start offering Milk or a Milk alternative
Instead of breastfeeding, offer a couple ounces of milk until your baby works up to the recommended amount of 8-16 ounce a day. Luke went from drinking one ounce to eight in four weeks. I thought he was never going to drink enough, but as I cut the feeds and kept offering it, he did. Stay strong and don’t give up! Some people like to offer milk at meal times, and that is okay too. Now, Luke just drinks it throughout the day like water.
Luke drinks Ripple milk because he had a diary allergy when I started weaning, but he has grown out of it now! I will be offering him cow’s milk for the fist time tomorrow actually! I recommend Ripple milk if your baby has a cow’s milk allergy. It has the most fat and calcium out of all the milk alternatives.
Cut Night Weaning
After I cut out all the day feeds, Luke was waking up twice to breastfeed at night. I was going to cut this one by one, but I decided to stop both at the same time. I think this actually helped not confuse him. Again, I just rock him instead of breastfeeding.
Offer 3 meals and 2 snacks
At 12 months, it is recommended to feed your tot 3 meals and 2 snacks. Try not to skip anything! They need all the calories. If they are full when they need to be, they will be way more content. I offer Luke one to two tablespoons of a protein, veggie, fruit and grain at each meal. For snacks, I like to offer him diary and a fruit or veggie. I also utilize all the great baby snacks at this time! Be sure to offer iron rich foods as milk is low in iron.
Stay Strong and Distract
There have been times where Luke pulls on my shirt or taps my boobs, but I just distract him by playing with him, whether that is offering him a toy, tickling him, or walking outside, etc. He is easily distracted by anything he is asked to look at or play with. This has worked for me without tantrums or tears.
CUDDLE! They still need that closeness. Luke isn’t a big cuddlier, but I hug and kiss him constantly!
Overall, weaning wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be! If he would have put up more of a fight, I might have reconsidered cutting more and more feeds. I feel like Luke would have loved to continue breastfeeding, but he was also somewhat okay with stopping. At 25 pounds and still gaining, I felt he didn’t need my milk anymore. I have come to make peace with my decision to end my breastfeeding journey. At first, I was apprehensive because I wasn’t giving him the right to self wean, but it all worked out, and he is still normal self, high spirited and all. I will miss the bond and the downtime with him, but I do love having my body back and the freedom to do more. I will cherish my beloved breastfeeding memories forever! All 13 month of them!
If you need help weaning or have any further, questions please reach out!
I’m pretty sure I have suffered from anxiety my entire life, but shortly after I had my son, it went into overdrive. I sought therapy and was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety when Luke was three months old. My anxiety has gotten more manageable, but I want to share some things I battle in hopes to reach other moms going through the same warfare. If you experience what I am writing about, I encourage you to seek counseling and/or contact me to build your support system! No one should go through this alone; I sure as heck don’t!
1. Constantly Seeking Reassurance
When things go wrong or I don’t have the answer to something concerning Luke, I research on the internet for hours, ask my doctor, and all my mom friends for advice. I take all of their opinions into account and base my choices on what I think is the most logical. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of brain power. It is very exhausting, and my therapist gave me an only 3 rule. I am only allowed to ask three people. I still struggle with following this!
2. Irritability
My anxiety causes me to get extremely irritable over the littlest things. Unfortunately, my husband sees this the most. When he does something I don’t approve of, I usually blow it out of proportion. I don’t ever yell, but I can get a nasty tone. I’m trying to realize that little things are not worth getting so upset over and appreciate how he does help instead of pointing out his flaws. We often take things out on the person who we care about the most, this is the case for me. It is something I continue to he mindful about.
3. Obsessions
People with post Postpartum Anxiety tend to focus on a few things such as germs, SIDS, and/or their child getting hurt. I have worried about all of these, but I obsess about toxins. I look up ingredients of all of the products we have and try to make sure everything I use is free from things that have a negative impact on our bodily systems. This is nearly impossible and expensive, but I try my hardest to buy clean products. Even though it is a healthy thing to do, I go a little overboard and constantly worry about it. The constant worry of the things I use affecting Luke is the unhealthy part about it.
4. Not Feeling Good Enough
No matter how hard I try to make the most loving and enriching environment for Luke, I will never feel like a good enough mom. I am really hard on myself when I make mistakes, and I am terrible about celebrating my strengths. Because of this type of thinking, self love and care have made it on my priority list.
5. Comparing to Others
This goes along with not feeling adequate. I often look at others and think about how much more they have it together than I do. It has been a journey to realize that every mom is a super mom as long as they try! This includes me and YOU!
If you are struggling with the things mentioned above, you are not alone. Help is out there! It is time to seek it. For me, friends, therapy, and prayer, have gone a long way.
I don’t have a lot of experience with Luke being sick, but when he has been, it has been super duper trying on me and my husband. The fussiness and lack of sleep really gets you down, and you have no idea how miserable your baby feels, especially when that virus turns into an ear infection. So, I have come to find ways to be more proactive about what Luke comes into contact with outside our home. He is not in school yet, so I know that will be a game changer, but for now, I do what I can toavoid illnesses at all costs. This momma doesn’t play with cold and flu season, and she wants all of the peace and sleep she can get!
1. Well or Doctor Visits
Wear your baby into the visit! I have done this since Luke was a newborn. The office ladies joke with me because they didn’t see his face for the first three months of his life. My carrier has a cover for his head 🙂 They were like… he is so cute! We didn’t know what he looked like under there!
Use a wipe or napkin to open the door and throw it away when you get in. When you sign in and pay your co-pay, load up on the hand sanitzer (try to find a kid friendly brand like Honest Company or Babyganics) sanitize the s*** out of your hands and card.
Stay as far away as people as you can. You never know what they are in there for!
Whatever you do, do NOT let your child touch ANYTHING there! No waiting room toys, no furniture, no books, no mirrors, NOTHING! One visit, a nurse handed Luke a book with out asking me, and he was standing on the table touching the mirror. Surely enough, he had a runny nose a few days later. Now, I literally keep him in my carrier the entire time. I have always had him in my carrier in the waiting room, but now I keep him in there in the private room. I just walk around and talk/sing to him.
When they are on the table for the doctor, try to make sure their hands only touch the paper.
When you leave, push the door with your arm instead of your hand or use a wipe again.
Is this a little much? Maybe, but I think it is working.
2. Find the Cleanest Play Place
In my area, there are a lot of awesome indoor play places, but not all of them are as clean. Visit them and figure out which ones take the most care of the equipment. Look for people cleaning. You can also go as far as asking what their cleaning routine is. Ask your friends about them before you go if possible.
After going to the play place, wipe your baby’s hands with paci wipes or wash their hands.
3. Pay Attention to Other Kids
Whenever we play with others, I always scope out the kids who have a runny nose or cough and try to keep Luke from playing too closely with them as much as possible without making it obvious. I don’t want to be rude, and I get it… kids may have a residual cough or runny nose without being contagious, but you never know!
4. Use a Seat Cover and Hand Sanitizer When Out
Every time you go shopping, a seat cover is a must! You also need to use hand sanitizer any time you are done touching shared items, especially after you leave somewhere.
When out to eat, use seat cover for the high chair and a stick mat for the table. If you don’t have a stick mat, just hand your baby food. Before you hand your baby food, use hand sanitizer!
5. Change your Baby in the Car
I have never used a public changing table. I don’t even want to think about what has been wiped up with only baby wipes from multiple people. Even if you have a mat, your mat gets exposed, and that still goes with you.
So, I just change Luke in my truck before or after we go somewhere; it has always worked for us.
This might be a little extreme, but this is how I roll.
Even with doing these things, Luke has gotten little colds and recently was running his first fever, but I still continue to play defensive for what I can. I don’t keep him from doing public or fun things for the sake of not getting sick. Babies are going to get ill and I understand they need to build their immune systems, but it is nice to have as much time in between sicknesses as possible. I like to think my efforts help, and it does give me peace or mind knowing I tried to protect him.
However, I feel his greatest protector is the man up stairs. I always pray for Luke’s well being. I ask God to keep him healthy every day!
If you have other ways you like to avoid illnesses, please share in the comments 🙂
I can count how many times I have actually done my hair and make up since I had Luke. Most days, you will see me sporting: a mom bun, yoga pants, a loose tee, and unmatching socks.
Since I am chasing Luke all day, yoga pants are the only pants I can wear comfortably. It drives me nuts to have to pull up other types of pants all day. I usually find whatever shirt is clean to throw on; sometimes it belongs to my husband. Matching socks? Can you do my laundry?
Luke will pull my hair any chance he gets, so it stays up. My beloved Kendra Scott collection now has dust on it because it is unnecessary to wear with my attire, and Luke thinks my jewelry is something he can eat.
What about make up? I just don’t have the effort to mess with it. Plus, I don’t feel the need to wear make up to mommy and me classes, the park, or the grocery store.
I often make comments about looking like s*** all the time, but I shouldn’t. This is my new work uniform, and I want to feel good about it. I often envy other moms that look cute all the time. To me, it makes me feel like they have it more together than I do. In addition, I feel like new people I meet don’t know how much prettier I can look with my hair and make up done. Why do I even care? Well, I don’t care enough to start putting make up on and doing my hair everyday.
However, when I do put in the effort, I always feel better about myself and am generally in a better mood. I think moms that do get ready every day are awesome for this reason. It is definitely a form of self care. When you look good, you feel good. This is especially true for when you are doing this for yourself and not others. I am in no way trying to bash moms that do get ready every morning. I am mainly writing to make the moms who don’t always spend time getting ready feel okay about it.
I know I should never care about how people view me from the outside, but isn’t it such human thing to do so? When I do get dolled up for an event, I am slowly starting to do it for me and no one else.
Moms, can we just rock yoga pants and a messy bun together? Can we celebrate ourselves a little more when we don’t put in as much effort? Can we stop feeling like we always have to look cute? Can we feel good about ourselves no matter what we look like?
After having my dining room taken over by square mats and toys for my almost one year old, I decided to convert our guest bedroom into a playroom. My goal was to create something age appropriate; however, I also wanted to make it functional and stylish for years to come. I am going to share everything you need to create the ultimate toddler playroom!
1.Theme/Rule of Three
Pick a simple theme. Something gender neutral smart for possible siblings or friends that come to play. I chose flags/rainbow colors.
Work with three colors. I chose grey, natural wood, and rainbow colors. I clumped the rainbow colors together in this case. Yes, rainbow is a color 😉
2. Big Wood PLAY Letters
18 inch letters from Hobby Lobby are an awesome way to take up a whole wall and make the purpose of your room known. I love that you can easily paint then whatever color you want!
3. A Good Toy Box
I love open access toy boxes, so you and your child can see what is in them. Montessori also supports this idea for independence. I like Amazon Basic’s Toy Storage because you can can easily organize your toys.
You want as much room as possile for your child to move around, so floating shelves are the way to go! I like these simple Ikea shelves because the are inexpensive, and you can make them any color you want or stain them.
What kid doesn’t want to play in a teepee? This is the perfect spot to foster the love of reading and imaginative play! I love the ones that have a little window.
This helps with body awareness and motor skills. Your toddler will love hanging on this and making funny faces. I splurged and bought this on Amazon, but you could totally make your own!
Promote fine motor skills and keep your child entertained by buying or building a busy board with a ton of fun stuff (zippers, bells, laces, etc) to grab. Check out busy boards on Esty!
Play corners/houses can have the same purpose. Many come with features, such as games and things for pretend play. I like the 2 Step Corner Playhouse it fits in the corner of the wall nicely.
Kids need to see the beauty of art at an early age. Pick pieces that stand out to you. Find something you want to stick with your child, whether it be a bible verse or inspirational quote. The walls don’t have to be covered; you don’t want to over stimulate.
9. A Big Rug
Rugs make a room warm and inviting. I chose a big cotton rug to prevent carpet burn. This is also a way to incorporate your colors!
Caregivers needs somewhere to sit! A loveseat is a better choice than a couch if you don’t have too much room, and again, you want your child to have as much space as possible to play. I chose a sleeper loveseat incase we have a guest stay the night. Also, I imagine us pulling it out and watching Saturday cartoons, too! Yay for Wayfair!
We are thrilled and blessed to be able to provide our son and future children with an enriching environment. I hope I gave you some inspiration for your child’s play space no matter how big or small.
Some call them high needs babies, and some call them high spirited. So, what exactly is a high needs/spirited baby? Well, from my understanding, it is a little human with a strong will who feels the world more deeply than their little human peers. High needs infants make up about 10-20% of the infant population (Klaassen 2007). They show their unique, firecracker personality in many ways. Since I am pretty sure Luke is high spirited, I am going to share some characteristics that are seen in this fascinating group of babies.
1. They protest.
If a high needs baby is unhappy, they will let you know! High needs babies are not always colicky, but they do cry a lot, colicky or not. Sometimes you know why; sometimes you don’t. For instance, if you take a toy away from Luke, he will cry and wave his arms in protest. If I stop reading him a book, he will pitch a little crying fit for more. I usually sing a song when I take something away and find something else that he likes to take him to. I also explain why we are doing it. I’ll say, “We are done with the book now, so we are going to put it away and play with this.” High needs babies know what what they want, and you have to work with their ever-fighting will. This can be exhausting and lonely at times, but it won’t last forever. It doesn’t mean they will be bad kids. In fact, most thrive in structured settings like school.
According to my other friends with high spirited babes, they are NEVER idle. They are doers. They are on the move constantly, and it can be a challenge to keep up. Whether it is jumping out of your lap at story time or wanting to help with everything, these babies will keep you on your toes!
Luke fights sleep with everything in him and needs a sleep association to fall asleep. This seems to be another commonality among high spirited babies. According to a sleep article on “The Fussy Baby Site,” these babies are hard to sleep train; it may even be impossible for some (Klaassen 2007). They don’t want to miss anything! You just have to find what works for your family, and that might mean taking turns rocking to sleep or co-sleeping.
With high energy, comes the need for sleep. This only makes since! In my experience, sleep is crucial to maintain a pleasant temperament. Luke has to have his naps! Awake times truly matter for him.
Even though raising a high needs baby can suck the life out of you at times, it is not all bad. When they are happy, they are the brightest crayon in the box (Klaassen 2017). They love and laugh so hard! Luke’s laugh is so deep and contagious. He jumps with joy and has the best facial expressions. His happy times out weigh all of the challenging ones!
Take a quiz to determine if you have a high needs baby and read how they become successful children and adults at the http://fussybabysite.com. With their intelligence and determination, they can do anything!
When Luke was first born, I spent a lot of time researching what toys are best for a baby’s development, particularly fine/gross motor and language skills. Over the past ten months, I have collected toys that Luke and I both love. He has a mix of wooden, cloth, and plastic toys. When it comes to plastic, I strive to make sure his toys do not contain BPA. All of his toys have a purpose, and I am here to share those!
1. The Oball
Why I love it: This little ball is the ultimate first toy for a baby. It teaches them how to grip and helps them become aware of their hands. When Luke was a month old, I would hand him this toy to grip. Once he was two months, he was grabbing it on his own. At ten months, I am using it to teach him how to throw. He also enjoys sticking his tongue through the holes seen in the picture below 🙂 Anything from the Oball brand is great! Luke also loves their cars.
Why I love it: First of all, it is gorgeous and will match any playroom! Second of all, it comes with planned activities that tell how it will help your baby reach milestones from 0-12 months. It was designed based on research about baby development, so this is my #1 must have! It is worth the money! From an infant brain stimulation station to a hide and find compartment, this play gym will stand the test of time because there is so much you can use it for. There are five developmental zones to keep your baby busy and learning. Luke has always been entertained by it! Bonus: Everything is made of non-toxic material!
Why I love it: I found this on an occupational therapist (OT) blog, so I knew it would be a good pick. She was against infant seats that sit babies up for them. The OT suggested this because it gives babies a safe place to learn how to sit with minimal support. It is essientally a tube with a ton of sensory stimuli for baby to play with. I also love that it is farm themed. The Playnest had always made Luke happy!
Why I love it: Luke has always adored this spin toy. The colors and sound are attractive. Since it can stick to smooth surfaces, it is great for keeping your baby occupied while you are at a restaurant or getting food ready. Babies love to learn cause and effect with the Sassy Wheel!
Why I love it: They are wooden and made of nontoxic paint. He never gets tired of me stacking the blocks for him and then knocking them down. He gets excited when I start building the tower! Also, these blocks where the first thing that he used to met the milestone of bringing two objects together. He will bang them together all day!
Why I love it: The flaps make it exciting to see what is under them, and the pictures are so big and colorful. I enjoy teaching Luke animal sounds with this book! It is his favorite book out of the many we read together. I found it at Half Price Books!
Why I love it: This music set has everything you need to get your little one musically inclined. Luke loves shaking the maracas and holding the tambourine. He also likes to watch mommy and daddy play the other instruments.
Why I love it: I put a song on, and Luke and I jam out together. I hold a stick, and help him hold one and then tap them to the beat of the song. I also use these to help him do baby sit ups. I put one stick in front of him horizontally and let him grab with both hands while laying down. I then gently pull him up, and he does the rest of the work! I learned this at The Little Gym 🙂 If you have one in your area, I highly recommend the baby gymnastics classes!
***These are only to be used for the mommy and me activities mentioned above. Do NOT let your baby play with these alone.***
Why I love it: This isn’t just a regular little table; it is carefully designed for standing and impact. Luke learned to pull to stand on it due to its perfect height. He is now learning how to walk by pushing it around like a push walker, which is what it was made for. He loves seeing what toys I put on top to play with. He likes to stand and play using this; I highly recommend this splurge item.
I bought mine at a resale shop, which is what I reccomend doing as they can be pricey. I like ones that have gears to spin and things to learn, such as numbers or letters. This is the toy that keeps Luke occupied for the longest amount of time!
I hope you enjoyed reading about our favorite toys! I would love to hear what yours are. Please leave suggestions in the comments! THANK YOU FOR READING!
Breastfeeding is one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced, but it is also one of the most challenging. It requires dedication, sacrifice, and even some problem solving. From clusterfeeding to mastitis, I have been through it all. I am going to share five hardships I have overcome on my breastfeeding journey. All of these have made me want to throw in the towel, but I refuse to! My goal is to breastfeed for one year. As of right now, I have two more months.
If you are reading this and struggling with breastfeeding, please contact me for an amazing lactation consultant (LC) who can make a home visit! A good LC is key!
1. Lip and Tongue Tie
When I first started breastfeeding in the hospital, the LC helped Luke latch and gave me a thumbs up. BOOM! I thought I had breastfeeding down! WRONG!
Once it was time for Luke’s first doctor’s appointment he had lost weight and was extremely fussy. I started seeing a lactation consultant who figured out he was not able to drink enough milk due to a lip and tongue tie. His latch was not deep enough because of this, and he just couldn’t transfer the milk properly. We soon scheduled an appointment for lip and tounge tie revision. After the revision, Luke slowly was able to drink more and more until he become a pro. He went from the 25th percentile in weight to the 80th percentile by 6 months. He became more content, and our hour breastfeeding sessions turned into twenty minutes or less.
If your baby is not gaining weight or you are experiencing pain while breastfeeding (a poor latch can cause this), find a pediatric ENT or dentist that can have your little evaluated. Many lip and tounge ties go unnoticed by pediatricians because they do not have the expertise to diagnose them. This was the case for Luke since his were mild. It is important to ask questions and advocate for yourself when speaking to health care providers. Don’t let anything get overlooked!
2. Milk Protein Allergy
I found out Luke had a milk protein allergy at four months. How? Poop! Green, mucusy, frequent, poop! Sorry for the TMI, but this was the ultimate sign something was up. After google searching what a breastfeed baby’s poop should look like (yellow and seedy), I knew Luke’s stools were abnormal. When I brought this up to my doctor, she thought his poop was in a range of normal, but I didn’t think so. I opted to get Luke allergy tested, and sure enough, his skin prick test was positive for milk. So, I cut diary out of my diet completely. In about a month, his poop was normal! Oh how nice it was to go from 8 bowel movements a day to one! It also helped his fussiness. Poor baby probably had a terrible tummy ache!
How do I survive not eating diary? I don’t eat anything that says contains milk on the allergen label. I only eat at three restaurants (Chick-Fi-La, Chipotle, and Five Guys) who can avoid cross-contamination. Did you know milk protein can stick to surfaces and contaminate food it touches? I didn’t either. I found this out after ordering diary free, but not seeing improvement in Luke until I stopped eating out. I don’t eat other people’s cooking unless I can truly confirm everything is diary free. As you can imagine this is an extremely hard thing to do, but it is doable. There are plenty of foods I can still enjoy. I keep telling myself this is only a season of my life. I am going to go crazy on some diary when I am done breastfeeding though!
3. Reflux/So much Spit Up!
For awhile, I thought Luke had Reflux Disease because he would spit up over 20 times a day! How can that be normal? Well, it can be. His spit up started to improve around seven months. Now, at ten months, he spits up only occasionally. My pediatrician says it is normal for babies to spit up all the way through 12 months.
After taking Luke to a GI specialist at four months, he determined Luke was just a spitter. He didn’t have all of the symptoms of true reflux: arching back, refusing to eat, slow weight gain. If your baby does have these symptoms paired with fussiness, talk to your pediatrician. There are plenty medicines to manage it.
For spit up, burp rags are a must. Have one close by and in every room. Just wipe up and move on. Try not to let it bother you or others.
Bandana bibs are cute and will help capture some of the spit up, but if your baby can be in a diaper at home, no clothes is best. It makes it easier for everyone.
Hold your baby upright for 30 mins after a feeding. Do not attempt tummy time after a feeding! If you do an eat then sleep schedule, it will help. They usually will not spit up in their sleep.
Wait it out! Some babies take longer for their stomach muscles to develop.
4. Clogged Ducts/Mastitis
Why does my boob feel like there is a rock in it? What you feel is inflamed tissue. The clog actually happens closer to your nipple. So, how do you get this thing out? NURSE, NURSE, and NURSE. The baby will eventually get it out. How can I speed up the process? Apply hot compresses. One of my friends gave me the awesome advice of filling up a diaper with hot water to stick on there. The best time to do this is right before you nurse. Taking a hot shower and bath works too!
You can lightly massage the area, vibration will also do the trick. When baby is not eating, you can pump to try to relieve it, but I found nursing helps more. You can also change your positioning frequently to get all angles. This can also prevent clogs.
I have had so many clogs that caused redness, which made me think I had mastitis. However, when I actually got mastitis, I had crazy chills and a fever of 102. The flu feeling was real! If you have a fever, it is definitely mastitis that requires antibiotics. If you don’t have a fever, you are probably okay to wait it out. My mastitis was caused by a clogged duck, but it isn’t always; it can from bacteria entering the breast some how. Fever and redness combined are the biggest signs! The only advice I have for this one is go to the doctor and get antibiotics ASAP! Don’t mess with mastitis, momma!
5. Schedule/ Family and Friends not Understanding
My baby wants to eat 24/7!! It’s okay. It’s called clusterfeeding. They will do this in the beginning and during growth spurts. If you baby wants to eat, let them. It is part of it.
If your baby is over a month old and is gaining weight, feed on demand! Timing will look different for every baby. Some can go long stretches as they get older, and some will eat every two hours until they wean. This is how Luke has progressed through breastfeeding.
0-6 months: every 2 hours
6-7 months: every 3 hours
7-8 months: every 3 1/2-4 hours
9+ months: every 4-5 hours.
Luke has always woken up at night to feed as well. It is how he soothes back to sleep.
As you can see, breastfeeding takes up a lot of my time. I have to work around his schedule and not mine. Luckily, MOST people in my life are very supportive of this. If someone is upset with you because you are no longer available like you used to be, just remember you are doing what is best for your baby and hope they come to understand. Your baby comes first; everyone needs to understand this. It won’t last forever. You will be able to do something for more than four hours soon enough. People need to understand this! Also, if someone tries to tell you to just give them a bottle, you don’t have to explain why you can’t/don’t want to. During your breastfeeding journey, know that it is going to be difficult to give up so much, but also know you can repay yourself later. The health benefits are worth it for you and YOUR BABY!
Feed is best! There is nothing wrong with formula, and some infants can not thrive without it. Breastfeeding is something I am super passionate about, so I wanted to share some of my struggles incase there are others who want to quit for these very reasons.
Towards the end of my pregnancy, I thought I felt Luke’s head in my ribs. I went to one of my last check ups with the fear that Luke was breech. I called it; he was. The ultrasound showed him in the extended/frank breech position. 3-4 percent of babies are born breech, and I couldn’t believe he could be in that percentage! Since I found out at 36 weeks, I had some time for him to flip, but he never did!
Most OBGYNs in the United States will not deliver a breech baby because they are no longer trained in it. However, there are some older doctors in Texas that will, but obviously, there is always great risk when a baby’s last body part coming out is the head. Back in the day, breech used to be a varaiation of normal.
My OBGYN told me I had a big decision to make. Luke would either have to he manually manipulated via ECV, a turning procedure where the doctor moves the baby with her hands, or I would have to have a c-section. Both of these were not in my birth plan!
After researching the ECV, I found there to be associated risks, such as uterine rupture and emergency c-section. I also asked my doctor how many of these she had preformed, which turned out to only be a handful. That gave me enough ground to have a c-section. I hated myself for it and still do, but I am slowly starting to accept it as my birth story. This is me becoming the figurative aspect of “The Non-toxic Momma.” This momma now understands that I am beyond blessed to have been able to bring Luke into this world, scar and and all!
Having a c-section was a surreal experience. It happened so quickly. I felt some tugging, and then he was in my arms. His little face sparked so much love and joy in an instant. Mike and I were overwhelmed with how perfect he was. The first day was wonderful; it full of numbness, happy tears, and eager visitors.
On the other hand, the second day was hell. The pain knocked on my door. HARD. I also spiked a fever and had to he pumped with antibiotics. I couldn’t stand. My pain meds were incorrectly given until I scream cried for an hour and demanded to be seen by a doctor who could give me more than Motrin. When the doctor came in, he apologized for my troubles and gave me morphine. It was truly needed. I wonder if the nurse ended up getting in trouble…
I had to use the football hold for breastfeeding, which I am glad it worked out because there wasn’t any pressure on my stomach. My husband, Mike, did all of the diaper changes and comforted Luke when needed.
On the third day, I was able to walk very solwly. It caused the most unbearable pain that no one really warned me about. I showered, and that sucked too. I was so scared of my incision getting infected. It was also awkward for me to have a nurse help me. Nevertheless, I was glad to feel somewhat fresh.
We were discharged on the forth day. I could walk better, but it was still oh so painful. I went straight to my bed when I got home and didn’t leave for awhile. I had to have Mike help me get out of bed for weeks. I couldn’t pull myself without excruciating pain. I only left the house for doctor’s appointments. Again, Mike did most of the caring for Luke during this time if I wasn’t holding him or breastfeeding. The pain subsided little by little, and I finally fully recovered after 6-8 weeks.
I hope this can help moms understand what a c-section is like, whether they are possibly having one or never had to experience it.
I always want to be an advocate for breech babies. Like Luke, usually they are completely healthy at birth, but some my have hip dysplasia due to their positioning in the womb. It is easily corrected by braces, but no parent wants to go through that. Also, breech babies legs stick out or even look like they have frog legs for the first couple weeks, and everyone will ask you if they were breech, which is annoying! I’m here to relate if you were asked this as well 🙂
Once I became pregnant with my son, I started to think about the things I was putting on my body and breathing in the air. I started researching the ingredients in products I use on a daily basis, such as soap, cleaning products, and make up. This led me into panic as I realized everything is toxic! The ingredients in the stuff I was using (common brand, smell good stuff) were linked to hormone disruption, developmental issues, cancer, etc. I was growing a tiny human, so I knew I wanted to limit the exposure the best I could. I started to replace items one by one. When my son was born, this went into overdrive, especially since he was exclusively breastfeed. I am here to share my five clean switches on a one-income budget. These items are not perfect, but they are better than most!
Below are products you will find free of my most hated toxins: synthetic fragrances, parabens, pthalates, triclosan, dangerous metals. All of these products rate low on the Think Dirty App.
1. Seventh Generation Free & Clean Hand Soap, Detergent, and dish washing liquid.
Why I love it: They have no fragrance and are mostly plant based. It is a great price compared to other non-toxic soaps.
2. Honest Shampoo and Body Wash
Why I love it: It is safe for both momma and baby. It is scented with essential oils that are formulated to be safe for little ones. It is not hard on our hair and leaves it soft.
3. Force of Nature All Purpose Cleaner
Why I love it: It is the most non-toxic you can get! It is made of vinegar, salt, and electricity. The small machine makes a cleaner as strong as bleach in minutes. I love being able to clean my son’s toys and high chair with no worries. It is the only cleaner I use in every room of the house!
4. 100 % Pure Make Up Brand
Why I love it: This entire brand does not use nasty chemicals that are allowed in other make up products sold in the United States. My favorite item, bronzer, is made of cocoa!
5. Lodge Cast Iron Cookware
Why I love it: With cast iron products, you do not have to worry about dangerous materials leeching into your food. It is also made in the USA.
These five easy switches can go a long way! Knowing that I am at least being aware and trying to find things that are less toxic really help my anxiety. BONUS: Everything can be found on Amazon and at most grocery stores.
Clean friends, FYI: If you are an essential oil advocate, that is awesome! I plan on using more of them when Luke turns two. Right now, I am not comfortable with using them heavily due to his age.
The Nontoxic Momma 