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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Nutrition and Weaning

This month's series meeting was focused on nutrition and weaning. Starting solids is the beginning of weaning. The following information on starting solids can be found on llli.org's FAQ sheet "When should my baby start solids?":

Breastfed babies do not need to have complementary food introduced until about the middle of the first year. Before that time, you will notice some signs that your baby is changing developmentally, in preparation for beginning solids in a few months. You will notice that:

  • he becomes more sociable, playing and holding "conversations" with you during a nursing session
  • he has a growth spurt and nurses more frequently for a while
  • he imitates the chewing motions you make whilst eating -- he is practicing!

You will know that he is really ready to start solids when:

  • he is about six months old
  • he can sit up without any support
  • he continues to be hungry despite more frequent nursing which is unrelated to illness or teething
  • he has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push solids out of his mouth
  • he can pick up things with his finger and thumb (pincer grasp)

Babies who are ready for solids can usually feed themselves. Mothers often report that they knew their babies were ready when they picked up food from a plate, chewed it, swallowed it, and wanted more.

Listen to your baby! Babies with a tendency to allergies may refuse solids until later in their first year. As long as they are growing well and are happy and healthy, there is no need for concern.


Good first foods for babies

Save money and give your baby the freshest food by making your own baby food. Here are some suggestions.

Fruits

Most babies love fruits. Make sure they are ripe, and wash well before peeling. Here are some favorites:

  • Bananas cut into slices which have then been halved or quartered
  • Unsweetened applesauce, or tiny apple chunks that have been softened by cooking in the microwave
  • Plums, peaches, pears, and apricots, gently cooked if necessary
  • Avocado diced into small, bite size pieces

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables should be washed, peeled and cooked until tender. Frozen veggies are convenient to have on hand. Avoid the canned varieties to which salt has been added. Your baby may enjoy:

  • Baked or boiled sweet potatoes, in tiny chunks
  • Mashed white potatoes
  • Baby carrots, green beans, peas and squash

Meat and fish

Babies often prefer well-cooked chicken, which is soft and easy to eat when shredded. Be careful to remove even the tiny bones when serving fish.

Beans and legumes

Remove the skins from beans as they tend to be harder to digest. If you use canned beans for convenience, make sure they are unseasoned.

Grains and cereals

Commercial, iron-fortified cereals are often the first foods served to babies who are not breastfeeding because they need the extra iron, but breastfed babies are rarely anemic as the iron in human milk is well-utilized. If there is concern about the baby's iron levels, a simple test can be done in the doctor's office.

Whole grain cereals, breads and crackers are the most nutritious. Wait until later in the year before offering wheat products. If you use cereals, make sure that they only have one ingredient and use either water or your own milk for mixing. Many mothers prefer to let their older babies chew on a hard bagel or an end of bread instead of sugary teething biscuits.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Birth Order

This month's series meeting, lead by Kathy, was based on the book by Kevin Leman, The Birth Order Book. Here is an overview:

The Birth Order Book

Why You Are the Way You Are by Kevin Leman

Other variables: age, spacing, gender, temperment, beauty/cuteness, physical attributes, illness/prematurity/disabilities, parenting/family culture.

Parents can identify/overidentify with child in same birth position

First born

Perfectionist, reliable, achiever, hard to ignore, second parent/babysitter, walks and talks early, overparented, pressured to perform, conservative, conscientious, list maker, well organized, critical, serious, scholarly, highly motivated to achieve, precise, strong powers of concentration, writer, perfectionist, can be sloppy but still perfectionist, eyes on Mom and Dad, quiet, skeptical, analytical, assertive, grows up fast, compliant, aggressive, strong willed, model child, pleaser, good student/worker, needs approval, gets walked on, power driven, confident in being taken seriously, tolerant, patient, carries family banner, most punished, king/emperor or queen/empress of family, rescuer

Self tips: learn to say no, take smaller bites of life, lower your sights, avoid perfectionism, take your time, accept mistakes, enjoy organizational skills, allow self to be imperfect, do nice things for yourself, become goal setter, practice positive self-talk, learn to forgive, let others lead

Parenting first borns: Be sensitive to dethroning situations, explain rules, don’t improve on/criticize efforts, allow special privileges, give adults-only attention, go easy on the babysitting, give help when asked

Middle child

Mediator, fewest pictures in the family photo album, avoids conflict, independent, extremely loyal to peer group, many friends, maverick, always plays off first-born, displaced baby, easygoing, laid back, sociable, friendly, outgoing, noncompetitive, unpredictable, squeezed, fifth wheel, goes outside of family for recognition, outsider, free spirit, mediator, pleaser, victim, secretive, “burned child” (get less attention), in helping professions, loyal, less fearful, less anxious, balanced

Self tips: Use social skills, keep your unique qualities, share your ideas, be comfortable with being you, don’t compare yourself, be a leader, don’t spread yourself too thin with friendships/relationships, capitalize on your negotiation skills

Parenting middle children: give special attention and exclusive privileges, give them something new, listen carefully, photograph them alone

Last child

Manipulative, “baby,” charming, blames others, shows off, people person, good salesperson, precocious, engaging, weatherman, performer, noncompliant, scatterbrained, loses things, friendly, charming, gets out of work, “gets away with murder,” prince or princess of family, clown, uncomplicated, tempermental, impatient, impetuous, not taken seriously, lives in shadow of “those born before,” coddled, brash

Self tips: accept responsibility, pick up after yourself, serve others, avoid self-centeredness, admit your faults, share the limelight, date first borns

Parenting last children: Give them responsibilities, hold them responsible, make a big deal of accomplishments, focus on teaching reading, put on some pressure to succeed, complete their baby book

Only child

Lonely, the “super first born,” can have trouble relating to peers, spoiled, self-centered, resentful, well-organized, critical, reliable, conscientious, serious, disciplined, center of the universe, cautious, unhappy, unlikeable, set in their ways, unpopular, useless, perfectionist, rescuer, demanding, double life

Self tips: make time for self, avoid too many commitments, be less critical, serve others, seek out older and younger people,

Parenting only children: (Many same as for parenting first-borns) Avoid criticism, don’t overload or overschedule, allow to fail, avoid pressuring to play with others

Books for Sale

We have some wonderful breastfeeding and parenting books for sale!

Adventures in Gentle Discipline: A Parent-to-Parent Guide. Hilary Flower. 2005. LLLI. $14.00.

L’Art de l’Allaitement Maternel (French-language Womanly Art of Breastfeeding). LLLI. $10.00.

El Arte Femenino de Amamantar (Spanish-language Womanly Art). LLLI. $$7.95.

The Best Gifts. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. 1994. Fitzhenry & Whiteside. $5.00. (2 copies)

Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby. Gwen Gotsch. 1999. LLLI. $5.85 LLL members; $6.50 non-members.

Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Alternatives. Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett. 2005. The Haworth Maltreatment and Trauma Press. $24.95

The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-behaved One- to Four-Year-Old. Harvey Karp with Paula Spencer. Bantam Dell. $14.00.

How to Really Love Your Teenager. Ross Campbell. 1971.Victor Books. $5.00.

Mothering Your Nursing Toddler. Norma Jane Bumgarner. 2000. LLLI. (4 copies). $12.95

Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep. William Sears. 2001. LLLI. $6.00.

The No-cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep through the Night.Elizabeth Pantley. 2002. McGraw-Hill. $14.95.

The No-cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers. Elizabeth Pantley. 2005. McGraw-Hill. $15.95.

The Nursing Mother’s Guide to Weaning. Kathleen Huggins and Linda Ziedrich. 1994. The Harvard Common Press. $9.86 for LLL members; $10.95 for non-members.

The Nursing Mother’s Herbal. Sheila Humphrey. 2003. Fairview Press. $16.95.


Please contact Renee @ LLLofSandy@gmail.com or (801) 201-2165 to purchase.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Enrichment Meeting Tuesday

Enrichment meetings are a perk of membership! Join LLL today and come to our next enrichment meeting this Tuesday, November 24th for: Families and birth order: Yours, his, and baby's.
Hope to see you there!

Contact Kathy at hkgrossman@gmail.com to purchase your membership!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

How do I respond to and avoid criticism?

With the holidays fast approaching and many family gatherings and activities upcoming, we as mothers may be faced with more criticism than usual. Remember that our attitude and tone of voice can make a world of difference in how people accept your responses. The approaches and phrases listed below are helpful for dealing with criticism. Review them and choose the ones that are most comfortable for you.

  1. Use "I" messages instead of "YOU" messages. (Rather than "You always criticize me" try "I really don't like to be criticized.")
  2. I'd like to discuss something. Is this a good time for you?
  3. I feel (angry, hurt, etc.) when...
  4. Having your support means so much to me.
  5. It's amazing how much research has been done over the years. It must surprise you to see me doing _______. I hope I'll be able to handle it well when Abbey starts her own family.
  6. Everyone has to make the decision they feel is best for their situation.
  7. I'm glad that you care so much about the baby. I've thoroughly researched the topic and feel comfortable with my decision. I'd be glad to share my info with you.
  8. I realize that this is an individual decision, and I'd really appreciate your giving me a chance at this.
  9. My doctor has stated...
  10. The American Academy of Pediatrics feels...
  11. That gives me a lot to think about!
  12. Your love and concern for the baby really shows.
  13. That's certainly another way of approaching it.
  14. I'm glad that ___________ worked well for you and your baby.
  15. We're really at odds here. Let's just agree to disagree and still stay friends, OK?
  16. I think we're losing sight of our goal here, which is the baby's well-being. Let's back up a little.
  17. This is a topic that has been debated and argued for generations. Let's not fall into that trap, OK?
  18. There are some valid points to both sides here.
  19. You could be right.
  20. I'd like some time to think about what you just said.
  21. Let's remember that we're both on the same side here.
  22. Can we save the arguments for truly vital topics?
  23. It's a very individual decision, and I'd never try to impose my viewpoints on someone else.
  24. Maybe the topic of _______ should go along with religion and politics: Not a good conversation topic for us.
  25. Discussing __________ can really get me worked up. I'm sorry if I said anything out of line. Let's change the subject.
  26. How about a compromise? You don't mention __________and I won't criticize your driving anymore.
  27. We're Abbey's parents and this is the decision we've made.
  28. You feel very strongly about this, I can see.
  29. This works for our family in our situation, but it might not work for you.
  30. Just Smile. :-)

Ways To Prevent Criticism:

  1. Be discreet if at all possible.
  2. Don't set yourself up for a discussion you don't really want to have.
  3. Avoid issues where you anticipate disagreement. Focus instead on areas where you have something in common.
  4. Offer an explanation of why you do things before you are asked. Do this in a gentle way, letting them know how happy you and the baby are. Be sure you give them permission to do things differently. (See #6 & 29 above)
  5. Appear confident and happy with the way you do things, even if you are not. Don't express doubts to people who don't agree with you.

Finally:

  1. Rise above criticism as much as you can without a "holier than thou" attitude. A positive non-threatening reply works best. In rising above criticism, making light of things often works.
  2. Sometimes it's best to ignore the criticism and consider the source. People often feel defensive and attack when someone is doing things differently.
For these and additional resources please visit llli.org today!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

What is a galactagogue? Do I need one?

Galactagogues are substances that can increase milk supply. They can be used to help increase low supply or build a supply for adoptive nursing or re-lactation. But these alone can't increase your supply. The first question to ask is Do you think your supply is low? and Why?

These are important signs that indicate your baby is receiving enough milk:

  • The baby nurses frequently averaging at least 8-12 feedings per 24-hour period.
  • The baby is allowed to determine the length of the feeding, which may be 10 to 20 minutes per breast or longer.
  • Baby's swallowing sounds are audible as he is breastfeeding.
  • The baby should gain at least 4-7 ounces per week after the fourth day of life.
  • The baby will be alert and active, appear healthy, have good color, firm skin, and will be growing in length and head circumference.
If indeed your supply is low, try some of the following:
  • Encourage your baby to breastfeed frequently and for as long as he will.
  • Offer both breasts at each feeding. Allow baby to stay at the first breast as long as he is actively sucking and swallowing. Offer the second breast when baby slows down or stops. "Finish the first breast first," is a good general rule. (This technique gives baby lots of the fatty "hindmilk.")
  • Baby should end the feeding. He may do this by falling asleep and detaching from the breast after about 10 to 30 minutes of active sucking and swallowing.
  • Be sure baby is latched on and positioned correctly at the breast, that is, lips should be on the areola (the darker skin area), well behind the nipple. An LLL Leader can help fine-tune positioning as well as suggest ideas to ease soreness. Breastfeeding isn't supposed to hurt.
  • A sleepy baby may benefit from "switch nursing" that is, switching breasts two or three times during each feeding. Switch breasts when baby's sucking slows down and he swallows less often.
  • All of baby's sucking should be at the breast. Limit or stop pacifier use while encouraging baby to nurse more effectively. If you are supplementing, even temporarily, you can give the supplement by spoon, cup, or with a nursing supplementer. Contact an LLL Leader for assistance in using these.
  • Contact a local LLL leader for information and support.
Here are some further resources on milk supply issues from LLLi.org.

That being said, some of the most common herbal galactagogues are fenugreek and blessed thistle. These are available in herbal teas (which are not as easy to control dosage), tinctures and capsules. There are also prescription medications that can increase supply such as domperidone which is approved for nursing mothers by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some more readily available galactagogues may already be in your kitchen cabinet such as barley, brewer's yeast, hops, nettles and fennel. Oatmeal and beer (please read this information on alcohol and breastfeeding before deciding about the beer) are also galactagogues. Who knew?! Enjoying that bowl of oatmeal for breakfast just got even better, but remember that milk supply is based on supply and demand, so don't forget to nurse nurse nurse!

Happy Nursing!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Holiday Weaning

What is holiday weaning? Holiday weaning is when a baby weans due to the distraction and celebration of a holiday or other special event. There may be visitors from out of town or maybe you and your family are on vacation. Either way, there’s plenty of people, attention, and distraction to keep mother and baby apart. Next thing you know, baby hasn’t breastfed all day or maybe even all weekend.

Does holiday weaning have to happen during a holiday? No. Holiday weaning can happen on vacation, around birthdays or other special events, and even when you’re moving. If a mother travels for business or grandma visits, baby’s routine may get disturbed, and weaning may happen. Any time baby and mother are busy and distracted, holiday weaning may occur.

How do we avoid holiday weaning? Planned realistically, holiday weaning need not occur. Here are a few suggestions:
  • Let friends and family members know that you cherish your breastfeeding relationship. Don’t present it as a problem. For example, when aunts or grandmothers want to help, give them a task—not the baby.
  • When family members ask to feed the baby, tell them, “Thank you, but I’m breastfeeding,” and smile.
  • Use a sling or other carrier to keep baby close to nurse.
  • Work around nap times and other times when baby is sleeping.
  • Avoid long car and plane trips if possible. If it’s unavoidable, make sure to take plenty of time for nursing breaks.
  • Choose clothing that provides easy access to the breast for the little nursling.
  • Shop for gifts online or from catalogues. Keep “real life” shopping trips short or take plenty of breaks to breastfeed.

Sometimes mothers plan to pump and give a bottle for these events. Remember to pump as often as baby feeds to maintain your milk supply. Keep in mind that the extra work of bottle feeding—pumping, processing, storing, and dish washing—may be just too much when you consider all of the other activities you're doing. Why not breastfeed instead?

Happy holidays & check out these related links...

My baby has weaned before I was ready! Help!

My baby is suddenly refusing to nurse. Does that mean it's time to wean?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Giving the breastfed baby a bottle

Ideally, babies feed from the breast. However, for mothers who must spend time away from their babies, and for mothers who must occasionally miss a feeding, it is important that the baby will take mother's milk by another method. These tips assume that the baby is being fed his mother's expressed milk. If this is not available, ask the baby's health care provider for advice.

Here are some helpful tips, adapted from an article by Janet Jendron. This article can be found here on llli.org.

1. Have someone else give the bottle. Many breastfeeding babies won't take a bottle from mother, since her smell and presence remind the baby of breastfeeding. One of the best people to give a bottle to a reluctant baby is an experienced bottle feeder. Someone with experience has confidence, and conveys that to the baby.

2. Gently stimulate the mouth with the artificial nipple, as is done for the first nursing at the breast. Let the baby "mouth" it and become familiar with it.

3. Try different kinds of nipples. Some babies like a nipple designed for premature infants, because it is so soft. Consult a health care provider for ideas about artificial nipples to try.

4. Try varying the nipple temperature. Put it in the refrigerator (teething babies like this) or run warm (not hot) water over it.

5. Use lots of cuddling by the person feeding the baby.

6. Some babies take a bottle better in their favorite breastfeeding position; others do better in a totally different position. Try propping the baby in your lap with the baby's back to your chest. The baby will see the room while drinking from the bottle (don't forget eye contact later). Or prop the baby on your slanted forelegs, like in an infant seat, and give the bottle while looking at him.

7. It may be best not to try to give a reluctant baby a bottle when he's gone a long time between feedings and very hungry. Anticipate.

8. Try to feed while moving rhythmically, calming the baby and distracting him from the different nipple.

9. If all else fails, try doing without a rubber or silicone nipple. For a tiny infant, alternative choices include an eyedropper, spoon, periodontal syringe, medicine spoon, special cup for infant feeding, tiny paper cup (the kind given out to hold condiments in fast-food restaurants), training cup or a regular cup.

To cup feed, place the rim of the cup on baby's lower lip and tilt the cup until the milk approaches the baby's lip. The baby's tongue will explore and find the liquid. On the first few attempts, this may take a few minutes. He will then lap or sip the milk. Do NOT pour the milk into the baby's mouth. Keep the level constantly by his lower lip and allow the baby to rest and pause while drinking, but do not remove the cup. When the baby has finished, he will let you know by turning his head away, or by other obvious cues.

Babies who can sit up may prefer to feed themselves (well supervised) from a regular cup or a covered "sippy cup."

When the baby is fed by one of these methods, be sure to breastfeed often when mother and baby are together, to satisfy the baby's sucking need.



Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Ten Tips for a Normal Birth

One of LLL's Ten Concepts is: Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start. Today Rocio led meeting number two, Baby Arrives: The Baby and the Breastfed Family in a discussion based on Lamaze International's Ten Tips in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding that were printed in New Beginnings. Here are the ten tips as seen in New Beginnings 2009, Issue 2.

  • Choose a place that supports normal birth, a place where you will be comfortable. This may be at home, in a birthing center or in a hospital.
  • Choose a health care provider who supports the practices that promote normal birth.
  • Don't request or agree to induction of labor unless there's a medical indication for doing so.
  • Plan to move around freely during labor. You'll be more comfortable, your labor will progress quickly, and your baby will move through the birth canal easily if you stay upright and respond to the pain of your labor by changing positions.
  • Consider hiring a doula or professional birth/labor supporter.
  • Ask that your baby's heartbeat be monitored intermittently, rather than continuously, as this restricts your movement in labor.
  • Eat and drink as your body tells you to give you energy and prevent dehydration.
  • Use non-medical pain management strategies, such as focused breathing and comfort measures such as warm baths and showers, massage, and birth balls.
  • Don't give birth on you back! Upright positions (sitting, squatting or standing) on all fours or on your side enable you to work with gravity to push when your body tells you to.
  • Keep your baby with you after birth. Skin-to-skin contact keeps to regulate your baby's heartbeat and breathing and helps get breastfeeding off to a good start.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Today we talked about the benefits of breastfeeding! Here are a few things we came up with...
B- BONDING
R- REST (helps mom rest)
E- EASY
A- AFFORDABLE
S- SMELL (breastfed babies smell good!)
T- TASTES BETTER THAN FORMULA
F- FIGHTS DISEASE
E- EVERYTHING!
E- EAR INFECTIONS (fights against)
D- DELAYED FERTILITY
I- INCREASED IQ
N- NUTRITION (perfect!)
G- GREEN

Monday, September 7, 2009

Series Meeting Tomorrow

Don't miss out on the advantages of breastfeeding! Tomorrow, September, 8th at 10am!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Breastfeeding Cafe is coming!

The Breastfeeding Cafe opens in the atrium of the Main Public Library (210 East 400 South) at the start of World Breastfeeding Week. Come celebrate breastfeeding daily with a community of support August 1-31.

Fertility Talk

Thanks to Salt Lake Leader Christy Porucznik for the enrichment meeting on Tuesday on fertitlity awareness. We discussed Lactational Amenorrhea, Calendar based methods, Bio-marker based methods, and Symptothermal based methods.

Here are some helpful links to find out more about natural family planning.
Natural Family Planning
Standard Days Method
Cycle Beads
Billings Ovulation Method
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
Natural Family Planning/Marquette University

Monday, July 27, 2009

July 28 Enrichment

Join us tomorrow for Fertility awareness with Salt Lake Leader Christy Porucznik @ 10am!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Welcome Rocio!

LLL of Sandy is proud to announce a new leader, Rocio Altamirano! Among many great qualities, she is Spanish and English speaking! We are happy to have her as a leader in our group! Welcome Rocio!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Breastfeeding around the house

Thanks to Kathy for leading Tuesday's meeting about breastfeeding around the house. We discussed all the different rooms in our homes and how they change when you have a baby. From safety in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room to sleeping arrangements in the master bedroom mothers shared how they made adjustments for baby. Many mothers agreed that what you have intended for each room before baby is not necessarily what that room ends up being after baby arrives.

One mother used a baby jumper toy for baby in laundry room to keep him out of the laundry piles. Many mothers shared new uses for unused nurseries such as spare room or play room. Keeping baby out of toilets and dishwashers is another feat. Some mothers use safety locks and others opt for keeping baby out of certain rooms altogether. Overall, mothers said that keeping an open mind and being willing to rearrange are important when it comes to baby!

Join us for our next enrichment meeting on June 23, 2009. Discussion of the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen with Timbra from LLL of Murray.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Meeting Tomorrow!

Series Meeting 2: Baby Arrives: The Family and the Breastfed Baby
Preparing for birth, establishing nursing in the early weeks, & including dad, sibling/s, & grandparents
Tomorrow, June 9, 2009 @ 10am

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Disadvantages of Breastfeeding?

There are many sources for lists of the advantages (and disadvantages) of breastfeeding and artificial milk (formula) feeding. Yesterday we discussed many of the so called disadvantages and discovered that many are a state of mind. Here are some of the things we came up with:

What "they" say: Ties Mother down
Our take: Gives mother freedom to go anywhere with baby and doesn't require any extra equipment.


What "they" say: Father can't feed baby
Our take: There are many things a father can do and allows working fathers to get much needed sleep!


What "they" say: Makes babies too dependent/hard to wean.
Our take: Babies are dependent, they are babies. Babies, like adults, can learn and change.



What "they" say: Takes too long
Our take: Babies require attention, and should be held regardless of how they are fed!


What "they" say: Environmental pollutants are too high in breastmilk
Our take: The good still outweighs the bad & formula has been shown to have higher levels of heavy metals, phytoestrogens and badteria


What "they" say: Painful
Our take: Although some discomfort in the early days is to be expected, breastfeeding should not hurt! Despite this, many women do have trouble in the early weeks do to improper latch or other physical problems. Most mothers who encounter these problems find that making through this time is highly worth it!



Monday, May 11, 2009

Meeting Tomorrow!

Come at 10am for Series Meeting #1: The Importance of Breastfeeding
Nursing benefits for baby, mother, father, families and the world...
See you there!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Nutrition and Weaning

Thanks to Kathy for leading this Tuesday's series meeting on nutrition and weaning. She passed out index cards with myths about food and breastfeeding, such as "I love chocolate so I shouldn't breastfeed" and "My milk has turned green so I shouldn't nurse." (Green milk can be caused by mom drinking lots of lime Gatorade: watch out for food dyes!.) Another card was "I shouldn't eat onions and garlic when I'm nursing." The group talked about weaning, substitution, distraction, and nursing lying down.

For more information on nutrition in breastfeeding and weaning please visit La Leche League's website!
How do I wean my baby?
Are there any foods I should avoid while I'm breastfeeding?

Remember there is no Enrichment meeting this month! See you next time for Topic 1: The Importance of Breastfeeding on Tuesday, May 12th!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Yoga for Moms

Thanks to Rachel Vaden for presenting her yoga in pregnancy, labor & beyond. Tuesday's meeting was fun and informative. We learned that yoga can help your body & mind in pregnancy, labor and postpartum. Here is the 10-15 minute yoga routine that Rachel presented for pregnancy & beyond.

-Mountain
-Rocking
-Standing cat-cow
-Forward fold
-Downward facing dog
-Come down onto all fours
-Spinal balance
-Hip circles
-Puppy or child's pose
-Hip circles/figure 8 both sides
-Squat and kegels
-Seated straddle split
-Ankle circles & flex & point
-Butterfly
-Head to knee
-Sacral stabilizing, interlacing fingers reach up both sides
-Gentle sacral twist
-Switch sides & repeat
-Cross-legged &/or side lying position, choose breathing technique and mantra* or meditation to practice at least 5 min. If sitting, place blanket under sit bones for hip & low back support if needed.

Namaste

*Helpful mantras:
-My body is stronger and more flexible than I ever thought possible
-I surrender to the wisdom of my body
-My baby feels calm, peace & serenity
-(breathing in)Trust in your body, (breathing out)Surrender to the experience

Monday, March 23, 2009

Benefits of Yoga

Come to our enrichment meeting tomorrow at 10am and learn the benefits of yoga in labor, childbirth, postpartum & beyond! Don't forget to wear something comfortable & bring a towel to kneel on. Although tomorrow's meeting is not an official class, Rachel Vaden will be able to show us all some poses. See you there!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Well Ordered Home

Tuesday's enrichment meeting was led by Kathy on the book The Well Ordered Home. We discussed many ways of making our homes more organized with children, or accepting the disorganization that can come along with having children!

Some quick clean up tips moms offered were:
*Putting useful items in active storage close to where you need and use them i.e. bathroom cleaners in bathroom, printer paper next to printer, etc.
*Using different colored expanding folders for kids paperwork
*Taking pictures of children's artwork instead of keeping originals
*Having under the bed storage bin for keepsakes/artwork children want to keep
*Using bins and trash cans in your vehicle
*Changing our expectations of what a clean home with children really is!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Books For Sale

LLL of Sandy has quite a few books for sale. Please see the bottom of our blog for the list. If you want to purchase a book, contact Kathy Grossman at hkgrossman@gmail.com.

February Series Meeting

During this month's series meeting the first two concepts of LLL philosophy were discussed. Here is a look at the 10 Concepts of LLL Philosophy.

The ideals and principles of mothering which are the foundation of LLL beliefs are developed in THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING. This book has provided answers and inspiration for the rewarding and challenging job of parenting to several generations of mothers. LLL philosophy is summarized in the following ten concepts:

* Mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of understanding and satisfying the needs of the baby.
* Mother and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply.
* In the early years, the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food.
* Breast milk is the superior infant food.
* For the healthy, full-term baby, breast milk is the only food necessary until baby shows signs of needing solids, about the middle of the first year after birth.
* Ideally, the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the need.
* Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start.
* Breastfeeding is enhanced and the nursing couple sustained by the loving support, help, and companionship of the baby’s father. A father’s unique relationship with his baby is an important element in the child’s development from early infancy.
* Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible.
* From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.

Friday, January 23, 2009

January Enrichment!

Winter & the Breastfeeding Family: Emergencies, stocking up, snow play & coping with cabin fever... Hope to see you Tuesday, January 27th!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Importance of Breastfeeding

At this past Tuesday's meeting we discussed many facts about breastfeeding. Some of these facts included:
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer in mother
Breastfeeding may reduce SIDS in baby
Breastfeeding helps mom lose "baby weight"
Breastfeeding helps lessen sickness and severity of sickness in baby
Breastfeeding creates strong bond between baby and mother
Breastfeeding helps mother read babies cues

Many moms shared their experiences with the three moms with newborns and another mother pregnant with baby number two. For more facts about breastfeeding visit the FAQ on La Leche League's website.

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