I'm not a mean or selfish person but man...sometimes the selflessness of others blows me away. There is a mom in my due date/birth month group that is doing something so amazing for another mom in the group that I had to share.
There is a little monkey in our group that has a lot of dietary sensitivities--including but not limited to:
Soy
Milk
Wheat
Corn
Bananas
Pineapple.
He has had trouble gaining weight and his mom has been struggling. Since breastfeeding wasn't an option for them, she's been struggling to find a formula he wasn't allergic to--especially since so many have soy. She's tried everything...and I mean everything...including a homemade formula with a coconut milk base. His allergies were making life miserable for all.
Then---lo and behold, another mom from our group offered to help out. Not only is she pumping extra milk and shipping it across country....but to make her milk free of any allergens, she has totally removed anything with dairy, corn, wheat, soy etc. At the bottom is a list of some of things she has to avoid or look for on labels to avoid.
Anyway--she's avoided these things for three weeks and has pumped milk to send him. The first shipment just went into the mail yesterday! What an amazing selfless act to change your entire diet/lifestyle for someone else's baby.....a baby she's never met and a mom she's never met.
I've been stalking the tracking number all day!
Amazing!
Some people are just better people than me.
Things that this amazing woman has eliminated:
Milk-free diet:
Avoid foods that contain milk or any of these ingredients
Artificial butter flavor
Butter, butter fat, butter oil
Buttermilk
Casein (Casein hydrolysate)
Caseinates (in all forms)
Cheese
Cream
Cottage Cheese
Curds
Custard
Ghee
Half & Half
Lactalbumin, Lactalbumin phosphate
Lactoferrin
Lactulose
Milk (in all forms including condensed, derivaitive, dry, evaporated, goat's milk and milk from other animals, low-fat, malted, milkfat, non-fat, powder, protein, skimmed, solids, whole)
Nisin
Nougat
Pudding
Recaldent
Rennet Casein
Sour Cream, Sour cream solids
Sour milk solids
Whey (in all forms)
Yogurt
May indicate the presence of milk protein:
Caramel Candies
Chocolate
Flavorings (natural & artificial)
High protein flour
Lactic acid starter culture
Lactose
Luncheon meat, hot dogs, sausages
Margarine
Non-dairy products
Wheat-free diet:
Avoid foods that contain wheat or any of these ingredients
Bran
Bread Crumbs
Bulgur
Club Wheat
Couscous
Cracker Meal
Durum
Einkorn
Emmer
Farina
Flour (all purpose, bread, cake, durum, enriched, graham, high gluten, high protein, instant, pastry, self-rising, soft wheat, steel ground, stone ground, whole wheat)
Gluten
Kamut
Matzoh, matzoh meal (also spelled as matzo)
Pasta
Seitan
Semolina
Spelt
Triticale
Vital Gluten
Wheat (bran, germ, gluten, malt, sprouts)
Wheat Grass
Whole Wheat Berries
May indicate the presence of wheat protein:
Flavoring (natural & artificial)
Hydrolyzed Protein
Soy Sauce
Starch (gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch, vegetable starch, wheat starch)
Surimi
Soy-free diet
Avoid all foods that contain soy or any of these ingredients:
Edamame
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Miso
Natto
Shoyu Sauce
Soy (Soy albumin, Soy fiber, Soy flour, Soy grits, Soy Lecithin, Soy Milk, Soy Nuts, Soy Oils, Soy Sprouts)
Soya
Soybean (curd, granules)
Soy Protein (concentrate, isolate)
Soy sauce
Tamari
Tempeh
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Tofu
May indicate the presence of soy protein:
Asian Cuisine
Flavoring (natural & artificial)
Vegetable Broth
Vegetable Gum
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable Starch
Corn-Free Diet:
Avoid all foods that contain corn or any of these ingredients:
Baking powder (barb said this was ok to use in baking the amount that would make it to ur breastmilk shouldn't affect him)
Corn
Corn alcohol
Corn flour
Cornstarch
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup solids
Cornmeal
Grits
Hominy
Maize
May indicate the presence of corn protein:
Food starch
Modified food starch
Vegetable gum
Vegetable starch
Umm....yeah....that's a heck-load of things.
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
On our way....
Yesterday, LM had his first bottle of formula. I tried it "straight up" instead of mixing it with breastmilk at first so we could see if he'd take it that way.
He did. He sucked it down like we've been giving it to him since he was born. It was harder than I thought to see that. In the back of my mind, I figured he would prefer BM and that it was a "special" thing. But--my uber-flexible baby was good to go with it. We only did one feeding yesterday but since I really wasn't too uncomfortable, I think I'll start dropping two a day---one am, one pm--leaving the breakfast/bed ones until last in case I change my mind about stopping those.
It's such a big step for us. I know that some babies get formula from Day 1 but to me, I feel like we're going down this new path where LM is growing up. This path has bottles, daycare, returning to work, solids etc all on it....I can't believe how fast it's flying by. I see LM doing new things every day and I know this isn't stopping :)
So, we're exploring formula now and learning lots of things....like the smell sucks. It's also a lot thicker when LM spits it up. I'm still trying to figure out how many ounces to give him and if the brand we're using is "the one". I've also got to figure out a better way to mix bottles without making a mess when I'm shaking it.
But, he seems happy and still snuggles with me while he eat so I guess we're one step further down this path.
He did. He sucked it down like we've been giving it to him since he was born. It was harder than I thought to see that. In the back of my mind, I figured he would prefer BM and that it was a "special" thing. But--my uber-flexible baby was good to go with it. We only did one feeding yesterday but since I really wasn't too uncomfortable, I think I'll start dropping two a day---one am, one pm--leaving the breakfast/bed ones until last in case I change my mind about stopping those.
It's such a big step for us. I know that some babies get formula from Day 1 but to me, I feel like we're going down this new path where LM is growing up. This path has bottles, daycare, returning to work, solids etc all on it....I can't believe how fast it's flying by. I see LM doing new things every day and I know this isn't stopping :)
So, we're exploring formula now and learning lots of things....like the smell sucks. It's also a lot thicker when LM spits it up. I'm still trying to figure out how many ounces to give him and if the brand we're using is "the one". I've also got to figure out a better way to mix bottles without making a mess when I'm shaking it.
But, he seems happy and still snuggles with me while he eat so I guess we're one step further down this path.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Winding down...
I know that people have strong opinions on the whole issue of breastfeeding, formula, weaning etc. Please know that I believe to each his own.
I enjoy breastfeeding LM. It's been a really smooth process amazingly....I was sure there'd be problems. But--he latched right on and never looked back. It's always been my plan that I would transition him to formula when it was time for school to start up. Yes, I know I could pump. But the age group I teach is high maintenance and requires a lot of energy and time at the start of the school year. Most years, the first week of school usually results in me grabbing a quick snack while running around on my one break of the day (we don't get a second prep until later in the year when we feel the kids are more self-sufficient for not all of the teachers to be there). I don't sit down and honestly, there's just not going to be time to pump on the one break. I'm trying to be realistic. The last thing I want is for LM to be relying on pumped breastmilk (my freezer stash is pathetic---I can only pump about 3oz at a time, on a good day) at daycare and my supply tank. I have panic attacks at the thought of leaving him at daycare after so long home together, so I cannot imagine trying to transition to formula in the midst of all of that.
He'll be 5 months three days before school starts. We plan to start solids at 6 months. (I totally get that this statement doesn't fit here...but I wanted to include it and couldn't figure out a good spot for it).
Once things settle down at school, I'll still have just the one late morning break. And I could pump...but honestly---this is my one time a day to sit and talk with my team, get things done etc...and I know how stressed I get when I lose this. I don't want to be a stressed, mean teacher...and as a result, a cranky mommy. I get that some people might view this as selfish....and it probably is. But, it's something I've been really really thinking about and I feel comfortable with my decision.
Guilty, but comfortable.
I'll miss the time with LM but he loves bottles and will take them from me, so hopefully we'll still get our snuggle time. Plus, it'll help TH and him get some much needed snuggle time as he'll be back to school too.
So right now, I'm exploring the idea of weaning (without feeling like my bo.obs will explode) and learning about formula/bottles etc. It's a lot to learn about....and I feel a little overwhelmed. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like not being "good" at something right away so I have anxiety about the transition. I'd love advice from anyone who has weaned (un)successfully and anyone who can give me tips about formula/bottle and all of the life lessons you've learned.
We go to the pedi next week for our 4 month so I'll talk with her about it then and get her advice too. But--you know I love the real mama advice.
So we'll start soon....but until then, I'm just going to enjoy my time breastfeeding LM and prepare ourselves for this new transition. And boy..it's a big one.
I enjoy breastfeeding LM. It's been a really smooth process amazingly....I was sure there'd be problems. But--he latched right on and never looked back. It's always been my plan that I would transition him to formula when it was time for school to start up. Yes, I know I could pump. But the age group I teach is high maintenance and requires a lot of energy and time at the start of the school year. Most years, the first week of school usually results in me grabbing a quick snack while running around on my one break of the day (we don't get a second prep until later in the year when we feel the kids are more self-sufficient for not all of the teachers to be there). I don't sit down and honestly, there's just not going to be time to pump on the one break. I'm trying to be realistic. The last thing I want is for LM to be relying on pumped breastmilk (my freezer stash is pathetic---I can only pump about 3oz at a time, on a good day) at daycare and my supply tank. I have panic attacks at the thought of leaving him at daycare after so long home together, so I cannot imagine trying to transition to formula in the midst of all of that.
He'll be 5 months three days before school starts. We plan to start solids at 6 months. (I totally get that this statement doesn't fit here...but I wanted to include it and couldn't figure out a good spot for it).
Once things settle down at school, I'll still have just the one late morning break. And I could pump...but honestly---this is my one time a day to sit and talk with my team, get things done etc...and I know how stressed I get when I lose this. I don't want to be a stressed, mean teacher...and as a result, a cranky mommy. I get that some people might view this as selfish....and it probably is. But, it's something I've been really really thinking about and I feel comfortable with my decision.
Guilty, but comfortable.
I'll miss the time with LM but he loves bottles and will take them from me, so hopefully we'll still get our snuggle time. Plus, it'll help TH and him get some much needed snuggle time as he'll be back to school too.
So right now, I'm exploring the idea of weaning (without feeling like my bo.obs will explode) and learning about formula/bottles etc. It's a lot to learn about....and I feel a little overwhelmed. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like not being "good" at something right away so I have anxiety about the transition. I'd love advice from anyone who has weaned (un)successfully and anyone who can give me tips about formula/bottle and all of the life lessons you've learned.
We go to the pedi next week for our 4 month so I'll talk with her about it then and get her advice too. But--you know I love the real mama advice.
So we'll start soon....but until then, I'm just going to enjoy my time breastfeeding LM and prepare ourselves for this new transition. And boy..it's a big one.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
It's 5 o'clock somewhere...
I read a lot of message boards, blogs etc....I used to read books. Real books--in print. Not just the kindle kind at night with a light while I'm feeding LM. But, I digress.
A popular topic on all of these boards etc, especially in the new mom crowd, is breastfeeding and alcohol. This is a topic that everyone as their opinions on---some based off experience, some based off of science, some based off of...well..I'm not sure. But, opinions are opinions and, like all things in this blog, what I'm about to say is my opinion and not meant to offend or brainwash anyone :-)
I enjoy an adult beverage...heck, I'm a teacher, of course I do! The nine months I was pregnant (yes, I even abstained during the dreaded 2ww) I didn't even have a sip of anything alcoholic---I did a lot of smelling of wines, but I didn't taste. It was HARD but not something that I was willing to play around with. I have too many students with FAS and while I know a drink or two wouldn't have hurt anything, it was just a choice I made (like giving up caffeine and subsequently, a nice personality in the mornings).
But, when LM was born and I knew I'd be breastfeeding, I needed to do some research on drinking and breastfeeding. After reading some science based sites, listening to what my MBM's (message board moms) did/do/have done and talking with a doctor in my family, I had a plan.
When I choose to drink, I do it in a high-class way----while feeding my baby :-) LM eats every 2-3 hours and by then the little bit of alcohol that is in my system is out. I am aware of if I still have a "buzz" and never feed him in under the two hour window or if I feel buzzed still. It's not ideal to time having a drink with the next time he wants to eat, but my drink of choice is usually a glass of wine in the early evening, so it works out. Mostly. The rare occasion when I know that I'm going somewhere that I'll have a glass of wine (aka Memorial Day cookout) that I'd rather not time out...I just bring a bottle. I also have emergency formula/frozen milk stashed at a couple of friend/family member homes where it may ever arise that I need to feed him and cannot.
What to do and how to do it seems to be such a hot topic amongst new moms. I can't say that what I do is "right" or 100% safe but it's what I've researched and chosen. I have the support of TH and this helps me maintain the self-control needed. Would I love to have several glasses of wine some nights? Of course!!!! Any maybe when LM sleeps more consistently to start the night, I will. But there's time for that.
It is important to realize that no Mom should make a decision about drinking/feeding without doing her own research. Gathering your info from multiple sources allows you to make smart choices--and with your baby, the only choice you should make it a smart one. This is what I always say after I share my opinion on this topic on message boards--right after I share with them the visual of the time my wine cooler was really really cold and so I held it with the burp cloth while nursing :-D
And now, I'm going to go have a drink. Yes I know it's early afternoon---but it's our summer vacation, my baby is hungry and it's 5 o'clock somewhere :-)
A popular topic on all of these boards etc, especially in the new mom crowd, is breastfeeding and alcohol. This is a topic that everyone as their opinions on---some based off experience, some based off of science, some based off of...well..I'm not sure. But, opinions are opinions and, like all things in this blog, what I'm about to say is my opinion and not meant to offend or brainwash anyone :-)
I enjoy an adult beverage...heck, I'm a teacher, of course I do! The nine months I was pregnant (yes, I even abstained during the dreaded 2ww) I didn't even have a sip of anything alcoholic---I did a lot of smelling of wines, but I didn't taste. It was HARD but not something that I was willing to play around with. I have too many students with FAS and while I know a drink or two wouldn't have hurt anything, it was just a choice I made (like giving up caffeine and subsequently, a nice personality in the mornings).
But, when LM was born and I knew I'd be breastfeeding, I needed to do some research on drinking and breastfeeding. After reading some science based sites, listening to what my MBM's (message board moms) did/do/have done and talking with a doctor in my family, I had a plan.
When I choose to drink, I do it in a high-class way----while feeding my baby :-) LM eats every 2-3 hours and by then the little bit of alcohol that is in my system is out. I am aware of if I still have a "buzz" and never feed him in under the two hour window or if I feel buzzed still. It's not ideal to time having a drink with the next time he wants to eat, but my drink of choice is usually a glass of wine in the early evening, so it works out. Mostly. The rare occasion when I know that I'm going somewhere that I'll have a glass of wine (aka Memorial Day cookout) that I'd rather not time out...I just bring a bottle. I also have emergency formula/frozen milk stashed at a couple of friend/family member homes where it may ever arise that I need to feed him and cannot.
What to do and how to do it seems to be such a hot topic amongst new moms. I can't say that what I do is "right" or 100% safe but it's what I've researched and chosen. I have the support of TH and this helps me maintain the self-control needed. Would I love to have several glasses of wine some nights? Of course!!!! Any maybe when LM sleeps more consistently to start the night, I will. But there's time for that.
It is important to realize that no Mom should make a decision about drinking/feeding without doing her own research. Gathering your info from multiple sources allows you to make smart choices--and with your baby, the only choice you should make it a smart one. This is what I always say after I share my opinion on this topic on message boards--right after I share with them the visual of the time my wine cooler was really really cold and so I held it with the burp cloth while nursing :-D
And now, I'm going to go have a drink. Yes I know it's early afternoon---but it's our summer vacation, my baby is hungry and it's 5 o'clock somewhere :-)
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