Tag Archives: breastmilk

Amazing Sick Day

You know that you’ve angered someone, somewhere, when you wake up after a restful night of sleep and your child is whimpering with a temperature of 103. I’m not sure who I upset but my son was not a happy camper mid-week and this has certainly had its effect on the remainder of the week and my ability to do all sorts of things. There are lots of bad things when you have a sick child. Lots. You have to reschedule your life around the baby. You have to quickly figure out who’s going to skip work (or what babysitter … Continue reading →

Day with Dad (Part II)

If you missed Part I of this two-part blog you can read that here. For those of you already caught up we’ll start at the beginning: My son and I just looked out the door, staring blankly for a moment. Neither of us could believe she was gone… but she was. If memory serves I looked at my son who was still staring out of the front door before looking over at the clock. The clock itself told a somewhat terrifying story: We’d both be without mom for the next twelve hours or so. That’s a long time. Now, it’s … Continue reading →

Day with Dad (Part 1)

A couple of weeks ago my Wife had to attend an event for work over the weekend. It was a significant distance out of town and she knew she’d be busy all day long. This left us in a precarious position: what do we do with our son? Sure, it would be best for him to be with Mom all day long, but she wouldn’t be able to both do her job and give him the attention he would require. Dad could come along for the trip… but being surrounded by that many other people in a strange environment didn’t … Continue reading →

Breastfed Infants Are Less Likely to Be Neglected

Now here is an interesting study that was just published in the “February” issue of Pediatrics. An Australian study found that mothers who breastfed were less likely to neglect (abuse) their children. Does this mean that nursing mothers love their babies more? Now, before we discuss this issue, I want to make it clear that no one is assuming that if you formula feed then you are automatically neglecting your baby. I am very pro breastfeeding and nursed all three of my children into toddlerhood, but I understand that there are many factors that influence a mother’s decision on how … Continue reading →

Cutting Corners On Formula Could Be Fatal

In tough economic times, families are cutting back everywhere. One practice that could be deadly is cutting back on formula. Some parents are actually watering down formula in order to make it stretch further. Not only is this unwise, holding back needed nutrition for you baby, but it could be fatal. The Todayshow.com is reporting on a story about one mom who almost lost her five-month-old son because she watered down his formula. She was shopping with him at a store when he curled up and stopped breathing. The culprit was water intoxication. The baby was rushed to the hospital … Continue reading →

Nursing Leads to Stronger Lungs

A new study shows yet another benefit to breastfeeding, and it is one that is very different. We all have heard about the positive effects on respiratory health (breastfed babies are less likely to be diagnosed with asthma, for example), but here is a study that suggested that there is also a physical component to nursing. The benefits also do not apply to babies who are fed pumped breastmilk or babies who are nursed for three months or less. The study, done by researchers at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, reports on respiratory benefits that have nothing to … Continue reading →

Let’s Be Honest About Formula vs. Breast Milk

I am concerned about the discussions going on around me. What prompted me to write this blog was one of the discussions in the forums. However, comments about ‘formula being as good as breast milk’, or ‘the breastfeeding Nazis’ aren’t only found there. There seems to be a definite division between the breast milk mamas and the formula mamas. But let’s be honest–breast milk, is NOT the same as formula. It’s scientifically just not. To be honest, if you look at the data, it’s not even a close second. No matter how much we want to pretend that it is … Continue reading →

Solid Foods – The When

On Friday, we talked about the transition to solid foods. The when is individual to every baby. A good rule of thumb, as mentioned before, is when the baby starts becoming interested in the food on your plate. Some babies will do it as early as 4 months. Some may not express interest until six or seven months. There are cases to be made for starting a baby on solid foods as early as 3 months. The baby not maintaining weight gain or not gaining it at the desired rate usually justifies those cases. Adding solids does not mean a … Continue reading →

Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?

New babies bring with them new concerns. For Mothers who chose to breastfeed, one of the first concerns is whether or not baby is getting enough to eat. It is a common misconception that a breastfeeding Mom needs to supplement with formula until her milk comes in or risk her baby’s health. Babies are perfectly built to survive on colostrum (pre-milk) alone until a Mother’s milk comes in. In fact, nature worked it out perfectly so that the baby will become hungrier and hungrier, wanting to nurse more and more often, which in turn will bring the milk in sooner … Continue reading →