Mom4Life

I don't have any more milk! by Julie Johnson

The most common complaint among breastfeeding mothers is, "I don't have enough milk for my baby." Even though that statement is often told to every lactation consultant in America, it isn't being told to every lactation consultant in the world.  Women outside the United States usually don't have issues with low milk supplies.

So let's think about this for a moment. Why here and not there? Why might one woman  have enough milk for her entire city, and another appears to not have enough to give her week old baby? This can be a complex question and hopefully I can distinguish between actual low supply and thriving milk supply.

In the beginning stages, many new mothers find that they need the "sign" of engorgement before they feel comfortable that their milk is coming in. Actually, it is the complete opposite. Not having engorgement is what you do want. Severe engorgement can actually kill mammary cells and, therefore, in some cases lower a milk supply for good. Engorgement actually indicates that the baby is not being fed enough or perhaps not accurately. Having some firmness during pregnancy and having a baby nurse frequently starting right after delivery is what you do want.

Moms may be confused when their baby wants to suck a lot at the breasts and never appears satisfied. The baby who wants to suck at the breasts all day while maintaining weight and having "enough" wet and dirty diapers IS getting enough. Perhaps the baby needs to suck for soothing and comforting as well as for food. On the other hand, if mom is experiencing pain with vigorous and continual sucking, she needs to see a lactation professional to rule out sucking issues that possibly are causing the baby to continually work "harder" for his food.

The main culprit of low milk supply is lack of breast stimulation. No magic pills can compensate for lack of good stimulation. Occasionally, medication or herbs are additionally needed, but always accompanied with at least 8 or more good feeds at the breast a day and/or using a hospital grade breast pump.

When in doubt about offering supplementation, get a lactation consultant to help make sure that this is in the best interest of the baby and your milk supply. One final comment, the more supplementation and rubber nipples the baby receives, the less milk will be produced …and that is may be one different from other cultures.

For those special circumstances, don't forget to purchase Earth Mama Angel Baby's "More Milk Tea" and other breastfeeding essentials from www.birthandbreastfeedingsolutions.com

CAPPA's Certified Lactation Educator and Trainer
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Lamaze childbirth educator
doula
mom
owner of Birth and Breastfeeding Solutions

Roasting Pumkin Seeds - Halloween Fun by Christine

Halloween is just around the corner.  We grew pumpkins this year in our garden, so we ended up with about 12-14 pumpkins.  The kids have been begging to roast pumpkin seeds this year so we will probably do that tomorrow. 

Roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven creates a snack every bit as tasty as sunflower seeds.
Baking pumpkin seeds is easy and fun.  Your kids will want to help if only to get their hands messy with the "pumpkin guts".  You may as well do something with all the seeds you remove as you carve your jack o' lantern anyway. 
 
While you gather the supplies, let the kids have all the fun of cleaning out the pumpkins.  To avoid a big mess, dress them in disposable aprons and gloves.  Cover the table with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth.  They can begin after you’ve cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin for their hands.
As for the rest, you will need a large cookie sheet or two, a colander or other strainer, and some salt.  If you are watching your salt intake, use a lighter salt mixture.

After the pumpkin seeds have been removed, separate them from the stringy pulp.  Discard the pulp in the trash bin.  Place the seeds in a colander and hold it under running water to thoroughly wash them off.

Once the seeds are clean, have the kids spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the seeds with the salt.  Pumpkin seeds should bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes.  In the meantime, round up all of the newspaper and throw it away.  Cleaning as you go allows everyone to enjoy the treats as soon as they pop out of the oven.

Check the pumpkin seeds every five minutes or so to make sure that they are not getting overdone.  Turning once during baking gives an even roasting to all of the seeds.  To see if they are done, scoop out a couple of seeds and taste them once they cool.  You can add more salt if you need to.
If you have never roasted pumpkin seeds, you are in for a treat!  To keep the kids coming back for more of this healthy treat, try different toppings.  Sprinkling a touch of your favorite seasoning or popcorn topping on the seeds will produce any number of interesting flavors.  Healthy snacks don’t have to be boring afterall!

If you are like the taste of the southwest, add chili powder or taco seasoning to the seeds before baking.  For a hotter taste, try red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.  You can even add hot sauce.  Eat the seeds alone or make them part of a party mix.

This week as you snuggle up for a scary movie, or the "It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown",  roast some pumpkin seeds instead of popcorn for a fun autumn fare.  Adding butter flavoring, cheddar cheese, white cheddar, or garlic salt to a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds provides fewer calories than the traditional movie munchies.  If you happen to have any left, you can store them in a ziplock bag, but generally they don’t last long!

Enjoy and have a Happy Halloween!

Christine
"The Menu Mom"

For more fun Halloween Recipes hop on over to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/Kid%20Halloween%20Fun%20Recipe%20E-book.pdf and http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/article-kids-halloween-recipes.htm

We are in the sixth semi-annual Great Cloth Diaper Hunt, come join in on the fun!

Mom 4 Life is proud to announce our sponsorship of the sixth semi-annual Great Cloth Diaper Hunt™!

What is the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt? It is a really fun on-line scavenger hunt where you get to search for a diaper icon on mom owned websites and enter to win prizes along the way.  it is a really fun way to be exposed to lots of really great websites and have fun and maybe win some cool stuff along the way!

How does the GCDH work? It’s simple! You register at http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/greatclothdiaperhunt.php on or after October 15, 2007 (the hunt starts on November 1). Then you visit all the participating sponsor sites and hunt for the Diaper Decisions™ diaper, to earn entries to the 65 random prize drawings, including Two Grand Prizes and one Ultimate Grand Prize!

For more details about this great event, please visit the Rules and FAQ pages at http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/greatclothdiaperhunt.php . See you at the hunt!

Software for your kids--PC Learning System

A little while ago I was sent a Easy PC Learning System from Comfy.  I was very interested to see how my kids would react to it.  Hunter is four and enjoys playing on the computer whenever we allow it.  Ashlyn will be two in January and had not done anything on the computer.  This learning system is unique to most others that I have seen because they provide a "keyboard" and software that work together and are very kid safe and friendly.  I will tell you the "kid safe" part is something I really like!  A while ago our son was playing on the computer and pushed something on the keyboard (we don't know what to this day) but it really, really messed things up.  My computer nerd husband couldn't figure out how to fix it and ended up (if I remember right) had to reformat the hard drive to restore things again--ugggh!  SO I really like the fact that this keyboard doesn't have any keys that cause problems!  There are several levels of software available ranging from age 1-5 and varying levels of difficulty so it is easy to find something that is right for your child.

Watching my kids play it for the first time I could tell they really enjoyed it and they have played it several times since then.  It is interactive and playful, a bit slower paced than I am used to seeing in software for kids but it didn't seem to bother my kids at all.  I think this might be a really good choice if you are looking for something educational and interactive on the computer for younger kids and especially if you want them to have fun without the use of the regular keyboard.

Mom 4 Life Giveaway- Week Three valued at over $432.00

It was really fun to read all of your entries this week telling us what being a "Mom 4 Life" means to you.  I had the assistance of Monica and Anneke this week (two of my wonderful assistants) to help me out.  We "fished" for your names over our banister and then tried to drop your names into a basket.  The first name successfully dropped into the basket was our winner.  Jodi G. was our BIG winner this week winning over $432.00!  If you are reading this via email, click here to view the YouTube video.

This week we are giving away the full Signing Time DVD Collection Gift Set valued at $208.15!

To be entered in the giveaway this week: Click here to sign up for the Signing Time newsletter then, email me  with "Week Four" in the subject line (please also provide your shipping address should you be our lucky winner).  For more info, click here.

Your email needs to be sent to me by midnight PST on 10/31.  The winner will be chosen randomly and revealed on our blog via a YouTube video on 11/02.  Good luck!

P.S. You can catch me on the Babies and Moms Radio show live this morning at 9MT or listen via Podcast at a later time.  I will be talking about some great products for solving feeding problems and we will be giving away many of these products to listeners so come join in! 

Crazy Eights Meme by Heather Ledeboer

Christine at From Dates to Diapers tagged me for the Cray Eights Meme. . . I will say this was harder to do than it looks!

8 things I am passionate about:
1. My relationship with God
2. Being a supporting loving wife
3. Being a loving mom
4. Being a good friend
5. Living an authentic life and not settling for mediocre
6. Making Mom 4 Life a wonderful, well known resource for mothers
7. Helping other moms in business
8. Supporting moms through organizations like Open Arms

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Watch my kids grow and discover their gifts and talents and use them to bless others.
2. Visit Alaska with my husband.
3. Be a guest on Oprah
4. Perhaps visit the remaining two continents that I have not been to (Australia and Antarctica) although Antarctica isn't really as appealing as feeling like I have visited all seven so that is a maybe:).
5. Write a book
6. Retire in the sense that my husband and I can be fully supported by our investments and free to help out others and do whatever God leads us to do.
7. Go on a cruise
8. Oh boy I don't know what else, I am pretty happy with my life so far. . .

8 things I say often:
1. "you look so cute" (to my daughter)
2. "Do you know you are my very special boy?" (to my son)
3. "Listen the first time I tell you" (to my son)
4. "Mom 4 Life, this is Heather" (when I answer the phone)
5. "nice" (one of those phrases I didn't know I used until my daughter started saying it)
6. "Shhhh, Ashlyn is sleeping (to my son)
7. "I love you" (to my family but I am sure it can never be said to often)
8. "Can I have a kiss?" (typically said to family members only;)

8 books I have recently read:
I am a BIG fan of Francine Rivers and have read almost everything she has written but since she has not written anything new in a while (that I know of) I will list other more recent reads:
1. Guerrilla Marketing by  Jay Conrad Levinson
2. The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (still reading)
3.The Janitor by Hopkins & Hilbert
4. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp (still reading)
5. Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About by Kevin Trudeau (still reading)
6. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
7. Small Is The New Big by Seth Godin
8. The Dip by Seth Godin

8 songs I could listen to over and over:
I will just list artists I like
1. Michael W. Smith
2. Rascal Flats
3. Frank Sanatra
4. Josh Groban
5. Dixie Chicks
6. Celine Dion
7. David Crowder Band
8. U2

8 things that attract me to my best friends:
1. Sincere
2. Honest
3. Loving
4. Rich (LOL, just kidding) - Fun loving
5. Accessible (they are always there when I need them)
6. Trustworthy
7. Willing to accept me as I am
8. Easy going

8 things that I have learned this past year:
1. How much time it takes to make new friends after a move
2. How much more peaceful it is for our family in Idaho (than CA)
3. How difficult it can be to discipline our four year old when he displays a strong will
4. That is is a lot of work to move a family and a business to a new state
5. How beautiful the fall is in Idaho
6. That I love homemade chili
7. That is is really exciting to be pregnant, even if you have done it two times before 
8. That God knows my needs at all times and loves me more than I can imagine

8 people I think should do Crazy 8's:
1. Patty
2. Micky
3. Faith
4. Debbie
5. Megan
6. Elizabeth
7. Tammy
8. Laura

A blanket sale to keep you warm & morning sickness

I have mentioned this in my Mom 4 Life newsletter but I know not all of you are subscribed to that so as to not leave you in the dark. . . I am pregnant!  We found out at the end of September.  My first dr. appointment is on the 30th of this month (a bit late because I didn't have a dr. in Idaho yet) so we don't yet know how far along I am.  I am already unbottoning my pants and feeling pretty blah all day.  You can see my belly in this video if you watch for when I am making the brownies.  I have had several people email me suggestions for things to try that helped them with their morning sickness but alas they haven't really worked (I kind of had my doubts but you are willing to try almost anything when you feel crummy right?).  We are excited and looking forward to knowing how far along I am. 

So I have a question. . . how many of you have saved your positive pregnancy tests?  I still have the test I took for Hunter and Ashlyn and now for baby #3.  Did you guys keep or throw yours (wondering if I am in the average or not in this:).

Ok and for fun you might want to check out the sale we are having this week on Mom 4 Life for two AllyZabba blankets.  The Camo and Aloha blankets are normally $24.99 and is on sale for just $19.99.  These blankets are not only super cute but very soft.  My daughter has one as a lovely.  Check it out!

Do you know what your child is drinking? by Jenny Lee

First off, I would like to thank all of those who took time out of your busy schedules to take the challenge last week and respond with a comment.  I truly enjoyed reading them all! 

In trying to keep up with the theme of last week in ingredients found in our children’s foods and snacks, I wanted to write about energy drinks.  I am sure a lot of you have heard of Red Bull, Pimpjuice Extra Strength Energy Drink, Havoc Energy Drink, Jolt Cola, Rock Star, Java Monster, Starbucks Double Shot Light, Adreline Rush and many others.

But are they safe to drink?  These types of drinks are popular especially among teens.  Teens use them for late night studying and even by athletes who feel it will give them a boost in their performance.  So are they safe?

Well to answer that question lets examine what is found in them? These energy drinks contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng. Energy drinks may contain as much as 80 mg of caffeine, the equivalent of a cup of coffee. Compared to the 37 mg. of caffeine in a Mountain Dew, or the 23 mg. in a Coca-Cola Classic, that's a big punch.

If you understand the human body you understand how the affects of too much andreline can lead to heart disease and different heart arrhythmias.  Then giving your body shots of these chemicals that make your heart beat faster and work harder doesn’t seem too safe to me. 

There has been a lot of recent teen athlete’s death in the media where a teen collapsed during a track meet or football game and all they could find in this otherwise healthy individual is that they had an energy drink before the competition.   For those of you who are not aware, there is currently a fad where athletic teens will have an energy drink before competition to give them an extra boost of energy.  However, this boost of energy can be deadly!  Their hearts have not developed completely and running for example will automatically increase its rate.  Now you add an energy drink that will increase it rate because of its contents and what you get is a deadly combination- an extreme heart rate and in turn a lot of work for their heart.

Brown University had the following to say “Individual responses to caffeine vary, and these drinks should be treated carefully because of how powerful they are. Energy drinks' stimulating properties can boost the heart rate and blood pressure (sometimes to the point of palpitations), dehydrate the body, and, like other stimulants, prevents sleep. Energy drinks should not be used while exercising as the combination of fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic quality of the caffeine can leave the user severely dehydrated.

So next time you or child want to drink an energy drink like Red Bull because as their slogan says “gives you wings” and commercial depicts a character that as soon as he drinks it he gets wings and flys away to heaven, well it might do just that!

Like always please keep the comments coming!  If there is also any topic you would like for me to address let me know J

Jenny Lee
Mom of two, nutrition specialist and founder of Bee-Z Snack Shop
www.beezsnackshop.com

Tallent abounds from Mom 4 Life customers (giveaway inside)

Michelle, a Mom 4 Life recently came across our blog and website when she found one of our videos on YouTube.  She decided to start entering our giveaways in the hopes of winning big this month.  Many of you saw her adorable new girl during the week one photo contest (popular photo "e").  Looking at her entry you can see she has an eye and talent for photo editing.  So it shouldn't surprise you that she has taken this talent to a new level and creates beautiful custom birthday invitations, shower invitations, baby announcements and door hangings.  Her work is both unique and beautiful.  Michelle wants to offer our Mom 4 Life readers $5 off any order of 25 invites or more until the end of 2007!  Just mention "Mom4Life" when you order.  Michelle offers free shipping on orders of 50 invites or more (under 50 shipping is $5 for priority).  She also offers discounts (50 invites cost just $40 plus free shipping) so your $5 discount would be on top of her normal discounts.  Your order is 100% customizable and totally unique.  She said that she charges $1 per invitation. 

In addition to this generous discount, she is offering 25 free customized cards to one of you!  To enter: simply visit her website and then send her an email by Sunday the 28th 11PM EST letting her know what theme you would want if you won and why.  She will choose one winner and notify them via email (and we will post it here as well) on Monday the 29th.

Follow up: The winner was chosen randomly through Random.org, everyone was assigned a number (there were 5 entries)and the winner is #2 Jennifer, congratulations!  She will be contacted directly.

A great snack to try! by Heather Ledeboer

If you read the post on October 7th titled "Do you know what your child is eating?"  You were challenged like me to make sure I had some truly healthy snacks in my house and not just ones that sound healthy.  In our house we are big fruit lovers so a lot of our snacks are fruit.  If you saw our August 31 giveaway video you will believe me when I say we have a lot of peaches on hand:)!  I dried a lot the day that I canned peaches as well as made some into fruit leather.  I find that it is not hard to do this if I am all set up and in the "mode" of canning/drying.  The problem is what to do when out supply runs out and it isn't peach/fruit season anymore. 

Problem solved--I recently was introduced to FruitaBu or (organic smooshed fruit).  This company makes fruit snacks (i.e. the more traditional leather and roll ups) or even some really fun options that are sort of like a thick fruit smoothie that you squeeze into your mouth (they call them fruit sploooshers) that are really fun to freeze and then eat.  Now I will start with the important facts of this snack line: no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, all sugars come naturally from the fruit.  What I had a lot of fun with however was seeing the reaction from my kids and my husband.  They (and I) love them!  They are really good!  No joke my husband was ready to order more within the first five minutes of trying them.  We have some in our kitchen pantry still but only because we are rationing them, otherwise they would have been gone withing the first ten minutes.   The FuuitaBu company was nice enough to send us some to get our reaction on them and I can honestly say we really like them a lot!  I hope they become more widely available soon (it looks like you have to just order them on line for now--which we will likely do).  I really hope that more and more companies follow in the footsteps of FruitaBu and create snacks that taste good and are good for you.

Mom 4 Life Giveaway--Week Two Winner!

Part of me doesn't want this month to end.  You guys are sending in the cutest entries!  We got about 72 entries this last week showing us photos of your favorite Mom 4 Life products are and why you like them.  You guys make ME want to enter the contest:)!  To choose the winer for week two I got help from my WONDERFUL Mom 4 Life on-site staff (Anica works from home so she couldn't join us and one member was not here today).  We worked together and Elizabeth Easter was our BIG winner.  Click here to see how we choose the winner (think unfinished basement, music and come walking/dancing/clapping and you will start to get the idea) or if you are viewing this directly on our blog, just click below. This basement of our home is where we conducted Mom 4 Life business until our shop was finished a few weeks ago.  That is why Monica says, "this looks familiar" in the video because it is where her desk used to be:).  Now that it is empty we can finish it off this winter.

I hope you will join us for week three valued at over $432.00!  To enter: simply tell us what it means to you to be a "Mom 4 Life".  Email me your entry with "week three" as your subject line by October 24th at midnight PST.  We will post all entries on the website and choose or winner randomly next week--good luck!

Changing our Plan of Action by Julie Johnson

It is the day after my annual Disneyland passes expired. Last year at this time, and two weeks before moving out of California, I bought my family their Southern California Annual Passes to Disneyland. I have used it about 10 times this last year, which for some may seem like a lot but when I lived 1 hour away I went about 20 times a year. Disneyland was one thing I could do with all my kids and their friends…we never went without every seat filled in my van. I had planned for six months to return a couple of weeks before the passes expired, but I got sick. I delayed the trip, telling myself that perhaps the next week we would try, but I was still not back to my normal energy levels. Just looking at Disneyland commercials confirmed that. Instead of getting excited, I envision myself sitting on a bench somewhere in the park, falling asleep while my kids were enjoying Space Mountain or even Splash Mountain without adult supervision. Our Disneyland adventures usually took a total 6 plus hours when we lived in California.  Every day I would tell myself I can still make the trip, including driving the extra 11 hours it takes from Salt Lake City to Orange County.  I was telling myself this up until the evening of the last day, when reason prevailed.  The Tower of Terror will have to wait. With that being said, there isn't much coming to my mind about birth and breastfeeding topics this week except that it doesn't always go the way we planned. We may need to make adjustments so we can realize the ultimate goal of a healthy baby, healthy mom and successful outcome. As for me,  I will shoot for Disneyland in January where I will be a regular tourist standing in the ticket line like everyone else.  It also helps me to remember that I really shouldn't be there in October, anyway, as it is one of Disneyland's busiest months.

CAPPA's Certified Lactation Educator and Trainer
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Lamaze childbirth educator
doula
mom
owner of Birth and Breastfeeding Solutions

Smoothies - The Perfect Way To Sneak In Some Nutrition by Christine Steendahl

We are huge smoothie lovers at our house.  How about you?  I'm not talking about the fake syrup blended with some ice you can plop down your $5 for at a cafe.  Instead I am referring to fresh wholesome fruits blended up into a delicious concoction that we mix up at home in our blender.

Smoothies are also my secret weapon in so many ways...
-Kids want dessert?  How about a "milkshake"?  (Just don't tell them it is healthy!)
-Have a child that does not like milk?  Disguise a bit in a smoothie
-Maybe you have a hard time fitting your 5 servings of fruits and veggies in each day?  A smoothie is a great way to sneak some in.
-A loved one has a sore throat, but they need some nutrition?  Smoothie
And the list could go on...

With the fall cold and flu season approaching it is extra important to consume our fruits, vegetables and vitamin C.  Smoothies are an excellent way to work on this - mix up some orange juice, frozen strawberries and plain yogurt - a great source of vitamin C! 

Our family favorite smoothie recipe is:

Peach Cheesecake
1 bag frozen peaches
4 C. Mlik
1 pkg. cheesecake instant pudding

Blend & Serve

Enjoy, and for more great smoothie recipes visit www.smoothieblends.com

We have a winner (week one)-Amy B!

Congratulations to our winner, Amy (photo "r" with 457 votes http://www.mom4life.com/pages/mom4lifecustomerphotos.php).  When Amy submitted her photo she stated, “I am so excited about the giveaway!  What a great way to celebrate.  4 years!  It’s our 4 year anniversary also on Oct 18th so I thought this photo would be fitting.  My husband, Mike, is a Major in the Air Force and missed the birth of our second daughter, Sydney on Aug 11.  This is our "Family Photo" at her birth.  He is scheduled to come home soon, just in time for our 4 year anniversary.” 

I REALLY loved seeing all the creativity in everyone’s photos!  Thank you so much for those of you that took part in this fun week one giveaway. 

Many of you have already submitted a photo for week two and they are shown here.  If you have not yet gotten in on the fun, read what you need to do here to be eligible to win more than $430.98 worth of Mom 4 Life goodies!  The winners for weeks 2, 3 and 4 are chosen randomly (rather than by a vote) and will be shown here via our video format as usual.  The odds are pretty good for winning, I hope you will join in on the fun!

When Breastfeeding isn't Blissful by Julie Johnson

I went on a lactation consult recently where a mom complained of severely sore nipples.  While I was observing the latch she yelped out in pain.  Sometimes sore nipples is an easy problem to fix; sometimes not. When ever mom is experiencing that much pain I usually look at the anatomy of the baby's mouth to rule out other causes.  I look for a short tongue being restricted by a thin membrane that may or may not be seen. I look for an extremely high palate (roof of the mouth) which can interfere with comfortable placing of the nipple in the baby's mouth.  Currently, I am finding a lot of babies who have a thin membranes underneath their top lip attached to the upper gum which restricts a tight seal at the breast, causing the unfortunate outcome of sore, cracked, beat up nipples. These challenges can be a little trickier to fix than just putting a pillow underneath baby to help with positioning or teaching the baby to keep their lower lip down.  These mothers struggle with getting their baby to breastfeed and, occasionally, there isn't a simple solution. Instead of a wonderful bonding moment, these moms have a baby who may cry a lot, while seeking more food, and finding that "right position" at the breast. Or mom is crying from the pain while struggling to get their baby to eat successfully.  In trying to get food into the baby, she may also be pumping, finger feeding, bottle feeding or cup feeding, all the while dealing with healing her damaged nipples.  It can be further discouraging when she sees other women have no pain, no struggle, no pumping, no "special techniques" - just mom, baby and breasts.

It is hard to convince every mom that she will need to do 5 extra things on top of all the other things she has to do in life in hopes that she can get through the storm, and hopefully leading to successful nursing. In MOST cases, if she is diligent, have found the right support for her specific situation, the baby will  breastfeed.  Some don't have the time or hope to wait it out. And in reality, who can blame these mothers?

Will this mom I saw in a recent consult breastfeed?  I hope so. The best thing for a mom to do when having any difficulty is to get a supportive lactation consultant and a knowledgeable (in breastfeeding) pediatrician who can give the mom medical intervention if necessary.  Just a glimmer of hope: MOST breastfeeding hardships that receive the "right intervention" and early on, resolve over time.  Don't wait longer than a few days in hopes that things get better without some kind of professional involvement.

Just a little off the subject; Almost a year long process, Medela finally accepted my pleas to open a retail account and I am now taking orders for Medela's Pump in Style Advanced and Original breastpump at a 10-20% discount. Check out my shopping area on my website for more details.

CAPPA's Certified Lactation Educator and Trainer
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Lamaze childbirth educator
doula
mom
owner of Birth and Breastfeeding Solutions

Where is Rob?

I am sure some of you have been wondering where Rob has gone (he is our dad that blogs each week on Tuesday).  He emailed me over a week ago but I just found out that I hadn't gotten the email.  He wanted to say, "I'm traveling for the next two months and combined with our current pregnancy, I need to take a break from the blogging.  I'm enjoying it immensely, I'm just a bit overwhelmed right now with the job and family.  I hope you understand."  I assured him that we do and that we will look forward to the return of his blog posts as soon as he is able!

Along those lines I want to clarify that I knew a when I started this blog that it was not something that I would be able to do on my own while also keeping Mom 4 Life going.  I have been so blessed to have some really fantastic people regularly post to our blog in their area of expertise.  They do this without pay and for the benefit of their readers.  I want to thank them publicly for this as I know it takes time, effort and often research on their part.  This blog is also still fairly new so as we continue to grow and workout the tweaks and kinks I hope you will know that we have goals and plans of offering regular, daily content in the future.  Finding the right people to blog and having their commitment to do it regularly takes time but that is our goal.  Thank you for putting up with our somewhat varied posting and continuing to check back.  I want this to be a place that you find information that is helpful to you.  If you ever have any suggestions or feedback on what you would like to see in terms of guest bloggers or topics or anything else, just let me know!

Let the voting begin--Give us your vote!

Voting has officially opened for our week one photo contest.  Please take a moment to view the fun entries sent in and place your vote!  Tell your friends, the more votes the better!  If you have not yet sent in your entry, it is not to late.  We received several tonight that will soon be added and we will continue to add them as they come in.  At this point odds are still very much in your favor for such a big prize!

Please note: you are welcome to leave comments here on our blog, but only votes entered on this page for photos found on this page will count toward the winner.

Do You Know What Your Child is Eating? The Snack Challenge & Giveaway by Jenny Lee

Did you know many studies show that certain synthetic food additives (examples listed below)  can have serious learning, behavior, and/or health effects for specially sensitive kids?

 

 

FOOD ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES
Artificial (synthetic) coloring
Artificial (synthetic) flavoring
Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener)
Artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ
Nitrates
MSG- Monosodium Glutamate
Sodium Benzoate
Sulfites

Most parents think that sugar foods and snacks are the cause or help enhance their child's ADHD but what they don't realize is that new studies have been showing that kids with or without ADD or ADHD for example are not necessarily suffering from a sugar high but instead they are reacting to the chemicals, preservative and dyes in the actual foods!  In other words, these food additives and preservatives could be having a direct effect on the behavior, health, and ability to learn for kids today.

Did you know:

1. Vanillin, found in imitation vanilla flavored foods, comes from waste product of paper mills? 

2. Those pretty colors that make the "fruit punch" red, the gelatin green and the oatmeal blue are made from petroleum (crude oil) which is also the source for gasoline.

3. You will find them on the ingredient labels, listed as "Yellow No. 5," "Red 40," "Blue #1," etc. The label may say "FD&C" before the number. That means "Food, Drug & Cosmetics." When you see a number listed as "D&C" in a product, such as "D&C Red #33" it means that this coloring is considered safe for medicine (drugs) and cosmetics, but not for food.

The Bee-Z Snack Shop is one way that has helped all types of kids, specially ones with ADD/ADHD by having parents and/or care givers place healthy natural snacks in its pockets for kids to eat!  Therefore, it gives the parents a place to place foods with no additives or preservatives and in turn kids feel they are choosing what to snack on!

 

Bee-Z Snack Shop Challenge:

Those who respond to this blog by October 21, 2007 will automatically be entered to win the latest product to hit the market- Bee-Z Snack Shop- a $25 value for FREE!

 

Challenge: Go through your own kitchen cabinets and pay attention to the ingredients in your child’s pre-packaged cereals, snacks and foods.  I challenge you to find a pre-packaged snack/food that DOES NOT have food coloring, chemicals or preservatives.  Pay special close attention to snacks that claim to be all natural or 100 % juice and see if they contain any food additives or preservatives.   Even take look at ingredients found in dips, because even though our kids may eat veggies what are they dipping their veggies in?  Please send me a respond to this blog and share with me and other moms what you found out.  Specially share if you do find pre-packaged snacks that live up to their claim of being all natural!  I know, moms all over, would love to hear about those snacks for our own kids! 

If what they say is true and we are what we eat, so then what are our kids becoming?  Even though it’s a little extra work for us moms to cut up fruit, veggies and put snacks together for our kids rather than buying pre-packaged snacks, the Bee-Z Snack Shop is one way to help us organize our snacks for our kids and encourage them to eat healthier.  After all, aren’t our children worth the extra time for a healthier life style?  I believe they are J
 

Jenny Lee

A Mom, certified nutrition specialist and founder of the Bee-Z Snack Shop

www.beezsnackshop.com

 

It is here! The start of the giveaway craziness! (Part 2)

Here is the video. . . :)  Sorry about that delay.  If you are reading this via email, click here to visit my YouTube "Channel" and you can watch it there.

It is here! The start of the giveaway craziness!

Christine is our lucky winner this week for the Ah Goo Baby Plush Pad, Yeah Christine:)!  If you can believe it, this is the second time she has won our giveaway!  Judging from her blog, she will not even know about her good luck until Monday as she is taking a weekend away for herself (good for you mama)! 

I worked a long time on our video this week and found out that it was too long for YouTube:(.  I will try to revise it and load it here later (booo hoooo).  I will warn you my Thursday (when the video was filmed) was sort of an up and down day for me emotionally.  I just felt like the kids were so whiny and I felt more like a babysitter than a mom.  So if I look less than totally enthusiastic on the video you will know why (and I have a feeling you have had one of those days too so I bet you can relate;).

IT IS FINALLY HERE!!!!  The MONTH of giveaways. This week on our blog we are giving away a ton of great items valued over $442.27!  In fact, this whole month will be filed with special giveaways valued at over $1,450.00! Click here to view them all in detail.  Why?  Today is my birthday and this month marks the Mom 4 Life 4 year anniversary so I want to celebrate!

To take part in the giveaway this week: Email me a photo that includes the words "Mom 4 Life".  I encourage you to be creative.  You can include people if you like or really anything you like!  Include your shipping address in your email so we know where to send your prizes should you win:).

We will post the photos on this page of our website by Monday the 8th. At this time we will open up the voting.  On October 11th at 9PM PST we will select the winner based on your votes.  If you send your photo to me after the 8th we will still post them but you will want to send it as soon as you can so that it will be up when people start voting!

By sending in your photo, you agree that we can use this photo for any and all Mom 4 Life purposes.

Good luck and spread the word!

Moms: be aware! Is it "BEAUTY" or "CANCER" that is in our bathrooms? by Rosemary Anthony

In this post you will find:
-Shocking info on what is part your beauty routine.
-A fun challenge.
-The winners from our bathroom challenge

Hi everyone. . . I thought I would create a fun little scenario that will awaken your senses and make you all think twice BEFORE we make ourselves clean, fresh and beautiful for the day in our bathrooms:
As we awaken each morning from our children greeting us or our alarm clocks buzzing us. . . we slowly step out of bed, turn on our showers and stand under the warm, soothing pellets of water massaging our bodies...we start our morning routine with gentle scrubbing our bodies with Ammonia, Formaldehyde and Phenol. We next reach for our shampoo to suds into our scalps some  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate into our hair...and keep in  mind a great deal of us already have tinted hair.  While rinsing our Shampoo, we generously apply a nice dosage of Propylene Glycol and while that is permeating our heads we decide to massage and shave our legs with A-Pinene.  Once our relaxing  experience in the shower is completed we reach for our towels to dry our bodies and unknowingly start spreading around another layer of Contaminant Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PHAS) and then we ever so softly dust our bodies with a lovely dose of Asbestos Substances.  Let's not forget to spray scented Aluminum under our arms...(for what we think is a fresh, clean scent) and brush our teeth with FD&C Blue #1, SLS, Resorcinol, Saccharin and Fluoride: with a trace of triSodium Phosphate. Next we rinse and gargle to the splashes of Ethanol and Phenol Alcohol. We set and style our hair and finish it off with a great dose of Polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP)...which slowly seeps into our lungs. Sitting in front of our well lit mirror, we gently apply a thin layer of Phenol Carbolic Acid, Dioxin, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben and Propylene Glycol all over our face...because goodness knows. . . we must get rid of those tell tale lines. .. Since we have an important meeting today, we must be sure to wear some foundation and a little FD&C Red #3. . . and let's not forget to add some eye-Iron Oxide. . . to look extra pretty.  Let's not forget to line our lids with a little toxic Ascorbyl Palmitate and a simple stroke of bacteria & Polyvinylpyrrolide (PVP) to extend our lashes--a dab of Benzo-A-Pyrene and some Benzo-B-Fluroanthene to color our lips--A spray of our favorite scent that is loaded with Toluene and Benzaldehyde accompanied with a little carcinogenic Nitrosamine, NMPABAO on our face, arms and legs to help block those dangerous rays from the sun!  Aaaaah, we are now ready for the day...!  We look and feel simply radiant. . . and as we look in our mirrors we really like what we see. . . a "breathtaking" kind of beauty . . . STOP!  THINK ABOUT THIS!  What is the price we are paying for beauty. . . To CREATE this "look" on a daily basis. . . we are slowly and consistently KILLING ourselves on a daily basis!

As you all know. . . I have been trying to enlighten you and educate everyone that WHAT we put ON our skins ABSOLUTELY absorbs INTO our bloodstreams!  All these chemicals mentioned above are slowly but surely seeping into our bodies on a cumulative basis day after day, year after year.

I want you all to try this simple experiment: Get a fresh clove of garlic and cut into it.  Now I want you to rub it all over the bottom of your foot.  Now I want you to TIME how long it takes for you to actually taste it in your mouth.  You know me and "Challenges". . . I am dying (not literally) to hear your comments on this Blog.

Please understand that our skin IS NOT a barrier that keeps all these chemicals and ingredients OUT!  Like I have been saying, in my previous Blog Articles, our skin absorbs EVERYTHING that we apply to it--(look at the hormone patch therapy or the nicotine and diet patches that are adhered to our skin's surface).  Do you know WHY these therapies work?  Because our skin is as porous as a sponge!

Here are some very interesting facts that I want everyone NOT to forget:
1. At least 3 personal care products are used on our infants and children on a daily basis!
2. Men use 10 personal care products daily!
3. Women use 6 cosmetics and 13 personal cosmetics daily. And during the day, they re-applied and used over and over again!
4. Assuming that "mainstream" products each contain at least 2 carcinogens, (which are cancer-causing agents). . . This results in daily exposure to 6 different AVOIDABLE carcinogens for infants and children, 20 for men and 38 for women ON A DAILY BASIS! This is scary!
5. Even though ingredients are listed on the labels of the products we buy, no one bothers to tell you WHICH of these ingredients are CANCER risks.  There are simply NO WARNINGS!
6. It is UNTHINKABLE to me that women would knowingly continue to expose their infants, children, husbands and even themselves to these dangers - resulting in possible health risks . . . if the products used on themselves and loved ones were visibly labeled with EXPLICIT warnings of the cancer risks involved!

READ THOSE LABELS and NEVER take for granted what the beauty and cosmetic industry wants you to believe!  As parents, mothers, and even wives . . . we as a collective group need to PROTECT those closest to us, OUR LOVED ONES.  Make the choice today and make a healthier change for tomorrow!

An update to our Bathroom Challenge. . . here are our winners:
I had my children pick the winners.  I wrote down everyone's name, date and time of blog entry, put them on slips of paper and dropped them into a cookie jar.  My daughter, Beau Amber chose the first winner: RANDIE  15TH AUGUST @ 9:36PM.  My son, Brook Aidan chose the second winner: LISA 21ST AUGUST 4:40PM.  Funny enough--I thought I was all done--but my littlest one who is 21months old, Blake Ashton, was really upset that he didn't have a chance.  So, after a big scene I let him choose another name and now we have a third prize winner and her name is: JILL 17th AUGUST 5:11PM!  Congratulations to our three winners, please let us know what you thing of your new skin care!

Until next time….”Happy Parenting!!”
Rosemary Anthony
Owner of Love Me Baby Me

Continuation of Breastfeeding Barriers by Julie Johnson

Sorry it's been awhile since my last blog. It has been crazy at my house with my 13 y/o going to the hand surgeon, eye specialist, fitting for contacts, pediatricians office twice and trying to get into the dermatologist along with trying to figure out premenopausal symptoms at 38!! All I can say is that premenopausal symptoms are very similar to pregnancy without the excuse, "I can have one more donut, I am eating for two." ... 

With that being said, every new mom and dad would prefer a perfect scenario after labor and delivery. To ensure an easier time without breastfeeding barriers, I have listed a few suggestions that will help with your success.

• Couples have found that when they have the labor room all to themselves after childbirth, there are less distractions for bonding.
• Complete skin to skin between mom and her infant not only wakens a baby naturally, the baby will want to look for food. When baby is wrapped in blankets it is hard for the infant’s instincts to kick in.
• A healthy newborn doesn’t have to eat right after delivery, this process may take several hours. Continual skin to skin with mom will adjust the baby’s body temperature as well as regulate the blood sugars.
• The baby shows mom and dad several ways for when they want to eat. First, the baby will start to turn their head, suck on their fist or fingers and/or open their mouths. They make small little noises along with these other signs. Crying is the last sign of hunger. Offering the breast when the baby does these behaviors will ensure a better feed.
• Watching the clock and schedule feedings is not an ideal way to offer the breast to the baby.  The baby can’t tell time and for a healthy newborn, they eat when they are hungry not when a clock tells them so. Baby eats just like you and I do, when our tummy dictates.  Normal newborns eat 8-12 times in a 24 hour period. That may seem like a lot of feedings, however the baby does have a small tummy…the size of a marble the first day and the breastmilk digests quicker than formula.
• If necessary, express colostrum into a plastic spoon. Entice the baby to lick off. The colostrum should interest baby enough to seek out more food at the breast.
• Relax and enjoy the miracle!

CAPPA's Certified Lactation Educator and Trainer
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Lamaze childbirth educator
doula
mom
owner of Birth and Breastfeeding Solutions