I thought I would make a list of what I consider the "baby essentials", or at least those things that I would not want to do without. Let me know if I missed anything (we all know my brain is a little fuzzy!).
1. The Snugglewrap snugglewrapbabycarriers.com
Absolutely, hands down, the best newborn baby carrier. As a devout fan of carrying ones babe, I have tried just about every kind of soft carrier. This one is a wrap style, similar in some ways to the Moby, but much better; more stretchy, and fabric only where you need it, so much less bulky. This (especially combined with number two) is a colic life saver!
2. Large excersize ball
Not just for labor anymore! Seriously, though, I've spent a good deal of time in labor on one of these, but even more time postpartum. Now that Galen is following in his brother's colicky footsteps, I find myself on the ball once again (though, thankfully, not nearly as often). Strap baby in a Snugglewrap, get your bounce on, and say "nightnight"!
3. Nosefrida nosefrida.com
The snotsucker. Seriously. It really, really works. If you've ever tried to breastfeed a baby with a cold at 3:00 in the morning, you know what I'm so excited about.
4. Wool
I LOVE wool for babies, for just about everything. Diaper covers. Clothes. Hats. Changing pads. Wool is almost miraculous, it doesn't stink even when it gets peed on (making it most amazing as a diaper cover), and if you treat it well it stays sooo nice. It is soft. It is temperature regulating, meaning it's warm when it's cold out, and cool when it's warm (assuming it isn't thick). And it rarely needs to be washed! Bonus! My very favorites are Batik Bums custom made woolens, made by a california mama and sold at batikbum.com. For washing, I like Eucalan no rinse wash, eucalan.com. It is much easier than people think!
5. Jojoba oil and a soft toothbrush
Got cradle cap? Slather it up with jojoba oil, let it soak in, and scrape it off with the toothbrush (don't brush your teeth with it afterwards. Ew.). This works really well, especially if you nip it in the bud before it gets too gnarly. The best thing about the jojoba oil is that it doesn't have a smell, so you still get to bask in the luscious new baby scent!
6. Exergen Thermometer exergen.com
Take your baby's temperature quickly and accurately by just sweeping the scanner across their forehead. Supposedly as accurate as a rectal reading, but much more comfortable (for everyone).
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Milk that someone else made
So, I have this problem: I seem to make really, really hungry little boys.
Jonah eats every one of us under the table, including me when I was pregnant and now that I am nursing two. It really is quite impressive. And little Galen just can't seem to get quite enough. Once my milk supply is up to his demand, his demand increases, and I am struggling to catch up again. I can write a whole 'nother rant about the panicked insecurity that my fear of starving him brings out (Jonah lost A LOT of weight in his first days before we knew anything was amiss), but that's not what I am thinking about now.
I am thinking about milk. If we're lucky, it's our first earthly food, made perfectly just for us. Breastmilk changes, miraculously in my opinion, throughout the first days, then weeks, months and even years of a childs life to match their nutritional and immunological needs. When I am battling an illness, the antibodies that my body produces are passed to my baby through my breastmilk, and his immune system is strengthened. Nothing, no supplement, can come close to that. So what is a mama to do when she is told that her baby needs supplementation?
I have found myself faced with this decision for the second time now. After the gut-wrenching, self-inflicted, guilt-fest that I enjoyed the first time around, I was determined to be OK if I need to give babe #2 some formula. It is not, after all, heroin, as a kind friend once pointed out to me. But it still sucks, even when it is the right thing to do.
Our midwife offered, when we first began supplementing, to put out a request to her clients asking if anyone had extra breastmilk that they would be willing to donate to us. I said no, at first because I really felt that it would only be for a day or two, but as the time has gone on I've had to look more closely at my hesitation. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have resistance to feeding my baby another woman's milk.
What's up with that?
Formula is made by someone else too, after all; someone I don't know, someone who may be perfectly well intentioned, but whose motivations are certainly influenced by profit. And every study out there is clear in the superiority of breastmilk. So why do I, self-professed hippy, have any hesitation with giving my baby the best option I have?
It isn't squeamishness. I am full of nothing but awe for our bodies and what they do. It isn't fear. I have absolute faith in my midwife, and trust anyone that she would guide us to who would be willing to share milk. I think it's mostly sadness.
Confronting the choice to give my baby milk that someone else made is coming right up against the pain of not being able to provide for him myself. And that hurts. It is a kind of impotence, at least that's what it feels like. I hate that it keeps coming back here, but here we are.
I have embraced and pushed through the pain. I have been shown intense generosity by three women who have given us an amazing gift, and I am so grateful. My son's belly is happy, he is thriving, and I don't worry about him not having enough. Of course, I want to be able to give him everything he needs from my own breast, and I hope to soon enough, but milk that someone else made is the next best thing.
Jonah eats every one of us under the table, including me when I was pregnant and now that I am nursing two. It really is quite impressive. And little Galen just can't seem to get quite enough. Once my milk supply is up to his demand, his demand increases, and I am struggling to catch up again. I can write a whole 'nother rant about the panicked insecurity that my fear of starving him brings out (Jonah lost A LOT of weight in his first days before we knew anything was amiss), but that's not what I am thinking about now.
I am thinking about milk. If we're lucky, it's our first earthly food, made perfectly just for us. Breastmilk changes, miraculously in my opinion, throughout the first days, then weeks, months and even years of a childs life to match their nutritional and immunological needs. When I am battling an illness, the antibodies that my body produces are passed to my baby through my breastmilk, and his immune system is strengthened. Nothing, no supplement, can come close to that. So what is a mama to do when she is told that her baby needs supplementation?
I have found myself faced with this decision for the second time now. After the gut-wrenching, self-inflicted, guilt-fest that I enjoyed the first time around, I was determined to be OK if I need to give babe #2 some formula. It is not, after all, heroin, as a kind friend once pointed out to me. But it still sucks, even when it is the right thing to do.
Our midwife offered, when we first began supplementing, to put out a request to her clients asking if anyone had extra breastmilk that they would be willing to donate to us. I said no, at first because I really felt that it would only be for a day or two, but as the time has gone on I've had to look more closely at my hesitation. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have resistance to feeding my baby another woman's milk.
What's up with that?
Formula is made by someone else too, after all; someone I don't know, someone who may be perfectly well intentioned, but whose motivations are certainly influenced by profit. And every study out there is clear in the superiority of breastmilk. So why do I, self-professed hippy, have any hesitation with giving my baby the best option I have?
It isn't squeamishness. I am full of nothing but awe for our bodies and what they do. It isn't fear. I have absolute faith in my midwife, and trust anyone that she would guide us to who would be willing to share milk. I think it's mostly sadness.
Confronting the choice to give my baby milk that someone else made is coming right up against the pain of not being able to provide for him myself. And that hurts. It is a kind of impotence, at least that's what it feels like. I hate that it keeps coming back here, but here we are.
I have embraced and pushed through the pain. I have been shown intense generosity by three women who have given us an amazing gift, and I am so grateful. My son's belly is happy, he is thriving, and I don't worry about him not having enough. Of course, I want to be able to give him everything he needs from my own breast, and I hope to soon enough, but milk that someone else made is the next best thing.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Let's give this a go
So, I was thinking that the whole blog thing could be an interesting outlet for all the pent-up thoughts and rants that I seem to accumulate each day, and also a nifty way for folks to catch up on our lives (if anyone should wish to do so).
If you're reading this, I'm sure you already know me, but I am Jamie, wife to Paul, and mama to Jonah (born May 2007) and Galen (born July 2009). I have worn various hats in my time on earth thus far, but "mama" seems to fit well, and bring me more happiness than I ever would have believed possible. I am passionate (to varying degrees) about homebirth, music, family rights, breastfeeding, elimination communication, wool, natural parenting, cloth diapers, sustainable agriculture, and, probably most of all, parenting with intention and respect. I suspect that rants on any of the above are likely to follow.
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