7 Quick Takes

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World Breastfeeding Week ended on Wednesday. As a result, Moby sponsored a twitter party where I got some really great information. I shared it in a post on Thursday. Many of the links would have been great to have a couple of months ago when Charlie was born. Hopefully, it can help some other new moms.

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I adore my Moby. This week Charlie has been extra clingy so, I wouldn't have been able to get anything done without it. There are so  many wonderful things about babywearing. My favorite is snuggling and bonding with my little one. During the twitter party, Moby gave a great link about all of the benefits of babywearing.

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I've been given a lot of thought as to how we can teach Charlie to pray. I would love to pray together as a family nightly. We never prayed as a family except at the dinner table. When we were little we prayed before bed but, that went the way of the dinosaur unless we did it on our own. Does anyone have any resources to help us?

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We have a ton of religious paraphernalia that we get in the mail from various orders seeking donations. What do you do with it? I feel badly throwing it out. Does anyone take donations of that kind of stuff?

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Back to School advertising is in full boom. Please consider making a donation of school supplies to students in need either through your parish or your local school. In addition, please consider taking part in "Give With Target". If you need a school to choose, Martin Luther School in Maspeth, NY would benefit greatly from every vote!  "Simply choose a K-12 school in our list of eligible schools and vote for it weekly through September 8 or when $2.5 million in Target GiftCards® have been awarded, whichever occurs first. A school will receive a $25 Target GiftCard for every 25 votes received during the Promotion Period; up to a maximum of $10,000 in gift cards."

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We are still looking at cloth diapering as a means to save money. We got a few Flips covers and inserts from friends who didn't want/need them any more. Hopefully, we'll be able to use them!

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Charlie is being Baptized on Saturday! It will be a private, family only Mass. Our friend will preside. 

Breastfeeding- My Story & Online Resources

To mark the end of World Breastfeeding Week, Moby wrap hosted a twitter party on August 7th that included lactation consultants and other breastfeeding experts who were available to provide participants with resources, support, and encouragement. This was the first twitter party I had ever participated in so, I found it a little overwhelming at first. (Kind of like my breastfeeding experience.) However, there were a bunch of really great resources that they shared throughout the party. I tried to catch as many as I could to share with all of you! I know as a first time mom who had a lot of trouble breastfeeding at the beginning many of these resources would have been helpful.

Here's my story: 

My son was born on his due date via c-section after 17.5 hours of a failed induction. This was not what I had planned in terms of how I wanted my first childbirth experience to go. I knew that even if I couldn't have a natural birth, I was going to breastfeed. 

Before and after the c-section various medical professionals asked if I was going to breastfeed, my response was an enthusiastic, "Yes!". I knew this was written in my chart and marked on my baby's bracelet. However, after the c-section no one came to show me how to latch him on. So, I sat with my new baby, numb from the waist down and waited...

They took the baby to the nursery to get cleaned up.  They said I could try to latch him on when he returned. Well, at 2 AM my perfect little boy returned, I asked the nurse if she could help me. She never returned. 

The shift changed. I asked the new nurse if she could help me. She said she would put me on the list to be seen by a lactation consultant (LC). Mind you, now almost 12 hours had gone by since my little one was born and he hadn't been latched on. 

Finally, my husband got angry because time was passing, our little one wasn't being fed and we were getting anxious. Around 3PM, the first LC came in and gave me a lecture about how new babies don't need to eat, I wasn't making milk yet anyway, and I should be doing skin-to-skin. This was the first time I had heard about skin-to-skin. So, she puts him on my chest and we sat. Time kept passing and no one was helping me. So, out of desperation we gave our little one a bottle. 

The next morning, another LC came in and yelled at me for giving our LO a bottle. Once again, never showing me how to get him to latch on, she put him on my chest and we sat. Around 11 AM, I heard an announcement over the speaker that there was going to be a breastfeeding class. My husband encouraged me to go. However, this meant I had to walk to another wing of the hospital, on my own, pushing my baby, after just having a c-section. I was determined to breastfeed so, I went. 

At that class, I met my angel, an LC named Graham, who got it! She understood my concern, my frustration, and provided me with the encouragement I needed. She spend two hours with me, working on getting my perfect little one to latch on. I wasn't easy but, we got it. She provided me with a feeding plan and a pump to help bring in my milk since I still had a few days in the hospital. She taught me how to use a nipple shield to get my little one to  latch on better. This was exactly what I needed! 

Needless to say, it was smooth sailing after that. My little one gained weight. Eats like a champ. I couldn't love breastfeeding any more. It is not always easy. In fact, it is one of the greatest challenges I've ever had but, I know that any amount of breastmilk I can give my son is better than none. I take each feeding one by one. I get encouragement from my husband (my biggest cheerleader), my cousin (a seasoned bfing mom), and the internet community. Breastfeeding has allowed me to bond with my little one in an unimaginable way and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I am a proud breastfeeding momma! 

Right now, my son is 2.5 months old and thriving! I've fed him in the store, the park, and the car. I pump occasionally using a double electric pump so, my husband can give my son a bottle every now and then. At his two month check up he had gained around four pounds since birth.  He is happy and healthy! I couldn't be more in love! 

General Information: 

Breastfeeding Friendly Locations

Jaundice, breastfeeding both normal for newborns

U.S. Baby-Friendly Birth Facilities

The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding

Do breastfeeding mothers need extra calories or fluids?

What are the Booby Traps?

Top Five Breastfeeding Tips

General Information

Breastfeeding A-Z

International Lactation Consultant Association

Find the perfect fit for your nursing bra

Babywearing while Breastfeeding

Baby Explains- Normal Newborn Behavior

“Breastfeed”: It’s all in a Word

8 Unexpected Benefits of Breastfeeding

Tales from Breastfeeding Bloggers:

My Superpower: An Ode to My Amazing A-Cups

Emotional Support form a Blogging Mom

Just Another Hat: My Breastfeeding Experience

Pumping:

A Babe’s Guide to Pumping

Pumping 101: who, what, when, where, and how – part 1

Maximizing Milk Production with Hands On Pumping

Low Milk Production: 

Information and support for mothers who are experiencing low milk production

Help, my milk supply is low! Or is it?

Medication and Breastfeeding:  

Medications and breastfeeding database

Working and Breastfeeding:

Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work

Top 5 Questions: Going Back to Work while Breastfeeding

Frequently Asked Questions – Break Time for Nursing Mothers

Breastfeeding Laws

A Perfect Date: On the East End

A few years ago the hubby and I went out to the East End of Long Island for the day. (Yes, I know it is     a far drive but, I love it out there.) We packed a picnic lunch the night before and got up early the next morning. For breakfast, we grabbed bacon, egg and cheese  sandwiches and coffee from the Deli. There's nothing like and egg sandwich on the way to the beach.

We started our drive East on the Long Island Expressway to exit 70 where we stopped into the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island. This is a wonderful, peaceful spot before you get to the hustle and bustle of Montauk Highway.

After our visit, we hit the road again to Watermill. We stopped a the windmill to enjoy our picnic lunch.  Yes, it is right along Montauk Highway but, it is a nice little town to stop in and take a break for lunch. Plus, it is fun to eat next to a historic windmill. 

Then we set out for the last part of our trek to THE END! After passing through the busy Hamptons and Amagansett, we finally made it to Montauk. 

There are several choices in terms of parks that accept the NYS Empire Pass. Hither Hill State Park is the first ocean access you will find upon entering Montauk. They have campgrounds and comfort facilities. (This park happens to be where we got engaged.) 

However, on this particular day, we headed to the very end and went to Camp Hero and Montauk Lighthouse. (Both of these parks accept the NYS Empire Pass.) "Camp Hero State Park encompasses 415 acres of diverse landscape including heavily wooded areas, a long expanse of beachfront along the Atlantic Ocean, and an historic military installation. Specific features of Camp Hero are magnificent pristine maritime forests, freshwater wetlands, spectacular ocean vistas and dramatic bluffs rising from the beach. An extensive system of trails is available for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The park boasts some of the best surf fishing locations in the world, open 24 hours a day to fishermen with permits,and areas for picnicking. An undisturbed environment shelters bountiful wildlife and an abundance of birds. The former military base that is in the park is registered as a National Historic Site."

The beach is absolutely natural. It is certainly not for swimming or sunbathing but, it is a great way to appreciate the nature that we have on Long Island. It is incredibly interesting to look at the effects of erosion on the island first hand. You will actually see the land wearing away in the time you stand near the water. 

We particularly enjoy this park because it isn't as crowded as many of the others. It is a nice place to be by yourselves and enjoy the sound of the ocean lapping at the shoreline. You can get a great view of the lighthouse without having to deal with crowds of people. 

After we got our fill of hiking, we went to the very next park (less than 1500 ft down Montauk Highway). This park give you less rustic trails and access to the lighthouse. The admission to the lighthouse is extra however, you can get really close by just walking along the trails down to the water. This is a great place to grab some clam chowder. (For some reason, it is some of the best I've had out East.) Also, there are countless surfcasters to watch. If you enjoy taking photos of waves, this is the spot for you. They also have a wonderful two person swing at the top of the hill that you can relax on. 

Inevitably, the day needs to come to an end usually because you are starving and the sun is going down. So, we head over to Gosman's Dock for some dinner at the outdoor Clam Bar. Gosman's Dock has a variety of restaurants but, the most casual is the outdoor, self-serve clam bar. You can sit right on the dock, watch the sunset, and see the boats coming in and out of the harbor. After dinner, there is Hershey's Ice Cream at Gosman's, Ben & Jerry's in the next parking lot, or Fudge N Stuff in town. We enjoy Fudge N Stuff simply because they have a great variety of ice cream and amazing fudge! 

Lessons In Parenting: Why won't my infant nap?

Our little one pretty much spent the first month of his life napping and I spent the first month of his life waking him up to nurse as per my pediatrician's instructions. Now, he is sleeping approximately five hours a night however, his napping is suffering.

I feel like I spend all day trying to get him down for a nap because he gets so overtired. The poor kid is miserable. He will fall asleep nursing but, as soon as I put him down its over. If I could just hold him all day we'd be in good shape.

Today, I feel like we've had a break through (YAY!). I nursed him until he fell asleep as usual. I walked him upstairs to his crib. During this time, he (of course) woke up. I put him in his swaddle me, made the room dark, and voila! Five minutes later...he was asleep!

Last month he really hated the swaddle me so we put it away until recently when he started scaring himself with his hands. Now, it appears that the "little burrito thing" is the only way he'll sleep!

I'm trying to focus on this small victory to help me keep my sanity because as all moms know a screaming, cranky infant is no fun! Here's hoping he'll stay asleep a little longer despite the fact that the gardeners just showed up. UGH!

As I hit post the little guy woke up.

I've been reading "Beyond The Sling" by Mayim Bialik (Blossom) - review to come later. She's a big fan of attachment parenting. I was gifted a Moby by my friend at Catholiclovebirds. It is absolutely my secret weapon. I can take the little one anywhere and I don't have to worry about the stroller. Therefore, I usually keep it in my diaper bag. I almost forgot how well Charlie naps in it...off to go get my secret weapon!

Mommy & Me Monday

Charlie and I usually spend a lot of time together since we are home alone most of the time. On Friday in an endeavor to make some new friends we went to a "meetup" at the local park. Unfortunately, only one person showed up. Interestingly, she and I went to the same high school and her husband is a colleague of my mother's. Nothing like small town living! Her daughter is almost two years old and she is an art teacher. This year because of budget cuts she'll only be working part time which is great for me since she lives near by and seems to enjoy doing things like going to the park/library.

Over the weekend, Charlie got to use his crab pool outside for the first the time. He was a little apprehensive at first but, he ended up having lots of fun splashing in the pool. Maybe he'll be a water baby like mommy!

I have to say that Charlie is such a good baby. He is mild mannered and generally happy as long as he is snuggled and can see his mommy/daddy. He cries only when he really needs something. He gives us lots of cues well before he cries so, his needs can be met without the hysterics.

On Saturday, the hubby and I had to run a bunch of errands so, the little guy had to come with us. I always feel bad putting him in his car seat for a prolonged period of time. We managed to make it to the bakery, the caterer, Home Depot, the mall, Target, and lunch. He took a great nap and only woke up to nurse after lunch.

On Sunday, we went to Mass and the little one was awake the ENTIRE TIME! (This never happens.) He sat up on my lap, looked around, and listened to everything that was going on. I was so impressed!


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