Feeding my babies has been one of the most difficult issues I've dealt with as a mom. I had higher standards for my kids' food than my own, and that is why my eating habits have greatly improved in the past two years. That said, the pressure I felt made feeding my boys a lot more difficult than necessary. Like dishes and laundry, preparing meals may seem like a never ending job, especially when you add the time for grocery shopping with babies and toddlers, as well as the extra time you spend at the table. You may try many different things to find out what works best for your family- what solutions have you found?
I would like to share a few resources that helped me learn how to feed my family whole, nourishing foods. I never used baby food cookbooks, so please share the books you've found useful!
09 March 2011
25 May 2010
Mama Comforts
Becoming a mother is full of wonders and wonderful experiences, and I am very happy to know (at least) 5 women who are currently pregnant. What is really, incredibly wonderful is that I am not one of them! I have met women who handled pregnancy beautifully and loved the whole experience. I know others who had first trimester nausea bad enough to need prescription anti-nausea medications. I fell somewhere in between, and I would like to share the comfort measures that helped me through two pregnancies.
First Trimester
Whoever coined the term 'morning sickness' did everyone a disservice: nausea can happen at any time of day, and can be light discomfort to dry heaves or daily vomiting. My experience was generally moderate nausea, similar to spending too much time on amusement park rides, and I never actually vomited apart from the stomach virus I had late in my first pregnancy. Ginger tea and Mint tea were both vital to keeping my stomach in check. When in the car, I would keep a travel mug of hot water and tea bags ready for any in-transit upset tummy.
First Trimester
Whoever coined the term 'morning sickness' did everyone a disservice: nausea can happen at any time of day, and can be light discomfort to dry heaves or daily vomiting. My experience was generally moderate nausea, similar to spending too much time on amusement park rides, and I never actually vomited apart from the stomach virus I had late in my first pregnancy. Ginger tea and Mint tea were both vital to keeping my stomach in check. When in the car, I would keep a travel mug of hot water and tea bags ready for any in-transit upset tummy.
02 April 2010
Baby Sleep 6: Bad and Worse, or Teething is a Nightmare
I have not written about sleep in nearly a month. It is easier to discuss improvements and what is going right rather than spend time to examine what is going wrong and why.
Over the past month, we have tried reducing night feedings, then increasing them. We tried helping teething pain with Hyland's teething tabs and gel (which works great for Jackson during the day), ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. We tried a bit more clothing and a bit less. I even covered the nursery window with foil to minimize light.
Within a couple of weeks, we relaxed with the sleep learning process, and we ended up with Jackson in our bed most of the night (for safe co-sleeping information with references, see Mothering Magazine). By sleeping with Jackson in our bed, we learned that he has only a couple of wakings, and he tends to refuse to eat during the night. The biggest problem with this arrangement is that he still wakes up to play in our bed, even though we've never played with him at night. When we ignore the happily playing baby, he falls back asleep without any help and generally without crying.
As Jackson becomes more mobile, his nighttime antics are increasingly disturbing to our sleep, so I am, once again, motivated to work on teaching my baby to sleep in a supportive, responsive manner. Last night, we agreed to do everything we could to help him sleep in his crib, and his best stretch of sleep was from 4:30 to 7:20. I would like to write more as we renew our efforts, but that all seems to depend on how much rest I get. I am certainly feeling less optimistic, but more determined, at this moment.
Over the past month, we have tried reducing night feedings, then increasing them. We tried helping teething pain with Hyland's teething tabs and gel (which works great for Jackson during the day), ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. We tried a bit more clothing and a bit less. I even covered the nursery window with foil to minimize light.
Within a couple of weeks, we relaxed with the sleep learning process, and we ended up with Jackson in our bed most of the night (for safe co-sleeping information with references, see Mothering Magazine). By sleeping with Jackson in our bed, we learned that he has only a couple of wakings, and he tends to refuse to eat during the night. The biggest problem with this arrangement is that he still wakes up to play in our bed, even though we've never played with him at night. When we ignore the happily playing baby, he falls back asleep without any help and generally without crying.
As Jackson becomes more mobile, his nighttime antics are increasingly disturbing to our sleep, so I am, once again, motivated to work on teaching my baby to sleep in a supportive, responsive manner. Last night, we agreed to do everything we could to help him sleep in his crib, and his best stretch of sleep was from 4:30 to 7:20. I would like to write more as we renew our efforts, but that all seems to depend on how much rest I get. I am certainly feeling less optimistic, but more determined, at this moment.
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