iMothering Talks Giveaway

Have you heard about the iMothering Talks?  They are like an online parenting workshop with all of your favorite gentle parenting experts!  And it's super affordable!!!

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of interviewing Iona Macnab, one of the founders of the iMothering talks, on The Boob Group podcast.  We gabbed for about 45 minutes about how mothers can connect with lactation consultants over Skype, which was a whole new concept for those of us in the room.  To thank us for our participation in the iMothering Talks, they are running a Giveaway for a free registration for the Talks.

Want to know more????

iMothering TALKS 2013 is a new event, bringing some of the key voices of gentle parenting to your screen to inspire you on your mothering journey. Topics range from breastfeeding, bonding, crying and sleep, to raising girls, how to talks so kids will listen, home cooking and creating resilient families.

Started by two lactation consultants and LLL Leaders (Iona and Sarah) in the Asia Pacific region, iMothering is the sister site to iLactation, which was built for the health professionals and counselors who work with breastfeeding mothers. iMothering has been developed mainly with mothers in mind, but much of the information is also relevant for fathers too!

You’ll hear from experts such as Professor Helen Ball speaking on infant sleep, Dr Jenny Thomas (aka DrJen4Kids) who speaks on meeting your breastfeeding goals, Pinky McKat talks about calming crying babies and Robin Kaplan of The Boob Group will host a session about finding breastfeeding help long distance.  You’re sure to learn a lot and walk away with amazing information and inspiration.

iMothering starts online on Mothers Day May 12th, and continues until Fathers’ Day, June 16th. You can register now for three FREE TALKS or use the coupon code BOOBGROUP to pay only $28 for the whole series. TALKS can be listened to anywhere you have an internet connection - on your smartphone, tablet or at your computer.

Here is the Rafflecopter for the Giveaway... a free registration for the iMothering Talks!  The Rafflecopter only goes for 1 more day, so enter now!  We hope you enjoy this fantastic resource for parents!

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Help a Mama Out: Foods that Support Your Milk Supply

Help a Mama Out Topic of the Week: Foods that Support Your Milk Supply

 

We know it can be difficult to eat those 1800-2000 (or more if you are exercising) calories a day to keep up a robust milk supply while breastfeeding, so here are some fantastic tips for delicious, easy, nutritious snacks!  Remember: Think healthy fats, complete proteins, and green veggies!

Here are some of the most effective milk production-supporting foods out there:

• Vegetables: green leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, asparagus, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, and seaweed
• Fruits: figs, dates, apricots, green papaya
• Nuts and Seeds: raw almonds and cashews, sesame seeds, flaxseed
• Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, organic butter, sesame seed oil, coconut oil, essential fatty acids (EFA)
• Grains and Legumes: quinoa, amaranth, pinto beans, chickpeas, whole brown rice
• Extras: brewer’s yeast, nutritional yeast, green drinks (spirulina, barley wheat grass, alfalfa leaf, oat straw, kelp), ginger

(From Motherfood by Hillary Jacobson)

Here are some of our readers’ favorite tips for quick, healthy, easy to-go snacks:

Gina: Trail mix, muffins with veggies/flax/oatmeal, kale, green smoothies

Kate: I like Housepoet’s Famous Lactation Cookies

Stacey: Oatmeal with almonds.  I also keep a large jar of dried fruits and nuts on the counter so I can grab them when I’m on the go.

Kelli: I’ll have something like this (Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf) left over from dinner and add some avocado.  I drink a green smoothie almost everyday, too. 

Monifa: I make oatmeal with cranberries, apples, and raisins in bulk so there’s always some available.  I also love carrot sticks with guacamole, fruit smoothies w/ protein added and granola w/ toasted coconut.  Also I drink a ton of water.

Shannon: We love soups in this house! Caldo de pollo (chicken soup), white bean and ham, white chicken chili or turkey chili.  Soups are easy, you just prep and let them cook on the stove or in a crockpot, and they keep your body nice and warm to support milk production.  Snacks – I like Trader Joe’s Omega Rich Trail Mix or Justin’s Almond butter packs. 

Danielle: Carrots and hummus

Jennifer: Avocado, nut/trail mix

Abby: I love these Raw Energy Bites!

Here are a few of my favorite milk production-supporting snacks: Green smoothies with chia seeds, granola, and nut butter; hummus and veggies, crackers, or whole wheat pita; apples and almond butter; greek yogurt with granola and berries; avocado on EVERYTHING!; homemade trail mix (raw almonds, raw cashews, dried cranberries, dried coconut, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds); cottage cheese with fruit; hard-boiled eggs.

Simple Green Smoothies 

My friend, Leigh Anne Webster, of 52 Healthy Weeks, recommends: Cut up fresh veggies with hummus or pesto; corn tortilla with lentils and a little bit of cheese; lowfat natural granola with blueberries and almond milk; organic tomato soup; and cheese and crackers with some fruit.

Lastly, here are a few of my favorite websites with highly-nutritious meals that support your milk supply:

Nourishing Meals 

Simple Green Smoothies

Dan Morris’s Pinterest Board

Clean Eating

Thanks to everyone who responded to our questions on our San Diego Breastfeeding Center and The Boob Group Facebook pages.  Check back every Tuesday for a new Help a Mama Out tip!

What are your favorite healthy, milk production-supporting foods?

Why Women Should Attend a Breastfeeding Support Group WHILE Pregnant

There are few things that I really focus on when a pregnant mama asks what she should know about breastfeeding before her baby is born.  One, it is incredibly beneficial to take a prenatal breastfeeding class to learn about positioning, latching, following baby’s feeding cues, and how to tell if your baby is getting enough.  Most importantly, though, when it is all whittled down to the core, in my mind what helps a mom reach her breastfeeding goal has all to do with support!  When mamas share with me why they stopped breastfeeding, the most prominent theme is lack of support and assistance when breastfeeding challenges became complicated. 

So here’s the deal - breastfeeding is something you learn on the job.  In really supportive jobs, we usually have professional development at the start, as well as throughout our employment to keep us up to date and provide needed support.  Parenting is definitely a full time job, yet we often have to seek out our own unpaid professional development, to have our questions answered and continue the learning process.  This ‘professional development’ can often be challenging to find, as well as not all support is equally beneficial.

This leads into why I think it is a fabulous idea for women to attend a breastfeeding support group while they are still pregnant.  Still pregnant, you may ask… why not wait until after the baby is born?  Great question, my friend, and here are the reasons why.

 

Why women should attend a breastfeeding support group WHILE pregnant:

1. Make it a familiar place.  There is nothing scarier than going to an unfamiliar place with a brand new baby.  I didn’t get on the freeway for 4 weeks after Ben was born and I definitely didn’t want to go someplace I had never been before.  What if the people were weird?  What if Ben started screaming and I couldn’t calm him down?  What if I couldn’t find parking?  That’s the perk of finding a breastfeeding support group while pregnant…..no baby in tow.  Now, you can find where to park your car or stroller, at your own pace.  You can check out the setting and the flow of the group without feeling like you have to stay the entire time.  You can try out the seating situation and make note of where everyone puts their enormous diaper bags.  You just turned an unfamiliar place into one where you will hopefully feel comfortable returning to once your little one is born.  Doesn’t that sound less stressful?
2. Meet the facilitator.  At work, every professional development facilitator has her/his own style and tone.  It is the same way with support group leaders.  You get to be choosy while pregnant.  Maybe the first group seemed too crowded or the facilitator didn’t jive with you.  Go check out another one!  No need to settle.  Find one that appeals to you and makes you want to return as soon as you have your baby.
3. Witness a live baby latch onto a real breast.  This many sound funny, but how many of you have really ever seen a live baby wiggle and shift and slide down a mother’s torso to latch onto her breast?  Maybe in a breastfeeding class video, but that’s not LIVE.  Be a lurker…you’re pregnant…no one will mind J  When I interviewed Ina May Gaskin for The Boob Group in 2012, this was one of her main recommendations.  Surround yourself with breastfeeding mothers.  Watch them and learn from them.  It’s amazing how much you will learn from just observing a few different mothers at a group.  Quickly you will realize that there are MANY ways to position and latch a baby….there really doesn’t need to be so many rules about it.
4. Chat with some new mothers who are going through exactly what you will be going through in a few weeks.  New moms love to talk about their experiences.  It’s like starting a new job that you are totally obsessed with and want to share as much as you can IMMEDIATELY!  Participate in their conversations.  Learn from their experiences.  Ask a bunch of questions.  They have gained so much knowledge in their few weeks/months as mothers…. Soak it up!
5. Learn where to find support and assistance if you need it or where all the cool breastfeeding moms hang out.  You never know if you will need some extra breastfeeding assistance, so preparation is the key.  Not all situations can be resolved at a support group (which is why I also highly recommend finding a lactation consultant before you have your baby, as well…just in case), but it is often a great place to start!  One thing I’d also like to point out - not all of the mothers who attend a breastfeeding support group are having breastfeeding challenges, which is awesome!  Many just come for the conversation and to have a place where they know their kiddos can be fed easily.  Sit next to one of them and feel the breastfeeding love!  They might even ask you to join them for lunch after the meeting! 

Did you attend a breastfeeding support group while pregnant?

Did you find that going to a breastfeeding support group was helpful after having your baby?

Advice for a Newly Breastfeeding Mama’s Partner

Let’s face it… becoming a new parent can be extremely overwhelming!  I still remember that first drive home from the hospital.  My husband and I were cracking up as we stared at our son in the car seat behind us.  “Can you believe that they trusted us enough to take this little guy home?  Do they know that we have never changed a diaper or bathed a baby before?  What were they thinking????”

 

As I spent the first few weeks mastering breastfeeding, it became apparent that two sets of hands were often better than one.  It amazed me that an entire day would pass before I realized that I forgot to eat or take a shower.  It was my hubby, aka breastfeeding cheerleader/parenting partner, that made sure that I was being taken care of as I was all consumed in feeding and caring for our newborn.

I often get asked by the soon-to-be parents in my breastfeeding classes about the roles of the partner.  What role does he/she play while mom is breastfeeding? Many partners often feel like they don’t have a defined role when their partner is breastfeeding because unless his/her breasts start lactating, it is truly a one person feeding show for those first few weeks.   Plus, diaper duty doesn’t sound too glamorous!

So, instead of writing an article for the newly breastfeeding mama this week, this blog post is actually for her partner… the one who makes sure that the ship doesn’t sink!  Let me tell you…. your job is WAY more important than you may think. 

 

Before we get to the advice, I’d like to let you in on an important secret…. You are the glue that binds your new family together.  You are an integral component in the happiness and sanity of your household!  The bond you form with your partner, who has just stepped into this new parenting role just like you, is just as powerful as the bond you create with your new baby.  Your compassion and support will not only increase your partner’s self-esteem, but will also make or break her breastfeeding experience.

So, now here is some advice for the newly breastfeeding mama’s partner, from a few of my favorite breastfeeding mamas!   Here’s how their partners supported them during those first few weeks:

Marie: Encouragement and the willingness to wake up around the clock with me.  I nursed, he did diapers… it helped me not feel alone and crazy at 2am.

Grace: My partner constantly replenished my snacks and water glass!  And reassured me that what I was doing was the right thing.  I’m so glad he didn’t let me give up and let us see a new lactation consultant, ENT doctor, and chiropractor… otherwise we wouldn’t still be nursing at 13 months!

Jessica: He prepared all of my meals and then did the dishes!  With such frequent breastfeeding in those first few weeks/months, it’s hard to get in good nutrition for mom.  I was so grateful that I didn’t have to think about feeding myself or my husband!

Danielle: My wife did everything…brought me food and water, did the dishes and laundry, fixed our cloth diapers, and made sure I got to bathe.  And when it was super painful, she looked up stuff on google, got ice packs and coconut oil, and helped him latch each time.  It was truly a team effort!

Cassandra:  Helping with household chores – running to the store, encouraging me to drink water… all those things you don’t have time to do in the beginning because you’re busy sustaining your newborn.

Arelis: My baby is now 20 weeks and exclusively breastfed.  My husband calls breastfeeding a ‘special treat.’  Whenever he holds our daughter, he asks her if she is ready for her ‘special treat.” The baby just giggles and knows what’s coming next.

Maren: Dividing duties because breastfeeding in those early weeks is so all-consuming – so, changing diapers, clothes, rocking and comforting – just trying to even out the responsibilities so that I didn’t get overwhelmed.  And not judging me when marathon feeds meant sitting in front of Netflix for 3 hours.  Those were actually wonderful days made more lovely by my awesome husband!

Liana: For me, it was just knowing that he never doubted my ability to nourish our child and never questioned when I said that the baby wanted/needed to nurse again (even if he just finished 15 minutes prior.)  What’s more, with an oversupply, he supported my pumping so that I could donate to others, despite my milk taking over the freezer!

Shannon: I couldn’t have gotten through those 1^st 8 weeks without my partner.  He got up with me to help with every night feeding while we still had to finger feed one of the twins.  He helped swaddle them, get them into their crib, and do whatever while I pumped.  He brought me water and snacks, took care of me and the babies each time I got mastitis, and took care of our 4 year old, too.  I think I would have given up if it weren’t for him, but I’m still going strong and the boys are almost 5 months old!

Melissa: Stayed by my side during night time feedings.  He kept me awake when things were going smoothly and kept me calm when feedings were frustrating.

Alicia: Since our daughter was so early, my husband did skin to skin with her for the first few weeks!

What tips would you add to this list?

How did your partner support your breastfeeding efforts during those first few weeks?

Breastfeeding and Exercise – What you need to know

Today I am sharing a post from a fellow momprenuer. Autumn Bonner is the co-owner and co-founder of My Tailored Fitness, an online video-based fitness program for moms. Through her program, moms can build their own custom workouts based on how much time they have and the intensity they want. It’s like having your own custom workout video! The exercises are created specifically for moms and use limited equipment so you can squeeze in a workout at home during nap time. Autumn is passionate about helping moms be healthy so that they can be examples for their kids. She talks with each member monthly to give suggestions and provide support to reach their goals. You can try her program free for 30 days. Just visit www.MyTailoredFitness.com or like her Facebook page www.facebook.com/mytailoredfitness for helpful fitness tips and great healthy recipes.

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