Homemade Baby Food

I am a huge advocate for homemade baby food. I do like the convenience of just grabbing a jar of pre-made stuff once in a while though, heck! i got 50 jars from someone who didn't need them. Was I going to turn away something that was free? NO! and that really helped while we were moving. (i was without pots/pans/microwave... for like 3 weeks!)

but when you make your own baby food, you now exactly what your baby is eating. No preservatives, no salt, and less cost. (that is always  plus) so here is my favorite website for baby food tips and recipes: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ it has AWESOME tips, facts, recipes, ideas... a GREAT resource.

Also, check out their teething biscuit recipes!

Problems I had with breast feeding

My children were c-section babies. Because of the numbness from the spinal I was unable to nurse right away. The doctor did not ask me if I wanted to give my baby formula, they just stuck a bottle in her mouth. When I was finally able to nurse I had a hard time getting her to latch on because she was used to the fast flow of a bottle. As a result, I ended up pumping and feeding her from a bottle for 6 months. At this point I found out I was pregnant again. My dr. told me I had to quit breast feeding because my body wouldn't support feeding 3 of us.

According to the MayoClinic "For most women, it's possible to safely continue breast-feeding while pregnant — as long as vigilance is paid to healthy eating and aggressive hydration." They go on to say that a baby may not like the taste of the changing breast milk during pregnancy and might self wean. But, that was not the doctor's decision to make for me. They did not tell me this when I was pregnant. 

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breast feeding for 6 months and continual breast feeding with additional foods for up to 2 years or more. Breast feeding should begin within an hour after birth. To ensure a good breast feeding relationship, bottles or pacifiers should be avoided. A new mother should have 16 week of absence from work to rest and breastfeed their child. Formula can cause constipation and does not contain the antibodies that are found in breast milk. Statistically, adults who were breastfed as a baby have a higher IQ and lower blood pressure.

If I had not encountered these difficulties, I would probably sill be nursing my first born. I just want you all to know the facts, learn from my mistakes. Do what is right for you and your family.

things not to register for

As i think about all my friends and family members who are pregnant or have babies, i feel the need to share my list of things you should leave OFF your registry

baby towels you will probably receive some from your showers anyway, AND who says you can't use a regular bath towel? honestly, i think that regular bath towels are softer than the baby ones, and your baby will only fit in them for the first 9 months to a year. after that, what do you do with them? i had SO MANY of these from my showers and i rarely used them. waste of space.

beach toys Don't get me wrong. i LOVE my sand toys for my toddler, but you do not use them before your child is one. i would suggest asking for them for their 1st birthday instead. you'll just be storing them for a year or more before your child is old enough to use them.

Blankets unless there is a blanket that just PERFECTLY matches your decor... lol. you'll get TONS of blankets from your showers anyway. don't waste your time registering for them. if someone is going to shop off your registry, they will probably want to purchase something that is a little less common.

bottle cooler the hospital gave me one of these, actually two of these, and my doctor gave me one as well. no point in registering for something you get for free. and i rarely use it anyway.

bottle warmer i heard Dr. Sears on The Dr's TV show say that the only reason to warm your baby's formula is if he won't take it cold (usually breast fed babies). most bottle fed babies don't know the difference. if you start them from birth with room temperature formula, there is no reason to warm it up for them. AND, if you have a breast fed baby who is used to it body temperature, you can warm a bottle under a faucet of hot water. this works faster without the equipment taking up space in your cupboard.

crib toys this is a personal preference. I think the crib is for sleeping, not for playing. giving them interactive toys for the crib just makes them think that nap time is play time. instead, invest in a mobile or lights for the ceiling. these toys mesmerize the child and help them fall asleep instead of stimulating their senses.

diaper bag you will get one of these for free from your doctor or the hospital anyway. i think i have 4 of them from 2 babies. unless you have one you just HAVE to have, in which case, make sure it has outside pockets for bottles. honestly, i got a beach bag after summer last year on clearance. i LOVE it! it has much more room for stuff and was much cheaper.

diaper pail if you wan some sort of diaper disposal system, do NOT get a diaper geeny. it wastes so much space and plastic! get a kind that uses regular plastic bags and that dumps all the diapers into the same bag. much more economical. or, just use a garbage can with a lid. and another use for those plastic shopping bags... individually wrap the stinky diapers. this keeps the stink down a LOT! and it fulfills the "Reuse" in your three R's.

laundry soap don't waste money on Dreft baby soap. a lot of laundry soap companies have products that are die-free, fragrance-free, or hypo-allergenic. that is all that is required.

nursing stool my tip for this is to either use a stool you already have, or register for a stool you want your child to use when they get older (toddlers) the purpose is only to lift your knee and bring the baby closer to your chest while nursing. i just tucked one foot in, halfway into indian-style. this raised my knee enough to nurse effectively.

plates and silver wear these won't get used till they are one. before that they will only be spoon fed or eat finger-food. and bowls work better for this, i think.

Positioners like the bumbo seat. i did not have one for my first kid. i just put her in her bouncy seat when i needed to get something done. i borrowed one for my second kid who was a fussy kid and didn't like to lay down. she only used it for about 3 weeks. by the time she was 4 months old she was sitting up on her own anyway. i would, however, highly suggest a vibrating bouncy chair. the kind you can bounce with your foot. my first kid slept in hers a lot.

Swimmy Diapers don't bother with a package of disposable swimmy diapers. instead, go for the washable kind. they don't get that dirty, you can just rinse them and let them air dry to use the next day. the purpose of swimmy diapers is to hold in the poo, in which case, either hand wash or throw in the washer. no big deal. i got a package of disposables with my first and am still not through the diapers 2 summers later!

wipe warmer why spoil your baby's bum like that? i don't get warm wet wipes to wipe my bum! lol. and these can cause burns.

AND those are my thoughts!

Buy Used

Did you know that the best way to "Go Green" is simply by buying used items instead of new?

Think about it! If you need a pair of salad tongs, the most "green" thing to buy new is probably the stylish Bamboo kind. A renewable resource in abundance, clean production from start to finish, no plastic fumes or byproducts to tear up our atmosphere. However, if you find a pair of used salad tongs, be it plastic, bamboo, metal... #1. You are saving those tongs from the landfill, #2. You are preventing resources from being used in the production of a new pair and #3. Chances are you are contributing to a good cause in the process by shopping at a thrift store such as Goodwill , St. Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army. (all though, you could also find them for free on sites like Craigslist or Freecycle)

Lets translate that into something related to babies. (because we all know that babies cost a FORTUNE!) babies grow out of their clothes SO FAST! A new born will probably wear the same outfit for 3 months or less before he has to move into the next size up. Those newborn size clothes are still in great shape! No wear and tare, probably no stains if they are washed properly, and what do you do with them when you're done with them? Most clothing ends up in the aforementioned thrift stores, where they are destined to spend the rest of their days on the racks being useless.

SO: the next time you need to buy your baby a new pair of footie pajamas or an easter dress (we all know how many times those get worn before you out grow them) check the racks at your local thrift store, check the local free stuff, and remember: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

Welcome to Blogger.com!

Hey everyone! I am launching my new Blogger, as you can see. I am very excited about this. I have been wanting to write a blog for quite a while. for those of you who follow me on facebook or twitter, you already know that i have an opinion about a lot of things. I feel like i can add to the world of parenting and green living if i post a blog.

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