baby Archives - The Sweetest Little Life

As mama’s it is so natural to be constantly concerned while we have our babies in the womb.

Are we eating well? Are we obtaining enough calories? Are we keeping up on the best multi vitamins? Are we drinking enough water? Are we resting enough?

We are constantly in a state of fear to make sure we are doing the absolute best we can to provide a healthy and happy start to our new little bundle of joys.

The problem is, we are so obsessed with making sure our babies are okay that once they come out often times our health concerns turn from ourselves and the baby inside of us to the baby outside in this big world and the mammas needs and health often times get put on the back burner.

I’m a total facts type of girl, and wanted to share with you my personal experience and what I have researched in postpartum and how to continually care for you body to give your baby the best experience of this big new world as possible.

Don’t stop taking your prenatal’s…This is so crucial to your bodies after care for nursing your baby. Here’s the deal…EVERY baby is different, and your body is going to react so differently to every labor. My first two were easy breezy, scheduled c sections, no hormone fluctuations, no icky feelings, no troubles breast-feeding. Then my third came along and threw me for a loop. I completely had a hormone crash from having a preemie, I had no idea what to do, if I was going crazy, or how to balance out my body. I found the company “intimate rose” and tried their Prenatal’s which within one week helped to start and balance me out. I combined with Morinda, Fenugreek, and 5HTP. Within two weeks I finally started to experience some normalcy in my body again. Remember to take the best care of your new baby you also need to take care of your body. If you are not 100% you will not be mommin at 100%. Right now the company has offered to give 25% off for all my followers Get yours here
Let’s talk hormones my friends…..I always thought PMS and hormones were an excuse to act like a total crazy until I personally experienced a true hormone crash after my delivery over a month early. Let me be the first to say I am sorry I was wrong HORMONES SUCK AND ARE SO SO REAL…… Okay back to the facts. Much of the imbalance is caused by estrogen dominance. During our pregnancy the placenta produces progesterone at such an extreme level that when we deliver our estrogen physically can not normalize for 6 – 8 weeks after a full term delivery.
When you are not producing full amounts of milk to breast feed solely another huge hormone crash can combine with what is already happening to your body… In our case Baby Tristan had to be put on Neo Sure which is a 22 calorie formula to ensure he gains weight at a healthy and steady speed so he can catch up to a “normal” weight for his age. With the amount of neo sure he had to obtain, the stress my body was under while he was in the NICU, and how busy I am with the other two littles at home it was next to impossible to sit and pump 5 hours a day. I nurse about 3 – 5 times in a 24 hour period and this was all I was able to provide but I know at least he is getting the extra nutrients for a healthy long-term effect. When you are breast feeding your body allows for prolactin – this hormone also helps release oxytocin which is your “let down” feeling. Oxytocin is the euphoric happy and magical hormone which makes the new-born phase seem like the happiest phase of your life. When mama’s are not producing enough milk or can not solely breast feed you get a whole new set of hormone crashes with the lack of oxytocin being released in your body.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS….ladies we are married for a reason. We have a partner for a purpose…To help us through times when we are struggling. Mommyhood is hard, hormones are real, and it is OKAY to reach out for help when you need it. The best quote I have heard all week is “It does not make you Super Woman to say yes to everything, this just makes you Super Worn Out.” Remember that you deserve grace and ease through this period. “

Being a mom is BEAUTIFUL, Being a mom is HARD and most of all being a mom means you join this amazing tribe the minute that amazing little being is welcomed into the world. Know that new mommies often can experience “baby blues” this does not mean you have postpartum depression but means you are a women and experiencing a totally normal hormone inbalance. This can feel like sadness, mood swings, crying, sleeplessness, confusion, headaches and all of these feelings are NORMAL!!!!! In 6 – 8 weeks everything should start to blanace out…. I promise we are all in this together. I just love being vulnerable in subjects like this because so often we try to stay strong and “pretend” our lives are perfect and okay.

It’s okay to have periods of being not okay.

This is mother hood.

This is amazing.

This is the truth.

This is a bond.

As a nursing mama it can be frusterating when your body decides to protest providing the goods for your little growing peanut! Don’t fret though, you are not alone and there are tricks to get you motivated – we are spilling all the beans today!

Every child is different and every nursing experience is completely unique in its own way. I personally never wanted to admit with baby number three that there may be an issue with my supply, but soon came to the realization a preemie baby is a completely different ball game and I needed to research sources to get more milk and fast. I wanted to share what has worked and what has completely not in the production of more milk. The scale will be 1 – 10 (one meaning not a thing changed and ten meaning a complete game changer.)

Pumping – 8

Pump every 1-2 hours for atleast 15 minutes per breast. Once the last drop of milk comes out in the bottle, pump for an additional 2-3 minutes after to let your body know it needs to keep it coming! Pumping has definitely been a saving grace for me on this journey, especially having a preemie who is required to supplement 12 oz a day with Neo Sure. (Ya all this is ALOT of supplementing and the pump and I have become besties.) I am almost positive it is the only reason I have not dried up through our NICU stay and post partem adventures.

Fenugreek – 6

First off…What is Fenugreek? It is a ground seed which is super high in fibers! You can take it in a capsule form, tea, make cookies, or order a pre made cocktail which already contains fenugreek. I chose to just take the capsules as all of my research said that they are the strongest and fastest way to increase milk supply! I take two in the morning, afternoon and night (a total of 6 capsules per day.) Make sure you are drinking a ton of water as well mixed with this much fiber!

Mothers Milk Tea – 4

I have only been doing one cup a night so maybe if I upped it I would see more of an increase but I can only consume so many liquids per day! If I drink it and then pump an hour later there is really not much of a difference.

Beer – 7

Mama’s told me drink a beer or two at night and you will see a difference. I laughed and thought they were crazy and how oxymoron is this? I then got desperate and tried it. My first night I leaked over night on my sheets which is huge for not having a drop on my typical sleep. The next night I was able to pump a full 4 oz. in less then 2 hours. THIS WAS HUGE! Being a why woman, I always need facts as to why something works. Here’s the skinny ladies. Polysaccharide is in the Barley used to make beer, polysacccharide is also a stimulate to prolactin which helps mamas make more milk. There is a ton of mixed research on this.

Drinking at least 64 oz. of Water a day – 10

Okay,this sounds like a lot, however it’s so little if you think about the amount of liquid leaving your body. It’s absolutely crucial to be hydrated for healthy breast feeding habits. When your not thirsty drink water, you should be running to the ladies room every 30 minutes to one hour if your hydrating correctly.

Oatmeal -5

We all know oatmeal is a wonderful source of iron. Heres the deal….Some women do not realize they are lacking iron and if this is the case with your particular situation it will effect your milk supply. The best recipe I have found so far with effectiveness is this…

1/3 cup old fashion oats.
1 tbs flaxseed.
1 tbs brewers yeast.
1 tbs brown sugar.
1 cup milk. (I go with almond)
1/4 cup craisins.

Rest – 4

Rest is so important for our bodies. With a new born (and especially if you have other littles) you may be rolling your eyes at me right now with a big fat “yeah right”. Just like anything in your body though, for it to work and run properly you need proper nutrition and sleep, hands down. If babies napping, no matter how long your to do list is… take a 20 minute snooze…

Seven has always been my favorite number…(I know, kind of basic over here. ) I put together a list of seven foods to search out and include in your every day meals. These honestly make a huge difference in nutrition for your baby and for your milk supply.

Barley – In beer. You can also use in stews and soups.
Barley Malt – Use with chocolate or cocoa.
Fennel & Fenugreek – Amazing with salads or chicken.
Any whole grain – Think breads, pancakes, etc. Any where you can read a label and swap the white for the grain do it!
Brewers Yeast – If you bake throw it in some delicious cookies.
Vegis – Dill, Apricots, Papayas, Asparagus, Garlic, Red beets, Sesame Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Anise Seeds, Coiander Seeds.
Oats – Use with fruit, muffins, granola.

Most importantly, remember this is a journey… Every child is unique and different so why should your body behave any differently? Remember to give your self grace and know that you are a mama bear doing your best to give your baby everything you can. Hopefully you can take one or two things from this article and it helps!

Happy Milking Mama’s!

Tag: baby

Post Partum Care

How to increase your milk supply FAST.