After the baby is born you feel sleep deprived, scatter brained, and very forgetful.  I guess for some of us, this continues throughout their childhood.  The joke in my house, “Is it a cheese in the freezer kind of day?”.  I have been known to put food items in weird places.  An old friend used to say, “a few more brain cells are lost after each child so you can handle all the kids” (she had 5 by the age of 27).

Breastfeeding is one of those things that can feel like taking the SAT test all over again.  When was the last time the baby ate?  Is that why the baby is crying?  What side am I supposed to start on this time?  At 2am it’s even worse!  Imagine taking the SAT without any sleep the night before.  If you are pregnant with your first, please don’t be too scared.  Somehow you make it through.  Then, you think about having another one.

I found this product that is a DOH! moment.  It is so simple and yet so practical.  It is a nursing bracelet.  There is a detachable charm which you move to keep track of the time of feedings.  Also, if you are like me and can’t ever remember which side to start on, you can switch wrists to remind you.

Click on any picture.  It will take you to the different sites where you can purchase these smart beauties.

It is always important to be in touch with your body both mentally and physically.  For now, we will just chat about the physically awareness.  During pregnancy, I believe it is even more important to cue into the signs your body gives you.  A happy body functions better right?  Don’t get too busy and forget to take care of your body.  Your baby needs you, he/she is depending on you.  It’s good the baby takes from your body what he/she will need before your actual body gets to use the nutrients.  On the downside, you can become depleted which can make you more susceptible to illness and possibly hospitalization.  You know the saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”  Also, after having the baby it is vital to take care of yourself so you have a full milk supply, patience to take care of a crying baby, and avoid postpartum depression.

• Tired/Weary - During the beginning and near the end this can be a huge problem.  If you feel your feet dragging, take a cat nap.  During lunch time or early afternoon, allow yourself 20-30 minutes to rest.  Set an alarm, and take a snooze.  Also, in the evening if possible, go to bed an hour earlier than you usually do.  For me, that makes a huge impact.
• Nausea - This is trial and error.  What may work for someone else or even a previous pregnancy, may not work now.  You can leave a couple crackers by your bedside at night.  When you wake up, take some nibbles and let it settle before getting out of bed.  If after you eat, it feels your food may make a reappearance, take a rest.  Put your head down on the table or your desk, or sit up on the couch with your head resting on the back.  Then close your eyes and rest for 5 minutes.  You can also try chewing a piece of mint gum or sucking on a mint.  Also, eat smaller amounts and eat more often so you aren’t ever very hungry.  Sometimes, you just have to let yourself vomit in the morning before putting anything in your stomach.  That certainly is the case for me this time around.  Puke, get it over with, then enjoy breakfast.
• Swallowing the vitamins - I have always found, in the morning, they would cause breakfast to reappear.  Eat a couple bites of something right before bed, then take your vitamin.  Your body needs some food to be able to distribute the nutrients from the vitamins so make sure you eat a little something too.
• Equilibrium - Your center of gravity is changing.  Be cautious going down stairs or hills (especially the steep ones).  This is really important if you continue to exercise, just be aware.  Trust me, the stair climbers and ellipticals can be a doozy.  Be conscious of your foot wear.  I’m a heels kinda gal.  There are times when I have no problem, then times like Monday where it seemed I had never walked in them before.
• The baby - Always listen to your gut.  If you feel something is “off”, don’t hesitate to call your doctor.  Please promise me you will go to all your prenatal appointments?!
• Breathing - Deep breathing is great for the mind and body.  All the air you take in, goes to your baby too.  If you feel stressed (the baby feels that too), take some deep breaths.  Sometimes I find myself taking shallow breaths.  When you feel this or stressed, take a few minutes to close your eyes, breath deeply, and focus only on your breaths.

Move through your world with a little more caution.  Remember the belly does need a little extra space.  What other tips do you have?

I am always fascinated by the pictures that are taken of a fetus.  It never ceases to amaze me how far technology has come in a relatively short amount of time.  I found by far the coolest gallery of fetus photos.  It shows pictures from the very beginning of conception up until the baby is born.  There are multiple pictures for each week.  It really is amazing and a must see!  Go to EHD and check it out.

As women, we all want to look our best.  The foundation should always be our undergarments.  When are near the end of pregnancy and moving into breastfeeding, we have to find some nursing bras.  Can you please promise me you won’t guess and just buy one?  It really is important to have a well fitting bra, especially for this unique time.  If you don’t have good support, droopy boobs may be in your future after breastfeeding is finished, and I know all of us don’t have money to get that fixed.  Also, you will be holding a baby quite a bit and won’t have the free hands to keep adjusting your bra.  Shopping for new bras is much less painful than looking for a new bathing suit!

• You will want to be fitting near the end of your pregnancy.  You can go to any department store or lingerie shop.
• Just like any other clothing item, not all brands are equal.  What may fit well with one brand, may not with another brand.  In some cases, you may need to shop around and try on many.  If you have a favorite brand, start there and see if they have any nursing bras.
• You may even want to bring along the nursing pads you will be using to make sure it’s a fluid fit.
• There are different ways the bra opens, make sure you are comfortable with it.  Also, try doing it one handed before committing.  Many times you will have baby in one arm and only one hand free.
• If you do choose to purchase them online, make sure you have been fitted (don’t feel obligated to buy from that place!).  If the website doesn’t provide the measurements of their garments, don’t be afraid to ask.
• Lastly, you can be like this thrifty mama.  I find what I want, then go online and find it for cheaper (usually able to get a nicer brand and still save money).

A great site I have used for bra measurements is Her Room.  If you have questions about breastfeeding, here are a couple great sites to check out-Babycenter, Breastfeeding.com, What to Expect,  and perhaps the best known, Le Leche League.  If you can’t find the answer, most hospitals have a breastfeeding clinic you can call.

*Don’t ever feel like a failure or get discouraged!  The art of nursing takes time and practice.  Don’t ever be afraid to reach out for help!*

Trust me, I know how much work it is to have a new baby.  One of those times I wish there was a camera in my house.  When my third was born, my first was potty training (potty training and teething, my dreaded enemies!).  I remember one time, I was breastfeeding the baby.  Chandlur says he has to go potty.  I can’t unlatch because it was an effort to get him latched on correctly.  I also nursed my kids using the football positioning.  I got up, ran to the bathroom with Vahn still latched.  I helped him on the potty, sat and waited, did the happy potty dance, and helped put his undies and pants back on.  All this while Vahn was eating away.  I was chuckling at that moment and will probably laugh about it the rest of my life.

Even though, your house may be crazy, you still need to take care of yourself.  What good would you be if you died from something that may have been prevented, if only you took action for yourself?  It isn’t selfish by any means!  As mommies, we have to take care of ourselves first or we won’t be able to care properly for our families.

Our boobies (yes, i said boobies), should be at the top of that list.  We have come to learn much more about breast cancer in recent years.  It is growing at an amazing rate, and did you know a majority of women who get breast cancer are the first in the family (this has rung true for my family)?

Here’s some facts:

-Estrogen fuels breast tumors.  Fat cells produce estrogen.  This means, take care of your body and take steps to get rid of your fat.  Also, you will have more energy to play and care for your kiddos.

-This leads me to exercise, which is really just movement.  Don’t think you have to go to the gym.  Lace up your shoes, pull out the stroller, and go for a walk (just work up a sweat, no lolly-gaggin’).  You can even dance with your toddler for a little while.  We know how much sweat we can work up entertaining a little one! This exercise kills off that estrogen producing fat.

-Don’t worry about your birth control raising your risk.  A Danish study of more than 54,000 women found, they don’t increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

-Lastly, the breast is best.  This isn’t just for your baby, but you too.  Breastfeeding lowers hormone levels, however, you have to keep it up for several months for the full benefit.

Now, lace up your shoes, and go for a walk.  If a walk would be a hassle with the number or age of kids, just play with them and work up a sweat.

Have you heard of male breastfeeding?  I came across an article and proceeded to do some more digging.  You learn something new everyday right?  Men have mammary glands which can be stimulated to produce milk.  After a little bit of time, he is able to produce a full milk supply.  Men can take Fenugreek which has been used to help women with a low milk supply and use a breast pump to stimulate the breasts.  There is even the beginnings of a clothing line for nursing fathers! I guess us mommies can even take a break from breastfeeding and our babies aren’t 100% dependent on us as we have thought.  What do you think about this??

A few resources to check out:

1. Male Lactation on Wikipedia
2. Strange but true: males can lactate; (Scientific American, 2007)
3. Father’s milk-male mammals’ potential for lactation (Discover Magazine, 1995)
4. Widower learns to breastfeed (2002 news article about a 38-year-old Sri Lankan father)
5. Milkmen: Fathers Who Breastfeed (UnassistedChildbirth.com) Along with the article is a movie.  The movie is a little weird, be forewarned:)
6. Why do men have nipples? (StraightDope.com)

Clothing for the breastfeeding Father. Click the picture for more.

New motherhood can be a rough adjustment whether this is your first, or your fifth.  Baby massage can step in and give you a little break.  First, you get to spend relaxing time one on one with your infant.  This is also a great way to get daddy involved.  Usually dad’s just aren’t sure how to handle the baby until they can actually play and be active.  When your baby is fussy, you can have some tools to calm the baby down and have a more pleasant mothering experience, especially if your baby has colic (i know your pain!).  Lastly, babies hate ‘tummy time’, however, it’s crucial to their development.  What a great way to make tummy time a fun experience!

Below, Janice Battiste from Growing Baby Prenatal Classes shows us series of simple massage techniques you can use on your baby at home.