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.

When we are pregnant, we think about the birth, breastfeeding, and sleepless nights.  We don’t really think about infant CPR or choking.  i know, i know, it’s another thing to be worried about especially with an infant and all the checking we do when they are sleeping to make sure they are breathing.  If your older child gave the baby a small toy and it landed in the baby’s mouth, would you know what to do (i mean after you start to panic)?

For me, choking is personal.  When my oldest was a little guy, my brother was feeding him some food and he began to choke.  Talk about a scary situation!  my sister-in-law had to leave the kitchen because she was freaking out.  Thankfully i had training and was able to take charge.  i grabbed Chandlur out of my brother’s arms, put him over my arm and started hitting his back with the heel of my hand.  At first, there was nothing, that is when panic began to set in.  i hear my sister-in-law asking if we need to call 911.  i just kept on whacking him focused fully on his little body, praying God would intervene.  Finally the food shot out of his mouth and into the sink.  It was one of those sobering moments when you realize in an instant you could loose your child.  If i did not know what to do, i would have freaked out from the start, and the situation would have been much worse.

These are some great videos from The Pregnancy Show on infant CPR and choking.

Our family was home all day Saturday and we had the Olympics on.  Running seemed to be the theme for awhile.  It is the only sport my athletic loving 5 year old watched completely enthralled.  It makes this running lover mama super proud!  Anyways, my hubby and i were watching the Olympic Marathon that evening.  He kept asking, “How long is it again?”.  Tomescu from Romania, was spectacular!  The last leg was once around the track inside the Bird’s Nest.  The crowd was screaming and cheering.  While being astonished by how fast she was, i began to get the chills and a little teary eyed.  All i could say over and over again, “WOW!”.  Can you imagine that feeling?  You have been training and training for the pinnacle of your sport.  Your training pays off, you get the gold, and you get the cheering of thousands and thousands of people to get you through that last little bit.  WHEW!  How amazing!!

Many doctors equate giving birth to a marathon.  After 2 natural births (my third was a C-section because of a rare condition neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia), i get that.  In my opinion, giving birth is the pinnacle of womanhood.  Woman have been given the special gift of bearing children.  i know it’s a little old fashion and perhaps controversial.  Isn’t it organic though?  It’s what our bodies were created to do.  Don’t get me wrong, i do believe very much in birth control.  Without that, i would have a mass of children, a gynormous food bill, and have to dye my gray hair every month.  If this is going to be such an intense experience, wouldn’t we want a little training?  Instead of struggling at the end like Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain who wasn’t able to finish the 2004 Olympics, with training, you can be at the front of the race and have a more enjoyable experience.  Imagine as your partner is asking “How much longer?”, the nurses and doctors are cheering you on to get you through that last little bit.  i know how busy life can be (oh do i know).  Birthing Classes may be put on the hold until all of a sudden you find yourself in the hospital in labor.  Go to Birthright and sign up for the virtual childbirth classes.  Now you can be prepared to enjoy those whoops and hollers when you are on the home stretch and your baby is about to make his/her appearance.

Birthright offers four different options depending on your personality.  You can choose the 12 week, 7 week, or self-paced course.  If you prefer a paperback version, that is also available.  You will have unlimited access to Study Womb which has numerous tools to help you.  Also, there is a private forum to be able to ask your questions to a childbirth educator.  The creators of Birthright believe so much in their course, they provide a 100% money back gauruntee within 8 weeks.  You have no reason not to try this innovative new approach to childbirth classes.

Please send me your stories and experiences with these childbirth classes.  i want to feature them in a later post.

Here’s to a safe, smooth birth for you and baby!