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.

We all know “the breast is best”.  Has PETA taken it a wee to far?  A Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow’s milk in the food he serves.  This prompted PETA to write to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and propose they do the same.  I love Ben and Jerry’s!  If I knew I was drinking some woman’s breast milk, I think I would have to switch companies.  In a statement Ben and Jerry’s said, “We applaud PETA’s novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother’s milk is best used for her child.”  Could you imagine, much like there is the organic seal on food, you now have a ‘made with breast milk’ seal?  I’m sure for those breastfeeding it would be a great way to make some extra bucks, right?  I am all for breastfeeding, I do think for a baby it IS best.  However, an adult, hhmmm.  All this talk about ice cream makes me want some!!

Go and read the letter PETA sent to the good ol’ boys.

When shopping for breastfeeding wear, I am usually pretty disappointed by the options. Why can’t there be pretty bras?  Womama has the cutest and sexiest nursing bras. They also carry the only organic birthing wrap in the world. It is incredible! You can wear it during pregnancy as a wrap, then wear it while giving birth. You can even wear it after as a nightie or a wrap after the baby is born. This would be such a great gift for the pregnant mama who isn’t all that excited about wearing the very chic hospital gowns.  I might have to get one for my next baby so i can be the chicest mama in the maternity ward.  Womama also has nursing singlets.  These are tank tops which unhook at the strap.  You can still be modestly covered while the baby is feeding.  No one has to see that post baby belly we are usually really concious of.  It is certainly for that mama who wants some ingenious, fun, and funky maternity/breastfeeding wear. Womama has so many really cool products, you really need to just go to their site and check it out!

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.

This is yet another reason why prenatal care is so incredibly important.  Did you know “Breast-feeding remains a leading route of HIV transmission in the developing world”?  This is according to an article in Science Daily.  Most babies are infected by mothers who have no idea they have the virus.  In a six year study of more than 2,000 infants by three teams at The John Hopkins University along with teams in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda, showed that a drug can prevent HIV transmission to an uninfected baby through the infected mother’s breast milk.  Check out the article for the full scoop.

Another articletalks about vaccinating the infants with probiotic lactobacilli from the human mouth which can block HIV transmission via breastfeeding.  This study was conducted by the University of Illinois and presented at the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research.  Check out this article too.  This sounds like a huge step in creating a vaccine for transmitting HIV through at least one avenue.

Isn’t science and what the brain can figure out amazing?

In my internet trolling i have found some pretty darn cute stuff that i must share!

Mama oh! Baby carries this great nursing cover that has some little extra surprises.  First and foremost you get to choose from many different fabric options and they are all machine washable!  The widest variety of choices i have ever seen for any breastfeeding mama.  The strap around the neck is fully adjustable.  Along with a side pocket perfect for keeping that always disappearing at the worst moment burp rag.  Last but most certainly not least, each nursing cover comes with a matching carrying bag perfect for also toting around an extra diaper or two and some wipes.

We all know how frustrating it can be with a teething baby.  Are you always searching for something to give them to chew on besides your finger?  You could be risking some serious pain if you offer your finger.  These necklaces are the neatest thing.  Go to Smart Mom and check out all the different colors.  Through the end of July a portion of sales from the Camo line will be donated to National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple.  Don’t forget to check out the Celebrity Photos to see the hip mamas who wear them.

What rock star mama doesn’t want to announce her new bundle of joy with a bang?  Go to Inventing Matilda and peruse the myriad of different designs.  Here is their description:  At Inventing Matilda, is our goal to be a little different..actually a lot different, than the mainstream pink and blue polka-dotted birth announcement and photo card crowd. Don’t tell anyone about our Quirky Chic Designs, your friends might think you are getting too stylish and start shunning you…Ok, maybe you can tell one friend.