Thursday, June 26, 2008

One year ago tonight....

I was sitting on the bed relaxing while hubby was looking at tv's at Circuit City. We had just finished eating dinner and he had headed out. He kept calling telling me how much this 46" plasma (or is it LCD, I don't even know) tv was, trying to haggle with the salesperson, calling me back, "should we get it?". On the last call he said "Are you okay? You sound weird." I replied that I was "feeling funny." Little did I know in less than 24 hours I would be a mom! My stomach started feeling odd, but it wasn't until about 9:30 or 10 that I realized "Hey, I think these are contractions and they're pretty regular too." At one I woke up and there was no questioning it. We finally headed to the hospital at about 9 in the morning, and our little girl was in our arms just over 5 hours later. Was that really a year ago? I have said this many times before, but it seems like just yesterday. She is getting so big. Tonight as I was putting her in her carseat I told her we were "going to go home, get our jammies on and go night-night." She replied "Nigh-nigh." Ahhh, it made my heart melt. She has gone from a little infant that basically sleeps, eats and poops to a girl who loves to laugh, make a scrunchy face, play with her best friend the kitty and blow kisses. I can't believe she will be one tomorrow. It has been such an amazing year; I absolutely love watching her grow and look forward to what the next year will bring. I'm sure it will be just as amazing, if not better!

Happy Birthday sweet girl! I love you more than I can put into words!

And, yes, we do have a 46" plasma screen TV in our living room. I completely attribute it to my head not being in exactly the right place at the time, lol.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Diet.

Sigh. Nothing reminds me of how woefully inadequate my diet has been lately as trying to feed Beans off my plate. She loves to be eating what I am eating, but its hard when I've been eating crap lately. I long to have the time to make a nice dinner and have the three of us sit down as a family at night together. I really want that time together for us. It sounds silly, but I think its important. At least its important to me. To have a dinner planned out that the three of us can eat. Not cereal (my husband's latest dinner fad) or take out. I know things have been stressful and abnormal around here with the renovations we have going on. Things will get better and back to normal. Things already are.

Bean's birthday party is this week. The family is coming in town starting tomorrow. I always get a little stressed being around the fam, but I am so excited about her birthday. I really can't believe she is going to be one! At times it feels like it was just yesterday that I was big and preggo, or that she was a tiny lil' one who slept all day long. Other times it seems like it was ages ago.

We went on a little hike (honestly more of a walk) on Father's Day. Beans loved the Kelty backpack carrier. As soon as we put her up in it she was laughing and smiling and screeching in delight. Then, after walking for a short while, she sacked out and slept in it. I can't wait to get outdoors more with her. I've been seriously slacking on the walking, but the weather is supposed to be nice this week so I really want to get out more. I can't wait to take her camping and hiking and etc. I think it would be so much fun as a kid to sit out under the stars, roast hotdogs (kosher only please) and marshmallows, and tromp through the woods. I never had that experience as a kid, but it sure is fun as an adult!! Hoping she loves it too.

Alright, I've been meaning to blog here and there for awhile so I'll try to get regular with it again. The computer is in a less than optimal location now as we are working on getting the house ready and need to get the laptop fixed. Things really are coming along though. I feel like I am in a better place, I've got a better routine started, and the light at the end of the remodel tunnel is visible. Yahoo!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Great article from kellymom

I'll have to print this out and keep it handy!



http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html



Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
By Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC

Breastfeeding benefits toddlers and young children...nutritionally, immunilogically and psychologically.

Nursing toddlers benefit NUTRITIONALLY
Although there has been little research done on children who breastfeed beyond the age of two, the available information indicates that breastfeeding continues to be a valuable source of nutrition and disease protection for as long as breastfeeding continues.
"Human milk expressed by mothers who have been lactating for >1 year has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with milk expressed by women who have been lactating for shorter periods. During prolonged lactation, the fat energy contribution of breast milk to the infant diet might be significant."-- Mandel 2005
"Breast milk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year of life, especially protein, fat, and most vitamins." -- Dewey 2001
In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
29% of energy requirements
43% of protein requirements
36% of calcium requirements
75% of vitamin A requirements
76% of folate requirements
94% of vitamin B12 requirements
60% of vitamin C requirements -- Dewey 2001
Studies done in rural Bangladesh have shown that breastmilk continues to be an important source of vitamin A in the second and third year of life.-- Persson 1998
It's not uncommon for weaning to be recommended for toddlers who are eating few solids. However, this recommendation is not supported by research. According to Sally Kneidel in "Nursing Beyond One Year" (New Beginnings, Vol. 6 No. 4, July-August 1990, pp. 99-103.):
Some doctors may feel that nursing will interfere with a child's appetite for other foods. Yet there has been no documentation that nursing children are more likely than weaned children to refuse supplementary foods. In fact, most researchers in Third World countries, where a malnourished toddler's appetite may be of critical importance, recommend continued nursing for even the severely malnourished (Briend et al, 1988; Rhode, 1988; Shattock and Stephens, 1975; Whitehead, 1985). Most suggest helping the malnourished older nursing child not by weaning but by supplementing the mother's diet to improve the nutritional quality of her milk (Ahn and MacLean. 1980; Jelliffe and Jelliffe, 1978) and by offering the child more varied and more palatable foods to improve his or her appetite (Rohde, 1988; Tangermann, 1988; Underwood, 1985).

Nursing toddlers are SICK LESS OFTEN
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2001).
Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).
"Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation" (
Nutrition During Lactation 1991; p. 134). In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991).
Per the
World Health Organization, "a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness." [emphasis added]
References
Nursing toddlers have FEWER ALLERGIES
Many studies have shown that one of the best ways to prevent allergies and asthma is to breastfeed exclusively for at least 6 months and continue breastfeeding long-term after that point. Breastfeeding can be helpful for preventing allergy by:
reducing exposure to potential allergens (the later baby is exposed, the less likely that there will be an allergic reaction),
speeding maturation of the protective intestinal barrier in baby's gut,
coating the gut and providing a barrier to potentially allergenic molecules,
providing anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the risk of infections (which can act as allergy triggers).
References
Nursing toddlers are SMART
Extensive research on the relationship between cognitive achievement (IQ scores, grades in school) and breastfeeding has shown the greatest gains for those children breastfed the longest.
References
Nursing toddlers are WELL ADJUSTED SOCIALLY
According to Sally Kneidel in "Nursing Beyond One Year" (New Beginnings, Vol. 6 No. 4, July-August 1990, pp. 99-103.):"Research reports on the psychological aspects of nursing are scarce. One study that dealt specifically with babies nursed longer than a year showed a significant link between the duration of nursing and mothers' and teachers' ratings of social adjustment in six- to eight-year-old children (Ferguson et al, 1987). In the words of the researchers, 'There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.'"
According to Elizabeth N. Baldwin, Esq. in "Extended Breastfeeding and the Law": "Breastfeeding is a warm and loving way to meet the needs of toddlers and young children. It not only perks them up and energizes them; it also soothes the frustrations, bumps and bruises, and daily stresses of early childhood. In addition, nursing past infancy helps little ones make a gradual transition to childhood."
Baldwin continues: "Meeting a child's dependency needs is the key to helping that child achieve independence. And children outgrow these needs according to their own unique timetable." Children who achieve independence at their own pace are more secure in that independence then children forced into independence prematurely.
References
Nursing a toddler is NORMAL
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that breastfeeding continue throughout the first year of life and that "Breastfeeding beyond the first year offers considerable benefits to both mother and child, and should continue as long as mutually desired." They also note that "If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned." (AAFP 2001)
A US Surgeon General has stated that it is a lucky baby who continues to nurse until age two. (Novello 1990)
The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of nursing up to two years of age or beyond (WHO 1992, WHO 2002).
Scientific research by Katherine A. Dettwyler, PhD shows that 2.5 to 7.0 years of nursing is what our children have been designed to expect (Dettwyler 1995).
References [see also position statements supporting breastfeeding]
MOTHERS also benefit from nursing past infancy
Extended nursing delays the return of fertility in some women by suppressing ovulation (
References).
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer (
References). Studies have found a significant inverse association between duration of lactation and breast cancer risk.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer (
References).
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of uterine cancer (
References).
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of endometrial cancer (
References).
Breastfeeding protects against osteoporosis. During lactation a mother may experience decreases of bone mineral. A nursing mom's bone mineral density may be reduced in the whole body by 1 to 2 percent while she is still nursing. This is gained back, and bone mineral density may actually increase, when the baby is weaned from the breast. This is not dependent on additional calcium supplementation in the mother's diet. (
References).
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. (
References).
Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease insulin requirements in diabetic women (
References).
Breastfeeding moms tend to lose weight easier (
References).

Saturday, June 7, 2008

It is June, isn't it?

Sigh. It is 53 degrees and rainy today, again. It is the normal high temperature for October. I am ready for some sunshine and blue skies so Beans and I can go to the park more often. I love getting out of the house for a good walk and she loves swinging on the swings and playing in the grass. Kinda hard to do when it rains every day! I am feeling better about shelling out the dough to reserve the picnic shelter at the park for her birthday party later this month. The way things are going so far we are probably going to be dealing with rain!