Mothering Magazine Archives

I've decided to share my digital issues (that have a share link) of Mothering magazine here. Before I had "Z," I subscribed digitally, trying to be "green," but sadly had little time to ever read them... So I gradually browse what I can. I've linked to Peggy O'Mara's beautiful essay, or the top story. Mothering is yet another defunct print publication and is now "web only."

	Jan-Feb 2008
The Business of Being Born

	Mar/Apr 2008
A Birth Renaissance

	May/Jun 2008
Where's Joseph?

	Jul/Aug 2008
The Truth About Circumcision and HIV

	Sep-Oct 2008
Reel Milk

	Nov-Dec 2008
Keeping it Simple

	Mar-Apr 2009
peggy's kitchen

	May-Jun 2009
breast IS best

	Sep-Oct 2009
Birth Stories You'll Love

	Nov-Dec 2009
Killer Fear

	Mar-Apr 2010
a child's world: your indoor playground

	Jul-Aug 2010
homemade soft drinks

	Sep-Oct 2010
Do-it-Yourself Birth

	Jan-Feb 2011
why we need more midwives. now.

	Mar-Apr 2011
A Green Clean

3+ Years Too Late...

For our family, anyway. But not for millions of other fortunate families!

Finally, breast pumps and other lactation aides are medically deductible or can be reimbursed under flexible spending accounts! Hooray for progress. Read more.

IUD and Birth Control

I have been doing some reading on the IUD for birth control. I thought there were two types available in the U.S., but one source is telling me the only option is the Mirena brand. Can anyone provide any feedback on the IUD, good or bad? Shoot a comment to the blog...

Based on my reading, I am wary of using it the first year since I want to breastfeed again. Long term breastfeeding rates appear "iffy" at first glance. Hmmmmm. Besides, a part of me wants to stay and has stayed far away from hormonal BC... I hated the affects of the Pill, but I know hormonally the Pill is different from the IUD progesterone-only... The pros of the IUD are appealing...

Interesting contradictions here on Wikipedia for nursing mothers. As usual, Kellymom.com has some good info also.

Weaning... Another Milestone

Zyler is 19 months old! Can you believe it?

I think I may have nursed Zyler for the last time on Tuesday evening. Or at least the last time for a while... We had gotten down to just a.m. and p.m. sessions when he was cutting the morning one short a few weeks back. But he hung onto the evening session for a few more weeks, even if the sessions were short and sweet. I've always had trouble off and on getting him to not use me as a teething toy when he has teeth coming in, so I have had mixed feelings on weaning anyway... But I think it was this Wednesday when I went into his room when Daddy was reading him books, and he just wanted to go into bed instead of asking for milk. That has never happened before in my presence! I was miffed in a way but fine with it at the same time. Today I was kneeling down with him and he was looking at my nursing tank top at the clasps and said "milk," not in a request way but just observing, and proceeded to look down my shirt at the source. :) I didn't offer and it was fine.... We'll see if he might request any comfort nursing or such.

Update 8/24: He has started asking for milk again at bedtime for the past several nights... Ah, what a journey. I do have to admit that I was enjoying having my body back...! :o) But I certainly enjoy our BF bond we have...

He did it! and 12-Week Checkup

God bless our little guy, he slept through the night last night!! And I don't mean just 5- or 6-hour stretches! He slept from about 7:45 PM til 5 AM when I woke him up to nurse! I also kinda "dream" fed him in his sleep around 9:30 PM.

I can't believe he's 3 months old! We started his vaccinations yesterday. (Poor little guy!!) He weighs 13.5 lb! Big guy! Yay for Mommy Milk!

Why Delay Solid Food?

Another great breastfeeding article!

http://www.got-breastmilk.org/Whydelay.shtml

Why Delay Solid Food?
By Jennifer VanLaanen-Smit

Reasons for delaying solids:
Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics advised that the healthy, full-term breastfed baby needs nothing other than mother's milk, including supplemental formula, water, juice, cereal, or other solid food, until he is at least six months old. Breastfeeding experts have long been advocating that solids be delayed until *at least* the middle of the baby's first year. What are the benefits of waiting this long?

Dr. Mendelsohn says, “Breastfed babies do not require solid foods during the first year of life and should not be given any during at least the first six months of life. Until then much of the solid foods he eats passes through his body undigested.”

The younger the baby, the more likely it is that any foods other than human milk will cause food allergies. While solely breastfed, the baby is protected by components in mother's milk that prevent foreign proteins from entering the baby's system and causing an allergic reaction. Between 6 months and 12 months of age, the baby begins producing enough antibodies to prevent such allergic reactions. This benefit is especially important for a baby whose family has a history of allergies. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies.

Because a young baby's digestive system is immature, he may not be able to digest other foods as well, perhaps making spitting up, constipation, and diarrhea more common. Waiting until the baby is older lessens the probability that these unpleasant reactions will occur. Recent studies have shown that hydrochloric acid - used to digest most protein - doesn't even appear in the stomach until the end of the seventh month and doesn't reach a peak until the eighteenth month. In addition, ptyalin, the digestive juice for carbohydrates, doesn't appear until the end of the baby's first year.

Although babies continue to receive many immunities from breast milk for as long as they nurse, the greatest immunity occurs while a baby is exclusively breastfed. Breast milk contains 37 known immune mechanisms, and probably many more that are still unknown. However, as soon as the baby is exposed to solid foods or anything other than breast milk - even one bottle of sugar water - 17 of these immune mechanisms are destroyed (by the E. coli bacteria that are introduced) and can never be restored. One study has shown that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 4+ months had 40% fewer ear infections than breastfed babies whose diets were supplemented with other foods.

Solids displace breast milk in the baby's diet. The more solid food a baby consumes the less breast milk he consumes, solids do not add to baby's total intake. Early introduction of solids puts the baby at risk for premature weaning. An inferior food has been substituted for a superior one, and partial weaning has begun.

Breastfed babies are rarely obese, but when they are it is most often related to the early addition of solid foods. This may be because a younger baby is less able to communicate when he has had enough, perhaps resulting in overfeeding.

Breastfeeding provides some degree of birth control. It is most effective, however, when the baby is exclusively breastfeeding - no formula or water supplements and no solid foods. The addition of these cuts down on the amount of time the baby spends at the breast, therefore reducing the amount of stimulation necessary to inhibit ovulation in the mother.

A young baby still possesses the tongue-thrust reflex, which causes the food to be pushed out of the mouth rather than swallowed. This coupled with the fact that most young babies are unable to sit up alone results in feeding that is messier and more difficult. There is also a higher incidence of choking because the art of swallowing is still being mastered. Once the tongue-thrust reflex has faded (between 6-12 months) baby can take a more active part in feeding time.

There is a reduction of respiratory illness. The probability of respiratory illness occurring at any time during childhood is significantly reduced if the child is fed exclusively breastmilk for at least 15 weeks and no solid foods are introduced during this time.

A baby who is ready for solids won't spit them back out, and their poop doesn't come out looking like what went in. And they will have some teeth. The coming in of the first teeth signals the ability to digest food; the eyeteeth and stomach teeth indicate that the baby now has gastric juices to handle foods, but some find their babies demand food some time before that.

The ease of feeding is a factor. Babies who start solids late can feed themselves. Why Delay Solids?

I can't figure out why people want to fuss over feeding their baby solids before she/he is ready. Babies only nurse for a short while even if they nurse for years instead of months, why not just follow their lead?

Breastmilk is easy and superior nutrition. Unlike the guessing game with solids, all the nutrients are right there in the perfect amount. Unlike solids, breastmilk offers your baby important immunities just when the immunities you passed on in utero are beginning to wear off. Breastmilk has irreplaceable ingredients for brain growth, which is at it's greatest during this age. Unlike solids, milk cleans up easy. Breastmilk poop smells a lot better than solid food poop, and is easier to clean up, and babies can poop it out much easier. Breastmilk is *free*, and prepackaged baby foods are not only expensive, but filled with preservatives and fillers. I could go on for hours about the advantages of delaying solids, but I can't think of one advantage to starting them early.

My first child was 12 months old before he started eating solid food, and then it was still just for tastes, not a meal. My daughter was 10 months old, and my third child has started 'tasting' solid food at 10 months old too. I do not spend my time grinding my own baby food nor do I buy jars of baby food. My babies taste what we are eating. For example, my 10 month old likes to taste, mash and spit out strawberries. Solid food makes up to 0-5% of his total food intake. He doesn't have 'food' everyday or even every other day. And all of my children have been healthy children, not overweight, but plump and strong. All have weighed around 25# by 12 months of age.

I suggest that parents wait until their infants start showing the obvious cues of readiness that I mentioned before starting solids. How many adults have you seen that still nurse? My point is, they *all* eat solids eventually...I promise!

I feed my babies on my lap or they just standing holding onto our low table (our table is low to the ground, as we eat Japanese style. We sit on the floor at our table. And my children start eating at an older age so I do not feed them myself. I just give them the food, like a whole strawberry, or small bites on their own dish for them to feed themselves. Yes, it does get messy. They have a great time!

I give my children to start with one new food at a time (only that new food that day, no other new foods in the same day), in case of allergic reaction or any adverse reaction. I give avocados, strawberries, tofu bits, natural organic cereal O's, pieces of cooked potato, bananas, mashed cooked yams, sprouted wheat bread in pieces, peaches, star fruit, pears, apples, papaya, poi, brown rice, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots in small pieces, grated soy or rice cheeses, sliced bananas rolled in wheat germ (to make them less slippery), and the like.

Your baby will fare best if you prepare his food yourself. Avoid commercially prepared baby foods, not only because they are more expensive, but also because they are less nutritious after being processed to death.

Please be aware that many children (12 months of age and younger) have adverse reactions to honey, eggs, cows milk and nuts. Observe your child closely to be sure that there is no allergic physical or behavioral reaction, such as excessive crying or fussiness. Also many children choke on grapes (unless you cut them in half, hot dog round slices (slice then the long way- thinly), and popcorn. And always keep an eye on them as they eat. Learn infant CPR. It can save your child's life.

The size of a child’s appetite will vary from day to day and year to year for a variety of reasons. It can be affected by his level of activity, by his fondness for the food he is served, and by the intake he requires if he is in the midst of a spurt in growth. The child, whether he is in a baby or in his teens, will eat what he needs.

MYTHS CONCERNING THE ADDITION OF OTHER FOODS
"Babies who live in very warm climates need extra water, especially during summertime, to quench their thirst and avoid dehydration." Breastmilk is about 80% water. As long as a baby is allowed unlimited and unrestricted access to his mother's breast, he does not need additional water. Giving a baby water may cause him to feel full, thereby resulting in him demanding to nurse less often and thus getting less of the milk that he requires for proper nutrition and growth. Furthermore, some recent studies have indicated that the kidneys of babies, especially very young ones, are not mature enough to handle large amounts of water and giving water may actually result in health risks for the baby. Additionally the mother receives less stimulation when the baby is given water supplements which may have an adverse effect on her milk supply. "Adding solid food to a baby's diet will help him go longer between breastfeedings and perhaps sleep through the night."

There is absolutely no correlation between the presence of solids in a baby's diet - or the lack of it - and the baby beginning to sleep through the night. If adding solid food to a young baby's diet results in him going longer between feedings, it is probably because his digestive system is having to work overtime due to the strain placed on it by foods he is not physically mature enough to digest.

"Introducing solids ensures that a baby is not deprived of necessary iron in his diet."
Anemia is uncommon in the breastfed baby due to the following reasons: 1) a healthy, full-term infant has ample iron stores at birth to last him at least for the first twelve months of life, 2) although the amount of iron in breastmilk is small, it is readily absorbed at a rate of 49% compared to 4% of the iron in formula. This is due to the high levels of lactose and vitamin C in human milk, which aid in the absorption of iron, and 3) breastfed babies do not lose iron through their bowels as do formula-fed infants, whose intestines develop fissures from damage caused by cow's milk.

Zyler is 7 Weeks Old!

He had his checkup on Monday and weighs 11 lb 12 oz with his clothes on. :) So, yet again, all is well with the little guy. We will probably start selective vaccinations around 12 weeks.

Breastfeeding is going somewhat better, and I am still pumping and storing milk. I started back to work Wednesday on a mostly MWF schedule. I'm glad I'm going back part time for now, as I still am not getting much sleep! I found a great room in the building with a lock where I can express milk, probably 3 times a day once I am there a full day. Pumping is hard work! So many details and things to coordinate. Breastmilk feeding--whether from the breast or pumped for a bottle--provides such a sense of accomplishment, though.

Why Continue Breastfeeding?

This article is a great motivator to keep it up! Send it to a pregnant friend who may have had trouble breastfeeding a previous child and is contemplating not even trying again. The experience truly can be so different the next time around. When I'm spending hours upon hours feeding Zyler, even in the "wee" hours of the night, anticipating sharp pains going through my nipple, the article's messages surely helps keep me going!

Today has gone much better on the "bad" side, by the way. It's the small successes that also keep me going!

6 Week Postpartum Checkup, etc.

We went to my 6-week checkup today. All is well. Just a bit of scar tissue, but my suture is long gone and my bleeding is almost finished. We gave Ann a few pictures and she told us her "horror" story of her first labor--56 hours! YIKES! She gave me hope, though, for any future babies. Her second labor--only 2 hours!

She gave me big kudos for my hard work during my labor. =) We discussed the normal topics--contraception, PPD (postpartum depression), going back to work, being new parents. I'm due to go back in June for my annual checkup unless I want to see her regarding a contraception consult.

Aaahhhh going back to work. I'm supposed to go back next Wednesday part time. I will continue FMLA leave for a few weeks. Our babies are tiny for such a short time! I want to be home as much as possible... But I need to keep my job. We still have not confirmed day care arrangements, though. We are still interviewing prospects so hopefully we will have it figured out soon enough.

Zyler's 6-week checkup is Monday, even though he will be 7 weeks old. Crazy! They aren't kidding when they say how quickly time flies... He ate well last night before I went to bed and slept a 5-hour stretch for me, yay! So he was only up at 3 AM and 6 AM! We are approaching normalcy! I know once you have it figured out, their sleep cycle goes and turns upside down, but I am excited to have gotten 7 hours of sleep last night. It has been pretty rough on me--4 hours 1 night, 5 the next... I have had a hard time turning off my brain after 4 AM but last night I managed to do it. Whew! Thank goodness for the self hypnosis skills I learned with HypnoBirthing.

Oh, and regarding my breastfeeding post. It has definitely gotten easier but it is not where I'd like it to be. I still have a good bit of pain on the right side, especially early on in a feeding. My cracks and sores are healed, so I can't quite figure out what it could be besides it being difficult for Zy to latch when my breast is still very full. I could express before putting him on... but that means more work and more time... so I am just enduring the pain. :) It hurts on the left, too, in the beginning of the feed as he is using his tongue incorrectly to avoid "drowning" with my fast letdown. I use a nipple shield often times to force him to get it right, and then remove it. He usually fixes himself after I force the shield on him. I have been through quite the trouble with him from day 1, so after all this I am not about to give up yet if I can stick it out... Pumping can cause sore nipples, too... but I'm hoping for me that it will give them some relief once I am back at work and he is using bottles more often.

Zyler is Almost 5 Weeks Old

It is hard to believe he is 4 weeks old already! I have a few minutes to type a quick update. Zyler is doing great and gaining weight beautifully. He's very alert and strong and will start officially "cooing" back to us very soon I believe. He's even started to do the little push ups once in a while during tummy time.

However, we have had quite a time with breastfeeding. It seems 1 issue gets resolved and a new problem arises. I'm going to stick it out a few more weeks though, hopefully, assuming he continues to get enough nutritionally. I definitely do not have a supply problem! I will try to post some details later if time allows. :o)