Motherhood
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
February 11, 2016
One of the most frequently asked questions from my clients and members of our instagram support forum is “How can I increase my milk supply?” It’s a valid concern considering one of the top three reasons mothers wean is they are concerned about milk supply (1). Today I’m here to give you three easy ways to ensure your milk production will meet baby’s needs!
Ensure efficient breast emptying
Breastmilk is made on a supply-demand chain. Think about a store inventory. If an item is popular, and being regularly removed from the shelves each day, the item will continually be in stock. If the item sits and sits and no one buys it, pretty soon it will be discontinued. The same is true for milk production! The more is removed, the more is made. Sometimes women put their baby to breast frequently, but they are not attached well enough or alert enough to remove milk efficiently. Some great things to look for during latch include
Motherhood
Pregnancy & Birth
February 01, 2016
Congratulations! You’re going to be a Mama! Have you been feeling the urge to tackle the garage clutter? Clean out the attic? Organize everything in your house? Guess what - you’re nesting!
The nesting instinct is a primal instinct that goes back thousands of years. It’s nature’s way of helping you feel confident and ready to protect, nurture and welcome a child into your home.
While this can be a productive moment to accomplish great things — like taking a birthing class, decorating your nursery or organizing your house —it is also important not to get too overwhelmed and stressed out. Remember, your baby doesn’t care if you haven’t organized your sock drawer.
Getting Ready For Baby
A great way for you to have some control and knowledge about what is to come is to educate yourself and make your plans known. While the urge to scrub clean all the grout in your entire house may be strong, take some time and make a list of the highest priority items that you feel must be
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
November 18, 2015
A pressure cooker isn’t necessary, but it does cook your beans faster. I start with dried beans because they taste better and cost a lot less than canned. But (confession), I totally used pre-cut butternut squash for this recipe. I don’t mind passive cooking time, such as putting beans in water to soak at breakfast time or overnight, but like to save time on cooking prep when I can.
Please feel free to improvise with whatever veggies or grains you have on hand. Roasting the veggies in the oven makes them super sweet. My kids have sweet tooths, and both liked this stew.
Ingredients
2 cups of dried black beans
2 sprigs of fresh epazote,
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
November 05, 2015
I was overwhelmed when it was time to start my baby boy Rio on solid foods. He had been breastfed exclusively and had never been sick or had an issues-great sleeper, never had a diaper rash, no skin issues, not even a cold. I was nervous that things would change once I started him on solids. My pediatrician recommended we start him on cereal. I asked if I could do just vegetables and fruits instead and he said that was perfectly fine. I just felt more comfortable giving him real, whole foods that we eat. I really liked the idea of baby-led weaning and I knew that I wanted to follow philosophy for the most part. One of my main goals with Rio is that he is able to enjoy variety of healthy foods. I personally think the key to this is exposure. When I started feeding Rio solid foods at 7 months, I only gave him vegetables and healthy fats for the entire first month (avocado, coconut, sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.). After a month I introduced
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
October 27, 2015
Here you are -- you finally think you have this breastfeeding thing down. No more sore nipples, baby is gaining weight, sleeping in longer stretches, and you’re finally starting to feel like your old self again. Then suddenly you have a drop in your milk supply in what seems like overnight. This sudden change isn’t uncommon to nursing mothers, but it can cause momentary panic in a new mom and leave you wondering why this is happening. Many things can cause a once robust milk supply to drop. It could be that you went back to work and are now separated from your baby for longer stretches during the day, perhaps you had an illness, have had recent stress in your life, return of your menstrual cycle, or just plain haven’t been taking good care of yourself. Whatever the reason for this drop, there are things you can do to increase your milk supply and bring it back up to the level it once was.
Can you increase your milk supply after it decreases?
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
October 13, 2015
As a Registered Nurse and Certified Lactation Specialist, I frequently get called for consultations. I hear lots of worries from Moms trying to soothe their infants!
Why won’t my baby feed? Is my baby in pain? What am I doing wrong?
Sometimes mothers may find their baby’s behavior puzzling or worrisome.
However, I’ve found that the majority of issues resolve when we use research-based practices and keep things consistent. Everybody knows when Mom isn’t happy, nobody’s happy! Ergobaby knows that a Mom isn’t happy if her baby isn’t! Today I want to share with you my Top 2 ‘Must-Dos’ with Ergobaby products: frequent skin-to-skin contact and proper positioning.
Frequent skin-to-skin
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
August 01, 2015
In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, National Breastfeeding Month and Black Breastfeeding Week, we reached out to our community to get breastfeeding tips. There are many amazing resources and support communities out there (both online and in person), and we invite you to get the support you need. In addition, we wanted to share some tips and advice from moms in our community
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
July 30, 2015
Breastfeeding a baby is hard work. With all the unrealistic portrayals of breastfeeding in the media and in parenting books, many new moms find themselves completely unprepared for the sheer quantity of time it takes to feed these little babies. For breastfeeding to work, those first few weeks (er… months) it really starts to feel like all you are doing is feeding the baby. Many mothers begin to feel overwhelmed. I remember firsthand, that my little Dragon Baby was a particularly enthusiastic nurser. I didn’t leave the house for weeks on end…. I couldn’t find time between feedings. When I finally figured out how to nurse in the Ergobaby baby carrier, I felt like a breastfeeding master. It was so discreet, nobody even knew what I was doing. I’d be walking the aisles at Costco sipping on some soda, baby strapped to my boobs… no one batted an eye. People would come poke their head into my carrier and
Motherhood
Postpartum
July 01, 2015
Newborn Essentials | @claravuaquino by ergobaby
This post is from our Ergobaby Brand Ambassador Clara Aquino:
A little list of must haves for parents of newborns (click the image above to view all of the item sources!):
1) Swaddlers
They help to recreate that feeling of being snug in mama's belly; while also eliminating the need for blankets, which can be a risk for suffocation. Ergobaby swaddles are designed with a pocket at the bottom so you can easily change diapers while your little babe is still asleep. Genius.
2) A nursing pillow
If you will be nursing your newborn, you'll find that you will officially become a walking, talking, milk machine.. I'm serious. It's
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
June 29, 2015
Two quick and easy recipes for breastfeeding mamas. Nutrient dense and quick to prepare, these two meals well boost your energy and nourish your supply.
SOAKED SUPERGRAIN PORRIDGE
Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup millet
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1 cup medjool dates
1 cup Turkish apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 apple (Pink Lady or Honey Crisp)
4 cups whole milk or milk alternative (almond or cashew milk), plus extra to loosen
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh seasonal berries
A sealable container, like Glasslock
*Try and select organic and local produce.
Directions:
Mix steel-cut oats, chia, millet, flaxseed, and salt. Roughly chop dates, apricots, and almonds and mix in with grains. Grate apple and mix in with grains and other fruit. Pour over milk to cover. Stir in maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla extract. The next morning the grains