I had successfully breastfed three babies before I truly learned the wrath of mastitis. I can still remember my grandmother telling me about "milk fever" when I told her I planned to breastfeed. She told me how she had never been so sick in her life. Back in those days when a woman got mastitis she was encouraged to quit breastfeeding. Her mother bound her breasts with an Ace bandage and that was the end of her breastfeeding journey. Thankfully, there are other ways to manage mastitis now. Causes of Mastitis I was struck with mastitis when my baby was only four weeks old. Mastitis is most likely to occur within the first few weeks … [Read more...]
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Disclaimer: The information in this post is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the opinions are meant to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. You should always consult your healthcare provider.
Joanie Boeckman is an Army Reserve wife and homeschooling mama to three (soon to be four!) beautiful children. She is passionate about living a simpler life, attachment parenting, homemaking, and homeschooling. You can find her blogging at Simple Living Mama where her mission is to empower women in their roles as homemakers, mothers, and homeschool teachers.
Breast Milk Freezer Storage Organization Ideas
When building up your breast milk freezer storage stash, you may be wondering just how you are going to organize all of those baggies of breast milk. If you don't have some sort of system, you will end up with frozen bags that slide all over your freezer. You may even lose some as they fall down behind your freezer shelves. It would be awful to think you have less breast milk stored than you actually do! While you can purchase storage containers specifically made for storing and organizing your breast milk in an upright position, you can also get creative and use items you already have to store your breast milk in the storage … [Read more...]
The Safest Way for Warming Breast Milk from the Freezer
Whether you pump exclusively or are an occasional pumper, if you store your breast milk in the freezer you need to know how to warm it up before you give it to your baby. Remember, when you breastfeed your baby, the milk is the same temperature as your body, so your baby may refuse bottled breast milk if it is too cold. On the other hand, you want to make sure the breast milk isn't too hot or you could harm your baby. Warming breast milk from the freezer is a pretty straight forward process. Warming Breast Milk from the Freezer Storing Your Breast Milk in the Freezer First, let's take a minute to review proper breast milk … [Read more...]
How To Choose the Best Breast Feeding Pump for Occasional Pumping
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When my second child was born, I was determined to breastfeed. I ended up purchasing a Lansinoh Affinity double electric breast pump to be able to pump occasionally so she could have a bottle if I wasn't going to be around. Once she was born, I struggled with finding time to pump because I was feeding her all the time. When I did pump and try to have my husband feed her in the evenings, she refused the bottle. I gave up pumping and just breastfed her. It was a wonderful experience, but it made going to appointments for myself difficult during her first year. With my next two children, I didn't even try to pump. That backfired when my … [Read more...]
Myth Busters: Pain During Breastfeeding? You Must Be Doing Something Wrong!
I sat in my bedroom cradling my four-day-old baby. She screamed and cried and rooted and tried to suck her hands. I was crying, too. This was my first breastfed baby and my nipples were in so much pain I couldn't bear to latch her again. The lactation consultant had reassured me I was latching her correctly, so I couldn't understand why I was in so much pain. Through tears I called her again, and got some great advice that allowed me to continue breastfeeding. I ended up with a prescription cream and I pumped for a day or two until I could handle latching her on to my breast again. Since that time, I have breastfed three other children. … [Read more...]
Why Use Infant Formula – When Breastfeeding No Longer Works
My first child was formula fed. I remember feeling so down on myself because I was not breastfeeding him. I vowed to myself to make breastfeeding work with my next baby, and I did it. I nursed her for two years. She only had a very small amount of formula during her first week when I was in so much pain I could not nurse her. My third child? He never had a single drop of formula. I thought I was some sort of breastfeeding rock star. Then, my fourth baby was born. Breastfeeding went wonderfully with him, too, until I got pregnant again only five months postpartum. If you're wondering to yourself, "Why use infant formula?" I have a few … [Read more...]
How to Find the Best Bottle for a Breastfed Baby
So far, I have breastfed three children over five years. In my experience, finding the best bottle for a breastfed baby has been a process! My first two breastfed babies did not take a bottle at all! There are so many bottles on the market, and you can really spend a lot of money trying to choose the right bottles. I do have a few tips to help you find the best bottle for a breastfed baby. I'll also tell you my absolute favorite bottle for my breastfed baby! How to Find the Best Bottle for a Breastfed Baby Start with only one or two choices. I suggest you only buy one or two types of bottles to begin with. As I mentioned, my first … [Read more...]
How To Produce Breast Milk When Your Supply Drops
So, you started out breastfeeding your baby and built up your supply. Everything was going well, but now you feel like your supply is dropping and you're wondering how to produce breast milk that is plentiful enough to keep your baby satisfied. Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. If you are not putting baby to the breast, or regularly pumping, your supply will drop. Maybe you've started letting your baby have more bottles, maybe baby is now eating solids, whatever the reason, there are a few things you can do to get your supply back up. How to Produce Breast Milk When Your Supply Drops Eat Enough Calories As busy … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Problems: Pain during the Early Weeks
I recently gave birth to my fourth child, and I quickly remembered just how tough breastfeeding during the early weeks can be. While I have breastfed three children over the course of the last 4.5 years, those first couple of weeks each time are an adjustment. I'm definitely no stranger to pain during breastfeeding. If you have just started breastfeeding, you may be wondering if the pain you're experiencing is normal. Here's my experience of what's normal and what requires the help of a doctor or lactation consultant. Breastfeeding Problems: Pain during the Early Weeks - What's Normal? Pain during latch-on You may experience … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding and Yeast Medications – Treating Yeast Infections
You may occasionally meet a very unwelcome visitor during the course of your breastfeeding relationship. That visitor is a nasty fungi known as yeast, and it can make you and your baby miserable. Once you know you've got a problem with yeast, you will be wondering about breastfeeding and yeast medications. What's safe? How can you get rid of this miserable infection? How can you keep it from coming back? How do I know if I have a yeast infection? Yeast infections are miserable. You may be familiar with a yeast infection of the vagina, but your nipples can also become infected when you are breastfeeding. If your nipples become … [Read more...]
