Ahhh, that stash of frozen breast milk is building! In fact, your freezer is overflowing and, what you once thought might only last a couple weeks, you’re now wondering if you have enough to eventually send her off to preschool with bottles! Which brings a new question to light: how long will that frozen breast milk truly last? The Storage Life of Frozen Breast Milk If you have a freezer unit that is attached to a refrigerator, your frozen breast milk has a storage life of up to six months. The temperature should be kept below 39 degrees. If you have a separate deep freeze unit, the storage life can be up to 12 months (though it's … [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.
The Top 12 Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding
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Congratulations! You've already chosen the best nutrition for your baby by breastfeeding! But what should you eat while producing milk for your little one? A varied diet that contains plenty of healthy options is a great way to ensure that you and your baby are getting all the vitamins and nutrients you both need. Here are the top twelve best foods to eat while breastfeeding. Top 12 Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding Oatmeal - This complex carbohydrate will make you feel fuller, longer, and may increase your milk supply! Oats are rich in iron, protein, and fiber. The healthiest options are the non-instant varieties! Eggs - … [Read more...]
6 Tips for the First Month of Breastfeeding That You May Never Have Heard
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I have been breastfeeding for a very long time. 59 months and counting to be exact. That's almost five years. I'll be honest. I had gotten a little cocky about my breastfeeding knowledge. And then I had my fourth baby. Penelope has been nursing pretty well from the get go, but we've certainly had our hiccups in the first month of breastfeeding. I am so thankful for the lactation consultant that came to reassure me in the hospital this time! 6 Tips for the First Month of Breastfeeding That You May Never Have Heard Whenever possible, be skin to skin with your baby right after birth for at least the first hour. Put her on your chest … [Read more...]
Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding
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If you do even an ounce of research you will soon notice that the list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding could go on for miles. A new mother might feel discouraged by noticing her favorite meals slowly diminishing for fear of upsetting her baby. The truth is that every baby is different and under normal situations no single food can be scratched out across the board. In fact, most babies tolerate all foods rather easily and new research even shows most mom's can safely have a drink or two while breastfeeding and caffeine is typically OK too. It is common for babies to be fussy in the first few months so don't be so quick to … [Read more...]
What Do You Need to Breastfeed a Newborn?
It is easy to be a little overwhelmed with everything that you need for a new baby as well as yourself when you become a new mom. Registries, blog posts and magazines show you all of these fancy things that look so darling, but do you really need them? What do you need to breastfeed a newborn? Breastfeeding as basic as the task is (meaning you really just need boobs and a baby), can also come with a ton of "accessories" so the question is there: do you really need all of this stuff? How many nursing bras should you have? How many breast pads should you have? What is the best nipple cream? There are so many brands and products … [Read more...]
Travel Without Baby: One Mom’s Experience
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I was recently blessed with the opportunity to join my husband on an international business trip this summer. We traveled to Germany and France. Sounds amazing, right? Well, we had to travel without baby. Before anyone jumps to attack me for taking a trip without baby, let me assure you that all of our children were fine. Grandparents stayed and watched them for 9 days in our home. It was a fantastic bonding experience for them and it was a much- needed bonding time for the hubs and I. Penelope was 10 months old. I had a freezer full of pumped milk ready to go. I had packed both my hand pump and electric pump. I had done research … [Read more...]
Excess Lipase Activity–What You Should Know
(Today's post is from Rebekah Hoffer, a former contributor for Breastfeeding Place and now author of Why Does My Breast Milk Taste Bad? She hopes that during this World Breastfeeding Week she can encourage and inform moms who may struggle with this issue.) I thought my breastfed daughter was picky. I thought she was stubborn. I thought I had the wrong type of bottle or nipple. Perhaps we didn't give her a bottle often enough or early enough. Again and again my daughter refused to take a bottle while I was gone. I was extremely frustrated. What was I doing wrong? And then I tasted the breast milk that was in her bottle. I was … [Read more...]
Essential Oils to Increase Breast Milk Supply
Essential oils can be mighty tools in our mom tool chests. I use them for all sorts of things including boo-boo's, cleaning, and cooking. Did you know that there are essential oils to increase breast milk supply? Essential oils work a little differently than the medications or remedies we may be familiar with. Oils support the body in functioning at homeostasis - at balance. We are meant to feed our babies, so essential oils can support us in adequately feeding them. When choosing a brand of oil, pay close attention to the quality. Because oils affect every cell in the body within minutes of use, it is important to get the best you … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding with Pierced Nipples
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If you are asking yourself, "Can I breastfeed with pierced nipples?" then the short answer is absolutely! Breastfeeding with pierced nipples, or previously pierced nipples, is not an issue you or your baby need to fret over. There is no evidence that having pierced nipples will affect your breastfeeding relationship. The Issue with Piercings Some mothers do, however, notice an increase in clogged ducts while breastfeeding with pierced nipples. Consider the anatomy of a nipple and the surrounding breast tissue: The nipple itself is porous (milk flows from many different holes), while the breast is primarily fatty tissue with … [Read more...]
Medela Recycles + Medela Freestyle Giveaway
Welcome to the Medela Freecycle Pump Giveaway sponsored by Medela and hosted by The Pistachio Project. Recycling has become a pretty common activity in our everyday lives. We recycle at home, we recycle at work, we even have recycling bins on the streets now! But what about the bigger items that we no longer need? Take for instance, breastpumps. What do we do with breastpumps once we are done with our breastfeeding experience? Introducing Medela Recycles Medela has heard the voices of moms and taken the initiative to create Medela Recycles. Medela Recycles is a program which takes our old breastpumps and uses each one to support the … [Read more...]
