My Advice on Weaning

It has been a week since I weaned Tallulah off from breast feeding. She was a little over 18 months old. I really wanted to keep doing it but I decided it would be better to wean her off before I get pregnant again. I did not like the idea of being super nauseous and still breast feeding. I am going to be honest, I really miss it. I still have milk and sometimes think about giving it to her again but realize that would not be beneficial to her or myself.

I am so thankful that I was able to breast feed for as long as I wanted. I was able to keep my milk supply while pumping at work and then once I became a stay home mom. So many women ask about weaning off advice so I thought I would share mine.

1. If you can, breast feed for as long as you can. Tallulah has only had a few brief colds and they were while she was teething and I believe breast feeding plays a huge role in that.

2. When you are ready to wean, start by taking the mid day feeding away first, then go down to just morning and night, finally eliminate the morning and just go down to the night feeding. I kept up with the night feeding for about three months which gave Tallulah plenty of time to adjust. Once I was ready to wean her off, I started explaining to her that soon we were going to have just cuddle time with mama and no more milk. I explained that she was becoming a big girl and did not need mama's milk anymore. This is the benefit of breast feeding for so long. By the time I was ready to wean, Tallulah was old enough to understand.

3. Just stick to it and create a secure feeling for your baby as they go through this transition. Cuddle with them, read with them, just make sure they know that you are there for them and that you are empathetic for how they feel.

This last week has been pretty smooth. She does ask for milk for a moment at bedtime but forgets about it, once we start cuddle and story time with mama and papa, she is super content.

I think it is harder on the mama emotionally then the child. :)

The Vaccine Decision Starts Here

As a parent, in particular a natural focused parent, I think vaccinations are one of the hardest decisions you make for your baby/child.  We decided not to vaccinate our daughter and she is now 18 months old.  We just felt that pumping that much of anything into a new little body did not make sense.  It just did not feel right to us as parents.  Tallulah has never been sick except two brief one day colds and she was teething at the time and she has progressed in all areas of growth and is a very strong and happy little girl.  We do believe that not vaccinating her plays a part in that.  Now of course, until we have a second baby and do all the same things with it, we will not know if we are right but regardless, we feel very confident in our choice.

Here is a great resource for helping you make a decision on vaccinations.  It is not biased.  It really does give you all kinds of information and it is a great forum to hear others thoughts and decisions.
I hope it helps you.

Mothering Community-The vaccine decision starts here

Yikes: Most Parents Use Carseats Incorrectly!

Recently, I have noticed some people having their toddlers ride front facing in their car seat earlier then recommended. It makes me wonder if they are just not educated on the new recommendations. I know some people that think it is silly but it makes me think of this picture I saw of a tiny little girl who was rear facing way too early. She was one years old but was way too small to be rear facing. Please read this great article and think about your choices when it comes to the car seat.

Thanks!

Yikes: Most Parents Use Carseats Incorrectly!

A Recipe for Fudgy Black Bean Brownies | Meal Makeover Moms' Kitchen

Yummy Black Bean Brownies from Cooking with Moms

This recipe looks amazing. We have not given any chocolate to our 18 month old but when we do, I think this is a great find! I am going to try and make them in the next week or two and report back to you all.

This is also a fun blog to follow if you like fun and healthy recipes.

A Recipe for Fudgy Black Bean Brownies | Meal Makeover Moms' Kitchen

Petition Against Arsenic in Apple Juice

 Hi everyone, 

I am sure you are aware of the arsenic that is being found in apple juice.  Apple juice is the top juice drank by children.  Please see the letter below and sign the petition.  Make sure you buy organic juice or make your own juices at home! Better yet, just stick to water.

Every child enjoys a juice box with her after school snack. But what parents don’t know is that a disturbing number of juices contain unsafe levels of lead and inorganic arsenic that can lead to serious health problems for children.

While the government has rules in place to limit lead and arsenic in our drinking water, there’s nothing to stop companies from making juices and other children’s drinks that contain unsafe levels of those poisons. A new study by Consumer Reports found that at least 10% of apple and grape juices sampled had more arsenic than what the government says is safe for drinking water -- and even more had unsafe levels of lead.

Now it’s up to the Food and Drug Administration to make rules to regulate how much arsenic and lead can be in juices, like they do for drinking water. Click here to sign the petition asking the FDA to protect children from poisons by regulating arsenic levels in juices.

While not lethal, that kind of sustained, low-level exposure during early childhood "carries the most serious long-term risk," according to researchers. The dangerous effects of unsafe levels of inorganic arsenic and lead in children are shocking:

• Inorganic arsenic is linked to cancers, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and immune system problems
• Children exposed to drinking water with unsafe arsenic levels had decreased intellectual function
• Low-level arsenic exposure is "significantly related to poorer scores in language, visuospatial skills, processing speed, and immediate memory," among other problems
• Unsafe levels of lead were found in 25% of juices sampled, and lead exposure is linked to brain development and behavioral problems

If lead and arsenic are unsafe for children in their drinking water, the same poisons should be regulated for the juices that so many children love.

Click here to sign the petition on Change.org asking the FDA to protect children from unsafe levels of arsenic in juices.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Michael and the Change.org team