Yesterday as I sat in the waiting room at the Doctor's office, I overheard part of a conversation from a woman who was there for her 6 week check-up with an adorable baby girl. She told a lady with her that she had started out wanting to breastfeed, but when the baby wanted to nurse every 1 and a half hours she decided that she didn't have enough milk and switched to formula. I have heard similar comments from many first time moms and think this is sad. A newborn baby's stomach is the size of their fist and because breast milk is so much easier to digest than formula, breastfed babies do eat more often then formula fed babies. This does not mean you are not producing enough milk. Actually, the more your baby will nurse in the first few weeks, the better it is for you. Frequent nursing helps shrink your uterus after giving birth, helps prevent engorgement, and increases your milk supply. Not to mention all of the medical benefits it has for your baby. Here are a couple of tips to make breastfeeding more successful.
1. Read books about breastfeeding to educate yourself about what is normal and the How To's of breastfeeding.
2. Nurse your baby whenever they will nurse.
3. Get plenty of rest after having a baby. Sleep when your baby sleeps (especially if you only have one)
4. Eat well-balanced meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
5. Drink lots of water. Breastfeeding makes me very thirsty. I always keep a large thermos full of water and have it beside me while I am nursing.
6. Expect that your baby will lose a little bit of weight after he is born. It is normal for them to lose 10% of their body weight, and they start gaining again after a couple of days.
7. The nurses in the hospital are there to help you. Ask for help to get the baby to latch on or for any questions you might have.
8. Avoid giving the baby a bottle of a pacifier for the first couple of weeks.
9. If the baby is having a hard time latching on, try the football hold (this always works for me)
10. Don't give up! Breastfeeding is best for you and your baby. Any time you try something new you have to practice before you know what you are doing. In a couple of weeks you will be an old pro at this parenting, breastfeeding thing. You are doing a great job so hang in there!
Our Family
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tasty Tuesday: Alex's Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 cups flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag chocolate chips
1. Stir together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients stirring just to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon into greased muffin cups.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
5. Serve warm or cool. These muffins freeze well.
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag chocolate chips
1. Stir together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients stirring just to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon into greased muffin cups.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
5. Serve warm or cool. These muffins freeze well.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday Morning Project: The Easiest Kite Ever
We did a really fun and easy project this morning. Not only was it fun and easy, but it included teaching a wide variety of subjects. One simple craft taught: reading, following directions, math (measuring), science (experimenting to see what would make the kite go higher), Art, and PE. We made Family Fun's Easiest Kite Ever p.88 of the March Magazine or www.familyfun.com/magazine. We made a few changes to the supplies because we did not have any ribbon so we used streamers instead and instead of embroidery floss we used regular yarn for the cord. It only took a few minutes to make and the children flew these kites outside for over an hour even with very little wind. I had some better pictures, but for some reason they wouldn't load.
Early Education
During the last several months I have seen many articles on the need for "Education Reform." Clearly the public education system is not as good as it should be and there are changes that need to be made. I personally am of the opinion that no matter how many changes are made there is nothing that is going to "fix" public education. It cannot be fixed because that is not the way children are meant to learn. One of the things that concerns me though is the growing trend to push children into "formal" learning at younger and younger ages. One of the articles I read talked about the need for more Head Start programs at earlier ages with more formal learning. They already take them at 3-4 years old how much earlier can you get? People were disgusted that the children in these programs were not sitting down and learning anything. Instead they were able to play for 3 or more hours a day. Does anyone remember when Kindergarten ages (5-6) was nothing more than a half day of playing? 3 and 4 year old children should spend their whole day playing.
Even in church I have noticed that people are sending their children at younger ages to Sunday School. I teach a Pre-school Sunday School Class geared for 4-5 year olds with short lessons and a fun craft. Lately, we have been getting children as young as 2 because they shouldn't be "wasting" their time playing in the nursery. They need to be learning something.
I don't think that children at these ages require any kind of "formal" learning. My children all learned to walk, talk, feed themselves without me ever sitting them at a table and telling them how to do it or giving them a worksheet on it. The best way for children to learn is by observing what is going on around them and through their play. Anthony (3) knows all of his numbers 1-10, alphabet, colors and shapes but I never sat him down and taught it to him. He learned by listening to me read and by playing with him. I remember when Nick learned that if you mix white and red it makes pink. I could have sat him down and taught it to him, but instead he discovered it by himself when he mixed ranch dressing with ketchup on his dinner plate and he was delighted with the discovery. If we continue to push children at an early age, all of their love of learning is going to disappear. Instead, learning is going to be for them part of the boring monotony that many of our older children face every day.
Even in church I have noticed that people are sending their children at younger ages to Sunday School. I teach a Pre-school Sunday School Class geared for 4-5 year olds with short lessons and a fun craft. Lately, we have been getting children as young as 2 because they shouldn't be "wasting" their time playing in the nursery. They need to be learning something.
I don't think that children at these ages require any kind of "formal" learning. My children all learned to walk, talk, feed themselves without me ever sitting them at a table and telling them how to do it or giving them a worksheet on it. The best way for children to learn is by observing what is going on around them and through their play. Anthony (3) knows all of his numbers 1-10, alphabet, colors and shapes but I never sat him down and taught it to him. He learned by listening to me read and by playing with him. I remember when Nick learned that if you mix white and red it makes pink. I could have sat him down and taught it to him, but instead he discovered it by himself when he mixed ranch dressing with ketchup on his dinner plate and he was delighted with the discovery. If we continue to push children at an early age, all of their love of learning is going to disappear. Instead, learning is going to be for them part of the boring monotony that many of our older children face every day.
Friday, February 20, 2009
4-H Breads Contest
Yesterday was the annual 4-H Breads contest, so we did not do our "regular" schoolwork. Instead we had lots of fun lessons in the kitchen (math, science, reading, health, clean-up etc) as Chelsea, Nick, and Alex each made their own bread recipes. There were several categories to choose from and each child could enter up to 3 categories, but because of cost of supplies and a limit of time I only let the children enter 1 category each. Chelsea decided to make Yeast Rolls, Nick made Cinnamon Rolls, and Alex made Chocolate Chip Muffins. They all did a great job making their recipes and we taste tested each one when they were finished. Chelsea won 1st prize for her rolls, Nick won second prize for his, and Alex got a participation ribbon for his. Alex was a little disappointed at the contest because they only announced 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of each category and so he didn't think he was going to get a ribbon. He was much happier when he did get a ribbon like Nick and Chelsea. It is fun to cook for a contest, but I also want when children to learn and remember that the ribbon doesn't really matter. They all had a great time cooking and that is the important part.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My Baby Shower
Monday night some friends of mine gave me a Baby Shower. It was a great way to get out of the house and spend some time with friends without our children. I got some really sweet little girl things like hair bows, frilly socks, shoes, and pink blankets, clothes and sleepers. Along with that I also got some important practical items like diapers and wipes. It was very sweet of them to give me a shower and now I just can't wait until I have the baby to put her in all of the sweet clothes. Only a few more weeks to go!
Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Hot Pockets
Homemade Hot Pockets taste much better than the frozen ones at the store, and they are easy to make for lunch or supper. They also freeze and microwave really well.
1.Make a batch of your favorite biscuit dough.
2.Divide the dough in half and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.
3.Using a butter knife slice the dough into sections depending on how big you want your hot pockets. I divide it into 5 sections giving me a total of 10 per batch of dough.
4.Fill with 2-3 TBSP of your desired filling using pre-cooked meats like: ham and cheese, chicken broccoli and cheese, or meatballs, sauce and cheese.
5.Fold in half, match the edges and pinch them closed all the way around.
6.Freeze until ready to bake, or bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
1.Make a batch of your favorite biscuit dough.
2.Divide the dough in half and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.
3.Using a butter knife slice the dough into sections depending on how big you want your hot pockets. I divide it into 5 sections giving me a total of 10 per batch of dough.
4.Fill with 2-3 TBSP of your desired filling using pre-cooked meats like: ham and cheese, chicken broccoli and cheese, or meatballs, sauce and cheese.
5.Fold in half, match the edges and pinch them closed all the way around.
6.Freeze until ready to bake, or bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
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