It has its quirks, but I love the Babycook!

This truly is an all-in-one machine for making your own baby food, and it's better than steaming separately and then pureeing in a Cuisinart or other food processor, because every brand of food processor I know of currently has BPA in the plastic part that holds the food (and hot food can cause the BPA to leach into baby's food). As a bonus, I plan to use my Babycook beyond the baby food years to make purees so I can secretly add nutritious ingredients to family dishes when my son gets old enough to start refusing to eat his vegetables. Something not mentioned in the guide's review is that you can cook and puree meat and fish in the Babycook, too--not just fruits and veggies.
I like being able to make a big batch of food in one session, freeze it in baby food trays, and then just reheat a couple of cubes in the Babycook without compromising the nutritional value of the food by microwaving it. On the downside, I agree that the instructions are nearly useless in the beginning, but it's not too difficult to figure out what works for different types of food based on the very limited list available. It steams within resonable time. It's cool because I just leave it steaming and it will shut off by itself (the time it steams depends on how much water you put in). However, I don't like that the food tends to get TOO hot in the reheating cycle, even when it starts out frozen, so I have to stick it back in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes and wait for it to cool before I can feed my hungry baby. Blending is so easy. I will put the steamed fruits or veggies in the water they were steamed in. Then I'll add a little breastmilk or prune juice. You do have to hold the nob when blending or it will shut off, but big woopty doo! It only takes a minute or so for the tougher veggies. As far as cleaning. The most difficult part is taking the blade off, and even that is easy! I have yet to cut myself. Once that blade is off though, it can all be thrown in the dishwasher! Perhaps my biggest complaint is that it has a tendency to leak from underneath the blade, which simply sits over the hole in the bottom of the main food compartment. This isn't annoying enough to make me not want to use it, but it definitely qualifies as a design flaw in my book (or maybe it's user error in this case, and I missed something in the so-called instruction manual??). Overall, even with these minor issues, it's easy to use, easy to clean, and helps me make really healthy, organic food for my baby, so what's not to love. And since I hope to be using it for several more years as my child continues to grow and with any other babies I might have, I think it was totally worth the investment!


*disclaimer* this is a personal review and I was not paid by the company to give it

My basic rules for mothers who choose to exclusively Pump Breast milk

1.) Get a Pump: If you are going to do this you will need to invest some money in a pump. I recommend a double electric pump. Hospital grade would be best but as for most, they are typically out of most people's price range. I personally recommend the Medela Pump in Style . Some people do manage to get through with a manual pump such , but according to the "experts" the best way to stimulate milk production is to double pump.

2.) Get pumping: For the first 12 weeks of your baby's life you will need to pump every 2-3 hours, 24 hours a day to establish a good supply. If you were breast-feeding that would be the same amount of times your baby would normally eat in a 24-hour period. You will need to pump a minimum of 15-20 minutes and will need to pump 5 minutes past flow to stimulate milk production. If you don't fully empty, it can decrease your supply or lead to problems like plugged ducts and mastitis. This means if it takes 45 minutes to empty your breasts you have to pump yet another 5 minutes. After the initial 12 weeks you can usually start to drop pumps. Most choose to drop the middle of the night pump first. For most the first pump in the morning will yield the most breastmilk.

****After you pump you may want to use a product like Lansinoh to moisturize your nipples. Do not use just before you pump. It is sticky and can cause cuts. Some have used olive oil as a natural lubricant between their breasts and horns. Also letting yourself air dry or putting breast milk on cuts can be helpful. If you wear breastpads make sure you change them frequently.****

3.) Storing: Please click on the following link for storage guidelines. Don't forget to date and rotate your stock. It may also be helpful, at a later date, if you include information on the label, such as the amount of breastmilk enclosed, any medications taken (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.), and if a potentially gassy food was eaten that day. An example of this would be next month when your baby has an upset tummy, you will know that the culprit could be that broccoli casserole you had for dinner before you pumped and know to possibly eliminate that food while pumping.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/milkstorage.html

4.) Cleaning and Sterilizing: You will need to clean and sterilize your pump parts daily. A trick some pumpers use is that between pumps we put our pump parts in the fridge in a Ziploc bag. If you choose this time-saving method, then once a day, you will need to either hand wash the parts with hot soapy water and let them air dry or run them through a cycle in the dishwasher.

5.) Supply: There are many things that can either hinder or help your supply.

In my experience this is what can be helpful:
-making sure you get enough calories (200-400 more than when you were pregnant)
-drinking a ton of water
-getting enough rest
-using herbal supplements, such as fenugreek, goats rue, stinging nettle and/or mother’s milk tea (available at most vitamins stores such as GNC) or blessed thistle (available online) - please check with your doctor before starting one of these supplementations
-some doctors have even prescribed Reglan (metoclopramide)
-oatmeal (not the instant kind)
-relaxing while pumping (make yourself a handsfree bra by simply cutting holes, in an old bra, just big enough to slip the pump horns through)
-looking at a picture of your baby if you are not with your baby
-if your baby will comfort suck this can stimulate production
-warm compresses while pumping
-massage while pumping

This is what can hinder:
-not eating and drinking enough
-not sleeping enough
-not pumping long enough to empty breasts
-wearing underwire bras or bras that are too tight
-skipping pumping sessions (especially in the early weeks)

What do you do if your supply is slipping?

Have a Pumpathon. You will need to increase the number of minutes and sessions you pump in a day. I suggest, if you can, every 2 hours (or as much as your boobs can take) for a full 24 hours. You will likely see an increase in a day or two.

Why do some mothers exclusively pump?

Because Like me a lot of mothers feel breastmilk is best even in a bottle. Women exclusively pump for various reasons including premature babies, babies in NICU, cleft palate, uncomfortable breast-feeding in public, tongue tied, or inverted/flat nipples. The list could go on forever. However, most mothers that end up exclusively pumping would much prefer to directly breastfeed if that worked. Pumping is a ton of work. It is like combining breast and bottle feeding together. You will spend hours hooked up to a machine and others cleaning bottles and pump parts.

You will likely still get some of the joys of breast-feeding like plugged ducts, cracked nipples, engorgement, and even possibly mastitis. When you tell friends, family, other moms or even your own doctor they will probably look at you like you are crazy. Just to let you know you are not alone and no matter why you chose this, you should be very proud of yourself. Some mothers kept trying to get their babies back to their breast; some were successful and some not, others have chosen not to go there again as issues with breast-feeding couldn't be resolved or they chose to just let it go. Some of us have made it a week, others months and some miracle moms a year.

How do you answer, "Do you breastfeed?"

This can be an awkward thing for many exclusive pumpers. Often you feel you don't fit in with either breast-feeding or formula-feeding moms. Some people say yes, some no, sometimes you go into lengthy details on what you do and why. Remember this, it is no one's business unless you want it to be. You can explain your situation and people will just think you are crazy and may never understand why you just can't breastfeed or why, if it was so hard, you just don't formula feed.

Everyday you pump is a success. If you exclusively pump a day, a week, a month, 6 months or one year or more every drop of breastmilk your baby gets is a gift. So many moms give up on breast-feeding. I want people to know there is another option. I understand how hard it is so if you chose to supplement with formula or had enough of this crazy pump thing you also have my full support.

Passing on my love for books

I have always been a bookworm for as long as I could remember. Reading was my favorite pastime . And that is something that I am hoping to past on to my children . I could and still can spend countless hours being lost in a bookstore and end up spending hundreds of dollars on books without a second thought. One year for my birthday I actually spent all my birthday money on books. Going to the library checking out books , I think I was probably the only child in the neighborhood with bookshelves of books instead of toys. My childhood consist of the Sweet Valley series (kids, twins, and high) , the babysitter's club series (including the little sister series) Goosebumps, fear street, sideways stories from wayside school, Shel Silverstein books, boxcar children and many more. And now at I am a mother I can't wait to introduce my old favorites to my children. Right now we are discovering Dr. Seuss. And I think next year we will start on The Berenstain Bears. My Baby was just a few days old when I started reading to him. And now with the new technology , he sometimes prefers that the iPad read us the story instead.

Leapfrog LeapPad Review

Mommy's Honeybun was given one as a gift. I was so excited because I am into learning toys. When I open the box, I was highly disappointed. This toy doesn't live up to all the hype, instead it was the biggest headache and money pit!!! First of all it runs off of batteries, This was proving to be very problematic and expensive. I was constantly replacing the batteries . And every time I did, my child would get no more than 2-3 hours of playtime and the batteries are dead again. So, I bought the ac adapter thinking that would solve the problem. Well, my honeybun don't do well sitting in a corner of the room close to a plug (because the cord is not very long), and every time it comes unplugged, its dead again. So I also invested in the car adapter, which is also a very short cord that comes unplugged all the time, and is very frustrating to my child. Not only that, each game is $24.99. Are you kidding me? The case was also $24 which was not included.Someone mentioned getting rechargeable batteries, and you can have a back-up set charging at all times so you never run out. But we all know rechargeable batteries last about half the time of regular batteries, so I would be changing batteries non-stop, which I feel like am already doing. And because it is dead pretty much always, my honeybun have never really played it long enough to really get into it or enjoy it. My honeybun went back to playing with the iPad. With all the money I spent in buying games , And batteries I realized what a good investment the iPad really was. Games on the iPad are .99-$5 and that's for the really good ones. And the biggest bonus of all is that you can charge it and the charge normally last us all day!!!!


*Disclaimer* this is my own personal opinion and I was not paid by the company to review this product

The First Years Breastflow Bottle Review

I have tried several different bottles that would let my baby gain the benefits of having mommy's breastmilk when I was not around; but won't cause nipple confusion . We were having terrible latch issues because of the different bottles I was using, But then my Aunt from Boston flew in , her baby gift to us, were some Breastflow bottles. These bottles really do mimic breastfeeding, at least in the highest capacity that a bottle might. The nipple collapses and resembles a 'sandwiched' boob, both upper and lower lips flange out (as they do when a baby is properly latched upon a breast). The measuring scale on the side is dark and, with quite a few washes, the numbers and lines have yet to fade. The bottle does what the makers say it will do as well: less colic, fussiness, gas and spit up. The fact that this bottle mimics the breast so well, meaning the baby has to work to suck and get the milk out the bottle the same way as if he was on the breast; nipple confusion has not been a problem for us anymore since we switch to these bottles.

That's not to say I don't have a few issues with the Breastflow Bottle. The fact remains that the bottle is -bulky-. It is large and almost too large for some bottle holders and diaper bags bottle pockets. It makes the bottle also hard to store with freezer packs if I have to go anywhere, since most of the bags used to keep bottles cold are meant for slimmer designs. Also, when the baby is sucking and sandwiches down on the nipple, a lot of the milk gets stuck inside the nipple and within the blue plastic insert that goes inside (which is the mechanism to make a baby suck harder). And, because the bottle is so plump, it is also a pain to angle it enough to get all of the milk out without laying the baby down, which is a no-no (or so sources say) if you want to help prevent ear infections for your child. There are extra parts to clean, then with your standard regular bottle.

All in all, the breastflow Bottle is a great way to introduce a breastfed baby to a bottle. Which was a big plus for us during our Breastfeeding journey.

***photos courtesy of Ashlynn  
*disclaimer* this is my own opinion , I was not paid by the company

Why Breastfed Babies Don't Need A Feeding Schedule

Breastfed babies typically need to nurse more often than their formula-fed peers. You may have a friend whose baby is on formula remark that her baby only feeds every 3-4 hours during the day and sleeps through the night. You may wonder why your breastfed baby's eating and sleeping patterns are quite different than this. Perhaps you have tried to put your baby on a schedule only to find that he cried before you thought he should or you found that you were constantly looking for other ways to pacify him until feeding time.

Breastmilk is digested with much more ease than formula. In fact, your first milk, known as colostrum, has a natural laxative effect on the baby, enabling him to pass the meconium (the stool he has been storing since before birth) more quickly. The earlier this stool is expelled the less likely your baby will develop jaundice. Due to breastmilk's ease of digestibility, breastfed babies are rarely constipated while only receiving mother's milk.

Formula consumption, on the other hand, puts a strain on baby's digestive system causing it to work "overtime". Thus the formula-fed baby sleeps for longer stretches of time and demands to feed less often. However, in this case, sleeping longer is not necessarily a good thing! The formula-fed baby is more likely to suffer with constipation than the solely breastfed baby.

Putting your breastfed baby on a rigid schedule may interfere with the successful intitiation of breastfeeding and put your baby at risk for slow weight gain and other developmental problems such as failure-to-thrive. Breastmilk is produced on a supply and demand basis. The more your baby nurses the more milk your body will make. The less your baby nurses the less milk your body will make. Insisting on an artificial schedule may result in not enough stimulation to your breasts and therefore a scanty milk supply. As a result you may not be able to fully meet your baby's nutritional requirements thus resulting in the need to supplement with artificial milk.
In the first few weeks of nursing when lactation is just becoming established, frequent, unrestricted feedings are crucial to establishing a healthy milk supply. Nursing at least every 2-3 hours during the day and at least once during the night even if your baby must be awakened for the first few weeks will ensure that your milk supply is established and remains adequate as your baby grows.

These frequent feedings also ensure that your baby is getting the milk that he needs. Most young babies need to nurse at least 8-12 times or every 2-3 hours during a 24 hour period. Studies show that newborns who are allowed to nurse frequently and on demand regain their birthweight more quickly and are at less risk for developing low blood sugar and jaundice. Conversely, babies who are fed strictly by the clock regain birthweight more slowly and need medical intervention for treatment of low blood sugar and jaundice largely due to the fact that their mothers' milk is slow to become more plentiful due to less frequent feedings.

Crying is actually a late hunger cue. Babies will all demonstrate early hunger cues such as turning the head side to side, rooting, bringing the hands to the mouth, and even sucking the hands before they cry.

As baby grows he will experience periods of heightened growth that generally last for several days. Commonly referred to as growth spurts, these periods require more feeding flexibility. Baby demands to feed more often and your body responds to this increased demand by increasing your milk supply. Adhering to a set schedule during these times may result in a baby who's increased caloric needs are not met. Furthermore, your breasts will not receive the added stimulation they require to boost up your supply to meet your baby's growing needs.

Many babies also "cluster feed", "stack feed" or "bunch feed". These are all different terms to describe a feeding pattern in which the baby nurses almost constantly for several hours. This is a normal pattern for a breastfed baby. Many will feed in this way prior to bedtime as they "tank up" for a longer period of sleep. Also milk supply is normally lower in the late afternoon and evening hours. Many babies compensate for this slight daily drop in mother's milk supply by feeding more often.

Finally, babies need to suck and find great consolation at the breast when they feel lonely, insecure, tired, overstimulated, and overwhelmed with the changing world. It is this non-nutritive need for mother's breast that ensures that this emotional as well as physical need is met. Thus, breastfeeding - unlike bottlefeeding - is more than feeding. It is communication between mother and baby. It is a form of nurturing; it is an act of love.