I have some projects that I need YOUR help with.
1. I get a lot of cloth diapers questions in my inbox, in comments, on Twitter, and in real life. I’m going to have a little mini series on I do and what works for us, our favorite diapers, wash routines, prewash, etc etc. Please send me your questions, tips, etc. If you’re interested in a guest post on a subject, let me know!
2. My sister in law and BFF Cassie is pregnant with her 3rd baby, her 1st boy. She breastfed both of her girls for a short while and pumped for a few months because of latch problems. This is (probably) her last baby and she really wants to nurse him longer. I want to help her SO MUCH but I live in South Carolina and she lives in Missouri. Thankfully she has an LLL chapter near her home, but the hospital that she is delivering in is not breastfeeding friendly. I want to send her all the info I can to help her get started off on the right foot and with some confidence. We all know the first 2 months are the WORST and it gets soooo easy after that, right?! If you have any AWESOME resources please send me the link! I will also share these in another mini-series once I get everything together!
3. And lastly, I will continue my shameless vote begging for Austin in the Applecheeks Summer Picture contest. Click here and “Like” Applecheeks Diapers and then “Like” Austin’s picture! Thank you! If you do this, I will let you have 3 extra entries into the Lil LJ, Teething Bling, and Back40Life giveaways over on Baby Bumble B!
Thanks y’all!!!!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Cloth diapering question- I am trying to get my husband on board with it but he is concerned about cash flow. He realizes that it will save in the long run but money is tight right now and his concern is how much it will cost to get a good supply going along with any other necessities (special detergent, covers, etc). Any ideas on what I can say to persuade him?
Breastfeeding- Like many people I had a heck of a time getting started. He had jaundice and the hospital was insistent on supplementing with formula and spend all but 30 minutes every 3 hours in a Billibed. I was heartbroken as I had heard horror stories about nipple confusion and the like, but I was told he would not be able to go home with us if we didn’t. Looking back I would had probably been stronger on the subject, but who wants to leave the hospital without their baby? ANYWAYS… after 3 months of pumping, fenugreek, lactation consultants, mastitis, nipple shields and supplement formula… we got it! Well mostly… I still barely make enough feed him each day… but I have a happy healthy 17lb 4 month old with lovely chubby breast-fed thighs!!! I guess my advice is that she CAN do it and support is out there. It is hard for some people and sometimes painful but it is worth it. Fenugreek has been a HUGE help to me along with my lactation consultant.
I also struggled with breastfeeding for the first 6 weeks or so but finally got the hang of it (once we got her tongue clipped) and have breastfeeding for almost 10 months without a drop of formula (despite early threats from pediatrician). As you said LLL is great, I called one of our leaders numerous times and also found the meetings to be great. She might think about going to one before the baby comes.
Lactation consultants are wonderful and can be so helpful. The trick is finding a good one who isn’t too expensive. I also live in MO and in our town we actually have an incredible FREE one through a local pharmacy. She could talk to LLL to find out who is good. Once again, might want to talk to the LC before the baby comes.
Also might talk to the LC and LLL about a pediatrician who is breastfeeding friendly (but she might already have one since this is her 3rd). Our’s was but his partner wasn’t so it caused some problems in the beginning since we couldn’t get into him right away but once we did it was smooth sailing.
My favorite resources on the internet are the LLL website and kellymom.com. If you sign up, LLL has some great forums that she might be able to get advice from other moms on. Books I like and used were The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (my FAV) and The Nursing Mother’s Companion.
Lastly, since it’s not a nursing friendly hospital I would do all the research I could and go in prepared with research and facts. Including breastfeeding in the birth plan can also be helpful.
I hope it goes better for her this time!
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Twitter: KatiesPickles
July 16, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Where in MO do you live? She lives in Fort Leonardwood
Columbia, it’s a little over 2 hours north of Fort Leonard Wood.
L recently posted..Big Day
Twitter: KatiesPickles
July 16, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Thanks y’all! We too had a rough start. Austin had to have bottles for a month+, but here we are, he’s almost 8 months old and we’re going strong! :)
I second the kellymom.com website… great stuff!
I was just coming here to recc kellymom.com and their forums. That was an immense support to me in the early days. And I loved The Nursing Mother’s Companion.
Also, I think that BFing takes being ridiculously stubborn. The thing about it is if you want it to work, you have to MAKE it work, and sometimes it’s one hell of a fight!
Since she’s delivering at a non-BFing friendly hospital, is it possible for her to start going to LLL meetings while she’s still pregnant to see if there’s someone there she’s comfortable with who may be willing to come and visit her in the hospital to get her started? Has she thought about a doula with experience in BFing/Lactation support? That might help her if her hospital doesn’t have Lactation Consultants on staff who know what they’re doing.
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