Breastfeeding – Natural families and lifestyle

Posted on May 22, 2021June 26, 2021 by Trisha

Stay Healthy Day 22: Breastfeed

Did you breast fed? And if so, did you noticed something different about your milk when baby started coming down with a cold?

From a friend: Amelia was the first of mine I was truly successful with with bf so she was the first I noticed it with. One day, she’d started getting a little bit of clear nasal drainage and you could tell she just didnt feel the best. Over the next few days the color of her drainage changed and a cough came with it. At the time, she was far too young to get antibiotics or anything else for that matter (back then we were still all western med).

The change was so subtle at first that I didn’t catch it right off. This was my first time experiencing bf while having a sick baby. Several days into her little cold, I noticed my breast milk had DRASTICALLY changed color. At first I thought what the frick is this?! But digging deeper I learned just how common this is and in fact is a natural part of our bodies amazing capabilities.

When breastfed babies get sick, their mothers milk changes to accommodate babies needs and to gove baby what they need to get better. The breast milk changes and increases its anti infective properties so as to help baby get better. Kinda like having a built in natural antibiotic for baby. Higher levels of lymphocytes and granulocytes can be found in the milk of a mama with a sick baby. These are the infection fighting cells. Higher levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is an infection fighting substance known as a cytokines, is secreted from the cells in the breast milk.

Breastfeeding has benefits for mom too including reduced risk for breast, ovarian and uterine cancer; reduce stress, anxiety and postpartum “blues”; reduced risk of osteoporosis; and natural child spacing.

New mama research list

Check out this great list of topics we feel every new expecting mother should look into. It’s great to be informed in advance to be able to make the best decisions for your family.

Also, check out these groups, pages and websites that provide additional information and support:

Natural and Holistic Living

Earthley

Modern Alternative Mama

Cloth Diapers for Beginners

Vaccination Re-education Discussion Forum

Hip Homeschool Mom Community

Wildschooling

Practical Homeschooling

Wildcrafting, Gardening & Herbalism

Foraging & Feasting

Home Birth – Assisted & Unassisted

Saving our Sons

The Badass Breastfeeder

Exclusively Breastfeeding Mommies

Natural Parenting 101

Car Seats for Littles

Biologically Normal Infant Sleep

Go Sleeping & Attachment Parenting Support

Want even more of this type of content in a community setting? Join my Facebook group, Natural and Holistic Living Mama.

Posted on April 14, 2021June 26, 2021 by Trisha

Handmade herbal tinctures

At Earthley we provide a wide variety of herbal remedies and that includes herbal tinctures. 🌿

Some of the herbal remedies Earthley offers are:

🌿 Anti-Inflammatory
This herbal extract helps to calm the body, reduce inflammation, and provide immune support.

🌿 Anxiety Relief
This gentle, yet powerful formula can: Relieve anxious feeling, encourage calm mood, improve mental clarity and focus, improve sleep quality and reduce depression symptoms.

🌿 Calm and Clarity
Helps to promote even mood, better energy, and better mental clarity.

🌿 Candida Cleanse
Fight the overgrowth of Candida and inflammation, and support your liver naturally.

🌿 Cough Be Gone
This tincture can remove extra mucus, soothe sore throats, and promote lung health and detoxification.

🌿 Digest-Ease
Get relief from indigestion, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating.

🌿 Digest-Support
Promote better nutrient absorption and, as a result, alleviate symptoms like gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea.

🌿 Ease the Ache
Perfect for menstrual cramps, bloating, “heavy” feeling, heavy bleeding, mood swings, postpartum period.

🌿 Elderberry
This blend of immune-boosting herbs is like a one-two punch for colds, coughs, sore throats, and more, in a shelf-stable elderberry drops tincture.

🌿 Energy Plus
Herbal iron supplement is made from herbs that are rich in natural iron, vitamin C, and B-complex.

🌿 Feel Better Fast
Knock out coughs, sniffles, upset tummies, keep fevers in a safe range, and get you and your kiddos back on their feet.

🌿 Fertili-Boost
To help women prepare for a healthy pregnancy, and promote healthy fertility!

🌿 Immune-Biotic
Uses immune-supporting herbs to give your body a jump start to fight off germs. Take for three to seven days and kick that cold or flu to the curb.

🌿 Liver Love
Supports liver function and detox.

🌿 Mama’s Magic Milk Boost
Natural ways to increase breast milk, you have found the best lactation supplement on the market.

A tincture is a super-concentrated herbal solution.

This is how we make herbal tinctures:

Dry herbs are weighed out into a measuring cup to get a precise amount, and then poured into 1-gallon glass jars. Once all the herbs are added, we add alcohol or glycerin (diluted to the proper ratios). The jars then head to the shelf to sit for 4 weeks, before they’re strained and bottled.

Want even more of this type of content in a community setting? Join my Facebook group, Natural and Holistic Living Mama.

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Trisha · 2 Comments

Lead found in Medela Cooler Carrier

Apparently I am behind the times on this one. Last year, the Center for Environmental Health tested the Medela Cooler Carrier and found traces of lead. I was less than thrilled to hear about this since I have been carrying my daughter’s organic milk in it to daycare for the last 2 years and used it to carry the breast milk I pumped for her at work for over a year.

Medela believes the coolers are safe and lead free, but, being the great company they are, are gladly replacing them if you are concerned. So mine is on its way back to Medela. The downside is it takes 6 weeks to receive the replacement and since I am pumping now for my 4 month old son, I needed something now.

So I went to www.reusablebags.com where this is a selection of lead-free bags. I got a Munchler’s lunch backback for my daughter to carry her milk – CUTE!!!! She will be able to use this bag for a long time. Very cute and durable. It’s a backpack style, so she can easily put it on and carry it. Highly recommend.

For my son I purchased an ACME lunch bag which works perfectly for baby bottles, much better than the likely lead-tainted freebies that you get in the hospital. I got a second one in another color that I use to carry the pumped milk. It’s a little big for that purpose, but I will be able to use the bag for lunches or otherwise when I am done pumping, which is what I wanted anyway.

Check all your milk, bottle and lunch cooler bags. Many are made of vinyl/PVC and likely contain lead. There are many very cute, lead free options available, so why risk lead exposure?

Even though the food or milk may not come in direct contact with the bag, contamination is still probable since you touch the bag, then your food, your breast pump parts, whatever the case may be.

Click here to find out if your Medela cooler is affected and if so how to return your Medela Cooler for a refund or replacement.

Posted on December 14, 2009December 15, 2009 by Trisha · 53 Comments

Larrivo maternity nursingwear review and giveaway!!

I used to think nursing tops were not necessary, just another way for someone to make some money. Then Judy from A Mother’s Boutique asked if I would try Larrivo’s Emily nursing tunic, so I agreed. The first night I used this as sleepwear, I totally got the whole nursing top thing. It was soooo much easier than wrestling with an oversized t-shirt while half-awake at 3am as my son was desperately trying to latch on.

MadisonsGardenChemiseNursingAccess — Showing drop cup access in Madison

Now I want to know if this baby comes in long sleeved versions as it’s getting right cold outside, and is there such a thing as a nursing robe for those cold nights, or is that taking things a bit too far?

I now wish I would have invested in a couple nursing tops and dresses that I could have worn to church, weddings and other family events that I have attended during my nursing career. The investment would have paid for itself. Yes, I’m kicking myself. After all, this is my 2nd child and my first nursed for more than 2 years. I admit I am a little slow to adapt.

The tunic has a built-in bra, so you don’t have to lift your shirt (and expose that post-baby belly), or dig down the neck opening to unsnap the cup when you are trying to discreetly nurse in public, or battle a hungry baby. It also features easy-to-use and drop down cups that snap open and closed easily with one hand (very important).

I have the tunic in Skye. Alone it looks like sleepwear, but when you pair it with some cute leggings and a jacket, you are ready for a day (or night) out on the town. Or for a business look, I think the Skye cami would look really cute under a sand-colored suit. Also, the empire waist style is forgiving – it’s slightly ‘flowy’ helping to disguise that lingering baby belly. Or can even be worn throughout pregnancy.

Comfort is also important, and the Emily nursing tunic delivers. It’s very soft and offers good bra support as well. It’s definitely comfortable to sleep in, so you know it will be comfortable for any event.

The Larrivo Emily nursing wear is a winner in my book!

You can buy Larrivo nursing tops at A Mother’s Boutique or enter to win one here! Winner will receive their choice of the tunic or dress style in either the Skye or Madison Garden print.

To be entered into this contest please leave a comment on this post which tells us which is your favorite type of nursing access – drop cup or empire – In addition, please tell us if you think you would wear these pieces for sleepwear or daywear – This is MANDATORY in order to be considered for a prize.

Get bonus entries!! You can enter for extra chances to win one of these great tunics or dresses by doing any of the activities below. Just be sure to come back here and leave us a comment for each one – letting us know which ones you completed.

1) Sign up to be a fan of Larrivo on facebook.

2) Spread the word! Tweet about this post and link back to it – be sure to include @greenparenting in your tweet and a link back to this page, and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet (you can do this once per day during the contest).

3) Spread the word some more! Post about this contest on facebook and tell all of your friends about it! (you can do this once per day during the contest)

4) Don’t have a blog, not on facebook or twitter? No problem, we want you to have extra chances to win too – so go ahead and send an email to any of your pregnant or nursing friends. Be sure to cc: us on your email (bhamgreenparent@gmail.com) and leave a comment here too! We promise not to add anyone to any mailing lists unless they specifically request to be added.

5) Purchase any item from Larrivo in A Mother’s Boutique Store – and leave a comment here with the last 4-digits of your order number. You will get 4 extra chances to win for every purchase!

That’s it! Lots of ways to win a tunics or chemise dress from Larrivo!! This contest ends 12/29/09 at 11:59pm EST. All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Invalid entries will be disqualified. This contest is open to people with US-based delivery addresses ONLY. Winner must respond to email within 48 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner.

Disclosure:
This product was received free of charge from Larrivo and A Mother’s Boutique. No compensation was received for writing this review. The opinions expressed here are my own fully, honest opinions and in no way was influenced by receiving this product.

Posted on May 18, 2009May 20, 2009 by Trisha · 23 Comments

Organic Milk vs Hormone Free Milk

Alison asked if hormone-free milk was as good as organic.

As for as Organic milk vs hormone free, neither will have the hormone added, but the hormone “free”-only will still have pesticide residue. Organic milk comes from cows fed an organic diet – grain or grass. In most cases, organic cows are treated better (more room per cow, most organic cows graze in an open pasture), while conventional cows don’t have much room to move around. So that to me even means healthier milk since cows treated better tend to be healthier anyway, thus not needing antibiotics, etc.

art_rbst_free_milk_cnn

Hormone free vs organic – cows naturally produce hormones, so the milk is not entirely hormone free, however no synthetic hormones are added (which to me is still better than conventional milk). However, it seems as though “hormone-free” is more of a marketing term.

CNN also reported on this topic pointing out research has shown there is no difference in milk from cows treated with rbST and cows that were not. However, the author echos many who feel “science” and the FDA has let us down before and consumers are questioning the safety of, well everything.

But then again, Natural News debunks that and gives a glowing review of why adding hormones is not good, including pus getting into the milk from these cows who often get mastitis due to the overproduction of milk and these cows are then given antibiotics to treat the mastitis infection. Now, who wants all that in their milk?

Benefits of Organic Milk
Here is another very good article showing the benefits of organic milk vs conventional milk. Such benefits include less pesticide contamination, more vitamins and antioxidants, improves the quality of breastmilk and helps prevent asthma and eczema in children. Read the entire article for more benefits.

SFMilk-Family As for as choosing a good organic milk, first things first – Horizon milk is not really organic, which is really sad considering it is the best selling brand of organic milk. There are several links on there, one of which is a link to thorough research of many organic brands of milk rated on how “organic” they really are. So if you choose to stay/go organic, you can choose a good brand. Also, you can usually sign up on the manufacturer’s website and get coupons — for example, Stonyfield Farm or Organic Valley may send out coupons in a newsletter.

We eat the “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies (mostly these are the ones where the outer skin is exposed like peaches, grapes, strawberries, potatoes, apples…) these are the ones that will have the most pesticides and bananas for example, do not have near as many pesticides since it is protected by a thick peel. So I get organic apples, but not bananas. I say that to give you an example that there are tradeoffs. You don’t have to go 100% organic on everything. To me, milk is one of those areas where the benefit definitely shows organic to be better.

Certainly cost is a factor. I get our milk from Whole Foods. If you drink a lot of milk or you have room in your freezer, Whole Foods gives you 10% off if you purchase a case of milk (4 gallons). We go through that in about 10-14 days, so I do this sometimes, but it’s a little hard to drink that much milk when we still give our 3 year old whole milk. And I am not sure about freezing milk, have not tried it, but know people who have with great success. And as mentioned, you can usually sign up to get newsletters which may contain coupons.

Posted on April 5, 2009April 6, 2009 by Trisha · 2 Comments

Would you feed your baby rocket fuel?

You may be feeding your baby rocket fuel and not know it. baby-bottle

The CDC has tested several samples of infant formula and found traces of perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel. If the powdered formula was also mixed with water also contaminated with perchlorate, it could exceed levels considered safe for adults.

“No tests have ever shown the chemical caused health problems, but scientists have said significant amounts of perchlorate can affect thyroid function. The thyroid helps set the body’s metabolism. Thyroid problems can impact fetal and infant brain development.”

The brands of formula tested were not released.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was considering setting new limits on the amount of perchlorate that would be acceptable in drinking water. A few states have already set their own limits.

The EPA has checked nearly 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or more. About 160 of the water systems had detectable levels of perchlorate, and 31 had levels high enough to exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering.

This is just really sad. I breastfeed, so I don’t have to worry about the formula contamination, but I have friends who formula feed, and this is a stress they don’t need on their plate. I do worry about the water contamination. I don’t really want to be drinking rocket fuel, even if at a “safe” level. Just like I

What can you do?
– Don’t freak out and don’t stop giving your baby formula
– Breastfeed if you can
– Since the brands tested were not disclosed, choosing a different formula is not helpful (and you should consult your pediatrician before doing so in any case).
– Install a water filtration system capable of removing perchlorate for use of mixing with formula (and drinking of course!)
– If you do a little homework, you can probably find bottled water that has used one of the above methods. But note: Not all bottled water is the same! Several manufacturers simply bottle filtered tap water. Know what you are buying.
– Since the food we eat could be irrigated with water contaminated with perchlorate, buy produce from areas that do not use contaminated water to irrigate.
Check this table for areas contaminated with perchlorate
And a map from the EPA
And sites known to manufacturer or use perchlorate
– And write letters – write letters to your congressmen, formula manufacturers, the FDA, the president – anyone who could have influence. Let them know rocket fuel in formula and in drinking water is not acceptable.

Source: FoxNews

Posted on February 24, 2009April 5, 2009 by Trisha

Diapers on sale!

Diapers.com is having a sale on diapers. Check out their great sale. Save an additional $10 by using coupon code AMOMS10 at checkout! Code applies to new customers.

Diapers.com has expanded their offerings and now offers all kinds of gear, trinkets and whatnot for babies, including feeding supplies for breastfeeding, bottle feeding and solids; cloth diapering; strollers and other gear; toys including wood; formula and so much more!

Don’t forget to use coupon code AMOMS10 to save $10! Oh, and if you spend $49+ you will also get free 2 day shipping!

Shop now because the sale ends at the end of February!

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Trisha · 2 Comments

The Real Story Behind Bisphenol A

How a handful of consultants used Big Tobacco’s tactics to sow doubt about science and hold off regulation of BPA, a chemical in hundreds of products that could be harming an entire generation.

I always liked FastCompany magazine. There are always great articles. Well, they have recently looked into the BPA controversy / debate as well and published an article here last week. They looked at both sides, the history, how the studies were done, what the FDA reviewed and who funded the studies, etc. Pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about the BPA issue. They interviewed several folks from both sides. It’s a very long, but very interesting read.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article:
“The United States has a long tradition of keeping harmful substances — lead, DDT, tobacco, PCBs — on the market for decades after scientists find adverse effects.”

“Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, who has launched numerous investigations into the agency, contends, “The FDA has got to be a watchdog, not a business partner with industry.”

“If these low-dose findings were counterintuitive to toxicologists, they made perfect sense to developmental biologists. After all, BPA is a synthetic hormone. Any physician knows that at small doses, most hormones are extremely powerful in stimulating their target organs, while at higher doses — above a certain threshold — they can paralyze these same organs. (Testosterone powers the male sex drive, for instance, but at high doses causes impotence.)”

Very interesting indeed. I could pull more quotes, but then I may as well copy the whole article! They have uncovered what many of us already know – there is enough evidence that it may cause harm at any dose so it is best to just avoid BPA altogether. Retailers such as Babies R Us, Wal-Mart and Target had said they would stop selling polycarbonate baby bottles at the end of 2008 (though I have seen them on the shelves as of last week). Nalgene has gone to a BPA-free plastic water bottle as consumers demand a safer product and the FDA sits and takes money from the plastic industry and tries to convince us that BPA is safe when there are over 100 studies not funded by the plastics that claim otherwise.

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a hormone-mimicking chemical found in plastic polycarbonate baby bottles, water bottles, dental filings, in the lining of canned foods, etc. Even at low doses it can affect the endocrine system. Learn more here.

I have several lists with safer alternatives to polycarbonate plastics.
BPA free bottles, sippy cups and food storage
BPA and phthalate free pacifiers
BPA and phthalate free teethers and rattles
BPA free dishes, utensils, snack containers and food storage for kids

And I am finishing up my BPA free food storage list in between nursing my newborn, so please check back!

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Trisha

Breastfeeding advocacy shirt giveaways

Judy at Mother’s Boutique recently starting blogging about breastfeeding and other mommy news like getting your child to take a nap! To kick off the new year, she is giving away breastfeeding advocacy shirts for mom or baby. Visit her blog here to learn how to enter this great giveaway.

She is also having a Valentine’s Day special on pink and red maternity and nursing items in her boutique, so don’t forget to visit her store to save 25% on pink and red items with promotion code VALENTINES25.

About a Mother’s Boutique
When it comes to preparing for your new baby, A Mother’s Boutique is here to help. We carry everything you need from maternity clothing to breastfeeding clothing, nursing bras, breast pumps, slings and breastfeeding accessories.