The short answer is yes (for bottle-fed babies).
As an exclusively pumping mum, I fed #1 with expressed breastmilk from birth. With my #2, I mixed direct latch and expressed breastmilk, before finally switching to formula at 6 months.
For breastfed babies (direct latch only), I don't know what the right answer is. I know so many midwives and lactation consultants who said that it is NOT possible to overfeed. Instead, I've shared below some of the real experiences some mamas are having with their babies (hope this helps).
"You're overfeeding your baby with milk." - My paediatrician said this to us when #1 was 2 months old.
Newborns have the natural incline to suck for comfort. That doesn't mean that they are hungry. When you feed them more than what they need, the milk in their tummy creates gas. That's why they get restless and you think that they are hungry and feed them more milk and further causing this vicious cycle.
#1 had to be properly burped after every feed and she had gas pains from being so full and her little tummy not able to digest the milk properly.
She would sleep and wake up crying in pain and being very restless.
That's us with #1. And you would think that we learnt the lesson with #2, but I have to say that it is so SO hard sometimes to read the signs when they are so little. Is it tiredness? or gas? or hunger? They overlap and I find myself feeding as the last resort.
#whocanrelate
Mistaking wind as hunger:
"My little girl spits up anytime we lay her flat (reflux we believe) even after burping and having her upright for 30 or more minutes. She also gets gas pains and that from being so full. Pediatrician told us to limit intake less more frequently. I've tried pumping to compare how much she's getting per time frame but it's difficult to tell with her suction compared to the pump. I have plenty of milk and if I let her feed longer then 15-20 mins she spits/vomits it all up. You can over feed while breast feeding!" - Wendy
"Windy babies often mistake the wind feeling for hunger. If you have a very good supply that comes out fast, this can cause wind and discomfort. Once again, from personal experience, the reflux child may drink more than is needed and they may drink more often as the sucking is calming and the milk takes away the pain. When they over drink unfortunately this can cause more pain and thus the cycle starts again." - Jenn
Fast letdown:
"I have a really fast letdown so he would just guzzle it all back and then puke everywhere and then gripe and moan and cry for an hour after a feed. Against my lactation consultant's advice, I tried limiting the worst feeds to 10 minutes on each side. It helped immediately! He's still gaining weight at an amazing pace and thriving so that approach has worked for us." - Trudi
"That's just what happened here and what worked for us. I still feed D when he's hungry I just don't let him suck for comfort because the milk keeps coming and FAST so it upsets his tummy. If I know he's full I take him off the boob and if it's bedtime I will let him have a dummy and a cuddle." - Lauren
Why?
Lying on a 30 degree angle soothes them because there is less stress on the oesophagus when it is not pulled straight. Try tilting the cot mattress by putting a rolled up towel under the head end of the mattress to see if it helps to alleviate some of the discomfort.
Overfeeding is hard especially in the early newborn days when we are finding our routine and learning our baby cues. I hope this article is helpful to some moms.
If you've enjoyed our article, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page (below)! xx
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I was quite surprised when I first found out that we were supposed to get our babies to do tummy time since birth. Aren't they too young?
So I didn't do it *yikes
And with a million other anxiety-provoking thoughts constantly on my mind, honestly I forgot about it.
Until we did our 6 weeks check-up with our maternal health nurse and she mentioned positional plagiocephaly. Which basically meant FLAT HEAD SYNDROME.
O M G what have I done?
At 6 weeks, Ely had developed an obvious flat spot on her left side.
As a first-time mum, I obviously freaked out and googled it endlessly after our check-up. Should I go to a specialist and request for one of those helmets to correct Ely's flat head?
The maternal health nurse assured me that it was not necessary and it could be improved with tummy time.
But Ely HATES tummy time! Screams bloody murder every time.
Fast forward to Ely's 4 months check up and things were not getting better. Her flat head got even more obvious so we went to see a child physiotherapist.
Basically we had to get Ely to build up the strength of her (weak) neck muscles so she was less likely to lean and sleep on the same side every time she went to sleep (causing her flat spot to worsen).
Yes it helped to increase her tolerance at tummy time.
But her flat head didn't go away. It got better when she turned 6 months and could roll over and sit down.
"My 3 1/2 months old daughter never liked tummy time. She doesn't last longer than 30 sec before a total meltdown. She can arch her back and lift her head for about 20 sec, and after that she rest her head (on her mouth and nose!) and she cries inconsolably. She doesn't use her arms for support and she is not even close of turning over. When she is in sitting position, she can hold her head pretty steadily, but it still wobbles toward her chest." - Nancy
"Whenever I would put my babies on their stomachs to play, they would shriek and spit up until I acquiesced and scooped them up. Saved from their misery, they would immediately stop crying, but then I’d start feeling miserable and guilty. Were my kids going to lag behind their peers forever because I was too much of a tummy time softie?" - Lauren
"I asked my pediatrician about it and she basically said not to worry too much and just do what we can. She said baby will eventually learn the skills she needs but tummy time will just help her get there faster." - Rachael
"We very rarely do tummy time because of reflux. We get about 1 minute before he starts squirming (if we do not pick him up, he will spit up). He has great head control though from being on our shoulder - will just likely not roll over at the normal age. Dr said he is doing great at 2 months though and did not even ask about tummy time so I am not worrying about it." - Rhiannon
"Mine hated it, so I didn't do it. Anyway, holding them upright counts. I stressed I was doing her some sort of disservice, but she was holding her head up in no time." - Chloe
I feel that every baby is different and although there are guidelines about ages for developmental milestones, our babies may be faster or slower in developing those milestones and that's totally normal.
I'm keen to know what your experience has been with your babies and tummy time. What works and what doesn't?
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our newsletter for more real motherhood posts xx
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Fortunately, there are ways to help your kids keep learning, remain healthy, and stay happy at home without excessive screen time.
Check out the following resources below for ways to keep your kids engaged while school is closed!
Although you might have to make some adjustments to your daily routine, you and your kids will get used to your new schedule before you know it. Incorporate learning into everyday activities, create opportunities for screen-free play, take advantage of your backyard, and use this time together to encourage key life skills.
Most importantly, let your kids get creative! Left to their own imaginations, kids can entertain themselves for hours on end.
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This article is contributed by Gwen Payne
]]>Can I be honest and just say that it's depressing when you read stories after stories of successful sleep routines,
And you feel like you're the only one failing.
I mean, we know the *drill* right?
Wake up, feed, change baby's diaper, play, rock, put the baby down when drowsy, sleep.
But why doesn't it work?! For me at least.
Yes, I do. When my babies were young, my anxiety was through the roof when they were sick or when it came down to their napping/sleeping schedule.
I monitored their awake time like a hawk, never letting them stay up for more than 1.5-2 hours since they last woke. I fed, changed their diapers and played with them.
When it's time for them to wind down and nap, I would bring them to a quiet room, cuddle and rock them. So they would know it was wind-down time and it's almost time to sleep.
But when I put them down drowsy, they would startle themselves awake. Then they would start crying because they wanted me to pick them up.
So I pat their bottoms and hush them to sleep.
And I patted them for 1 hour before they finally dozed off. That's okay. Consistency is key right?
It would get better and once they're used to it, they won't need as much patting.
And hopefully, they could nap/sleep independently.
In reality, we never found any luck with the whole "putting baby down when drowsy" rule.
I ended up patting them for one hour before they woke up 30 minutes later. Their naps never lasted for longer than 40 minutes.
It was simply not sustainable.
Patting for 1 hour.
They woke up 30 minutes later.
After two babies, this is my personal opinion (not implying that it applies to everyone):
Yes, there are sleep solutions out there that could have helped my babies. But if I've tried most of them and followed the rules to the letter, and they just didn't work out, then maybe it's simply down to me accepting the fact that my babies just needed more time and that luck also plays a part.
******************
What's your experience been like with baby's sleep routine?
And what are your favourite setting techniques?
Would love to know your thoughts so please drop a comment below :) xx
]]>I remember when my youngest daughter was a newborn. She would not sleep. I couldn't put her in the cot/bassinet because she kept on crying hysterically. She was overtired and desperately wanted to sleep but kept on waking up every 10 minutes when placed in the cot. And this made her more upset and even more tired. It was a vicious cycle and would last for the whole day.
The only way her sleep would last for 1 cycle (45-60 minutes) was if she went to sleep on me. This is normal behaviour for newborns because they need to be physically close to their parents and need a lot of reassurances and comfort.
During the day, I wear her with a baby wrap carrier, leaving both my hands free to attend to housework and my other daughter.
I am guilty of dismissing the importance of this settling technique.
I dismissed it because seriously who has the time to spend hours on settling a crying baby in a dark and quiet room when you have another screaming toddler begging for your attention?!
Until I got desperate and set my mind to it.
If you read my post about 4 month old suddenly losing interest in milk, you would have known that a dark and quiet room was the main solution to my problem.
When my baby was waking up 30 minutes after she was put down to sleep, it was a lot of settling and re-settling in a dark and quiet room. Pat, rock and keep doing the "SSHHH" sound for as long as it takes. Stay relentless and consistent in your settling method to establish a routine.
Plus newborns get stimulated really easily. And when they are already overtired, settling them in a room with activity and sounds will most probably stimulate them even more, causing them to cry even harder.
Wind is a tricky thing with newborns. Dare I say one of the hardest aspects about settling newborns.
Gas in babies can be attributed to numerous reasons. For instance, if baby drinks too fast, baby will end up gulping milk down which causes gas. This may be caused by mum's overactive letdown or a teat that has too fast of a flow.
If baby drinks too slow from a slow teat, baby may suck in extra air when drinking. For formula-fed babies, stirring or swirling the formula can also minimise gas and pressure build-up.
Overeating can also cause gassiness in baby due to their immature digestive tract.
Burping once during mid-feed and another time at the end of the feed help to get rid of some of the trapped gas. Burping too much may sometimes upset them. Told you it's tricky!
Get to know your baby and work out how to recognise tired signs. This can be so confusing with newborns because sometimes we have no idea what they want!
Limit their awake time. Generally as a rule of thumb, newborns should have awake time of around 2 hours (including feeding, burping and changing nappies). Allow time to wind down and for them to go to sleep after.
If you have an older baby, adjust their awake time to what's appropriate for their age group. I made the mistake of not adjusting my babies' awake time to their age-appropriate times, and this contributed to my baby's extra-fussiness in the late evening.
I have heard so many incredible stories about what a baby hammock can do to calm a fussy baby. But also this may increase the risk of SIDS because babies should always sleep on a flat, smooth surface. If you decide to try one, only use a baby hammock as a short-term arrangement and always supervise and regularly check that your child is still on their back.
Ultimately, I think people listen too much to what others have to say about motherhood, everyone's an expert. Do what works for you and I hope it all works out!
If you haven't subscribed to our newsletter, make sure you do below to get the latest updates on our real motherhood posts xx
What started small in Western Australia in 2011 has now become a global phenomenon.
Giving up plastic is hard. Especially when you are a parent!
There are plastic toys, (plastic) baby wipes, disposable nappies (also plastic) and a million other plastic things that made our lives as parents that much easier.
But there are small ways that we can do in July (and beyond!) to live consciously on our blue planet.
Start getting ready for July by consciously challenging our habits and adopting one or two of these alternatives:
This month is not about perfection (it never is).
Don't let the fear of not being perfect hold you back from trying. If you try to do everything in a week and go hard on your 'zero-waste' journey, it'll end up feeling like a chore.
Stop. And regroup.
Think about what you're most excited about switching and start from there.
Focus on 1 thing. And do it right.
Think of it as the month to step out of your comfort zone and use social media hashtags to motivate yourself and maybe your family and friends too! #plasticfreejuly
1. At home, reduce the use of (plastic) baby wipes
When at home, I like to wash my babies' bottoms under running water instead of using wipes. This is especially the case with my girls when they were newborns and I wanted to avoid rubbing too hard.
When you start being conscious of the amount of baby wipes you're using, you're more likely to think about whether you need that extra wipe.
2. Choose a more responsible wrap
From naptime snuggles to nursing covers (and even emergency spit-up catchers), swaddle blankets are a necessity for all mamas.
Our natural bamboo and certified organic cotton swaddle blankets are super soft, breathable and come in gorgeous prints for your baby.
3. Choose natural fabric and avoid polyester
Buy less and consider cost per wear. The fashion industry is one of the most unsustainable, resource-intensive and exploitative industries out there.
Instead, choose good quality outfits that are made of organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, ethically-raised woodland other natural fibres.
I avoid clothing made from synthetic materials like: polyester, acrylic, lycra, spandex, nylon. In other words, plastic fabric.
4. Wash baby bottles clean and green
For bottle-feeding mamas, washing and sterilising bottles can be the worst chore to do at the end of the day... when you are exhausted and running out of steam.
Our natural baby bottle cleanser has been developed specifically to be effective on tough milk stains, non-toxic for baby and safe for the earth.
5. Choose an eco-friendly crib mattress
I bought a Delta Baby mattress because it is so SO comfortable. If you want to splurge, the crib mattress is equally, if not more important than the pram!
Why did I say that?
Because babies sleep so much - up to 20 hours in a day!
It is so important that the surfaces they are snuggled up to are free of chemicals and toxins. Delta baby mattress is made in Melbourne, and their foams are made from naturally occurring, bio-based, renewable materials.
My girls love sleeping on their mattresses and it is made to comply with Australian safety standards for cot mattresses and pass the SIDS test for firmness. Now that's something to rest easy about!
Are you ready to take the Plastic Free July challenge?
Get a head start on your preparations at One Eco Step! We have a range of mum-tested eco-friendly baby range from oxo-biodegradable breastmilk bags to biodegradable change mats.
Go you!
Second time round, I wasn't as hopeful as the first time about breastfeeding. Maybe slightly more hesitant and resigned. But the moment the midwife placed Laina on me to have her first feed, it felt different.
]]>First time round with Ely didn't turn out as expected with multiple latch issues after visits to various lactation consultants, causing me to exclusively pump for months (which inspired me to create eco-friendly breastmilk storage bags).
Second time round, I wasn't as hopeful as the first time about breastfeeding. Maybe slightly more hesitant and resigned.
But the moment the midwife placed Laina on me to have her first feed, it felt different.
She could do the breast crawl and actually latched. And weirdly, it didn't hurt that much.
Yes! I can breastfeed!
It turned out to be the biggest love hate relationship of my life. I felt incredibly proud that I could nurse and not worry about bottles, warm water and formula when we went out.
We went to a park spontaneously and it's OKAY!!
We went to Vietnam when she was 3 months old and I didn't bring any bottles with me. I could feed her on-demand and there was no washing! No sterilising!
It was LIFE-CHANGING!
But needless to say... also very tiring. I felt like I was constantly sucked out of energy. I thought I could catch up on Netflix while I fed Laina and rest and relax, but instead of feeling recharged after nursing, I felt even more tired.
Between running after a toddler and taking care of a young baby, I was constantly fatigued. And desperately, I needed something to change.
I started weaning and introducing more expressed breastmilk to replace the nursing sessions. I didn't realise how much weaning would affect me emotionally.
Weaning was so hard especially when Laina was fed to sleep and I felt like I was giving up on something that I craved so badly at the start. I was also struggling because I was worried that we would lose the bond.
To help with the process, I would consciously stop offering Laina the breast as comfort and our nursing sessions got shorter and shorter.
I knew I had to introduce formula after my freezer stash ran out. I had a freezer full of expressed breastmilk because I was pumping twice a day since Laina was a newborn. I did this because I knew I would wean one day and was hoping to use the milk stash to give breastmilk to Laina as long as possible.
Honestly, after adjusting to the change in hormones when breastfeeding ended, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
I was really hating to wake up in the middle of the night to pump. And then I felt stressed and worried that my milk supply went down and that Laina wasn't getting enough on the boob.
I finally made peace with my decision and looking back it was definitely the right decision for me. #fedisbest
Can you relate mamas? Tell us what your experience is and spend a moment browsing through the comments. You may just discover something helpful! xx]]>
It's been a really challenging 3 years.
Firstly, I want to say sorry for neglecting you, your friends and your soul. I became the person who stopped reaching out to friends, who lost her professional relevance and who only wanted to be around her kids.
I stopped prioritising you and your needs. Even if it was just a night of trashy Netflix shows - I felt like I had too much on my plate to indulge in it.
I took you for granted, abused you physically and mentally.
I'm now burnt out, and looking back I just realised how much you've done for me.
I was keeping up with a strong front. Painting a positive image that I could survive with minimum help, raising two kids, hustling hard in this modern parenting world. *eye roll
I was naive to think that the hustle would create a result that would bring happiness and success (case in point: juggling motherhood with a small business).
That was stupidity on my part.
Parenting 2 toddlers is f*cking hard.
I want to tell you this: Stop trying so hard to live up to this perfect parenting bullsh*t.
Chocolate bribe at 8AM to get the kids to daycare? And that bitter metallic after taste that lasts for the whole day called mum guilt?
You tried your best. Now move on.
Screamed and yelled at the kids over their fussiness at meal times? Called them annoying little sh*t? Or even slammed the plate hard on the table?
You have big emotions. Say sorry, and move on.
What about the time when you got so angry at them that you had to do the silent treatment? (and your inner voice is telling you that silent treatment is the worst treatment a parent can give a child, and that you are a bad bad parent).
Seriously?! It's not right what you are doing. But you're only human.
Stop worrying that your actions or big emotions will traumatise and mess up your kid for life. You make mistakes. Forgive yourself.
Every minute of every day you know you're trying your goddamn hardest.
And that should be enough.
Stop torturing yourself with guilt.
Just do your best. And that's enough.
Love,
Me
]]>"My baby is 6.5 months and I am having trouble with her sleeping. I had no problems until she turned 3.5 months. I could put her down awake to drift off to sleep and she had begun sleeping 6-7 hour stretches. We have a bedtime routine with bath, story, milk (breast) and bed where she would be asleep around 7pm. I would feed her around 11pm then she would wake at 2/3am then again around 5-7am.
Once 3.5 months hit she started waking around 1am, then every 2-3 hours later. Then she started putting off going to sleep till after 8pm. Now she is going down at 7pm/8pm which is no problem but waking 10min to 30min later and then every 10-30min there after.
As a result I had her lie next to me on the bed and we now co-sleep. This is proving the only way she will relax and sleep for longer stretches, and allows me time to rest/sleep."
ONE WORD.
MOTHERHOOD.
This reflects the truest essence of motherhood. One moment you're killing it with super mama vibes and the next, you're a hair-pulling, eye-tearing woman at breaking point.
As a self-proclaimed anxious mum who patted her babies to sleep in the hopes of them self-settling, it was hard for me to accept that my hard work went down the drain.
We were so good before.
WHAT HAPPENED?
What did I do wrong?
How can I fix this?
What should I do?
1. Too much sleep in the day?
"It wasn't until my midwife pointed out my son was sleeping "too many" hours in the day and that's why we were up a lot at night!" - Lara
2. White noise
"It is made up of noises that the baby would supposedly hear in the womb. I thought that it was a little weird that these noises were meant to calm the baby, but they did work. There are noises like heartbeat, swooshing sound and some others. I had just one track on repeat and played it to him all the time." - Mary
3. Improve the quality of sleep in the day
"During the day she isn't a great sleeper. She was sleeping for 2 hrs in the middle of the day with 2 other good naps as well but recently, it's just around 2x 30 min naps. So I know that is probably part of the problem but I don't know how to get her to sleep!" - Jen
At the start, I really thought my baby would be so overly tired after only having 2x 30 minute naps in the day that she would sleep so well at night. Because she's exhausted right?!
WRONG. It made her sleep even more disrupted at night.
Not sure if this will help your little one, but I used to have a catnapper and it's really tiring in the day.
Avoid napping-on-the-go.
I got so desperate for her to sleep longer in the day, I decided to stay home on most days so my baby would sleep at home at the exact nap times.
The longest trip I did with her was only for 2 hours, well until she's 10-11 months old. I would be anxious to get her home to sleep in her usual setting at the specific nap times. This was extreme I know, and totally not ideal.
But finally, after about 2 months of setting this routine, her nap times lasted longer and she would sleep for 2x 90 minutes during her naps. Success!
4. Is the feeding sorted?
Is baby too hungry to sleep? If your baby is really hungry, he won't go back to sleep easily until he is fed.
Or too sleepy to feed properly?
If you're finding yourself in this nasty cycle, get the feeding sorted to see if this could be a factor in your baby's disrupted sleep.
5. Download a baby sleep tracker app
This is not sponsored at all.
I have heard positive reviews from mums who downloaded this app. There are great sleeping tips and melodies for bedtime. Plus, this app tracks your baby's sleep pattern and comes up with a sleeping plan that works for your baby.
No harm trying it out!
Thank you SO much for being such an amazing community of mothers. If you haven't already, come sign up to our newsletter below to join our tribe! xx
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SO MANY MUMS have this exact same problem. How do we increase milk supply? Can it even be done after 10-12 weeks?
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SO MANY MUMS have this exact same problem.
How do we increase milk supply? Can it even be done after 10-12 weeks?
Especially when our milk supply has 'regulated'?
The TRUTH is that there is NO guarantee that the methods below will work for you. Because everyone's body behaves differently. So please do not feel like you're failing if the methods do not yield the same results as others.
Pump after nursing
"I don't think it's too late to increase your supply. I almost completely lost mine when my daughter was 7 months old. I was only getting one ounce (30 ml) a day. I rented a hospital grade pump, started pumping 8 times a day with one power pump, changed the membranes on my pump every other week and within 4 weeks, I was getting 24-26 ounces (700 ml) a day. She only had to have one bottle of formula a day at that point. If you can rent a hospital grade pump I would suggest it because in the long run it can save you money on formula." - Lauren
"My lactation consultant had me nurse for 10 minutes on each side, then pump 20 minutes right after. I didn’t produce anything for about a week, baby sucked everything out. Then I got a little bit after she fed, then a little more. It took about a month to build up enough where I could store milk again." - Jess
Pump at night
"I know this might add to your exhaustion but my little one was sleeping through the night so I would put her to bed at 8pm, pump at 10pm before going to bed then wake up at 1am and 4am to pump and then nurse at 6:30am. This helped me have enough for her to take to the sitter because what I was pumping at work wasn't enough to cover everything she was taking while I was working." - Amanda
"When I went back to work, I realised my freezer stash was no good because of lipase issues, so I knew I had to pump for the next day. To increase my output (I can only pump 2 x a day for 20-30 mins total), I eat oatmeal every day, take fenugreek, and eat lactation cookies. I also drink lots of water. So far, I've always had more than enough. I do pump in the morning after I feed her. So, with three sessions, I get 12 - 16 (480 ml) oz total." - Claire
If you are nursing, make sure that your latch is good. As new mothers, we can get so confused on what the 'right latch' should look like. If you're in doubt, always get help from someone who knows how to help mothers with breastfeeding. The right latch can be different for different babies. Having the right latch ensures that milk is effectively drained from your breasts and for your body to signal for milk production to replace the drained milk.
Are you trying to increase your milk supply? What have you tried so far and what has been working for you? Come share it with us below so other mums can also read about it.
Thank you SO much for being such an amazing community of mothers. If you haven't already, come sign up to our newsletter below to join our tribe! xx
]]>"Will she sleep better at night? Maybe longer?"
"She wakes up so many times overnight and night after night, it's just not sustainable for me."
"Can my baby tolerate formula though? Is it going to be too gassy for her compared to breastmilk?
There are so many articles online that educate us on the pros and cons of breastfeeding and formula-feeding at night. But we still get confused about what the right thing to do is.
To feed or not to feed formula at night?
Younger babies
When we talk about younger babies ranging from newborns to 3 month olds, I honestly don't think formula is going to make a difference in their nighttime sleep. With my #1, I had to supplement with formula in her first month. So, I decided to feed her formula at night to fill her tummy up so she could sleep for longer. Well, that's the idea, right?
With formula, I thought she would wake up every 3-4 hours instead. No chance - she still woke up every 2 hours to feed. And she continued to wake up every 2-3 hours until she was 4 months old (that's when her sleep cycle would stretch out to 4-5 hours).
When it came to my #2, this time round, I had enough breastmilk to feed her. For the first 3 months, she would wake up every 2-3 hours to feed. I tried switching from nursing her at night to bottle-feeding her expressed breast milk instead, more so to assure myself that she had a sufficient amount of milk at night.
I have to say that the switch from nursing to bottle-feeding my baby helped her sleep for longer. I don't know if it's due to the latch, but she's always been a sleepy baby on the breast. After we switched to taking bottles of expressed breast milk at night, I noticed that she didn't fuss as much. But she would still wake up every 3 hours like clockwork.
And that's completely normal right for such young babies. Waking up every 2-3 hours at night is their normal sleep cycle, and no matter if it is formula or breastmilk, it won't change that! What did I expect?
Older babies
"I was told that formula would keep baby feeling fuller for longer with my first, but I actually found that when my babies drank my milk they slept longer through the night than when I gave them formula. With my baby #4 I have no intention of giving him formula at all." - Kristen
"I'm not sure about breastfed babies as I've bottle fed both, first (who's now 3) never slept a whole night until about 6 months ago! and my little one (4 months) has slept all night from about 2 months old. So i think each baby is different and it doesn't really have anything to do with what/how they feed" - Jen
"I have discussed this with ladies at my postnatal group and to be honest those who formula feed generally have babies who sleep longer at night, my 2 kids who are formula-fed both slept through from around 6 weeks and only had 1 night feed before this." - Donna
My personal experience
When #2 was 4 months old, she was still waking up every 3 hours. I was getting really exhausted by then chasing after 2 under 2 in the day, and not getting enough rest at night.
So, I told hubby to give her a bottle of formula at night (10PM) and surprisingly, after a few nights of having formula, she started sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches.
Was it pure coincidence? I don't know!
Curious, I told hubby to switch back to giving her expressed breast milk instead. We noticed that when she had expressed breast milk at night, her sleep cycle would usually last up to 3-4 hours.
We then decided to continue feeding her formula at night, hoping that it would stretch out her sleep until she could eventually sleep through the night.
Would formula be too gassy for my baby?
If you're concerned that formula is too heavy and might make your gassy baby feel worse, try these 3 natural home remedies:
1. Burp baby mid-feed and after feed
2. Stir or gently swirl your formula to minimise gas bubbles pressure build-up
3. Use anti-gas bottles and nipples
Being a mum is hard work. Whichever you decide for you and your family, we wish you and your family all the best of luck!
If you are a formula-feeding mama, our bestselling Natural Baby Bottle Cleanser has a no-nasties formulation and is tough on milk stains, making washing bottles that much easier. Try it today!
Also, come join our online mama community and get our real motherhood posts straight in your inbox. Sign up below! xx
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If you're wondering why on earth was I baking on a Wednesday night at 9:28 pm, I'm with you. It's a terrible idea. The truth is, I've been screaming at Ely the whole day and I felt guilty so I told her that she could bake chocolate brownies with me after if she would please have her dinner. I envisioned the act of baking together as a redeeming moment, but I screamed at her *yet* again for spraying the floor with flour, and again for eating baking powder. And at the end of it all, I felt so defeated and guilty. And tired.
I don't respond to texts anymore
Because I never have time to check my phone in the day. By night time, I'm too exhausted to engage in a conversation or even to hit a quick reply.
Always busy & never alone
From the moment I wake up, it's non-stop. Just to break it down into main components to give an idea, this is what it looks like (minus the tantrums):
1. Make breakfast
2. Playtime: read a few books, scoot around in the living room pretending that I'm the traffic police, play dough, and colouring
3. Nap #1 for Laina (1-year-old)
4. Make Lunch
5. Force Ely (2-year-old) to eat her lunch
6. Bath time
7. Nap #1 for Ely (they are not on the same napping schedule because Laina would have just woken up not too long ago. And Laina still needs her mid-morning nap)
8. Play with Laina while Ely is napping: Read more books, watch her play, play with blocks, and sometimes FaceTiming with her grandma
9. Nap #2 for Laina
10. Ely wakes up - screen time for her while I exercise, do laundry or attempt to fold clothes
11. Cook dinner
12. Force Ely to eat her dinner
13. Clean up
14. Bedtime
I'm always worrying about their meals
I feel like a chef. Always cooking, always making something for the kids because they are so damn picky! They don't want to eat, so I'll make breakfast #2 or lunch #2 or even dinner #2. It's always in the back of my mind that they should be eating more fruits/veggies:
"Did Ely have her kiwi at 3 pm? Did Laina have enough veggies for her lunch?" This cycle is mind-numbingly painful for anyone!
I have been told numerous times to let the kids be when they refuse food. And that they will eventually eat. I tried this approach for one day - I watched Ely eat 1 x kiwi and 2 x corn thins for the whole ENTIRE day. And I gave up.
I *sometimes* feel like an unemployable has-been with no professional relevance
On odd days, I may question myself if employers will see me as someone who quit her job and put a halt on climbing up the corporate ladder.
I feel more stressed about family spending
That two-person income just got cut down to one paycheck. I no longer shop whenever I want to. I wait for a 50% discount + further 25% off to shop for clothes. Take-aways have to be drastically cut out and we mostly cook to save on costs.
"But you're living the life!"
Most people think we're living the life of luxury with no job, no boss, and no workplace stress.
But let's shift our perspective.
As a stay-at-home mum, you can argue that I'm doing the SAME type of work as the paid carers AND chefs in daycares. These jobs are paid work.
Regardless if it is paid or unpaid work, the nature of work is the SAME. In fact, we're doing 2 or more people's jobs.
All in all, I just want to say that being a stay-at-home mum is really hard work. Playing with our kids is consuming and it can be more tiring than a workout session. And we do this 12 hours a day. 7 days a week. With no sick leave.
I think as mums, we can appreciate and respect one another’s choices and decisions. Many women want children and a career, and they shouldn’t be made to feel guilty because of it. And many other women want children but have no desire to have a career, and they shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about that either. We are legends.
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Defrost frozen breastmilk
Assuming you've defrosted frozen breast milk the night before, pour the milk into a bottle. Depending on how long you will be out for, it's safe to place the bottle in a thermal bag with double insulation to keep milk cold for longer.
If you have not defrosted any frozen breast milk, you can also quickly thaw them under warm running water. If you're using our oxo-biodegradable breastmilk bags, do not place them in a microwave or electric bottle warmer to thaw.
If you already have some expressed breastmilk in the fridge, you can skip this step.
Scenario:
Let's say you went on a walk with your baby in a stroller. You want to catch some brunch afterward to relax. You're in a cafe and it's time for baby to feed. It is safe for babies to drink cold breastmilk, but some may already be accustomed to only drinking warmed milk.
1. Hot water in a cup
If you're in a restaurant or a cafe, it is convenient to ask for a cup (wide enough to fit baby bottle in) and hot water to warm up the cold breastmilk. Pour hot water in until the cup is half-full, and place the bottle in. To test if the milk has warmed up, squirt a few drops on the inside of your wrist to check that it's not too hot.
2. Bring a thermos
For a more convenient method, bring a thermos (that can fit baby bottle in) containing hot water. Let's face it, a lot of the time, we won't be conveniently sitting in a cafe when baby needs a feed. By having a thermos, you can warm up your baby bottle anywhere.
Brands like Philips Avent and Tommee Tippee make thermal bottle warmer, which is essentially the same thing as a thermos but specially designed to fit your baby bottles.
3. Splurge on a portable bottle warmer
For $84.95, you can forget about bringing a thermos around. This portable baby bottle warmer is USB charged. When it's time to warm up the milk, simply screw the bottle (with the milk inside) onto the warmer and press the button to heat it up to a specific temperature.
You will need to clean the warmer in between uses.
If you're a new mum wondering what items to get to bottle-feed your baby, read our article for more details.
We hope this post is helpful! For more on what your baby will need, you can see our range here. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more motherhood posts!
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Child's Name & Age: Ely (2), Alaina (11 months)
Capture the essence of your brand in one sentence:
Affordable and sustainable baby products designed for eco-minded parents.
What is your favourite product in your collection right now?
I love the eco-friendly baby feeding bowls at the moment. My kids love baking with me, and we use the bowls all the time from baking in it to eating with these bowls. So versatile and easy to clean! Dishwasher all the way :D
What is the hardest lesson motherhood has taught you?
To push through no matter how dark and stressed you're feeling. There is no quit button, and it has taught me how to develop a new tolerance for hard.
Having 2-under-2 with a 16-month age difference is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I can't tell you how many breakdowns I have had in the last year. I was at my breaking point. I would have a big episode of emotional breakdown every week - my husband can tell you that.
I wanted to just catch a break you know. Just half a day doing my own thing, but I couldn't afford to with the kids being so young and clinging onto me. I was angry, sad, and bitter towards myself, my husband, and my kids.
There is no magic solution. Time taught me how to forgive myself and keep carrying on trying to be a better mum.
What would you tell your brand-new-mama-self if you could go back in time?
I would tell her not to spend a fortune on waist training corsets! That will not magically cure her ab separation.
But on a serious note, I would tell her to stop keeping tabs on her husband. To stop comparing how different and *relatively unchanged* his life is to hers. Thats toxic!
How are you coping at the moment with all of the lockdowns?
Surprisingly okay! With managing our own businesses, my husband and I have been very grateful for the flexibility it's allowed us. I can focus on taking care of the kids in the day without having to turn up to 3 pm zoom meetings. I work at night on the business side - it's a lot of juggling and very little me time. But hey, it can be so much worse.
What is getting you through?
Definitely teamwork. My husband is so hands-on and tries his hardest to help me out when he's not working.
We struggled at the start with the kids wanting to be out more, but they adapt to it over time and are happy spending most time indoors. We have to resort to a lot of screen time, but owell *shrugs*.
To check out One Eco Step's eco-friendly collection, click here. We are so excited to introduce our New Mum and Baby pack this month. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it drops!
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We turn to Google for help. There are mentions of serious-sounding medical terms such as reflux, GERD, silent reflux, etc.
We get even more nervous. What are they, and do they apply to my baby?
Case study: My baby is so gassy and fussy, she cries and arches her back in pain after feeding. She coughs/chokes on my breastmilk, pulls away from the breast, doesn't sleep much, and needs to be held/rocked literally all day long. At first, we thought this is a variation of typical baby behaviour. But, her behaviour has been consistent and she's been pretty miserable all day long.
What is reflux?
All babies have some degree of GER. It is sometimes uncomfortable, which can cause spitting up or vomiting. You may also come across a term called "happy spitters" used to describe them.
GERD, on the other hand, is a more serious and persistent case of GER. It is associated with poor weight gain because of difficulty feeding or loss of nutrients from frequent regurgitation.
Common signs
1. Spitting up or vomiting.
2. Crying during feeding. If breastfeeding, baby may want to suck the nipple but gets upset when milk comes out of it. For formula-fed babies, baby may start feeding then screaming in pain, pushing teat away, and then grabbing it back on and off.
3. Some babies may gag (dry reach) and cough when feeding
4. Failure to gain weight
5. Abnormal arching
6. Disturbed sleep
7. Uncomfortable in any position after a feed. Sometimes an upright or incline position will calm baby.
8. Grunting a lot
9. Crying episodes are intense and lengthy
And what about silent reflux?
Similar to normal reflux, but instead of spitting out, babies with silent reflux swallow the regurgitated liquid. Hence, it may not be as obvious due to the lack of spit ups.
Gas in babies can be attributed to numerous reasons. For instance, if baby drinks too fast, baby will end up gulping milk down which causes gas. This may be caused by mum's overactive letdown or a teat that has too fast of a flow.
If baby drinks too slow from a slow teat, baby may suck in extra air when drinking. For formula-fed babies, stirring or swirling the formula can also minimise gas and pressure build-up.
Overeating can also cause gassiness in baby due to their immature digestive tract.
Common signs
1. Baby may be irritable during feeding. If breastfeeding, baby may latch on and off the breast.
2. Curls tongue upward, but not accompanied by sucking
3. Grimacing
4. Legs are pulled up to chest
How do I know if it is reflux or trapped wind?
Observe baby's behaviour and the frequency of baby's fussiness. Is baby's persistent crying round-the-clock? Is baby constantly unsettled and irritable? Is baby gaining weight well?
The truth is, it is difficult to know if it is trapped gas or reflux in young babies. Sometimes, a change in feeding/sleeping routine could help the issue. Unfortunately for many mums, there is no magic cure and we just have to suck it up and carry on.
For mums who have not signed up to our newsletter, sign up today and enjoy Free Shipping in Australia with any purchase. Limited time only. :)
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We pretty much memorised the baby 'Dos and Don'ts', but when it comes to baby sleep, it's hard to know what the ideal solution is. Precisely because every baby is different, what worked so well on others may not work as well on our baby.
Some babies are just good sleepers. And some are not. Let's accept that part of it is really down to luck.
Question: My baby (12 weeks old) is waking up every hour after sleeping for 4-5 hours at night. She goes to bed at 9 pm and will sleep for 4-5 hours, before waking up at 2 am. She takes a full feed and goes back to sleep. But she wakes up an hour later. I'll put her back to sleep again, but she'll wake up again after sleeping for an hour. Is this normal?
Read on to see what other moms' experiences are like in this situation.
Tried everything
"We know that him waking up is not because of hunger. We’ve tried everything and cannot figure out how to keep him asleep through to 5 am! We’ve found that picking him up and holding him is the only thing that will keep him calm at that time. He naps well in the day and is being swaddled to sleep"
Give a pacifier
"I tried giving my son a pacifier at some of his night time wake-ups because he was waking about 2 hours after his last feed and not full-on hungry crying, just sort of fussy, and not finishing his bottle. He went right back to sleep when I gave him the pacifier. Yes, it was a pain to keep sticking the pacifier in his mouth when he dropped it after a couple of minutes, but eventually, he went back to a night of deep sleep. Now he seems to go a bit longer between feedings on most nights."
Manage sleep associations
"If you nurse, rock, etc to put baby to sleep, they'll wake in between sleep cycles and they will need the same action from you to fall back asleep. We started laying our boy down awake after a routine so he would learn that bedtime is coming."
Sleep cycle
According to Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, author of "Why do babies wake up at night?", as babies move from one stage of sleep to another during the night, they transition. In that transition, many babies will awaken. Sometimes they call out or cry. Sometimes they wake hungry. It’s normal for babies (and adults) to wake 4-5 times a night during these times of transition. The trick for parents is to do less and less as each month of infancy unfolds during these awakenings so that sleeping through the night becomes a reality.
Moved baby to another room
"We did sleep training when we moved him out. I think maybe he didn't hear us. He didn't wake up as much too when we moved him out."
Improve napping routine
By making sure awake and nap times are age-appropriate, you can avoid baby having a build-up of overtiredness from not napping very well in the day.
My little one used to catnap from birth until she was 5 months old. She would wake up every 45 minutes, and it would be near impossible to put her back to sleep. At 4 months old, she would have 3 x 45-minute naps in the day. By 5 pm, she would be so fussy and her overtiredness would impact the quality of her night sleep.
I thought I was monitoring her awake time well, but it turned out that I've been monitoring her awake time like when she was still a newborn! My little one wasn't having enough awake time between naps to allow her to be tired enough to sleep for longer than one sleep cycle. That's why she refused to sleep for longer, no matter what we tried. What a revelation when I found out about this! Her fussiness during witching hour has also dramatically decreased after we adjusted her nap routine.
So to answer the very question of this blog post, the answer is yes! It is normal to have a baby waking up every hour of the night. Definitely not ideal, but many parents are like you experiencing a similar thing. My advice is: don't take the baby sleeping rules too seriously. I've learned that negative sleep associations aren't the end of the world. We parents just do the best that we can.
If you find this article helpful, come join our mama tribe and share our motherhood journey X
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Breast pumps make a real difference.
When I was a first-time mum, I didn't expect much of a difference between breast pumps. I was gifted a second-hand Spectra S1+ Hospital Grade Double Electric Breast Pump by my sister. I didn't get to set it up before baby's arrival, and when we came home from the hospital, it was hectic. I then realised I was missing the charger! It took a week to order one in and have it delivered. But after hand-expressing for 3 days, I couldn't wait and bought myself a new Medela double electric breast pump.
Unfortunately, I'm the type who can't seem to easily get milk out with a pump. With Medela, I spent 25 minutes pumping and massaging one breast to 'fully' drain it. In total, I spent 50 minutes during every pumping session.
In contrast, I spent less time on the Spectra pump to get the same amount of milk. That's when it finally clicked in my head. Breast pumps are not created equal.
Should I get an electric breast pump?
I recommend getting an electric breast pump if you exclusively express milk, or plan to express at least twice or more a day.
Spectra S1+ Hospital Grade Double Electric Breast Pump
But I only offer baby expressed breastmilk once a day
If you're mostly nursing in the day and you offer a bottle of expressed milk to baby at night, you probably do not need to invest in an expensive electric breast pump. An effective manual pump like the Haakaa breast pump is cheap and efficient. Use it to catch letdown whenever you nurse. On average, mums are able to collect up to 30 ml of breastmilk during each session.
The only downside to Haakaa manual pump that you may experience is that you do not collect as much milk output as your milk supply regulates. So, you may not find it as effective after 1-2 months.
To store all that liquid gold, you will need breastmilk storage containers that are freezer-safe (if you're intending to store them in a freezer). Plastic sandwich bags are not recommended because they may not be designed to be in contact with food for long-term storage and for freezer storage. Due to this reason, chemicals from the plastic may leach into the breastmilk.
If you're expressing a lot of milk for storage, it makes sense to use oxo-biodegradable breastmilk storage bags.
If you're expressing just enough for the next bottle feed, you can use bottles to store the milk and skip the bags.
Expressing milk can make your nipples sore, especially when the breast pump suction pressure is too strong. Applying this on my sore nipples had been my lifesaver from the day I gave birth until I stopped breastfeeding.
We sometimes make the common mistake of turning up the suction to increase milk output. But, it doesn't work that way. Make sure you choose the suction level that is just right for you.
Are your nipples sore from the friction when pumping? Do you want to maximise your milk output?
These are your breast shields that come with an electric breast pump.
It will usually come in a standard size of 24 mm. Not all nipples fit in this size.
If your nipple is rubbing the sides of the breast shield tunnel to the point of causing discomfort, or if you see excessive areola being pulled into the breast shield tunnel, it's an indication that your breast shield may not fit you. You will have to measure and find the correct breast shield size.
We recently did an online poll and 50% of you said that pumping bra is a must-have. The other half thinks that it's just okay.
It really depends if you can easily get milk out with a pump. Some mums can attach the pump and effectively 'drain' their boobs without massaging them. I, on the other hand, couldn't get much out without breast massage, so a pumping bra wasn't of much help.
Okay, so you've stored milk safely in the freezer. Now, you need to use it. How should you prepare frozen breastmilk?
To thaw: Place the frozen breastmilk in the fridge section until it thaws. Use it within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can place the frozen breastmilk under warm running water until it thaws.
To heat it up: An electric bottle warmer will be more efficient to warm milk up. Alternatively, place the thawed milk in a container of warm water to heat it up to approximately 37 degrees celsius.
The best advice with bottle-feeding is: "You won't know which your child will like until he tries it". Instead of buying a lot at once, buy one of each brand and do your own testing when your baby arrives.
Pumping can get quite lonely. If you pump quite frequently in the day, no harm in getting a nursing cover so you can pump in front of your family and friends and enjoy their company.
Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover
Skip your regular dishwashing liquid, and use a natural baby bottle cleanser to wash all your baby bottles, teats and pump parts.
You don't want any nasties coming into contact with your baby's bottles and accessories. It's a safer alternative to dishwashing soap which contains harsh ingredients that's best avoided (associated with skin irritants, endocrine disruptors, eczema and allergic reactions).
We hope this list is helpful to all the mums out there. Power to you pumping mums! xx
]]>For newborns and young babies, consider investing in glass milk bottles. They are long-lasting, BPA-free, and do not turn cloudy after months of being used. Plus, it's also easier to clean oily milk residue from glass bottles than plastic ones.
For babies who have started on solids, serve their food in stainless steel kids tray instead of plastic containers. They are made of high-quality 304 stainless steel, easily recyclable, and last a very long time. The best thing is, sticky food can wash right off making it much easier to wash pasta sauce off your kid's bowl.
When you're out with your little one, packed lunches and snacks are more nutritious than store-bought meals. The packaging is zero waste and reusable. Homemade sandwiches, veggie sticks, dips and fruits. Just pack everything up in your stainless steel lunch box.
Switch to bar soap instead of liquid soap for your little one. Choose bar soaps that do not contain nasties such as SLS, SLES, EDTA, parabens, and fragrance.
Most bath toys that we find in stores are made of plastic. Substitute some of the plastic with natural things like natural rubber toys, colanders, natural sponges, and beeswax bath crayons.
Do you know that most baby wipes are made of plastic? It's a surprise to many parents and you think why wouldn't the major manufacturers make biodegradable ones. Only baby wipes that are specifically marked as biodegradable exclude plastic and they are typically made from bamboo viscose.
Instead, for home use, you can substitute by placing some washcloths in a container and add some water. For cleaning poop, just run your baby's bum under running water. This is best for newborn skin and for babies with eczema, nappy rash, and sensitive skin.
When you are ready, you can also give cloth nappies a go. Start with 1 or 2 cloth nappies and see how you go.
We're all guilty of buying plastic toys for our kids. They are cheap and interactive. But you know what we can avoid - the last-minute stocking fillers and the toys that come in or with food. Your little one will probably have lost interest by the time you get home, and some will end up as single-use.
For sensory play, opt for activities that do not use glitter or plastic zip-lock bags. Instead, you can use natural objects such as twigs, pebbles, and leaves. Place everything in a container and let them explore each item.
Or you can get different types of fresh herbs (such as basil, rosemary, and mint) and let your baby play with the different textures. It also exposes your baby to new smells and they are completely edible.
We know that parenting is hard, busy, and tiring. We want to make plastic-free parenting achievable for modern parents. Try it out, see how you go, and all the best in your eco-parenting journey.
]]>Every mum's situation is unique and it is hard to say which is the right thing to do. We worry so much about milk supply, anxious about mastitis, and torn between wanting to sleep more and feeding our baby.
You've worked so hard in the first few months to establish your milk supply. Now that you're producing enough to feed your baby, it's hard to just let go.
"Recently my baby has been sleeping 5 to 6 hours a night. I don’t want to wake her up, but what about my milk supply? Do I have to pump? Is this how it will be forever?! I’m so tired and truly want to take advantage of her sleeping."
Team Sleep
If your daytime supply suffices, then you should be able to get away with cutting your night-time pumping session. Although night-time pumping is great because of our high prolactin levels (milk-making hormones), catching up on sleep is even more important for our mental health.
However, if you experience a dip in your milk supply:
"My baby is 11 weeks old. She has been sleeping through the night for three weeks now. At first, I was still getting up to pump or waking her to keep my breast from being super engorged and uncomfortable. I'm now pumping once in the night (4-6 hour stretch) but my milk supply has now decreased during the day and my baby is not happy. My boobs feel way less full. She's not getting enough milk and I am having to use my frozen stash to help fill her up."
If you're afraid that missing a night-time pumping session may cause your milk supply to drop, you can make it up by nursing or pumping more in the day.
A good pumping tip is to use Haakaa manual pump on your other boob when you're nursing your baby. When your baby has drained the first boob, use Haakaa on the drained boob to signal the body to produce more milk. Also, if you're still worried about your milk supply, you can add 15-minute pumping sessions in between your nursing sessions.
Team Pump
"I’d really like to stop pumping at 11 pm and wait till 5 am to pump. It seems difficult to drop it because my breasts are so used to being pumped every 4 hours. Every time I’ve gone past 4 hours, they feel full and uncomfortable."
"Should I pump before I go to bed? Will this tell my body to produce extra milk? I'm already battling with oversupply."
Engorgement hurts. Your breasts are swollen, very hard, hot, and painful. The skin feels tight and swelling may go all the way to your armpit.
If you are engorged, you should not ignore it. Get up and hand express just enough to relieve the pressure. Or a more convenient way is to keep a manual pump on your nightstand. Relieve a little pressure but not too much- this way your body would know not to produce as much throughout the night.
Give yourself some time and your breasts will adjust to your baby's new schedule.
"But pumping is a bad idea. What if it increases my milk supply?"
As long as you're only pumping enough to relieve some pressure (instead of pumping until your breasts are drained), your body will know not to produce as much. Do this for 2-3 nights. Slowly, it will take longer for your breasts to be engorged and you can drag out the pumping session to a later time.
If you want to build a freezer stash so that your baby can still have breastmilk after you've stopped breastfeeding, I would keep pumping in the middle of the night. That way you'll keep your supply up and have extra milk in the freezer. Otherwise, your supply will regulate to your baby's natural feeding pattern.
Pumping is hard work. Store all that milk you’ve worked so hard for in our eco-friendly milk storage bags. We hope this article is helpful to all of you pumping mamas. You're doing such an incredible job xx
]]>One of the most popular ways to be more eco-friendly is to use cloth diapers. We know the disposable ones end up in landfill and they do not break down. Some of you may even be thinking of converting to cloth. Personally as a mom who uses both disposable (eco-friendly option: Eco by Naty) and cloth diapers, I don't think the choice need to be mutually exclusive.
Read on to find out the real truths about using cloth diapers.
Cloth diapers are praised to be good for baby's skin and can prevent diaper rash. However, you need to change them more often than disposable diapers.
Disposable diapers contain SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) to suck the water in and keep baby's bottom dry. Cloth diapers are less absorbent and when soiled, will still remain relatively wet. Both my daughters develop nasty-looking diaper rash due to this. With cloth, I have to change them every 2-3 hours.
If you have heavy wetters like my 2 daughters, it is very frustrating to deal with leaking cloth diapers every morning. We use modern cloth diapers with two-part system and an additional booster insert, and it's still not enough to absorb everything.
I've been lucky to have both of my kids sleep for 12 hours overnight. Call me selfish, but I'm not going to wake them in the middle of the night to change their nappies. This is why we choose to use Eco by Naty disposable nappy overnight which can last for 12 hours of leakage protection.
Every baby is different, and I hear so many success stories with parents using cloth diapers overnight. Experiment and see what works for you and your family.
Cloth diapers have many options with different price range. The most common type has a price range from $20 to $30 each. To start, it is ideal to have 2-3 cloth diapers before buying more as you feel more confident with using cloth. You will probably need around 10 diapers for full-time use. For discounts, cloth diaper brands usually have pretty good deals during pregnancy and baby expos.
Compare that with disposable diapers that cost around $0.40 per piece, depending on the brand and size. On average, if you use 6 diapers a day, you will spend approximately $70 a month. Although this cost is often absorbed into the family's grocery budget every week, you spend a lot more on disposables compared to cloth.
Some argue that water and energy bills from washing diapers come up pretty high. So, it may not necessarily be cheaper. That's partly true. It depends on the washing machine and if you use electricity or gas for hot water. But if you have more than one child, you will definitely save money with cloth diapers.
Even with explosive poos, you do not have to touch the poo to clean the diaper. My favourite method is to use the spray tap in the laundry sink to rinse and spray the soiled diaper. For solid poop, it's easy to shake it off the diaper into the toilet bowl for flushing.
It's a learning process to figure out the right type of detergent and the correct amount of soap to use without clogging them. Remember not to use any fabric softener on your cloth diapers.
At the start when I was using cloth diapers, I had the problem of them smelling like pee after a short while. It was easily resolved by changing detergent.
We hope this article is helpful to you and all the best to your eco-parenting journey! xx
]]>Some babies are naturally good feeders and can latch on pretty quickly. But for a lot of the exclusively pumping moms, the reason why we choose to exclusively pump is due to latching problems at the start. Hence, it may take some extra time and effort for a baby to re-learn how to latch on correctly again.
Every baby is unique and the best thing you can do is to have a professional lactation expert observe and suggest methods that are customised to you and your baby. Engaging the services of a private lactation consultant may be too costly for some. A really good complimentary service offered by most councils is the drop-in breastfeeding clinics. Check your maternal and child health booklet for your nearest breastfeeding clinics. Plus, you get to meet other mums in breastfeeding clinics and make friends.
It is very important to have skin-to-skin contact and let baby lay on your chest. Let your baby get used to hearing your heartbeat and being close to you. Slowly, guide your baby to your breast and brush your nipple over baby's lips. Do that a couple of times until your baby opens their lips.
Some babies may be accustomed to feeding from a bottle, and not respond to the nipple. Do not feel discouraged. This is normal. It may take multiple tries to get your baby to respond to the nipple and latch on. Remember it is harder for your baby to drink milk from the breast than from a bottle.
Offer a feed before your pumping session or when you see early hunger signs from your baby. Do not wait until your baby is too hungry. It is best to nurse when baby is calm and relaxed.
For instance, if you decide to nurse baby in the morning, be consistent and try to let baby feed from the breast every day at around this time.
If you think baby needs more milk after nursing, you can offer a top-up bottle. If you feel like the breast isn't drained, you can also pump after nursing to maintain your supply. Gradually, as baby gets more accustomed to latching, your nursing session will also last longer. Eventually, your baby will be able to replace your pumping session.
Take the lead from your baby as to how quickly you will replace other pumping sessions with nursing sessions.
You may be producing less milk, but this is natural since your milk supply is adjusting to your baby's appetite.
The two options do not have to be mutually exclusive. You can enjoy having flexibility depending on the kind of days you're having. With nursing, you can enjoy the special bond with baby and not have to do the extra tasks of washing bottles and carrying breast pump when you're out. With pumping, you can get your husband to take part and feed. Plus you do not have to feel the pressure of being the only person who can feed your baby.
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Real-life: I had latching issues when my baby was a newborn. On day 5, I decided to switch to exclusively expressing milk. I pumped religiously every 3.5 hours, but after 2 weeks, my milk supply went down from 70ml per pump session to 50-60ml. I was devastated. Why did this happen? I'm not too sure either.
How did I increase my milk supply?
I increased my pumping sessions. Instead of waiting until my boobs felt heavy (3-4 hours), I pumped every 2 hours mimicking a newborn's feeding pattern.
On top of that, these lactation snacks and drinks helped me maintain and boost my supply.
Woolworths sells these cookies in Buckwheat & Cacao flavour for $8.00 a packet. This is one of the cheapest lactation cookies on the market - another plus point. Brewer's yeast is a known galactagogue to increase milk supply in nursing mothers. These cookies are like the healthy version of chocolate in a dense texture. Great for afternoon tea time when you're after something quick and easy to eat on the go.
Formulated by one of Melbourne’s leading herbalists, Next9 brings you LACTEA. Made in Australia and containing only organic ingredients, this tea is designed to encourage lactation. I love that this tea has cumin, fennel, and fenugreek - everything a breastfeeding mama needs.
I love to start my day with this smoothie because it is so refreshing and energising. Organic almond milk is healthy and full of protein and calcium. Many nursing mothers choose to drink almond milk to increase the creaminess, sweetness, and amount of their breast milk. On top of my usual smoothie ingredients, I like to add 1 tablespoon of brewer's yeast and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed ground.
I know it's easy making your own dip, but as a busy mum, I like to buy Obela Smooth Classic Hommus for $4.00 a tub. Chickpeas are high in protein and are known for its use as a galactagogue. Dip it with celery or crackers for your midday snack.
When you need something more substantial to fill you up, these no-bake bliss balls are a lifesaver. With minimal preparation required, you can make and have these in your tummy in 10 minutes! This is my go-to recipe:
It may take some time before you realise a change in your milk supply. In my case, it took up to 2 weeks of increased pumping sessions and lactation snacks to notice a difference. I wish you all the best of luck in your breastfeeding journey! xx
]]>Here are some places you can go to and share new experiences with your little one. Sensibly of course.
Pack your basket and head to picturesque spots for a well-deserved park session. From 1 June, there is a limit of 10 or 20 people gathering outside depending on your state.
If you're up for a challenge and want to avoid the crowd, put in the leg work and visit idyllic picnic spots located in national parks. Strap baby onto a baby carrier, take a walk in the park and it'll be a bonus when you spot some kangaroos and wombats. A family picnic is a low-budget way to keep the baby entertained while you take a breather.
Indoor cinemas remain closed in some states, but some drive-in cinemas are operating and will get you out of the house and keep you a safe social distance from everyone else. This way, you can relax and enjoy the movie, feed your baby, and not worry about unexpected hissy-fits.
When we think about maternity leave, we think about the coffee catch-ups with all our friends and colleagues. In reality, with the Covid-19 situation, we've become our own barista in the comfort of our own home. Now that cafes and restaurants are open with limited capacity, a coffee date with baby is very much on the cards.
There are some simple (and familiar) things you can do to protect yourself as cafes reopen. Wash or sanitise your hands thoroughly. Avoid touching your face and baby's face. Sit outside if you can. The air-conditioning indoor could help the virus travel through the air.
Zoos are allowed to re-open in WA, VIC, NSW, ACT, and NT with reduced capacity. No date has yet been set for the reopening of zoos in SA and Tasmania. Zoos in Queensland can reopen from 10 July.
If you're planning to go to the zoo, make sure you book online. There will be a limited number of visitors allowed each day.
Enjoy and have fun! xx
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We were so excited about the trip. My husband and I both have our businesses, and the trip was the perfect time to relax and rejuvenate. Although my family had their doubts of us travelling to Vietnam with a 12-week old baby and 18-month-old toddler, I didn't think too much about it. After all, winging motherhood and everything in life are what I'm good at!
Boy, was I wrong. This trip was the ultimate humbling experience.
First of all, we miscalculated the best flight time to be flying with 2 kids. You see, the last time I travelled overseas with a kid was when my #1 was 8 months old. That's very different from flying with a toddler. We chose a 12-midnight flight for the first 8-hour leg, expecting the kids to be too tired and would sleep through most of the flight. This was the case for my #2, but it backfired on #1. She was awake since we woke her at 9 pm to go to the airport. Once boarded, she was so curious about the plane and the passengers, she did not sleep until 3.30 am. We tried everything to get her to sleep.
And I'm the type who can't sleep well on the plane. So my husband (who shared a seat with her) and I didn't catch any sleep till 3.30 am.
*2 hours later*
The movement and noise in the plane woke #1 up. She hated being strapped in the chair, so she crawled around to my side, woke other passengers up, and woke her sister up.
How I kept #2 from hysterically crying was just constantly giving her the boob. But do you know how hard it is to breastfeed a baby who hates the nursing cover, all at the same time still trying to keep yourself covered? It's so awkward and fidgety. And of course, #2 had to have a poo explosion. Argh, this must have been the longest flight of my life.
We finally got off in Singapore and had a 3.5-hour layover there. Singapore airport is very kid-friendly with a movie theatre and butterfly park among other attractions. But, we're still trying to survive with bloodshot eyes with no sleep here.
Our second leg to Danang only took 3 hours. Due to airline policy and the type of aircraft, we couldn't sit next to each other on the plane. That's not an issue for us. At least #1 couldn't disrupt #2's sleep. My husband and #1 were seated 2 seats behind myself and #2. On the plane, I met a lovely family with a 2-year-old toddler from Sydney and we talked about how challenging it was to travel with a toddler. Witnessing another family having to go through the crying tantrums, iPad bribery, and even resorting to begging the kids to please use the seatbelt (all these helpless experiences that we went through) made us feel less alone. We're all in the same boat!
Finally, we're in Vietnam.
But I couldn't find my airport pick-up! Did the hotel send someone to pick us up? I started to panic. This is not the place to be stranded with 2 very very tired kids. (A little background story: my husband and I were stranded in Maldives airport at 12-midnight because the hotel didn't send someone to pick us up after confirming via email that they would do so. And Maldives airport at night was scary and I would say dodgy). Thank goodness we found the guy after 20 minutes. And he looked legit.
Now the real holiday starts.
After we checked into the hotel, my plan was for us to have a shower and take a nap before getting food to eat. So far, #2 had been sleeping on and off in the baby carrier, feeding every 2 hours (#2 doesn't take a full feed when she breastfeeds. She'll feed for 30 minutes and want to feed again after 1.5 hours). I, on the other hand, could feel my anxiety at full force.
"#1 needs to sleep. She only slept for 3 hours the entire night. She needs to sleep. She needs to sleep. She needs to sleep."
This playing in my head. Over and over again.
As the day progressed and it became clear that #1 was not napping, my lack of sleep and high anxiety made me so snappy and mean to everyone. I called #1 a monster and to go away. My husband was so angry at my behaviour, he left with #1 to find food. I felt like the worst mother.
20 minutes later, I gave up on sleep, strapped #2 in the carrier and went to find them. I just couldn't go on another minute without apologising to both of them. It was 3 pm and I found them in the hotel restaurant. We had a nice meal, went for a walk by the beach, and went back to the room to rest before our Christmas Eve dinner at 7 pm. We were all so exhausted by 6 pm, but couldn't skip the compulsory $400 dinner we had to pay for.
Surprise, surprise, after fighting sleep for the past 24 hours, #1 finally fell asleep in her stroller as we walked to the Christmas Eve dinner location. I fed #2 before we left, and she's sound asleep in the baby carrier.
We enjoyed the Christmas Eve dinner buffet. We had 1.5-hour to ourselves before the kids woke up. It was a very long day, but I was so sure of how amazing the rest of the trip would be.
Merry Christmas! We woke up to #1 having a high fever. My nightmare came true. She fell sick and continued having a temperature for the next 3 days. She was very cranky throughout the trip because she wasn't feeling well and was teething. 6 teeth were coming out at the same time!
#2 was an angel for most of the day, apart from witching hour and night time. When she's in her fussy mood, she refused to latch which perpetuated her crying cycle. Her witching hour was usually around dinner time, so we would order room service every night.
One of the things that made me stop breastfeeding altogether, was the number of times #2 woke up to feed! She woke up every 2-3 hours to feed every single night. I was more exhausted than rejuvenated. Also, I didn't bring a breast pump to Vietnam apart from Haakaa. I thought that was sufficient, but I underestimated my milk supply and it'd led to hard engorged boobs on most nights.
Aside from all that, Vietnam was a dream. Danang had such clean gorgeous beaches. The hotel was very family-friendly, the staff was accommodating, breakfast was always a feast, and the food was so YUM! We were completely okay staying in the resort for 5 days straight. In the morning, it was breakfast. Then, we go for a little walk before going back to the room for a mid-morning nap. We had lunch by the beach while taking advantage of their 2-for-1 cocktail offer. We had spa massages every second day, booking our appointments back-to-back so one of us could take care of the kids. And then we finished the day off with dinner in the room so the kids could be in bed by 8 pm. You think we would have some alone time after the kids were asleep, but the truth is, we were so exhausted from the day. My husband and I mostly slept at 8.30 pm. Not exactly what I had in mind.
On one of the days, we tried the babysitting service and it went well! It cost $20 for an hour to babysit #1, and so well worth it. Finally, #2 had some one-on-one time with us.
On day 6, we finally ventured out to Hoi An. It is a historical town located about 40 minutes away from our hotel. The second biggest mistake we made was to wing Hoi An! Okay, it's mostly my fault. I googled Hoi An, and I stupidly assumed it was going to be a small town that you could tour around on foot.
Instead, we were dropped off at a busy intersection. No one around us spoke English. No one could understand us. We didn't have mobile data to check Google Maps. It did not look like the images on Google at all.
I went into a retail store to ask for directions. All I could remember was this famous Japanese bridge. They had no idea what I was on about and kept telling me to go straight. It was quite scary reliving that day. We had to walk on the roads with cars and motorcycles zooming past, while pushing a stroller and a baby strapped to me, because the pedestrian pavement was blocked.
We went into a hotel to ask for directions, and the concierge tried to sell me a boat ride instead. I did get a map, and we spontaneously jumped onto a Tuk-Tuk. Best decision ever!
We had a beautiful day in Hoi An. The lack of baby change stations was somewhat expected, and the kids fell asleep mid-trip giving us some alone time to enjoy a beer and the famous coconut ice coffee.
On our last day, we decided to venture out to Danang city to have a local lunch experience. We hired a car from the hotel and had a kind driver to drive us around. We also visited the Marble Mountains and it was so majestic and incredibly beautiful.
On our journey back to Melbourne, we had 6 hour layover time in Singapore. We had dinner with my sister and niece. #1 acted out again in the restaurant, and we let her cry it out for some time. Until the whole restaurant stared at us. Which made me wonder... what's the socially acceptable rule for crying kids? How long is too long? Hmm.
The kids slept fine on the plane surprisingly. It was a 9 pm flight back to Melbourne from Singapore, and the novelty of flying probably had worn off for them.
At the end of it all, I ask myself: Is the trip worth it?
Yes. Definitely.
Because 1 hour of good behaviour from the kids was everything. We were present, we made new memories, and that's timeless and forever.
Will I do it again?
Probably not until they're older xD
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]]>Her head had flaky patches of yellow scaly skin, some redness, and accompanied with oily scalp She even had scaly patches spread to the forehead, eyebrows, and face. She looked like she had a severe case of dandruff. This is also known as cradle cap (seborrheic dermatitis) which can be quite common among newborns.
Cradle cap is mostly caused by mom's hormones still circulating in the baby's bloodstream after birth. It isn’t contagious, dangerous, or serious.
We went to the GP after ignoring it for weeks fearing that she had some fungal infection which was the reason for the strong odour. Our GP advised that it was fine and we could use a light moisturising cream, but if it got worse, she could prescribe anti-fungal cream. Anti-fungal cream sounded like a harsh treatment, and we didn't want to use it on our newborn. We did, however, try a few natural and gentle home remedies:
Vaseline helps in maintaining the moisture of the skin and prevents it from becoming dry. Every morning/afternoon, massage vaseline into the crusts to loosen them before bathing your baby. Use gentle baby shampoo to wash this out (and make sure you wash out all the soap). You can then use a baby comb to softly brush over the scalp. Do not force the crusts.
We didn't get a special comb marketed for cradle cap. A normal baby comb on the right (as pictured) worked for us.
We use this light moisturising cream as advised by our GP on baby's face and head. It didn't produce immediate results, but I think it worked better than the other treatments we tried.
Similar to the first method, we also tried using olive oil on our baby scalp before bathing to loosen the crust. Olive oil is one of the best oils, especially for the skin. The vitamin E in olive oil nurtures the skin and protects it from infections. I know this has worked for quite a few mums I talked to.
We're all aware that breastmilk is filled with nutrients and millions of antibodies. Who knows it can also be used to treat cradle cap. Apply some breastmilk on baby's head to soothe and calm sensitive skin.
In my personal experience, ignoring cradle cap made it worse and caused it to spread. So, when our second daughter had it, we did what worked for us the first time round and hoped it would go away sooner. xx
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It's so frustrating as a parent when your baby refuses milk. As a first time mum, I was worried. Is this common? Why didn't anyone at my mothers' group experience it? I brought her to the GP because I was worried she's not taking in enough liquid. The GP told me to monitor her for the next 3 days. I thought I had ticked off all the possible causes of this new behaviour:
At 4 months old, my baby had been having formula. The formula we use was not expired and perfectly okay to drink. There's been no change to formula or the temperature at which the milk was served at.
Was she getting frustrated at the flow of the milk? Possibly. So, I changed it to a teat with a larger hole and no improvement too.
She didn't have a temperature, and still as happy as ever. She didn't seem unwell or hurt. Everything else about her seemed normal.
I thought this was the case because it seemed to be the logical explanation. Everything was going well, and suddenly something changed. It must be teething. She's also salivating a lot. I was excited and anticipating the arrival of her tiny two teeth. But days turned into weeks, and I started thinking if there's another reason.
Could it just be her salivary glands developing, and she's not really teething?
My first response was no. It's not like I fed her in a crowded place and she was too distracted. We're just home in our living room alone with the TV switched off. How could she be distracted? I was too quick to assume that this wasn't the reason.
Until I got desperate.
I didn't want to change our perfectly functioning routine. But who knows? Maybe a dark quiet room might just be the answer.
Feeding her in a quiet and dark room helped. She was less distracted by her surroundings and would have about 80-100 ml each time. So when my mum visited and was dangling a soft toy in front of her while I was trying to feed in the room, I had to gently explain to my mum that her method of coaxing her to drink was doing quite the opposite.
Another thing that worked was feeding her when she was about to drift off to sleep. I would put the teat in her mouth and she would suck and finish the milk. We've been warned that feeding to sleep is bad. But hey, it worked for us.
She was able to increase her milk intake to about 600 ml a day. And I was just so happy that we could figure out a way to get her to drink more milk.
*Sigh of relief*
I've been told to just relax and enjoy her given she's not unwell or dehydrated. Babies will not starve themselves. I know that. But knowing that didn't stop me from feeling worried or slightly stressed out.
For the first time mamas who are experiencing a similar situation, I hope this article is helpful to you xx
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So many of us can relate to this confusion when we're expecting our first child. When shopping for our first baby, the choice in stores is overwhelming and labelling is so confusing, i.e. colic, transition swaddle, TOG rating.
There is a minimum weight (typically 4kg) for using sleeping bags on newborns. The reason being, your baby's head should not be able to pass through the neck hole of the sleeping bag as they wriggle/move during their sleep.
For some of the newborn babies, they might be too small to use a sleeping bag. Plus, their startle reflex can be very strong in the first few weeks and might require swaddling to help them feel calm and secure as though cocooned in their mother's womb.
For babies who start to show signs of rolling, a sleeping bag is a great option. A lot of babies find sleeping bags a great sleep cue and know it is bedtime when put into them.
You may get confused by the TOG rating of the sleeping bag. It comes in different weights like 0.5 tog, 1.0 tog, 2.5 tog. Basically the higher the TOG, the warmer the product. For winter, you will dress baby in 2.5 tog, and in summer you will use something more lightweight like 0.5 tog. But again, choosing the right TOG rating depends on the room temperature and you should always make your decision based on that.
No. Essentially, both the terms swaddle and wrap are used to describe the practice of wrapping a baby in a cloth.
There are different types of materials used to make a swaddle/wrap. Always choose natural fibres like organic cotton or bamboo for breathability, and avoid polyester for overheating.
The traditional swaddling/wrapping method works best with babies with a strong startle reflex, because you can swaddle/wrap them snugly to provide comfort. This option is great for newborn babies until they show signs of rolling (around 3 - 4 months). Swaddling/wrapping must stop once the baby starts rolling because it is dangerous for swaddled babies to sleep face-down.
One tricky part about this method is that baby's hands tend to come undone when baby wriggles. And you need to re-swaddle/wrap them.
Tip: For winter newborn babies, you can dress them in a singlet, onesie, followed by a swaddle/wrap. No hats should be used because newborn babies can't self-regulate their body temperature. Having a hat on may cause overheating, and when baby needs to cool down, they will need to able to lose the heat through their head.
Hope this is helpful for all the new mamas. Happy shopping xx
]]>I don't know if my #2 had colic. I know she cried a lot for many days in a row for weeks, starting from 5 weeks to about 3 months old. She used to hysterically cry in the evenings at about 5 pm, and would stop at 7ish. I did the math, it's just under 3 hours of crying each day. Does that make it colic? Slight colic?
She was gaining weight and seemed fine after a feed. Her poo was the typical runny yellow breastmilk poo, and her spit ups were normal. She was a healthy growing baby.
Then why was it that when it came to 5 pm (aka the witching hour), she would be in such obvious distress like she was in piercing pain? My daytime routine was already in 2-hour blocks of feeding (takes an hour), burping, changing, soothing her cries and bouncing to sleep, only for her to wake up after every 30 minutes.
But when it comes to 5 pm, it's a different league. Unsoothable crying. It sounded painfully sad. No amount of boob, milk, cuddles soothed her. In fact, it made the crying even more hysterical.
"Why are you shoving your boob at my face? Get it off my face"
"I hate this position. I want your boobs back"
"Why is it taking you so long to understand what I want? This is horrible. AAHHHHH"
I understand babies cry. But I feel like there should be a reason. Maybe hunger, tired, wind, overstimulation, etc. I was desperate for answers. Colic, maybe?
The thing is there is no test, so you can’t know for sure, but the “rule of threes” is often used to diagnose colic: an otherwise healthy infant, generally between 3 and 14 weeks old, who cries for 3 or more hours a day, 3 or more days a week.
Am I too quick to blame colic for baby's crying?
Could it be that she was just too tired by evening because of her short sleep cycles in the day?
Or maybe my husband and I weren't good enough at recognising those extremely confusing newborn cues, and it became impossible to intervene baby's crying state. Crying babies swallow air, and by the end of the day, the amount of air swallowed from crying, feeding and less than effective burping cause wind pains?
Possibly. It might not have been colic.
But, colic or not, the most important thing is:
In retrospect, I wish I'd had more patience, but I had truly done my best here. Colic or not, crying baby is tough.
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Where do I even start? I think about how hard it is every single day. I stopped posting photos on Instagram because taking photos gets way too hard. Here are 7 things I don't tell people about what life is really like.
Mentally, I'm burnt out. The stress of managing an online business, together with keeping up with the demands of 2 very young kids, is overwhelming. For those of you who asked me how I'm juggling it all, I'm not. On the days that I'm productive and good at my job, those are the days that my kids watched way too much Cocomelon. Mum guilt is always there.
I barely reply to messages. I haven't asked "how are you?" to people I care about, especially in these challenging times. I wish I can be more available. Some days it can feel like I'm failing as a daughter, sister, friend and sometimes as a wife.
You see, having one kid is cute. You go for brunch, and you're that cute couple with a baby. You have time to go for date nights if you can get mum to babysit.
It's a whole different story with 2. Husband is no longer priority number 1 or 2. He will have to come after the kids. The change in dynamics takes time to process and this requires hard work from both sides. With the lack of time and energy, it's easy to just get used to the current situation and not try to rekindle things.
I exclusively breastfed my #2 for 5 months. She would have a feed every 2.5 hours, and each feed would last for 40-60 minutes. She was pretty much stuck to my boob all day. I love breastfeeding, but it made me feel like my energy was constantly being sucked out. It's bloody exhausting!
Not to mention, I couldn't leave the house for more than 2 hours. I've never been this tired and conflicted. So many times, I wanted to quit breastfeeding and be done with it.
We travelled to Vietnam for Christmas last year, and I think about how easy parenting can seem from my Instagram photos. You see the fish tacos and margaritas, and the kids seemingly entertained. Well, my toddler only slept for 2 hours in the 15 hour journey to get there and my 3 month old screamed and cried throughout dinner. You can't see how tired I look because make up and Instagram filters work wonders.
Also, no point in getting a pool villa if we don't even have time to take a swim.
Maybe it's just me. I'm not very good with strict routines. Everyone else seems to ace at syncing nap time, meal time, and play time. I know how important it is to get them on the same schedule, but I just can't seem to work it out.
It's easy to feel like a good mom when everything is going right. But when emotions run high, we can be better than we were yesterday or an hour ago when we lost our sh*t. We're good moms even through our struggles.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Leave us a comment below or join our newsletter for more real motherhood posts. xx
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Before coronavirus, I sometimes play the game when you start the sentence with "You never...". It would mostly sound like this: You never cook dinner. You never put the kids to sleep. You never have the time etc.
Now that he's working from home, I see the problems he has to solve every day, the calls he has to make and the work he has to catch up on after all those client calls. And he has also gained a new perspective on what life is really like staying at home with 2 kids.
We are on day 20 of self-isolation. If you read my previous post, I've struggled with the kids sleeping for no more than 40 minutes at each nap cycle. When we stay home, we have a routine. Wake up, playtime, and when she is tired, I bring her to her room, lower the blinds and feed her to sleep (oops!). She knows that she is going to sleep, and she expects it. And somehow, she starts sleeping for longer and longer.
Life happens, and slowly I just stopped doing the things that make me happy. I take care of the kids, cook and clean in the day. Once I've put the kids to bed, It's already 9 pm and I have to shower for the day and start working. But ever since coronavirus, I slowed down and started doing the things that I really enjoy like watching TV shows and reading. I feel like a new person!
It's now even more important to stretch our dollars. Gourmet food now makes way for budget-friendly meals that can preferably be frozen. $30 cheese is now a thing of the past. I've also traded $30 wines to Dan Murphys Under Wraps deals (ranging from $10 to $15). Cheaper alternatives, but still grateful for these simple pleasures.
Extreme mum guilt over this one. I don't even know what the normal standard is for families like us having 2 very young kids.
What I know is that #2 needs to sleep and #1 needs to be entertained. Screen time it is. #2 needs to feed without distractions and #1 needs to be entertained. Screen time it is!
What're your positive and negative experiences with self-isolation at home with kids? Drop us a comment! We would love to hear all about it xx
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