Breastfeeding and Heart Health

February is heart health month and Feb 5th is National Wear Red Day to bring attention to women's heart health. Breastfeeding is related to cardiovascular health and related disease prevention for both the baby who is breastfed and the mother who breastfeeds - what a deal!

Check out the Facebook page created by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada with links to related research reports or abstracts and the event re: wear a gold ribbon (for the role of breastfeeding) when you wear red Feb 5th.

If you are on Facebook and would like to visit the page and/or participate in the Feb 5th event, which can occur wherever in the world you happen to be Friday, the links are listed below. Also, please share with others and ask them to join in whether or not they may be on Facebook. Wear your gold ribbon Friday (whether you wear red or not) and share with other women how breastfeeding is related to long-term heart health if asked what the ribbon is about.

link to Facebook page

link to Facebook event

Moby Wrap - Review and Giveaway

Esther loves to be held and snuggled! Here she is in the Moby Wrap on one of the first days I was home alone with all three girls. She stayed content in the wrap for quite some time and I had my hands free to take care of Lucy and Julia.

The Moby Wrap was at the top of my wish list for having a third baby. My babies all love to be held (what baby doesn't?), but I need to be able to care for my other two children at the same time. The folks at Moby Wrap were kind enough to send me a moss colored wrap for review. Keep reading - they are also offering one as a giveaway!

The wrap was easy enough to put on. I don't think I had it adjusted quite right, it was a bit loose in spots, but Esther still fit snugly and comfortably. There really is a lot of fabric to the wrap, almost too much for me, but it does allow for the weight of the baby to be evenly distributed and comfortable. The wrap has a tag right in the middle so its easy to find (you start wrapping from the middle point). The stretch of the fabric works well to keep Esther snug against me. I like that there are several different ways to wear the Moby Wrap. There are clear directions and photos on their website here. Another plus for the wrap is that its machine washable and can be dried. It comes with a little fabric bag, but I couldn't quite stuff it all back in there after washing it.

If you're new to babywearing, here is a great article from Dr Sears website on the benefits. Babywearing is a way of meeting your baby's need for closeness while going about your day. One tip that I've heard for babywearing when out and about is to put on the wrap at home and then just slip the baby into it once you arrive at the store or wherever you are going. The wrap is rather long to try and put on in a parking lot, but this way you are all set. I hate lugging around the infant car seat so I'm planning to use my Moby Wrap this way as much as I can.

Moby Wraps come in a variety of colors, prints, organic options, and more. To enter the giveaway, check out their website and let me know your favorite style and color of wrap. Leave a comment, being sure to include your email address. The winner will receive a solid color Moby Wrap of their choice. For an extra entry, leave another comment letting me know that you are a follower of my blog. If you blog about the giveaway including a link back to this post and to the Moby Wrap website you can gain a third entry! Leave a separate comment for each entry. There are three possible entries. I'll close the giveaway on Thursday, March 4 at midnight.

Be sure to stop back soon. I'm running a series of baby product reviews and giveaways this month that you won't want to miss!

Moby Wrap is also running some great giveaways on their facebook page, check it out!

** Giveaway is closed. Random.org chose comment #60, Amy as the winner!**

Muffin Tin Monday - Dr Seuss

Today's Muffin Tin Monday theme is Dr Seuss! We love Dr Seuss books around here and own almost all of them. I decided to do a silly lunch today - yogurt to drink with a straw, apples and oranges in a silly feet cup, cheese with a silly face on it, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with spots, and stars sprinkled on the plate. I used food markers for the cheese and the sandwiches. Dr Seuss is pretty silly in most of his books, so I thought this was a good fit. We hadn't used the silly feet cups before and they were a big hit. :) For more cute ideas check out the Mister Linky at Muffin Tin Mom.

Thank you!

Julie from Earth Mama Angel Baby found my blog and read my post about Nursing Esther. She sent me Booby Tubes and Bosom Buddies to help, just because! The Booby Tubes are a nice lightweight circle shape. I had been using a big rice sock, and these are much nicer. I tried the Bosom Buddies poultice as well. I smelled like tea and cabbage, but I think it is helping. Thanks Earth Mama Angel Baby!

Nursing is still a struggle. Esther was tongue tied, and while we had that clipped last week, she is still learning to use her tongue properly. She makes a clicking noise and gulps air. The pain isn't as severe and the nipple shield helps with that, but we still can't nurse without it. I've had a couple rounds of plugged ducts and engorgement to deal with. I'm frustrated that I still can't seem to help her figure out how to nurse correctly. She is such a sweet little girl though. She is pretty calm and rarely fusses. My mom has been here visiting this week so I've just been hanging out in pajamas and getting all the rest I can. I bought a baby scale and Esther is gaining weight just fine. She is up to 10 lbs 1 oz and getting chubby little cheeks. I'm hoping that as her little mouth grows bigger it will be easier for her to latch on correctly. Thanks for all of the encouraging comments on my first post about nursing. I'm still hanging in there and working through it!