Do you feed your baby exclusively by the breast? Do you get tons of marketing for formula in the mail? If you answered yes, then why not give your coupons and free formula to moms that need it? Your local adoption agency or mothers clubs can find a use for those items that you would normally throw away. There are many women that cannot breastfeed, and formula is so expensive that every coupon or formula sample will help those in need. Even your OB-GYN would know the local outlets that would gladly take it all off your hands!

Here are some tips from one mom to another.

*Olive oil is okay to use on your breast pump. Pure lanolin is okay to use on your nipples. Nipple Butter by Earth Mama Angel Baby at Baby Blurbs is made from organic olive oil, and doesn’t have to be wiped off. It is safe for baby!

*Mastitis, Yeast/Thrush, and even over active or under active Montgomery glands can lead to latching problems or feeding problems, resulting in pain for mom and too much or too little milk for baby. Make sure you ask your OB-GYN or family doctor about any potential problems.

*There are a million different breast pads out there, and you can write the companies for free samples to try them out. Change your breast pads very frequently so not to develop yeast problems!

*Soothies and Booby Tubes are great help for sore breasts. The Breastfeeding Kit at Baby Blurbs contains Booby Tubes that are cold for easing pain and can be warmed in the microwave for moist heat 5 minutes. before nursing. They can be reused, too. Moist heat helps your let down and is great for engorgement.

*This is the best tip: Use all of your friends and family that are pro-breastfeeding. You will need a clan of help to get you through the hard times. Remember, it is the best for you and baby!

The baby is here! We are officially first time parents!

So many things come to mind when I think of what a new mom need to survive the first week home with her first child. I think that honestly some of the best advice I have comes from other mothers, and I feel happy to pass it along. So here goes!

~Make sure you get a chance to take a shower everyday. Allow yourself that little bit of time, and it will make a lot of difference!
~Nipple Cream…need I say more?
~Keep the baby swaddled really well and you won’t have those little jerks and jumps that wake baby up.
~Let the family and friends do it! They will ask to help you with anything from dishes to lawnmowing. Always take them up on it, even if you feel guilty. They ask because they want to, and the asking will stop all to quick. Don’t find yourself wishing that you had used the help after 4 weeks of sleepless nights have gone by!
~Baby your baby. In the first weeks pick the baby up anytime he wants it. It will help the bonding process right away.

Well, I am full of tips, so stick around!

I was doing some reading online and it seems that many moms in the area and nationwide are organizing their own nurse-ins. I had to see what all of the commotion is about so I check out the reasoning. It seems that someone from the Limitied Corp. made a remark (could have been a college part-time employee) that “breastfeeding is unsanitary and that public breastfeeding is like changing on the salesfloor,” from what this particular atricle said. So now many mothers are going to the front lines…the mall that is to show their anger at the system.

There are two things that come to my mind, and as a blooming mother, I don’t think that they are the expected thoughts. Number one, it makes me laugh that the group most upset by these happenings probably can’t find a decent nursing bra in ANY of the stores in the mall, especially Victoria Secret! So why do we even care? Second, after having many mall jobs over my 9 year career “out there,” including 3 years with the Limited corp., I highly doubt anyone present will care. Granted, the mothers are trying to get “exposure” with the media, etc. However, I don’t think that the wanted response will work.

I am probably angering many, but those were my orginal thoughts, and since they are varying, I thought they were interesting!