Quick tips for increasing low milk supply

WATER

Too put it into perspective - 1/2 a gallon = 8 cups of water daily is the MINIMUM for a person who is not pregnant or nursing how much more when feeding two! During pregnancy & nursing I recommend a gallon of water DAILY! Yes, you read that correctly and It is possible! You will thank yourself someday ;-)

FOOD

2,500-3,000 healthy calories DAILY. Yes every day! I find mamas simply are not eating enough healthy calories. Start a diet log (easy on phone) until you can see you are getting that amount consistently.

COOKIES

I highly recommend these delicious cookies that increased my milk! I want some now just thinking about it... Tasted like homemade chocolate chip cookies to me!  Lac-OOkies  

EXERCISE 

Wait till you get the ok from your care provider then start slowly. If you notice a decrease in your supply, don't exercise as long/as much. If that does not seem to make a difference then you may need to stop all together until you feel you have a good balance of all that's listed. Deep Breath! Smile =) You have plenty of time to lose the weight, yet you and your baby have a better chance of creating lasting benefits for both of you if you focus your energy on feeding your little one! =D  

If you do not notice a decrease & you are maintaining a healthy diet & drink plenty of water then exercise should be wonderfully beneficial!

HERBAL TEAS

ESSENTIAL OILS

SUPPLEMENTS

Plan to add more so check back

Treating yeast/thrush infection in mom & baby naturally

You will have so many options to try once you've read this post; yet don't get overwhelmed. Each person will find what works for them. Yeast a.k.a. thrush is something you DO NOT want to "wait to see" or it could last months! Start at least 1 thing on this list TODAY!!

Mixed opinions on this one, so up to you but you will be doing so many other things it will be nice to have 1 less thing to think about- STOP using lanolin.

COCONUT OIL

Take a spoonful of high quality Coconut oil by mouth w/every meal!! Then rub it on nipple topically, alternating with no sugar, organic yogurt with live cultures. Be sure you have clean hands or use different jar for nipples since yeast is highly contagious! If you don't notice a difference in a few days up doses or switch to a different natural remedy. Advice from other moms They have found Vit E on nipples to be helpful.

Reduce carbs & sugar, for best results NO sugar! I can not stress enough how important good nutrition is or it will just keep coming back =(

Hidden sugars:
dried fruit, trail mix, store bought pasta sauce, protein & granola bars, packaged hot & cold cereals...
So it's not too overwhelming for now you can still do brown rice & sweet potatoes.

Candida overgrowth and Treatment

Grapefruit SEED extract (GSE)

Must be from the seed! Consider buying liquid AND capsule form. Not to scare you- I still recommend using GSE but read over die off symptoms then watch LO for a rash etc. If baby gets a rash YOU cut back on the amount of GSE capsules you are taking orally. Yet don't stop everything just cut back on some supplements while continuing diet.

You'd take the capsules, then the liquid GSE would go on nipples & in baby's mouth.

 Probiotics for MOM and BABY

Baby probiotics

If mom has IBS or GI issues... Or if you find it is causing gas in mom &/or baby try diary free probiotics.

Scroll down till the end of all the links on right side of this blog Above “Blog Archive” are link lists you should explore: Systemic Candida


Previous post I wrote on Identifying and Treating Thrush 

Cry it out or Attachment Parenting?

This is also a HEALTHY sign that the baby has properly bonded with it's mother  Kids can manipulate, but not babies! People can act spoiled, raw food spoils, but not babies!

Breastfeeding a toddler

click to enlarge or download it to read the details

This is a summary of my nursing experience with my daughter. Every baby is different. This is not for moms to compare, but to encourage moms to continue nursing as long as possible!

As a newborn our daughter nursed for an hour at every sitting. She had acid reflux with projectile vomiting so she'd often throw everything up. After which we'd nurse an other hour or so. Moms with newborns with out reflux feel they are constantly nursing, but mom's of reflux babies really are constantly nursing! Here's a post I wrote about it.

Once we resolved the reflux it spaced out to every 2-4 hrs around the clock till around 16 months. That is when she started walking. Now that she has more to do, is more independent, she doesn't nurse as long though still 24/7. 

During the day it's a few minutes here & there, with cluster feeding before we get out of bed & at night. Have I had chronic sleep deprivation for 2 years because of this? Not at all, since we co-sleep/bedshare I've got plenty of rest from day 1 :) I can't imagine it any other way!

This post was started to answer a friends question.

Q: A is almost 14 months and eats everything I do. Lately she seems to want to nurse even more...

A:

Our daughter almost 2y/o eats everything we do too. People who see her eat say she has a good appetite. Those who say this often don't know she nursed before the meal or will STILL nurse after!

Seems quite appropriate that she is nursing while I type :-D

Possible reasons toddlers nurse more is the same as babies... growth spurt, illness, pain, change of environment, people in their lives, low milk supply in mom.

Here are some resources

Kelly Mom 



Research to back up some of the reasons I chose to nurse as long as possible:

The longer you nurse the higher your baby's IQ


"Our data suggest that a longer duration of breast feeding benefits cognitive development." from this study 

from National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 

still compiling links to studies so check back for more reasons...



Update: Now she is 3 & I am so thankful she is still a voracious nurser! 


She heals from cuts & scratches like a superhero! It astonishes me how fast.

I'm not just a proud mama...

I've checked with other people, teachers, moms etc. She is smart! Others notice she is advanced for her age. 

She has clear, healthy, baby soft skin. 


The average sickness for the 1st year is 12x! Add that plus the 2-3 weeks it takes to get over a cold/cough and that calculates to an almost constantly sick baby. Yet dear daughter had only several full blown cold/coughs, several mild sniffles & 1 stomach virus in 3 years. 

Nuts to Avoid

ALMONDS 

 Do NOT eat almonds from the US! 

Here's why: USDA’s raw almond pasteurization mandate "toxic gas (propylene oxide) or steam heat for all raw almonds produced by American growers"  

from Restoring Raw Almonds from California — Farmer Lawsuit Moving Forward 
From the Weston A. Price Foundation WAPF Action Alert Email 


"EPA has classified propylene oxide as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen. (5)" from epa..gov

No labeling required to show that almonds have been steamed or treated with propylene oxide (PPO). And they can still be called RAW! 

If you are of childbearing age, especially avoid the organic (until the law changes)! 

"Steam processing is the method delineated to the organic... almond industry... 

Recent scientific studies show that heating almonds creates potentially harmful levels of acrylamide, a threatening byproduct of the amino acid asparagine. Acrylamide is a chemical known to cause cancer, or reproductive toxicity (such as birth defects and other reproductive harm)." from Ethical Bounty 


I will continue to look into this. I will gladly read current info you have or listen to discussion if I'm mis-reading it. In fact, I'd like nothing better than to report the law was reversed & delete this post because I really, really enjoy almonds & almond butter! 

Ways to reduce your acrylamide intake

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PEANUT BUTTER

Photo Credit PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

Kale/Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto from © Copyright, 2013, Weelicious 

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

1. 1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. 2. Stir into rice and serve.
3. * Can also be mixed into cooked pasta, fish or chicken.
4. 
   

Kale Pesto from © Copyright, 2013, Weelicious 

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed kale leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts*
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

1. 1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. 2. Serve over rice, pasta or as a sandwich spread.
4. Note: If you don't have toasted walnuts, you can easily make them. Just spread roughly chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and pop in a 400°F oven for five minutes.

Accompaniments: cooked pasta, cooked rice, chicken, fish or as a sandwich spread

Top 10 healthiest foods according to Dr Mercola

You'll be surprised to find BUTTER is on the list! What is different about this butter that makes it healthy? Find out at the website below:

Top 10 healthiest foods according to Dr Mercola

Organic Co-ops

I use to live in the Tampa area, now I live on the other side of FL. I liked our organic co-op & have missed it. I'm excited that we recently joined one over this way! This has been a reminder how fortunate we are to be near one. 

You may be near one & not realize it; so here are the organic co-ops that I know about. If you know of one in these areas that is not listed below I can add it if you give me the website.

Tampa area

Sweetwater Organic Farm

Clearwater Organic Co-op  

Fresh Family Goodness

Orlando area

North to south 

Living Towers

Mt  Dora 

Jeremiah Gardens

Deltona




Buzy Bee 
Lake Mary 


Homegrown
Orlando

Sea Vegetables

The MEATRIX® Trilogy

The MEATRIX®

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Homemade toothpaste

Many recipes I looked into had more ingredients then I wanted to deal with so I was happy to find these simple instructions. I now use this recipe for our family and love the consistency and taste.

Psychiatry Making a Killing - the trailer

Inedible Egg

Slow Food USA

Reasons to avoid formula

Items found in recalled formula:

Plastic

Toxins

Metal

Glass

Bugs

PVC

Cancer causing toxins found in formula
  


Infant Formula Causes Cell Death
The full study, is published in the journal Pediatric Research

Disclaimer: The information & knowledge gained from this website is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of information from my research and experience. This website is not a replacement for a health care provider & the advice given should not be considered a diagnosis or treatment. Seeking a professional care provider is the responsibility of the reader.

Natural relief for painful periods

High Calcium & Magnesium (a.k.a. Cal-mag) foods, as well as good fats like nuts & avocados, will help with many female issues, as well as cramps. Cal-mag is a muscle relaxer & pain reliever.

Cal-mag in supplementation form is so safe that even pregnant & nursing moms can take it. I recommend Cal-mag liquid or powder that you mix into liquid, so it gets into the body faster. The higher quality kind can be found in health food stores or online. I recommend going to an applied kinesiologist so she/he can test how deficient you are in Cal-mag, in order to recommend the specific amount that your body needs. "Applied kinesiology (AK) is a form of diagnosis using muscle testing as a primary feedback mechanism to examine how a person's body is functioning." from www.appliedkinesiology.com

Health benefits of Hibiscus

My most recent post about Hibiscus

Women's Teas

Female Toner® tea

These suggestions are just a ‘band-aid’ until you can get to a natural healthcare professional who can help you find the root cause. For example a Chiropractor helped me. He also did muscle testing/applied kinesiology, suggested supplements etc. You can see multiple natural healthcare professional for relief of menstrual pain. For example a chiropractor adjustment may be easier or hold longer after a massage.

More to come...