"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." - Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) Bringing home a new baby is a big adjustment for parents, especially the first one, and often requires cutting back on certain commitments to focus on the home. When my first child was about six months old, my church invited me to join the worship team. But after a month, I realized adding a two hour practice each week on top of singing in two services on Sunday was exhausting me. And it was the only activity I regularly participated in that got me out of the house! I eventually came to the conclusion that I had to quit the team, and I cried for days over the disappointment and sense of failure. Why couldn't I manage a few hours away from home? One evening my dad came over for dinner. Somehow we got on the topic about the decline in my daily Bible reading, lack of church involvement, and how I'd been feeling like a bad person. My dad's words gave me a new perspective. … [Read more...]
Choosing a Breast Pump Checklist
There’s so much to consider when you’re having a baby, especially if it’s your first. You may have already decided to breastfeed, but perhaps your partner would like to help feed the baby, too. What do you do? You may want to choose a breast pump. If so, the questions in this checklist can help you decide which one. How often do you plan on breastfeeding? If you’re going to be a stay-at-home-mom, you can breastfeed at any time of the day or night. You may not need a breast pump at all except to express breast milk so your husband can feed the baby. A manual breast pump may be all you need. If you’re planning on going back to work, however, you may want something that won’t take as long when time is at a premium. Since there are electric breast pumps that can be used on both breasts at the same time, this option may be of interest to you. What can you afford? Not all insurance companies pay or assist in paying for breast pumps after you’ve had a baby. Higher end electric breast … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Diet: Foods to Avoid While Nursing
While you were pregnant you may have found yourself craving certain foods. Now that you’ve decided to breastfeed, you may also have found that not all foods are good for you or your newborn. When you consider your breastfeeding diet, do you know what foods to avoid or limit while nursing? Unfortunately the list of items to limit or avoid isn’t the same for every breastfeeding mother and child. Some babies don’t react to spicy foods whereas there are others that will be miserable whenever mom decides to eat something with extra spices. One way to learn about what is acceptable to your baby while you’re breastfeeding is to pay attention to how they react the day after you’ve eaten certain foods you’re not sure about. The baby may develop extremely painful gas cramps or be particularly fussy when you eat some foods. Pay attention to what you’re eating and then try to make a correlation between your diet and how your baby reacts. Common foods that moms have learned to avoid while … [Read more...]
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