Old Enough to Talk, Too Old to Breastfeed?

There was never any question in my mind as to whether I would breastfeed our children. I always knew it was the perfect food for a baby. The more I read about it, the more I was amazed at just how many benefits there are for both baby and mom. My mom breastfed my siblings and I for about a year and a half. That sounded like a pretty good number to me before I had kids. Now that I have a baby and am loving breastfeeding, I realize that I might breastfeed much longer than that. Before becoming a … Continue reading

We Love Kangaroo Care

My daughter was born with some minor health concerns. Because of this, the pediatricians at the hospital recommended she remain in the hospital for a week to be observed. It was very upsetting that we didn’t get to take her home right away. However, the experience was not entirely negative. I was able to stay in my daughter’s room the entire week, and we learned about a very valuable method of caring for babies. This method is called Kangaroo Care. Kangaroo Care is a method often used with premature babies, but it has been proven to be very successful in … Continue reading

Should I Give My Baby Solids?

Our daughter is approaching the age when solid foods can be introduced. She’s 5 1/2 months old and is exclusively breastfed. I’m going back and forth on when we’re going to start giving her solids. She’s gaining weight fine on breast milk alone (hello, I think weighing 17 pounds at 4 1/2 months probably means she’s getting enough!), and I hesitate to mess with something that is going so well. I know there are people who believe that breast milk alone isn’t enough for a baby once they reach six months of age, but I’ve witnessed cases where babies consumed … Continue reading

What if My Baby Can’t Latch?

There’s nothing more frustrating when you’ve chosen to breastfeed than a baby who cannot or will not latch. There are many reasons why a baby can’t latch, some can be corrected and some cannot. Or at least, in my experience they cannot. When my daughter was born, we’d already decided to breastfeed. Our reasoning was as follows: Breastfeeding would be healthier for her. Breastfeeding would be cheaper for us. Breastfeeding would promote the bond between my daughter and I. Breastfeeding meant I wouldn’t have to warm up bottles. Yes, I know – two of those reasons were pretty selfish, but … Continue reading