Baby Led Weaning

Why have I not written about this yet!?!? It's a huge part of my life, something that I do everyday... and yet, I haven't shared it with you. Can we chalk this one up to "mom brain"?

What is Baby Led Weaning?
"Baby-led weaning (often also referred to as BLW) is a method of adding complementary foods to a baby's diet of formula or breastmilk. A method of food progression, BLW facilitates the development of age appropriate oral motor control while maintain eating as a positive, interactive experience. Baby-led weaning allows babies to control their solid food consumption by "self-feeding" from the very beginning of their experiences with food."

Basically, it is the practice of starting solids with your baby that do not include purees and mush! Many doctors will tell you that you can start solids with baby between 4-6 months. The problem with starting that either is that baby's gut is not ready for real food yet and doesn't digest well. I know you are eager to start taking pictures of baby eating in the high chair, but just WAIT. You will have plenty of opportunity. It is best to wait until 6 months- later if baby shows no interest. Piper wasn't really interested in food until closer to 7 months- and by interest I mean watching you eat, reaching for food, squealing when you take a bite, etc. Wait for these cues.

For breakfast: a cutie (for play), a piece of rosemary lemon loaf, and teething tablets! I offered her coffee, but she didn't want the caffeine before nap time. Understandable.

Sidenote: on that note, another myth I want to bust right now is baby cereal. NOT NECESSARY. Believe me, I tried it in a desperate moment of longing for her to sleep longer! Babies don't like it, it doesn't help them sleep longer, AND it has no nutrition value- all it does it introduce carbs and empty calories into your baby's fragile tummy. PLEASE, leave the baby cereal on the shelf and walk away. 

Back to BLW...I actually started doing this with Piper before I knew it was a "thing". We tried a few jars of baby food with little success and lots of money wasted. She just didn't like it or want it. Then one night I gave her a piece of mashed up sweet potato when she wouldn't stop staring and whining at me. She about died of satisfaction! She ate quite a few pieces that night, gumming the bites with a toothless grin on her face. Yes, my daughter ate solid REAL food for 2 whole months before she even had 1 tooth!

Yes, that is pizza crust. One of her favorites.

Here are the rules of BLW- there are basically no rules. That's what is AWESOME (obviosuly always avoid honey until baby is 1; that is all). It's usually smart to start with soft solids like cooked sweet potato or avocado. Some mom friends have found great success cutting the food into thin strips for baby to hold. I never did this- just a decent size piece that I would put into her mouth and let her chew. This wasn't true BLW form- they say to put it all on the tray and let baby pick it up, but again, I didn't know yet I was doing BLW. After a few weeks, she started to pick things up on her own and mastered her pincher grasp.

When baby is under a year old, solid foods are basically just for taste and exploration. Don't worry about them getting enough solids, because their main source of nourishment should still be breastmilk (or formula). Most of the food ends up smeared, on their lap, or on the floor. It's OK! That's what this is about. Experiencing food.

It also makes you more aware of what you are eating, because most meals we also feed to her. It forced me to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our diet, which is a very good thing. And to this day, she prefers sauted green bell peppers and onions to PB&J. Weird.

Every time you sit down to dinner, sit baby down to eat with you. Let them eat real food. It does cut into your own eating time, but doesn't baby food-feeding do that too? You may want to take the peels off some foods (apples, peppers, potatoes) because without molars, baby can't tear those apart.

This is a BBQ rib. I checked the meat to make sure it wouldn't tear easily, and handed it to her to gnaw away!

 With BLW it is normal and natural for baby to gag and cough. HEAR ME OUT. That is NOT the same as choking. Babies actually need to do this to strengthen their eating ability and figure out how to move food around in their mouth. There are still moments that bring me to my feet afraid that she will choke, but she always manages to swallow and move on. If you're nervous, brush up on your CPR training. We did. 

Dinner is served!

We also waited to introduce crackers and harder foods until she had teeth and was able to bite down. We taught her what "bite" meant, and every time I put something in her mouth I say "bite" and she does.

Sometimes we eat chips at Grandma's house like this...

It's so fun to go to restaurants and just let baby eat. Hand them a piece of bread, a french fry, a carrot stick, whatever! They are happier and more enjoyable to be around, instead of whining and reaching for your food constantly.

And sometimes we eat pasta like this...

Interested in BLW but don't know where to start? The internet. Do your research and start where you are comfortable. I also just found this great website all about it http://www.babyledweaning.com/.

Happy Baby Led Weaning!

Help Us Bring Home Baby Thatcher

I don't usually do this, but this time is different. This time is family. Let me explain...

Caleb is my little brother. When he was 15, I introduced him to my new friend Sarah. She had recently been through a divorce and my family took her in and treated her as our own. We grew to lover her, and she developed close friendships with each of us.

 A few years down the road, Caleb came to each of his siblings and confessed his love for Sarah. He also asked for our blessing in pursuing a relationship with her. In all his teenaged years, he has never so much as looked at another girl- never dated, kissed, or even showed interest. Now we knew why! He had been in love with Sarah. After receiving our blessings he pursued Sarah, completely shocking her with his confession!

After awhile of dating, they both knew this was it. They became engaged that winter and were married the next summer. I cannot even express my excitement about my best friend marrying my brother! It was a dream come true! It just fit so well.

 

 

Since Sarah is older than Caleb, she was ready to start a family and Caleb has always longed to be a Dad. Because of some medical issues, no one was sure if and when they could conceive. After a year or two of prayer, Caleb and Sarah decided to move forward with ADOPTION! Caleb has always wanted to adopt from Africa, so Uganda became their chosen spot. Our family could not be happier with this decision. They have also decided to adopt TWO children at once, because they have a better chance of bringing home siblings. They also know that they want more than one child, so why not?

This brings me here. Adoption is EXPENSIVE. Caleb and Sarah have made the commitment to adopt debt-free. It can be done, but it is difficult and long. They have gotten much closer to bringing home their babies on the paperwork side and are waiting for those phone calls, but the finances are not yet completely in place. They have done garage sales, fund raisers, donations, saving, etc. You name it, they have done it!

Their most recent fundraiser is super fun. They had a puzzle made on Etsy and are "selling" individual pieces for $20. When you buy a piece, they write your name on the back. When all the pieces have been sold, they will put together their puzzle (with all the names!) and display it in a double-sided frame in the kids room so they can see how many people worked together to bring them home.

If you feel led to buy a puzzle piece or simply make a donation, you can visit their website here. There is also a link to it at the top of this blog. The website and blog is www.thatcherbaby.com.

Again, I do not enjoy asking for money. But this is different. I am a mother now, and although I remember waiting and wondering about my baby, I did not have the stress of finances holding me back from meeting them. Every child deserves a loving home, and Caleb and Sarah are able to provide that to two little children that need it the most!

Please partner with us to bring home the Thatcher babies!

Being Deeply Loved By Someone Gives You Strength...

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_love.html#UFIQAM3tfPY2g25z.99

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_love.html#UFIQAM3tfPY2g25z.99Being

This post will be different. It has very few words and many images. This post celebrates the beauty of our partners supporting us during labor. They can't feel the pain, but they wish that they could. Our bodies keep us awake through exhaustion, and our men strive to support through their exhaustion. My body did all of the work, but my husband's strong embraces, tender hands, heartfelt words, and tears calmed my mind and encouraged my soul. I speak for many when I say that I could not have done it without him.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_love.html#UFIQAM3tfPY2g25z.99

 

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." 

-Mother Theresa

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.
Mother Teresa
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_love.html#UFIQAM3tfPY2g25z.99

 

 

 

 

 “You never know how strong you are... until being strong is the only choice you have.”
― Cayla Mills 

 

  

"Where there is love, there is life." - Mahatma Ghandi

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” 

- Henry Ford

“There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison.”

- Jane Austen 

 "The birth of a child is the ultimate perfection of human love.” -Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

10 Things I Will Do Differently (With the Next Baby)

 Hi All! I am working on a really neat project right now- I am collecting pictures of couples laboring together and focusing on how important it is to have hubby's support during labor. If you have a favorite picture that you would love to share, email me at amecimore@gmail.com! In the meantime, enjoy some of the lessons I learned!

 We want to have more children in the future. After doing this once, I have a pretty good idea of what I will and won't do the next time. Here is my little list!

1. I will not buy all the baby junk. We had 3 bathtubs, 2 bouncers, a swing, a bumbo...all of which she rarely used. We ended up showering with her because she preferred it and carrying her in our Ergo or Moby wrap alot. We were also drowning in pink by the time she came. And most of her outfits she only wore once or twice- although she stayed in the same size for a long time, she had so many outfits!

2. I will breastfeed on demand. I remember breastfeeding in the beginning being so painful and uncomfortable. She would cry and my husband would say "maybe she's hungry?". I would groan and say "she can't be- it hasn't been 3 hours yet". I'm not sure where I got that number from. It was also partly an excuse to give me a rest from the pain. I think that this caused a slight aversion for her and also depleted my milk supply quickly. Both of which I did not discover until it was too late- and by that time I really enjoyed nursing and wanted to continue. I will do my best to feed the baby when baby is hungry!

 3. I will relax. The baby could absolutely sense my anxiety and therefore she would not sleep on me and fussed often when she was in my arms. Then I would pass her to her daddy and she would calm down and knock out. He was calm, I was uptight. It's a hard thing to NOT do as a new mother, but as soon as I calmed down and stopped my frantic emotions and anxiety, she calmed down too. It was amazing. To this day, if I overreact, she does too. If I stay calm, she stays calm or at least calms quickly!  They are so in tune with their mothers!

4. I will buy a super comfy La-Z-Boy recliner for the nursery! I have a glider- actually 2 gliders- and I really like them. They are comfortable and fit me well, but are NOT great for the late night sick babies who have to be held upright. They are not good for cranky babies who need to sleep on you all night. I have already told my husband that we will be investing in a big comfy chair that I can sleep in. This will make those nights a little easier and give me a few more precious moments of sleep!

5. I will (probably) invest in a video monitor. This one is still up in the air. We are cheap, so we just have your typical sound monitors. A friend bought us nice ones that you could play music on or speak through, but they broke early on. I just want a video monitor to avoid waking that precious sleeping babe and to see what they're doing in there once they get old enough to explore and talk to themselves. We'll see.

6. I will (probably) co-sleep. We never did with Piper because neither of us could sleep since we were so uptight with her in bed! And she also seemed to not enjoy it- as soon as we moved her into her room, she slept a longer stretch than she ever had before! I don't want to do it forever, just long enough to create a good breastfeeding bond. It also saves me from getting up and down in the night, and maybe we'll sleep better (it's all about the sleep with newborns).  

7. I will invest in a postpartum belly band. These are meant to help pull your hips back together and compress your body back down after childbirth. It is also proven to help with weight loss and getting back to your normal size and activities, and can help speed up the bleeding process afterwards. I had one on hand, I just was lazy and didn't realize how much it would have helped! Many moms that I know wore it at home for at least 6 weeks- it's a little bulky to wear out. I will be doing this next time! (Also called belly binding).

8. I will buy all brown and yellow onesies. This is kind of a joke, but kind of not. I don't know why anyone makes white onesies. With all the poop, spit up, and other body fluids during those first months, it's better to just leave them in a neutral color, or naked. I couldn't even count how many pink and white onesies I scrubbed stains out of (or had to throw away).

9. I will check for a tongue tie/ lip tie IMMEDIATELY. Before we leave the hospital or birth center, this is happening. Since it is more likely with each child born, there's a good chance our next one(s) will have it also. If so, I want to get it snipped and taken care of ASAP so that I can really focus on breastfeeding and any other issues! 

10. I will not listen to everyone else. By now, I consider myself a fairly experienced mom. Granted, I will listen to mothers of multiple children who will hopefully give me encouragement and advice for how to manage more than one! But I will be confident in my ability as a woman and a mother to raise my children and decide what is best for our family.

Maybe some of these things will change, maybe they won't! What are some of the things that you would do differently?