Premama Vitamins

What's better than yummy snacks and drinks with the ladies?  Sharing a great product like PreMama prenatal vitamins.  They're for pregnant women, nursing women, and those who are trying to get pregnant.  I can't even count how many ladies in my women's group fall into one of those 3 categories (I can count how many don't - but I won't name them).  

I don't know about everyone else in my group, but I have always had a hard time with prenatal vitamins.  They're too big, or leave me feeling sick when I'm done taking them.  It's hard to find a vitamin that really works for my body.  Premama mixes into just about any drink to provide mamas with daily vitamins, and it's smartly packaged to easily be divided into 2 daily drinks instead of just one.

I loved sharing it with the ladies at my mom group and hope it's helpful to them as they prepare their bodies for baby!

By publishing this post, I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All opinions are my own.

Food on Friday: The baby won't stop eating!

Someone recently asked, "What do you do when baby isn't satisfied after you finish nursing, he just wants to eat and eat and eat... and when you take a break, he screams?"

Please share your ideas in the comment box at the bottom of this post.

Here are a few thoughts to help answer that:

1) If he's truly not getting enough to eat, try nursing first, then pumping an hour or so later.  This will help increase your milk supply, and give you a bit extra for when you need it.

2) Try some herbs - They're not super cheap, but can help increase supply.  Motherlove is a great company that sells some of those herbs.  

3) Swaddle him, and if he'll take it put a pacifier in his mouth.  He might like the feeling of being held and just need something to suck on for a little while.  When I did this with Crackers, I also patted his chest.

4) Burp him.  That might sound silly, but sometimes Baby has that problem.  His little belly hurts and he wants to solve it by eating more.  Once he's burped he feels much better and is able to calm down and relax.

5) Put a pacifier in his mouth and hold him tightly, pressing his mouth into your chest firmly enough to hold the pacifier in.  Make sure his nose is not pressed into your chest so he can still breathe.  This move works especially well with Baby.

6) Put him in his crib, close the door, and walk away.  Take a breather.  Step outside.  He might keep screaming, but it won't hurt him.  You need to let yourself get a break sometimes.

7) If he's truly not getting enough and numbers 1 and 2 don't help, talk to a lactation consultant.  If you can't afford to talk to one, or don't know how to find one, call your local WIC office.  They provide free lactation consulting to their clients, and can connect anyone to help if needed.  Their business is helping women take care of their children and they are very interested in promoting breastfeeding.

What ideas do you have?  How do you calm an infant that only wants to nurse?  How do you know if he's really had enough?  Where do you go for help?

Mama's thoughts on nursing in public

I breastfeed my babies.  Or, at least, I have done that - currently only one of them is nursing.  When my baby is hungry, I feed him - no apologies.  Bottle fed babies eat whenever/wherever they want and no one puts up a stink about it, no one offers covers for bottle fed babies.  No one seems to be offended.

This is not a picture of me (you probably guessed that).

When I feed my babies, I use a blanket to cover myself.  I have friends that don't cover at all and I am seriously in awe at times of how discreet they can be - you would never know their babies were eating.  I don't know how they do it.  So why am I writing this post?  It has everything to do with the t-shirt below.

I fully agree, it's silly to insist that women cover their babies while they breastfeed.  But, I cover my babies.  Why do I do it?  I used to work in a children's home.  Specifically, I worked with boys who had been sexually abused.  Most of the boys had also abused others.  It's tragic.  

Some of these boys have been so trained by their abusers that they, at a very early age, have become sexual predators.  I know what goes through the minds of even these very young boys when they see a woman nursing a child - and I don't want to risk aiding any of them in the unhealthy thought patterns that they have already developed.  Maybe that doesn't make sense to everyone.

When I cover my baby to nurse him, I am not doing it for me or my baby - I am doing it for the protection of young men (and old men) nearby that may have little control over their thoughts regarding women.  I don't want to be aid another person is his (or her) cycle of abuse.  So I cover.

Again, I am envious of my friends who are able to be so incredibly discreet when feeding their little ones.  I don't know how they do it, but I know that there are times that even other moms don't realize that the baby is eating!

What do you think about public breastfeeding?  Should babies have to be covered?  Does it present a problem for anyone you know?  How do you deal with it?

Lily Padz: Review & Giveaway

(GIVEAWAY WILL OPEN AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT)

Baby is home and we are welcoming him with cookies and warm milk.. or at least warm milk.

A couple of months ago I began a search for products that are related to green, healthy living with babies.  One of the things that makes me crazy is throwing paper into the trash.  Therefore - I am not a big fan of disposable nursing pads.  I like the idea of reusable ones, but am a little anxious about them too.  Why?  I am a type 2 diabetic and I frequently battle thrush when nursing.  I have had bad luck with regular pads because they allow moisture to accumulate and yeast to grow.

Lily Padz are silicone nursing pads.  They put pressure on the nipple that actually prevents the milk from leaking.  They are easy to apply and self-sticking.  They are washable and reusable.  These sounded like a GREAT deal.  A single pair of Lily Padz is less than $23!  A Lily Padz Starter Kit is only $36.95. 

I received a Lily Padz Starter Kit to try with Baby.  I was a little bit anxious about leaks, so for the first few days I only tried them at home.  I did have some leaks the first few days.  These were due to user error - it seems like there is a bit of a learning curve to get past when using these.  Today I chose to use them in public for the first time - all day.  No leaks.  My biggest problem was that after a few applications, they needed to be washed in order to be sticky again and I had not brought the wipes or the foam wash with me.  We used dish soap and hot water and it worked as a temporary fix - hoorah.

The good stuff

These are super easy to use once you have just a bit or practice.  They wash easily and can be used again and again!

The bad

I usually don't take my pads ALL the way out in public when feeding a baby.  Maybe that's strange, I just slide them down with my nursing bra or top and pull them back up when I'm done.  With the Lily Padz, I actually have to take them out  and put them back on in public places.  I feel a little awkward about that.

Why I love them

Lily Padz are reusable and affordable.  I feel secure in their ability to keep my dry and help me prevent yeast growth.  

GladRags Organic Cotton Nursing Pads: Review & Giveaway

Congratulations Mrs. Smitty

You are our winner

Comment #41

The first thing you need to know is that I am not currently nursing.  However, I hope that eventually, when we have another baby, I will be nursing again.

I had the opportunity to test GladRags Organic Cotton Nursing Pads.  A challenge?  Not really.  I wore the pads for a day to see how they felt.  They were soft, they stayed discreet, I forgot I was wearing them.  GladRags Nursing Pads are a unique shape that helps keep them hidden.  They form much better to fit your shape than the traditional circle shaped pad.  They are washable, therefore reusable.  I like products that help me live a greener life.  When I am getting ready to nurse again, I will want a stash of these for sure.

The top side of the pad after 6 ml of water

I wanted to test the absorbency of these pads, so I decided to do a little science experiment.  I got out a 1 ml dropper and slowly emptied it onto one of the nursing pads.  The pad was sitting on a cloth napkin, so I could clearly see how much liquid it took before the pad started to leak.  It took 6 ml of water!  I can't imagine leaking that much milk without leaking through a disposable pad. 

The underside of the pad after 6ml of water - it has just started to seep through.

GladRags offers a variety of great green products for the women in your family. 

BUY IT:  GladRags has a number of great products on their website.  Nursing Pads are $12.99 a pair!

WIN IT:  One reader will win a pair of GladRags Organic Cotton Nursing Pads.  Contest open to US residents.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment for each entry including your email address.  If I cannot reach the winner within 48 hours of the contest close, I will be forced to draw a new winner.  This contest will close on March 31 at noon EST.  Winner will be selected at random from all of the entries using random.org.

1) Visit GladRags and tell me which product you most want to try.
2) Subscribe to my email newsfeed, this will keep you up to date on new contests, giveaways, and articles.  To subscribe, enter your email address in the form at the top right column of my blog.
3) Follow Crum's This N That on Google Friend Connect or Networked blogs.  There are links to both of these in the right hand column of my blog.
4) "Like" Crum's This N That on Facebook or "Follow" me on Twitter.
5) "Like" GladRags on Facebook, thank them for the giveaway on Crum's This N That.

You have up to 5 entries for this contest!

Sponsored by Tomoson.com


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Pocket Dots: review

Warning: I'm about to clue you in on a great new maternity/postpartum product.

Now, in case you know me, you may wonder if this means I'm pregnant.  The answer is "not as far as I know".

Pocket Dots are a wonderful addition to the maternity wardrobe!  They are designed to help women who are wearing maternity belts, they hold the belt in place so it does not slide up your back and belly.  Pocket Dots are simple to use and discreet.  In this picture, I am wearing a nursing tank with my corduroys.  As soon as I slipped my sweater on over the tank top, my dots were covered.  

Pocket Dots not only work for maternity belts, but also, as I used them, for keeping a nursing tank from sliding up and showing unwanted skin to strangers.  While wearing my Pocket Dots I feel secure in knowing that I am not "showing skin".  They grip easily to your shirt, much like mitten clips for children's winter wear.

Pocket Dots come in "black" or "nude" and are a steal at $6.95 a pair!  Buy them here.

Take a peek at Pocket Dots Blog.

"Like" Pocket Dots on Facebook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.