Funny thing about this Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes recipe: It’s low in fat. Crazy, right? Laura never shares “low fat” recipes. (Though she does sometimes talk about herself in third person.)
Trust me, I did not do this on purpose. I didn’t substitute the butter for applesauce in order to cut down on fat consumption. I did it to create a yummy fall recipe. I did it because applesauce makes a recipe quite moist and flavorful. I did it because as it turns out, this recipe works better without any butter or coconut oil. Who knew?
I tell you what, though. Make these pancakes, then slather them with real butter or natural peanut butter. Those are good, real fats our bodies recognizes and uses to nourish our brains and bodies. Go easy on the maple syrup though, because sugar is where many of our health problems lie. Poor fat. It gets all the blame for what sugar is doing to us. (Don’t get me started.)
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used freshly ground hard or soft whole wheat)
Milk or water to reach preferred batter consistency
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Add milk or water to make a thinner or thicker batter - however you like it.
Cook pancakes on a buttered griddle, flipping once they become bubbly.
These take a bit longer to cook compared to regular pancakes, so turn the heat down so the outside doesn't burn while the inside cooks fully!
Hearty White Bean and Ham Soup, perfect for cold winter days! White beans, ham shanks, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, Tabasco, and herbs.
Photography Credit: Elise Bauer
When the weather turns cold, and all you want to do is stay cozy and warm, the best thing to do is to make a big pot of hearty soup. On days like these, nothing is more comforting than this ham and white bean soup. (Well, maybe some fuzzy woolen slippers, but you can’t eat those!)
It’s one of my favorite recipes on the website, and one that my father has been making for the family for decades. He makes a big batch (doubles this one) and because it just gets better as the days go by, we’ll enjoy it for dinner one night and then for lunch for several days afterwards.
Why is it that some stews and soups improve the next day? I think it’s because the flavors from the beans, ham, and vegetables have time to blend. The starch from the beans settles more into the broth making the soup thicker and more stew-like too.
Original article and pictures take www.simplyrecipes.com site
I’m working on some yummy new recipes and fun new printables to share with you this week, but for today I wanted to pop in to tell you where I’ve been finding many of my supplies for the simple home remedies I’m learning about.
It’s important to note that the ingredients needed for making home remedies are pretty simple. The hard part for me has been knowing exactly what to do with them. I knew lavender was good, but what to do with it? Bath salts are healing, when used how? And on it goes.
Now that I have my collection of resources all put together in my Home Remedies Binder, I can easily reference it to know what I need to do. (The notebooking printables for this are free for the grabbing, so go do some grabbing.)
The basic supplies I currently have on hand I’ve listed here.
A collection of essential oils to use daily as we need them. I always have basics like peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and lemon, plus combo bottles that are blended for aid in digestion, for headaches, and an immune booster. (It’d give you the names of these combo bottles, but every company calls them something different.)
Bags of dried eucalyptus, red raspberry, lavender to make teas or baths
Epsom salt
Pre-made tea bags (to make life easy) – peppermint, immune booster, red raspberry
Apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, onions, oats, fresh ginger root
Herbal salve
Where to buy supplies to make home remedies
There are hundreds of online sources for buying ingredients needed to make home remedies. I’m only listing a few here, because these are the places I’m purchasing from right now as I build my “medicine cabinet.”
I order my vanilla bottles through this company, but how silly that I haven’t ever looked at their herbs before. Well, shucks, I didn’t really know what to do with them, I guess. But sure enough, Mountain Rose Herbs carries a big supply of herbs. Go figure.
iHerb doesn’t carry much in the way of loose-leaf herbs, but they do carry a nice variety of vitamins and supplements if you find something you’d like to order ready-made. They also offer a $5 coupon to new customers and free shipping on $20+ orders, so that’s pretty sweet!
What do you do when your child needs healing, especially of the spiritual or emotional variety? Here’s my story.
What do you do when your child needs healing, especially of the spiritual or emotional variety? Here’s my story. Here at Keeper of the Home, we believe in living whole. What good is feeding the body if you are not feeding the soul?
By Ann Timm
I was asked recently to remember some things from my past that were difficult. To remember the fear and the uncertainty of every next step.
Honestly, I had buried it so far deep that it was hard to remember. It was hard to find that pain again and flush it out. But that’s what I was doing, trying to flush it out. Dig it out.
I had been in a bad place for many years and when I finally got strong enough to get out of that place that hurt so much, it just brought more pain and hurt.
Every minute of every day became a battle. Just to stop and breathe. And stop and be.
Do you know the song, ‘Hold Me Jesus‘? I was shaking like that leaf. Facing a mountain that towered over me, daring me to move. Scared to death to go forward and scared even more to go back.
Well, sometimes my life Just don’t make sense at all When the mountains look so big And my faith just seems so small
So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf You have been King of my glory Won’t You be my Prince of Peace?
It’s not a place I want to go back to, not even just to remember.
When Jesus took me in His arms and took those steps that I couldn’t take, I buried those memories. I buried that fear and that pain. So deep that I couldn’t even dig them out. Until today. Today someone asked me. Today one of my babies needs healing. He needs to heal to be able to grow and become a man and to know and to love himself and know he is loved, he needs to know what only I can tell him.
So, with a love only a mother knows, I was able to dig so deep that he can be set free and begin to heal.
And I begin to heal, too.
~How appropriate that this was happening over Easter, just a few days ago, when we were faced with the Cross and the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us, the ultimate sacrifice that gave so much hope to the world. To you and me. And to my son.
I take my fears and my mistakes, my sins and my sorrows, my anxieties and my worries to the cross…and yet HE carries me. He gives me hope and he gives me His unending love, His joy, and His grace.
Do you have a child who is hurting? Quiet, distant, unresponsive? A teenager that is standoffish, secretive and guarded? Have they been through some kind of trauma? Do they talk to you openly about it? Are they so young that you think they won’t remember or know about it?
Even if they were young and it seems their mind doesn’t know or remember, their body remembers and reacts accordingly. If your child has been through trauma of any kind and at any age, I urge you to get them to talk to someone skilled in digging up the damage and giving them a safe place to unwind the hurt. Someone who understands. Don’t wait. And don’t hesitate to see a counselor or therapist, pastor or psychologist.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with having someone to talk to who can give you knowledge and wisdom to help with whatever you or your child are facing. I’ve lived through trauma and I have a mentor. My husband has lived through trauma and has a mentor. ALL six of our kiddos have lived through trauma. We have a family therapist, mentors and psychologists that we encourage our kiddos to talk to when they are struggling and don’t know how to talk to one of us.
People hurt. And hurt people hurt (others).
If you are complaining about the cost, lets get real…you pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year for your child to play sports or take music lessons and carry around cell phones and you make a huge investment in their college education. Make an investment in them. How much more important is it to make an investment into their soul and make them whole.
You are not alone. Please don’t let your child go on feeling alone.
There is hope. There is healing. He gives new beginnings. Lets begin again.
It's not easy when your child needs healing, because it might mean YOU need to revisit some things. There's always hope, though, in the arms of Jesus.
How has Jesus helped you heal? Do you or your child have a deep hurt? Who do you talk to?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through our links, we earn a small commission, which helps to keep this site going so that we can continue to offer free and useful content, so thanks!
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Hearing from God is worth the effort. Our restless and frazzled minds are soothed in the presence of God...and yes, we can even enjoy it!
By Stacy Karen, Contributing Writer These apple-spice cookies have a light sweetness and soft texture; they're a perfect grain-free treat for the holidays. As an added bonus, they…
Now that it's autumn, cold season is just around the corner. However, having this homemade herbal throat spray on hand can help give relief to…
Ann Timm
Ann Timm considers herself blessed to be the wife of a Christ follower and mother to six amazingly cool kids. She strives to keep a happy, healthy home, although she openly admits to failing often. She loves to share her foibles and encourage other women on their journey to healthy living.
When You’re Tired of Breastfeeding When You Feel Burnt-Out from Breastfeeding!
I was totaling up the other night how many years I’ve spent nursing my children. After four children, it’s just under seven and a half years and counting. Our youngest is 18 months old and still loves to nurse, showing no interest in weaning.
I’m fully committed to breastfeeding past one year. The physical, emotional, and mental health benefits are incredible, and I believe it’s good for moms, too! However, I wouldn’t for one moment lie that breastfeeding is always full of fuzzy, lovely, rose-hued moments, especially at this point in the game (for me). Sometimes I start to feel a little tired of nursing. Perhaps it might be called Breastfeeding Burnout?
If you’ve breastfed for any extended period of time, you might recognize the symptoms: the overwhelming desire for personal space, general fatigue, mild irritability (at times directed towards the nursling), dreams of burning nursing bras and pads, and the like. Can you relate?
I think it is completely normal and natural to at times feel a little burnt-out from breastfeeding, especially when your little one is going through something that renders them extra needy or clingy. My youngest, for example, is having a hard time with her last two teeth. She caught some bug that gave her a fever, cough, and runny nose, and she seems to have a hefty dose of toddler separation anxiety recently. Her favorite remedy, of course, is nursing, but after so many tugs at my shirt, I sometimes get that Breastfeeding Burnout feeling.
Ever had Breastfeeding Burnout? Rather than just quit, here are 7 things you can do to to overcome feeling tired of breastfeeding. https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2013/05/24/tired-of-breastfeeding/
So, what to do? Rashly wean? Run and hide? Snugly wrap yourself around the chest in duct tape?
While those might be tempting options in a moment of despair, I think there are better ways.
1. Remind yourself why you are breastfeeding. Maybe the nutrition is a high priority for you. Maybe you want your baby’s oral development to be at its best. Maybe you know that your toddler’s emotional needs are strongly met through nursing. Maybe you have a whole host of reasons! Give yourself a pep talk and run through your list of reasons. Reread some supportive literature on breastfeeding. Visit an encouraging blog (like the series featured here!).
Ever had Breastfeeding Burnout? Rather than just quit, here are 7 things you can do to to overcome feeling tired of breastfeeding. https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2013/05/24/tired-of-breastfeeding/
2. Look at your healthy baby, and pat yourself on the back! Sometimes we just need a good reminder that all of our hard work is paying off. When nursing that little person starts to feel like a chore, rather than a joy, take a step back. Look at the chub, the rolls, and the dimples. Admire the sweet active mind that is learning so much. Take in the special bond that you have with your baby or toddler. Breastfeeding led to much of that, and we should feel rewarded for giving our baby a great start in life.
3. Give a supportive friend a call. Don’t we all need to vent sometimes? Talking to a friend who supports your breastfeeding choice can be such a refresher! I know there have been times when I’ve just needed to talk to someone who knows what it feels like to suffer from a bout of Breastfeeding Burnout. I may not want advice. Just a bit of empathy does wonders!
Ever had Breastfeeding Burnout? Rather than just quit, here are 7 things you can do to to overcome feeling tired of breastfeeding. https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2013/05/24/tired-of-breastfeeding/
4. Reach out to a breastfeeding support group.Groups like La Leche League have made it their mission to encourage breastfeeding moms! Perhaps there is a local group near you, or even another similar organization that can lend more support than just a kind friend. Maybe you do want a little advice. Maybe there’s a specific cause for your Breastfeeding Burnout that could be greatly helped by talking with someone who has a lot of experience. The ladies that lead these groups have a desire to help breastfeeding moms; take advantage of that!
5. Talk to a wiser, Titus-2 woman. When we’re in the thick of raising little ones, it is can be so hard to keep the perspective that this stage of life truly doesn’t last forever. Finding a godly woman who has experienced this stage of life (and lived to tell about it) might be just what you need.
Ever had Breastfeeding Burnout? Rather than just quit, here are 7 things you can do to to overcome feeling tired of breastfeeding. https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2013/05/24/tired-of-breastfeeding/
6. Ask for some time away. A quiet hour or two at a coffee shop or at a friend’s house can do wonders! Perhaps your husband, a relative, or a trusted friend could stay with your little one(s) so you can regroup for a short spell. Getting away gives us the distance and quiet we might crave when having Breastfeeding Burnout.
7. Pray! It is a huge comfort to me to know that Jesus knew what it was to be tired and weary, and yet have so many needs pulling on him! Can you imagine the crowds of people who so often surrounded him, wanting to touch him, talk to him, or get something from him? When I think of these things, I know that I can go to the Lord in confidence during my small trial of feeling burnt out. Just whispering a short prayer for help, remembering that the Lord understands, often gives me the boost I need to get through a difficult moment.
Have you ever dealt with Breastfeeding Burnout? What helped you get through it?
Edited profile pic
Kristen is a Bible-believing Christian, wife to her best friend and high school sweetheart, and mom to a growing brood of sweet little people. She spends her days keeping the home, homeschooling, gardening, cooking and baking real whole foods, being a little crunchy and green, and blogging at Smithspirations. You can also follow her on facebook, twitter, and pinterest.
Original article and pictures take www.intoxicatedonlife.com site
When To Start Solids With Your Real Food Baby Cara and Hannah
14 months and still not getting many calories from solids
Starting babies on solids is something all mothers think about, some wonder when the soonest they can introduce a baby to solids is, others want to put it off as long as possible. Every family needs to choose a method that works for them; it’s my belief that not only are all babies different, but all families are different as well. Here’s what we did, as well as what Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions advises and Dr Natasha Campbell McBride of Gut and Psychology Syndrome.
I was super relaxed about feeding solids to my kids. I waited until they met the ‘baby led weaning’ criteria (could sit up unassisted, were at least 6 months old, had at least one tooth) and then offered some whole single-ingredient foods to them. Usually this was off my plate, sometimes while they were sitting in a high chair in the kitchen with me. Both of my children had no interest in swallowing solids until about a year. I would offer a couple times a week (it’s messy! I’m lazy and don’t want to clean mashed squash from the ears of a baby who isn’t actually eating anything!) and see when they started swallowing food.
Upon the advice of our naturopath, I did keep my daughter from grains until she was about 1-1/2, and then some cereal crept into our diet for a while. My son started solids just as we were starting GAPS (his first birthday ‘cake’ was whipped butternut squash with some salt and a candle!) so he has been primarily grain free his whole life.
So, I breastfed. I breastfed my babies on demand; my daughter nursed all.the.time. and my son often went 4-5 hours between feedings from birth. My children were totally different sizes; my daughter being about 6.5 lbs at birth, and my son 11 (yes, 11). Different babies are different, that’s why it’s so important to research things like feeding, but then watch your individual baby and do what is working for them. On my children’s totally different feeding schedules they both grew, and both were happy, so it worked.
You can see in the picture above that I got a little thin making milk that met the calorie requirements for a one-year-old, but both my kids were quite pudgy even at 12 months existing completely on breastmilk.
Once solids were introduced, I watched for reactions and then pretty much just fed my young toddlers table food. Knowing what I know now, I would try to keep my baby on GAPS until 2 years to establish good gut flora and provide added nutrition during the early years. Once I saw my baby didn’t react to any of the big things (nuts, eggs, dairy) I didn’t stress about introducing foods individually.
I continued to nurse, mostly at night, until 2-1/2 for my daughter and nearly 3 for my son, then I did wean them. It was an easy thing to do at that time and didn’t feel traumatic, I mostly chose the time to wean them based on our life circumstances- I weaned my daughter shortly after her brother was born and I saw that she was making the adjustment just fine. I weaned my son shortly after we moved, and again, the transition was made just fine. I was hesitant to wean before a major life change for them, so I just waited til after.
.
Some things that worked for me:
Don’t stress if they don’t eat, they will eventually (I questioned this a lot around 11-12 months with my daughter!)
If your baby is still hungry and is breastfed, look up block feeding to encourage them to get the fatty hind milk out
Salt their food! Use real salt to taste. Babies need salt.
Hold off on sweet foods like cooked fruit until baby is eating proteins and veggies.
Smile, nod, and do what you were previously doing when given well meaning advice about feeding your child.
Watch your baby like a hawk when you think someone might slip them some unauthorized food. Don’t be afraid of offending them, nobody needs to be giving your infant a lick of a lolly pop and it’s your job as a parent to protect them.
Don’t stress if your baby is ready for solids early, some babies are. Trust their bodies.
Introduce fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, and liver early, most babies like these.
Tea tree oil topically relieved mastitis :)
Fenugreek tea boosted my supply, but I also think it made my milk more sugary, make sure baby is getting enough hind milk.
Resources:
Heather of Mommypotamus wrote Nourished Baby, which talks more about what to feed your baby and why.
When the box of rareEARTH products arrived, I wasn’t convinced. Here’s what changed my mind…and why you should check them out, too.
A few months ago, a box arrived in my garage from rareEARTH products. (Yes, we are those people who don’t use our front door.)
“Can we open it?”
It’s always a special day when a package comes, somehow it make even the hottest summer day feel like Christmas.
“Mmmmmmmmm, what’s that smell? Can I have it???”
This was from one of my boys. One of my teenage boys.
That had my attention. If you have boys, you know they don’t usually like things that smell pretty. (Or at least they won’t admit it!)
I wasn’t expecting this particular box and I could tell it was from a company asking for a review. As crazy as this year has been for our family, I just didn’t feel like I could make the time for it…
But my teens kept asking if I had written the review AND if we could get more of the rareEARTH products.
And the products were candles and sprays.
The danger of candles
We have tons of candles from my husband’s old business. I avoid using them because they were cheaply made and full of harmful chemicals. (Sorry, babe.)
Black smoke trails all across the room when they burn, and when I blow them out, I have to hold my breath or I have a nasty coughing spell.
I’ve hidden them all and only bring them out when we lose power. (Although…I think the girls have their own stash of them somewhere! I know I smell something…)
Unfortunately, as cozy and fun as they can be, candles often have harmful toxins. The type of wax, the scents, and even the wicks can be made of ingredients that put our health at risk.
But my kids. kept. asking.
So I went back to the box and pulled out the brochure.
And then I realized that these weren’t just ordinary, run-of-the-mill candles.
Intrigued by the dogged determination of my teens to get me to write a review and their interest in this company, I did some research.
I found that rareEARTH is committed to creating 100% all-natural artisan products that are made in the USA. These candles and their other products are safe, synthetic free and, wait for it…..responsibly sourced!
Even more, they are beautiful.
These people are speaking my language!
Room sprays that sing hallelujah
I went back to the box and pulled out a room spray which I had no intention of squirting in my home. But now my curiosity was totally piqued!
Most room sprays, or all room sprays that I had come across until rareEARTH entered my garage, were full of more toxins. Some room sprays contain DOZENS of toxic chemicals.
So you can imagine my surprise to find an air freshener in the box! I was skeptical to say the least, but having read the rareEARTH mission statement, I took a second look.
And then I sprayed. And sprayed. And sprayed!
It was one of those hallelujah moments. AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! I couldn’t believe someone had taken on such a seemingly impossible task of making an actual room spray GOOD for your health and environment.
Sure, I can make my own. I love using my essential oils in diffusers and often use them in spray bottles, including cleaning sprays.
But this was different! Intoxicating without the toxins, made only with purified water and essential oils. No synthetic ingredients. No phthalates. Plus, it makes a beautiful, thoughtful, loving gift! Especially during these seasons when I don’t have T.I.M.E. to make it myself.
More about rareEARTH
According to their website, rareEARTH believes that “the positive energy we feel is transferred into everything we create – we hope you feel, see and smell the love and care that we put into each and every one of our products.”
Their commitment is to creating products that are 100% all-natural, are made in the USA, and are safe, synthetic free, responsibly sourced, and beautiful.
It all started in 2011 when Sherri Jobelius and Brian Paulsen started the company. They don’t cut corners, and they never have. All their products are artisan crafted by hand in small batches from their Minneapolis headquarters.
They take their mission seriously: they hand-color all their pillar candles, hand-pour their candles, mix the mineral pigments for colors, blend the oils for just the right blend of aromatherapy, and decant the perfumes to honor the ancient principles of perfumery.
Nothing is halfway. And when you see their products (and smell them!), you’ll appreciate that.
In addition, they have an uncompromising environmental standard in everything they do. That includes how they source their essential oils and waxes. It means they use only FSC-Certified (Forest Stewardship Council) approved papers. Their glassware has as much recycled glass as possible.
They also “constantly strive to reduce our footprint and examine our ingredients and processes to lessen our impact on the environment,” which also makes me feel good about supporting them.
You might expect that these candles will cost twice as much as the toxic candles that are so popular. But you would be wrong.
As I was looking through their online selection, I noticed that their prices were about the same as what you’d pay for similar candles, minus the toxins and chemicals. There are cute travel tins (which would make great gifts!) in a variety of scents, and larger pillar and jar candles. And votives!
The room mists come in 12 different scents and are in a light metal bottle. They’re easy to spray and I can’t wait to try out a few other scents. (Because those boys! And their “scents”!)
But really, finding something my teens and I can agree on…is priceless!
A special rareEARTH offer for KOTH readers!
Convinced to try some rareEARTH products? Wanting to give it a try?
GOOD NEWS! When you use the code KOTH15 at checkout, you’ll save 15% off all products.
So…go to rareEARTH and enjoy some savings on their fabulous proucts! ��
Offer is good for a limited time.
This post contains affilate links.
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Ann Timm considers herself blessed to be the wife of a Christ follower and mother to six amazingly cool kids. She strives to keep a happy, healthy home, although she openly admits to failing often. She loves to share her foibles and encourage other women on their journey to healthy living.
What You Need to Know About Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
When my husband and I decided to try and conceive our second child, I was still nursing our toddler daughter. I had a lot of questions about nursing through pregnancy. Tandem nursing was something I’d always wanted to do. In order to do that, I knew I would need to nurse through my pregnancy.
Through La Leche League and online parenting forums, I found that it was safe to nurse through pregnancy, but there was much I didn’t know before I experienced it. I didn’t know what physical and emotional changes my body would undergo. I also wasn’t aware of how the relationship with my toddler would change.
Benefits of Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
Fatigue is a very common symptom of pregnancy. Having a toddler running around made my fatigue all the more difficult to deal with. Many moms find continuing to breastfeeding allows them to have down time they wouldn’t get otherwise.
Having my firstborn snuggle my belly and feel her baby sister kick opened up a lot of opportunity for discussion about the new baby that would be joining our family.
I also feel that it created a strong bond between the girls before our second was even born. Many studies say that talking to your unborn child is a great way for mothers and fathers alike to bond. Newborns recognize the voices of those who talk to them in utero. I found this true with my older nursling and her newborn sister as well.
Tandem nursing was a great benefit and a big reason we stuck out all the hiccups along the way.
Are there Safety Concerns?
Some people are concerned that breastfeeding while pregnant will cause miscarriage or preterm delivery. This is an unfounded concern in most cases.
Nursing does cause contractions of the uterus, however these contractions are comparable to the contractions caused by sexual arousal, orgasm, or any nipple stimulation. Mothers who have been placed on pelvic rest are typically advised to stop nursing because these could be cause for alarm in their specific cases. The same holds true for mothers who are experiencing preterm labor.
Some mothers and their caregivers choose the wait-and-see approach in these instances, but it is important to be honest and forthcoming with your caregivers about nursing should you have any complications during your pregnancy. While breastfeeding during pregnancy will not cause complications, in the face of some already existing complications it can be necessary to wean for the duration of pregnancy.
Physical Changes
Pregnancy brings on many physical changes by itself. Hormonal shifts that cause these changes can bring changes to your nursing relationship as well.
One of the first issues many mothers face is nipple soreness, a very common early-pregnancy symptom that is made all the worse for some mothers by breastfeeding. Some mothers find relief after a few weeks. When relief is found varies mother to mother as does the extent of sore nipples. Some mothers try cold compresses to ease the soreness.
Nursing boundaries that many moms find effective for helping soreness are limiting nursing sessions to certain times of day or limiting the length of nursing sessions to cut down the amount of stimulation. Many moms also choose to stop a breastfeeding session when their nursling gets too wiggly. It is important to find your own personal limitations and do what is best for you and your nursling.
Most likely, during pregnancy, your milk will change. The changes vary from mother to mother. Some mothers dry up almost immediately. Others seem to have enough milk for their nursling throughout pregnancy. Some have their milk supply decrease and/or change to colostrum. This can happen from the very first weeks to the very end of pregnancy.
Drinking plenty of water, eating well, and nursing will help keep your supply up as best as it is able to stay. Nothing can really prevent the pregnancy hormones from overriding the milk producing hormone, prolactin, and changing your milk if it is going to change. Fenugreek, an herb commonly used to increase supply, should never be used during pregnancy as it can cause miscarriage.
Many nurslings will self-wean when the milk changes or dries up because they become frustrated or dislike the taste. Some nurslings don’t mind continuing to “dry nurse” in the absence of milk. As long as you are comfortable with it, it is beneficial for your continued bond and easing the transition of a new sibling.
Emotional Changes
Navigating the Booby Trap: Breastfeeding & Beyond - Breastfeeding series @ Intoxicatedonlife.com (25 authors, 40+ posts)
I was entirely unprepared for the nursing aversions I began to feel about midway through my second pregnancy. I had always enjoyed nursing my toddler, but there were times while pregnant that it made me very uncomfortable, emotionally. Tandem nursing was very important to me, so I used boundaries to limit the time we were nursing. I feared that my aversions would not go away and that I wouldn’t want to nurse my newborn when she finally joined us Earthside.
Thankfully, I went on to enjoy nursing both of my little ones after birth. Most mothers who experience pregnancy-related nursing aversion do find that they begin to enjoy nursing again after birth, if they enjoyed it prior to getting pregnant. Some moms find that nursing their toddler continues to be an uncomfortable experience and choose to either enforce more boundaries or wean at this time. Those who continue to have nursing aversions with their infant well after birth may have D-MER (Dysphoric Milk Ejaculation Reflex) and should seek help if they wish to continue breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Nutrition During Pregnancy
A mother nursing through pregnancy will need more calories than mothers who are not. Water intake is extremely important as well as having a healthy, balanced diet.
A general rule of thumb for water intake is half your weight in ounces of water. So a 160 pound person would need to take in 80 ounces of water per day. This should increase as weight is gained through pregnancy. For mothers with nurslings under a year, formula supplementation often becomes necessary to make up for loss of supply. Watching for hydration and weight changes in the nursling is helpful in assessing the need for supplementation. For toddlers who are eating a wide variety of solid food, just continue offering a healthy variety of foods.
Megan Rabideau lives with her husband, Don, and their two daughters, Lydia and Charlotte. She is a certified childbirth educator. She enjoys crocheting and sewing in her free time.
Original article and pictures take www.intoxicatedonlife.com site
What We Did To Help Our Son’s Eczema – Without Drugs
If you’ve had a child suffer from eczema, even a mild case, it can be incredibly frustrating to helplessly watch them suffer.
Our youngest son developed severe eczema when he was just two months old. We allowed one round of an oral steroid and half a tube of cortisone cream before learning that his condition was chronic and the drugs, if they were to get rid of the eczema symptoms, would be a permanent part of his life. So would be the terrible sideeffects of the drugs if we continued to give them to him.
So we chose to stop. We refused to give these life altering drugs to our baby. Eczema has been a part of his life for ten years now. Thankfully, we’ve found some answers and help.
We were learning more about nutrition, drugs, whole body health at that time. Through MUCH trial, error and prayer…we found a few things that helped him. There was NO quick fix because it has been a matter of healing his body from the inside out. Some of the things we did helped immediately (like changing detergents and soaps), but overall healing is STILL taking place five years later. I wish I could tell you otherwise.
I want to share these ideas with you…not because I’m just SURE they’ll help your child. Every child and every eczema case is different. Plus, I’m not a doctor…I’m just a mama.
Remember, we learned that eczema is not merely a skin issue…there’s much more to it than that. But, here are the best changes we’ve made and the best products we’ve found to help our son Malachi with his eczema symptoms:
We began eating organic, natural and unprocessed whole foods. You’ll read more about all of this (all over my site), specifically in my Journey to Healthy Eating series. We specifically kept Malachi away from grains and sugar for quite a while to help his immune system and to help with his digestion.
We found this fragrance and dye free laundry detergent from Shaklee to be the best and only one that would not make his rash worse. Many people have suggested that we make our own detergent, but I have yet to see a homemade detergent without borax as an ingredient, and I’m not convinced that borax is okay for our skin.
Lotion in general just doesn’t offer much comfort for Malachi’s dry itchy skin. After each bath we rub him down with BeeSilk Lotion Bar from MadeOn. BeeSilk Lotion Bar is made from three completely pure and natural ingredients. We fully trust this product. Straight coconut oil can also be helpful.
We started supplementing him with Black Current Seed Oil that we got from our chiropractor. Malachi takes it orally, plus we open up a tab and rub the oil onto his worst sores. This has been a HUGE help for his overall healing (digestive system healing) and I’ll talk more about it in my Journey to Healthy Eating series.
Speaking of chiropractors, we try to take Malachi in for regular chiropractic adjustments. If his body is in alignment, he does better. Plus, our chiropractor focuses on nutrition, allergies and needed supplements.
We limit the baths. The water seems to dry his skin more, so once or twice a week is his limit. Faithfully after a bath, we slather him withBeeSilk Lotion Bar. (Edited to note…we’re now experimenting with bathe him daily, let him have a good long soak, then immediately rub BeeSilk Lotion Bar on his skin. This seems to offer him quite a bit of itchy relief.)
He wears mostly 100% cotton clothing so his skin can “breathe” better.
Allergy testing…and desensitizing. Our chiropractor tested Malachi, then one by one he desensitized him for any allergies that he was showing a sign of. We were surprised that as he got older, different allergies showed up that hadn’t when he was tiny. It never hurts to try again. (P.S. The desensitizing process is super simple and painless…just a little different if you’re used to conventional methods of doctoring. Here’s a link my chiropractor directed me to, explaining more about this process. Not that I completely understand it. But it did help Malachi quite a bit.)
I can’t say enough about this one: SUNSHINE. We completely avoid sunscreen because it makes Malachi break out terribly. However, the sunshine makes his rash SO much better. Summer is our favorite time of the year. He always feels so much better in the summer when he’s in the sun. We just make sure he’s in the sun long enough to grab some good vitamin D…but not long enough to get a sunburn. We call it the “in the sun…out of the sun…in the sun…out of the sun…” method.
Our natural doctor helps keeps his liver and kidneys functioning properly so that toxins will be taken out of his body the way they are supposed to, instead of coming out through his skin. Find a natural doctor close to you who looks at the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms!! We could not have helped solve this chronic condition without professional help.
I found the information in the Parent’s Guide to Natural Remedies online course spot on for help with eczema. That information is a thousand times better anything I can share here, simply because it comes from professionals. I can’t say enough good about that course. You’ll find help for eczema and so much more.
Prayer, prayer, prayer. God is the ultimate healer and we are so thankful to know that He loves Malachi even more than we do.
Ultimately, we have found that eczema or not…using high quality products in our home for cleaning and eating high quality unprocessed foods is best for all of us! We are so thankful for the changes we’ve made for our family…and for the relief Malachi has found as well!
Now that Malachi is older, his eczema is much better. The worst area is on his legs, and we’re hoping that once the sun starts shining a little more regularly again and he can be out in it…his legs will clear up more. His cheeks are now SO SOFT that I CAN’T stop kissing them. And he just lets me…great little accommodating guy that he is.
If you know of any other great, natural remedies for eczema, please leave a comment letting us know. I’d love for this post and all the comments to be a great resource for parents looking for answers!
