Increasing Milk Supply

 

Welp. I took my cutie pie Nora into her 6 month doctor appointment last week and found out that she has dropped from the 40th percentile in weight to the 9th percentile. It's pretty hard for me to hear. I had great plans to nurse Nora exclusively for 8 months and never introduce a bottle. But, alas, sometimes things don't go as planned.

I've successfully breastfed two of my children without milk supply issues. With the other two, I had to stop breastfeeding at 4 months and 8 months. And now, here I am with my 5th baby. Her doctor is telling me my milk supply must not be where it should be. I'm pretty heartbroken. This is my last baby, and I wanted to really enjoy this last time breastfeeding. I love it so much, and I don't want it to end so early.

He sent me home with a bunch of formula, and I have put it away for now. I really don't want to use it. Don't get me wrong, I have bottle fed two of my kids and I don't think that each mother has to do things the way that she thinks is best. But, I really have a strong desire to nurse as long as possible. And I know as soon as I start supplementing, my milk will dry up. My baby is happy and looks healthy, so until she starts acting like she needs more than what I am giving her, I'm going to continue breastfeeding and doing everything I can to increase my milk supply.

So, I'm doing several things and have already noticed an increase in supply! I am so hopeful!! Here is what I have learned through my research and that have been prescribed to me by a doctor that you could implement in your diet and regime if you are struggling with the same issue:

1. Apply 1 drop of Fennel and Basil topically to support increased milk supply; avoiding the nipple area. I try to do this after Nora is done eating so that the smell isn't too strong while she is nursing. (If you would like to purchase these essential oils for your regime, message me and I'll help you out!)

2. Drink Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk Herbal Tea every morning. This tea is supportive to increasing milk supply as well. I first heard about it at my pediatrician's office and immediately went to Whole Foods to purchase. It is an acquired taste, but I don't mind it. And I'll do just about anything to help with this!

3. Take 2 capsules of Fenugreek every morning and night. Another supplement known to increase milk supply. I am using the brand "Nature's Way," and purchased this at Whole Foods as well.

4. Eat foods that are known to increase milk supply like oatmeal, brown rice, spinach, asparagus, salmon, apricots, papaya, hummus, and carrots. This is a great article that talks about why each of those things are important.

5. Increase Water Intake! It seems pretty obvious to me that if you are dehydrated, your body will have a harder time producing milk. I am currently trying to drink a gallon everyday. It's a doable challenge!

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Grilled Shrimp over Cauliflower Rice: WHOLE30

Um...this dinner was everything. So incredibly simple. Easy. Delicious! And I had it again for breakfast today. Cause, you know, no rules. That's my Whole30 motto! (Except that there are a ton of rules. But, ya know, it helps me cope.)

GRILLED SHRIMP
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp dried dill
Pinch of chili powder
Squeeze lemon

Heat grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the shrimp in a big bowl and add olive oil and toss with seasonings. Cook shimp. (DO NOT over cook. As soon as they turn red, they're done.) Drizzle lemon juice, and serve over cauliflower rice. I also served with a side of roasted veggies...which I kinda forgot about in the oven. So they're a little well-done! haha!

I buy my cauliflower rice at Trader Joes, but you can make your own, too.

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Sweet Potato Hash: Whole30

Whole30? It's tough, guys. But I'm 1/30th of the way done. And it is doable. If I can do it one day, I can do it thirty. Right?!

This is what we had for dinner on day one. Looks like breakfast to you? I'm throwing caution to the wind and all rules out the door for the next thirty days.

SWEET POTATO HASH RECIPE
1 large sweet potato
1 big pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder to taste
Dried Onion to taste
Dash of dried herbs
 2 tablespoons fat

Peel your sweet potatoes. Grate them in a food processor. Add the seasonings. Heat the fat in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, then add potatoes. Stir fry, allowing to brown. Then, cover with a lid to finish cooking. Done when hash is tender and a little browned. Top with an egg cooked to your liking.

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Camping with Kids.

Because I am so very girly, a lot of people are surprised when I tell them that I love camping. I do! I love everything about it! The smells. The sounds. Sleeping in sleeping bags. The stars. The campfire food. I'm a big fan. I grew up camping and really want to continue the tradition with my own family.

This was the first year that we've tried. Our trip to Southern Utah was such fun...except for the whole camping in a tent part. We went into it knowing our kids wouldn't sleep a lot, and we were okay with that. But, we didn't expect the baby to be up ALL NIGHT LONG. And he was. Luckily, I am married to the sweetest man on earth. He took Baby D into the car around 11:00pm and drove him to sleep all night. Poor boys! (The older kids and I slept like babies after they left. I felt a tad guilty about it once I heard about Jason's horrible night with the babe.)

We did some things right, and we did some things wrong. I hope some of these tips help you:

• Have a backyard campout before you go. We wish we would have done a trial run! We would have reserved a hotel room instead!

• If you are camping with really little kids, I highly recommend camping somewhere with running water and indoor pluming. We were so grateful we did. Sleeping outside is "roughing it" enough for munchkins. (Especially if one of them is sporting diapers.)

• Make sure you pick a location with kid-friendly activities and hikes. Arches & Goblin Valley were perfect for my 1-6 year olds.

• Buy a cheap flashlight for each child. Not only are they fun, but having a light at hand helps with nighttime scares.

• Make a checklist before you head out! You don't want to forget anything...especially the sunscreen and bugspray.

• Bring plenty of treats. I don't know why, but my kids ate about 3x's the amount of food that they do at home. I brought homemade granola bars, trail mix, Craisins, fruit leather, string cheese, Goldfish crackers, cold cereal, carrot & celery sticks and fruit.

• Pack warm jammies for your little ones. I am always shocked at how cold it gets at night...even after a super hot day in the sun.

• For your first trip, don't go too far from home. We were so exhausted that we went home a day early. We were so grateful that we were only 3 hours away from our cozy beds at home.

• We didn't buy special kid-sized bags for our kids. Having a sleeping bag that is too huge can keep you from staying warm at night, so we folded their sleeping bags in half. This gave them extra padding to sleep on and kept them nice and warm.

• Let your kiddos help! Our kids helped with putting up the tent, building the fire, and cooking the meals. They loved every minute!

• Make rubbings. We collected lots of interesting leaves and plants from around the campground and, using a crayon, made rubbings. Very fun!

• Don't unpack the car. We left everything but the sleeping gear in the car. It became our changing station, food center and home base. It helped things stay nice and organized.

• Let them get dirty! By the time we got home, every inch of our kids' bodies were covered in dirt. I didn't let it get to me, and they loved having total freedom to be kids.

Hope you all have fun on your camping adventures this year. We plan on trying again...in a year.

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Good Morning Hearts.

Happy Valentine's Day! I woke up my little sweethearts this morning with a heart-themed breakfast. The minnies were so excited as I flipped the heart pancakes onto their plate. And strawberries? They are naturally heart shaped. Perfect as a side or topping.

These are so easy (and fun) to make. I used a squeeze bottle I purchased at a local craft store. (You can find them in the candy-making area.) I snipped off the end to make the opening a little wider. Then, I drew my hearts on a hot skillet and filled in. Cute, cute!

***We also do this for St. Patrick's Day, shaped as shamrocks. Die the batter green for extra fun.

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Felt Flower Clip Tutorial

I'm not a bow mom.

When my daughter was a baby, she was completely bald, and she had a mom who didn't believe in bows. (Poor thing...) I thought she was pretty enough without them, and I didn't want anything to detract from her blue-blue eyes. (Check her baby-picture out in this post. She was a beauty! That was taken at Hilary's wedding. I didn't even have a bow on that special occasion!)

But now my little girl is feeling deprived. Apparently, she is "the only one at school without flowers in her hair!" Something had to be done about that!

So we made some cute little bows., and here's how we did it:

1. Cut out 7 little 1-1.5 inch circles. (I totally freehanded this whole project. Nothing perfect here. Not working in my normal perfectionist mode and it feels so good!)
2. Fold 4 of the circles in half and overlap them on each other to make a circle.
3. Sew them together. (See!? This is a project that still looks good with messy stitches. Anyone can do this!)

4. Fold the remaining 3 circles in fourths.
5. Secure each one to the center of the circle made in #3.
6. Admire your cute little flower ball thingy.

7. Freehand cut a leaf. It should look like an awkward heart. Totally okay if this is imperfect too. (This project makes me feel very liberated.)
8.  Attach the leaves to the bottom of your cute little flower.
9. Sew to a clip and clip to hair.

***Would make a darling pin, bag ornament or headband. (Imagine three of these together, attached to a headband. Yes, that would be adorable. May make one for myself in yellow.)

Let me know if you use this tutorial! I'd love to see what you make.

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St. Patrick's Day Party: Shamrock Cupcakes

On Sunday, we had my sister's family and friend over for an early St. Patrick's Day party. We throw one every year. (Having a lot of Irish blood running through our bodies, we feel an obligation.) We've developed some really fun traditions, and I thought I'd share them with you. It will be a three part series I'll post through-out the day. (Sarah, my sister, will post some of our party recipes on her blog as well, so head over there to hear more.)

My daughter wanted to make green cupcakes this year, so I made shamrock candies to top them. They were easy and make the cupcake look that much more festive. Here's how:

01. I used candy wafers by Make & Mold along with their little squeeze bottles. They were yummy and so easy to use. I purchased the dark green vanilla flavored wafers and the milk chocolate wafers. (You can buy these items at most specialty candy or craft stores.)

02. Click, Save and Print the shamrock template above.

03. Lay the template on a flat surface and put a piece of parchment or wax paper over it. Melt the milk chocolate wafers in one of the bottles and trace the outline of the shamrocks. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.

04. Melt the dark green chocolate wafers in the second bottle and fill the shamrocks. Place in fridge until hard. (About 10 minutes.)

05. Remove shamrock candies from parchment paper and place on cupcakes. (I used Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting to make my party prep a little easier. Come back tomorrow for a giveaway from Betty Crocker and BlogSpark!)

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