Picking The Right Breast Pump

As you anxiously await the arrival of your little one to be born and the “Big Day” to arrive you have many decisions to make about your new arrival. How should I decorate the nursery, how long will I take off work, who will watch my little bundle of joy while I am at work…? There are tons of decisions that new parents must make. One of the most important decisions mothers will have to make is, “what will my baby eat?” Should I breastfeed or formula feed?

Fortunately this day and age working mothers still have the opportunity to breastfeed their babies with the aid of breast pumps. Research shows that breastfeed babies are typically much healthier than formula feed babies regardless of all the advances that have been made with baby formula.

If one chooses to breastfeed, picking the right breast pump is also an important decision. There are several types of pumps on the market and range in price. Hand operated manual pumps are generally much lower in cost than the electric automatic breast pump. However the hand held manual operated pumps are much more difficult to use and tend to take longer when expressing your milk. These units are effective but time consuming. The electric breast pumps seem to be much more efficient.

When choosing a breast pump many factors should be considered including the duration in which you will pump milk with the unit while away from your baby. It is a good idea to invest in a good pump and it is recommended that anyone choosing to breastfeed for longer than one month the electric automatic pump is suggested. It is very important that the right pump be chosen.

There are two types of electric breast pumps. The single breast pump and the double breast pump. The double breast pump can accommodate the expression of milk from both breast simultaneously where as it’s counterpart, the single breast pump can only extract milk from one breast at a time. Once again one must evaluate any time constraints that may be present while pumping during work hours. If time is a factor, it is suggested that the double pump be purchased.

Although the double electric automatic breast pump may be higher priced, it would be the recommended choice for anyone who will be breastfeeding for several months and anyone that is faced with time constraints while pumping.

Ensure the Wellness of Your New Baby

A new baby is a beautiful and indescribable blessing to any family. Months of preparation and anticipation lead up to a very climactic birth day. All is well it seems, mother and baby are doing wonderfully and in a day or two will head home. From the warm, safe and very recognizable, to the baby, environment of moms womb, what environment, what cocoon will provide your baby safety from here on out?

Unless you specify during pregnancy that your baby will be wrapped in only the safest and best 100% cotton organic materials possible you will receive lots of gifts in blankets and crib materials that will not be so supportive for a newborn. Let people know early on your preferences for organic and green. This will ensure safe and cozy crib bedding for your sweet baby. Why cotton and why organic?

Certain clothes, especially permanent press, wrinkle free and water resilient fabrics are dipped or sprayed in formaldehyde, which is also used as embalming fluid. Many fabrics on sofas, chairs and carpets are preserved with harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has some alias names to look for: Formalin, Methanal, Methyl aldehyde, Methylene oxide, Morbicid acid and Oxymethylene.

Long term benefits will result from taking a stand for organic, especially next to your new precious baby. Remember that organic is different than merely meeting safety standards.

With constant contact, any person, and especially a small person will acquire sensitivities. These are simply put, allergies. Without constant mineralization and good enzymes, they will get progressively worse throughout life.

Sensitivities are what many call allergies. An allergic reaction can appear as benign as a slight skin rash, or unbearable dermatitis. Allergies can also come on unexpectedly as a life threatening asthma attack or anaphylactic shock. No need for scare tactics though; it is enough said that any of those aforementioned reactions are not what you want for a newborn infant or any person.

The best way to insure a healthy environment for the entire home, starting with baby is fine though, is to buy 100% cotton, organic and from a reputable company. There are many listed in the green directories, online and most search engines.

No parent knowingly wants to harm their child; and even with the best intentioned lifestyles there are always possibilities that as a child grows that he or she will be introduced to toxic materials. Good natural health and a healthy green environment is about creating strength, not a lifetime of protection. The best defense is a mineral-rich and enzyme-full diet, healthy support and respect for the environment.

Those babies and children who have a poor diet, rich in fast foods, sugars, hydrogenated fats and sodas will always be those that go to the doctor more, are diagnosed with strange diseases, labeled ADHD, etc. Not meant simply as a general statement, it is meant to emphasize what makes all the difference between a child that survives to adulthood and one that thrives to be a productive and vibrant part of society

Breast fed babies have a great lead into life when mom is a healthy eater. Whether prenatal or during breast feeding a woman should eat well so that her health can recoup post natal.

What to Do If You Suspect Allergies?

First of all you must stop all contact with the irritant whether it is a food, a fabric, an environmental contaminant such as air, water, etc. This is most crucial when dealing with allergic reactions suffered by the very young or the very old.

The body is equipped with digestive juice factories. Some are located in the mouth, some in the stomach, some juices that digest travel from the liver and pancreas through the hepatopancreatic duct to supply digestive help in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

When the body is depleted of the juices it needs to digest, even proteins which could be building blocks, become instead boulders the body simply carries along until it has the capacity to rid itself of what has become a liability. At this crucial point 75% – 80% of all foods ingested should be raw or lightly cooked.

During times of allergy outbreak, and I would add always, dairy should be avoided completely, along with any food that looks white or colorless, processed meats, canned or pre-packaged foods and sugars. In addition, having a good naturopath or nutritional counselor will create the support the parent needs to do the right thing for children who struggle with health.

Precautions and Solutions

Creating Green Environments is going to be our best ally for the future. Begin small and add on something new each month.

Eating whole and natural creates whole Human Beings. If you are pregnant or newly into parenthood ” begin now. Begin throwing out dead foods and replace them one by one with live food. Make it a family quest and project. What fun!

Create an organic nursery for your organic and healthy baby. This is a new beginning for your entire family, no matter whether you are expecting child #1 or #5.

Look for whole and green everywhere. Expect the best and insist upon it. To Your Best Health, Ellen Valentine, CNC

Is Breast Pumping Right For You

A breast pump is an automatic device that can be used to bring out milk for later use from a breast feeding woman. The way a breast pump works is a lot like to milking instruments used in commercial dairy companies.

The mile that has been extracted can be stored so that if needed anyone can feed the baby by a bottle. In come cases the mother can produce more milk than the baby can hold. In this situation a breast pump can be helpful when the breasts become engorged which can prevent proper latching by the infant. When a woman uses a breast pump it relieves pressure. A breast pump can come into play when you have a child that cannot properly latch onto the breast. Since breastfeeding helps to speed up the recovery process in a pregnancy, many times woman will continue breast pumping even when they no longer need to breast feed.

There are many types of breast pumps to choose from. The main differences you have are automatic or manual. Which most women prefer the automatic, and that they can just lay back and let the machine do all the work. You also have double and single breast pumps, and if you are all about saving time then you will want to invest in a double breast pump.

You should started breast pumping as soon as the baby is born. A high grade double electric pump can be used to help build up your supply of breast milk.. Many hospitials can supply a breast pump for you while you are still in their care. For the first couple of weeks you will need to use a breast pump 8-10 times in a 24 hrs time frame. The more you pump the better stimulation which establishes a good supply of breast mile. The hospital can provide the instructions on how to store and transport the milk to the bottles. You should follow the guidelines to avoid passing harmful stuff to the baby. Knowing how to sterile bottles and sterilize pump is very important as well

You need to use pump the breast at least 6 to 8 times in a day that the mother is able to start direct breastfeeding. Then, lower the length of pumping by a couple of minutes if the supply becomes very large. Even if the babys intake is down, as in the cases of premie babies, breast pumping needs to continue on as though the baby was born at fullterm.

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