#26 Support and Be Supported

http://www.facebook.com/LittleSpiritsGarden

When life throws your a curve ball, make sure that you:

• Surround yourself with supportive people.
• Reach out to like minded people.
• Learn what you want to know about your circumstances - knowledge can take away the feeling of helplessness.
• Support others like others have supported you (helping others takes us out of our heads too).

A life altering event for me was the loss of a very much wanted baby. The joy we felt upon learning of my pregnancy was out of this world, then when I nearly lost my life and had to have emergency surgery to remove my baby my world changed forever. Nothing could have ever prepared me for the sudden kick of grief that hit me and pulled me down.

What got me though this sad milestone in my life (outside of those close to me) was a group I found online, a group of women who experienced similar pregnancy losses.  Such an intimate experience can sometimes only be understood by those who have or are undergoing the same. That group was a lifeline to me.  As I healed I was able to help new members who had recent losses;  I was able to support them with knowledge of what to expect next, ways of coping, messages of hope, and simply by being there.

I still participate in that group today, as a support person, and am always very attuned to the topic of pregnancy loss.  In fact, what sparked today's posting was an ad I  came across for a proposed garden called the Little Spirits Garden, where families can remember and honour their lost little ones.  I also learned of a group called Empty Arms, a group that I don't believe existed when I found my online support.

Remember, no matter what curve balls life is throwing you, no matter what you are going through, take care of yourself and be sure to give back and support others too.


To help Grieving Families who have lost an unborn child or newly born little one, please take a look at the Face Book Page for the Little Spirits Garden  http://www.facebook.com/LittleSpiritsGarden  and Please Share .  Even if your life has not been touched by such a loss, chances are someone you know has experienced such a loss, even if you don't know it.



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#20 Dream Feed

Help Your Baby and Help Yourself

 

Chances are if you are a first time mom you may not have heard of Dream Feeding.  No, it is not sleepwalking to the fridge and filling up on lots of food!   



Dream Feeding refers to feeding your baby, by breast or bottle, once they have fallen asleep.  Why, you may ask, do moms try this?  Firstly it can help to satisfy a baby who wakes up frequently with hunger pangs.  Secondly it can provide you mom, with a longer stretch of uninterrupted sleep.

Give it a go, maybe it will work for you and baby.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Dream Feed just before you go to bed.  That way you will (hopefully) increase your chances of getting more sleep before you are awakened for that first night feeding.
• Ensure your bottle is ready or your breasts are prepped.
• Choose a location close to baby's bed.
• Lower the lights and minimize any noise, next pick baby up, careful not to wake him/her.  Get comfy and cradle your bundle of joy.
• Ensure the nipple has a drop of milk on it and then gently put it into his/her mouth.  If baby's mouth doesn't open right away, you may need to carefully open his/her mouth and wriggle the nipple around a bit to trigger the sucking reflex.
• Tried the above and it still isn't working in that baby isn't taking the nipple?  No problem, just shift your position a little, enough to disrupt his/her sleep but not enough to wake baby.
• It may take a few tries, but that's okay.  Be patient and take it slowly.
• Once you feel the feeding is sufficient it is time for bed - for both of you!

In summary, for the Dream Feed what you are in essence doing is filling up baby on your schedule for this one feeding so that he/she will be more likely to sleep that much longer before the next one.  This will hopefully give you something that you really need and long for ..... a little more shut-eye.

Sweet Dreams

Image courtesy of papaija2008/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#17 Sunshine

 

Let the Sun Shine In

 

It is that time of year where we are seeing the sun more and more.  Take advantage of this brilliant source of warmth and rejuvination.

Inside  Draw the curtains open, make sure the sun has every opportunity to come into your home.  Take a cat-nap on the floor.  That's right, take a bit of wisdom from our feline friends and find a ray of sun, then lie down in it even if just for a couple of minutes.  Feel the warmth of the natural light envelope you.  If your wee ones are with you, have them lie down as well and to keep them occupied tell them how kitties love basking in the sun, then ask them to pretend they are kitty cats - get them purring.

Outside  Even as little as ten minutes of sunshine a day will boost your vitamin D levels and make you feel good. 

• Go for a stroll. 
• Parking somewhere?  Park a little further away and walk that much longer. 
• At work?  Take your coffee break outside. 
• If you are at home with your little ones make sure you invest in some solid backyard toys and give everyone a backyard break. 
• If your little ones are napping, open your front door and sit on the steps, close your eyes, breathe, listen, and enjoy.

Image courtesy of Tanatat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#16 Stuck at Home Sick Tips

When You are all Sickies and stuck at home!

When you and your young children are all sick and stuck at home it can feel like each hour stretches on endlessly - you wiped out and yearning to "sneak" even a two minute lie down, and they, cranky, coughing and getting bored with being inside.  So......what is a Mom to do and not to do?

Here are a few ideas: 

• Do not get out the play dough recipe.  Making Play dough and runny, snotty noses are not a good match, while this might be a no-brainer, I was tempted by the "time factor" to get out the play dough recipe and give it a go.  That is until I saw my son take his hand and swipe it across his runny nose then wipe it all over his sleeve!
• Make smoothies - great for nutrition and fun for the kids to pick out the fruit (wash well).  Our favourite smoothie is made of frozen strawberries, frozen spinach, bananas, yogurt and milk.  The fun part for my kids is taking turns pressing the button to make it WHRRRRRRR.
• My all time standby is taking a whiff of my Vicks Vapour stick - useful and comforting with no sticky mess.
• Bath play time for your little one, no matter what time of day.  My favourite "sickie" bath scent is Life Brand's Hypoallergneic Vapour Bath with eucalptus, menthol, and rosemary.  Run bath, toss in a bunch of bath toys (Infantion Bath Tub Pals are great!) and a bath book, then sit back and watch your little one play away while getting clean and loosening their congestion (and yours too!).  While you are immersed in that steamy bath air imagine that you are really in a tropical paradise.
• Sleep.  Pretty basic tip, isn't it?  But one we Moms have trouble following!  When you finally get your little one(s) in bed, be it nap time or night time, do not, and I repeat - do not, feel compelled to use this time as "me time", or time for any other tasks.  The greatest task at hand for you is getting healthy again, and this means SLEEP!
• Your little one's attention span is going to be even shorter when he or she is not feeling well, so make sure you have some creative ideas on hand and interchange them frequently.  A few ideas:  Simon Says, playing "School" complete with paper and crayons, a favourite cartoon, building towers with cardboard boxes and then knocking them down, reading a book, practicing animal sounds, building a fort with a blanket or chair, or erecting an indoor popup tent and tunnel, have a summer picnic on the living room floor complete with picnic blanket and snacks.   The bottom line: just remember to go with the flow, mix it up, and make sure to include some physical activity (while monitoring your young one's sickieness)!
• Drag yourself to the shower soon after waking up.  I know, this can be so hard when you are so terribly tired and feel out of sorts.  It is easy to put it off, but don't - a shower will get all the bacteria off, and the hot water will refresh you.  Make it a short one if you must (with wee ones we don't often have a choice!). Here is a tip:  Alternate four times of approx. 30 seconds each between hot and cold water - it is very reviving and gets your circulation going.  This is the same premis behind the cold dunk pools at many hot springs resorts.
• Keep warm.  Allow yourself to cozy up in your PJs or favourite sweatpants and puffy sweater - all day!  Often when we are sick we are chilled easily.  The key here is to keep yourself comfortable.
• Nourish yourself. Have lots of soup on hand if your appetite is diminshed or your throat is simply too soar to eat.  DO NOT eat tomato soup if the latter, its acidity may irrate your throat.  I especially love butternut squash, chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, or sweet potatoe soup when I'm not feeling well, and the kids love these soups too especially if I throw in a few "wormies" (egg noodles).

Do you have any suggestions for when you and your little ones are sick? 



Image courtesy of  David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#11 What do breasts and sheep have in common?

Q What do breasts and sheep have in common?

A Lanolin.

That is if you are breast feeding your little one and using one of the many nipple care products containing lanolin.

Lanolin is commonly used by women to prevent chaffed and cracked nipples while they are breastfeeding.

After learning the hard (and painful) way with my first baby, I, after a process of trial and use/error, finally found my preferred lanolin product (There are many nipple creams and pure lanolin products out there.). The lanolin brand that I prefer is Medela's Tender Care. Its consistency is smooth and soft unlike so many of the other brands, thus making it easier to apply. With one other popular brand, I found that straight out of the tube the ointment was thick, sticky and tacky in consistency and almost had to be warmed up in order to apply ( an extra step a nursing mom doesn't need to add to her all ready hectic regimen).

While I am still breast feeding our youngest, I realize now that lanolin will continue to have a place in our household even after I am no longer nursing.

Now - back to the sheep! You may be asking "OK, get on with it. What do sheep have to do with all of this?" Well, Lanolin is a mixture of wool fat and water, it is derived from the sheep's oil glands.

Lanolin is found to be very similar to the oils secreted by human skin. It protects the skin while allowing in air and letting your skin breathe. It has healing abilities largely because it:

- has antibacterial properties

- is water repellent, and it

- seals in moisture

So next time consider reaching for a tube of lanolin for those chapped lips, that little scrape, or that irritating pimple!

But for now, if you are nursing, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT, take your ladies forgranted, take care of them and lanolinate them!

Do you have a favourite lanolin product? If so tell me, share with your comments!

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Tarling

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=129