I recently switched my daughter from Enfamil Gentlease to Honest Formula. My daughter is mostly on breastmilk but I don't produce enough for her appetite. I supplement and the switch was relatively easy. My baby loves to eat so really I think she would take anything.
Here are some differences that I've noticed:
1. Packaging - It comes in tubs (no refills) and each tub is sealed. Unlike Enfamil, there isn't another bag inside the tub to transfer out. The tub has a pretty sturdy seal so I really like that. The tub also has a handy place to store the scoop instead of just stuffing it back in the tub. Basically, the packaging helps you keep it much cleaner.
2. Smell - Maybe because its organic but it does not have the funky formula smell. I feel its a lot closer to breastmilk like it is advertised. I know breastmilk smells nothing like the Enfamil formula that we use to have.
3. Texture/Consistency - The consistency of the milk once mixed with water is also a lot more like breastmilk. Its not so thick like Enfamil. However, it does foam up a lot which I'm not too fond of. I'm not sure if its the type of bottle we're using but there is a lot of foam as the baby is drinking it. Again, my daughter chugs it down so the difference hasn't affected her at all.
4. Price - Yes, more expensive. There are no coupons/checks that Honest sends you. But there is the bundles that help a bit and its shipped to you! I think the pricing is competitive to the other organic brands that Whole Foods carry for formula.
5. DHA - now, this is the annoying part but I understand. DHA is not in the formula. So, they have a separate DHA supplement to add into the to formula. Its pretty annoying since once open, the supplement needs to be refrigerated. And our refrigerator is down stairs while formula is upstairs. We feed BM downstairs (since the refrigerator is down stair so she drinks that during the day) and formula is fed only when she needs more (which is normally in the middle of the night or before bed). Luckily, you only add it in once a day but getting yourself to remember that, its kind of a pain. The reason behind the DHA being separate from the formula is to keep the DHA organic as well. If added, I guess it doesn't make the formula organic. And where and how they source the DHA make it necessary to be separate. It definitely is oily and constantly needs to be mixed.
I did get the free trial to make sure my baby would take it and she would digest it well. The can they sent me lasted about a week which was long enough for me to watch it go in and come out. If your baby is solely on formula, it make not be enough to see if your baby will take it well enough. We're definitely sticking to the organic formula and now I just can't get myself to even smell the Enfamil.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
What nobody tells you about pregnancy
Everyone I've ever met has always only told me about the great things about pregnancy. I've heard things from: it's beautiful, I love my body, its amazing, blah blah blah.
What nobody told me were the negatives about pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, what our bodies can do IS amazing but knowing what you are going through before it happens can help you get through the difficult part of pregnancy during and after. Knowing that what you are experiencing is NORMAL, takes away a lot of the fear that a new mother already has. So, I'm going to put it out there. There may be more but this is what I experienced:
1. Labor is known to be difficult, but the days after labor are actually in my opinion WORSE. Yes, the pain of pushing a baby out after the epidural wears off is excruciating. This makes going to the restroom all the way down to sitting very difficult.
2. On top of the pain from pushing the baby out, breastfeeding is just as painful. But, get through it if you can because it is best for baby. On top of the nipple torture, your uterus contracts at the same time and that is just double the pain.
3. You can swell up a lot during and after. I didn't swell up during probably because I only slept on my left side but I did swell up a lot from the epidural and the IV after childbirth. Took a few days for that to go away.
4. Yes, you walk out of the hospital still about 6 to 7 months pregnant. No, there is not another baby inside.
5. Immense hair loss. Terrifying. But no, you will not go bald and yes, it should grow back. This happens 3 to 6 months after child birth.
6. Loose tummy skin and skin discoloration. That takes a bit of time to go away...like up to 9 months for me.
7. Thirst. Out of no where, you will be dying of thirst. And I mean out of no where. And if you don't get that water right away, yes, it feels like you might die.This is probably due to breastfeeding
8. Prenatals. They really should just re-label them as pre and post natal. Just so you are prepared. You need to keep taking them if you are breastfeeding.
9. Hormonal changes. Remember all those changes you went through to adjust to being pregnant. You get to go through the opposite after so that your hormones return to normal. Yay!....
10. Postpartum. Please read books on this as this is a serious subject no to be taken lightly. Get educated about it before it happens so you are prepared. Make sure you warn and educate your love ones around you as well so they can help you and understand what you will be going through.
What nobody told me were the negatives about pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, what our bodies can do IS amazing but knowing what you are going through before it happens can help you get through the difficult part of pregnancy during and after. Knowing that what you are experiencing is NORMAL, takes away a lot of the fear that a new mother already has. So, I'm going to put it out there. There may be more but this is what I experienced:
1. Labor is known to be difficult, but the days after labor are actually in my opinion WORSE. Yes, the pain of pushing a baby out after the epidural wears off is excruciating. This makes going to the restroom all the way down to sitting very difficult.
2. On top of the pain from pushing the baby out, breastfeeding is just as painful. But, get through it if you can because it is best for baby. On top of the nipple torture, your uterus contracts at the same time and that is just double the pain.
3. You can swell up a lot during and after. I didn't swell up during probably because I only slept on my left side but I did swell up a lot from the epidural and the IV after childbirth. Took a few days for that to go away.
4. Yes, you walk out of the hospital still about 6 to 7 months pregnant. No, there is not another baby inside.
5. Immense hair loss. Terrifying. But no, you will not go bald and yes, it should grow back. This happens 3 to 6 months after child birth.
6. Loose tummy skin and skin discoloration. That takes a bit of time to go away...like up to 9 months for me.
7. Thirst. Out of no where, you will be dying of thirst. And I mean out of no where. And if you don't get that water right away, yes, it feels like you might die.This is probably due to breastfeeding
8. Prenatals. They really should just re-label them as pre and post natal. Just so you are prepared. You need to keep taking them if you are breastfeeding.
9. Hormonal changes. Remember all those changes you went through to adjust to being pregnant. You get to go through the opposite after so that your hormones return to normal. Yay!....
10. Postpartum. Please read books on this as this is a serious subject no to be taken lightly. Get educated about it before it happens so you are prepared. Make sure you warn and educate your love ones around you as well so they can help you and understand what you will be going through.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Sleeping through the night routine
As a friend is set to have her first baby soon, I thought I would share how I got my 2 girls to sleep through the night around 5 to 7 weeks old without sleep training. I have read all the books and methods out there and I came up with 1 that worked best for our girls. Of course, every baby and family is different but this is what worked for us. Please remember that every baby will sleep through the night at their own pace if you allow it and I believe that is the healthier way to go. It is our job to assist them in doing so naturally.
Here are the steps that we follow religiously:
1. Start cluster feeding 3 hours prior to set bed time. We start bed time at 11pm because we would like the baby to sleep through to at least 6 am. Doesn't mean we keep her up the whole time, we will let her cat nap between 7 to 9 pm.
2. Right before the last feeding, change baby's diaper and swaddle.
3. Give baby the last bottle. No assisted burping and allow baby to digest and burp on their own while sitting up at an angle. During the last feeding, your baby should be dozed off and sleeping. If you pat your baby to burp, you may wake her up. Gas naturally rises so by keeping her propped up, she should burp on her own. Rubbing her back may help. Try to not rock our bounce your baby to sleep.
4. From day one, we put our babies in their own room in their own crib. This is your choice. We bring baby to her room in the dark (no night light on). DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM.
5. When you baby wakes up in the middle of the night, make a bottle (we use formula at night so it keeps baby full longer). We use bottle instead of nursing because nursing takes too long and keeps baby out of the crib and sleep routine longer. During the first 4 to 5 weeks, we do change the diaper while the bottle is warming. DO NOT TALK TO BABY OR TURN LIGHTS ON. We keep a dim night light in the room and turn on the night light during the diaper change and feeding. Feed baby, allow time to digest (15 minutes or so), and put baby back down in crib asleep. Repeat as necessary.
6. In the morning, when your baby wakes, turn on lights or open blinds. Change diaper and feed. At this point, keep your baby up.
For naps during the day, we keep the blinds open. The key is to have your child's body understand the difference from night and day. Once you establish that, your child will start to sleep longer and longer stretches.
Tips:
1. Prepare everything prior to going to bed yourself. When the baby wakes in the middle of the night, you want to minimize the crying time. The longer they cry, the more awake they are. Once your baby starts making noises in bed, you should start prepping their bottle. I pre-measure the water in all bottles the night before.
2. Keep diapers ready on changing table.
3. Get a wrap that is easy to change diaper with at night.
4. Make sure the onesie that your baby is wearing is also easy and quick for diaper changes in the middle of the night.
5. Once baby gets about 5 to 6 weeks old, get 12 hours diapers and skip the night time diaper changes unless they go #2.
6. Sleeping through the night is about 8 hours. They will gradually increase that time on their own when they are ready. Most parents would be thankful for an 8 hour stretch so that is a good expectation to have.
7. An overly tired baby will not sleep as well at night. Make sure your baby sleeps enough during the day. A well stimulated baby will also sleep well so you have to find the balance between enough stimulation during day and naps.
Here are the steps that we follow religiously:
1. Start cluster feeding 3 hours prior to set bed time. We start bed time at 11pm because we would like the baby to sleep through to at least 6 am. Doesn't mean we keep her up the whole time, we will let her cat nap between 7 to 9 pm.
2. Right before the last feeding, change baby's diaper and swaddle.
3. Give baby the last bottle. No assisted burping and allow baby to digest and burp on their own while sitting up at an angle. During the last feeding, your baby should be dozed off and sleeping. If you pat your baby to burp, you may wake her up. Gas naturally rises so by keeping her propped up, she should burp on her own. Rubbing her back may help. Try to not rock our bounce your baby to sleep.
4. From day one, we put our babies in their own room in their own crib. This is your choice. We bring baby to her room in the dark (no night light on). DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM.
5. When you baby wakes up in the middle of the night, make a bottle (we use formula at night so it keeps baby full longer). We use bottle instead of nursing because nursing takes too long and keeps baby out of the crib and sleep routine longer. During the first 4 to 5 weeks, we do change the diaper while the bottle is warming. DO NOT TALK TO BABY OR TURN LIGHTS ON. We keep a dim night light in the room and turn on the night light during the diaper change and feeding. Feed baby, allow time to digest (15 minutes or so), and put baby back down in crib asleep. Repeat as necessary.
6. In the morning, when your baby wakes, turn on lights or open blinds. Change diaper and feed. At this point, keep your baby up.
For naps during the day, we keep the blinds open. The key is to have your child's body understand the difference from night and day. Once you establish that, your child will start to sleep longer and longer stretches.
Tips:
1. Prepare everything prior to going to bed yourself. When the baby wakes in the middle of the night, you want to minimize the crying time. The longer they cry, the more awake they are. Once your baby starts making noises in bed, you should start prepping their bottle. I pre-measure the water in all bottles the night before.
2. Keep diapers ready on changing table.
3. Get a wrap that is easy to change diaper with at night.
4. Make sure the onesie that your baby is wearing is also easy and quick for diaper changes in the middle of the night.
5. Once baby gets about 5 to 6 weeks old, get 12 hours diapers and skip the night time diaper changes unless they go #2.
6. Sleeping through the night is about 8 hours. They will gradually increase that time on their own when they are ready. Most parents would be thankful for an 8 hour stretch so that is a good expectation to have.
7. An overly tired baby will not sleep as well at night. Make sure your baby sleeps enough during the day. A well stimulated baby will also sleep well so you have to find the balance between enough stimulation during day and naps.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Joovy Boob PPSU
The Joovy Boob wasn't around when my first was born so I used the Dr Browns and she loved it with little gas issues. However, the most common complaint is the amount of parts with Dr Browns. There are exactly 6 parts per bottle. The Joovy Boob has 5 parts. So, I don't think its that big of a difference in numbers but the Boob's parts are much easier to wash. This bottle is extremely expensive in my opinion but the quality of the parts speak for itself all the way down to the nipples.
Pros:
- the PPSU plastic is high grade. It will not change color, absorb odor, or change it's make up with constant heating
- the nipple is made of a much thicker material so constant washing does not deteriorate the quality. The Dr Brown nipples turned cloudy over time but the Boob ones have remained crystal clear which I love. Now, I know when it is really clean
- the added accessories are very useful. You can directly pump from your Medela pump into the bottle. This means less transferring and less chance of spills. There is also a bottle warmer sleeve that keeps the bottle warm for on the go. I absolutely love this feature! I'll warm up the milk before we head out and throw the bottle in my purse.
- no leak cap! The Dr Brown's we had had be stay upright otherwise it would leak everywhere. My biggest pet peeve. You had to add an extra part in just to prevent it from leaking. No one has time for that with a baby. With the Boob, I throw it in my purse and I don't have to worry about it and I'm ready to feed the baby whenever she starts screaming.
- 5 oz size instead of 4 oz. For newborns, I like the use the smaller bottles. Although my daughter only drink 3 oz at a time, the extra room is nice when we are on the go. I feel like with the quality of the bottles, I can use it longer before my daughter outgrows it. So, maybe justify the higher price?
I love the Joovy Boob so much that I've stopped using the Dr Brown's entirely. In fact, my daughter will no longer take the Dr Browns. The Joovy Boob, with its name, is known for a great transition between the real boob and the bottle Boob. I highly recommend this bottle. Right now, it's not available at Babies R Us but you can get it at Buy Buy Baby.
Pros:
- the PPSU plastic is high grade. It will not change color, absorb odor, or change it's make up with constant heating
- the nipple is made of a much thicker material so constant washing does not deteriorate the quality. The Dr Brown nipples turned cloudy over time but the Boob ones have remained crystal clear which I love. Now, I know when it is really clean
- the added accessories are very useful. You can directly pump from your Medela pump into the bottle. This means less transferring and less chance of spills. There is also a bottle warmer sleeve that keeps the bottle warm for on the go. I absolutely love this feature! I'll warm up the milk before we head out and throw the bottle in my purse.
- no leak cap! The Dr Brown's we had had be stay upright otherwise it would leak everywhere. My biggest pet peeve. You had to add an extra part in just to prevent it from leaking. No one has time for that with a baby. With the Boob, I throw it in my purse and I don't have to worry about it and I'm ready to feed the baby whenever she starts screaming.
- 5 oz size instead of 4 oz. For newborns, I like the use the smaller bottles. Although my daughter only drink 3 oz at a time, the extra room is nice when we are on the go. I feel like with the quality of the bottles, I can use it longer before my daughter outgrows it. So, maybe justify the higher price?
I love the Joovy Boob so much that I've stopped using the Dr Brown's entirely. In fact, my daughter will no longer take the Dr Browns. The Joovy Boob, with its name, is known for a great transition between the real boob and the bottle Boob. I highly recommend this bottle. Right now, it's not available at Babies R Us but you can get it at Buy Buy Baby.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Increasing Milk Production - Wish someone told me earlier
I've been struggling with keeping up with both of my daughters when it comes to breast milk. I've tried the teas, oatmeal, fenugreek, old Chinese ways and nothing has really really worked. Last night, I had this insane craving for a Coke so i sent my husband out to get me a big one. I don't normally drink soda and don't really care for it. Since then, my production has doubled!!! Any other moms try this?? I wish someone told me earlier. It would have saved a lot of tears!!!
So, try Coca Cola!!!!!! Hope it works for you too!! Its not great for you, but it does the trick.
So, try Coca Cola!!!!!! Hope it works for you too!! Its not great for you, but it does the trick.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Ten Must Haves for a Newborn
This list will constantly change as new products are always being introduced to the market. Some of these items weren't around when I had my daughter just 3 years ago. But here they are and its been a life saver for my family:
1. Puj bath - with our first, we got a traditional bath tub and it was scary washing a newborn in it. Not to mention it was a back killer. With this, the baby gets constant running clean water. Due to the small size, your newborn has no where to roll or slide anywhere which leaves you with both hands to wash and move fast. And, since you use this in the sink, your back will thank you. And if you have doubts of whether it will fit in your sink or not, it will. Bathroom sink worked perfect for us.
2. Saline Drops - your baby's nose will most likely get boogies and you can't use anything to help clear it out. Little Remedies has a natural saline solution that you can go to town with since its non medicated. Just salt and water!
3. Swaddle - We have a couple of different ones that we have collected over both the babies. No 2 baby is alike so try to get 2 different ones and see which one works for your family best. We use the Ergobaby wrap and the HALO Sleep sack. With the current weather, we use the HALO Sleep sack since its thicker. The Ergobaby wrap worked well for us at the hospital and it makes diaper changes really easy. The HALO has lots of velcro so be careful when you wash it. The HALO doesn't make diaper changes very easy but it has a lot more options for the thickness that you need depending on the weather. It also has the removable wrap so you can use the sack as a bag to keep baby warm in the mornings.
4. Vaseline - Or something like it. Its commonly overlooked but with your newborn's bottom so tender, it helps to keep a barrier since they poop so much. With the constant wiping, my little one's bottom was getting sensitive. She was too young to put diaper cream on it so I went with a more preventative and natural route. Solved the problem!
5. Bottles - Obviously!! But more importantly, different types of bottles and 2 types of flow for the nipple. Don't invest in buying too many bottles and be prepared to run to the store to buy your baby's favorite one. We started with Dr Brown with my first and luckily she did great with it. With our second, she would only take the Joovy Boob one well and the Size 0 nipple. It doesn't matter if you breast feed or not, you need to be prepared. Most mom's milk doesn't come in till a couple days later so you never know. Maybe open 2 bottles and sterilize those. Keep the rest packaged so you can always return them if you don't need it.
6. Pump - A good one too! Even if you breast feed, you should pump after to clear out your supply and help promote more production. Also, I got Mastisis a couple times already and the pump helped me clear it out. I received a pump from the insurance since the law now provides mothers with pumps and that one was just not as good as the one I had. The one I use and love is the Medela Freestyle.
7. Onesies - and Lots of them. I would say get at least 6 of the white onesies with the built in mittens. They do scratch themselves and no, those other loose mittens DO NOT stay on. I just have the whtie Carter ones. Easy!
8. ZoLi Nail Trimmer - You can't or its not recommended that you cut a newborn's nails since they are so soft. However, they are born with claws or at least both of mine were. So, I got the ZoLi nail trimmer which is just a filer to file them down. Safe and easy. Baby slept right through it and I was confident in using it since I really couldn't hurt her with it.
9. Thermometer - A battery operated one. I know its not as accurate as the traditional ones you stick up their bottom but it is faster and easier. I didn't have the heart to do it the old fashion way and sometimes I just get overly paranoid with a newborn. So, I use the one you shoot into their ear and I typically add 1 degree to it. If it gets close to being a possible fever, then use the old fashion one to get a more accurate reading.
10. Formula - This maybe controversial but I do know and encourage all mommies to give their baby's breastmilk. I'm not going to say breastfeed because I couldn't get both of my girls to breastfeed. I exclusively pump and give my baby breastmilk. As long as she gets it, I'm at peace with how she gets it. However, my kid had a big appetite and she needed more than what I produced the first couple of days. So, I supplemented and she was happy and satisfied. So, get some as backup you always have something to feed your baby. Its kind of like always having something to eat from your kitchen right? Even just a snack.
1. Puj bath - with our first, we got a traditional bath tub and it was scary washing a newborn in it. Not to mention it was a back killer. With this, the baby gets constant running clean water. Due to the small size, your newborn has no where to roll or slide anywhere which leaves you with both hands to wash and move fast. And, since you use this in the sink, your back will thank you. And if you have doubts of whether it will fit in your sink or not, it will. Bathroom sink worked perfect for us.
2. Saline Drops - your baby's nose will most likely get boogies and you can't use anything to help clear it out. Little Remedies has a natural saline solution that you can go to town with since its non medicated. Just salt and water!
3. Swaddle - We have a couple of different ones that we have collected over both the babies. No 2 baby is alike so try to get 2 different ones and see which one works for your family best. We use the Ergobaby wrap and the HALO Sleep sack. With the current weather, we use the HALO Sleep sack since its thicker. The Ergobaby wrap worked well for us at the hospital and it makes diaper changes really easy. The HALO has lots of velcro so be careful when you wash it. The HALO doesn't make diaper changes very easy but it has a lot more options for the thickness that you need depending on the weather. It also has the removable wrap so you can use the sack as a bag to keep baby warm in the mornings.
4. Vaseline - Or something like it. Its commonly overlooked but with your newborn's bottom so tender, it helps to keep a barrier since they poop so much. With the constant wiping, my little one's bottom was getting sensitive. She was too young to put diaper cream on it so I went with a more preventative and natural route. Solved the problem!
5. Bottles - Obviously!! But more importantly, different types of bottles and 2 types of flow for the nipple. Don't invest in buying too many bottles and be prepared to run to the store to buy your baby's favorite one. We started with Dr Brown with my first and luckily she did great with it. With our second, she would only take the Joovy Boob one well and the Size 0 nipple. It doesn't matter if you breast feed or not, you need to be prepared. Most mom's milk doesn't come in till a couple days later so you never know. Maybe open 2 bottles and sterilize those. Keep the rest packaged so you can always return them if you don't need it.
6. Pump - A good one too! Even if you breast feed, you should pump after to clear out your supply and help promote more production. Also, I got Mastisis a couple times already and the pump helped me clear it out. I received a pump from the insurance since the law now provides mothers with pumps and that one was just not as good as the one I had. The one I use and love is the Medela Freestyle.
7. Onesies - and Lots of them. I would say get at least 6 of the white onesies with the built in mittens. They do scratch themselves and no, those other loose mittens DO NOT stay on. I just have the whtie Carter ones. Easy!
8. ZoLi Nail Trimmer - You can't or its not recommended that you cut a newborn's nails since they are so soft. However, they are born with claws or at least both of mine were. So, I got the ZoLi nail trimmer which is just a filer to file them down. Safe and easy. Baby slept right through it and I was confident in using it since I really couldn't hurt her with it.
9. Thermometer - A battery operated one. I know its not as accurate as the traditional ones you stick up their bottom but it is faster and easier. I didn't have the heart to do it the old fashion way and sometimes I just get overly paranoid with a newborn. So, I use the one you shoot into their ear and I typically add 1 degree to it. If it gets close to being a possible fever, then use the old fashion one to get a more accurate reading.
10. Formula - This maybe controversial but I do know and encourage all mommies to give their baby's breastmilk. I'm not going to say breastfeed because I couldn't get both of my girls to breastfeed. I exclusively pump and give my baby breastmilk. As long as she gets it, I'm at peace with how she gets it. However, my kid had a big appetite and she needed more than what I produced the first couple of days. So, I supplemented and she was happy and satisfied. So, get some as backup you always have something to feed your baby. Its kind of like always having something to eat from your kitchen right? Even just a snack.
She's here!
So, I haven't blogged in a while but it has been pretty crazy adjusting to a new baby with a toddler. All the moms that have done this, you deserve a degree some sort because I'm not sure how to juggle both. Anyways, I promise to get back to blogging and in fact, in the next post, I will list my top 10 must haves with a newborn. But here is my newest little love!
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