I remember when I was nursing, I absolutely could not nurse without my nursing pillow. I had to schelp the HUGE "My brest friend" pillow everywhere I went.

And then there was the cover up issue. I hated the usual cover ups.  I couldn't nurse my baby and see him at the same time -- and I really need to be able to see him in order to latch on.

Well, one smart mom finally invented an incredible, very portable, nursing pillow and cover up in one! You have GOT to check out the Go Pillow! from Simply Necessary Inc.

 This amazing product functions as:

- A nursing pillow with built in cover up

-  A changing pad

- A Pillow and body wrap for babies

- A Portable toddler pillow and blanket

- And More!

Look at the video demonstration here to see how it works!  

You can get more information and order online by clicking here

If I'm blessed with another child you'd better believe I'm ordering this! Meanwhile, this is going to be my new baby shower gift!

One of my favorite podcasts is a psychology podcast called "Shrink Rap Radio." Recently on Shrink Rap Radio Dr.Dave interviewed Nancy Hanauer,  a pioneer in the field of American Sign Language for hearing families. Nancy was one of the first teachers creating and providing classes in North America and this informative interview will answer many of the questions you may have about signing with your baby. You can find it here:

http://www.shrinkrapradio.com/2008/01/25/134-sign-language-for-babies/

FYI, I signed with both of my children when they were babies and LOVED it! It was a great way to know exactly what they needed, when they needed it. It's not hard. Even though I am fluent in American Sign Language (I used to be an interpreter) I only taught my children about 10 signs (eat, drink, more, bathroom, pain etc)  It was so helpful and did not delay their langugage development at all!

 If you are ready to learn to sign with your baby, and don't want to take a class, I recommend the excellent guide here:

http://www.solutionsforbusymoms.com/signing4babies 

Uh Oh...I seem to be on a food kick again :)

Anyway, I just found a video on YouTube.com where Leanne from SavingDinner.com demonstrates how to make teething biscuts for your baby.  This is terrific because it will save you money -- and terrific for me because I found it hard to find kosher teething biscusts that weren't dairy as well.  (I only use a certain kind of kosher dairy stuff -- long story -- I won't bore you...)

 Anyway - here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiSMFcXXpZs&feature=user

Congratulations on your new baby!  If you have chosen to breastfeed, the nurses in the hospital should have shown you how to nurse your baby and help you choose a position that is most comfortable for you. Most woman are able to breastfeed without complications, although it often takes a few weeks for both you and your baby to be comfortable and figure out what and how it is best for both of you. One thing they don't usually tell you in the hospital is what foods to eat to make the breast milk richer.

By now, I am sure you know that drinking coffee and eating chocolate is not good for your breast milk or your baby. In the very beginning many foods that you maybe used to eating may bother the baby. Foods like raw cabbage, peas, any kind of peppers, cucumbers, milk and some other foods may cause the baby to have gas or colic.  Of course, It is  important to eat vegetables and fruits as your body is in great needs of vitamins and minerals which these foods contain. Unfortunately your baby's little stomach will not be very happy with them, but there is away to eat the vegetables and keep the baby happy.

Here are some foods that I found are very good for the breast milk and keep the baby calm:

My number one food would have to be almonds: Almonds contain a lot of calcium which as a nursing mother you need the more the better. They are also very high in calories and do not cause irritability in children, but do wonders for your breast milk.

Avocado: This wonderful fruit is full of vitamins. Make an avocado salad for lunch or have it a snack. Avocados are high in fat, but that fat is not bad. This fat will help enrich your breast milk.

Soups: I have mentioned before that some vegetables may irritate your baby's stomach. One way to introduce the vegetables is through soups. Cooked vegetables most of the time don't cause gases in babies or at least not as bad as a raw vegetable. Soups are very satisfying and is a good way for you to get the vitamins that you so much need and to give them to your baby. I use frozen fresh vegetable mix for a quick soup. Chicken soup is also very good. It is high in fat and many other nutrient that greatly enrich your breast milk as well as help with the production of it.

I personally have never tried it, but they say that a certian kind of beer enriches breast milk.   It's common for German mothers to drink stout beer to enhance their breastmilk, though I'm not sure the amount they usually drink.  My guess is that because it is very high in calories and fat it makes the breast milk richer. If you are a beer lover, you may want to do some research into what kind of stout beer to drink and how much. Check in with your doctor as well before drinking any alcohol while nursing. Don't go overboard! If you notice anything abnormal as with any other food stop eating immediately.

Meat and chicken: Eating meat and chicken will greatly increase your milk supply and of course make it more satisfying. Meat and chicken contain many nutrient that our bodies need and give us strength. Making meat as part of at least one of your meals is very important and will be a great benefit to your baby.

Oatmeal is also a great milk enhancer: Oatmeal is easy to make and can be a great snack after a feeding. A warm bowl of oatmeal with margarine or milk, a bit of salt and sugar will keep you feeling full and give you strength. Oatmeal contains many vitamins and is good for the heart. All these vitamins will be a great benefit to your breast milk and to you. Make oatmeal your choice for breakfast or any time you are hungry (instead of reaching for that chocolate bar).

In the evening, to calm your baby for the night and to help them sleep longer, I recommend tea: A cup of hot tea is a great quick way to produce good milk. Most tea's contain a lot of vitamins and are very good for you and the baby. Drinking Chamomile or Sleepy Time tea may help your baby sleep longer which will let your sleep longer too.

I hope the above information will help all breastfeeding mothers. Enjoy your babies, they grow up too fast.

 Want to learn more about breastfeeding? I recommend The Breastfeeding Bible!

When we were new moms, we all heard it said at least once, "Babies don't come with instruction manuals, you know"

But that didn't stop us!  We STILL bought every baby book, hoping for a magic manual, or combination of manuals, to help us get motherhood right, and demystify the learning process of that first year.

As our kids grew, we never stopped reading those parenting books, searching for solutions...

And if you are 'domestically challenged' like me,  you probably also kept reading books and magazines, trying to figure out how to keep your home neat, clean and clutter free.  

If you grew up with household help, like I did, you may have also  assumed, that one person should handle pretty much everything related to housekeeping -- and never got your husband to help or taught your kids to pick up after themselves.

And if you're anything like me, you ended up hating the housework and, yes, a little bit resentful of your family (Even though it wasn't their fault -- they were behaving the way YOU trained them to.)

If you're anything like me, you kept searching and searching for "solutions" that "magic bullet" to make managing it all (almost) effortless! You kept looking for the "Missing Mom Manual"  You watched videos, joined flylady, read books on housekeeping and organizing -- and not much changed. You were seeking something that would make homekeeping so simple that it would just "CLICK" into your life (and maybe you could even get your kids and hubby on board)...

And nothing ever "Clicked"

Until now...

Ladies, I started to tell you about this the last time I posted...

And I am still doing a bit of work on it...

But I am so excited that I just wanted to tell you...

Relax Mom. The search is over. I think that I have FOUND "The Missing Mom Manual"   That ONE book, that ONE system, that we should ALL be handed the day our chilldren are born.

You all know how I love to find and share solutions -- and  I don't take that job lightly either.   When I say I have found something this good...I really mean it!

This is  NOT another baby book.  Rather it will help us manage our home and familes, much more easily  THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE LIVES.

And I am PROUD to bring it to you...

In my next post!