Currently reading (and a giveaway!)

Non-fiction:

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams. 
This book was a Silent Spring for breasts. Funny at times, gravely disturbing at others, it covers the history of the breast from just about every angle. You'll learn about the history of bras, breast sizes and shapes, and breast implants. You'll discover disturbing facts about how closely our breasts are tied to our environment and the many contaminants in our air and water. I love the front and back cover art!

Reading Birth and Death: A History of Obstetric Thinking by Jo Murphy-Lawless.
Brilliant, acute, spot-on, a must-read for anyone involved in maternity care. I only read through page 50 before I had to return it to the library. I'm going to check it out again and finish reading.







Fiction:

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
A narrative of a young African girl captured by slave traders and sent to the American Colonies. She gains her freedom and becomes involved in the British abolitionist movement.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Fantastic novel about an emotionally disturbed young woman whose childhood was spent shuttled around in the foster care system. She finds solace by communicating through the language of flowers. Some pretty intense parts but so, so worth it.

Sideways To the Sun by Linda Sillitoe
Written maybe 2-3 decades ago, a short novel about a Mormon woman and mother whose husband abruptly abandons her and leaves her to reassemble her life. She gains newfound strength as she is forced to support her family and figure out who she is outside of her Mormon roles of mother and especially wife.






Books on my to-read list:

• Born At Home: Cultural and Political Dimensions of Maternity Care In the United States by Melissa Cheyney
• The Blood Sugar Solution by Mark Hyman
• Complementary Feeding: Nutrition, Culture and Politics by Gabrielle Palmer
• A Cultural History of Pregnancy Pregnancy, Medicine, and Culture, 1750-2000 by Clare Hanson
• What's Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption by Rachel Botsman
• The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
• Thea Gallas Always Gets Her Man by Kristen Panzer (just bought it for my Kindle!)

And finally, a giveaway!

I've been reading Everybody Has Everything, a novel by Katrina Onstad. It's about a couple who have been trying for years to have children. They finally accept their infertility, then they suddenly become parents to a 2-year-old whose father died in a car crash and whose mother was in a coma. The sudden leap into parenthood--maybe permanent, maybe not--destablizes their relationship and leaves them wondering: are we really able or prepared to take care of another human being?

The novel was a fun, fast, gripping read. It reminds me a lot of Dan Chaon's writing: depressing yet uplifting with its sharp observations of human relationships and the small details that make the story feel, well, less like a story and more like real life.

The publisher was kind enough to give me a review copy AND offer to sponsor a giveaway for five lucky winners!

To enter the giveaway:

• Write about a memorable parenting moment (funny, embarrassing, scary, crazy, whatever). If you're not a parent, write about something from your own childhood.
• Giveaway open to US residents
• Be sure to leave an email address, website, blog, or other way to contact you
• Contest closes on Friday, August 16 at 5 pm EST

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Payback time

I love having newborns. They're cute and cuddly, and best of all they sleep a lot. People always talk about how exhausting it is to be a new parent. But for me, nursing a newborn every 2-3 hours at night is a piece of cake. I feel well-rested and enjoy many good nights of sleep after my late-pregnancy insomnia.

With all of my kids, this "honeymoon" period comes to a screeching halt around right around 3 or 4 months and doesn't get much better for a long, long time.

Yep, it's happened again.

Ivy sleeping in a boat

Ivy is really restless at night and will sometimes wake up every.single.sleep.cycle. That's every 45-60 minutes, all night long. Last night I had one 2-hour stretch of sleep. The rest were 1 hour long or less. 6 weeks ago, she was waking up once or twice to nurse over a 12-hour stretch.

The more kids I have, the less I know about helping them sleep. When people ask me, "When will this get better?" or "What do I do when my baby does X?" I laugh and say: "I have NO idea. I muddle through and survive until it gets better."

I've tried keeping Ivy up extra long before bedtime. She used to have about 2 hours, so I tried 3 hours. Then I tried 4, even 4 1/2 hours. No matter how exhausted she is, she still wakes up shrieking after 20-30-40 minutes after I put her down in the evening.

I've tried swaddling, swaddling with one arm out, and no swaddling. I've tried propping her up on her side. I've tried fans and no fans. I've tried various kinds of white noise. I've tried keeping her in bed and putting her in a crib. I've tried nursing her and letting her fuss back to sleep.

Nothing really makes a difference, except nursing her--obviously--helps her calm down quickly. She wakes up all the time even when we're not in the room, so it's not just a matter of us disturbing her.


~~~~~~


Dear Ivy,

Please sleep at least a few hours at a time. I am very tired. 

Love, 

Your clueless mother

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Exercise is the joy of life

My 90-year-old German grandmother has been leading a free exercise group three times a week for 40 years. She was born in Danzig (now part of Poland) and grew up in Berlin and Vienna. She attended a dance conservatory and has always been very physically active. She also raised 8 children!

Her local newspaper just wrote a story on her exercise class. I've gone to her class, and believe me it makes you work and stretch and move!

I've been thinking about the presentation I gave to a camp for teenage girls and how I encouraged them to think about their bodies in terms of what they can accomplish and experience, not in terms of what they look like. My grandma is a great example of finding joy in what her body can still do.

Here's a teaser from the article:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, a group of women ranging in age from young adult to 95 meet at an LDS church house in Logan to exercise.

The group, led by 90-year-old Brigitta Clyde, completes a 40- to 45-minute program that works the body from head to toe.

“Every joint is involved,” Clyde said.

More than 40 years ago, the Logan [Utah] resident was asked by the Relief Society president in her LDS ward to organize an exercise class. Clyde accepted the assignment, planned a routine and decades later, the class is still going.

“It was funny, you know, when we started out together we were saying, ‘how can we do that when we are 50?’ ... and then we were saying, ‘think we can do it 10 more years when we’re 60?’ Then we said, ‘Seventy? Eighty? Ninety?’ You know, we kept saying that to ourselves as a group — will we be able to? And we are still able to,” Clyde said.

Read the rest here. 

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Garden thoughts

We're starting to harvest food from our garden! Most dinners consist of whatever we can pick plus the occasional supplemental protein in the form of farm eggs or local meats. Yesterday, for example, we ate:

• cucumbers, hardboiled eggs, and tomatoes in balsamic vinaigrette
• sauteed green beans (Masai haricot vert and scarlet runner beans)
• thinly sliced purple carrots and beets (braised and then sauteed for a few minutes in olive oil and sea salt)

Today we ate:

• cucumbers and tomatoes with vinaigrette
• green beans again
• brats from a local pork farmer (I've found a person in the area who raises pastured pork with no additives/hormones/antibiotics in the feed...and the prices are just as good or better than the supermarket)

I have a really big garden, and I'm still surprised at how little it yields, relatively speaking, to feed our family. We still have to buy a fair amount of other staples for lunch and breakfast...and we rarely have anything left over to can, dry, or freeze. How did people ever grow enough to last them through a whole year? It boggles my mind.

I'm also reminded of both how easy it is to eat garden food...and how much work it is at the same time. You can walk around, pick some cucumbers and tomatoes, and eat them straight off the vine. But you can also spend 10 minutes shelling peas and only come out with a small bowl. I admit that I'm still way too used to opening up a bag of frozen vegetables.

I'm going to try my best to do a second planting this month whenever I take something out. I'm thinking lots of kale, salad greens, brussels sprouts, and carrots. What else grows well as a late summer planting?

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Interview with photographer Meg Gregory

I'm excited to share this interview with Meg Gregory of m.e.g. photography! She is a talented photographer and mother to two girls ages 3 1/2 and 13 months. Besides photography, she has a passion for marine animals.

Meg with her two girls and her favorite dolphin

1. Tell me more about how you got into photography.

Honestly, I sort of fell into the business. I used to work for the zoo as a marine mammal trainer. When the Colts went to the Super Bowl, myself and some of my staff members worked together to make a video to help promote the zoo. It's not a fancy video in the least, but we started doing a series of videos to help promote the zoo and different aspects of our job:

• The Colts' newest player
• Dolphin Dome Session
• Dolphin Husbandry
• Walrus Enrichment

I did all of the editing of the videos, which led me to a volunteer who worked for a medical company in need of some simple video work for a new product they were launching. They hired me, and the work I received through them gave me enough income to cover the costs of new camera equipment.

In theory, I could have continued on with videography. But photography was much more suited to my interests, so thus began the spark. I'd always loved photography, always taken tons of pictures as a hobby, but never had any formal training. When I first began, the plan was to be primarily a wedding photographer so that I could just work one day per week and would still be able to stay at the zoo. (Because who would want to leave a job swimming with dolphins and petting walrus every day?!)

I went out and purchased my first DSLR camera and all of the gear I needed to get started in late 2007. In February of 2008 I began interning with a local photographer in the area, Stuart Meyer, who literally taught me everything I needed to know. How to shoot in manual, what equipment I needed, how to do formals, album design, lighting, EVERYTHING. He got me in touch with a larger company, Bello Romance Photography, so after I was finished interning with him I started working with Bello as a lead photographer.

After a year working with Bello, I began branching out on my own and soon had my business running full time. I continued working at the zoo and running my business until May 2010, when I left the zoo after the birth of my first daughter. I continued the photography business while being able to stay home with my daughter; it was the perfect solution.

2. Your nursing photos are beautiful! You've nursed both of your own two children. Please share more about your breastfeeding experiences.

I remember when I became pregnant with my oldest how scared I was to breastfeed. I came from a very breast-feeding friendly family; my mom breastfed all three of us (me and my siblings), my sister breastfeeds all of her children, my aunts breastfed, my grandmother breastfed. . . . I honestly felt a lot of pressure and worried I wouldn't succeed.

But with the pressure came a ton of support, which I soon realized how important that would be in my journey. Having my family, especially my mom and sister, there to support me, offer advice, answer questions, and assure me that "You DO have enough milk!" or "It is totally normal for them to eat for 3 straight hours every night!!" really is what made my breastfeeding story a successful one. I went from just wanting to make it past the first 6 months, to planning on going to 1 year, to nursing a toddler and researching tandem nursing when I become pregnant with my second.

Now, it is such a huge part of my life. I love it, I think it's such an amazing gift we can give our children AND ourselves, and can't imagine doing anything else!

3. How do you combine your work with mothering two young children?

Hahaha. Sometimes I do feel like I'm teetering on the edge!! As every mother knows, life is a balancing act. Over the past 3 1/2 years, I've learned through trials and failures (and some successes) what works and what doesn't.

I quickly learned more than 15 weddings a year is too much. Scheduling sessions both days of our weekend is now a "no-no". I work when the girls are asleep, which leaves me very little time to myself but that's what I do to get things done! I force myself to NOT work one day/week, otherwise I would go crazy!! Luckily, I am my own boss, so I get to pick my schedules, I set the hours, and tweak it to suit our family. It's still not a perfectly running machine, but it's getting there :)

4. What are your favorite events/people/things to photograph?

Newborns! Lifestyle photography newborns, whenever possible. I do love the newborn posed photos, but what I REALLY love are the pictures in between the pictures. When mom stops to nurse. When dad and big brother are playing in the corner. When grandma is snuggling with her new grand baby while everyone else is getting ready. Weddings are a big, important, and magical day. But seeing the dynamics of a family with a fresh new family member is beyond words.

5. Tell us about the most unusual or exotic location you've done photoshoots in.

I had a wedding this summer in Turks and Caicos -- it was beautiful!! Such a tough job, huh?? I also did an engagement shoot at the Motor Speedway and we had a special guide who took us to all of the coolest locations on the track. Those are probably my two favorite :)

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Breastfeeding photos

I am so excited to share the nursing photos I had taken last week! Meg Gregory of m.e.g. photography offered mini-sessions to nursing mothers: a 10 minute session and 5 high-res images for $35. She ended up sending me 10 color images plus B&W copies.

This is the best $35 I have ever spent. Ever.

We took some breaks to play and see what was going on.

Ivy spent a lot of her time *not* nursing. Like this:

I love this picture.

Stay tuned for an interview with the photographer!

If you were wondering, the dress is from zulily. I'm going to do an ombre dip-dye on the dress, since white is way too impractical.

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Ivy is 4 months old!

Slow down. Just please slow down a bit, little Ivy. You're changing too fast!

New tricks this month:

• laughing (for real)
• grabbing onto things, holding them, and putting them in her mouth
• rolling over
• *not* nursing when she's nursing--this girl is super distracted by anything
• I think she's beginning to recognize the word "nurse"
• pottying really well--almost every time I bring her to the potty, she will go
• wiggling and squirming and scooting herself around. No more leaving her unattended on the bed!

Ivy loves to stand up and watch what's going on. She will also jump up and down (okay, more like standing up and then sitting down) which sends Zari into paroxysms of laughter. She loves playing with her siblings as long as they are not squishing her. Which happens a lot, unfortunately.

Ivy helps put Inga to bed almost every time now. This is our routine:



Don't you love Inga's little singing voice? She requested an "I love you" song a few weeks ago, so I made something up on the spot. It's become a tradition now. I have to sing it twice. Once will not do.

And here's Ivy wiggling and talking:



Ivy is big enough for a back carry now. She's gone on some walks in the Ergo. I've also put her in the stroller a few times.

Ivy loves any form of water: shower, baths, swimming pools, sprinklers. We've taken her swimming a lot this last month. Never a single squawk, no matter the water temperature.

A sneak peek from a mini session I did last weekend with m.e.g. photography. She is AMAZING.

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A few things

The world is "so shocked" by Kate Middleton's post-baby belly. Well, I think that's a bit presumptuous. Ask any mom and she'll tell you that you still look pregnant one day after having a baby! But the article made some good points about post-baby invisibility. Another similar article is at The Daily Beast.

source: The Daily Beast

Looking for a great initiative to support? Try The Barefoot Bus, a mobile clinic providing prenatal care and health services to underserved women.

An unusual story of having a baby (unusual for some people, that is). Filmmaker James Colquhoun (Food Matters & Hungry For Change) tells the story of his family's journey through pregnancy and birth.

Ivy is 4 months old today! Will update shortly...

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Inga's weaning party

With both Zari and Dio, we celebrated the end of their nursing years with a "nursing cake." Zari, at 3 1/2, chose a strawberry cake from a patisserie (we were spending the summer in Nice, France). Dio, just over 3, wanted a Lightning McQueen cake.

Inga weaned herself relatively early at just over 2 years. Before Ivy was born, she wasn't nursing much, maybe 10-15 seconds at naps and bedtime. Her latch had become really lazy. I wondered if she would remember how to nurse once my milk came in after Ivy was born. After the birth, Eric put Inga down for naps and bed, so we didn't even get to try.

After a few weeks, I started putting her down for naps, and she asked to nurse. She put the nipple in her mouth, made a few half-hearted sucks, then just sat there. She had forgotten how. When my milk let down, she stopped sucking, like "what on earth is going on here?"

She nursed maybe a few other times--if you can even call it that. She never really asked, and I didn't offer. I don't know exactly the last time she nursed...maybe 2 months ago?

So it was time to make her a nursing cake. We baked the cake on Sunday, frosted it on Tuesday, and finally ate it tonight. Inga has been talking about it all week: "My eat nursing cake. Nursing cake for me."

Zari's nursing cake

Dio's nursing cake

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In search of the perfect pajamas...Majamas

Next in line in my search for the perfect pajamas was this set from Majamas, the Blossom nursing pajama set. These pajamas are now discontinued, but it's similar to the Majamas Genna line.

What I like about these pajamas:The fit and cut are pretty much perfect. The top hugs my curves nicely, so I don't feel frumpy (there's nothing worse than feeling frumpy in your pajamas). The fabric has the perfect amount of give. The pants fit just right everywhere.

I purposely bought something with a pattern, because solid fabrics show breastmilk and spit up stains too easily. I like that this pattern hides just about everything. 

What I don't like:
The fiber content is 92% polyester / 8% spandex. Why oh why would anyone ever make pajamas out of synthetic fabric? I didn't realize these were polyester, or I probably wouldn't have bought them. I don't like sleeping in polyester; it feels like you're always sweaty.

I looked at the new Genna line of pajamas. They're made with a new fiber called Modal, which is made from cellulose that comes from beech trees. I imagine it would be much more breathable and absorbent than polyester.

What puzzles me:
These weird circular cutouts in the inside of the top.

I have no idea what they're for. My best guess is that they're holes for holding nursing pads? But that would only work if you're not wearing a sleep bra, and I always wear one for the first 6-9 months or so, maybe even longer. (The new Genna line says it has "discreet inner nursing panels," so they must have re-engineered the top's design. I still think it's way easier to just pull the neck aside than to fuss with nursing panels.)

Even though I dislike the polyester fabric, I still wear these a lot during cooler nights. I like that they cover enough to be comfortable around houseguests.

Retails for $62. I bought mine at Zulily for $35.
.

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Ivy at 3 1/2 months

I am interrupting my pajama series to give you some uber cute pictures of Ivy. I took these this morning on my bed with my Nikon portrait lens (f2.2, iso 400, shutter speed around 80-100). I am limited on what angles I can shoot at since I don't have a backdrop.

It's been super hot here. We've been swimming at friends' pools almost every day and playing in the sprinkler most afternoons. It's been really dry but is still very humid. That has never made sense to me.

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In search of the perfect pajamas...Leading Lady Nursing Chemise

[Continued from Part I: Angel Sleep Nursing Tank Nightie]

My next pajama purchase was a Leading Lady Nursing Chemise in Azalea.

It's like a nursing tank--built-in shelf bra that unclips just like a nursing bra does--but it's long enough to be a nightgown. The hem hits mid-thigh.

We're in the middle of hot, humid summer weather, and this nursing chemise is fantastic. Just enough fabric to cover the essentials. I love how cool a true tank top style nightgown is. I've always worn scrubs/yoga pants and shirts for pajamas. Removing all that extra fabric feels fantastic.

It's also really nice not needing to wear a sleep bra with this chemise. The fabric is soft, absorbent and very stretchy with 92% cotton and 2% spandex.

Definitely a thumbs-up!

I should add that when I first wore this to bed, Eric was like "oooooooh Rixa!" and scooted closer to snuggle. So who knew that a nursing tank = lingerie?

I bought this nursing chemise on Zulily for $16.99. Normally retails at Leading Lady for $34.

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In search of the perfect nursing pajamas...Angel Sleep Nursing Tank Nightie

I don't ever remember buying myself proper pajamas. I've always worn old scrubs or secondhand yoga pants. When I was pregnant with Ivy, I decided that I deserved a really nice nightgown or pajamas. Problem is, I live in a small town that has basically one clothing store: Walmart. No thank you. I was stuck buying things online and hoping I liked them.

Today's review is about the Angel Sleep Nursing Tank Nightie in charcoal/pink, made by Breast is Best. I bought it at Zulily for $25; normal retail is $36. The fabric is a soft and stretchy 92% cotton 8% lycra.

I really like the nightgown. It's soft, comfortable, and cool in hot, sticky summer weather.

But it has one big flaw: a neckline that's easily stretched out. Breast is Best advertises that "the gentle elastic in the crossover top is pulled aside to nurse with ease." Well, there's no elastic in the neckline at all, just the knit edge binding. It's stretchy, but it's not made of elastic. And here's the result after just one night of use:

Pardon the gray, threadbare, stretched-out nursing bra peeking out underneath! The nightgown was this stretched out after just one night. After the second night, my breasts were basically hanging out.

Fortunately, I am skilled with a sewing machine. I spent a few hours taking apart the entire neckline, gathering each side with narrow elastic, and then reapplying the knit edge binding. I took 8" total off the neckline, 4" on each side. It looks much better now.

I wrote in to Breast is Best's customer service with my detailed feedback; they responded that they will "look closely into the neckline and hope that we can make it better. I have been selling this nightie for many years and this is the first negative feedback I have received."

It's really too bad the neckline isn't more resilient. I like everything else about this nursing nightgown, and I still wear it a lot.
.

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What do you like about your body?

You might have noticed the recent silence here--I've been busy going on long road trips to visit family. We got back from a 2-week trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin and left town a few days later to drive to northern Ohio.

I was invited to give a presentation about body image and visual media to a group of 120 teenage girls. They were on a week-long campout and had to be evacuated yesterday evening to a nearby church building due to tornadoes and flooding. I gave my presentation this morning, after they'd spent the night sleeping on the floor of the church. Here's an overview of what we talked about:

First, I did a really fast tour through 200 years of Western women's fashion, including Regency, Civil War, and Victorian eras, the Flapper girls of the 1920s, Christian Dior's post-WWII "new look", the lean and leggy 1960s, and current-day supermodels. I displayed pictures of both undergarments and outer clothing to show the girls how drastically the ideal female body has morphed from decade to decade. We looked at average heights and weights of the ideal female body early in this century, compared to today.

We also looked at what body types are marketed to females (uber-slim supermodels) and to males (curvy, busty women with small waists) versus the average American woman. I highlighted some issues raised by former Vogue editor Kirstie Clements; over the past two decades, she has seen models' bodies dramatically slim down, to the point that today's models often faint multiple times during photoshoots and spend a lot of time in hospitals due to near-starvation. I discussed how the majority of American females are dissatisfied with their bodies, due in large part to unattainable beauty ideals.

Next, we discussed our exposure to visual media and how extensive digital manipulation and photoediting is. I used the brilliant site Beauty Redefined for this segment of my presentation, particularly their before and after photoshop exposes. This segment was super, super fun--the girls really got into comparing the before and after images. I also showed some still photos from the Dove Evolution commercial (I didn't have video capability so had to do everything on Powerpoint).

After looking at these images, we talked about how to counteract the sea of visual media that we swim in every day. I showed them this photographer's project: "I like my body because it's magic!" She asked 4-9 year old girls what they liked about their bodies. Their answers were fascinating--they all discussed their bodies in terms of what they could do and experience, not in terms of what they looked like.

I suggested that if we can learn to dislike our bodies and to relate to them primarily in terms of what they look like, we can also deliberately unlearn and reject those attitudes. I emphasized that we need to learn to love our bodies for what they can DO, CREATE, and EXPERIENCE, not for what they look like.

I had so much fun giving the presentation. The girls were very lively and were practically jumping out of their seats to make comments or ask questions.

I know how hard it is to truly feel positively about your body. I've taken multiple graduate courses on these very topics, learned the tools to analyze and break apart visual media and advertising, and yet I still have more negativity than I'd like towards my body. So I get it. It's not just as simple as deciding you'll love your body and poof! you're done.

I shared with the girls that I am 35 years old and I still have many moments where I get frustrated with my body. I don't like how fluffy and bulging my stomach is right now, 3 months postpartum. I have to remind myself that that same body grew four new lives, brought four babies into the world, and nursed four babies. And that's really, really amazing. I had Ivy with me, so they were able to coo over her afterwards.

I'd like to hear how you relate to your body, what you've done for yourself or for your children to counteract the damaging media culture we live in. What has helped? What resources do you like? How can we stay sane when we see an average of 600 photoshopped images per day?

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NüRoo Pocket (babywearing shirt)

When Ivy was 4 weeks old, NüRoo founder Daniela Jensen sent me a NüRoo Pocket to test out and review.

I was super excited when I found out that babywearing shirts existed. I'd been searching for something that would hold my baby skin-to-skin and keep me clothed at the same time.

The NüRoo Pocket consists of a stretchy wraparound shirt with 3/4 length sleeves and velcro closures, plus a separate adjustable support belt (optional, used when you're walking or standing). The front of the shirt has a little pocket for the baby's lower legs. It is made of a wicking 90% polyester and 10% spandex and feels similar to UnderArmor fabric. It worked well in cold weather, but the shirt was definitely warm and sweaty once the hot, humid summer weather began. A short sleeve or tank top option would be a great addition to the NüRoo line, I think!

I received a M/L size, and I'd definitely recommend choosing the smaller of two sizes if you're in between. I'm a solid medium (US size 10, sometimes 8) and if I were any smaller, I'd choose the smaller size.

To put the baby in, you put your arms in the sleeves, place the baby in the pocket, and close each side. Then attach the support belt to secure the baby's weight. Like this:

NuRoo Pocket: Demo Video from NuRoo Baby on Vimeo.

I really, really wanted to fall in love with the NüRoo Pocket. I love babywearing and I love doing skin-to-skin with my newborns. I liked it, but I also had some frustrations with the shirt. After a while, the support belt gave me a backache. It pulls all the weight forward onto your lower back. Ivy would also gradually slip down, no matter how far I tightened the belt or how tight I fastened the shirt.

I think the biggest drawback is the timing of when I received the NüRoo Pocket. By 4 weeks postpartum, I was fully back into my normal, active life. The NüRoo Pocket is best for those early, snuggly weeks when you're (ideally) resting and keeping off your feet. I would have used it every day right after Ivy's birth.

Here's a picture of Ivy snuggled into the NüRoo. I took it last week. I'm guessing she's at the upper limit of what the shirt can carry. She's nice and chubby :) Sorry for the picture quality--I had to cajole Zari into snapping photos while we were packing for vacation.

I found that you can also use a sash or scarf of your own in lieu of a support belt--a great way to change the look of the NüRoo!

Retails for $59.99 at Babies R Us. 
.

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Interview with NüRoo Pocket founders

As co-founders of NüRoo, Hope and Daniela have 8 kids between them, are certified by the US Institute for Kangaroo Care (USIKC) and passionate about attachment parenting. Hence the tagline of their brand, "Closest to Mom. Best for Baby."

Hope, Daniela, and their eight children

Q: Tell us about you..

Our path to parenting couldn't have been more different. Hope struggled with conceiving and found her way through IVF, adoption and in the end natural child birth. Daniela became a mom to her husband's 1, 4 and 6 year olds prior to delivering their last two daughters. Our families are big, boisterous and nothing short of inspiring. Among the madness, we found each other and found NüRoo from our shared passion for the tie between mom and baby. Society does a good job making us second guess our intuition, and ironically medicine has further complicated the natural process. Instinctively, innately, we KNOW how to care for our babies, and our bodies are equipped with all the tools needed to do so.

Q: What made you think to create the NüRoo Pocket?

Hope: I was introduced to the practice of skin-to-skin contact by a nurse midwife at my time of delivery. Following the birth of my daughter, Elle was immediately placed on my chest, and my midwife began telling me all of the amazing physiologic benefits that skin-to-skin offers. I learned that in order to give and receive all of these advantages, she needed to be on my skin for an uninterrupted 60 minutes. That seemed reasonable until I arrived home and was greeted by my two very excited three-year-olds. I needed something that could help me give my baby the benefits of skin-to-skin, but allowed me to be active with my family.

Daniela: When Hope shared her thoughts for the Pocket, I couldn't stop spouting off ideas. I too practiced Skin-to-Skin for the benefits offered to me and my babies but not nearly as much as I wanted to. I loved the promise of the product and envisioned a brand designed to offer early advantages and foster the bond between mom + baby.

The NüRoo Pocket helps baby transition from the womb to the outside world.

Q: How did you go from concept to finished product?

Over the course of a sleepless 9 months, we conducted countless test fits with moms and newborns, using their feedback and working with a seamstress to perfect our design. We took the final prototypes to an industry veteran to help us land at the right factory . There are so many things to consider (price, standards compliance, labeling, quality of construction, turn around time, duty fees, etc.) that working with someone to guide you through this process is invaluable. To those mompreuners in the making, if you don’t have existing relationships that can help with this, seek out a sourcing agent who can see you through.

Q: You refer to Skin-to-Skin Contact as a "practice" -- why is that? 

Believe it or not, there's a right and wrong way to do it. The benefits of skin-to-skin are derived from stimulating the c-afferent nerves. There are a lot of misconceptions around this. Not all skin-on-skin contact delivers the same benefits (i.e.: baby across mom's belly or their cheek to her chest). Because there's a proper position and suggested duration of time, skin-to-skin Contact is intentional and thus said to be a "practice."

Simply by holding baby vertically on your bare chest, you enhance your baby's immunity, improve sleep and weight gain, and stabilize their heart rate and breathing, all while speeding your own recovery time, reducing your risk for postpartum depression and increasing your milk supply. The benefits begin immediately with less crying/colic and temperature regulation. During the 60 minutes after the birth, skin-to-skin contact accelerates your baby's brain development.

The newborn stage is coined the 4th trimester because of how immature baby is. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends skin-to-skin immediately after birth until the first feeding and throughout the postpartum period. 40 years of research tells us that skin-to-skin should happen for as often, as long, and as frequently as possible.

Q: With 40 years of research behind the practice, why now?

As you've said, "institutional inertia" is all too common. (Daniela): "With my delivery in 2009, baby was separated immediately after birth for routine procedures then placed skin-to-skin until the first breastfeeding. The benefits of Skin-to-Skin weren't talked about. Thankfully, with the baby friendly initiatives, the surgeon general's call to action and the CDC's recommendation for Skin-to-Skin, hospitals are finally implementing new protocol. After the birth of my youngest in 2011, my baby was immediately placed on my chest and the benefits of skin-to-skin were explained in the mom + baby unit."

In an effort to drive awareness, we're on a mission to educate both moms and providers. We're attending key national organization conferences (ILCA, ACNM, USLCA, etc.) and have met and spoken with amazing women doing tremendous things for the well-being of mom and baby. We're collaborating with those trying to evoke change. There is a direct correlation between skin-to-skin and breastfeeding rates in relation to initiation, duration and exclusivity ties. The research speaks volumes, and finally our nation is responding. Every mom wants what is best for her baby. Once she has the knowledge, the product gives her the time.

Stay tuned for my review of the NüRoo Pocket in a few days!

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Ivy is 3 months!

We're enjoying grandparents and cousins for the next week and a half. Zari, Dio, and Inga are collapsing at night, exhausted from full days of riding bikes and scooters, jumping on the trampoline, catching butterflies (Zari), and playing nonstop with cousins.

Ivy is such an alert, curious, and interactive baby now. She smiles and vocalizes and has made some noises that are getting close to laughs.

She is super strong and super wiggly. A few nights ago, I woke up to nurse her. She was on the floor next to the bed (not enough room on the queen bed at my parent's house). She had wiggled down a few feet, turned 90 degrees, flipped over onto her stomach, and somehow put a blanket over her head. All while secured snugly in her straightjacket swaddle wrap. And I had placed rolled-up towels on either side to keep her from rolling over!

She always wants to stand up and watch what's going on. Some of the cousins were watching Planet Earth today. I sat her in the corner of the couch, and she stared at the screen, transfixed. Now she knows a lot about penguins and polar bears.

She definitely knows who her parents are! She fusses if I hand her over to my sister (which is hilarious, because she also has 4 kids and adores babies). First Ivy will get a pouty face, then her lips will quiver, and then she will start crying. As soon as Eric or I scoop her back up, she's fine again. 

She's started grabbing onto things: hair, clothes. She also clings on to me. I love her little "hugs." She loves taking baths, often in the kitchen sink and sometimes with her siblings. She loves sitting on our laps, too. 

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Review of Ameda & Medela breast pumps

Until recently, I've been using an Ameda Purely Yours double electric breast pump. It's an old hand-me-down pump from a friend, loaned to my sister for a while, and then mailed back to me. Despite its age, it still performs perfectly.

I have the no-frills pump only version that retails for around $160. You can also buy the pump with a backpack or carryall; both come with lots of accessories. A One-Hand Breast Pump adapter (around $20) lets you turn the pump into a hand pump.

The Ameda Purely Yours pump runs on AC power and does not have battery backup. You can adjust both the suction and the cycle frequency. The cycle frequency can be set at 30, 40, 50, or 60 cycles per minute. (Cycle frequency, or how many times the machine pumps per minute, turns out to be crucial in expressing milk efficiently. More on this later.)

The Ameda breast pump has a sealed system. It has a silicone diaphragm that slips inside the top of the flange part. This means that no liquids, mold spores, or bacteria can get from the pump into the tubing/motor or vice-versa.

You can unplug one of the tubes and pump just one breast at a time. I sometimes did this during morning pumping sessions when Ivy is nursing on the other side. I now double pump right before I go to bed.

The Ameda pump has very few parts and is easy to clean: silicone diphraghm, pump flange, valve, and bottle. You can machine wash the flange and bottle. I usually hand wash the valves.

One of the pump flanges started to crack last month. Not bad considering many, many years of use.

Pros of the Ameda Purely Yours:

• Reliable design that lasts for many years (my own anecdotal experience and from talking with other women who've used it)
• Easy to clean with few parts
• Sealed, hygenic design to prevent contamination
• Could be a multi-user pump (not FDA-approved for this purpose, but I would be comfortable doing so)

Cons

• Cycle frequency, even at the highest setting, is fairly low

After Ivy was born, I took advantage of the new health insurance regulations that mandate breast pump coverage. I had no choice about which model or brand I received. I tried to get a Hygeia EnJoye ($239 and up), since I've heard such good things about them (very durable, FDA-approved for multiple users) but had no luck despite many phone calls to my insurance company.

I ended up receiving a Medela Personal Double Pump. It's similar to the Medela Pump In Style Advanced ($239 and up), except you can adjust the suction but not the cycle frequency. (FYI, you can't find the Personal Double Pump on the Medela website. It's sold only through medical supply companies, usually via health insurance plans. There's also an "Advanced" model of this pump that lets you select the cycle frequency.)

I tried to find a retail price for this specific pump, but had no luck. It's only available through medical supply companies and not sold directly to consumers. I've seen some listed on Ebay for around $150.

The Medela pump has slightly more parts than the Ameda, but it's still fairly simple to clean (unlike the Avent Isis manual pump, which I tried once. It had about 200* different small parts and was its own jigsaw puzzle.)

When I started using the Medela Personal Double Pump, I immediately noticed that I could pump super quickly and express a lot more volume during each session. Was it the vacuum pressure? The cycle frequency? The way a Medela pumps compared to an Ameda? I did some experimentation and concluded that it boiled down to cycle frequency.

The Medela Personal Double Pump comes pre-set at approximately 75 cycles/minute (by my highly scientific method of counting while watching a clock!). I called Medela to confirm cycle frequency, but they were unable to quote me an exact number. Ameda's customer service confirmed that cycle frequencies are 30, 40, 50, and 60 cycles/minute. I'd been pumping at 50 cycles/minute with the Ameda and hadn't thought of adjusting cycle frequency.

FYI: the Pump In Style Advance model offers a two-stage pumping action. The first stage has a range of 50-200 mmHg and 120 cycles/minute, then the second stage has 100-250 mmHg and 54-78 cycles/minute.

The Medela pumps are not sealed systems, so any number of fluids or bacteria can travel through the tubing and into the motor...and then back out into your breastmilk. This is the biggest drawback to any Medela pump. I'm still using it more than the Ameda because the higher cycle frequency is so much more effective at getting my milk to let down. But if I had a pump that offered both a sealed system AND higher cycle frequency, I'd jump on it.

Pros of the Medela Personal Double Pump:

• Motor and plug come in a carrying case
• Higher cycle frequency than the Ameda (75 cycles/minute); more efficient at expressing milk

Cons

• Not a sealed system; potential for contamination via tubing and motor
• Not suitable for mulitple users
• Cannot adjust cycle frequency, only vacuum pressure

Overall, I don't have a clear preference for one over the other. I definitely like a faster cycle frequency and wish the Ameda offered a higher range. On the other hand, I really dislike that Medela's pumps are not sealed. Either of these will do the job, so if your insurance only provides one or the other, you will be fine. But I'm still on the search for a pump that gives me both higher cycle frequencies AND the assurance that my milk will not be contaminated. Any recommendations?

* slight exaggeration

Disclosure: I was not paid to write this review, and I did not receive either of these pumps as review items. The Ameda was a hand-me-down and the Medela was provide through my insurance company. 

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"Birth Story" giveaway winner

Liz (comment #75) won a copy of the documentary Birth Story! If you didn't win, head to the website and buy your own copy. I think you'll enjoy it :)

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360 ounces

I donated a large grocery sack full of pumped milk to my CNM's practice. I've been pumping for about 2 months and getting around 6-8 oz/session. That's at least 360 fluid ounces or close to 3 gallons/12 liters. I finally have freezer space again!

I pump once a day. I used to pump in the morning, but just switched over to pumping right before bed. Ivy has a long stretch when she first goes down at night, so it keeps me from getting too engorged.

Even though I have a lot going on, I really wanted to donate breastmilk this time. And since I'm not planning on getting pregnant again, I could probably keep pumping & donating for a long time if I wanted to (my milk supply plummets when I'm pregnant).

Here's Ivy on 2 1/2 months of breastmilk. I love her big button eyes.

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If I were to have another baby...

...I'd have someone make a professional birth video. Like this one by Ceci Jane:



It makes me want to do it all over again. Except, as Eric reminds me, "babies grow up and you have to take care of them." Oh yeah.

What are some of your favorite birth videos? Please share!
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Review and giveaway of the documentary "Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives"

I finally had the chance to watch Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives last night. It was such a pleasure. I came away with the impression--sappy as it might seem--that we really need more love and gentleness in this world.

The DVD follows the development of the Farm in Summertown, TN and the growth of Ina May Gaskin and other midwives at the Farm. It combines contemporary footage of Ina May's work as a midwife, wife, and globe-trotting activist with amazing archival footage of life and births at the Farm.

I knew a lot about the history behind Ina May and the Farm, yet I learned so much from watching this. I loved watching the "old" births back in the early days of the Farm. So much hair everywhere! Huge beards, waist-long braids, and of course body hair :)

The movie closed with a lovely modern-day birth attended by Ina May and another younger midwife from The Farm. I watched the mama push our her baby in the tub, almost exactly as I did with my last three children, and remembered all over again the sensations of birth. It made me want to do it all over again.

The DVD is available for $19.95. You can also access it online and as a HD download for $12.99. If you buy the online version for any amount over $13.99, you will receive extra bonus content!



I'm thrilled to offer a giveaway of this DVD to any North American resident! If you'd like to enter, leave a comment below. If you've already seen the film, please share your impressions and reactions.  If not, tell me why you'd like to see it. Be sure to leave contact info in case you are the winner.

Giveaway ends Friday, June 14 at 5 pm EST.

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Upcoming reviews

I've been testing out all sorts of items with this last pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period since it probably is the last time . . . sniffle . . . Some I bought, some were passed down to me, and others were given to me to review.

Here's a peek at the things I'll be reviewing over the next several weeks:

Nursing pajamas and nightgowns
Leading Lady nursing chemise in Azalea Pink
Breast is Best Gray Angel Maternity & Nursing Nightgown
Eliseo Satin Rosabella Nightgown
Majamas Blossom Nursing Pajama Set

Leading Lady nursing bras

Books & DVDs
Memoirs of a Singing Birth (ebook)
Bumptabulous: 20 Moms Expose Pregnancy (book)
The Face of Birth (DVD)
Dance of the Womb (DVD)
Birth Story; Ina May Gaskin & The Farm (DVD)

Breast Pumps
Medela double electric breast pump
Ameda Purely Yours breast pump

Postpartum belly wraps and hip stabilizers
Shrinkx Hips Post Pregnancy Belt
Vespa & the Ladybird Post Pregnancy Belly Wrap

NuRoo Pocket babywearing shirt

The Birth Relaxation Kit
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Climbers

What do you do about climbers (otherwise known as 2-year-olds who climb out of their cribs and come downstairs at night multiple times when they should be sleeping)? It might be time to put Inga in a real bed, since she can easily climb in and out of her crib. But still wouldn't solve the not-staying-in-bed issue.

What do you suggest? Lock her door from the outside? Put a child-proof cover over the doorknob? Zari slept in a real bed from early on and never really had issues "sneaking" out. Dio stayed in his crib until he was 3 and never figured out how to climb out. So this is a new problem for us, even though we have 4 kids!

I also wonder if I should cut out Inga's nap and hope that she's so tired at night she won't stay up for several hours escaping. But then I'd lose my quiet time in the afternoon. Not sure if I'm ready to give that up yet!
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Obstetrician seeking a job in the Nashville area

A few days ago I had the pleasure of chatting on the phone with an obstetrician. He's a wonderful (and wickedly funny) physician who strongly supports patient choice, autonomy, and informed consent. He's currently looking to relocate to the Nashville area and would love any leads on job opportunities there.

A bit more about the obstetrician: he's been practicing OB/GYN for over two decades. He is currently the only physician in a large metropolitan area offering vaginal breech, VBAC, and vaginal twins. He strongly values keeping these choices available to women. He also practices cost containment and keeping unnecessary procedures and tests to a minimum. This hasn't kept him in good graces with his peers and the hospitals he works at, since both physicians and health care institutions profit from doing more procedures, not fewer. He is a skilled vaginal surgeon and prides himself on continuing to offer things like vaginal hysterectomies, rather than turning to robotic surgery.

He loves working with midwives and doing consultations. He especially enjoys patients who bring in midwives to serve as doulas in the hospital. He likes finding reasons to be "late" so the midwife gets to do the catching :)

Some awesome quotes from our telephone conversation:

"My favorite delivery is the one that I miss."

"I like being useless."

What he's looking for in Nashville:

He wants to live and work within a 60-mile radius of Nashville, TN (one of his daughters lives there, and he'd like to be close to family). This includes Bowling Green, OH to the N, Clarksville to the NW, Lewisburg to the S, and Manchester to the SE.

He wants to join a practice that appreciates the skills and values he has to offer. He's also interested in being involved with birth centers and in working with midwives.

If you're a physician, nurse, midwife, doula, lactation consultant, or other associated health care professional in or near Nashville, please let me know if you have any suggestions or leads on job openings. He'd also like recommendations on specific hospitals or practices that would be a good fit for his skills and practice philosophies. If you email me, I can put you in touch with him directly. Let's do our best to find him a fulfilling new job!

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