Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all of you! A year ago, I never thought this day would come so quickly. Yet here it is and as I read over that post of what I wanted for this past year, I realize that I did accomplish it to a degree, but I know in my heart that I can do better. I'm praying I get that chance this year.

Last year on this day, my Grandpa died. That spurred in me a desire to truly know those around me. It also encouraged me to be more real; like honest, raw real with others. Which also meant being raw on this blog.

This past year has been quite a journey...

I talked about how I was bored with Christianity. I talked about politics, which is something I said I would never, ever blog about. I also went out on a limb and said that Christianity cannot be contained in a little labeled box.

I talked more in length about our adventures in cloth diapering. I participated in my first ever blog party where I first quietly mentioned my views on spanking.

I shared my 5 Tips For Tandem Breastfeeding or Breastfeeding while Pregnant. I celebrated birthdays and a first haircut. 

I talked about what real love meant. I experienced a 5 day long nursing strike and was relieved when she started nursing again.

My scariest, most raw moments as a blogger came just this past December in which I finally opened up about my journey into Gentle Parenting. 

Through it all, you have been there to love on me, encourage me, and support me. I am so grateful and each day I feel that love.

I'm looking forward to 2012 with you and I hope that I can continue to show that love through being open and real with all of you!!

What I Learned During a 5 Day Nursing Strike

Those of you who follow me on facebook and saw my status yesterday, found out that Xiomara and I are finally past that horrible period of her not nursing. I was ecstatic yesterday when she latched on and nursed with just a slight hesitation. Each nursing session since then has gotten better and it is almost as if she has forgetten again that she didn't nurse for 5 whole days.


During those 5 days I learned a lot.

First, surround yourself with those who love you, will support you, and uplift you. One of my very best friends sent me beautiful flowers to cheer me up. Even though she herself only nursed her kids a little bit, she still supported me and understood how upset I was at the possibility of Xiomara weaning.

Secondly, research, research, and more research! I turned to my local lactation consultant for help. When she told me that most likely Xiomara was weaning, I turned to some really close online friends of mine. They pointed out several articles on how to get your baby back on the breast, one woman's story of a 40-day nursing strike, and how to survive a nursing strike. Without these articles and the knowledge of these friends, I'm not sure I would have made it! They are also the ones who told me to pump to keep a supply for Xiomara in case she did make it through this nursing strike.

Lastly, and this is just a personal one for me, don't take nursing for granted. Since breastfeeding has always come very naturally for me and I have had very few problems nursing any of my girls, I have often taken it for granted. Those 5 days were some of the longest and most emotional days of my life. All I could think about was wanting to enjoy and relish in her snuggled close to my body, getting the nurishment and attachment she needed, just one more time! I seriously don't think I will look at nursing ever the same again!

Have you ever gone through a nursing strike? How did you survive? How long did it last?

5 Tips For Tandem Breastfeeding Or Breastfeeding While Pregnant

I promised you all I would follow up with a post on my tips and advice on Tandem Breastfeeding. Some of the biggest questions I get asked about are questions on breastfeeding while pregnant and breastfeeding two children. These few tips hopefully cover answers to my most frequently asked questions.

Tip #1: If you find yourself pregnant, and wanting to not only breastfeed through that pregnancy, but to also tandem nurse when the new baby is born, go buy Adventures in Tandem Breastfeeding. Now!! Everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding while pregnant and breastfeeding while tandem nursing, is in this book. I highly recommend it!

Tip #2: In the beginning, feed your newborn first, and then your toddler. This is to ensure they are getting enough at the breast. However, also make sure they are getting enough of the hindmilk that is the good fat content at the end of a breast feeding session. For me, this has involved letting Xiomara nurse first, then Meridian, and then letting Xiomara drain my breasts one more time to make sure she has gotten the fatty milk.

Tip #3: Use your toddler to help with engorgement. If they are willing, offer the breast when you become engorged. If you are anything like me and hate pumping, this will be a life saver. I tend to get very engorged when my milk comes in and I remember after Meridian was born having Zoelle nursing still was the best thing ever. No engorgement!

Tip #4: Don't be afraid to set up rules. This applies to both nursing in a pregnancy and tandem nursing. There were times in my pregnancy with Meridian, that Zoelle while nursing would literally just make my skin crawl. I hated having her nurse because my nipples would burn. This stage didn't last long, but during that time I would set up limits for her to only nurse for so long, or sometimes I would tell her no. It is also perfectly fine to set limits and say no at times to tandem nursing. Just make sure you do so in a loving, gentle way. For example, lately Meridian is wanting to nurse everytime we go somewhere. She loudly will declare "I want to nurse!", while shoving her hand down the front of my shirt. I have lovingly reminded her that mama has made the rule that we only nurse at home unless we are gone for the whole day. The other new thing that Meridian has been doing lately is screaming "I just want to nurse other side!" after just being on the other side, and the other side, etc. We could go all day doing this, so I set a limit and tell her we nurse for just a minute and then mama is done until before bed, after nap, etc. It has greatly helped keep me enjoying tandem nursing to set some limits.

Tip #5: Take good care of yourself. As mamas it is so easy to push aside our needs in lieu of taking care of our children. There is nothing wrong with that, but you also need to be taking good care of yourself. Drink LOTS of water, eat right, and take a break one night every week or fews weeks to do something by yourself, for yourself. A great guide to eating properly can be found in the book Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book For Nursing Mothers.

So there you go. I hope I helped you even a little bit wherever you are on your journey to nursing while pregant or to tandem nursing! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments of this post, or e-mail me if you are not comfortable with your question being seen by others.