Breast Feeding Your Baby - Don't be Afraid

Breast Feeding Your Baby - Don't be Afraid

 By Laura Beard

There is a lot of sigma today about breast feeding your baby. You have heard the horror stories about babies losing weight, becoming fussy and the fear of sore or cracked nipples. These fears should not stop you from nursing your infant and giving he/she the most important gift a mother can give, a healthy start. This is what I have learned:

Do not listen to the negative hype.
These individuals are misinformed and do not understand the great benefits you are providing for your baby. Negative comments can impact your attempts to be successful at nursing and hinder the bond between mother and child. There is nothing in the world more rewarding then the bond that is created by a nursing mother and her infant. Family members may feel jealous or left out in the care giving role of your new family member. There are numerous ways family members can become involved in caring for the new baby; bath time, diaper changes, taking the baby out for a stroll. Talk to your loved ones, find out their feelings and brain storm ways each person can help take an active role in caring for the baby. Keep the communication lines open between family and friends, this will easy their fears as well as yours.

Build positive relationships.
If you have friends and/or family members who think it is great that you decided to nurse your baby, invite them over frequently for emotional support. There is nothing better then to have someone to cheer you on or talk you through the difficult times. If friends or family members are not available to help, contact a breast feeding organization to help you. You can call, your local hospital and ask if they have a breast feeding support group, La Leche League International or International Lactation Consultant Association, to help keep your efforts flowing in a positive direction.

Keep a positive attitude.
A positive attitude is a must if your going to succeed with breast feeding. There is many breast feeding sites on the internet that can provide support and answer your questions about nursing your infant. Join a forum, look up blogs, get involved with other mothers who have been successful and are willing to help you.

Relax, location and safety.
Relaxing while nursing is a must if your going to succeed. If you are just starting out as a novice nurser find a quite place to nurse your baby. If there is to much activity in the living room, go to another room where it is quite or turn off the television, it is a distraction. Play some relaxing music, light a candle, dim the lights, but do not fall asleep. This is the time for you to bond with the little one. Make sure you are comfortable. Do you have a chair in the nursery or maybe your bedroom? Have a pillow handy to lay in your lap and use to prop up your arms. Your newborn may only weight 8 pounds but he/she will get heavy after awhile. You may also want to have a wrist watch or clock handy to keep track of the time your infant is nursing on each breast. Spend an equal amount of time nursing on each breast, ten minutes a breast, to eliminate one breast producing more milk then the other or having one nipple over worked and sore. I would not recommend lying down on a bed when you are first learning to nurse. It is to easy to fall asleep and roll over on your baby, use the chair method it is safer.

Proper equipment.
It does not take much equipment to be successful in nursing your baby. There are a few things you will need, such as, good quality nursing bras, nursing pads and possibly a breast pump. You will need several nursing bras over the course of a week, especially when you are first starting to nurse. There will be times when your breast will leak and soak your bra. There is no need to spend a fortune on nursing bras. Check with other mothers who no longer nurse their children, maybe they would be willing to donate their undergarments to you. You can also check on-line auction sites and name brand maternity outlet stores to get good prices on your bras. Make sure you have plenty of nursing pads. Do not buy pads with plastic liners. They do not breath and keep your breasts damp. Change your pads regularly to prevent your nipples from becoming sore. Damp nipples equal sore or cracked nipples. If you are able, air out your breasts. Sit in front of a window (make sure no one can see you) and let nature bathe your breasts in warm sun light and fresh air. You may also want to consider a breast pump. This tool is a life saver for engorged breast or if you are unavailable to nurse. There may come a time that your breasts are producing more milk then your baby needs. Using a breast pump can alleviate the pain and pressure of your breast. It also can allow you to store your milk if your unavailable for nursing time (moms need a socialize too).

Laura Beard is a mother of five and the web publisher of http://www.thefertilemyrtle.com a breast feeding and nursing bra resource site.

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How to Help Others in Today's Economy

 By Marian Conover

     At a time when money is tight, its nice to have other ways to help those that are less fortunate than yourself. There are so many ways that you can help others without having to spend money to do so. Just take a look around your home and collect some of the items that you no longer need and put them to good use by donating them to a worthy cause. As everyone makes an extra effort to go green, there has been a barrage of organizations created for the purpose of volunteering or donating to the less fortunate. Below is a list of ways that you can help others that you may find very rewarding to you as well.

     Furthermore, by "recycling" these items, you are helping save the environment and some of these items may even be tax deductible, but remember to check with your tax preparer to confirm which items are eligible. Some of the organizations will provide some form of receipt of what you donated, but be sure to ask for a receipt.

     After you clear out some of the old clothes in your closets, you can donate them to the homeless shelters, community churches, local thrift shops, as well as the Salvation Army (1-800-SA-Truck or 1-800-728-7825) or the Goodwill Industries (1-210-924-8581 or toll-free at 1-800-483-9455). Bras can also be donated to Support 1000 on Facebook for details on where to send your used bras. The bras are delivered to community churches, homeless shelters and other organization around the world for distribution to women in need.

     Donate those old and out of prescription eyeglasses to others. For further details, contact your local Lions Club or call the New Eyes For The Needy Organization at 1-973-376-4903, or Lens Crafters by calling 1-800-869-LENS (5367) or contact a Lens Crafters near you. Theses are very worthy organizations that assist people in need of eyeglasses by collecting, repairing and redistributing old and out of prescription eyeglasses.

     Do you have some books that you no longer want or need, then donate them to local schools, libraries, hospitals, and even prisons. You can also send books to Books For Soldiers at 116 Lowes Food Drive #123, Lewisville, NC 27023 or check out the American Library Association website for places to donate your books.

     Even cars can be donated, so if you have an old useless car that you can't sell and you just don't know what to do with it? Think about donating it directly to one of your favorite charities, but steer clear of those "middleman" organizations that may keep most of the profits from the car for themselves. So before you proceed check out "Guide To Donating Your Car" the Charity Navigator Organization website for useful advise to follow when donating your car to charity.

     Cell phones are always needed, so donate your old cell phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers (1-800-426-1031) or to GRC Wireless Recycling ((800) 441-1544) and help the soldiers or others in need of a cell phone.

     Once you are finished painting, you can contact a local organization to donate your leftover paint to such as local church, theater group or other local organization that may have use for it. You can also check the "Earth911" Paint Wise website or call 1-800-clean-up (253-2687), for more information about paint reuse and recycling. Earth911 also provides information on recycling anything from A - Z.

     Before you toss your beverage can into a recycling receptacle, remove the pop top and start saving them for donating to the Ronald McDonald House which collects these pop tops to purchase wheelchairs for needy children. Further more you can help on a bigger scale by contacting Ronald McDonald House at 1- 630-623-7048 to request a pop top collection container be sent to you to start a collection campaign where you work or at your local school.

     Another way to help others is to volunteer. You can volunteer your time at various places such as a hospital, nursing home or Soup Kitchen in your neighborhood. Volunteers are always needed, so contact your local community organizations or the Red Cross at 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Volunteer Match at 1-415-241-6868 for volunteer opportunties in your area. You can also volunteer to help the Habitat for Humanity (1-800-422-4828) build homes for the underpriviledged. You'll be helping others and may even learn a trade or two while you're doing so.

     Before undertaking any of the above actions, it may be helpful to read the "Guide to Donating Noncash Items" also located on the Charity Navigator Organization website and/or "Simple Steps to Get Involved" Volunteer Match Organization website.
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Uses For Your Old Bras

donate your old bra !

By Tiffany Hart

The dreaded washing machine wore out your bra before its time. Don't let those old bras go to waste. We do not need to fill up our landfills with bras. We already have enough junk around. It is time to be green, be creative, and try new ideas for our stuff.

Dress up your old bra and turn it into new. If the wire is sticking out, use a paperclip to push it back in and then get out the needle and thread. Add some pretty french lace to the front and sides of the bra or you may opt for rhinestones or sequins. Your old bra will look sexier and new.

Take your sports bra and add a pocket with the material from your old one. You can use the pocket for an iPod, cell phone, lipstick, or whatever. It will come in real useful when you are jogging, dancing, or some other fun activity.

Turn your bra into a purse. Use an old fancy bra. Remove the straps. Keep the cups together by sewing or with using hot glue. Sew the straps back on to make handles in the appropriate places. Add sequins, ribbons, and trim to enhance the look of this bra purse. Many bra purses have been donated to help promote cancer awareness.

Recycle your old bras. Many women are going online to donate slightly used bras to people in need. Some organizations donate these bras to poor people around the world. Other women go online to places like Free-cycle to donate locally.

There are all sorts of organizations now that are using bras for charity. Most want them turned into works of art. Some want bra quilts. You will need a lot of bras of many colors for the quilt. Some use a hanging wall design of bras. Think of artistic ideas for your bras and donate or keep them for yourself.

There are also some fun uses for brassieres. You can separate the cups and use them as face masks. They filter the air from particles to some extent. You can use see through ones to strain vegetables. Large cups make excellent plant holders. You can pan for gold. Use some for bowling bags. Some would make excellent water balloon launchers. They are also great for ball catching games.

There are so many uses for our old things such as worn out bras. You can fix them up, donate them to charity, recycle them, or just think of ways to have fun. Do not let all our junk pile up! Think of ways to reuse our resources, no matter what it is. Bras can have many fun, helpful, and functional uses.

Tiffany Hart writes for Diva Bras- where you can find plus size bras and get outstanding deals on every order along with fast service.

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6 Tips for Best Sex on Honeymoons

By Laurie Watson

Honeymoons are sex holidays, not mad-scramble, showy travel extravaganzas. Post-wedding exclusionary journeys are meant to give young couples private time to worship each other bodies. Before the couple sets up house, goes back to graduate school, or starts impossibly demanding careers, they need at least a week to soak up the sun and pleasure of the flesh.

I saw a young couple recently who were marrying after an extended long-distance relationship with a life trajectory that would again separate them shortly after the nuptials. Since this was their vacation too, they wanted to plan a real adventure, filled with site-seeing, hiking, and excitement on the other side of the world requiring nearly 24-hours of travel. They allowed only an hour's break between the ceremony and meeting up with friends again. Breakfast the next day would be spent entertaining family. I understand the thrill of weddings being mini-family reunions. I appreciated their energy and enthusiasm for activity. But honeymoons are to serve a special purpose. They are not an ordinary vacation; they are to be a love-fest.

As their therapist, I wanted them to lie on the beach, stir only for refills on umbrella drinks, laze in bed every morning, rest, talk, make love and then make love again. They thought my prescription was boring. But, I know that every couple is going to struggle with sex as some point in the marriage. I know that the marital adjustment, the joining of bodies, household, space, finances, and sometimes parenting isn't easy. Sex is the lubricant that eases the wear and tear of daily life. It's the glue that binds a couple emotionally. Eroticism, pleasure, touch, rest and relaxation must be given high priority in order to set a pattern for tangible, physical rejuvenation and connection between the couple.

Modern families outpace these values with duel demanding careers, high expectations for prodigy children (see The Good-Enough Child by Brad Sachs for the antidote), extended family obligations, lessons, soccer practice, homes that keep-up-with-the-neighbors, frenetic commitments and then wonder why they run dry and depleted.

'Tis the season to plan for those June honeymoons right now and as parents who have been down that road, we can direct our young adult children toward a path that will establish renewal and intimacy all their lives. As a mother of 3 potential grooms, I know etiquette is changing and I'm supposed to contribute to their weddings. I'm not going to do that. I am saving money to donate to the honeymoon. I'm an absolute wedding freak, but I think it's insane to have enormous weddings that drain the finances of a family. In fact, if you're the mother of the bride, take five thousand back from that ten thousand dollar dress you were going to buy your daughter and go on a second honeymoon yourself. Your sexual joy and revitalization will be a greater gift for her long-term happiness in marriage, let alone yourself.

6 Tips for the Best Sex Honeymoon

1) Sequester yourselves away. Take time off before the wedding for visiting relatives. It's hard to have wild sex at night thinking you'll have to be composed and see your mother and mother-in-law in the morning. Set aside special events for the family before you become husband and wife. Don't see anyone you know; don't text your mother or your maid of honor; don't update Facebook. Secrets are sexy.

2) A six-hour radius should be your travel limit. Make it far enough away that no one will visit and close enough that you won't exhaust yourself with travel. Don't empty your pocket book either for the trip; set a reasonable budget so you can enjoy yourselves without future fretting.

3) Sexual fantasies for the wedding night are important to share in advance! Watch the alcohol consumption at the reception so you are not too tired to live out your dreams. Even when couples have been sexually active or living together, this night holds powerful expectations for the beginning of your life.

4) Six days of the trip should be unstructured with nothing pre-planned except love-making, long walks and leisurely talks. Weddings are exhausting and you'll need rest.

5) Seduction, sexual adventure and fun are your top priorities. Bring a trousseau - "honeymoon clothes" or sexy lingerie. If it's not his style bring a few pieces still - a French maid apron, g-strings, matching bra and panties. Bring flavored lubricants, travel candles, and vibrators. (To hell with customs!) Tell your groom to collect a "sex music" playlist for his iPod. Leave your inhibitions at home.

6) See a sex therapist if this is your first full sexual experience to talk about everything from technique and mechanics to feelings, fears and fantasies.

Laurie Watson, M.A., is a licensed marriage and family counselor and AASECT certified sex therapist. She has completed her first book, I Never Want to Have Sex Again - A Sex Therapist Talks to Women with Low Libido. You can reach her @ http://www.LaurieWatson.com

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