I heard it on NPR

NPR was full of stories on babies and children today.

First on the docket?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children do not drink sugary sodas or sports drinks. The reason? There are too few studies to analyze the long term effects of excessive caffeine and sugar on a child's developing body. Having a husband who consumed an untold number of pepsi, mountain dew and gatorade drinks between the ages 6 and 26 I can tell you the long term effects are not good. This intake has resulted in insomnia and digestive issues to name a few.  I would not be surprised if he experienced a 'loss of height' due to inadequate sleep as a child.

I'm seeing a trend.

Maybe the solution is to allow our children self wean. Allow, if not encourage them to nurse to 2 years, 3 years or beyond. Perhaps if we keep them from drinking sugary fruit juices at young age we can prevent the switch to sports drinks and soda when they are older. Maybe we set a good example by drinking water first, juice second and sodas third, if ever.  Make water treat, make milk a treat. Don't use food or juice or soda as a reward system and don't use it as a coping mechanism. Use it as it was intended: to nourish the body and nourish the mind.

Next up?
Women in their thirty's and forty's freezing their eggs. This is not the first time I've encountered this news. There was also a three page article in one of my fashion magazines this month.

Now, I have 2 friends that I will mention here: The first survived cancer in her twenty's. She has frozen eggs waiting for the day she meets her life partner and needs to conceive a child via surrogacy. The other has several reproductive issues and just tried a round of IVF that was unsuccessful. Both are 'prime candidates' for this procedure. And I'm not judging IVF, even if I know that many women could take charge of their fertility naturally by following age-old practices of cycle charting and herb lore to increase fertility without resorting to expensive, invasive procedures that have not been studied in their long-term effects on the children they create.

However, the idea of freezing your eggs so that you can get pregnant in your forty's (or later) because you, for whatever reason, did not conceive during your prime childbearing years frankly scares me. As W gets older and begins searching for his own life partner I will have several questions. What is she like?  Does she love life? Does she have a good sense of humor? Does she feel the same way about having children? Do they share the same faith? Do they have similar morals?  To those I will add: What are your parents like? Does she have siblings? Would you follow the same healthy and active lifestyle? How does she feel about raising children (ie, what are her thoughts on parenting, breastfeeding, etc.)  Yes, some of these questions may seem invasive, I'm not planning on quizzing any girl W brings home. I just want to know that they would be a good match.  I think any parent would want the same for their child.  And any parent who blesses a union without thinking about what is best for their child is, in my opinion, being reckless.

Of course, now I have more to think about.  How was she conceived? If she is one of the thousands of children conceived via IVF or with frozen eggs or sperm how will it affect her? What does that mean for her long term health and what does it mean for the health of my grandchildren? It a complex time that we are living in. Even more everyday I can see the complicated lives we lead. Perhaps this is why I feel a strong desire to get back to my roots, to get back to a simpler and more basic way of life.

Your 11 month old: Week 3

Dear Baby Center -

 

Thank you for this week's article "The 5 worst foods for babies".  I was ignorantly expecting a list to inclue items such as peanuts, sugary sweets and corn (a choking hazard).  I was not expecting the following.

 

Soda:  Really?  Soda?  When your own website literature says that your baby should get only breastmilk (or formula) until 6 months and only breast milk (or formula) and small quantities of water from 6-12 months? While we are on this topic, in the '5 worst foods' article you link to 'when can my baby have water?' I'm sure anyone who reads this blog will understand why I personally take offense to your response of 'when they are at least 1 year old and drinking cow's milk.' What if my baby is not drinking cow's milk at 1 year of age?  What if his main source of nutrition is still breastmilk at 1 year of age?

 

Juice: Ok, I get this one. Far too many parents (this is my opinion, but also happens to be my dentist's opinion as well) give their babies, toddlers and children juice.  At W's first checkup (ok, not really a chekup as he only had 2 teeth at the time) the dentist's only advice was "Keep those teeth clean and keep away from the juice as long as possible." Perhaps because he sees his Mommy and sometimes his Daddy drinking water and we only give it to him in limited quantities (ie we don't let him carry around a sippy cup full) W thinks water is a treat.  Daddy tried to get him to drink juice the other day and he aquired a look of indignation "I don't drink things that aren't clear or breastmilk, Daddy, come on, get serious!"

 

Crackers: This surprised me somewhat also. Although we haven't given W crackers yet, he is continually being offered them by some of his similarly aged friends. The worst part of W's diet is O-cereal (and not even Cheerios, Organic O's). Ok, I did let him taste a french fry today.... but that's not a regular occurance. But I like the overall message. Don't let your kids fill up on junk and push away their dinner plates untouched.

 

Gelatin Desserts: Who thinks that Jell-O is a food group?  It's clearly a dessert and not only that, full of dyes and artificial flavors.  Jell-O is great when you are sick or when you've had your tonsils taken out. Or as a dessert, occassionally. 

 

Processed Meals: I'm deferring to the other supermom's post today.  Everything that has an ingredient list (or other food label with more than one or two ingredients) is processed. Unless you buy it fresh and mix it together your self, it's processed. I myself struggle with balancing the time it takes to make a home-cooked meal vs. nutrition of a semi-homemade meal. It's not easy feeding your family wholesome meals and working full time.  I spent 10 minutes in the grocery store this week debating the on sale chicken vs the organic chicken.  The organic chicken won - and I'm a vegetarian!  If that doesn't tell you something....

 

Bottom line:  Let's make an effort to support home grown, home cooked meals.  Do you know how much better our home-made pizza dough tastes?  Sure, mixing the dough one night an kneading and rolling it out the next night takes more time than it does to pop a frozen pre-made pizza in the oven. But my husband thanks me at the end of the night and it's worth it.

Re: Your 5-month-old: Week 1

Dear babycenter,

Thanks for all the blog fodder. 

First up, your article "7 mommy guilt trips to avoid."  Your Number One guilt-inducer?  Feeding your baby formula.  The paragraph says, "You may feel like you're the only formula-feeding mom in the universe, but this is far from the truth."  WHAT? What woman feels like the only formula-feeding mom in the universe?  I feel constantly isolated for exclusively breastfeeding my five month old; I feel like the only breastfeeding mom in the universe.  


This is a tricky issue for me.  On one hand, I'm an avid breastfeeder.  I do tend to judge anyone who doesn't breastfeed.  But I also understand that some women have legitimate issues trying to breastfeed.  Those women shouldn't feel guilty.  But women who simply choose not to for selfish reasons?  I'm not sure I'm ready to give them a pass.   

Number 2? Using TV as a babysitter.  I can't even go there.  I have serious issues with the TV, even how much television adults in our society watch, so I better not go into how much we think it's "okay" for our infants to watch.  Television is certainly contributing to health problems in our children and adults.  It's negatively affecting our society in so many ways we can't even keep track.  So do yourself and your child a favor.  Turn off the tube.  (And don't call it the boob tube, that drives me nuts).  Go outside to play.  And if you need to get something done, find a way to involve your child, or entertain him without the television.  If I can use my sewing machine with a wiggly 5 month old superbaby in my lap, so can you.

Number 3? Being environmentally unfriendly.  I'm so tired of all the excuses for not being environmentally friendly.  We better start, as a society, being nice to this planet, or we will soon find we have nowhere to live.  Haven't you people seen Wall-E?

Number 4 – Feeding your kids junk food.  I'll give everyone a pass on this.  Unless you are cooking from scratch, you are eating junk food.  All prepared food is junk food, and most shouldn't even be considered "food."  It would take much too long to address the nutrition issue, so check out Fast Food Nation, In Defense of Food, and Food, Inc. if you are interested. 

Number 5 is leaving your child with another caregiver.  Gone are the days of women in the home, for the most part.  Our modern society has nearly forced us to all have two income homes.  Unless you make some serious sacrifices.  Maybe that's why it's easy for me to say "no TV."  We can't afford it, so we don't have it.  It's not possible for every family, but on one income, our family is making a mortgage payment, a car payment, and a credit card payment.  It would cost us more to pay someone to watch E than a second income would bring in.  So that's definitely one I agree with – women are forced into the workforce, so don't feel guilty about needing a babysitter. 

Yelling at your kids is number 6.  Moms should feel guilty about yelling.  At children, at partners, at anyone.  Screaming and yelling is never appropriate (unless you are at a baseball game).  Your tips about apologizing to your child were good, and I like that you identified stress as a yell-causer.  It makes me so sad when I hear parents yelling at their children for every little thing.  Most parents spend so much time trying to force their children to behave like little adults that they rob the poor children of youthful experiences.  My policy is simple - you only get told "no" if you are potentially hurting yourself, someone else, or another person's property.  Raised voices are for running in the road and putting your hand on the hot eye of the stove.  If parents yell less, children will be much more inclined to pay attention when they hear a stern voice.

The last mommy guilt trip? Not being able to afford all the extras.  If moms feel guilty about it, they should watch Babies.  This documentary follows babies from around the world through their first year.  They all have different levels of parental involvement, enrichment activities, and nutritional levels.  Guess what?  They all reach developmental milestones around the same time.  Maybe we over-enrich our children.  Maybe music lessons and pre-pre-preschool are overkill.  Let's let our children be children, and see what happens.

Another interesting tidbit this week: Since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was initiated in 1994, more babies seem to be crawling later or skipping it completely.  Hm, interesting.  Maybe because the "Back to Sleep" campaign coincided with the arrival of infant seats and other baby propping devices.  I doubt just sleeping on the back has diminished a baby's ability to crawl, but I bet lack of "tummy time"  (which also arrived on the scene with "Back to Sleep") and being held in an adult's arms has.  The lesson?  Always put your child to sleep on his or her back, but don't overuse your 'baby buckets.' Limit (or avoid altogether) time in swings, bouncy seats, infant carriers, strollers, etc, in favor of carrying or wearing your baby.  Wraps, slings, and pouches are easy, cheap, and comfortable.  Plus they are excellent for baby's physical development. 

 

Astrology

I'll start with I don't take astrology very seriously, but this link popped up on my BabyCenter email today and it was so spot on that I had to share.  http://www.babycenter.com/horoscopes?sign=gemini

About the Gemini Child (W)

A Quick and Agile Mind

Your Gemini child will look up at you with bright, merry eyes, making you laugh as he makes it clear there's a lot going on in that head of his. And if he starts talking at an early age, he's just living up to his nature!

Gemini children tend to be communicative, charming, and social, but even if your Gemini child is a quieter sort, he's still quick-witted, curious, and mentally engaged with the world around him. Make sure he's always surrounded with books and puzzles to stimulate his mind, and give him plenty of space and supplies for his many projects.

Gemini children love anything new, and they tend to bounce from one activity to the next at a moment's notice. As soon as they master a new challenge, they'll grow bored with it and move on. Their mood may also change in the blink of an eye.

Many Gemini children are indecisive or change their minds often. The other side of this coin is their adaptability. Gemini children often prefer variety of experience over depth of understanding, but as their parent, you can help them focus and develop a particular area of strength.

Your Gemini will excel at cerebral endeavors like reading, writing, and debate, as well as anything requiring dexterity, such as playing the piano. Due to their variety of interests, Gemini children tend to have many friends and will often be the center of the circle, naturally excelling at what we grown-ups call networking.

About the Aries Parent (W's Daddy)

An Inspiring Act to Follow

As an Aries parent, you're a natural leader. You have lots of energy, and you're passionate about your interests. Your children find you inspiring, exciting, courageous, and a wonderful example to follow -- except when they find you a little bit insensitive and overbearing.

Yes, your mind is quick and your mouth is even quicker, and sometimes you say things you later regret. Also, you have a bit of a temper, so when your children frustrate you, they know exactly when and why. Well, at least you let your irritation go once you get it off your chest! And your kids always know where they stand with you.

An active lifestyle suits you and your family best. Take your kids hiking or challenge them to a game of volleyball or soccer in the park -- but make sure you don't get too competitive, especially if any of your children are the sensitive sort. Aggressive displays of energy might be a bit much for them to handle.

On the other hand, you're their biggest supporter and they know it. You'll be on the sidelines cheering for them whether they're competing in a debate or a basketball championship.

Your children will always appreciate your honesty, even in its bluntness, and the youthful energy that keeps you young even as you grow older. Make it a point to show them your tender side, too. They need to know they can rely on your emotional support as well as your strength and dynamic energy.

About the Scorpio Parent (W's Mommy)

Strong and Silent

As a Scorpio parent, you're likely to be the emotional center of your family -- whether you realize it or not. You're passionate, sensitive, and intense, and you're deeply bonded with your children.

Your children see you as quite complex, even mysterious, so you may have to go against your nature in order to be open and honest. You'll have a much closer and more effective relationship with your family if you can be vulnerable with them, which includes communicating your feelings and your fears, and listening to those of your children.

Your natural interest in history and psychology and your facility with research will make you a favorite resource when your kids need help with their homework or school projects. You're also quite perceptive, as you combine sharp focus with an emotional, intuitive point of view, so you'll have a unique insight into your children's feelings and motivations.

But whatever you understand -- or think you understand -- about your children, encourage them to put their experiences and feelings into their own words, and above all, don't use their secrets against them! As a Scorpio, you might tend toward power plays and controlling, manipulative behavior, but obviously, those have no place with your children.

Make yourself aware of these unconscious behaviors, and focus instead on openness, mutual trust, emotional candor, and genuine affection. If you can achieve these with your children, you'll create the kind of home life every member of your family needs to feel secure and connected.

The Ultimate Bra Guide

Kudos to InStyle magazine's June 2011 issue.  When this shiny new magazine showed up in my mailbox (one of the perks of my job) my eye caught the cover heading "Ultimate Bra Guide: Wonder of Wonders! Miracle of Miracles!"  Now, I have never been an avid bra-wearer despite being a somewhat full-breasted girl (okay, woman).  I have much preferred tank tops with shelf bras or wireless bra-lets under my shirts.  I've always had an issue with the way a bra fits and many years ago I swore off underwire (it must have been a male invention).  When I became pregnant it was back to the bras - I had no other choice.  I needed support and coverage for my eager-to-breastfeed body.  After W was born - same story.  You can't keep a nursing pad in place without something to put it in.  Of course, with the wild engorgement I experienced my chest was rock solid so the need for support was moot. Still, all the 'experts' recommended wearing a bra and so I did.  A few days after my milk came in I developed nasty double mastitis.  Luckily, I caught it early and was able to treat it. I blame the bra and I know that next time I will be bra-free the first few weeks even if it means changing my shirt every hour.

Back to topic. Even though I may not be a big wearer of bras, I'm always interested to look at the new features to see if something (without under wire) catches my eye.  I was not expecting, but was pleasantly surprised to see two (yes, not one but two!) nursing bras featured in the 5 page spread. Estimates say that anywhere from 1 to 3% of women in the U.S. are pregnant at any given time.  Keeping in mind that only 50% of babies are still being breastfed at 6 months and I would estimate that only 0.5 to 2% of the female population is breastfeeding at any given time (I could not find data to support this).  So having 2 out of 32 bras (6.25%) being nursing bras is an outstanding representation.

Now, if only we could get 6.25% of the female population to be nursing.  Help me with the math... I think the only way to hit that figure would be for 75-100% of all women who give birth to be nursing to approximately 2.5 years - sounds like a good target to me!

Baby Center Update

Dear Baby Center,

I was pleased to see your update in my inbox today.  Two topics especially caught my eye.

1) Everything you need to know about baby poop.  Only as a mother can you not shy away from 10 different photos of dirty diapers.  Your information was accurate and well presented. I only have two comments. First, it looked as though you may have thrown in a cloth diaper photo, but the image was cropped too closely to tell (enough said).  Second, you mentioned that your baby can have solid pieces of food in their poop or constipation when they are first introduced to solid foods. You give several explainations for why this happens, but you do not list early introduction of solids as one. I personally did not begin solids with W until he was closer to 7 months and even at 11 months he does not take in the quantity of solids most babies his age do.  And yet, even with small quantities of food going in, the food was still coming out mostly undigested until about a month ago.  I took that as a sign, not that he was swallowing without chewing or eating too fast as you suggest, but that his body was not yet ready to process solid foods.  Now that his system is mature enough to process solids he no longer has pieces of food in his poop and is overall less gassy. My lesson? With baby number 2 I will not introduce solids until my baby has at least one tooth (W did not get his first until after 8 months) and I will again follow a slow introduction allowing the intestines plenty of time to develop.

2) Fewer behavioral problems for breastfed babies.  Although I would be interested to know if this study evaluate babies who were breastfed longer than "...at least 4 months..." I was overall happy with the presentation of the article. I will be looking up the research myself to read it in more detail.  I would have to agree with the potential causes of fewer behavioral problems: the presence of certain fat and amino chains in breast milk and greater mother-baby bonding.  I also appreciated the small comment on mothers who choose to breastfeed being supported (although you did not say supported by whom).    Congrats, Baby Center - sometimes it is clear that you are trying to fight against the reign of the massive formula companies.

Attachment Parenting

Since before W was born I have hesitated to label my parenting style.  That is unless I were to label it as 'instinctive'.  One reason we love W's pediatrician stems from one of his interview comments: "If you follow your instincts you will do the right thing 95% of the time. I'm here for the 5% when you don't know what to do or you don't trust your instincts."  Being a mother has been blessedly easy for me.  No, being up all night (and day) with a newborn is not easy.  Changing to a vegan lifestyle because your three week old has a cow's milk sensitivity and you are already a vegetarian isn't easy.  Having a baby who prefers to be held in an upright position while sleeping with full body contact, thank you! doesn't make it easy to get anything else accomplished.  But, overall, I still consider being a Mom easy.  And instinctive. 

As W got older and we spent more time with friends who were also parents of young children I was understandably surprised when the other parents' instincts did not necessarily mirror my own. Not that their parenting style is wrong. On the contrary, their style is mainstream - it is mine that is unusual. After several months of frustration, exacerbated by the other Supermom living too far away for me to socialize with on a regular basis, I decided that I needed to find like minded Mommies and Daddies for W to be around.  He needs to know as he grows up that we aren't different from everyone in the way that we are raising him.  Just different from some people. 

Fast forward several more weeks to today.  I researched and joined a local Attachment Parenting (AP) group.  I'm unable to make it to the 'meetings' which is ok with me because, as I mentioned, I'm not an 'Attached Parent'. I'm a parent who happens to follow some of the AP principles. But I will not be ruled by these principles any more than I am ruled by mainstream parenting principles. 

Still, I would have to say that today was a resounding success.  I was dismayed at first to see 3 shiny vehicles pull up and 3 shiny Moms pull out their shiny strollers.  But they turned out to be headed to a different play place at the park than I.  It was refreshing when I found the right spot to see babies in Ergo carriers and Mommies interacting with their kids on the playground rather than standing and chatting with the other caregivers. Yes, some standing and chatting occurred, but an effort was made to include the children in all aspects of the play date. On second thought, perhaps it was effortless and natural to include the kids. The group leader recognized me immediately by my sling and smiling baby and I knew I had found a home when in the middle of introducing herself to me and giving me some information about the group she (without leaving the playground or even pausing mid-sentence) lifted her shirt and proceeded to breastfeed her young daughter who I later found out is closer to 3 than 2 years old. 

I am not about to sever the ties of my current relationships.  I enjoy sharing my unique parenting ideas with my mainstream friends.  But I will enjoy, a few hours every Thursday morning, spending time with Mommies, Daddies, babies and children, fully attached.

Re: Your 4-month-old: Week 3

Dear babycenter,

You've done well in not giving me much fodder for the blog the past few weeks, but this week... In the words of SuperBrother, "you fail epically." 

First, the leading three articles in my email include a reference to bottle feeding or formula, but no breastfeeding reference.  In fact, there's not a single mention of breastfeeding in my whole email.  Am I, as an exclusively breastfeeding mother, to be alienated so soon?  Of course, I suppose less than half your readers who initiated breastfeeding are still doing so.  But maybe if we could start to associate an infant with the breast instead of a bottle, we could help encourage women to continue breastfeeding.  I know you want to be inclusive, but as a publication that presents itself as a source of information for new mothers, you have an obligation to encourage mothers to do what is best for their babies.  And research undoubtedly shows that breast is best, hands down.

In your article How Your Baby's Growing, you say, "Even though crying is still your baby's strongest form of communication..."  WAIT.  What?  Really?  If that's true, then my baby only communicates a few times a day, and often none at all.  (Yes, he often goes a whole day without crying.)  My baby's strongest form of communication is body language, thank you.  Crying is not an infant's go-to communication method.  It's just that parents are often not tuned in to infants' subtle signs, and baby has to resort to crying.  And by giving false information like your aforementioned statement, you are only furthering the communication gap between babies and their parents.
 

A few notes on the past few weeks... 

In 4 month, week 2, you recommended I get my partner involved in baby care.  Seriously?  My partner's been involved since day one.  Actually, he was massaging and talking to our baby during the pregnancy, making sure I had good nutrition and plenty of rest.  I'd say he's been there since the first day one.  Maybe I'm different than most mothers.  Even though E is with me about 21 hours a day, I don't feel anxious when I leave for work in the morning and my two guys stay home together.  I feel confident in daddy's ability to care for E.  If I hadn't had a supportive and involved partner up to this point, I'm not sure we would have made it to this point.  I feel very sad for mothers who are just now going to take babycenter's advice and "get their partner involved."

The week before that, you had several quick clicks concerning solid foods.  I know we talked about this in month 3, week 4, but I'll say it again.  Leading medical organizations currently recommend breastfeeding exclusively until six months of age.  Quit talking about solids. 

And finally, a quick sister-to-sister...

Last Mothers' Day, we were just discovering this whole new way of relating to each other.  We'd been in different stages all our lives and rarely able to connect in the way we could when we both became expectant mothers.  Hardly seems possible that it's been a year, does it?  That our relationship is now so changed; our definition of each other, and of sisterhood, has taken been radically altered.  We see eye to eye so very much now, it makes all those years of opposing teen angst seem like a lifetime ago.  I'm so happy to be sharing mamahood with you, and so proud of the mommy you've become.

I thought I was done, but here's "Doctor Moms Tell All."

Q: Can you spoil a baby?

A: Thank you so much, doctor moms, for being spot-on this time!  Babies have needs.  Sometimes they need food or a clean diaper.  Sometimes they need cuddles.  That's still a valid need.  Thanks for encouraging readers to respond quickly and consistently to their babies.  Children who learn that their caregivers are reliable and loving grow up to be reliable and loving adults. 

People often comment that they never hear E cry.  We always respond, "He has very little reason to cry."  We meet his needs before they become unbearably urgent to him.  He has faith in us, so he doesn't have to cry.  He simply has to remind us that it's time to eat, or sleep, or play, or give hugs.  

on poop

I'm amazed by the cavalier attitude some moms have to their child's constipation. Constipation is not a normal state it indicates a problem in the diet that needs to be addressed.

Yet another example:

post
Hi all, how many poopy diapers are normal for a 13 month old? I have twins that are often going 4-5 times a day, is this nomal?

reply
L is a healthy pooper too...that is when he isn't constipated...lol I would say he usually goes at least 3x a day. I would also bring it up with your ped to see if its a concern...but Im thinking not!! I cant believe those girls are 13 months already!!! :)

Lactavist and Supermom Rebecca
"...that is when he isn't constipated..."?  How often is your toddler constipated?  What are you feeding him (or not feeding him) to make him that way.  We have encountered 'constipation' twice in 10 months.  The first time was just a normal bowel frequency change, it wasn't actually constipation. We were understandably concerned when W stopped moving his bowels 4-5 times a day and abruptly switched to 4-5 times a week. The second (and only close example) occurred when DS had a sinus infection and was slightly dehydrated and on medication.  Even that was just harder stool than what we normally saw - he wasn't truly 'constipated' in the sense that he skipped a movement.

A few tips?

Decrease the frequency of constipation by:
a) delaying solids until your baby has at least 1 tooth and is 6 months old
b) breastfeed - exclusively - until your baby begins solids
c) continue to breastfeed until your child is able to wean naturally. Breast milk is high in water content and has natural laxative properties (btw it also combats all of the leading causes of diarrhea)
d) offering water before laxatives.  Water and fiber are proven ways to combat constipation. Why not try a natural dietary remedy before a medical laxative.


On a side note: In case you were wondering it is perfectly normal and acceptable to discuss your child's bathroom habits with other supermoms.

On a discussion board post

I've been trying to make an effort not to judge others' parenting styles.  I had to restrain myself on this one.  In particular I believe that this shows the gaping opportunity for education among new and experienced mothers as well as the need for reform among current 'health care' practices.

My 6 month old is suffering with hard stools ... Thankfully he is passing them but they are hard and round and he is so uncomfy at times. (waking every hour or so thru the night and sleeping on his side with his knees to his tummy) He also really gassy. He is on Soy formula and has started solids ... rice pablum, whole grain rice pablum, apple sauce, pears, carrots, beans, sweet potatoes and prunes.... we are getting close to introducing meats. Doc suggested giving him lax a day ... ie ... PEG powder. (I am allergic to it and it makes me really uncomfy) We switched to soy when my son developed diarreah when he was on milk formula. I was thinking of putting him back on the milk? Any ideas? Suggestions?

Lactavist and SuperMom Rebecca: First, if your child had severe diarrhea on cow's milk formula they are lactose intolerant.  Re-introducing this type of formula to counteract constipation is ludicrous. Second, constipation is not just something that 'happens'  there is a root cause that can be addressed.  I am appalled that the doctor did not first suggest reducing or eliminating the solids in the baby's diet before resorting to a laxative.

The Breast is half-full

Always the optimist and 'look on the bright side' sort, I had to share this news from a woman who struggled to bf her first child and has had an emotional first week with twin boys.

When I first started .... I would nurse the twins ad then pump AND hand express about 2ml if I was lucky. Its been increasing lil by lil and now, EACH time I nurse,
B gets one side for 12 to 20 mins
W gets another side fo 12 to 20 mins
Then, JUST FROM PUMPING I get 14 or more ml of milk. EACH TIME!

You go girl!