Breastfeeding, Good for Mommy Too!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=breastfeeding-benefits-mothers

ANOTHER Bum Essentials Giveaway - today only!

http://dandygiveaway.blogspot.com/2010/04/bum-essentials.html

Check it out!

Could it be, a THIRD Bum Essentials Giftcard Giveaway?

Yes! The B Keeps Us Honest is giving away a 25 dollar Bum Essentials Giftcard:

http://thebkeepsushonest.blogspot.com/2010/04/bum-essentials-diaper-review-giveaway.html

Check it out!

Have some time? Hang 'em on the line

There's nothing I love more than a sunny day with a slight breeze; this type of weather is optimal for line drying sheets, clothes, and best of all, cloth diapers!


Now, my husband and I just built a new home, so my husband still has a few projects around the house, including my clothesline! Since I don't have an actual clothes line yet, I like to use the clothes racks you can buy at a store. I just stand the rack out on the front porch (I know, I know...what a hillbilly). But there are just so many good reasons to line dry your cloth diapers, it's worth the stares!

Here are a few of those reasons:

1. It uses NO energy (besides your own) since you don't have to run the dryer. We are always looking for ways to help the planet and our wallets!

2. The sun has the ultimate stain fighting formula! I am constantly amazed at how white my bumGenius microfiber inserts are after hanging in the sun for a few hours. It's truly awesome! And again, you aren't having to use bleach, Biz, or any other extra product to get those diapers stain-free!

3. The smell. I find that after hanging on the line for a few hours, my diapers smell like the outdoors, of course. It's nice to have that fresh smell as I diaper my little man.

4. Cloth diaper advertisement! I can't tell you how many comments I've gotten about my diapers hanging outside. Often, the conversation starts with "I didn't know people still used cloth diapers." I then follow with "Oh, these aren't your mother's cloth diapers!"

5. Lastly, I don't know about you, but how CUTE do those diapers look hanging out on the line?!

Now, I know I won't get to line dry my diapers all the time (when there's snow on the ground and it's freezing outside!); but every chance I do get, you can bet my little diapers will be gracing my front porch, happily swaying in the wind!

Of course, there is a potential downside. If you're in a hurry, line drying might not be your first choice. It typically takes my inserts 3-4 hours to dry completely on the line; the covers, though, typically dry in an hour or less. So, if you have some time, hang 'em on the line!

Hi, My Name is Crystal and I'm a Cloth Diaper Addict

Having just spent too much time scouring the internet for cloth diaper giveaways, it finally occurred to me: I'm a cloth diaper addict. Now, I didn't start out this way. When I began cloth diapering just 5 months ago, I was timid, nervous, unsure. Armed with my unbleached cotton prefolds and Thirsties diaper covers, I began diapering my 1 week old son. 4 weeks later, I stumbled across an awesome sale and decide to order 12 bumGenius OS diapers. My husband, after seeing how often I was washing diapers, said to get another 12. So, 2 months in, I was stocked and cloth diapering like a pro! I was content--not having to wash too often, very pleased with my diapers. I had no need for anymore....but then, I started to see giveaways. Oo, the chance to get cloth diapers, for free?! I was in! And this, my friends, is where it all began.

At first, it was just one giveaway here and there. I even won some swag bucks in my search for cloth diaper giveaways! But one giveaway lead to another and that lead to another. I even signed up for Twitter for the sole purpose of entering and tweeting about giveaways! I won a bg 3.0 for tweeting a pic of my son! This did not help to calm my addiction. Thankfully, this is all my addiction consists of: giveaways. I'm not so addicted that I'm buying cloth diapers left and right. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to try every cloth diaper that exists; but, having just made the decision to stay home full time, I don't think I should be investing our money in such a manner.

Now, I do have some control over my addiction: I only tweet and search for giveaways while my little one is sleeping--I would hate to miss out on playtime just to try and win a free diaper. Of course, sometimes, not much housework gets done; but if I win just one diaper, I can justify it! (Yeah, that's what I'll tell myself).

So I've convinced myself that it's a healthy addiction; I'm not spending money, just my own downtime. Heck, I'm even writing this blog hoping that it will be used so I can get diaper dollars to get more diapers! But at least I'm not in denial; in fact, I'm certain there are many more cloth diapering addicts out there--having just been a part of a Twitter party which consisted of over 300 cloth diapering fans! So, in the spirit of my healthy addiction, I thought I'd share some great blogs that usually have cloth diaper/diaper accessory giveaways. Enjoy and Good Luck!

BabyElanDaily
Bummis Cloth Diapering
Cloth Diaper Blog
Cloth Diaper Talk
Cloth Diapers
Family of Cloth
Monkey Tales
The Cloth Diaper Report
The Cloth Diaper Whisperer
The Eco-Cheap Mom
The Green Diaper Queen Blog

Medela Freestyle Giveaway

Sugar Pop Ribbons is giving away a Medela Freestyle Pump:

http://sugarpopribbons.blogspot.com/2010/04/medela-freestyle-review-giveaway.html?showComment=1271785276886_AIe9_BEbEwEodx0xsm2Ez8XBOoiy1FD5NIuhuBk6hCCyMFt3tTYeX_gMYl1gcRvMLzMdX9908bWosUGYDOpsZfO3rE6z2ZPQDr5EUorNHIJZYe4WTRrhU09PzzhUZB4Krb4oNm_NKO94n2qQof_QdZSyktGtLkCPYDUNRwRxGNJQ6WYZE2odACOlJp-bor3tS_-KpkxHgkQ_gGE1fzS0q4rP9vjoLCP9CADVYjC_BZlkYqAUngFePrBhk6bM9-OyVZ09WQwl_BLc#c3679882272748214243

I would love to win this because it would help greatly in my efforts to collect and store milk that I'm giving to someone who is adopting!

This pump looks amazing! It would also be helpful with my next child in a few years!

Another Bum Essentials Giftcard Giveaway

Exploits of a Military Mama is also doing a bum essentials giftcard giveaway:

http://www.exploitsofamilitarymama.com/2010/04/bum-essentials-review-and-giveaway.html

These diapers look neat! I hope I win so I can try them!

Bum Essentials Giftcard Giveaway

Eco-Cheap Mom is having a giveaway: http://www.ecocheapmom.com/2010/04/bum-essentials-diaper-and-wet-bag.html

You know me and my cloth diaper love!! Hoping to win some fluff!

Funny and true facebook fan page

I came across this page entitled:

"If breastfeeding offends you, put a blanket over YOUR head."

Had to share!

LOVE IT!

Bummis Swimmi Swim Diaper Giveaway

I have one of these diapers (and would love another one for FREE). They are great and super cute!

http://www.ecocheapmom.com/2010/04/swimmis-swim-diaper-by-bummis-review.html

Trying to feed my stash!

Fuzzibunz giveaway:

http://www.ecocheapmom.com/2010/04/fuzzibunz-one-size-pocket-diaper-review.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ecocheapMom+%28The+Eco-Cheap+Mom%29

bumGenius organic AIO giveaway

Win a bumGenius Organic AIO Diaper from diapersetc and ecocheapmom http://bit.ly/9207un #clothdiapers #giveaway ends 4/20

Ideal Breastfeeding Center

All these recent articles about breastfeeding got me thinking about Breastfeeding Centers. Wouldn't it be neat if each city/town had a place you could go to buy breastfeeding supplies or get assistance with breastfeeding? Some place close that is completely mom and breastfeeding friendly?

Here's what I would think would be ideal...


Mission: To provide breastfeeding supplies, support, and information for expecting and nursing moms.

Set up:
When you come in, there would be several products that are necessary to getting a good start at breastfeeding. These would include: Milkies Milk-Saver, MoBoleez Nursing Hats, Medela Breastpumps, Boppy pillows, nursing bras, nursing wear (shirts, dresses, etc), Hemp Babies washable nursing pads and disposable nursing pads,and other nursing related products.

In addition to nursing supplies, it would be sure to sell the breastfeeding book by Amy Spangler "Breastfeeding: A Parent's Guide."

There would be comfortable seating in case a customer needed to nurse. There would be a few private areas in case the mother was not comfortable nursing in public. In my mind, I think of rooms a little bigger than a fitting room, but with a cushy chair, perhaps a nursing stool, maybe a tv if you like that.

1-2 lactation consultants would work there so that mothers could make appointments and get help--without having to pay an outrageous fee.

They would hold weekly or monthly "Breast-feeding Mommy" meetings where a lactation consultant would be present to answer any and all questions. They could also show different products and get mom opinions. They could hold monthly giveaways.

Perhaps once a quarter, a free breastfeeding class would be offered for expecting moms to get good information.

There would also be information present on Milk Banks and how to donate or get milk.

On the walls would be nursing mother artwork and many of the great statistics that support breastfeeding.

It would be nice, also, to have a couple of hospital grade pumps available that mothers could come in and use, if they couldn't buy their own pump. They would just have to pay for the parts that can't be resused--but they would then bring them with them each time they needed to pump.

---

It's just a little frustrating to see all these articles coming out in support of breastfeeding but with society still refusing to actually do something with that information. Nursing moms shouldn't be made to feel embarrassed about feeding their children in public. Imagine if breastfeeding centers existed like the one in my ideal world...imagine the possibilities...

Beautifully written letter to Breast Feeding Advocates

http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/2010/04/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-breastfeeding-advocates.html

This is what I'm talking about!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-04-07-breastmilk07_ST_N.htm?csp=usat.me

Everyone needs to be more aware of this! It's fantastic!

Laughter is the best medicine

Collin is starting to laugh more and more these days.  He laughs when we get him ready for bed.  He laughs when Mark changes his diaper.  He laughs when we play with him.  I cannot give enough of his laughter.  We record it every chance we get.  Just last night after we put Collin to bed, Mark and I watched the recent video we have of him laughing.  It really doesn't get any better than this...

Bummis Easyfit Giveaway

http://lewiscrazyhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/bummis-easy-fit-reviewgiveaway.html

You know me and my contests!! Here's another giveaway of a cloth diaper I'd like to try! The Bummis Easy Fit!

*Fingers Crossed*

Who Knew?

While I was pregnant with Collin, I knew I wanted to breastfeed because it would be good for him and would save us money, since it was free! I was excited about breastfeeding and my husband and I took a breastfeeding class and I read Amy Spangler's book: Breastfeeding: A Parent's Guide.  So I was as ready as I could have been!

At the hospital , Collin and I learned how to breastfeed with the help of lactation consultants who seemed to be around on every shift! It was great. 

Little did I know that there was a breastfeeding advocate hiding inside of me! Now that I've been nursing Collin for 4 months, I seek out all the information I can find regarding breastfeeding.  I do this so I can be properly informed when I share things with my friends or family who are expecting.  I recently joined a few groups on Facebook to stay abreast on the topic:  Best for Babes and The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.  Each has a mission to help mothers make informed decisions regarding whether or not they breastfeed their children.

I love to share my thoughts on breastfeeding with anyone who will listen! Even more, I love to find products that support breastfeeding--like the Milkies Milk-Saver or the Moboleez Nursing Hat (which I plan on buying this summer!). 

I think breastfeeding should be celebrated and I feel like we might be moving in that direction as a country...but there's still so much more that could be done.  So, I'll do my part and raise awareness among my family and friends!

Cloth Diaper Photo Contest

http://www.phillydiaperservice.com/cloth-diaper-photo-contest/contest-entries/

Vote For Collin:  #20

The photo was taken by Brad Rund of Rundwerks Photography.

Sisters

I LOVE my little sister...though, she isn't really little anymore seeing as she'll be 20 this year.  I love hearing her stories and adventures she encounters while at college and elsewhere.  She truly cracks me up.  Of course, it wasn't always like this.  Back when we were younger, we were typical big sis/little sis--I would tell her she was adopted and her face was on the milk carton...she would call me dirty girl....oh how far we've come!

Now she calls to share gossip, vent, dish on the men in her life, or just to check up on baby Collin.  I'm lucky to have her as my sister.  And while often times I'm left shaking my head at some of things she says and does, there's always a little piece of me (the protective part) that worries about her and wants only the best for her.  She's becoming a beautiful adult...which means I'm getting older...oh well :)

Excellent Cloth Diaper Resource Page

http://www.29diapers.com/

Interesting fact about Copper

My husband recently went to an expo in Florida where he sat in on a presentation about the antimicrobial properites of copper.  He sent me an interesting article:

http://www.copper.org/about/pressreleases/2010/pr2010_March_22.html


It basically concluded that "Laboratory testing independent of the clinical trial has proven that copper and copper alloys, such as brass and bronze, kill 99.9 percent of bacteria within two hours, when cleaned regularly and as a supplement to routine cleaning and disinfection programs. These findings led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to register these materials as public health antimicrobial products that can control vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli O157:H7, all of which are associated with infections or other adverse effects in humans."

Imagine the possibilities in hospitals and school settings?! Think of how many illnesses might be contained or eliminated if copper could be used to replace high traffic objects...science really is a wonder!

Interesting Breastfeeding Article

A friend sent this to me today--very interesting.  Why doesn't our government spend money advertising the benefits of breastfeeding?!

---

Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer - Mon Apr 5, 5:16 AM PDT

Those startling results, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate. But several experts who reviewed the analysis said the methods and conclusions seem sound.

"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' breast-feeding section.
The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.

The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.

Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.

The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breast-feeding.

The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breast-feeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.

The methods were similar to a widely cited 2001 government report that said $3.6 billion could be saved each year if 50 percent of mothers breast-fed their babies for six months. Medical costs have climbed since then and breast-feeding rates have increased only slightly.

About 43 percent of U.S. mothers do at least some breast-feeding for six months, but only 12 percent follow government guidelines recommending that babies receive only breast milk for six months.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance.

But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
"We'd all love as pediatricians to be able to carry this information into the boardrooms by saying we all gain by small changes at the workplace" that encourage breast-feeding, Gray said.

Bartick said there are some encouraging signs. The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home.
The pediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed.

"Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

Happy Easter

Throughout Lent, we got "kisses" (chocolate, not real) at church.  Today, the pastor finally tied it all together.  He talked about how you felt when you got your first kiss.  And he talked about how his son told EVERYBODY! He was so excited about this wonderful thing that just happened.  The pastor then went on to explain how we should always be "puckered up" for Jesus.  We should want to share His wonderful, good news! Not just on Easter, not just on Sunday...but all week long. 

I know I don't do this.  I'm not the shout- from-the- rooftops, wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve Christian.  And I think that's okay. God makes us all different.  There are some who share and profess their faith and love of Jesus Christ so easily; I'm a bit more reserved.  I talk about it when I feel moved or when I feel like it would be worthwhile.  That's just who I am. 

But now that I have a son, I know that when he is able to understand, I'm going to want to tell him all about Jesus and God and we'll learn John 3:16 together and sing praise songs.  And perhaps this was God's plan all along.  He knows that I will effortlessly share my faith and love of Jesus with Collin; I'm excited to be able to do that!

However, thinking of this Easter day, I wonder if Collin will someday ask how God was able to sacrifice his son, his ONLY son, in order to save us.  How did Mary watch her son, the son she gave birth to, cared for, and loved, die on that cross? 

And perhaps I'll be able to explain to him that God knew this was only temporary.  He knew that Jesus would return and that gave Him the strength to do that.  And that that is why we praise God and worship him; because he gave up so much for us when we didn't deserve it. 

We are blessed and thankful for the life that God has given us. 

"This is the day that the Lord hath made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

A life taken too soon...

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labour, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school where children played,
Their lessons scarcely done;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

-Emily Dickinson-

I recently heard about an aquaintance who passed away suddenly, leaving behind a husband and children and it broke my heart. Even though we didn't know them very well, it always hurts to hear of someone passing at such a young age, who still had so much life to live. I think it hurts even more now that I'm a mother because I think about those children and what they are going to have to understand and deal with. And to think of her husband, their father, and how much his life is going to change.

And this led me to thinking about how truly unpredictable life is.  We don't know God's plan for our lives.  We can pray for guidance as we travel our paths, but we just have to have faith that He'll lead us in the right direction....but when things like this happen, a life taken too soon...you pray to God, or maybe beg Him to explain why those things happen...

And are we ever truly ready to deal with the passing of a life?  Even when we have time to prepare, does it make it any easier?

I don't know. But I do know that today, like all others, I will kiss my husband and hold my son and thank God for who we are and what we have right now. Except today, I'll do it with a heavy heart and pray that that family, in time, remembers that they too will get to hold and kiss their mother/wife again when she greets them at the gates of Heaven....

A few more Picnik creations

Cool, FREE picture editing website

I've been having fun editing Easter pics I'm taking of Collin! There's this cool website http://www.picnik.com/

It has lots of neat features!