Sex after Pregnancy

After my 1st baby was born I experienced the trauma and I did not know that I experienced the trauma until later....

My son's head was so large that it ruptured my vagina. I tore, I had to get a second degree incision (I got cut open), he had to be vacuumed out, and I had to get stitches. To say the least I was depressed. I thought that I would never be able to enjoy sex again.

That was until I started doing some research. I found out that I could do exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor and tighten back up my vagina. I spent a little over $100 on a Kegel Master device. Now they are not that expensive, and this device works beautifully.

At that point and time, sex was so bad that I was desperate to try it. I must say that it did help tremendously. I used it 2 to 3 times a day for 6 weeks....that was 6 weeks after I had my baby.

My husband and I both notice the difference. But, nowadays you do not have to pay $100 to get your sex life back after having a baby. There are so many affordable alternatives now that give you the same results.

You can do the Kegel exercises without devices or weights but I would highly recommend the weights because they will make your vagina stronger!

Without Devices:

When you are sitting up straight contract your vagina muscles like you are stopping and starting the stream of going to the restroom (#1). And, you just keep doing it over and over again. Then you can do this about 3 times a day for 5 - 10 minutes

Here are some great devices that will help you:

Kegel Master 2000

Intifit Premium Kegel Ball Exercise Training Kit

There are a number of other kits and devices on the market but these work very well. I hope that you fine success in getting your body back the way that you want it!

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How to Get Rid of Baby Eczema

One of the most frustrating things about ezcema is that it is becoming more and more common. However, doctors are unsure of how it develops in babies. Essentially, what we do know about eczema is that it is the excessive drying of skin. This skin will peel excessively. Sometimes the dryness is so bad that their are large amounts of flakes of the baby's skin in the crib where he is.

I speak from experience, all 3 of my boys have had eczema in the beginning. However, I learned quickly how to get rid of a medium case of eczema without a doctor's prescription.

Here are some ways that I have found that really help you to control eczema



Use a Natural Body Wash/Soap

When it comes to getting rid of your baby's eczema you need to know that the regular popular brand body wash/soap will not help your baby. It may actually exacerbate the condition of your baby's eczema.

Using a natural soap/body wash will help with that. Most body wash/soaps have lye and sulfates in them. This is very drying to the skin. However, there is a soap bar that you can buy for your baby that is made out of plantains ash as opposed to lye. And, it is sulfate free. It will not dry out your baby's skin. It is called Shea Moisture African Black Soap Bar.

If you do not like using soap bars then their is a body wash just for babies that Shea Moisture makes. Check it out here.

Use Extra Hydrating Moisturizers

It is very important that you use a moisturize that will actually hydrate the baby's skin and penetrate deep. One product that I found to be helpful is Eucerin. It is absolutely amazing what this product can do for your baby's skin. In fact, if you baby has a severe case of eczema it is a good chance that your doctor will want you to use mix Eucerin with the steroid prescription that they will give you. That has been the case for me and my first 2 boys.

Coconut oil and Shea butter are 2 other great products that will help with the treatment for eczema. My favorite coconut oil is the Spectrum Unrefined brand because the great benefits of the oil are still present in the oil because it did not go through the refining process.

Moisturize Baby Immediately After Baths

It is very important that you moisturize your baby's skin immediately after you bath him. This is due to the fact that after we bathe our skin pores are open and this is the time to apply the best moisturizing lotions and creams.

When you are dealing with eczema, it is vital that you moisturize your baby's skin not only after a bath but 2 more times in a day.

I hope that my tips help your baby's skin eczema. They definitely worked for me!

Why is my Baby so Fussy?

When it comes to baby bottles believe me I have tried quite a few.  With my last son we received Some very fancy Dr. Brown's Natural Flow baby bottles. Out of all the bottles that I received these caught my eye because each bottle had 6 pieces.

I thought that 6 pieces seemed like a lot for a baby bottle. But, I quickly learned that all of the pieces all played a roll in decreasing your baby's gas. This decreasing your baby's fussiness. Normally, if a baby is fussy after you feed them and changed them, they may be experiencing gas pains. Baby's main form of communication is extra wiggling and crying. You can cut down on your baby's pain and irritation by doing the following:

• Make sure they have fully burped after feeding
• If breastfeeding decrease your consumption of dairy
• If breastfeeding decrease your consumption of raw spinach
• Purchase an organic formula that is gentle on their little tummy (a great organic formula is made by the Honest Company)

You should be aware that everything that you eat will be what the baby eats. With that being said some babies have faster liver development than others. This means that their body may not be able to proper digest the dairy in your diet. A good idea may be for you to switch to a non-dairy milk like almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk. Almond Breeze Brand makes some great tasting non-dairy milk varieties.

If you make these changes then you should see an improvement in your baby. He should be more at ease and more comfortable than he was before.

**** I am not a doctor and you should always consult a doctor before changing anything in your diet. I am giving you the alternatives that worked for me.*****

Lactation Cookie Recipe

·         1 tablespoons fenugreek to make 4 T brewed fenugreek tea

·         2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

·         1 cup Kelapo Coconut Oil, melted

·         3/4 cup raw honey

·         2 eggs

·         3 teaspoons vanilla

·         3/4 cup peanut butter or other nut/seed butter (I really like sunflower seed butter in these)

·         1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted OR 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour

·         4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

·         2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

·         3 1/2 cups gluten free oats

·         1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

·         1/2 – 3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions 

1.      Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2.      Brew fenugreek in 8 ounces of hot water until grains are soft.

3.      Mix flaxseed and 4 tablespoons fenugreek tea and let sit for 3-5 minutes. DO NOT DISCARD THE GRAINS!

4.      Beat coconut oil and honey.

5.      Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

6.      Fold in the peanut butter/nut or seed butter until well combined.

7.      Add flaxseed mix and fenugreek grains and mix well.

8.      Add flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, and salt. Mix and if using coconut flour see ingredient notes below.*

9.      Mix in oats until well combined.

10.    If using raisins or cranberries and/or chocolate chips, slowly fold these in.

11.    Round off a large tablespoon of dough and place on cookie sheet. Press it down slightly.

12.    Bake for 15 minutes then check cookies. Continue baking (checking every 3 minutes) until the outside is a bit brown with crispy edges. The inside should still be slightly moist and soft.

13.    Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Source: http://www.mnn.com/family/babies-pregnancy/blogs/chocolate-chip-gluten-free-lactation-cookies

For more great foods to increase milk supply CLICK HERE!!

Lactation Problems?

Many of us are aware of all of the nutritional and developmental benefits that our baby will get when we breastfeed. However, what if you are breastfeeding but you are not producing enough? Check out this list of things that you can do to boost your milk supply.

Lactation Cookies

One thing that I absolutely love is cookies. When I found out that their are cookies that can help your milk supply I was all for it. A good brand for you to try are Milkmakers Lactation Cookies.

You can also make your own lactation cookies if you would like. Check out the Lactation Boosting Cookie recipe here.


Oatmeal

Moms everywhere are finding that oatmeal helps increase the amount of milk that you produce. I was so determined to produce more milk that I ate oatmeal for breakfast and lunch. I must say that I did see a difference in my milk supply

Greens

Greens give your body the essential nutrients that it needs to make more milk for your baby. In fact, super foods such as kale can give you more then your recommended daily value of nutrients. Including vitamin K, A, and E. Vital to a healthy milk supply.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a great supplement that assists in increasing your milk supply. You can take it in capsule form or tea form. You can have fenugreek delivered right to your door from Amazon.


Flax seeds

Another food that you can use to help to increase your milk supply is flax seeds. Many people use flax seeds in place of eggs for baking. You can simply get 3 tbl spoons of water and add 2 tbl spoons of flax seeds. Bring it to a boil. And, you can substitute that for one egg in any of your baking recipes. You can also find flax seeds on Amazon.


Water

It is very important that while you are breast feeding to make sure that you drink enough water. I made that mistake with my first pregnancy and my milk supply dried up. So drink your water.


I hope that you experience an increase in your milk production! Happy nursing.

Breast Feeding vs Formula

I just recently had my 3rd child. This time around I have been more committed then ever to breast feed. My other 2 kids have had asthma and eczema and I really feel like this was due to giving them formula. However, there are sites online that say that their is no link between breastfeeding reducing the risk of your baby getting ezema. However, here are some things that I know for sure about formula vs breastfeeding.

Immune System

Breastfeeding strengthens your babies immune system that your baby needs while they are developing and growing. Many formulas on the market are full of GMOs. Just recently Similac came out and said they have an organic version of formula that does not have GMOs. Wait a minute?! Why would you put GMOs in baby formula?


Weight Loss

One thing that new mothers are unaware of is that breastfeeding helps to contract the uterus. Breastfeeding also burns calories. You can burn upwards of 500 calories when you breastfeed. With formula you only burn as much as it takes to take the bottle out of the fridge, warm it up, and hold it to your baby's mouth

Convenience


Convenience depends on how you look at it. For me formula was more convenient because my baby could not latch to the nipple. This means that in order for  me to give my son breast milk I had to pump out the milk and use bottles anyway because it was so painful. And, it took me double the time to prepare his feedings.

Thus, in my situation formula was way more convenient. However, if you do not have a latching problem breastfeeding may be more convenient for you because you do not have to worry about cleaning and preparing so many bottles.

FREE MILK

When you breastfeed you do not have to worry about buying formula and running out. As long as you continue to eat a nourishing meal and stay hydrated you do not have to worry about increasing the family's budget by having to buy formula.

Options 

All in all you want to make sure that your baby is healthy. If you are going to use formula get the best formula. Use an organic formula. One brand that I like to use is Honest Baby Formula. You do not have to worry about GMOs

Also, if you are like me and your baby has trouble latching or if you are going back to work you and you want to breastfeed get a breast pump. There are some great brands. I have tried 3 different kinds and the Medela breast pump is the best!!

Also, if you feel apprehensive about breastfeeding in public, no worries. There are plenty of sleek and stylish breast feeding scarfs that will give you and your baby the privacy that you want.


I hope this was helpful to you! To a healthy happy baby!

References:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Breastfeeding-Benefits-Your-Baby's-Immune-System.aspx

http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/05/28/abbott-slammed-praised-after-cutting-gmos-from-similac-as-competitors-assess/