Mommy and Love

Author: Monica

  • Posterior Labors – My Baby Is a Pain in the Back!

    Posterior Labors – My Baby Is a Pain in the Back!

    While many women hear stories of posterior labors, they often don’t realize that a lot of the little aches and pains of late pregnancy can also be a sign of a posterior-positioned baby. Now, this doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your baby or you, but in this lovely dance called pregnancy, one partner is sort of stepping on the other partner’s toes. They don’t mean to hurt you. It’s getting tight in there, and they are looking for the position with the most room.

    Posterior means that the back of your baby’s head (the occiput) is pressing your lower spine and tailbone. This can cause back pain and muscle tightness. While not every sore back is a posterior baby, it’s a common cause, and these tips are good no matter what position your baby is in! For relaxing sore back muscles when expecting, one of my favorite tools is a pool noodle! If you take a pool noodle and cut it to the length of your forearm, your partner can roll it up and down your back or you can place it between your back and the wall and move up and down across it. This massage helps to relax muscles simply and effectively without much effort on anyone’s part. A time-honored trick is using hot or cold packs on your back (or in some cases, on your belly, if it’s sore and you want the baby to rotate away from it!). While many people have heard of “rice socks” or hot packs, most people don’t realize that it’s really as easy as pulling out a clean sock and pouring in rice. Tie in a knot and heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. If it’s too warm, put a towel between the skin and the hot pack to protect mom from accidental burns. You can also buy cheap disposable hot packs/cold packs from the first aid section of any drugstore or grocery store. They are easy to use and work for up to an hour. If you are still a working mom, these are great to buy and keep in your car or at your desk.

    Be mindful of your sitting positions while in the car or at home! Lean slightly forward, and place a pillow behind your back to stay upright. Lean forward on a birth ball while sitting on the floor. These are two ways to keep your baby from getting comfortable and stretched out as you lean back and stretch out. The heaviest part of the baby (head and back) will naturally rotate backward towards your spine if you give the baby a bit too much room. Pelvic rocks (those cat/cow stretches where you are on hands and knees and go from “camel humpback” to “sagging belly) are another way to keep the baby’s back to the front of your belly.

    The website Spinning Babies has more tips and tricks to help mamas with comfort measures and ways to possibly gently turn a posterior baby during pregnancy. What is essentially a pain in the back before labor could wind up meaning more painful or slower labor until baby rotates or is born. If you think your baby is posterior, there are tips and exercises you can use to tone your muscles to ease labor pain or turn your baby from posterior or even breech.Just remember that it is important when you’re pregnant to stay active and move as normally as you can. Walking daily, even a little bit, is still one of the best ways to help baby position well and keep your back and leg muscles strong and that will help support your body!

  • Quick Tips for Writing Your Birth Plan

    Quick Tips for Writing Your Birth Plan

    What is a Birth Plan? 

    A birth plan is a document that tells your medical team your preferences for such things as how to manage labor pain. Of course, you can’t control every aspect of labor and delivery, and you’ll need to stay flexible in case something comes up that requires your birth team to depart from your plan. But a printed document gives you a place to make your wishes clear when you have a choice. A written birth plan also helps refresh your provider’s memory when you’re in labor. And it informs new members of your medical team — such as your labor and delivery nurse — about your preferences when you’re in active labor. Most hospitals (and birth centers) provide a birth plan worksheet or brochure that explains the hospital’s policies and philosophy of childbirth, and lets you know what your options might be when you give birth. That information can help guide you in a discussion with your healthcare provider about your preferences when you face choices along the way. That discussion can be the basis for a birth plan if you decide to create one.

    Writing Your Birth Plan

    Educate yourself

    Know how the typical birth goes in the United States and know what evidence-based practices are. Write your birth plan based on that research. Before writing your birth plan, enroll in a childbirth education class. If you are short on time before delivery, consider reading a book or taking a video course. Take a tour of your birthing facility before you deliver to learn about pain relief, birthing positions, and baby care options.

    Keep it short and simple

    Stick to one page. Ensure key

    Know the policies of where you are delivering

    Depending on where you are delivering, some things are not up for negotiation and some things go without saying. Know what your options are before you write your birth plan.

    Include only the most important things

    There is no need to have ten bullet points on the type of lighting, music and comfort measure you want to use. Bullet what’s important; example: unmedicated birth, immediate skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, exclusive breastfeeding, rooming in


    You should include your name, your baby’s name (if you know it! ), your obstetrician or midwife, your pediatrician/doctor, baby’s the names of everyone you don’t want during your birth.

    Know why you’re choosing the things you include on your birth plan

    Know the importance of skin-to-skin, exclusive breastfeeding, rooming in and any other things that you may include on your birth plan – don’t just include them because you saw them on a sample birth plan online. Unfortunately, you may find yourself defending your birth plan. By being informed you’ll be educating the staff that attends your birth and your knowledge of evidence-based birth practices will help you navigate your stay.

    What Should be in a Birth Plan?

    Start with labor, birth, immediate postpartum and end with newborn care.

    Background Information and Contact Details

    In the first section have all the contact details of everyone who should be there.

    Then have a section on your medical history. Include your household medications, allergies, chronic medical issues, and prior pregnancies and deliveries in this box. Indicate your status for Group B Strep and gestational diabetes. Include any history of herpes, HIV, hepatitis, or other STDs.

    Labour Plans

    If you plan on having a natural birth without an epidural, discuss your pain management plan. Pitocin-assisted labor will likely necessitate an epidural for pain relief. If you’ve had bad experiences with pain control during birth before, talk about what happened and how you’d like to avoid it.

    Please include certain birthing positions or props in your birth plan and inform your healthcare providers as soon as possible. Make sure you know how to use these positions/props and that your facility supports them. If you want to have an epidural, make sure you have a backup plan for your birthing position in case you lose leg control or strength.

    Delivery Plans

    Few women desire a C-section, but you should be ready for one. You should put in your birth plan your preferences for c-sections, such as not having your hands bound and not using sedatives.

    Nobody wants an episiotomy, yet they can save a major tear. If you are refusing episiotomy, arrange ahead of time with your doctor to avoid a serious tear.

    Do you want delayed cord clamping? Include this in this section if you do.

    Postpartum Care Plans

    What pain meds do you use? Which laxatives do you prefer? Do narcotics cause nausea? Inform your doctors.

    Newborn Care Plans

    Do you want to hold your kid immediately after birth, even if it’s a c-section? You must be clear. Provide details about nursing, antibiotic eye ointment, vitamin K, baby’s first bath, and hepatitis vaccine.

    Be flexible

    Your birth plan is a wish list; have a back-up plan if things don’t necessarily go how you envision.

    Be kind

    You can go far with kindness for the people who are attending your birth. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

    Know you can ask for a different nurse.

    The best birth plan and nicest attitude can’t change your nurse if she’s having an ‘off day’. If you’re not meshing well with your nurse, ask to speak to the charge nurse and request someone else.

    How Many Copies of Birth Plan Do I Need?

    You may experience several shift changes during your stay at the hospital, so have enough birth plans for everyone, even postpartum.

    What a Birth Plan Looks Like

    Birth plan for: YOUR NAME

    Husband: [name and phone]

    Baby:  [name and gender, if known]

    Obstetrician: [name and phone]

    Pediatrician: [name and phone]
    Patient History:
    Details here on your history. Include details of previous pregancies and any history.

    Labour Plans:

    • I’m planning a VBAC. I will perform a c-section if needed.
    • My spouse, XXX, will be there. Visitors are not restricted.
    • Only use IV fluids when medically required.
    • Don’t use Pitocin to speed up labor. 
    • Do not break my waters.
    • After labor agony gets unbearable, I’d like a walking epidural (not a spinal). Episiotomy with lidocaine or local anesthesia. I like to walk, use an exercise/birthing ball, and grasp onto the wall’s handrail. 
    • I request 5 minutes following delivery for delayed cord claimping or until the chord stops pulsing.

    If C-section Required:

    • Please include my spouse in the OR. 
    • Don’t bind my hands.
    • Please do not give me any drugs without my approval. Unless I need general anesthesia for a medical emergency, no medicines that affect my consciousness.
    • If I am not hemorrhaging, I request 5 minutes following birth or until the cord stops pulsing.
    • I want skin-to-skin with my newborn in the OR right after delivery

    Post Partum Care Plans:

    • I want ibuprofen every 4 hours for pain/cramping if vaginal delivery.
    • I want visitors after 6 hours.

    Newborn Care Plans:

    • Wait till the baby is breastfed, my husband has held the baby and I am ready to rest before doing any tests.
    • Please complete a pulse-ox CHD screen.
    • Our infant will sleep in our room. Please assess her in our room.
    • Please provide me the baby’s hearing screen, blood work, and other test findings.

    When to Discuss Birth Plan with Doctor

    When you are 28 weeks pregnant, or at the beginning of your third trimester of pregnancy, it is a good idea to sit down and write up your birth plan, and then discuss it with your doctor or midwife so that he or she is aware of your decisions.

    Importance of Individual Birth Plan

    It is possible to communicate your wishes to those who will be caring for you during your pregnancy and following the birth of your child through a birth plan. Every child’s birth is a one-of-a-kind experience. Making a birth plan gives you the ability to become informed of all of your alternatives when you are in labor. At the same time, it serves as a tool to communicate your choices to the team responsible for your care.

  • 10 THINGS ALL MEN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PREGNANCY

    10 THINGS ALL MEN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PREGNANCY

    I read all the books and even asked my husband to read a few. I went on every blog and mommy website and asked a million questions to all my friends with kids. Yet, nothing really told my husband the honest truth about my pregnancy. From how I would act, what I would do and what he should be advised against doing during my pregnancy. Here I am, three pregnancies later, and there is still no book that sums up these things for men. Well ladies, here it is, a list of ten things all men should know about your pregnancy. It will be so short that I promise they will want to read it.

    1. I WILL CRY

    I will cry for no reason I will cry over the YouTube video of the baby animal. I will cry when we tour labor and delivery knowing our baby will take his or her first breath here. I will cry for no reason and for every single reason. I will cry feeling our baby kick and move every single time. I will cry at every single ultrasound and doctor’s appointment. I will cry when I am happy, sad, overjoyed, scared, angry and hungry. Please do not try and understand why I am crying. I will not be able to explain it to you, and this will only make me cry more.

    2. YOU NEED TO FEEL EVERY MOVEMENT AND KICK

    For your own safety, you need to stop whatever you are doing when I say, “Hurry, hurry, come feel him move and kick!” I don’t care that you have felt it before or that you just felt it five minutes ago. Each time is special, and it not to be missed. Therefore, before you say any of the things listed above, please refer back to point #1; I will begin crying if you say “no” to feeling a movement or kick.

    3. CRAVINGS ARE NO JOKE

    When I ask you at 2:00 AM to go get me the greasiest burger around, please do not respond to me with the following questions: “Do you really need that?” or “Do you know what time it is?” This will do you no good. I am not in control of my cravings; they will not go away until they are satisfied. Unless you want to hear me whine for hours and keep you up the rest of the night about how I need that burger, please just go get the burger. No matter what happens, do not come back empty-handed. I don’t care if you have to beg and plead with them to open the store or restaurant; do whatever you have to do to get that burger.

    4. BLOCK WEBMD ON OUR COMPUTER

    Let me save you mass hysteria, unnecessary trips to the OBGYN and hours of explaining why I have every single symptom on the list for a breech baby at only 12 weeks. Just block it now, or I promise you will be receiving tons of texts and phone calls while you are at work because I will be spending every spare minute I have finding everything that can go wrong during pregnancy on WebMD.

    5. DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH YOUR MOM

    Chances are she is going to share stories that I do not need to hear just yet. I don’t need to know that you weighed 12 pounds when you were born or that you came out so fast they accidently dropped you into a bucket that was sitting on the floor at the hospital. (Yes, this actually did happen to my husband.) She means well, but traumatizing stories like this while I am pregnant are not good. Please refer back to point #1 to remind yourself why.

    6. I FEEL HUGE

    I love you for telling me that I am beautiful at nine months pregnant and that I, in fact, do not waddle when I walk. However, saying this to me in my emotional and hormonal state is only going to make me think you, in fact, think that I am huge and that you are only saying it because you don’t want me to know that you feel this way. Yes, you read that right, basically, there is no winning with this one in the later stages of pregnancy.

    7. DON’T WAKE ME FROM A NAP

    Being pregnant makes you very tired. Do not wake me up from a nap, even if I have taken my maternity leave early and appear to be doing nothing all day. I am still exhausted, and the lack of sleep will only make me more emotional.

    8. I’M GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED YOU SIGNED UP FOR

    In the final months of pregnancy, there will be things that I am unable to do. Shaving my legs and other areas that will be out of my reach is one of those things. Please do not ask if I must have shaved legs or another area trimmed simply for labor. This is very important, and we cannot to go into the hospital in the middle of the night with hairy legs or an area that is unruly. It’s simply not an option.

    9. DO NOT BRING UP MY “FALSE ALARMS”

    With every pregnancy, especially my first, I was known to go to L&D with anything from Braxton Hicks to dehydration, gas and even leg cramps. Please be aware that WebMD (see point #4) was the cause of most of my early L&D trips. Yes, I am fully aware I have been to L&D several times for no real reason. I am aware the nurses know me by name and that I have caused great panic to friends and family who thought it was the “real thing.” If you continually bring up my “false alarms,” I will panic, and I won’t be able to control it.

    10. KEEP AN EXTRA OUTFIT IN THE CAR

    I don’t mean for you, I mean for me. Here is the thing about pregnancy; I am going to pee myself. Sometimes my bladder will get so full that one swift kick from our future soccer player or ballerina will cause my bladder to empty. I will even pee myself when I laugh really hard. Don’t laugh at me because I will then laugh harder. Just simply pull out the extra outfit for me to change into.

    Listed above are things that might seem pretty scary to significant others. However, I assure you that when baby is in your arms, you will forget about all the false alarms and late night runs to Taco Bell. All the times you thought your pregnant wife/girlfriend might have lost her mind will be a distant memory and will become funny stories to share with friends and family.

  • Baby Steps to Rid the Pacifier

    Here is a list of reasons why the pacifier has got to go!

    1. She is really growing up and big girls do not have pacifiers. This is definitely something I notice when I see newborns in the store with a pacifier. The pacifier is huge on the newborn and super tiny on my one and a half year old daughter’s mouth!!  She doesn’t use a bottle anymore so she shouldn’t have a pacifier. (I mean, come on, I let her carry around her two blankies, pillow, and stuffed animal baby!)
    2. She talks with the pacifier in her mouth. I can barely understand her as is! I do not need a muffler.
    3. Her little girly lips are too cute to hide! Mommy wants to see that pretty smiley face.
    4. She whines about her pacifier mid-conversation usually when it’s in her hand OR MOUTH STILL! She whines,… pacie, pacie, pacie… Obnoxious.
    5. She loses her pacifier a lot. Then will whine some more about it.
    6. She uses two pacifiers at once. Not all the time… but enough times to add it to the list. She is definitely a silly one.

    I’ve been thinking about taking away the pacifier for quite some time now. Last night after listening to her whine about her pacie and talk with it in her mouth for a good half hour, I was over it! She set her two pacifiers down and went to grab some books. Guess what I did? I snuck over and stole them. Then I hid them!! Muahahahaa!

    Shortly after, she started whining about her pacie again.
    I told her, “PACIE GO BUH BYE. PACIE ALL GONE.”

    You’d think she would have started to cry… but no! She simply repeated what I said, “Pacie go buh bye. Pacie Allllll goooonnnnnnnnnnne.” She said it so stinkin’ cute and then returned to playing with her toys.

    Once again, she asked, “Pacie?”
    I repeated, “Pacie go buh bye. Pacie all gone!” And she just waved buh bye and said,”Pacie alllll goonnnnnee!”

    No whining. No crying. She returned to playing with her toys AGAIN.

    I have been repeating this over and over for 24 hours now. She did not need the pacifier for naptime yesterday, bedtime, and naptime again today. She did GREAT!

    Today, I also stole my mom’s secret pacie stash at her house and told her my apparently super mean plan to rid the pacifier. I only halfway have her support. Regardless, I’m on a mission. I hope it works!!

    Briefing on the baby steps to rid the pacifier:

    1. Steal the pacifier when the toddler is not looking.
    2. Hide it.
    3. Tell the toddler that the pacifier has gone bye bye
    4. Continuously repeat step 4
    5. Pray for the best & don’t let yourself feel guilty!

    I will let you know if my plan works permanently in time! 🙂
    Best of luck to you!

  • 10 Things I Hate About Pregnancy

    Pregnancy is truly a beautiful time in life. Your body is creating a new life and that in itself is so amazing and wonderful. As children, we never realized our bodies full potential. But let’s face it. There are definitely uncomfortable changes we have to adjust to during our pregnancy. Here’s a list of my 10 least favorite things about pregnancy.

    1. My Emotional Rollercoaster: I am an emotional girl as it is. Now that I’m pregnant I have day-long episodes where I feel extremely angry over something as small as a misplaced item lying on the living room floor. I may be upset for no reason at all. I may feel annoyed and miserable all day long! It’s terrible. Though I have only had about a week worth of these days throughout my entire pregnancy, I do have smaller episodes of anger outbursts too. I have several moments where I could cry at the smallest hint of emotion floating through the air. There could be anything from a really cute baby in the grocery store, a sleeping cat in a window, a pretty natural setting, a romantic song on the radio, someone yelling at me, a bug getting squished, a flower dying, or something meaningless breaking and my eyes instantly flood with tears. I become an emotional wreck! The worst part is that I never know when these emotions will flare-up.

    2. Nausea: Now granted that I was pretty lucky during my first trimester and rarely threw up, I did feel nauseous 24/7 for a long 11 weeks. I could hardly eat my meals. I had to skip taking those large, horse-pill, prenatal vitamins in fear I’d throw them up. I did my best to force them down at least every other day. The main thing I was able to stomach was fruit and a little water. Otherwise, I just felt miserable
. Now (at 30wks) the only time I feel nauseous is when I go too long without eating. I have to eat something at least every 5 hours or else I will feel sick. I usually only feel nauseous when I eat an early lunch and then make dinner at the normal time (around 6 pm) or if I stay up too late and forget to eat a late snack. Regardless of how much I suffer from this, I know my experience is much, much better than what I could have ended up experiencing with nausea.

    3. Increased Bathroom Frequency: I hate the feeling of having to go to the bathroom
 especially when I go to the bathroom and I STILL HAVE TO GO! Sometimes, (like right now!) it’s a never-ending feeling of “Oh my gosh! I have to go to the bathroom so bad!” There is no end. It is amusing for people around me
 so I suppose I’m happy to entertain
 :/ Haha

    4. No Alcohol: It is no fun hanging out with friends who are drinking. I really enjoy drinking (moderately of course ). And I enjoy the occasional nights that consist of cards & beer with friends. I don’t like hanging out with a large group of people, usually single
 who are drinking and pointing and laughing at me because I can’t drink with them. I think what bothers me most is the fact that I can’t drink. Though this is annoying, it is definitely worth the sacrifice.

    5. Reduction of Fun Activities: The majority of my pregnancy has been during winter. I like ice skating, sledding, skiing, cross-country skiing, etc. I avoided those activities because they were not things I do all the time to begin with and because there’s a large risk of falling and crashing into something. So I didn’t enjoy winter activities to the fullest this past season. Now that the summer is coming I will have to avoid amusement parks and tubing & skiing behind a boat. Again, these things are definitely worth the sacrifice. A positive side to this is that I freed up time to discover many more activities that I like to do.

    6. Weight Gain: Let’s just say that I don’t like looking at the scale anymore! Oh Boy!! I never knew I could gain so much weight. So far I have gained 30lbs
 and I still have another 10 weeks! Yikes! For a girl, this is just not fair. However, my doctor has told me (numerous times) that it is normal for someone of my body weight (I normally weigh 125lbs) to gain as little as 25lbs up to 40lbs. It’s just weird for me because I haven’t gained weight for over 7 years now. Weight gain=Healthy baby! But it still sucks! As my body gets bigger and bigger, my clothes get smaller and smaller. I still haven’t bought maternity clothes and I don’t plan on it. I just wear dresses with athletic shorts, leggings, longer shirts, jeans with a BeBand and anything I can comfortably squeeze into! My selection of clothes seems to get smaller and smaller everyday
 and I don’t like it!

    7. No Intense Workouts: I enjoy working out, lifting weights, and running or biking
 the whole nine yards! I don’t exercise year round like I should but when I do, I like going all out. So when I found out I was pregnant, of course I hadn’t been working out for a few months. The doctors say you aren’t suppose to do heavy workouts unless you were doing them before. So I’ve been enjoying prenatal yoga workouts instead. These workouts make my body feel so relaxed and stretched out, relieving any minor back pain. But I can’t wait to start really working out again.

    8. Bending Over is Difficult: I never knew how hard it could be to bend over and pick something up off the floor. My belly just gets in the way and it feels weird. Whenever I can I ask Mr. FiancĂ© to help me!

    9. Guilt for not Eating Healthy: I feel much more guilty not eating healthy when I’m pregnant than when I’m not pregnant. I do my best to eat healthy dinners (meat, vegetables, milk) but now that my finacĂ© works second shift, I don’t really want to cook an entire meal for myself. It’s too much work not to enjoy it with someone else. So I slack off and make something fast like Macaroni & Cheese, Spaghetti, Ramen Noodles, sometimes a salad
 my typical meals throughout college. :/ Not cool.

    10. Secondhand Smoke: As if this didn’t already irritate enough before
 DON’T SMOKE AROUND PREGNANT WOMEN! It angers me so much that someone could be that selfish to force a baby to inhale that nasty smoke too. That’s all I have to say about this one.Any other things you ladies dislike about pregnancy? Come on, I’m 100% sure there are more complaints out there! Let’s hear them!

  • Thinning Seedlings: Peppers & Tomatoes

    If you want to grow strong and healthy plants, you need to thin your seedlings! If you skip this important gardening step and let nature take it’s course
 that is fine
 but you will most likely end up with weaker plants that produce smaller harvests. Since you are here reading this, I assume you want to reap the most benefits of all your gardening efforts and time spent down in the Earth!

    Quick Confession: I actually dread thinning seedlings because I find it really unfortunate to rip out a plant that worked so hard to grow from a tiny seed into a young plant. It finally grows its first pair of true leaves, and then, I step in and destroy it! Nonetheless, it needs to be done. If you feel that sad about it, you can save the best plants to replant and feed the rest to the chickens
 like I did!

    (I can’t be the only one who feels slightly upset about ending a plant’s life
 Right!?)

    All You Need to Know About Thinning Seedlings

    Thinning Seedlings: Peppers & Tomatoes | www.mommyandlove.com

    What does thinning mean?

    Thinning seedlings means to remove all or part of a plant to make room for the growth of others.

    In the case of tomato and pepper seedlings, I remove the entire plant. Depending on the type of tomato, usually larger varieties, some people will thin the smallest fruit so the plant can direct more energy towards improving the quality of the remaining plants.

    Why?

    You can give your plant the correct amount of sunlight, water and nutrients but if you don’t give them enough room to grow, they will not be able to thrive. They will compete for nutrients and you will be left with two smaller plants, instead of one large, healthy plant.

    I have done my fair share of gardening experiments
 letting my little garden patches grow thick and wild due to lack of space. I’ve also had many peppers plants produce only 1 or 2 peppers for the entire season, when they should be producing significantly more. I guess I like to learn the hard way
!

    When?

    It is best to thin seedlings after the first pair of true leaves emerge. The first set of leaves are actually the cotyledon, or the seed leaf, so the true leaves will look like the second pair of leaves.

    Thin your plants early on to avoid root entanglement. You will be less likely to damage the roots of the remaining plant.

    How?

    Pick the weakest plant and uproot it by gently pulling it out of the soil using your fingers. The weakest plant may be smaller and/or have leaf discoloration or holes.

    Leave one healthy plant per container.

    What to do with uprooted plants?

    Don’t let them go to waste.

    If you have more garden space, replant the biggest plants that still have their roots intact. You can feed the sprouts to your chickens or any other veggie loving animal. Or, simply toss them in your compost to help fuel the soil with nutrients for next year’s garden!

    The bottom left pepper and tomato plants were recently transplanted into new coconut fiber pots after thinning.

    Funny story & experimentation: Trespassing to steal back my perennials!

    During this past winter, I moved into my first house. I had previously planted some perennials and due to poor planning and moving in the snow, I was unable to uproot some of my favorite plants – orange mint, french sorrel and oregano – to bring with me!

    WELL, I recently drove through my old trailer park to see if anyone was living there. I don’t think anyone was
 I found that my old garden patch was mowed over, but sure enough, my perennials were already growing wildly! I quickly grabbed as many plants as I could to replant at my new home! The ground was pretty hard though, and it was a last minute idea
 so I just haphazardly ripped out what I could.

    Top: Orange Mint Bottom, Left: Oregano Bottom, Right: French Sorrel

    I did absolutely no research on the best way to transplant perennials so this is a true trial and error type of experiment. I highly doubt the french sorrel will survive because I just planted some leaves in the soil
 But I am hopeful that the oregano and orange mint will survive the shock. At least I could see roots at the bottom of those stems, unlike the french sorrel.

    With a little patience and nurturing, we will see what happens!

    Happy Gardening everyone! What stage of gardening are you at right now?

    Let no plant go to waste!

  • Apparently I’m A Crunchy/Granola Mama

    Apparently I’m A Crunchy/Granola Mama

    Crunchy, Granola, Neo-Hippie, Green, Earth Mama
 All words that represent a similar lifestyle choice to be more natural and health conscious.

    I had never heard of the term crunchy mama until someone thanked me on Instagram for posting pro-vaccination news reports despite being a “crunchy” mama. I was thanked because crunchy mamas have the reputation of being against childhood vaccines so it is important to show that you don’t have to skip out or go against your pediatrician’s advice (science) to follow the modern day hippie crowd.

    Of course, I instantly searched the terms on Urban Dictionary and was pleasantly happy to be defined this way.

    Urban Dictionary: Crunchy Mom

    “A member of an increasingly growing group of moms who are neo-hippies.

    They generally believe (for varying reasons) that there is something bad or less beneficial about buying mainstream products or doing other common activities in the mainstream way.”

    Urban Dictionary: Granola

    “An adjective used to describe people who are environmentally aware (flower child, tree-hugger), open-minded, left-winged, socially aware and active, queer or queer-positive, anti-oppressive/discriminatory (racial, sexual, gender, class, age, etc.) with an organic and natural emphasis on living, who will usually refrain from consuming or using anything containing animals and animal by-products (for health and/or environmental reasons), as well as limit consumption of what he or she does consume, as granola people are usually concerned about wasting resources. Usually buy only fair-trade goods and refrain from buying from large corporations, as most exploit the environment as well as their workers, which goes against granola core values. The choice of not removing body hair (see amazon) and drug use are not characteristics that define granola people, and people, regardless of granola status, may or may not partake in said activities. This definition is sometimes confused with hippy.”

    Urban Dictionary: Neo-Hippie

    “Someone who is interested in several of the following things:
    vegetarianism/veganism, the environment, animal rights, gay rights, mild recreational drugs, feminism, New Age spirituality, or organic produce.
    Stereotypical neo-hippie attire includes loose, comfortable clothing like peasant tops, skirts and sandals. Homemade clothing is common among the truly hardcore, as it appeals to their anti-capitalist sensibilities. Long hair is popular with both males and females.”
    ‘Did you see the new neighbors? They have a daughter named Marigold, and they’re meditating in tie-dyed tunics on the front lawn. What neo-hippies’

    While I do not participate in recreational drugs nor do I skip out on shaving my legs and armpits, I do have quite a few crunchy granola mama tendencies


    Baby Led Weaning. I am currently testing out this baby led weaning trend. I pureed some baby food already and my son only likes the sweet potatoes. I am going to focus on giving him steamed veggies and bits of fruit so he can learn to chew food first rather than just slurp it down like milk. I will continue to breastfeed for as long as he wants, within reason. My breastfeeding goal is anywhere between 12 months-24 months and essentially, what works best for my baby. Since I am a working mama, I pump
 which means I need an additional freezer for all that breast milk!

    Nom nom watermelon
 Fox boy is eating well!

    And drinking well while mommy’s at work.

    Babywearing. I am almost obsessed with babywearing. Unfortunately, I only manage to carry my baby in my handmade, hand-dyed Osnaburg woven wrap (another crunchy quirk) a few times a week. I also own and love my Moby Wrap. The most frustrating thing about babywearing is convincing people it is okay to carry my baby around instead of using a stroller. No, it does not bother me. No, it does not hurt my back. Yes, it is hot. No, I don’t mind. Why do people try to make me feel stupid about this? It’s not their baby. End rant.

    Coconut Oil. I have a separate category for coconut oil because it is simply amazing. I have been using it as a lotion since I was 36 weeks pregnant with my last baby
 making it about 7.5 months total now. It does not perform miracles such as ridding stretch marks but I just love it on my skin. I use it about 3-4 times/week after showering or as a massage oil. It works wonders as a hair mask mixed with honey. And it works as an excellent, healthier cooking oil.

    Composting/Recycling. Since I attended Michigan State University, I have wanted to start my own outdoor compost pile and actually recycle. When we buy a house, this will be incorporated into our family lives. It’s necessary for the environment and I feel guilty that I wasn’t raised to understand the importance of recycling. A compost pile would just be awesome for my garden


    Co-Sleeping. I enjoy sleeping with my babies in the morning. Both my three year old and six month old end up in my bed around 6am due to the little one’s early morning feeding. My husband leaves for work super early so we all fit comfortably. However, we do not all sleep in the same bed or bedroom all the time! I could never sleep all night long with my wiggly toddler. Also, my husband works in emergency communications and has heard terrifying stories of babies suffocating to death in their parent’s bed. There is no way he would approve of sleeping with an infant all night long. It is important to have a safe co-sleeper bed attachment if you want your infant to sleep near you. I kept my babies in a bassinet right next to my bed. It was very comforting and helpful for nighttime feedings. I almost moved his crib into our bedroom when he outgrew it but decided against it due to lack of space!

    Cloth Diapering. I was inspired to cloth diaper my babies in order to be more sustainable and help reduce waste. This was something I was passionate about before I even thought about having babies. I also wanted an easy way to save money while starting a family. I started using gDiapers and then sewed some of my own. I found that using cloth wipes are also much easier with cloth diapering. I am not perfect though
 I shamefully still use disposables in the mix because I have no more patience to try to explain to babysitters why I find cloth diapers important.

    EBF (exclusively breastfeed) until six months. No formula ever. Nothing but liquid gold breast milk until six months. The grandparents think I am depriving my kid. My pediatrician says it’s great. (I gave my first baby formula and I completely blame WIC for giving me free formula and making it easy for me to give up on breastfeeding. I wish I could do that over but it’s too late.)

    Essential Oils. I have only recently bought some lavender essential oils to add to my homemade beauty products.

    Gardening. I have had a small garden for several years now. I am currently growing tomatoes, chili peppers, stevia, orange and apple mint, chives, oregano, strawberries, and some flowers. When we buy a house, I am going to try to make a garden large enough to sustain our family for the entire year. (Just like my red-head-auntie is currently doing!)  I am slowly gaining more and more knowledge about gardening and making homemade food products each and every year. I’d like to have a small greenhouse for herbs within the next two years. This may seem obvious, but I only use natural pesticides as needed.

    Grow baby grow
 so I can turn you into SALSA.

    No matter how terrible of a gardener you are
 you can never kill mint! It’s like a weed.

    Healthy Food. Coconut Oil. Olive Oil. Flax Seed. Chia Seed. Hemp Seed. Tofu. Clean Meats. Quinoa. Almond Milk. Organic/Local/Home grown fruits and vegetables (sometimes). Currently, I have all of that and more in my kitchen. I am always trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet. (My husband is actually okay with this as long as we don’t eliminate meat entirely.) My favorite meatless meals are tofu stir fries and black bean/rice/quinoa Mexican food.

    Miss A enjoys snacking on hemp seeds
 and they taste alright in a salad.

    My Fox boy loooves blueberries.

    I love fresh spinach!

    Smoothies with flax seed, almond milk, strawberries, and blueberries are delicious.

    Homemade/Natural Beauty & Household Products. If I can buy it, I can probably make it myself
 or at least that’s my philosophy. I make my own laundry detergent, vinegar/water kitchen cleaner, natural shampoo/conditioner, body scrubs, and hair/face masks. I am currently working to eliminate beauty/household products containing parabens, phthalates (synthetic fragrances), petrochemicals, and other not-so-nice ingredients. You should check out the amber teething necklace product review I recently posted. They are super cute on them babies!

    My newest natural shampoo trial consists of rye flour and water. It is WAY better for your hair compared to using baking soda and the obvious mainstream commercial shampoos.

    I just bought some natural, non-aluminum deodorant (that actually works) and glycerin soap made with beeswax and honey at a local shop.

    Homeschooling. Even my husband wishes we were in a financial situation to home school our children. With everything you hear on the news about school shootings and bullying, it’s no wonder more people don’t home school their children. Most likely, our children will be going to public schools though.

    New Age Healing & Spirituality. I have always been interested in learning about spirituality, angels, crystals, tarot, meditation, psychics, healing herbs, yoga, mysticism, astrology, hypnotherapy, massage, acupuncture, acupressure
 the list never ends. I love it all. I even minored in Religious Studies and took one course called Magic & Mysticism. Awesome, right? Totally.

    Yes, those are tarot cards in a hand-sewn silk bag. And I just have no clue where this random box of “new age things” came from. Must have been hiding under my bed for the past dozen years


    I promise not all of these books are about spirituality and new age ideas


    Raising Animals. If everything goes as planned, we will be buying a house soon and next spring we will raise chickens for eggs. I wouldn’t mind raising goats for milk (and pets!!) in the near future. With raw milk, I could make cheese
 I love cheese.

    Sew Own Clothes. I don’t sew my own clothes
 yet. I do sew cloth diapers, wipes, inserts,  burp rags, blankets, crib sheets, comforters, pillow cases, curtains (soon), kid’s pajamas, doll clothing, and more. I am working on sewing my own clothing but haven’t been too successful yet.

    Now that you know this about me (if you hadn’t already), you probably find me odd or strange. Maybe you think I’m snobby? I promise I am not trying to act better than the rest of you all. I get bored and ambitious at the same time so I’m drawn to new and different ways of living. I am not 100% crunchy/granola-ey though, probably not even 50
 60%  and I’m definitely not perfect at everything involved with the crunchy lifestyle. You can see some of my non-crunchy tendencies/thoughts below.

    • Circumcision. I am not against circumcising a baby boy
 or piercing a baby girl’s ears
 Don’t care either way.
    • I Cheat on the Healthy Food. I love chips and cheese, all beef hot dogs, and bacon. I wash my pesticide-covered, imported fruits/veggies and hope for the best

    • Medicated, Hospital Birth. While a home birth and drug free birth sounded appealing, there was no way I was going to skip the epidural and hospital setting.
    • No Breastfeeding Pictures Online
 or at least none of me showing off my beautiful nipples. LOL. I am definitely not against trying to “normalizing breastfeeding” but I am uncomfortable doing so. Props to those who do it.
    • Not Breastfeeding til the baby goes to preschool. I’m not judging those who do breastfeed small children. It just won’t work for me.
    • Not Vegan. I don’t think I can go without animal products and be vegan. I love milk, cheese, and butter too much, but I will do my best to make sure I am not supporting the evils of the dairy and meat industries. Though sometimes I pretend I am

    • Pro-vaccines. I am adamant about parents vaccinating their children according to the regular vaccine schedule. It’s important that we maintain herd immunity to keep out preventable life debilitating diseases.

    My baby has two little neon yellow bandaids where he got his six month vaccines recently. He only cried for five seconds, no side effects whatsoever! He is my little healthy boy!!

    • Rice Cereals. I give rice and oatmeal to my baby.
    • Spankings are acceptable on occasion.
    • Oh and I dyed my hair using chemicals today
 Next time I am using henna though because I felt guilty for two weeks after making my appointment! If there are any other natural hair dyes out there
 please let me know!

    I guess I’m only a SCRUNCHY MaMa
 or so says Krystle K at thesnapmom.com. (Silky=traditional mom + Crunchy=> SCRUNCHY)

    ~Peace, love, and chili peppers~

    Update 10/10/14: I have officially been a vegetarian for 7 weeks now thanks to the Food, Inc. documentary. If you haven’t watched it yet, DO IT!

  • Lessons From A gMum: Laundering Cloth Diapers

    Lessons From A gMum: Laundering Cloth Diapers

    This cloth diaper blog series is meant to teach you everything there is to know about using gDiapers. I have already shared the following posts.
    make sure each diaper stays as absorbent and clean as possible. You can use this method on all (most) cloth diapers, not solely gDiapers.
    If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you can simply toss all soiled diapers in the washer. If you have added formula or solid foods to your baby’s diet, you must do an extra step and rinse the poop off the diapers before placing them in the washer. Breastfed baby poop is water soluble and will simply dissolve by your first rinse cycle.
    First, I store all the soiled diapers in a large wet bag that zips shut. I simply take the cloth insert out of the gDiaper and place it in the wet bag. If the gPant pouch or the gPant is soiled, I place those in the bag too. It is important that you flip the gPants inside out and velcro them shut to prevent velcro wear during the laundering process.
    For my first baby, I used a large wet bag made by Fuzzibunz that did not seal shut. It was convenient for washing diapers because I could toss it all in the washer but it made the nursery smell terrible. I do not recommend using this wet bag. I am currently using a large Planet Wise wet bag and I absolutely LOVE it. It has a waterproof zipper on top that works to seal in 100% of the diaper smells. This bag is attached to my changing table that is next to my bed. Unless I told you, you would not be able to tell that the bag is filled with soiled diapers.

    The Planet Wise wet bag is $10.00 more than the Fuzzibunz wet bag but worth every penny!

    Simple Steps to Laundering Cloth Diapers
    After about 2-3 days depending on how many diapers you bought,  you will be ready to start your laundering routine.

      1. Set your washer options. Small load size (medium if necessary). Hot Water. Second Rinse. Soak. I use the gentle cycle too for all my laundering purposes but that is not a requirement.
      2. Place 1tbsp of cloth diaper friendly detergent in washer.
      3. Flip the wet bag inside out and empty diapers into the washer. Wash wet bag with diapers.
      4. Place everything but the gPant pouches into the dryer. I run our diapers on the hottest cycle to thoroughly dry them. The heat can wear on the fabric so I would encourage hanging them to dry in the sun after running a cool dry cycle if you can accommodate that. (I do not do that but I hear that the sun is excellent for ridding difficult breastfed baby poo stains!) The Planet Wise wet bag may collect water. After moving the diapers into the dryer, I empty any excess water into the washer before placing it in the dryer. It comes out dry every time this way.
      5. Be sure to allow the gPant pouches to air dry! 

    Cloth Diaper Friendly Detergent (Left-uses Oxyclean, Right-uses Fels Naptha)

    Cloth Diaper Friendly Detergent
    I use the recipe that has spread like crazy across the internet. I use the powder form and substitute the Fels Naptha Soap for OxyClean to make a soap free detergent. It is a very simple homemade detergent. You only need 1 tablespoon per load!

        • 1 cup Borax
        • 1 cup Washing Soda
        • 1 cup Oxyclean
        • (You can shred Fels Naptha and substitute the OxyClean with it. I use that version in regular laundry too. Only use that with whites that require hot water otherwise the Fels Naptha will not melt!)

    I absolutely love these recipes. The diapers come out almost stain free and very clean. If you want an added scent, use a few drops of essential oils in your washer load. I have not done this because I don’t really mind the diapers being scent free.
    I have also used Rockin’ Green Hard Rock Lavender Mint detergent with my first baby. That works wonderful too but tends to be a little too pricey for my budget.
    If you have any more questions, please let me know in the comments below. Otherwise, that is all I have for today. The next post in this series will relate to cloth wipes.

    Have a great rest of your weekend!

  • Lessons From A gMum: How to Strip Cloth Diaper Inserts

    Lessons From A gMum: How to Strip Cloth Diaper Inserts

    Are you new to the cloth diapering world? If so, you may wonder what it means to strip your cloth diapers and why you should do so.
    If you follow proper laundering instructions and stay away from diaper creams except when using a cloth liner, you may never need to strip your cloth diaper inserts. I decided to strip mine because I am using the same gDiapers on a second child and wanted a start fresh.
    When your clean cloth diaper inserts start to smell funky or lose their absorbency, it may be time to strip them clean! You strip the cloth diapers to remove residue from laundry soaps, detergents with enzymes and brighteners, and diaper creams that build up over time. This residue makes it difficult for the cloth to absorb liquid, therefore creating diaper leakage. You may also want to strip your cloth diapers to remove detergent that previously irritated your baby’s skin.
    Follow these simple instructions to revamp your diapers! 
    1. Pull apart the cloth inserts so the layers do not stick together. gDiapers have four layers to separate.
    2. Boil cloth inserts in water for 30 minutes. I boiled mine in two batches of 12 using a large pot.
    3. Soak and wash in hot water without detergent. I edited the picture below to show the hot and steamy water!
    4. Dry the diapers as usual. You can place them in the dryer or hang them out in the sun.
    More from this blog series:
    Introduction:gMum Cloth Diapering Series
    gDiaper Basics
    Laundering Cloth Diapers
    Homemade Cloth Wipes and Solution

  • How to Get Your Children to Eat More Vegetables

    How to Get Your Children to Eat More Vegetables

    Let’s Start with the Basics

    Importance of Vegetables

    It’s a well known fact that vegetables are vital for maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle. According to the USDA MyPlate research, people who eat more vegetables and fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide us with an important source for nutrients such as potassium (important for maintaining healthy blood pressure), dietary fiber (reduces blood cholesterol levels, reduces constipation and promotes healthy bowel functions), folate (helps the body form red blood cells), vitamin A (protects eyes and skin against infections), and vitamin C (heals cuts and wounds, important for maintaining good oral health, and aids in iron absorption). Most vegetables are low in fat and calories; and all vegetables have zero cholesterol.
    I think it’s safe to say that vegetables are healthy and that you should be eating more of them.

    But you knew that.

    I didn’t have to list a bunch of nutrition facts to convince you. We all know vegetables are healthy. This is something that has been repeatedly drilled in our heads since day one

    Or at least it should have been.

    Parental Attitudes about Vegetables

    If you are reading this article, you must be wondering why your children refuse to eat their vegetables. How can you possibly get them to eat their full serving of broccoli? Cauliflower? Sweet Potatoes? At this point, you’ll settle for one baby carrot
 dipped in ranch.

    Let’s start by reflecting on the following questions:

    Do you personally enjoy eating vegetables? 
    How do you refer to vegetables in casual conversation? 
    Are vegetables the main focus of your meals?
    Do you feed your children sugary or processed foods? 
    Believe it or not, I’ve heard of several families that downright will not eat vegetables. It usually begins with one person, child or parent, refusing to eat them until they are eventually eliminated altogether. That makes me cringe. How could a child – or anyone – not instinctively want to eat something that is so important for their sustained health and development?

    We must be role models for our children.

    Children learn eating habits from their parents, or whoever is serving the majority of their meals. They are always listening to us and learning by observation. If there is a negative connoation around the idea of How to Get Your Children to Eat More Vegetables - Mommyandlove.comeating vegetables, it is unlikely that you will be able to convince your children to love vegetables; or much less eat them. They will already have the preconceived notion that vegetables taste bad before even trying them.
    Sugary and processed foods are also a big problem today. Studies have already confirmed that intermittent sugar consumption results in behaviors and brain changes that are characteristic of users on addictive drugs. If your children are consuming too much candy, soda, high-fructose corn syrup based juices, or highly refined starches such as white bread, flour, pretzels and pasta, their palates will not crave vegetables. Rather, they will be desiring nutrient-void junk food.

    How to Incorporate Vegetables into Your Children’s Diet

    We must focus on making vegetables the highlight of our meals.

    Society is continuously striving for healthier foods that will actually nourish our bodies. This is reflected in the constant new detox diets that eliminate sugar, dairy, gluten, carbs – you name it – as long as it guarantees weight loss or increased energy. It’s also reflected in brand packaging, as food companies answer our cries for all natural, GMO-free, organic, no high-fructose corn syrup, whole grain, and vegan products. We truly do want to eat healthy.
    Let’s just make it simple and start piling up our plates with vegetables! We need more vegetable-focused meals like eggplant parmesan, vegetable lasagna, stir fry or loaded veggie fajitas. Try Vegan Richa’s Indian Food
 Deliciously spiced vegetarian food.
    If we expect our children to be healthy and consume vegetables on a regular basis, then we must first correct our own unhealthy eating patterns. The sooner we start eliminating unhealthy food addictions from our diet, the quicker we will be able to retrain our taste buds and start enjoying the foods that benefit us the most again.

    Here are some tips to point you in the right direction.

    1. Discover new vegetables with your children. Bring your children grocery shopping and have them choose new vegetables to taste-test each week. Have you heard of purple bush beans?
    2. Never force your children to eat vegetables. Contradicting? Yes, but no. If they genuinely despise a vegetable and you force them to eat it, they are likely to hate it for the rest of their lives. Focus on cooking the vegetables your children do like in between introducing new ones. Perhaps, make them try one bite only.
    3. Serve vegetables at every meal. I aim to fill over half of my plate with vegetables.
    4. Bring your children into the kitchen to help cook. It is always exciting to taste food that you cook yourself, plus you will teach them invaluable life skills.  
    5. Cook vegetables in a variety of ways. Try steaming, lightly frying, oven-roasting or grilling. Try them plain. Try new seasonings or sauces, but beware of high sodium and preservative-packed store bought varieties.
    6. Taste them raw. Vegetables taste different raw versus cooked.
    7. Teach nutrition facts on a kid-friendly level. Briefly research nutrition facts if you are not well-versed in this area of science and share it with your kids at dinner time. You might say, “Broccoli makes our bones strong like rhinos.” Or, “Carrots make it so we can see in the dark!” Make it age-appropriate and fun.
    8. Experiment with meatless meals and invite new taste combinations to the table. This is a great way to make vegetables the centerpiece to your meal.
    9. Hide vegetables in dishes. You can easily hide finely chopped leafy greens, mushrooms and onions in spaghetti.
    10. Eliminate nutrient-void food from your cupboards. If the junk food is not available, your children will not be able to eat it. Provide plenty of fruits, vegetables or homemade granola bars for snacks.
    11. Save rich desserts for special occasions. Serve fruit or homemade green smoothies for dessert instead.
    12. Always maintain a positive attitude towards eating vegetables. Refrain from negativity in order to give your children a chance to explore different tastes without prescribing your opinion.
    13. Try them again and again!

    Children Eat What You Serve Them

    Once the constant sugar, junk food, and fast food consumption declines dramatically, you and your children will start to crave vegetables. Why? Because vegetables actually taste delicious and fuel our body with superior nutrition and energy! Then, and only then, will your children eat the vegetables you serve them.