I have been breastfeeding my baby from day one.  I know in the initial days, it was very important that the milk came in and gradually increased over time.  Of course, there was no way to actually measure how much was coming in, unless I pumped (not a good indicator).  Even pumping loses accuracy because you can have adequate amounts, when nursing at the breast, but almost nothing when pumped.  Currently, I exclusively nurse at the breast and no bottles have been introduced.  Although, my baby’s pediatrician recommended that we introduce a bottle at this time.  She said if we didn’t introduce one at this time, the baby would be permanently attached to my breast, until we weaned her.  I personally think it depends on the child.  My first child did perfectly fine when we introduced one at 4 months because I had to occasionally leave the house.  I will take my chances on this one too.

When I first started nursing, my boobs felt like they were on the verge of explosion.  I felt like a water fountain.  However, after the 2 month mark, my breasts felt softer and the baby didn’t seem satisfied after she nursed.  For me, I felt like I was not producing enough milk.  I started to panic a little because I did not want to feed my baby formula.  I went on to Yahoo Answers and found that a lot of other moms felt what I was feeling. After reading a bunch of answers (one from the La Leche League), my panic was short lived.  It’s not that I didn’t have enough milk, my body was producing milk just enough for my baby, not for all the babies around the block.  She was growing fine and she had a lot of wet diapers, which indicated that she was getting enough milk.  I guess I just had a mild case of breastfeeding paranoia.

I still didn’t get the fact that I use to be a water fountain and now, my breastmilk came in on demand.  You actually feel the breastmilk coming in with a sharp pain going through your milk ducts.  Like any other mother, from back in the day, I believed more meant better.  So I guess for a moment, I felt like I wasn’t providing my baby with all that she deserved.  What I did notice was that after I stopped eating Miyuk Guk, which is a Korean Seaweed soup given to post-partum mothers for recovery, that I was less of a fountain for breastfeeding.  The Miyuk Guk removes toxins and also helps with bringing in breastmilk.  After I noticed this, I told my husband, and he started to cook a batch for me.  Immediately after I ate this soup, my breastmilk flowed in abundance.  I swear by this soup.  It has never failed me. 

Every culture has a food remedy for bringing in breastmilk.  In India, they swear by garlic, where other countries vow never to consume garlic while breastfeeding.  There are Mother’s Milk Teas, which has Fenugreek as a main ingredient, to bring in the milk.  Also, some people opt to eat a lot of oatmeal, the good ole’ fashioned way.  Whether it’s a cultural thing or an old wives tale, there are so much information on breastfeeding.  If you are a sucker like me, you can try it all and see what works and what doesn’t work.  We are all programmed differently so what works for me, may not work for you, and vice versa.

I wanted to share with you the recipe for Miyuk Guk, which I totally swear by.  If it doesn’t work for you, at least, you will have radiant skin and great bowel movement.  If you are not confident in making it, go to the pre-made section of your local Korean market to buy it.

Miyuk Guk (Seaweed Soup):

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of soaked miyuk (1 cup of dried seeweed)
• 16 cups of water
• 200 grams of beef brisket (Don’t add if you are Vegan or Vegetarian)
• 1 tbs of minced garlic
• sesame oil

1. Soak 1 cup of dried miyuk in a big bowl for at least 30 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the seaweed and cut it into bite size
3. Place the soaked seaweed(about 4 cups) in a big pot and add 16 cups of water and boil it over high heat for 20 minutes.(later you may have to add more water if the soup is too thick)
4. Cut the beef brisket nto bite size pieces.
5. When the water starts boiling (about 20 minutes later), add the beef and 1 tbs of garlic. Boil it again for another 20 or 25 minutes over medium heat.

Okay, today I signed into my email and received an email from thebump.  They just launched the Mommy Blog Awards and are taking nominations for the best blogs of 15 categories.  Now, in the email it said that I could nominate my blog, other blogs I enjoy, as well as have my readers nominate my blog.  Although I love my blog with the utmost passion, I just can’t find myself nominating my own blog because I have this blog, not only for myself, but for YOU (my readers).  So if you like what you read on my blog and think that I am worthy of the Mommy Blog Awards, please click below and nominate me.  Voting starts today and ends on Tuesday October 9th, 2009.  I believe I can fit into these categories: Pregnancy, Stay at home Mom, Baby, and Local. 

Living in sunny California, I am definitely conscious of the harmful rays that we are exposed too.  When I first moved here from Chicago, I could hardly see the roads without putting on my sunglasses. The sun is nothing to play with.  Even way before having children,  I was constantly on a hunt to find a light sunscreen, with a good SPF, and minus all the bad stuff (chemicals).  I’m a firm believer of less is more and I don’t like to put on a lot of stuff on my skin, unless it’s necessary.  One necessary skincare must is a good sunscreen.

Over the years, it has been a constant struggle to find a good sunscreen, especially one that doesn’t contain all the chemicals, phthalates, parabens, or fragrances.  I don’t like to put on something that could be potentially harmful to my health.  I’ve scoured through the aisles of many natural food stores, as well as my fave, Whole Foods. I’ve also bought and tried many that are chemical free, but just did not meet my standards.  Some had a thick consistency, making my face feel stuffed and non-breathable, and some made me look like a Geisha with a porcelein white face.  Neither is desirable to me.  I like my skin to breath and I like to look like myself, not a makeover gone wrong.

After having a child , sunscreen was more and more on my mind because my child was exposed to the sun on a daily basis. I bought some from the store that were targeted towards children, but again, my daughter said that it felt sticky and she looked like she had white chalk all over her tan skin.  One day, my daughter’s preschool decided to make Fridays a water play day. So on Fridays, my daughter would be out in the sun for the majority of the day.  I had to find something quick that would protect her from the sun.  I then came across Dr. Robin for kids, an all natural chemical-free Sunscreen with an SPF 30+.  I was super excited when I saw that the sunscreen was free of chemicals, phthalates, parabens, and fragrances.  Not only that, it was formulated by a Pediatric Dermatologist, Robin Schaffran, M.D. , otherwise known as Dr. Robin.  Not only is she a doctor, but she is also a mother of 2. For me, the mom factor definitely plays a huge role because I wouldn’t make anything I couldn’t put on my own children, and I’m sure Dr. Robin feels the same way.

The active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are natural minerals that have been proven to block gently and effectively the UVA and UVB sun rays.  The sunscreen definitely got my attention from this information from the site:

Dr. Robin’s Special Formula Includes:

• Quinoa & Oat for soothing hydration
• Green Tea Extract to help prevent free radical damage
• Quick fade technology for easy application

It’s Also…

• Water Resistant
• Gluten Free
• Never Tested on Animals
• No Nanotechnology
• Formulated to minimize allergic reactions.

I got to try out a sample and when I touched the sunscreen, it was light and smooth.  I put it on my face like I would any moisturizer, and it glided on smoothly.  There was whiteness on the face, but it began to fade as I was putting it on, which got me super excited.  I didn’t feel stuffy nor clowny, and on top of it, my face was free of all the chemicals, parabens, phthalates, and frangrances, that are usually in mainstream sunscreens.  This is definitely a FIND!  It’s time to protect your skin the healthy way! For more information, please go to www.drrobin.md.

Note: This review is soley based on my personal experience and opinion and results may vary person to person.

The giant baby is seen beside an average-sized newborn (Getty Images)

Okay, this post has nothing to do with me, and I’m very glad it doesn’t.  Today, I came across an article about a mother, from the town of Kisaran (Indonesia), who delivered a 19.2 lb baby named Akbar (means “The Great” in Arabic). I cannot fathom the idea of giving birth to a baby of this size. Can you?  My first was 6 lbs 3 oz and my second came in at 6 lbs 5 oz.  Akbar is more than 3 times my children’s birth weight.  The mother was diabetic and she did have to deliver through a 40 minute C-section procedure.  I can’t imagine delivering the baby vaginally.  The baby was also 24 inches long.  So I am assuming at his first doctor’s visit, he was at about 300% percentile for his age group.  Wow!

Look at the picture above and you will see the average sized newborn next to him.  The other baby looks like an itty bitty peanut (I wonder what the other little baby is thinking?).  My daughter is currently a little over 2 months old.  She was at 12 lbs and 23.5 inches at her last visit a week ago.  My daughter’s doctor said she was a healthy champ and she still weighs 7 lbs less than Akbar!  Look at the photo of my daughter below.

My baby at 2 months, a healthy 12 lbs and 23.5 inches

What’s even more mind boggling is that according to the Guinness World Records, the heaviest baby was born in the US in 1879, weighing 23.75 lbs.  But the book did note that the baby died 11 hours after birth.  My old co-worker delivered 14 and 13 lb babies vaginally, and my jaw dropped and stayed open for awhile.  For me, anything above 10 lbs is like wow!  I wonder what Akbar mother’s doctor appointments were like.  They had to have known he was huge or did they realize last minute?  Anyhow, glad mom and baby are healthy and doing well!

I just came back from the Innovative Baby Grand Opening.  Such a cute little store.  It was literally right next to the beach and it was next to one of my favorite Italian eateries, C & O Trattoria.  The store itself was really easy to find, however, there was no store designated parking, considering its location.  Suprisingly, I was able to find parking immediately because I arrived at 9:50 am, but it was meter parking (have your quarters ready).

The store was on two floors and a half floor above was the classroom area.  The bottom floor had a variety of items which included toys, sandals, breastfeeding pillows, and baby costumes.  The second floor had a variety of clothes, shoes, socks, nursingwear, wraps, and skincare.  I was excited to see that some of my favorite brands were carried by the store.  Moreover, they had a whole line of bamboo clothing which I am a huge fan of.

On a half floor above the second floor was the classroom area.  You could see inside the classroom through the, floor to ceiling, glass windows.  They have many different classes which are “mommy & me” friendly.  Some of the standouts included an infant massage class and a signing class.

If you are not in the Los Angeles Area and would like to check out Innovative Baby, they have a store online. For today’s grand opening, they had all the clothes and shoes at 40% off.  I purchased two little tops for my newborn and the total came out to be $11.85.  I also had the chance to spin the wheel for making a purchase at the store’s opening, and took home a baby pants from Kicky Pants. A very cute bamboo eco-friendly line, also started by the owners of Innovative Baby.  The clothing was super-soft and luxurious, plus it’s eco-friendly!!!

The owners were very welcoming and I appreciated their help.  For the stroller loving mommas, there was an elevator at the back, but I would suggest to go to the store without one.  I took my Orbit and I found myself saying, “I’m sorry” every other minute because of the space it took up.  Another notable thing was that all of their employees were happy and smiling.  I’m a huge fan of good customer service and that includes happy employees with good face to face service.

Tips: Go early to find parking and take quarters.  Don’t take a stroller because it does become a hassle.  Nurse the baby before you get there (they do have a chair) but they don’t have a nursing room.  If you like a sale or a bargain, call ahead of time to see if they have any specials going on.

Innovative Baby

114 Washington Blvd. #B

Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

(800) INN-BABY

One thing that is constantly lingering in my mind, throughout the day, is what we are going to eat for dinner, what to make for breakfast the next morning, and what to pack for my daughter’s lunch.  I mean eating is one of the pleasures that we have in life.  After awhile, we start to run out of things to cook for our family, and meals start to become redundant.  My husband is a professional chef and yes, even our family has repeat meals, probably because I’m in charge of our household meals.  Since I am always trying to come up with new creative meals, I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes.  I found a lot of these recipes online and converted it and tweeked it to my taste.

Breakfast: Cashew Butter French Toast

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (1 inch thick) slices of Country White Bread
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup soymilk
• Earth Balance or oil for frying
• Maple syrup
• Cashew Butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice bread crosswise so that each slice is about 1-inch thick. Cut larger slices into halves or thirds, if desired. Set aside.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and soymilk.
3. Quickly dip slices (do not soak) in egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.
4. Soften the cashew butter in the microwave oven. Put it on one side of the toast and serve with warm maple syrup.

Lunch: My Daughter’s favorite PB & Apple Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or to taste
• 1 small apple – peeled, cored and shredded

• 1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place onion and garlic in the skillet in an even layer then lay salmon fillets on top. Place a lid on the skillet and cook the salmon until it flakes easily and the onions are tender. Flake all of the salmon. Season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to medium. Toss the spaghetti, tomatoes, and basil with the salmon. Stir in some of the pasta water if the pasta becomes dry.

Now get your aprons on and start cooking!  Hope these recipes can be enjoyable to your family as it is for mine. For other healthy tips, recipes, and information, visit http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/.

(Disclosure Notice: I have been hired by Warner Brothers to participate in the Looney Tunes Eating Right Kids Program.)

Besides being interested in finding out the sex of the baby, naming the baby, and what he or she may look like, most of us start to think about the nursery.  We start to imagine everything from the color, down to the look of the furniture.  When I had my first child, once I found out that it was a girl, I thought of pink.  I mean it’s the color that represents a baby girl.  I started to look online, as well as go to the local stores, to see what was out there. I finally decided to go with a Princess theme and went all out pink.  I first decided on the crib blanket and pulled different colors from the blanket to coordinate with the accessories.  I didn’t want to be matchy matchy, so it took a lot of work, from my end, to customize my daughter’s space. In the end, I was pretty happy with my choice, but again, it took a lot of work (returning, rebuying, taking furniture back, putting swatches up next to the blanket, etc.).

With my second baby, I didn’t have the energy or time to think about a nursery.  I was too busy trying to keep up with my busybody toddler and dealing with all sorts of physical issues myself. I just opted to go with the flow.  Unfairly, my second baby did not get her own theme, design, etc.. She ended up co-sleeping with us, using her older sister’s hand-me-downs.

Suffering from waves of morning sickness, nausea, and a 100 other symptoms that comes with being pregnant, most moms need that one stop shop to make their nursery dream come true. A place where they can go, mix and match, and become that proactive designer in creating that perfect safe haven for their baby. One place you can do that is www.babybedding.com. Quality baby bedding from Carousel Designs. You can literally go on their site and customize your own crib bedding. It’s as simple as a touch, click, and add. You pick everything from the parts to the fabric. With this tool, even the not-so bright computer folks can take out their inner designing nunchucks and show off their creativities. I wish I knew about this site earlier because it would have made my life a lot easier.

Of course, this was a great tool, but you wonder what sort of quality you get in the end product.  Will the fabric look cheap or luxurious? Will the color match or will it look tacky?  These are all legitimate questions to ask before making a big purchase. In turn, I had to see what sort of quality bedding I would be getting.  For me, the crib blanket was most important because it’s where you get your design inspiration and it’s what your baby will be using to cover himself or herself.  Therefore, I received the Lilac Damask Crib Blanket.  I chose the Lilac Damask Design because it reminded me of my precious danty little baby girl.

Lilac Damask Crib Blanket

When I saw the blanket, I immediately touched the luxurious minky. It was very soft and super comfortable.  The Damask design was perfect for my little princess with a mix of Lilac and Green color. I put the blanket on my baby and I could tell she was very comfortable from the minky.  She immediately fell asleep which was a telltale sign.  The blanket measured in 34″ by 43″, which was the perfect size for the baby, not too big or small. If you are not too sure about the fabric and color choices of your bedding, you also have the option to get swatches before ordering, so that you can actually touch and feel the product. The crib blanket was very well made. It gave me the peace of mind that the other products that I may order would meet those standards. For other designs, or to  check out the “customize your own crib bedding” tool, please go to www.babybedding.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

I dedicated most of myself into deep cleaning my entire place this weekend.  I literally cleaned until I could clean no more.  After hours of cleaning, with toddler running around loose, and nursing the baby on demand, I could not even lift the tip of my finger.  I have slowly realized that cleaning is a therapeutic sport, at least for me.  Granted, I don’t want to be on all fours all the time, but from time to time, it’s a great stress reliever.

The hardest spot to clean is the kitchen.  I always walk in there and not really know where to start because it needs a full on team of cleaners.  The floors are the hardest because everyone walks on it and it is white, so it gets dirty really fast.   I only clean with eco-friendly green cleaning products and it’s really a hit or miss.  However, I discovered a solution that does miracles with my floors.  Within minutes, it literally takes it from grimey to shiny.  It’s called SafeChoice Super Clean.  It’s a concentrated solution, so depending on your cleaning needs, you can add a lot of water or as little as you want.  With my floors, I add very little water.  I purchased this product at the Living Green store in Culver City on Culver Blvd.. If you’re in the Los Angeles area and want to look into green cleaning options that are not hazardous to your entire family, this store is a must.  Whenever I am lost with cleaning a certain area in my house, I always venture out to the store.  They have great customer service and knowledgable employees.

I was able to finish cleaning 50% of my living room and 50% of my kitchen this weekend.  I will finish the rest of both rooms next weekend.  Besides completely physically exhausting myself to the point of not being able to walk, I really felt emotionally free and a sense of an overall cleanse.  I would recommend anyone to start cleaning if they feel stressed, overwhelmed, or emotionally drained.

Shopping with an energetic toddler and a newborn is a difficult task at hand.  The second we walk into the grocery store, we are greeted by the produce department. With vibrant colors galore, my daughter grabs at everything she can lay her hands on.  In order to make my shopping experience a more manageable one, I had to figure out a way that I could keep my daughter under control, while I was also taking care of the needs of my newborn.

Since I always make our trips to the Farmers Market an educational one, I decided to carry that over to the grocery stores.  Instead of letting my daughter get loose, to grab at everything in sight, she can pick one thing and tell me about it. For example, she will pick up the baby carrots and say,”These are orange and they are good for my eyes.” Then she gets to move on to the next food item. After awhile, you will notice that you are learning more about what your child knows, and also educating them on some new things.  Since its interactive and very visual, it becomes a fun experience for both you and your child.

Making a grocery trip into an educational adventure, I have also learned a couple things in keeping our meals healthy.  It reminds me of what is healthy and what is not.  From there, I may pick a potato over packaged potato chips or brown rice over white rice.  Little subtle changes make the biggest difference in our daily lives.

My daughter loves grocery shopping because she loves to talk about food items and she also likes to ask a lot of questions.  Ever since we have incorporated the learning aspect of grocery shopping, my daughter has been interested in helping me cook in any way she can.  Moreover, since she helps with the cooking, she is more interested in eating what’s on her plate, rather than running to the freezer and asking for some ice cream.

Grocery can be fun, you just have to make it your own.  You have to see what works for your child and from there, make it a fun learning experience. For other healthy tips, recipes, and information, visit http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/. Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy will be answering reader questions about nutrition. You are welcome to submit your questions to her and she will post answers starting this week.

(Disclosure Notice: I have been hired by Warner Brothers to participate in the Looney Tunes Eating Right Kids Program.)

WHAT: Actor Wilmer Valderrama will throw the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium this Friday, September 18, before the Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 p.m.  Valderrama can currently be heard as the voice of handyman Manny Garcia in Disney Channel’s acclaimed multicultural series for preschoolers, “Handy Manny.”  The “Handy Manny” character from the show will join Wilmer on the field pre-game, posing for photos with Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez.  

 The Emmy Award-nominated series will take to the open road in its first-ever primetime special for preschoolers and their families, “Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure,” premiering Sunday, October 4 on Disney Channel. 

• WHERE:Dodger Stadium (1000 Elysian Park Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012 )

• WHEN: Friday, September 18, 2009 (Photo Op with Manny Ramirez, “Handy Manny,” and Wilmer Valderrama – Approximately 4:00 p.m. Ceremonial First Pitch – 7:00 p.m).