Book Review: Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I must say, as silly as this may sound, this novel made me want to try to be a better person. Despite poverty, sickness, and other hardships, these little women still were able to live happy and honest lives. They were not angels, as they all recognized that they had flaws, but what made them such spectacular women was regularly reflecting on their own selves and habits, finding their faults, and making every effort to improve.

Today, especially while teaching high school students, I've found the world a much changed place than the time of these little women. Not because now we have TV and spaceships and smart phones and what not, but in our morality. No matter how rich or poor we are, we are always wanting more and are often in a state of pitying ourselves. The little women in this novel also pitied themselves, but what made them so amazing is that they recognized this sense of pity and rather thank seek excuses from external sources (which they had every right to do), they thought it better to reflect on how they could turn the situation into a lesson to improve themselves and become better people. How easy it is to excuse ourselves of our flaws, and to grow lazy in our quest for morality...if we have one at all. What a brave and honorable task to learn how to see ourselves in an honest light and try to improve in anyway we can.

While reading this book, I found myself rethinking some of my own reactions to people and situations. I find myself humbled, and rather than blame others for their flaws, I've tried to take a honest look at my own contribution to the situation and try to improve upon it rather than be extremely critical of others. No one is perfect, and so easy is it for us to feel sorry for ourselves, our wars, our unsuccessful government, our crumbling environment. Instead of feeling bitter, angry, and sad, I think perhaps it is better to take advice from these little women and take a good look at how we ourselves are contributing to these worldly problems, how we can adjust our efforts to improve upon them, and what we can reasonably give of ourselves to help others without sacrificing our own entire happiness...as it is just as important to live a happy life with joy and love, to lead a good example and raise or teach children to grow up with such morality as it is to help others in their quest for happiness.

Thank you Louisa May Alcott, for in your now old fashioned ways, you have helped me to open my eyes and made me want to be a better person.

Book Review: Beyond the Sling

Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way by Mayim Bialik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I have a seven month old son, and we have been using attachment parenting principles thus far. Not intentionally at first; initially we followed our instincts and our hearts. After he was born I started wondering if how I was doing things was normal, so I turned to books to see how things are usually done. Through my research I found that we were using attachment parenting techniques, which makes sense since attachment theory basically says to follow your heart and trust your instincts. I only know a handful of people who are really doing attachment parenting; most of the moms I know are following a more traditional parenting style of having their baby sleep in a crib and stuff like that. I don't judge these moms AT ALL, I know that no one knows their baby like they do and I am sure they are doing what is best for their family. But sometimes its tough being the oddball. I have a hard time relating to some of their problems, and at the same time I only have one or two friends who can really relate to how we do things. One of these friends sent me an article that featured an interview with Mayim Bialik discussing her new book, Beyond the Sling. As a huge fan of the Big Bang Theory television show (this woman plays one of the main characters in the show), I was excited to see that she does attachment parenting. Not only that, but she has a PhD in neuroscience, which is awesome. Coming from a biology background, that just makes me respect her and her choices even more. I decided to preorder the book.

This book did not let me down. She does not lecture you. She does not tell you what to do. Instead, she tells you her story and what she has been doing and what has and hasn't worked from her. She begins right at pregnancy and continues through breastfeeding, bed sharing, up until gentle disciplining techniques and how to take care of yourself. What was most helpful for me in reading this book was simply having another person I could relate to. It's nice to see someone else doing what you are doing and seeing it be successful. This book has been reassuring. This book also gave me lots of new ideas that I am excited and incorporate into my own parenting.

I would recommend this book to several different types of people. First, to anyone who is curious about attachment parenting but doesn't really know much about it and isn't interested in reading a dense parenting book about it. I read this over the course of a couple of days and it covers all the principles of attachment parenting in a real and light-hearted way. You will definitely get a great idea of what attachment parenting is all about from reading this book. Second, I would recommend this book to anyone who is already using attachment parenting. Like I said previously, it is great to read a success story and have someone to relate to. Third, I would recommend this to anyone who isn't sure about their parenting style (or the one they will use in the future), or is having trouble with their children and not having a great experience as a parent. Even if you don't want to adopt all the principles of attachment parenting, this book may help you gain some new, fresh ideas.

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Itsy Bitsy Yoga

Like spit, yoga happens.

When a parent relaxes, a baby relaxes.

Infants never remember a messy house; they remember the attention and love you share so freely.

Growing is a two-way street; you grow as your baby does.

Yoga anytime, anywhere.

Mattimeo in his favorite pose: Dandasana

Itsy Bitsy Yoga, or Baby Yoga, is something I have been doing with Mattimeo everyday since he was 2 weeks old. What kind of nonsense hippy crap is she talking about now, you may be wondering? Well its probably not what you are thinking (and admittedly what I first pictured when I first heard of it).

This is NOT Itsy Bitsy Yoga.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga is "a unique blend of yoga postures, infant developmental movement, and parent/child bonding" (Garabedian 2004). It is not contorting your baby into strange, complicated poses. It is not a way for moms to discretely show off how developed, flexible or strong their babies are. Rather it is a way to bond with your baby in a gentle, physical way that promotes better sleep, healthy digestion, and strength; traits that aid in development and overall well-being.

Mattimeo doing "Toes to the Nose"

While I was pregnant with Mattimeo, I found a used copy of Helen Garabedian's Itsy Bitsy Yoga book in a used bookstore.

Having never heard of baby yoga and as someone who is a yoga enthusiast, I was intrigued. Upon reading through the introduction and newborn section of the book after Mattimeo was born, I was convinced that baby yoga was an awesome idea and something worth investing a little time into everyday. The book breaks down into different developmental stages: newborns, head-holders, almost sitting, almost crawling and tots, to ensure that you only do poses that appropriate for your baby. You don't have to have any yoga experience. These poses are so simple! After describing how to preform each of the poses for a developmental stage, the book gives suggestions of pose sequences (series) to make doing yoga with your baby even more convenient: good morning series, developmental play series, happy baby series, daddy series, and sleep well series. I have found this book very useful, and regularly flip through it as a guide. Here are the top twelve reasons Garabedian claims babies and toddlers need yoga:

1. To help them sleep better and longer
2. To improve digestion and ease gas pain
3. To turn fussiness into happiness
4. To promote a healthy, physically fit lifestyle
5. To strengthen the parent-child bond
6. To increase neuromuscular development
7. To cultivate self-esteem and a positive body image
8. To boost the immune system
9. To reduce stress and develop relaxation techniques
10. To reduce anxiety
11. To increase body awareness
12. To aid the natural development of movement from birth to walking

I feel like I can already attest to many of these benefits. When Meo was two weeks old, I started doing yoga with him everyday. It became part of our morning routine before breakfast. Usually it was just a short session. I would lay him in my lap and gently push his knees towards his chest then stretch them out as I recited "chair pose" in a sing-songy voice. At such a young age, babies have a difficult time coordinating all their little muscles to poop and simple asanas (poses) like chair pose and cork screw among others aid in the digestion process. I could actually see it working. He would be little bit fussy and struggling to poop. A few poses later he was happy as a clam. Whenever Meo was feeling a bit fussy or agitated about something (even now at 6 months), poses like Divine Drops have been magical. Poses like Divine Drops (holding your baby close to you as you quickly drop down into a wide squat and then rise back up) activate the baby's calming reflex and soothe them in a jiffy. Through doing yoga each day with Meo, I also have been able to notice subtle developmental changes and be amazed with how he progresses.

Kissy Feet

Twinkle

I think the most wonderful aspect of Itsy Bitsy Yoga for us however, has been the amazing bonding opportunity it has provided.  For the five minutes or hour or however long Mattimeo feels like doing yoga that day, it is time that we are completely focused on his body and one another. Yoga provides him with the opportunity to explore his body and capabilities. As I guide his limbs to move in new ways, I can't help but smile as his eyes grow wide in amazement, "Wow, that's my foot touching my hand!" Or, "Who knew rolling back and forth on my back was so fun and could feel so good!" (doing the Rolio pose actually helped him learn how to roll at 3 months old). Okay, maybe that's not what he's thinking. But her really does seem interested and amused, and you you can really see him learning about himself. Yoga is pretty awesome.

And fun! Sometimes Mattimeo simply is not in the mood for stretching and bending. Those days we play around with active poses like hop-along-yogi (bouncing him on my outstretched legs), dinosaur (doing lunges across the room while holding him in my arms) or super-baby (or as we like to call it, super-Meo: laying him on his belly on my bent knees while I lie on the ground and letting him float around above my head. Poses like these my him smile and sometimes even laugh. Yoga is fun! When Meo was just starting to learn how to laugh, doing yoga was one guaranteed way to get a giggle out of him.

Studying his hand touching his knee in "Brain Builder"

Rolio

Super-Meo!

What makes Itsy Bitsy Yoga even more fun is doing it with a group of other moms and babies. I knew after I had Meo that I wanted to get back into yoga (beyond my home practice) as soon as possible. So I did some research to see if there were places I could do yoga with Mattimeo. To my astonishment, I found a place that not only did "mommy and me yoga" but also did Itsy Bitsy Yoga at Lila East End Yoga, just a block away from our apartment. Meo and I signed up for the next series (they had not been offering it for a while because not enough people were signing up, but they were going to start offering it again because enough people showed interest). So since little Meo was about 6 weeks old we have been going to Itsy Bitsy Yoga class at Lila East End Yoga every first and last Saturday of the month.

Robbie and Meo doing lunges across the room while saying, "Dinosaur!"

Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

The class is fantastic. Some of the moms who go I've known from prenatal yoga and/or Birth Roots classes, and others I've had the pleasure of meeting there. It's such a great opportunity to talk to other mom and dads (sometimes Dad's come too, including Robbie), and to let the babies socialize. We sing songs, do all sorts of poses (each week has a new theme), and even do some baby massage. We love going. For me, it also provides a chance to reinforce that I am doing the poses I do daily with Meo correctly. If you are interested in taking an Itsy Bitsy Yoga class near you, check out the official Itsy Bitsy Yoga website.

Socializing in Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

Robbie and Meo at Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

Meo and I at Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class

So if you are a parent and are looking for a way to help your baby sleep better, have less gas, want him to be able to be focused and relaxed, want to help him to grow strong and be enthusiastic about exercise, or you are just looking for something that you and your baby can do together, I encourage you to try Itsy Bitsy Yoga. Its fun, it's easy, it can last as long or short as you and your baby need it to, and it will create the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. We love it, and I hope that yoga will continue to be an important part of Mattimeo's life.

I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace.
When you are in that place in you,
and I am in that place in me, we are one.
Namaste.

All phrases in italics come from the book:

Garabedian, Helen. 2004. Itsy Bitsy Yoga: Poses to Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, Digest Better, and Grow Stronger. Simon & Schuster: New York.

Book Review: Baby-Led Weaning

Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby Love Good Food by Gill Rapley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are so many schools of thought when it comes to feeding your infant! When I took my baby to his 4 month appointment, the pediatrician told me that basically we can do whatever we want when it comes to feeding. She said just don't give him honey and cows milk (to drink) until he is a year old, but besides that do what we like. She said food schedules don't really matter and that it's best to exclusively breastfeed until he is 6 months. She also said to introduce foods slowly so that if he reacts to something we will know the cause.

Now our baby is nearly 6 months and is totally ready for (and insisting on having) solid foods. I am one of those people who really likes to research topics a little before I delve into them. I think baby led weaning seems like the most natural way for us to feed our baby and feels right to me. I had some concerns: won't he choke? What if he has allergies to foods? Can I really give him almost anything? Rapley covers these topics and more in enough detail not to be overwhelming but enough so you can feel reassured that your doing the right thing and explain it to all those friends and family who are going to be asking, "What the heck are you doing??" At least this book convinced us to give baby led weaning a shot. We are only going to let him have three new foods a week though for a while so that his system can adjust slowly...just giving him everything we are eating right off the bat just doesn't feel right to me.

We gave our six year old several largish pieces of broccoli today in his high chair and all ate lunch together. It was pretty incredible to watch him! He would pick up pieces, put them in his mouth, clamp down and pull. He would chew and gnaw at the stalks. I don't think he really consumed anything today, but he really doesn't need to. This was the first time he wasn't fussing trying to grab everything I was eating! He was having fun and learning about food. It was awesome. I am convinced :).

If you are feeling adventurous and not sure which feeding method best suits your family, I would suggest at least glancing through this book. I read it in a few hours last night...its worth it. This book is well written, informative and to the point.


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Book Review: Brain Rules for Baby

Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five by John Medina

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you are looking for a book that will help you guide your child to an intelligent and happy future, this is the book for you. Written by a developmental molecular biologist, he translates years of peer-reviewed scientific literature (as well as drawing from his own experiences as a father) to create a very readable (even to people without a science background), concise and entertaining parenting guide.

He begins with what you can do during pregnancy: moderate exercise, gaining the proper amount of weight, eating well and reducing stress. Then he goes onto discussing your relationship with your partner: how hostility between parents can harm a newborn's developing brain and nervous system and the importance of empathy. Next he talks about how some aspects of your child's intelligence are simply genetic and you have no control over it. That IQ is not a measure of intellectual ability. He says the main ingredients to intelligence are a desire to explore, self-control, creativity and communication skills, and discusses how you can encourage these traits in your child. He discusses what helps a child learn: breast-feeding, talking to your children, guided play, and praising effort rather than intelligence. Activities likely to hurt early learning include overexposure to television, learned helplessness and being sedentary. But what I found most interesting is the information he includes on how to raise a happy child. He discusses the importance of friendships and learning how to regulate emotions and how you can help your child to achieve those pieces through how you watch, listen, and respond to your child. Parents are children's best role-models, thus it is important to act the same way you expect your child to behave; no double standards! Finally, Medina discusses how you can help guide your child to have strong morals.

What I like best about this book is that many of his suggestions are things that most empathetic and thoughtful parents would do anyways; you don't have to do anything out of the ordinary to raise a happy and intelligent child, you just need a lot of love in your heart and some keen observation skills. Fancy educational toys and t.v. shows are nothing compared to interacting with each other and exploring the world together. Medina is both entertaining and very knowledgeable. If you have any doubts at all on how to raise a smart and happy child, or you are just curious about brain development in general I highly recommend you give this book a try.


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Book Review: The No-Cry Nap Solution

The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed, Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems by Elizabeth Pantley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is great! First of all, it's a quick read; I was able to read through it over the course of two of my four-month old's naps. Second of all, the book provides solutions with concrete steps you can follow. Sometimes going through lists of general ideas that might help aren't good enough! I thought it was great to have some actual protocols to put to the test.

I like that she begins by saying if your baby is napping well now and you are happy with how he goes to sleep and where he is sleeping, don't change anything! Personally, I co-sleep and co-nap with my baby and really enjoy it. The thought of having him sleep in his crib saddens me; I would miss that time we share so close together. But it is tricky when I am on the go, and nearly impossible when I am not around. Thus, my husband and I have been beginning to think I should start getting him used to sleeping without being nursed to sleep and without needing to be near me, at least some of the time, if we want to have any flexibility at all. This book offers concrete solutions for how to get him to sleep without nursing or being beside me without him ever have to cry or feel uncomfortable; I appreciate that and would have it no other way.

Since I have just read this book today, I have not yet had the ability to test out her methods. However, her methods seem like they would be very effective so long as you are patient and diligent in trying them out.  For all you parents out there who's babies are just starting to have a predictable nap schedule and you are growing tired of holding them in your arms for all their naps; I highly recommend this to you! I also recommend this to parents-to-be or parents of newborns as there is great advice as to how to start good sleep habits from the beginning in a kind and nurturing way. Overall, this is a great book and inexpensive to boot!

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Adjusting to Motherhood: 8 Weeks of Bliss

I admit, before I was pregnant, I wasn't a baby person. I think my Mom was a little worried about how I would be as a mother since I never really got excited around babies. But thankfully when I had Mattimeo that all changed, and I am the happiest I've ever been. I am so glad we decided to have him! While I was pregnant, I picked up this highly recommended book called "Mothering the New Mother" anticipating that I would enjoy being a mother but that it would be difficult and I might struggle a lot at times. To my bewilderment and relief, I haven't been faced with any of the common difficulties that new mothers are often faced with and found I didn't really need this book. However, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a new mom and is struggling with adjusting to any of the life changes that goes along with motherhood.  I think the main message of this book is that motherhood isn't meant to be a lonely time; we are a social animal and we are not meant to raise our babies by ourselves. It is important to make friends with other mothers, to have a good support system, and to know how to find help if you need it!

I expected to feel tired all the time, perhaps lonely, and a little clueless. However, life has been bliss. Because Mattimeo sleeps next to me, I get lots of sleep, usually at least 10 hours with just two or three meals during that time. I feel well rested during the day. I also love him with all my heart. He makes me so happy that sometimes when he smiles at me I start crying tears of joy and then start laughing at myself for being such a goof which only makes him smile more. I love the time we spend together. At first I was a little nervous about what I would do with him when he wasn't sleeping all the time. But we have gotten into a pretty awesome routine and I treasure the time he is in a happy alert state as well as times he is napping snuggled peacefully against my chest. Our current routine:

• Wake up, feed him and change his diaper. 
• Bring him into the nursery wearing just his diaper and spend 20-40 minutes doing baby yoga. We do some tummy time in the morning too
• Lay down on the floor next to him and read him one or two books
• Get him dressed and lay him in his crib with his mobile on. He loves his mobile and ill smile and talk to it while I take a shower, eat breakfast and clean up around the house for about 40 minutes.
• Nurse him to sleep and read books while he takes his midmorning nap.
• Put him in his sling and make/eat lunch followed by more nursing and napping
• Go for an hour or more long walk (either around the old port, along the beach, or we may drive to someplace else like Gilsland Farm or Macworth Island).
• More nursing, sleeping and reading until Daddy gets home (sometimes I read out loud to him)
• Give him a bath followed by a relaxing massage and put him in his jammies (sometimes Robbie gives him a bath and massage so they have time to hang out while I wash dishes and stuff).
• nurse and hang out with him until we go to bed

Of course, sometimes we have other things to do during the day, but we always stick to the same morning and evening routines. He is a happy and healthy boy, and is rarely fussy. Even when he is fussy, it makes me feel competent as a mother when I am able to easily calm him down. Motherhood is bliss!

For those of you who aren't mothers yet, or who are mothers and are struggling...sometimes motherhood can be more strenusous and difficult than I have made it out to be. I think a lot of people have a more difficult time adjusting to their new life, and I am very fortunate to have taken to it so easily. I know that a lot of pregnant woman anticipate that motherhood is going to be wonderful all the time and are surprised to  find how drastically different their life becomes when their babies are born. I think that a lot of my reading had prepared me for what life would be like. Plus I have had a lot of support from my husband and family, had a wonderful pregnancy and birth experience and in general am a person who doesn't get easily stressed out or overwhelmed, so I have taken to motherhood very well. I just wanted to throw that in there because I don't want people to think that motherhood is a breeze...but if you embrace it and accept that your life will never be the same and just go with the flow...motherhood can be amazing.

As a preview to where I am going with this blog, over the next several weeks I hope to write posts about a variety of specific topics: infant carriers, cloth diapers, co-sleeping, my new class at birth roots, itsy bitsy yoga, and setting time aside for me. So stay tuned if any of these topics interest you and happy autumn!

Smirk

Little lad

My little lad

Hanging out with Daddy

Bouncy chair

Going for an evening stroll

Dressed for autumn

Cool dude

Tummy time concentration face

Falling asleep on Auntie Sam

Trying out his new sling

Going for a walk on a breezy autumn day

Breezy autumn day walk, snug against Mommy

Mastitis

All of last week I was sick due to mastitis. It started off last Sunday; I had a headache I couldn't get rid of. I kept drinking lots of water because I was worried I was dehydrated. On Monday, the headaches continued. Monday night I started feeling achy, and by bed time I was so cold I was shivering. Robbie wasn't cold at all so I knew I was getting sick. I was so cold that I didn't want to pull off the covers and undo my shirt to nurse Mattimeo. It was really hard to force myself to get even more cold, but I knew that I needed to take care of him. So nursed him several times through the night, shivering uncontrollably. Eventually those shivers turned to sweat, and by morning I woke up as wet as though I had spent the night outside in a rainstorm. I was hot and ached all over. Robbie took my temperature to find it was up to 101.5. He was supposed to leave for some dental work early in the morning, but had me call the midwives first. They told me to come in as soon as I could so they could have a look at me. So Robbie ended up missing his appointment to take me (I couldn't just get a ride because I don't know how to instal the car seat into other people's cars yet and I was feeling too sick to read the instruction manual and fuss in the back seat of someone elses car trying to figure it out).

The midwife asked me a bunch of questions and poked around my back and belly to make sure I didn't have kidney or bladder infections. Since my only symptom was fever and achiness, she assumed it was birth related and not the flu. Then she decided to check my breasts to see how they were looking. Mattimeo has been an excellent nurser, and has been really good to my nipples. I haven't had any cracks or irritation, so I was sure there was nothing wrong with them. But when the midwife took a look, she spotted a little redness on my right breast and felt that it was a little hard under the skin. Thus, she diagnosed me with mastitis, otherwise known as a breast infection. She said that fortunately, it was only in the very early stages. Because of this, I could risk treating it herbally and not use antibiotics. But there was a chance that the natural remedies wouldn't work and I would get really sick and terribly uncomfortable. Mastitis can quickly lead to intense breast pain and fevers of at least 105. I decided to take my chances treating it naturally, since I didn't want to deal with the alternative, which was antibiotics. She said the antibiotics would diminish my symptoms almost immediately, but there was a high risk of getting a yeast infection which could transfer into my breast milk and the baby's mouth. Then we would have a big problem of trying to get yeast out of both me and the baby, which would be difficult since we would continue to pass it back and forth to each other. The natural alternative was to stay in bed for 24 hours and do nothing but sleep and nurse the baby. I was to take echinacea (which boosts the immune system) and have Mattimeo nurse as much as possible to keep the infected breast empty and keep the flow of milk moving. So that's how I spent all of Tuesday and Wednesday. Poor Mattimeo was so bloated from eating so much, but he was such a good boy and kept eating. He helped his mommy get better, plus was a great snuggler and napped with me between feedings. We had picked up the antibiotics just in case things got worse, but by Wednesday morning I was feeling a lot better. Thursday, the fever was completely gone. I still have a little redness on my breast, but it is not sore or hard anymore, and sometimes the redness takes a couple weeks to go away. I have been careful all weekend to take it easy, since it is likely the cause of my mastitis was doing too much activity (since I had not problems with nursing or any nipple damage). I am really fortunate that it did not get any worse than it did; taking care of a newborn while sick is really hard work. I am glad that my mom and Robbie were so helpful so that I could stay in bed those first couple of days.

For those of you who don't really know much about mastitis, here is some information that you should read that I took from "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" written by La Leche League International:

Maybe you discover a warm, red, sensitive area on one breast (almost never both unless both haven't had milk removed in a while). Maybe you're running a slight fever, or your're beginning to feel flu-like aches and chills. These are all signs of mastitis. About a third of nursing mothers experience mastitis at some point, usually in the first few months. It can come and go like a whirlwind, sometimes lasting only a few hours. Other times it can hang on for the better part of a week.

 Mastitis isn't necessarily an infection. The suffix -itis just means "inflammation," the process in which protective substances in your body rush to wherever infection is threatening, trying to head it off before it starts or end it before it gets too bad. That physiological process can cause pain, redness, fever, and chills. If there is no infection, and antibiotic won't fix it. Sometimes, however, there is an infection. Infection-based mastitis that doesn't clear with some straightforward breast care tends to clear within a day of starting the right antibiotic, which is usually begun a day or two after symptoms begin. Non-infection-based mastitis usually clears on its own in two to four days. Do the math, and you can see that a lot of mastitis gets "cured" by antibiotics that didn't do anything. But there's no easy way to tell which type you have.

 Typical causes of mastitis are nipple damage that lets bacteria in, milk that isn't removed regularly and well, and a body that's just generally run-down. That usually translates to nipple trauma from a baby who isn't latching well, infrequent or inefficient breast emptying, something that routinely presses on certain milk ducts (such as a poorly fitting or underwire bra, or a backpack), or trying to do too much on too little sleep with too little food ("holiday mastitis" is common). 

The book goes on to describe how to treat mastitis...first with "Empty Breast, Lots of Rest" which is the treatment I used, followed by antibiotics if a natural treatment doesn't work. It also talks about different types of breast massages you can try and when to use hot/cold packs to ease discomfort; both of which I found helpful while I was sick. If you are going to have one book while you are breastfeeding, it should really be this one...it is just full of helpful information.

Book Review: The Happiest Baby on the Block

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Karp

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book primarily deals with how to take care of a baby during the first three months of life. My husband recommended that I read this book before the other infant care books we have and I am glad that I did. We are expecting any day now (I was due two days ago) and I feel like this book has lifted away some of my worries about newborn care. Harvey Karp basically says that for the first three months of life, a newborn is still a fetus. This means the baby is not really in a position to be learning a whole lot (other than what it is like to be alive, how to see, and how to move his own body parts). Instead, the baby really needs those first three months to develop still, and a parents role is really to mimic the uterus he has been happily living in for the past nine months. He suggests doing this through the "Five S's": swaddling, stomach/side laying (not while sleeping though), shhhing (loud whited noise), swinging and sucking. Most of the books is spent explaining why the five s's are important and how to carry them out properly. I felt a little relieved after reading this book. Not because I think taking care of a newborn is going to be easy, because I am sure it is going to be exhausting, but because I still have time to think about what sort of parenting techniques I want to use and how I want to go about teaching him new things. For now, I can just focus on getting used to having a baby, help him get used to being part of the family and part of the world, and just help him to feel as comfortable as possible by mimicking my uterus, being patient, and giving him lots of affection.



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Book Review: Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn:  The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think this guide was excellent. I like how it was structured; it made it easy for me to look up questions I had throughout my pregnancy. I like that it just gave the most basic and important information that you need to know. This allows you to to read other books that more specifically suit your ideals about specific topics. For instance, I chose to also read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method to learn more about childbirth and how I want to prepare for it. But if you are a busy person or don't like to read a ton, this book could stand on its own because it covers a little bit of everything. I especially appreciated the section about newborn care as this is our first baby and I really just wanted to know the basics of what to expect after he is born so that I don't feel overwhelmed. This book was perfect for that.



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Book Review: What to Expect when you are Expecting

What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed reading about the changes happening in me and the baby each week of pregnancy, and I found some of the questions/answers helpful but overall I much preferred reading Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn. I like the way it was organized better and found it more informative and helpful.



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Book Review: HypnoBirthing

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie F. Mongan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was a fantastic compliment to the HypnoBirthing class I took. I especially liked her description of why HypnoBirthing works... she goes into just the right amount of detail, and biologically it makes perfect sense (basically explaining that if you anticipate pain, you will tense your muscles up and your body will have to work a lot harder to make birth happen; plus you won't release as many of the hormones that help you to feel good) Reading this book really convinced me that HypnoBirthing is the way for me to go, and now I am feeling very excited about birthing my baby rather than afraid or nervous (at full term when writing this review). I would highly recommend this book and class to any pregnant woman. Even if you don't want to read this book, I suggest trying to think of birth as a natural process that women are built for and try to stay relaxed and let your body do what it innately knows how to do.



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Hamster Amigurumi

I decided to have a go at making my first amigurumi today. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed animals. A while ago, I picked up a book that I thought looked like fun titled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amigurumi.

The book supplies you with all the basic information you need to get started on making amigurumis, whether they be from patterns or from your own imagination. It includes a few different patterns to start you off, and I decided to try the simplest one out first: a hamster. It was really fun to make and pretty easy. It ended up taking me about 4 hours to make this one, and I know next time it will be a lot faster because I won't need to keep referencing to book to figure out how to do all the different stitches. My cats, Pi and Theta, kept me company throughout the process and I decided to let them have it as a toy when I was done (I put in a bunch of catnip with the stuffing).

Theta thought it would be comfortable to sleep in my sewing box

Crocheting with my meowheads

My first amigurumi

Hamster stuffed with catnip

Hamster stuffed with catnip

Me and my first amigurumi

Pi killing the hamster

Pi and his new hamster amigurumi

Pi loves his new hamster

Pi loves his new hamster

Theta loves the hamster too

This hamster was made with some really lovely yarn I bought from KnitWit Yarn Shop, which is right in the east end of Portland. The specific yarn I got is made by Quince & Co. who spins their yarn right in Biddeford. Their yarn is 100% American Wool, and the specific style I decided on was the lark, which worked out really well for the amigurumi with a size E hook. I used the colors Gingerbread (120) and Egret (101). Also note that because I wanted this toy to be safe for my kitties, I didn't use any plastic parts for the embellishments; I only used felt and embroidery floss. If this was for a baby or small child, you wouldn't want to use plastic parts either.

The whole reason I decided to have a go at amigurumi was so I can make some toys for my not-yet-born baby boy, Mattimeo. I think he is excited about it because he was kicking in my belly a lot while I was crocheting!