Any and all advertisements you might see on this website are 100% uncompensated recommendations.
I like Sinupret because it looks clean, is well-tested and I think it works.
I recommend Erbaorganics because they're very clear about the percentage of organic ingredients in each of their products. At one time, I received some free samples from these two companies. I no longer do.
If you buy my DVD, I think I get about fifty cents. Unless you choose to buy thousands and thousands of my books, I'll never see one penny in royalties.
Jay
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Visit www.erbaorganics.com |
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Visit www.bionoricausa.com |
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Visit the Natural Child Project Website |
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By Laurence Thellier
I hate breastfeeding...no, it's true,
I really do!
I breastfed my first daughter Carla for three months, and it was
sheer hell…engorgement, cracked bleeding nipples, baby nursing around
the clock, and no information whatsoever. So I must say it was quite
a relief to hear my pediatrician tell me at three months, "She
hasn't gained enough weight. You have to supplement with formula
right now !!" Oh, the great advice an uninformed pediatrician
can give to an inexperienced first time mommy. And off I went, sterilizing
bottles, "Carla stop crying, baby, 10 more minutes and the
bottle will be ready", buying powdered milk, "man that's
expensive", preparing bottles, "oops, I put too much",
warming up, "ah, shoot, it's too hot!"
When I got pregnant with Jodie, I would spread the great news around:
"Me? Nursing? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Formula is so practical/wonderful/easy/blahblahblah."
And then I read. One book. One link. And another...and another..
And as my waistline started to expand, my brain started to work
(about time, huh?) By the time my belly had inflated to the size
of a watermelon I said, "OK...maybe I'll just try it. But if
something, ANYTHING goes wrong, I'll stop, UHKAY??" All that
during my long conversations with my mirror who - I think - nodded
silently.
Then the second most wonderful day of my life finally arrived (the
first being the birth of Carla): Jodie was finally born! Right after
birth, I felt this weird tingle, this warm sensation in my breasts
that just whispered to me, "It's time to nurse, mommy, baby's
hungry and needs you."
I said to my mirror, "Let's just try this for 6 weeks,"
and got a silent approbation.
My husband was then transferred to Japan, and following the advice
of a wonderful group of breastfeeding mothers I met online, I decided
to ease the transition on Jodie by continuing to nurse her. I explained
to my mirror that it was so much easier to roll over and nurse at
night than to get up and fumble around in the dark to fix a bottle,
etc... and I swear I saw a gently ironic smile at this point.
We first went back to our family in France for three months. It
was really hard. No more online friends to cheer me on my small
weekly accomplishments, no more source of fun to make my very trying
postpartum depression easier on me, just my mom, who kept telling
me, "Do what your heart tells you." And that heart wouldn't
shut up! "Look mommy, look what a great thing you're doing.
Look how happy she is. Look how healthy, while her big sister constantly
has a cold, a stomach bug...And now go look at your email box, where
your friends probably left you links to look at, you know, just
'cause..."
Then we moved to Japan when Jodie was 5 1/2 months old, and it was
one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. I didn't speak
a word of Japanese, no friends, no phone or internet for a while,
everything was a problem, my husband was working constantly, and
I felt so alone. But I wasn't. I had my two babies with me, and
my little one needed to grow. When you can't read the labels on
a pack of toilet paper, would you buy formula blindly? Didn't think
so.
So I kept nursing. A little longer...and a little longer...and just
a little more...hey, doesn't that link What if I want to wean my
baby? state that "IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR A YEAR, you can
avoid the expense and bother of formula. Her one-year-old body can
probably handle most of the table foods your family enjoys. Many
of the health benefits this year of nursing has given your child
will last her whole life. She will have a stronger immune system,
for instance, and will be much less likely to need orthodontia or
speech therapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing
for at least a year, to help ensure normal nutrition and health
for your baby"?
And to my online friends' great amusement, I began my little countdown
in my signature, counting the days until she was one.
I was so proud when she turned one! No more nursing for us!! Where
is that gallon of milk?
Until further reading put this question in my mind that wouldn't
go away: "If nursing is so good for one year, why does it stop
at 52 weeks?"
And it was easy…so easy to nurse her, so I kept going, ok, I admit
it, out of laziness sometimes. Nursing her through temper tantrums,
little booboos and big heartbreaks when I wouldn't give her another
cookie, and always reading, more and more about the benefits of
extended nursing. By the way, if you need any links on the topic,
I am a mine of information right now!
Jodie is now the most beautiful 2-years-old little girl in the whole
wide world, and still nursing like a champion. I wouldn't take it
from her for the world. Especially when she looks at me with her
big blue eyes and strawberry blonde locks asking "nursey, pleez."
Whenever I have to say "not now" because we're in a hurry
or else, she gives me this desperate look that says, "Why are
you doing this to me?" She will self wean; she will choose
herself and I will just follow her lead.
Breastfeeding is the greatest thing I have done, and I am so proud
of myself and my baby girl.
"I hate breastfeeding." Did I say that?
::drawing in the sand with my toes:::
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