How many of us have gone through the postpartum wardrobe meltdown?
You pick a few clothes,even some maternity tops,and nothing fits.
I have had this way too many times to mention.
Here I am sharing advice for those of you who still have time to squeeze some shopping before delivery.Go buy a stretchy black long cami, or make that two or three, that you can convert to a nursing undershirt.This will probably be the most wanted item post-delivery.
The one I bought was from Walmart.It was a medium stretch shaper cami to hold all that tummy in,and by using a few techniques,I converted them to nursing tanks to wear underneath tops.
Here are a few tutorials on just how to do that:
http://thejensonjaunts.blogspot.com/2011/07/thrifty-fun-diy-make-your-own-nursing.html
http://pinterest.com/pin/280841726733453941/
In case you are wondering ,a tummy control nursing cami is expensive and runs anywhere from 60-100 bucks.Like the one here:
http://pinterest.com/pin/211528513719302808/
Monday, July 29, 2013
How to increase milk supply
Breastfeeding sometimes can be challenging even if you have done it before.
I highly recommend this book Mother Food for information about how to increase your milk supply.It is a well-written ,thoroughly researched book.The author lists herbs,oils,seeds and other lactogenic foods and even mentions about how to lose weight by lowering insulin resistance.
For me,what finally worked to increase supply was Mother's Milk Tea.It has a warm taste and you can sweeten it or make ice tea with it by adding a bag of black tea while brewing,if you don't like the taste of this tea alone.
Other than that,by eating lower carb clean foods,and by increasing fats,I found my supply increased.In some mothers with insulin resistance,low supply issues are resolved by lowering the insulin resistance.It took me a while to figure out this was the issue,and my baby wasn't gaining weight or pooping after coming from the hospital,which was quite a concern for us and her doctor.Of course,frequent feedings is the only way you can establish a good supply.Once I started adding more fats in my diet and adding oatmeal,my supply increased and baby started gaining weight,and pooping regularly too.
Here are a few stuff I added to my diet that increased my supply:
plenty of protein like salmon,lamb,chicken,eggs
beets,carrots,cabbage,spinach,collard greens
seeds like sesame,flaxmeal and nuts
liberal use of olive oil and coconut oil for cooking and of course the oatmeal recipe that I posted here: scrambled oats
Frequent pumping when baby is not feeding also helps build supply.It takes a good 6-8 weeks to establish your milk,so don't get disheartened.Please check out the La Leche website if you have more concerns:
Breastfeeding Concerns
http://kellymom.com/ is also very helpful.
I highly recommend this book Mother Food for information about how to increase your milk supply.It is a well-written ,thoroughly researched book.The author lists herbs,oils,seeds and other lactogenic foods and even mentions about how to lose weight by lowering insulin resistance.
For me,what finally worked to increase supply was Mother's Milk Tea.It has a warm taste and you can sweeten it or make ice tea with it by adding a bag of black tea while brewing,if you don't like the taste of this tea alone.
Other than that,by eating lower carb clean foods,and by increasing fats,I found my supply increased.In some mothers with insulin resistance,low supply issues are resolved by lowering the insulin resistance.It took me a while to figure out this was the issue,and my baby wasn't gaining weight or pooping after coming from the hospital,which was quite a concern for us and her doctor.Of course,frequent feedings is the only way you can establish a good supply.Once I started adding more fats in my diet and adding oatmeal,my supply increased and baby started gaining weight,and pooping regularly too.
Here are a few stuff I added to my diet that increased my supply:
plenty of protein like salmon,lamb,chicken,eggs
beets,carrots,cabbage,spinach,collard greens
seeds like sesame,flaxmeal and nuts
liberal use of olive oil and coconut oil for cooking and of course the oatmeal recipe that I posted here: scrambled oats
Frequent pumping when baby is not feeding also helps build supply.It takes a good 6-8 weeks to establish your milk,so don't get disheartened.Please check out the La Leche website if you have more concerns:
Breastfeeding Concerns
http://kellymom.com/ is also very helpful.
Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex
I had wanted to blog this for a long time.
A lot of press is given to post-partum depression but very little is said about D-MER or Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex.
It is an abrupt surfacing of negative emotions just before milk release in breastfeeding moms and won't last more than a few minutes.
I had this with my second baby in the first few weeks.As soon as she would latch on and suck,for a few seconds ,I would start feeling hopeless,lonely and desperate as if all is lost.Then as the milk starts flowing,the feeling would go away.I have always had hormonal issues, and a very active PMS,so I knew immediately it was due to my hormones.
I never felt this way with my first child.
Dopamine is a hormone that needs to be lowered in order for prolactin-the milk hormone to release.It has been found that an abnormal dip in dopamine,more than what is needed,is the cause of D-Mer.
In the beginning,I had some supply issues,and was told by my doctor about prescribing a medication that lowers dopamine to release milk.Luckily I did my research and found out that I already was having this condition,and wondered if lowering my dopamine levels further would have serious side effects.
The way I coped with D-Mer is by talking to someone while baby first latches,which distracts me or eating something comforting ,like a warm breakfast,decaf coffee or browsing and reading,so I won't be too bothered by the mood changes.Sure enough,after a few weeks ,the whole mood swing thing went away.
Here is a link to what I was reading:
D-Mer
A lot of press is given to post-partum depression but very little is said about D-MER or Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex.
It is an abrupt surfacing of negative emotions just before milk release in breastfeeding moms and won't last more than a few minutes.
I had this with my second baby in the first few weeks.As soon as she would latch on and suck,for a few seconds ,I would start feeling hopeless,lonely and desperate as if all is lost.Then as the milk starts flowing,the feeling would go away.I have always had hormonal issues, and a very active PMS,so I knew immediately it was due to my hormones.
I never felt this way with my first child.
Dopamine is a hormone that needs to be lowered in order for prolactin-the milk hormone to release.It has been found that an abnormal dip in dopamine,more than what is needed,is the cause of D-Mer.
In the beginning,I had some supply issues,and was told by my doctor about prescribing a medication that lowers dopamine to release milk.Luckily I did my research and found out that I already was having this condition,and wondered if lowering my dopamine levels further would have serious side effects.
The way I coped with D-Mer is by talking to someone while baby first latches,which distracts me or eating something comforting ,like a warm breakfast,decaf coffee or browsing and reading,so I won't be too bothered by the mood changes.Sure enough,after a few weeks ,the whole mood swing thing went away.
Here is a link to what I was reading:
D-Mer
Ready,Get set,Go
Alright,I am back.
Is it possible to start losing weight after giving birth?
What if I am breastfeeding?
When can I start exercising again?
My answer is yes you can start losing your extra weight.But you don't have to go overboard and start exercising like crazy.Immediately after birth,your body is not yet ready to handle a lot of physical stress on top of what you are already having.
Take it slow,take plenty of rest and give your body time to heal.
Meanwhile,make small changes to your diet.Like give up those sweets or half-pint ice-cream habits you got used to while pregnant.
Let us clean up your diet little by little.Sorry mom,the all-you-can-eat-whenever-you-want party is over.
Replace any junk food habits you acquired during pregnancy now.Include vegetables and protein in your diet.Drink lots of liquids.Get sleep whenever you can.
The world can wait.
Immediately after delivery,I asked my husband and friends whom I trust to bring me only healthy low carb fare.Like salmon,grilled chicken and shrimp,plenty of colorful veggie casseroles,broccoli cheddar soup(from Costco) and unsweetened oatmeal porridge.I satisfied my sweet cravings with whole ricotta cheese which has plenty of protein and calcium and is very filling.I also snacked on almonds.
Oh and did I mention all those foods are lactogenic except shrimp.
And you will be losing some water weight in the first few weeks.So you don't want to neutralize that loss by gaining more weight.It takes about 6-10 weeks to lose all the water weight.And it will be usually 15-30 pounds depending on how much you gained.The rest is going to come off slower,so brace yourself for that.
Is it possible to start losing weight after giving birth?
What if I am breastfeeding?
When can I start exercising again?
My answer is yes you can start losing your extra weight.But you don't have to go overboard and start exercising like crazy.Immediately after birth,your body is not yet ready to handle a lot of physical stress on top of what you are already having.
Take it slow,take plenty of rest and give your body time to heal.
Meanwhile,make small changes to your diet.Like give up those sweets or half-pint ice-cream habits you got used to while pregnant.
Let us clean up your diet little by little.Sorry mom,the all-you-can-eat-whenever-you-want party is over.
Replace any junk food habits you acquired during pregnancy now.Include vegetables and protein in your diet.Drink lots of liquids.Get sleep whenever you can.
The world can wait.
Immediately after delivery,I asked my husband and friends whom I trust to bring me only healthy low carb fare.Like salmon,grilled chicken and shrimp,plenty of colorful veggie casseroles,broccoli cheddar soup(from Costco) and unsweetened oatmeal porridge.I satisfied my sweet cravings with whole ricotta cheese which has plenty of protein and calcium and is very filling.I also snacked on almonds.
Oh and did I mention all those foods are lactogenic except shrimp.
And you will be losing some water weight in the first few weeks.So you don't want to neutralize that loss by gaining more weight.It takes about 6-10 weeks to lose all the water weight.And it will be usually 15-30 pounds depending on how much you gained.The rest is going to come off slower,so brace yourself for that.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Losing weight,Rejuvenating your body and Breastfeeding After birth
I have searched the Internet far and wide and there is very little information,if any,on losing weight while breastfeeding.And most information,that does exist,are very outdated and nonsensical.Having lost a large amount of weight after two babies,here is a humble attempt by me to see if I can help other moms shed the excess pounds after baby.
I will also be posting how to lose the post-partum tummy,how to increase your breastmilk supply ,how to lose weight and many other post partum issues I faced everyday and my own answers to them.
So stay tuned!
I will also be posting how to lose the post-partum tummy,how to increase your breastmilk supply ,how to lose weight and many other post partum issues I faced everyday and my own answers to them.
So stay tuned!
Scrambled Oats Protein Powder pudding
Here is a great recipe for losing weight while breastfeeding.It is chokeful of healthy ingredients to increase supply too!
2 scoops protein powder(I use NutriBiotic brand rice protein)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/8 teaspoon of black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of flaxmeal(optional)
dash of cinnamon
olive oil
coconut oil
Make a paste of the above, and heat an iron griddle,add some olive or coconut oil or both to it,then spread the mixture on top.Once it is done,I like to add more oil on top,and I scramble it like eggs,it will look like fried cereal.Add sweetener if desired.Very yummy,filling and great start for another blissful breastfeeding day.
This is very high in good fats,and the ingredients are all very lactogenic (increases supply).
2 scoops protein powder(I use NutriBiotic brand rice protein)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/8 teaspoon of black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of flaxmeal(optional)
dash of cinnamon
olive oil
coconut oil
Make a paste of the above, and heat an iron griddle,add some olive or coconut oil or both to it,then spread the mixture on top.Once it is done,I like to add more oil on top,and I scramble it like eggs,it will look like fried cereal.Add sweetener if desired.Very yummy,filling and great start for another blissful breastfeeding day.
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