There’s no way to sugar coat it: pumping sucks. Literally. It’s time consuming, finicky, and can be extremely frustrating. There’s no way to make pumping enjoyable but there are ways to make it suck less. Hacking your pumping routine can save you time, energy, and even breast milk.
You most likely know someone who has experienced a miscarriage. Even if they haven’t shared their loss, chances are you’re friends with at least one person who has gone through this. Or you yourself have experienced a devastating loss. It’s hard to know what to do or say to help. Each person deals with tragedy differently, and you’ll have to use your judgement to determine the best way to offer assistance.
Yogurt is a staple in our family – so much so that I often think it must be it’s own food group! While universally accepted as a breakfast or snack choice, I will admit that there have been times when yoghurt became lunch or dinner after the kids begged. When hungry little tummies are growling and moods are rapidly down-spiraling, a few spoonfuls of protein-rich yogurt goes a long way to getting them through until mealtime. We have recently become huge fans of iögo yogurt, and in particular the new large-sized pouches.
There are more than a few reasons I am happy I waited until my mid-30’s to have a baby (and a few reasons I am not, but that’s for another post), and when I did give birth at 37 and decided to hit some of the mom-and-baby library groups, it became abundantly clear what exactly had made waiting right for me.
Being a people watcher and an armchair psychologist, I had a good look around. The moms were all younger than me; I wasn’t the oldest, thankfully, due to the grandmother unsuccessfully wrangling her grandchildren to the circle and the elderly librarian trying to grab their attention.
Many parents are asking how to strengthen their child’s immune system this fall, to help prevent catching colds and also the flu. The immune system is basically a bunch of different types of cells that together fight bacteria and viruses that cause infection. Many children get sick in the fall as they return to school and daycare where they are exposed to a variety of bugs. Their immune systems are still growing and developing, so they are more likely to get sick than adults. There are several factors that can influence how healthy and robust a child’s immune system is. Follow these steps to boost your child’s immune system and help them stay healthy through this cold and flu season.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in antioxidants and high in nutrients is important, but there is more to it than that – it can boost fertility. Surprisingly, it’s not just what you eat, but when you eat it. Our bodies have different nutritional needs over the course of the month, so it makes sense that there is a link between conception and food.
Every mother wants to offer their child the very best possible, whether that’s education, extracurricular activities or the food that we put on their plates. Many of us struggle with how to “do it all”. Finding ways to make life easier is essential for every busy parent (and let’s be honest, isn’t every parent busy?)
Mother Hen Organic Baby Food is a great alternative for busy parents who don’t have the time to prepare and puree their own baby food. They come frozen so they don’t have the preservatives that traditional baby food in glass jars often has. All you have to do is thaw and serve.
Mother Hen had their nutritionist, Genevieve Nadeau, share with us some thoughts on different stages of baby nutrition month by month through the first year. She debunked some common baby nutrition myths and gave great tips on how to care for your baby’s nutritional needs.
Takeaway- Avoiding high risk allergy foods until after 1 year of age does not prevent allergies from developing. Introducing iron-rich foods amongst baby’s first food selections is important for baby’s health and development of palate.
Takeaway- Focus on foods that are high in iron, avoiding foods that are protein rich but low in iron. Introduce new flavours including dark leafy greens, small pasta and fruit.
Takeaway- At 9 months offer the breast or bottle after your baby has eaten their meal. Purees can start to take a backseat as you introduce grated or chopped foods. Introducing baby to a variety of flavours help develop their palate (even food that you may not enjoy.)
Takeaway- At one year baby can start eating all of the same foods as mom and dad eat.
Mother Hen recently shared their line of organic baby food with one of our writers, Kyla Beyer– mommy to baby Harvey and successful Vancouver entrepreneur. Kyla shared with us her thoughts and Harvey’s reaction to this organic line of frozen baby food.
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[/pullquote_left]It’s no secret that it can be challenging to balance career and motherhood. As a new mom I envisioned making all of my baby’s meals from scratch. Boiling, steaming, chopping, pureeing…I did it all….for a while. And then, when I went back to work, I found myself with less time to prepare healthy meals for my son. I wanted to spend my precious time with him, not in the kitchen. There are plenty of canned baby food products in the market, but once I discovered Mother Hen’s frozen baby food I was delighted. Natural, allergen free, no additives and all their fruits and vegetables are organic. I noticed a big difference in the smell and taste (yes, I tasted them!) of the Mother Hen products when comparing them to canned foods because the flavour and nutrients of their foods is retained due to their freezing process.
The Beginner line of purees are blended to the perfect silky consistency(no matter how I tried, I could not get my homemade carrot purees to be anything but lumpy). The portion sizes are perfect for little ones discovering new tastes, and their containers are free of BPA so they can be safely microwaved.
The Junior line (8 months and up) has great flavours such as Chicken Cacciatore and Lamb with Fruits (inspired by Morrocan cuisine and my son’s absolute favourite). The portion sizes are larger for growing appetites and the variety of flavours help to expand his palate.
My discovery of Mother Hen’s line of baby food has freed up precious time and helped me to find balance in my busy life as mother and career woman.
Thank you to Kyla and baby Harvey for testing and sharing their thoughts on Mother Hen Organic Baby Food and to Mother Hen for sending them food to test.
Kyla Beyer is mother to Harvey and the owner of Limelight Floral Design, a busy boutique floral studio based in West Vancouver. With the help of her fabulous husband she manages to balance it all and still find time to stop and smell the roses.
Homemade Brown Rice and Quinoa Baby Food is fun and easy to make – and packs a huge punch for your little one as they begin solid food. You can also make this first food recipe in a rice cooker in bulk and freeze individual spoonfuls in ice cube trays. Once froze, pop the cubes out and keep them together in a big labelled ziplock bag. Just make sure when you thaw in the microwave that there are no hot spots.
Ingredients:
½ cup brown rice
½ cup quinoa
2 cups purified water or organic free-range chicken stock
1 jar (4 ounces) organic meat baby food, any flavour
Method:
Put the rice, quinoa, and water or stock in a small pan
Bring to a boil over medium heat
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, until the water is absorbed
Fluff with a fork and add the baby food
Cool before serving
Variation: Add peas, other soft cooked vegetables, or fruit
Sweet Potato (also known as the yam) can be orange fleshed or ivory-white, though color is no particular indication of sweetness. Sweet potato puree provides a tummy satisfying starch as well as chill-beating vitamin C. Orange fleshed varieties are rich in beta carotene, the stuff which turns Flamingo feathers pink and, if eaten all the time, gives babies a ruddy glow. If your baby seems to have acquired a golden tan, lay off the orange colored food!
We like to freeze the puree in ice cube trays and pop the frozen cubes into labeled baggies or containers in the freezer. This allows you to always have an assortment of ‘cubes’ on hand. The recipe can also be prepared with a variety of other veggies (even canned pumpkin).. wink
Suitable for 6 months onwards. Makes 2 cups
Sweet Potato Puree
You will need:
1 pound Sweet Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and chunk into bite sized pieces and put into a pot with enough boiling water to cover. Return water to boil, reduce heat, loosely cover, and cook 20-30 minutes or until perfectly soft and tender. Drain – not too thoroughly – reserving a little of the cooking water. Mash (or use a food processor) to a puree with a little of the cooking water.
Alternately, you can use a steamer…
Serve and enjoy!
Good for 9 mos and up. It doesn’t get much easier than this. It’s quick, yummy and really good for you and your little one! You know what they say, “an apple a day”! This recipe is great if your little one is starting to eat soft solids and not just pureed foods.