LadyPens » Carrie Lauth

4 Tips for Gradual Weaning

Carrie Lauth — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:32:41 +0000

Your baby has grown so fast that before you know it, you’re thinking about weaning. Now what? Here are a few tips to help make the transition easier for you and your little one. Full Article

Tips for Traveling with the Breastfed Infant

Carrie Lauth — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:47:09 +0000

You have spent awhile getting used to breastfeeding your child at home and getting into a comfortable routine. Traveling can really mix up this routine and present new challenges, especially for a breastfeeding mother. Here are a few tips that can help ease you into a more enjoyable and comfortable trip with your breastfed baby. Full Article

Nursing Your Baby? Coping With a Separation

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:03:51 +0000

It is possible that as a new mom, there will be times when you will have to be away from your baby for a short period of time. Perhaps you have to travel on business, or there is a medical procedure that you must have, that will make it impossible for you to breastfeed for awhile. Full Article

Three Little-Known Realities About Breastfeeding

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:35:28 +0000

Reality Check #1: The First Weeks of Breastfeeding May Hurt “I tried to breastfeed but my nipples got so sore and cracked that I had to stop.” I’ve heard so many mamas say something along these lines as the reason they quit breastfeeding. They see these images of happily nursing women, figure breastfeeding is supposed to be a 100 percent positive experience, and then are disappointed when it’s not only unpleasant in the early days—it’s downright painful. Moms probably wonder what they’re doing wrong and some may even think they can’t breastfeed. So they switch to formula.

Four Ways to Ensure Breastfeeding Success

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:32:25 +0000

Step One: Prepare Yourself Before the Birth While there’s nothing you can do to physically prepare yourself for breastfeeding (harshly rub those nipples all you want—it won’t help!), you’ll want to learn all you can about nursing before you try it. You don’t have to become an expert, but it will help to know a few things.

Three Pieces of Breastfeeding Advice to Ignore

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:19:36 +0000

“Don’t nurse your baby all the time or she’ll become too dependent. You must wait and feed your baby every few hours.” This is possibly the most damaging piece of breastfeeding advice you’ll ever hear. Not only can following this advice lead to clogged milk ducts and breast infection, it can sabotage your entire breastfeeding relationship.

Easing Breastfeeding Pain Naturally

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:50:19 +0000

Along with the benefits of breastfeeding such as exceptional nutrition for your baby and a close knit bond between mother and child, the mothers can often experience some sort of breast pain. It’s important to know what methods are a combination of effective, natural, and won’t harm baby or mom. Full Article

Why Breastfeeding Is Hard

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:12:08 +0000

Why Breastfeeding Is Hard Full Article

Nursing Your Baby to Sleep- Good Idea or A Bad One?

Carrie Lauth — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:23:48 +0000

Is nursing baby to sleep a good idea? I mean, we mothers know that babies often fall sleep nursing. After all, the breast is a great source of comfort to them and is a place they feel safe and familiar. In addition, the fat in mom’s milk helps make baby sleepy, and the warmth of her arms and sound of her heartbeat are relaxing too. All of which add up to the perfect environment to succumb to sleep. Full Article

Teaching Your Young Homeschooled Child to Read

Carrie Lauth — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:14:37 +0000

Once you’ve made the decision to take the plunge and homeschool your child, you have only begun to answer the myriad of questions out there concerning how and what you are going to teach.Â How soon do you officially start?Â How structured will the curriculum be?Â How much should you emphasize academics vs. fun activities?Â The list goes on. Full Article

Feeding the Whole Family Book Review

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:29:19 +0000

Feeding The Whole Family – Cooking With Whole Foods by Cynthia Lair Full Article

Generation Text Book Review

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:27:54 +0000

Review: Generation Text: Raising Well-Adjusted Kids in an Age of Instant Everything by Dr. Michael Osit Full Article

Cycle Beads for Natural Family Planning

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:25:22 +0000

Research has shown that many couples who choose natural family planning do so because it has no worrisome side effects. Although for some avoiding birth control is a religious decision, for many others it’s a health consideration. Natural family planning can help a woman get in touch with her cycle and develop more respect for her body, and some couples say it is good for the relationship because it fosters good communication about the sexual relationship. Full Article

Preventing Breastfeeding Problems Before They Begin

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:46:32 +0000

Breastfeeding is effortless for some mothers and babies, but for others, there are challenges. Even some women who have successfully breastfed before may have a new baby who has difficulties. It takes two to nurse, after all. Thankfully, there are several things that moms can do to prevent problems before they occur. Here are a few recommendations. Full Article

Why Choose Natural Products For Your Baby and Toddler?

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:41:16 +0000

As a mother you just spent nine months carrying this new life around.Â It is amazing what a life changing impact a small, helpless baby can have on your life.Â The new baby has transformed you into a mother and suddenly everything feels more important – including the products you choose to put in your home and on your baby’s skin. Full Article

Healthy Meals and Snacks Kids Can Prepare For Themselves

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:40:22 +0000

When your family is in a rush, and you need the kids to help prepare their own snacks or meal, it’s tempting to have prepared foods for them that are quick to eat, but don’t have as much nutritional value as you would like. Full Article

When Breastfeeding Gets Tough – How to Get Help

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:36:07 +0000

If you’re feeling frustrated with breastfeeding, remind yourself of why you wanted to nurse your baby in the first place, then run – don’t walk – to find the help you need to continue to breastfeed. Full Article

How to Get Things Done When You’re Breastfeeding

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:28:42 +0000

Breastfeeding has countless benefits for mom and baby. However, one of the so-called disadvantages of breastfeeding is the perception that mothers are tied to their babies or to the nursing chair all the time. Unless you’re good with a breast pump, you can’t just drop your baby off with the sitter when you need to run an errand or take time for yourself. What if she gets hungry while you’re away? And how can you explain to a babysitter why it’s so important not to give a bottle of formula while you’re gone? Full Article

Breastfeeding Around Your Family

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:25:04 +0000

Breastfeeding in the comfort of your own home is one thing, but nursing around your relatives during the busy holiday season has its own set of challenges. Among these include: Full Article

Skuut Wooden Balance Bike Review

Carrie Lauth — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:22:31 +0000

Since moving to an urban community a couple of months ago, the kids have been spending more time skateboarding, walking to the park, and generally running about on the sidewalks. Full Article

Breastfeeding Tip: Avoid Triple Nipple Syndrome

Carrie Lauth — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:48:08 +0000

There are several reasons why you, as a breastfeeding Mom, will want to avoid or limit artificial nipples. Avoid Triple Nipple Syndrome if you want to nurse your baby for that important first year (or longer!). Full Article

Breastfeeding Tip: Appreciate Your Unique Baby

Carrie Lauth — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:18:07 +0000

It’s funny… you are breastfeeding your baby because it’s the best choice for you and her, yet you are still getting criticism. If your baby is roly-poly and bouncy, people say you’re “overfeeding”. If she’s slim and petite, people accuse you of starving her! What’s a nursing Mom to do? What should a healthy breastfed baby look like? Full Article

Breastfeeding Tip: Get cozy about nursing in public

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:47:50 +0000

You have a goal to breastfeed your baby for one year and are off to a great start. Congratulations! But now you want to leave the house? Uh-oh! Full Article

A Nursing Breast Is A Healthier Breast

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:43:09 +0000

In recent years we’ve learned a lot about how breastfeeding improves the health of babies. Formula feeding increases the risk of many types of diseases. Short term, formula fed babies are more likely to become ill with ear and respiratory infections and other illnesses. When they do get sick they are more seriously ill and much more likely to be hospitalized. Long term, formula fed infants are more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity, asthma, Crohn’s disease, and other ailments. Full Article

Tips on Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:40:38 +0000

Now that youâ€™ve made the choice to homeschool your child, youâ€™re faced with thousands of curriculum choices. How do you know what is right for your family? Here are some tips to help narrow down your choices and guide you to the best curriculum for your child. Full Article

Pregnant Momma Housekeeping Tips

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:38:34 +0000

It is a strange but true paradox of postpartum motherhood that, at the time you are most vulnerable physically and emotionally and most in need of rest, you want a spotless nest for your new little one. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the postpartum period more and stop worrying so much about the housework. Full Article

Is There Housework After a New Baby?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:36:54 +0000

Congratulations on your new little bundle! This is a precious and wonderful season in your life. But if you find yourself knee deep in laundry and scared to walk around the house without your shoes on, read on for some tips on keeping up with the housework with a new baby. Full Article

Housework with Toddlers – Here Comes Trouble!

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:27:10 +0000

It’s so interesting that once our babies start toddling around, creating a lot more mess in their insatiably curious and neverending activity, we expect ourselves to have a perfectly tidy home. When your baby was younger you probably imagined that once she started sleeping through the night and playing independently you would get a handle on the chores. Surprise! Full Article

Laundry – The Neverending Story?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:24:26 +0000

Laundry can be a huge time sucker and it’s the task many Moms dread most. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some tips to help you tame the laundry beast. Full Article

Mastitis â€“ Does It Mean I Have To Stop Breastfeeding?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:21:16 +0000

Mastitis is a breast infection that can affect some breastfeeding Moms. According to Dr. Ruth Lawrence, author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, mastitis is an “infectious process in the breast producing localized tenderness, redness, and heat, together with systemic reactions of fever, malaise, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.” Full Article

Ouch That Hurts! A Nursing Momâ€™s Guide to Treating Plugged Ducts

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:20:23 +0000

A plugged duct is a mass of milk or cells that cause the flow of milk to become “stuck”. It often happens to women who have an abundant milk supply. Full Article

Mommy Burnout – 6 Ways to Lose It

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:18:34 +0000

Feeling burnout as a Mom is very common. It does not mean that you are failing as a Mom. Itâ€™s mostly due to the isolation that a lot of Moms face in our culture, as well as the overscheduling and overwork that a lot of us deal with. Full Article

How Breastfeeding Benefits a Daddy

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:16:37 +0000

You know that breastfeeding is best for mother and child, but what’s in it for Dad? Isn’t he going to miss out by not getting to share in the joy of feeding the baby? Let’s see how Dads benefit when a Mom chooses to breastfeed their child. Full Article

Partial Breastfeeding – Should I Even Bother?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:56:02 +0000

For some women, feeding a baby with breastmilk alone is not possible. The reasons for this vary. For instance, some Moms have had previous breast surgery and have damage to their milk producing glands and ducts. Other choose to mix formula and breastmilk feeding because they are working outside the home and cannot pump enough milk for baby’s needs. Still other Moms are adoptive nursing and are unable to bring in a full supply. These Moms may wonder if their baby is benefitting at all from the partial breastfeeding or if they should just quit nursing altogether. Full Article

Anger Management Tips for Moms

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:22:51 +0000

Anger – it sounds like a dirty word, but the more we try to avoid it, the more
we feel it. Is anger so bad? Is there a positive way we Moms can learn from our anger and model productive ways to express feelings? Full Article

Got 10 Minutes? Get a Better Body with Pilates

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:17:42 +0000

Pilates has got to be the perfect exercise for Moms. It requires no equipment or special clothing. It can be done by people at all fitness levels, even the newly postpartum Mom. It isn’t loud and can be learned quickly. And, 10 minutes a day can get you a longer, leaner body, soothe an aching back, tighten flabby Mommy abs, and help you de-stress! Full Article

Diary of a Breastfeeding Strike

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:04:13 +0000

It can happen when a Mom least expects it: a nursing strike. One day baby is nursing happily and the next day, baby is fussy and refusing the breast. What happens? Full Article

Frugal Baby

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:02:44 +0000

How can I be frugal and have everything baby needs? Full Article

Eating More Organic Without Busting The Budget

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:58:33 +0000

So you’re convinced of the benefits of eating organic, but the price tag has got you down. The good news is that with a little creativity and perhaps a change in routine, it is possible to eat a mostly organic diet within the confines of your existing grocery budget. Try some of these ideas that have worked for my family. Full Article

Does CoSleeping Wreck Your Marriage?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:56:17 +0000

Many people who are opposed to the idea of the family bed will contend that cosleeping interferes with marital intimacy. Those who embrace it think that these people lack imagination! What’s the truth? Does the family bed wreck your marriage and prevent intimacy? Full Article

3 Breastfeeding Rules Just Meant to Be Broken

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:52:47 +0000

1) Only nurse for XXX minutes per side
Fill in the blank here. It may be 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 15 minutes, but breastfeeding mothers are often told to watch the clock instead of watching their baby. Full Article

Confessions of a Nutritional Heretic

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:51:43 +0000

There is so much contradictory information out there on the topic of nutrition that I opt not to spend my entire waking life trying to get to the bottom of it all. The jury still seems to be out on a lot of this stuff, and Iâ€™m not willing to invest too much in anyoneâ€™s opinion. Doctors, health experts and authors of nutrition books are all better at reworking the research to prove their point than I am. Iâ€™m not an epidemiologist or any kind of scientist and there are no letters after my name. Iâ€™m just a mom who wants to keep her kids healthy. Full Article

Breastfeeding? How to Avoid Mastitis This Winter

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:48:14 +0000

Mastitis is a breast infection that sometimes affects nursing moms. Sometimes it starts out as a plugged duct that isnâ€™t resolved, other times mom gets mastitis when other family members catch a cold. Full Article

Whole Grain Baked Spaghetti

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:47:03 +0000

Preheat oven to 350. Full Article

Limiting Screen Time For Kids â€“ Why?

Carrie Lauth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:41:46 +0000

Have you ever read the statistics on how much time modern children spend in front of the television and other screens? The figures are a little disconcerting for most parents. Are you concerned about your kids watching too much? Full Article