Breastfeeding Money Savings

One of the biggest natural parenting behaviors I support is breastfeeding.  It is a beautiful, healthy, and natural practice that greatly magnifies the bond I share with my son.  There is nothing else like it.

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It’s amazing that mothers are able to nourish and feed their children using their breasts.  We don’t have to warm them, shake them, or clean them before our children nurse.  All the work is already done for us.  We simply undo our bra (if you wear one), place the child to one of our breasts (or both if you have an eating machine on your hands!:)), and that’s it.  Baby fed.

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What’s more rewarding is how close I am able to feel to my son when he nurses.  It’s like we are one life.  Life (food) is passing from my body, and at the same time is pouring into my baby.  I find it to be a beautiful expression of love between us.  Nothing in the world compares to breastfeeding.

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Unfortunately, many women completely pass up the opportunity to breastfeed their babies, many times because they have been trained to believe that babies are supposed to eat formula.  Others even view the practice as weird, or perverse, because at some point in their life their thought processes were jaded.  For those women, I must say, you are missing out.

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For a moment, I am going to pretend that I am one of these women.  I believe that breastfeeding is a little odd.  I also don’t particularly care about or believe that breast milk is healthier than formula.  Lastly, I think that breastfeeding would be such a drag, and I’d rather just formula feed.

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But, wait!  My family income is only 17,000 annually, and I cannot afford formula.  So, I have two choices.  I could either get food stamps/WIC.  Or, I could breastfeed.

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Here are some charts below comparing the cost of formula vs breastfeeding.

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*Includes:

  • Kirkland’s Brand milk based formula powder (cheapest I could find)
  • 6 Dr. Browns bottles
  • Formula powder dispenser and basic bottle brush

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*Includes:

  • Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula Powder
  • 6 Quiet Nights glass bottles, and bottle covers for safety
  • Formula powder dispenser and basic bottle brush

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*Includes:

  • Neocate Infant Formula Powder (I included this because Axel would have had to be on a special formula like this because of his food sensitivities)
  • 6 Quiet Nights glass bottles, and bottle covers for safety
  • Formula powder dispenser and basic bottle brush

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*Includes:

  • 500 calories worth of food, priced at 1 dollar a day.  You can easily accomplish this with beans, rice, and a little olive oil, or a fast food cheeseburger.  (I obviously don’t recommend the second choice)

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*Includes:

  • 500 calories worth of food, priced at 1 dollar a day.  You can easily accomplish this with beans, rice, and a little olive oil, or a fast food cheeseburger.  (I obviously don’t recommend the second choice)
  • 6 Quiet Nights glass bottles, and bottle covers for safety
  • Lansinoh breast milk bags for full time pumping (enough for you to exclusively bottle feed)
  • Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with backpack

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As you can see, sticking to the basics of breastfeeding can save you a lot of money.  In my case personally, I will have saved $3485 by the time the year is up!  That’s what I call natural parenting- haha.

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You’ll notice that I also included a graph for the women who have to pump full time.  Pumping can be expensive, but when you compare it to the cost of organic formula or Neocate, you are still saving quite a bit of money. 

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Overall, I’d say breastfeeding is a much better choice, if it’s an option.  You can save lots of money, and the nutritional benefits are greatly superior to formula.  Breastfeeding also strengthens the bonds between mother and baby.  So, if you haven’t decided whether you will breastfeed your baby or not, please just give it a shot.  You won’t regret it!

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March 5, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Go Raw While Breastfeeding – Chlorella

I watched a video on YouTube earlier about whether or not it was safe to go raw while breastfeeding.  Like many people, my main concern is that the toxins my body gets rid of will be released into my breast milk, which obviously could be harmful to my son. 

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Most people I’ve talked to advise to wait until you have stopped breastfeeding before going 100% raw.  The guy on the video earlier, however, seemed to have a different perspective.

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I’m not sure if he was specifically referring to going raw, but he did bring some good information to the table.  He talked about a few different studies that basically prove that changing to a cleaner diet doesn’t significantly elevate the toxicity levels in breast milk.  What’s more interesting is that Chlorella supposedly aids in leaching the toxins from the body.  (In other words, supplementing with chlorella while going raw may help get rid of all the junk in your system.) 

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I realize that going raw isn’t the same as just “improving” one’s diet.  It is a much more serious process.  I’ve experienced severe detox symptoms first hand, and it’s not fun.  It’s just common sense that if I try to go raw while breastfeeding, some toxins will be passed along to Axel.  The question I have is whether or not it would be worth it anyway.
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I don’t want to go raw permanently, but it would be nice to do it for a couple of days.  I’d love to give my body a break by only drinking green smoothies and juice for a few days.  (I’d probably incorporate some sprouts, as well.)  I probably won’t be able to go completely raw until I’m done breastfeeding anyway, simply because we aren’t in a stable enough position financially to do so.

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What do you all think?  Have any of you successfully gone raw while breastfeeding?  Have you heard of anyone attempting to do it, only to find that it just wasn’t possible?  I could really use some help.  I don’t want Axel to suffer through detox, obviously, but at the same time, isn’t he suffering right now by not having optimum nutrition?  This really is a controversial issue, especially among raw food circles.  It’s hard to make an educated decision when there is so little information out there on the subject.

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So, if you or someone you know has gone raw while breastfeeding, please, PLEASE share your experience.  It would be so helpful to me, and I would be forever grateful.  I just don’t feel “well” right now, and I really think a couple days off of cooked food would benefit me immensely.  Thank you all.

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February 27, 2010 | Tags: , , | 11 Comments »

We Have A Code Wheat, I Mean White

I was reading a book yesterday, and the author brought up something I had never heard before.  It had to do with assigning color codes to people’s levels of awareness (I think it may have originated in the military).  The codes are as follows:
  • White – Unaware
  • Yellow – Attentive
  • Orange – Focus is directed
  • Red – There is a definite threat
  • Black – You are actively fighting

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All of this to say, I recently had a completely code white moment. 

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I decided a few days ago to make apple pie, but I had to substitute oat flour for wheat to make the crust.  I successfully did this without much trouble at all.  Afterwards, I started to heat the sugar mixture on the stove to coat the apples.  At that point, I had forgotten that the syrupy liquid called for a few tablespoons of flour to thicken it up.  Seems like a simple enough dilemma, right?

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Wrong. 

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All I had to do was substitute oat flour like I did with the crust, but I somehow managed to miss that step. 

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I seriously scooped the flour out of our big 5 gallon bucket we keep it in, and it didn’t even dawn on me that I couldn’t eat wheat flour.  Even after going through all the trouble of specifically buying gluten free oat flour!  I couldn’t believe it.  I knew it tasted too good to be true. 

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The sad part is that I didn’t even realize I had eaten wheat until yesterday, four days after the incident.  I was making Patrick an apple pie, yes, another one, with a buckwheat crust (which I wouldn’t recommend, by the way, unless you load up on the sugar!).  I once again started making the sugar mixture on the stove and I almost used the regular white flour… AGAIN!  I stopped myself right before I opened the bucket, and all of the sudden realized that I had done this before, just four days prior.  Ugh.  Talk about frustrating. 

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The somewhat good (and bad) news is that Axel had a reaction to the wheat (or gluten, not sure).  The day after I had eaten it, he broke out with little bumps on his cheeks and his back.  I had attributed it to the oats, which was why I used buckwheat yesterday instead.  I was upset, too, as that meant I had to eliminate those from my diet as well (not that I was eating them often, but occasionally it’s nice to have something other than beans, rice, or potatoes). 

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At least now I know it wasn’t the oats, and I also know that I officially can’t have wheat.  Bummer.  Oh well, it’s all worth it for my baby boy.

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Tomorrow I’ll be doing a blog post for the carnival of natural parenting, so check it out if you like!  Also, on Wednesday, I’m going to try to write about our vegan batch cooking experience last Saturday.  There doesn’t seem to be much info on the subject, and I’m sure there is someone out there who could use some.  Thanks to all who read (my blog, that is, although reading in general is okay, too :) ).

February 8, 2010 | Tags: | No Comments »

What Is Natural Parenting?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer anywhere that I look.  Not that I really need someone to tell me what being a natural parent is, but it’s still nice to know what people are thinking when I tell them I’m trying to be one.

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I’ve discovered that the answer to this question is very much dependant upon who you’re asking.  I believe that there is one uniting quality in all of these people, however, which is that they all want to raise their children as naturally as possible.  The reason it gets confusing is because every person uniquely defines what “natural” is.

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For me, being a natural parent means listening to my instincts, regardless of what the experts, research, or other parents tell me.  It’s about taking every little moment I’ve experienced into account, and making the best decisions I can using those very memories.  I know nothing that I have not lived.  I can only do what I feel is right as I go along.

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I believe that God created the world, and those who live in it, in a very specific, intentional way.  There is an order to things, and when a person goes outside of that order, or takes shortcuts, there is bound to be consequences.  I’m not saying that you’re damned to hell if you put disposable diapers on your kid, but I am saying that a lot of these things have downsides, many times so minimal that we don’t even notice.  I see this in my own life all the time. 

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We will never be able to live perfectly natural, as the world has changed significantly since it first began (whether that was a 100,000,000,000 years ago, or only 8,000, things are different), but we can try our hardest to listen to our hearts, and do what is best for our children. 

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For some, that will mean formula feeding their baby.  For others, that may mean putting their child in daycare, while they work outside the home.  There is not a one size fits all way to parent.  We have to do what feels natural for us, as individuals.  Formula feeding may not be as good as breastmilk, but if breastfeeding is going to make a mommy really stressed out, I think it would be much better for her to just use the formula.  That way she is relaxed, and able to ultimately be a better mother for her child.  Love is the most important thing.

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I’d like to quickly highlight some things that Patrick and I feel are really important in our natural parenting journey. 

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  1. Respecting our child/ren’s needs, and loving him unconditionally, even when it makes us uncomfortable (and believe you me, it has!)
  2. Responding to our child/ren’s needs and desires which include:
  3. Infant Potty Training – responding to Axel’s need to eliminate, and helping him to do so in a comfortable enviroment (Elimination Communication)
  4. Co-Sleeping – responding to Axel’s need to be close to us, and cherishing this time we have with him
  5. Baby-wearing – again, we recognize Axel’s need to be close to us, and we feel that wearing him helps us accomplish this, while still being able to get other things done.
  6. Breastfeeding – we believe the breast is a very important place of comfort for our son, and it also supplies him with wonderful nutrition, which is crucial for us.
  7. Unschooling – he is still very young, but we want to honor his passions by allowing him to explore the world throughout his life, without him feeling forced to “learn” things that are uninteresting to him.  (I don’t think he would actually be truly learning anyway, if that was the case.)
  8. Raw foods – we want to fuel his body as naturally as possible, which for us means having fresh, whole, unaltered food available for him to eat, if he wants to eat it.
  9. We want to show him God’s love through loving him, and each other.  We don’t want to be overbearing parents who insist that he believe how we believe, because we know that is very ineffective.  We are simply going to try our best to show him pure love, without judgement, as God loves us.

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I’m sure I could go on and on, but I felt it necessary to give at least a little framework of what we consider natural parenting to be.  I want everyone to know that I do not think these are the “right” way of doing things, simply the right way for us.  Please, follow your own hearts when it comes to raising your children.  I just ask that you try your hardest to understand that I am doing the same. 

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Thank you all for reading.  Sorry if things got a little sappy.  :)   I’ll be back on Sunday.

January 22, 2010 | Tags: | 3 Comments »

Imperfect Mother

Welcome to the January Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting resolutions!

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month we’re writing about how we want to parent differently — or the same — in the New Year. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I have to say, 2009 was one of the best years of my life thus far.  I was blessed with the most amazing child, who couldn’t possibly be more perfect.  I’ve gotten to witness my husband transform from a mere man, into a wonderful father.  On top of all that, I’ve also experienced a deep change within myself.  I’m journeying through motherhood, and I feel like I learn something new everyday.  I’ve truly found my purpose.

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Before Axel was born, I had many ideas about what type of a mother I would be.  Everything was figured out.  I would do “this,” I wouldn’t do “that.”  However, like many mothers find, things don’t always go according to plan.  I quickly found myself feeling overwhelmed with guilt for not sticking to every little thing.  In my mind, I was always doing something wrong, whether that be not holding him enough, not playing with him enough, or just not being a good mother in general.  I frequently doubted myself, and now I see how silly that was.

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Nobody is perfect, and I now realize that I haven’t done as bad a job as I originally thought.  For the most part, I’ve lived according to the principles that are most important to me.  For my own record, I decided to make a list of the things I’ve done this past year that have made me proud or not so proud, and I thought it would also be helpful to write a list of things I would like to do better in 2010.  Maybe I’ll do this every year, and I’ll show the lists to Axel when he’s older.  Kind of a neat idea, don’t you think?

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2009’s List

  • Natural, drug-free childbirth  (I did it!  It was the most magical experience of my life.  It changed me forever.)
  • Skin to skin contact (Yes!  Axel has spent much time close to my skin, including right after the birth!)
  • Breastfeeding exclusively (I’m so blessed!  My boy has been a champion nurser, and my milk supply has remained plentiful.)
  • No pacifiers (No.  I failed the test.  He didn’t use them often, but he did some during his first couple months of life.)
  • No disposable diapers (I did use a few, for the first 2 weeks, or so.  I hang my head in shame.)
  • Cloth Diapers (Yes, except for the first 2 weeks, we have used cloth.  They are so cheap, and easy, too! They kept us from going broke this year)
  • Practice Elimination Communication (Woohoo!  We started when he was 3 weeks old, and it’s been a great success!)
  • Baby-wearing (Yeah!  We love our Ergo and Moby!)
  • Co-sleeping (Yay, our little guy sleeps with us!  It’s so comforting being near him throughout the night.)

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Unexpected accomplishments

  • I’ve become more understanding towards other parents and their child raising choices.  Not everything works for everyone.
  • I’ve learned to be more patient
  • I’ve become more responsible for my actions (not by choice, I was just kind of forced to :)
  • I figured out that it’s not all about me.  (I know, that’s hard to believe.)

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Things I Want To Do Better In 2010

  • I want to become less selfish
  • I want to concentrate more on my relationship with my husband
  • I want to be more nurturing, and understanding towards Axel
  • I want to spend more time outdoors with my family, enjoying God’s beautiful Creation
  • I want to teach my son about the world, through being a good example
  • I want to be slow to anger
  • I want to continue to grow the bond between me and my child, by being sensitive to his needs and desires
  • I want to love others before myself

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Wow, it looks like I have quite a bit of work to do before the year’s end.  I better get on it!

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Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be updated Jan. 12 with all the carnival links.)

January 12, 2010 | 19 Comments »
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