Donating Breast Milk

So a couple of months ago, my friend Karina mentioned in passing that she had donated breast milk to Haiti. I had never heard of donating breast milk, but apparently you can. Such a beautiful thing to do! Ever since then, it's been in my head that I would like to donate some breast milk as well, especially since I have 77 ounces stored in my freezer from when I was pumping like crazy when I thought I was going to go back to work. Now that I won't be using all that milk, I had been wondering what to do with it and throwing it away was not an option -- it took hard work to make and pump all that milk!!!

The other day, I was googling to find out how I can donate, and I came across this article on Oprah.com about a woman and her story about how she came to donate a whopping 7,260 ounces of milk. This was the most inspiring story of courage, strength and love I had ever read... you MUST read it... tearjerker! Incredibly amazing. I guarantee you'll be moved.

After reading her story I was more inspired than ever to donate milk. There are so many families that can benefit from it! Premature or sick babies and children, whose mothers are not able to produce their own milk, many times due to illness, medication, adoption or foster care need donated breast milk. Such a beautiful thing it is to nurse your baby and know that you're giving your baby the best! Even though Mila and I had a rough time starting to breastfeed, I was determined. It was so important to me to give her breast milk. I can't imagine how hard it is for families that want to breastfeed and for some reason can't or aren't able to. Especially for those babies that are born premature or sick, breast milk is what they need the most!!!

We are so blessed that Mila was born healthy and that I had no complications during my pregnancy. My heart goes out to other families that have had to struggle and if I can help by donating some milk, then that's what I'll do. I encourage you lactating moms to consider it! :)

Here's the link to the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. All you have to do is contact the closest location to you. Even if there isn't a milk bank in your city or state, many of the milk banks will still screen and accept you as a donor. The milk bank will cover the cost of the blood screening test and the cost of shipping the milk. There is a minimum of donating at least 100 ounces of milk (although each milk bank has different minimums), so I'll have to pump at least an extra 23 ounces. And although I hate pumping, I figure I'll do a little here and a little there and I'll reach the 100 ounces in no time. Totally worth it.

How does a Milk Bank work? According to their website: 

Donor milk banks receive milk from lactating mothers who have been carefully screened for health behaviors and communicable diseases, similarly to the way blood banks screen donors. Additionally, milk bank donors must: be non-smokers, not regularly consume any medication (including mega-vitamins), and not consume excluded medications or alcohol within the specified exclusion period.


Milk is transported to the milk bank frozen. The milk from several donors is pooled after thawing, and then heat-treated to kill any bacteria or viruses. The milk is processed and then refrozen. It is only dispensed after a sample is cultured and shows no bacteria growth. Milk is shipped frozen by overnight express to hospitals and to individual recipients at home.


The milk is dispensed by physician prescription or by hospital purchase order only. There is a processing fee charged to cover the expense of collecting, pasteurizing and dispensing the milk.

It is a beautiful thing. Truly is.

Mila Recommends: SoundSpa Lullaby Sound Machine

I almost forgot to tell you about Mila's new sound machine that helped during that 8-hour stretch the other day! She has yet to do it again, but ever since we put in the blanket under her crib sheet and started using the sound machine, she's gotten so much better!

So I'd been reading that sound machines are great for babies. That it helps lull them to sleep and helps them stay asleep. You can get one that has different sounds, things like rain, ocean, stream or rainforest. Mila was originally sleeping in her Pack N' Play since she was born and that had a little sound machine on it.  Since she's moved to her crib now we moved the detachable sound machine with it, but the timer would only keep it on for 15 minutes or so. We were always running to reset it so it would play longer. Such a pain! And then, we'd fall asleep and it would eventually turn off so if she woke up in the middle of the night, there would be nothing for her to help her fall back asleep and she'd wake up. So we finally looked into getting a sound machine and found this little gem. It's the Homedics SoundSpa Lullaby Sound Machine with Picture Projection. It's fantastic. You can turn it on and it will stay on all night (has AC adaptor) or you can set it to have a timer for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. We just keep it on all night though. It has different sounds: Rain, Ocean, Heartbeat, Twinkle Twinkle, Rock-A-Bye-Baby and Cradle Song. We use the rain sound the most. Not only does it help Mila sleep, but it helps mom and dad sleep too!

The other great thing about it is that it also has a picture projector. It projects pictures onto the wall or ceiling (the projector is adjustable so you can aim it anywhere) and comes with 3 little disks with different characters. It's really great! Here are a few pictures of one of the disks. It's the one we use the most:

Mila seems to really like it and sleeping so much better now that it stays on all night. I'm totally kicking myself for not getting it sooner!!

Best Night Ever!

After telling you about Mila's crazy "Four Month Wakeful" episodes, I went to a Mother's Group meeting and one of the girls mentioned that she thought her son's crib mattress was too hard and that her son had a hard time sleeping on it. Those crib mattresses really are hard. They are meant to be, though, as they reduce the chance of SIDS. But seriously, the mattress is ridiculously hard. It's like sleeping on concrete. She said she put in a cushy blankie between the mattress and the crib sheet to make it a bit softer for her baby. Her comment stayed with me and when Mila awoke for the third time in a row the day before yesterday, I thought I'd give it a shot. So yesterday, I took her cushiest blankie, the Koala Baby Luxe Baby Blanket and put it in. It's cushy enough to add some padding, but not so cushy that she can bury her face in it. Then last night, we put her to bed and hoped for the best.... and it was the best night ever! She slept 8 whole hours! It was amazing!!! I couldn't believe it! That's the most she's ever slept consecutively. The most she'd slept before was 6 hours. Granted, Jorge and I kept waking up to check on her, so we didn't sleep perfectly, but it was soooooo much better than what it had been the last couple of weeks. Dare I hope for more nights like these???

Mommy at 4 Months Old

My Dad sent an email to me today and he attached a scanned picture of me when I was 4 months old. Looks like I had a lot of hair too! At least she got that from me! Everyone says she's Jorge's twin, but there's a little bit of me in there too, don't you think?

Abuelita & Aunt Cathy Visit

My mom and my sister Cathy came by to visit today. It was great. They watched Mila while Jorge and I did things around the house. It was sooooo helpful! Mila had a blast! :)

Baby This Week: 20 Weeks Old

Hearing your baby laugh is not only a joy — it's a sign that your baby is developing emotionally and socially. Have fun triggering a giggle by gently tickling those toes or thighs. Or develop a pint-size comedy routine by making exaggerated facial expressions and funny animal sounds, snorts, and whistles. Don't be surprised if your baby joins in with an ecstatic squeal that might catch your attention and make you laugh back.

By now, your baby's physical developments are coming fast and furious. When lying on her back, she'll lift her head and shoulders as you reach to pull her up. If you place her on her stomach, she'll extend her arms and legs and arch her back. This is good exercise for strengthening her neck muscles, and it will help her develop the head control necessary for sitting up.

When you pulled your baby into a sitting position a few weeks back, her head lagged behind her arms and shoulders. Now, she can anticipate the direction you're pulling her, and her head will follow right along with the rest of her body. What's more, her spine is straightening, allowing her to sit unsupported, which frees her hands for exploring, and she can pivot to reach a desired object.

Once her back and neck muscles are strong enough to hold her upright and she's figured out where to put her legs so she won't topple over, it's just a matter of time until she moves on to proper crawling, standing, and walking. Until she can get into a sitting position without your help, you can prop her in the corner of your sofa or on your legs to steady her.

Your baby is adding new sounds to her language repertoire, and she may sound like a broken record. Babies this age often become so enthralled by a newfound ability that they get stuck on it for a while. This is normal — babies tend to master one skill before moving to the next.

Hearing the same sound over and over can get annoying, but practicing patience now will prepare you for the endless string of "nos" and "whys" you'll be hearing from your child soon enough.

Your baby may also watch your mouth intently when you speak and try to imitate inflections and utter consonant sounds such as "m" and "b."

Following a well-established nighttime routine, which might include a bath or a bedtime story, for example, may help settle your baby to sleep. It's a good idea to consistently "sequence" your baby toward slumber: Feed her, give her a bath, put her in her pajamas, play a game, read her a book, sing songs or play some music, then put her down.

A beloved routine gives you and your baby plenty of time to connect and wind down. You may decide to alternate going-to-bed activities with your partner (you do the bath, he reads the story, and so on). Or, to give both of you a regular break, try taking turns, with one person responsible for putting your baby to bed each night.

-BabyCenter.com

Four Month Wakeful

Just when you think you've got this mommy thing figured out, BAM! Baby decides to switch it up. Mila's been sleeping pretty well at night, waking up once and sleeps about 5-6 hours straight. During the day she's been sleeping ok, but likes to be held. Now, it's all gone crazy. She's waking up 4-5 times a night and barely sleeping during the day! Sometimes I spend the entire day trying to get her to go down for a nap!! (Hence the delay to catch up on my blog!)

I looked it up online and another mommy blog put it perfectly: "it's not too uncommon for babies to have difficulty sleeping during this age because there are big cognitive and emotional changes occurring during this time. They have an increase in awareness and are increasingly interested in the world. Instead of sleeping, they want to play (who wouldn't at 2 a.m. in the morning?) There is even a growth spurt that coincides with this age to make it even more fun!"

Essentially, it's a tough phase right now, but she'll grow out of it. A really good read on this 4 month wakeful is from kellymom.com. Regarding the night-time waking, she talks about how because babies are developing and discovering so much at this age, that breastfed babies may not be eating or sleeping very well during the day because of all the distractions, but at night that they may focus on eating more and are able to fill up their tummies and sleep longer.

Let's hope this phase is short lived! Bear with me as I catch up on blogging!

Baby This Week: 19 Weeks Old

Even though you can't understand your baby, she's beginning to be able to understand you. That's why it's important to talk to her as you move through the day. Narrate what you're doing: "Here's your bottle." "Ready for your bath?" In a few months she'll understand you perfectly when you say the word "bottle" or "bath." You don't have to be a nonstop chatterbox — babies appreciate quiet, too. All you need to do is converse with her like the little companion she is.

Even though crying is still your baby's strongest form of communication, she's also beginning to develop a sense of humor. She may start to laugh at pleasant surprises, such as your face appearing from underneath a blanket or a toy popping out of a box, provided it isn't too loud or startling.

Encourage your baby's laughs, giggles, and smiles with funny faces and lots of general silliness. Babies enjoy hearing a variety of sounds, and you don't need special toys or instruments to create them. Simply click your tongue, whistle, or make animal noises — your baby will love it!

-BabyCenter.com

Bradley Class Reunion

Today we had our Bradley childbirth class reunion! It's crazy to think that just 5 months ago we were all taking the class and we were just about to give birth! We all gave birth between mid-December through mid-February. Out of the five couples in our class, four of us had a natural birth. How awesome is that?! The one couple that didn't, had to go in for a Cesearian Section. But we all did great! Way to go mamas!!!! It was so exciting having all the Bradley babies together!

For more information on Bradley Childbirth Classes in the Fort Lauderdale area, please contact Tracy Pericht at http://www.ourbeautifulbirth.com/. Tracy was a wonderful teacher and I truly believe her classes  helped make my childbirth experience an amazing one. I tell every pregnant woman I know about the Bradley Method!

Mommy Group

Wednesdays we go to a Mommy and Me class, which is a class focused on the baby, and every other Friday Mila and I go to a Mommy Group where other new moms get together with our babies and talk. It's so great to hear what other moms are going through! I learn so much. They are a great group of girls. We talk for a couple of hours and then we all go out to lunch. It's so much fun and sooo theraputic! I really look forward to it. Lisa and Spencer from my Bradley class go too and it's so nice to meet up with them and little Saeryn and Bea! We've also met other new moms. So great to make new friends! Yay!

Mommy & Me Class

Today at our Mommy and Me class we played with the tamborine and sang some songs. We also played with this little pop-up dinosaur egg toys. Mila had a blast!

Mila Recommends: Evenflo Triple Fun ExerSaucer

This weekend Jorge also put together Mila's ExerSaucer that my uncle Enrique and aunt Laurie got her for the Baby Shower. It's a really great toy, and Mila loves it! I wanted to find the perfect ExerSaucer for her -- one that was interesting and entertaining, but most importantly, one that would last! So I researched it in my Baby Bargains book and found this one that I liked. It's the Evenflo Triple Fun ExerSaucer. It's called Triple Fun because it has three stages. The first stage is for babies 0-3 months, where it's just a pad where the baby can lie on her back and play with the two toys that dangle. Mila really liked it, but she loved it even more when she could actually grab the toys and put them in her mouth, so we sat her up in the Bumbo and put the toys in front of her.

The second stage is the one we are at now, where she's actually in the ExerSaucer, surrounded by the toys, and that stage is from 4 months to walking age. Jorge put it together and he says it was harder to do than he thought it would be. There were lots of peices and he expected for it to come assembled already. It took him a bit to put it together... I have a feeling we'll be doing this a lot! Haha!

She's still familiarizing herself with the toys but right now her favorite is the dragonfly because it's the only one she can put in her mouth. I think she'd like it more if she could put more of the toys in her mouth. It also has sounds and lights and says "1-2-3" and "A-B-C" and also "Red-Yellow-Blue" which she seems to like. One of the toys plays a song if she moves around, without her having to touch anything. I like that feature and at the same time it drives me nuts. I like it because Mila seems to like the lights that it shows when it plays, but it drives me nuts because I'll hear it so often I get the "Red Yellow and Blue" song in my head. I'll even hear it in my head as I'm trying to fall asleep! But hey, as long as she's happy, I'm happy! It also has 3 different heights for when she gets a bit taller.
 

The third stage is from walking age to 24 months, and it converts into a little table.

I'm so glad that she'll be able to use this toy for a while! Kids grow so fast, I'm all about longevity of toys!!

Update on Aspirator

So after using the Graco Nasal Aspirator that I told you about on Mila repeatedly this week because of her cold... she's caught on and she no longer sits still when I vacuum her nose. Still works better than the blue one, but now she pulls away and if I insist, she'll cry. Ugh. So much for the miracle aspirator! I can't blame her though. Who wants to have anything shoved up their nose? At least this one is better at grabbing the boogers than that blue one we got at the hospital. Oh and it comes with 2 aspirator tips (one for dry boogers and one for wet ones) and I already lost one. Arg! Good thing I can get a replacement tip online. So hard to remember where I put my head these days! :/

Mila Moved Out! :(

Since Mila's bassinet has a weight limit of 15 lbs, and Mila is just 6 oz away from that, we've decided to move her from her Pack N' Play bassinet that is in our room, to her crib in her nursery. We also thought it was best to move her to her room before she really started noticing where she slept and then the move would be more obvious to her. So Saturday night was the big change. Mila had no problem with it all, she went to sleep like she usually does. She did wonderfully!... Not the same for Mom and Dad though! Her nursery used to be our guest room and since we have a queen sized bed in there, Jorge and I decided to sleep in her room for now. So we can keep an eye on her... you know, during this transition... to make sure she's alright. Ok, ok! So it's been harder on Jorge and I than on Mila -- we can admit it! Jorge and I were up talking about how big she's getting already and how she's moving out. Such a big step! We're going to miss having her in her little bassinet next to our bed... Gosh, if this is how hard it is to move her to her own room, how will it be when she moves away for college?! Gasp! Tears!

This weekend was also Mother's Day, and our original plan was to go down to Miami to spend it with my mom and my grandmother and the rest of the family, but since Mila's still recovering from her sniffles/cold and I'd started getting some sniffles myself, we decided to stay home. Jorge got me two beautiful Mother's Day cards, one from him and one from Mila. It was really sweet. :)

We had a sweet surprise that Cindy dropped off a Mother's Day balloon and card downstairs early in the morning (she was on her way out of town) and then my dad came by to say hello in the afternoon. Then my mom and Cathy stopped by to say hello too. It was so nice to spend some time with everyone! What a sweet Mother's Day!

Baby This Week: 18 Weeks Old

A bigger, stronger baby is also likely to be a wigglier one at diaper-changing time. Be sure to keep one hand on your baby at all times during changes. Some parents like to place a musical mobile above a changing station so their baby will have a distraction. A basket filled with toys you rotate or make available only during diapering may also help your baby lie still long enough for you to get the job done.

By now, your baby may play with her hands and feet for a few minutes at a time. She's quite fond of doing one action over and over again until she's sure of the result. Then she'll switch things up a bit to see if the result is different.

Suddenly you'll realize it's strangely quiet in the bedroom and look in, only to discover that your baby, who until now has needed your attention for most of every waking moment, is amusing herself in her crib. You might be able to start reading the paper again — well, maybe just the headlines.

- BabyCenter.com

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing all you moms out there a Happy Mother's Day! Mila sends this special wish for her Abuelita, Grammy and BisAbuelita!



xoxo,
Connie & Mila

Mila Recommends: Twilight Turtle

Mila isn't crazy about diaper changes. I can't imagine I would be either. But she doesn't complain all that much during the day. Unless it's 4am! Then she'll scream bloody murder!!! She HATES it! So Jorge and I have been looking for something to distract her during that nighttime diaper change. We've started using the Twilight Turtle - Constellation Night Light. It's really great. It has a light in the shell and when it's turned on it shines stars onto the ceiling. It is AWESOME! It shows 8 constellations and comes with a booklet to help you identify them. I would have loved this as a kid! It shines light in green, blue or amber. I like the green because it shines the brightest. It runs on batteries, so it's really portable. It also shuts off automatically after about 40 minutes so we use it as a night light in her room. It doesn't calm her down completely all of the time, but it really does help. It distracts her and sometimes she even reaches for the stars projected on the wall to try to grab them! I love that it's multi-use, it's good for kids of all ages and it's educational as well! It also comes in the shape of a lady bug.

Mila Recommends: Graco Nasal Aspirator

Since Mila's been congested, we've been using saline drops and then use a nasal aspirator to help clear it the boogers. I hate using the nasal aspirator. I actually have memories of my mother using it on me when I was a kid --yeah, that's how traumatizing it was! Awful! I hate using it on Mila. Our friend Karina got us this one and she said it worked so much better on baby Liv than the blue one they give you at the hospital. It's the Graco Nasal Clear Nasal Aspirator. It worked really well! It's a battery operated nasal aspirator. At first I thought it would be scary for her, but since it also plays music (genius!!) Mila thought it was a toy and actually sat still to listen. She usually fusses a lot and even cries when I try using the blue one, but with this one, she was great! Not only that, but I could actually see the boogers that came out. With the blue one, you couldn't really tell. This one is easy to clean, easy to operate and even came with 2 nasal tips: one for dry boogers and one for wet ones. It worked really well, especially on the wet ones. No fuss, no muss and a happy baby -- well, as happy as one can be with the sniffles. At least not a crying baby! Just thought I'd share this great baby product! Thanks Karina for sending us this! You came through for us again!!!

First Sniffles

Mila's had a few boogers here and there for the past week. Just a couple of the dry crusty ones. I figured she was just developing them, cuz everyone has boogers, right? Well last night they started getting worse. Now she has the full-on sniffles!! She's snorting a lot and I hear congestion. Last night we woke up and found her with her nose smushed up against her mattress, snorting, trying to breathe! Ugh, it broke my heart! Poor baby!

I called the pediatrician and he said it could be a cold or allergies. We weren't sure what it was so we cancelled our Tuesday playgroup and our Wednesday Mommy and Me class this week just to be safe. The pediatrician said if it's a cold it would last 3-5 days. Sound like forever!
We have her 4-month check up this week, hopefully she's feeling better by then! Get well soon my little girl!

Mila is 4 Months!

Dear Mila,

What a crazy, stressful, amazing, rewarding 4 months it's been! I can't believe you're four months already! You've gotten so big! You've gained so much weight -- have I told you how much I love your chunky little baby legs? So adorable!

This month you've learned quite a lot. You're grabbing your toys and mouthing everything in sight. There' isn't anything you won't drool on. Your favorite toys are Finding Nemo, Jumbo Dumbo, Pinky the Bear, Frenchy the Poodle, Piggly Wiggly, El Pollito ("The little chicken"), Finding Nemo, Moo Moo the Cow, and El Amiguito Anaranjado ("The Little Orange Friend" -- we couldn't come up with a better name for that one because we couldn't figure out what animal it was, LOL!). I know, I know, we're so original with the names!

Your favorite playstations are your swing and your new mobile and your new Bumbo chair. You keep yourself entertained there while Mommy and Daddy try to eat dinner together -- but sometimes you insist on joining us and Daddy will pull you onto his lap. You just love being next to Mommy and Daddy!

You and I have started a playgroup with our friends Lisa and Baby Saeryn and Spencer and Baby Bijou. They come over on Tuesdays and we love their company! We also see them every other Friday at our New Mother's Meetings and we grab lunch with them afterwards. We also started taking a Mommy and Me class and you love that too. You're enthralled with all the colors and toys and sounds and I love seeing how interested and curious you are.

The most exciting (and most stressful!) accomplishment this month has been that you learned to roll from your back to your stomach! We are so happy for you that you've learned how to roll, but you do it mostly in the middle of the night when you're sleeping and it really scares Mommy and Daddy! There's a higher danger for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) when babies sleep on their bellies so we always put you to sleep on your back. Since the "Back to Sleep" Campaign started in 1994, SIDS deaths have gone down 50% so it's really shown to be effective. But it seems like you're a tummy sleeper! When we wake up to check on you, you've rolled onto your tummy and your Daddy and I hover over you wondering if we should risk waking you and roll you back over. We apologize for the interupted sleep! We just want to make sure your ok!

You still haven't mastered rolling from your tummy onto your back... you've done it a handful of times, but haven't done it in a while. You do great on tummy time though -- you hold your head up so well now!

You've also found your feet and you're getting closer to putting them in your mouth. It's so cute to see you try!

Although you've been sleeping wonderfully through the night (about 6 hours straight), and go down easily at nighttime, your Daddy and I still struggle with putting you down for naps during the day. You love being held and the only places you'll fall asleep at are at the boob on the Boppy or in the Ergo Baby Carrier. (As I type this, you're sleeping on Daddy in the Ergo, as a matter of fact!) It's a bit of a challenge, especially when we want to get some things done around the house. We're trying to see if you'll go down during the day into the swing or into your crib instead of the bassinet. I know you aren't crazy about it, and I'm sure there's nothing better than snuggling up to Mommy and Daddy, but how about you give it a shot? You might like it!

Speaking of the Ergo, Mommy's biggest accomplishment is feeding you in it! Yes! I finally figured it out and now you'll nurse while you're in there. It's great! Now we're mobile while you're eating and I won't always be tied down to a chair!

Ok, so you're not really nursing in this picture, but you'd just finished. But you might as well be nursing because no one can tell anyway. It's just a matter of loosening up the shoulder strap on the side you'll be nursing on and helping you latch on and that's it! As long as I use a burp cloth or wear a sweater that can cover up the sides of the Ergo, we're set and it's buffet time! No one is the wiser.

We've been learning more and more how much you love music. Your Daddy and I sing to you all the time and make up lots of songs. There's one I came up with for bathtime: "Es hora de banarse con Mila J, es hora de banarse con Mila J! Mila J, Mila J... es hora de banarse con Mila J!" ("It's bathtime for Mila J, it's bathtime for Mila J! Mila J, Mila J... it's bathtime for Mila J!") And then for some reason we end it with the Mentos tagline: "The FreshMaker!" Don't sk me why, that's just the way it is, LOL! This one is my main song and I just change what we're doing to fit any occason.

There's the diaper change song that goes, "Un poopoocito por aqui, un poopoocito por aya... poopoocito, poopoocito, poopoocito, poopoocito!" ("A little poop over here, a little poop over there... little poop, little poop, little poop, little poop!")

Daddy has come up with some really good ones. Whenever we hear a song, we incorporate your name into them. That's where we got this one, to the tune of "Mambo Italiano": "Hey Mila! Mila Colombiana... Hey Mila! Mila Ecautoriana... Hey Mila! Mila Ecua-lombiana!" Hahaha!

We heard a Subway commercial that sang "Ohhhh Pepperoni, how much I love yah!" to the tune of "O Sole Mio". Your Daddy came up with "Ohhhhh Mila-roni! How much I love you!" That really cracked me up! He also came up with his own original song that he came up with during a diaper change that says, "I'd rather be flying, but instead I am crying.... today!" The flying he's refering to is when I have you in my arms and help you "fly" through the apartment. You love that!

But this one is my absolute favorite one that he made up. It's called "Everybody Loves Mila". Here's a clip of your Daddy singing it to you. :)



You're getting to be such a big girl, Mila! Daddy and I love you oh so much!

Your Mommy


4 Month Status Update:

14 lbs. 10 oz. (75th percentile)
25 inches (75th percentile)