Infants

Note: This post is part of a series for World Breastfeeding Week and is sponsored by Woman's Hospital.  5 Ways to Make Breastfeeding Easier You’ve taken a breastfeeding class. But before you bring baby home from the hospital, here are a few small tips to make breastfeeding a little easier. Adjust your lighting. Newborns need to eat at least eight times every 24 hours – remember, “8 or more in 24.” Yes, you read that correctly! Even if your little angel is sleeping soundly, you’ll still have to wake him up to eat. In the middle of the night, flicking on the main room light isn’t the best option. Before baby arrives, set up lamps, plug in night lights or install dimmers. Create breastfeeding...

Note: This post is part our series in observance of World Breastfeeding Week and is sponsored by Woman's Hospital.  My Breastfeeding Evolution When I was pregnant for the first time in 2005, I remember always knowing that I would breastfeed. Somehow it was just a given that it was what I would do. I think at that time, it was more in a nutritional sense than a relational one. I knew it was healthy and I knew my body was designed to do it, so it just made sense. I researched and read and felt prepared in the academic sense. It's Go Time! But when my son Ben unexpectedly came early, I was thrust into a challenging breastfeeding experience for which I was...

Note: This post is part of a series for World Breastfeeding Week and is sponsored by Woman's Hospital.  5 Breastfeeding Resources in Baton Rouge Breastfeeding is natural, but it’s not always easy. Poor latch, nipple soreness and engorgement may be a few of the challenges that you may face when breastfeeding. Don’t wait too long to get help. Woman’s Hospital offers several resources to help your baby get the best nutritional start in life. 5 Breastfeeding Resources in Baton Rouge Classes You’ll have tons of help from lactation nurses while you’re in the hospital, but many women find that taking a breastfeeding class before pregnancy can boost their confidence. Woman’s Breastfeeding Basics class will teach you how to properly latch Baby and different positions...

You Jane are way different from me Tarzan -- a concept that has been reinforced and reminded almost daily from Day One. After biology class it was quickly deduced that we men have the complexity of a garden hose and ladies, a multiple zone irrigation system. Nothing prepares you for parenthood and the new roles you become in each other’s lives, but I am most certainly still reeling in awe of this miracle of life. Still so clear is the day my wife and I found out our breeding career was complete on the first attempt. The test said it might take 5-10 minutes … 10 seconds later breath gone, stomach in throat and mind running. YES! Great! We did...

Life gets crazy when there are lots of littles around, we all know that. We currently have a 3-year-old, an almost 1-year-old, and a newborn in our house of all girls. It can be exhausting, but here are a few of the tricks I've used to survive these first few months as a family of five. Routine With baby 1, I was a by-the-clock scheduler, but that just isn't possible these days. We still have a good routine- a time when each child wakes up, when we all eat, and when naps happen. The difference is that flexibility becomes a much bigger factor. Knowing about when kids will nap/eat helps me to plan the rest of our day. We make sure to...