Product Review - Lansinoh vs Medela Breastmilk Bags

When I first started pumping at work I used the Medela Pump and Save breastmilk bags. I really liked these bags. They were made out of a thick material and I felt confident the bag wouldn't easily rip. It was very easy to open and close the resealable top. They were compatible with my pump so if I ever forgot a bottle it was no problem since I could just attach the bag to the pump with the attached sticker top. The bags only fit 5 ounces of breastmilk but that was no problem since I never pumped more than 5 ounces at a time. The bottom of the bag opens up making it easy to store in the refrigerator without tipping over. The label area worked well with any kind of pen I had. My friend had some left over Lansinoh bags and she gave them to me to try out. Well I don't like these bags at all. The material seems flimsy and I am always afraid it will rip, it hasn't yet though. The bottom of the bag doesn't really stand well so the bag is always tipping over in the refirgerator. The label area is very hard to write on. I can never get any pen to write well on it. The bags are tall so they will fit more than 5 ounces. The easy to pour spout is not very easy to use. I can never get the last 1/2 ounce of milk out without spilling milk. It breaks my heart to see the milk I worked so hard to pump wasted on the counter. Since I don't want to waste any bags I am stuck using the Lansinoh bags until they are all gone but I will not buy them. I would rather spend the extra dollar a box and get the Medela bags.

Baby's First Rice Cereal

My daughter is ready to start solids and I wanted to give her homemade baby food. My pediatrician recommended that I start with baby rice cereal mixed with breast milk. I found this great recipe in my Mothering magazine that I wanted to share.

Toasted Rice Baby Cereal
short-grain brown rice
salt
water
breast milk or formula

1. Place rice in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse, and drain
2. Place the washed rice in a large skillet on burner and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the rice is dry and gives off a nutty aroma (5-8 mins)
Hint: To save time I usually toast 2 cups of rice on the weekend when I have more time and I store the rice in airtight containers to be used for the rest of the week.
3. Grind toasted rice
Note: Ground grains begin to lose nutritional values within 24-48 hours. For the best nutrition grind rice just before using.
4. Mix together 2-3 tablespoons ground rice, 1/2 cup water, and a pinch of salt in a small pot.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
6. To get the right consistency I mix the cooked cereal with freshly pumped breast milk until I get the consistency I want.
Note: For babies just starting solid foods, cereals should be the consistency of thick milk or thin soup. As the baby gets older, thicken the consistency.

I usually taste the cereal before I mix it with breast milk to make sure its not to salty. My daughter loves this cereal and best of all it only takes me 5 mins to make it.

Pregnancy Weight Loss

With the new year comes new resolutions. This year my only resolution is to finish losing my pregnancy weight. I gained a whopping 45 lbs during my pregnancy. Since I only gained 7 lbs the first 5 months of my pregnancy I didn't expect to gain so much weight. I think the reason I gained so much weight was because of the preeclampsia. Once I gave birth I expected to lose a lot of weight but I only lost 8 lbs, I was very disappointed. I didn't excercise after I gave birth due to my c-section but I continued to lose weight rapidly. I am sure breastfeeding helped me lose the weight so quickly, another benefit of breastfeeding. I lost 20 lbs the first month and 10 lbs the second month and I didn't diet or excercise during this time. The last 15 lbs is proving to be a little harder to lose. I decided to start eating healthy, not cutting calories since this would affect my milk supply. I lost 2 lbs in one week but I didn't lose any additional weight after that. My work started providing free fitness classes and I immeidately signed up. I started working out 3 times a week for an hour and I lost 5 lbs the first month. I was really happy with the weight loss, only 6 more pounds left to lose. I decided since I had to lose 20 lbs before I got pregnant I would make it my New Years resolution to lose 26 lbs by my daughters first birthday. Since the fitness classes were taking up so much of my free time I decided to follow the same excercise routine at home. I bought the Biggest Loser exercise videos at Costco for $8 each. My workout routine is Boot Camps on Monday, Yoga on Wednesday, and Cardio on Thursdays, each session lasting an hour. Since I want to keep my milk supply high I am changing my diet only slightly. I will still eat every time I am hungry but I will make good food choices. I cut out soda, junk food, and will only eat healthy food. I am sure I can lose the weight if I keep up with my modified diet plan!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! May 2010 be a fantastic, wonderful, and joyous year for us all.

Tip of the Day

I am always looking for ways to save money and in this economy every little bit saved helps. I have been eating healthier the last couple of years but it seems that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables seems to be going up every year. I would love to buy organic produce but sometimes it is just to expensive. I have been participating in Bountiful Baskets, a food c-op, for the past month and it has helped me cut my grocery bill in half. This co-op is available in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Washington. I pay $15 a week, or $25 for organic, and I get a basket of vegetables and a basket of fruits. I only had to pay a $3 start up fee and I only participate the weeks I want to. There are lots of pick up locations by my house so it's very convenient. You don't get to pick the types of fruits and veggies you get but their is a great assortment and it changes every week. The amount of produce you get is wonderful. Some weeks I have so much that I give some to my parents and in-laws. If you don't live in these states you can go to Local Harvest and try to locate a co-op in your area.