Got Milk? USA supports you

I am one of those mom's who know breastfeeding is such a blessing to your child. After knowing all the benefits of breast feeding, how can a mother not do that. It is hard for a lot of mothers to go back to work, but that does not mean your child cannot be given breast milk. You just have to have the determination and the legislation can also help.

The act requires most employers to provide reasonable break time and a place (other than a bathroom) for mothers to express milk. Also, health insurance plans issued or renewed after Aug. 1, 2012, must cover, without cost-sharing, breastfeeding support, counseling and equipment, when needed. However, here is one that I used from Medella, and absolutely loved it.

Also you can look upto the state laws to see what is in for you where you live.

Bless your child one more time.

Get the flow

Mothers milk is the ideal food a baby can have, and it protects the baby from all and everything. I had to struggle a lot when it came to milk supply, and had to supplement formula/milk powder for almost a month and then it finally came. I was really happy, and know how it feels when you struggle to get that nourishment for you loved baby. Here is what I tried, what worked and what did not.

Food for more milk supply :)

Making millet halwa with nuts, raisins, brown sugar to taste can easily increase your supply. Eat a couple of spoons with milk 2-3 times a day for a week and see how that works.

Methi also known as fenugreek can increase your supply. I ate 2 table spoon with milk, 3 times a day, and trust me, the supply was double in a week. There are also a lot of fenugreek tablets that you can buy over the counter or online in case you don't like the extreme bitter taste of methi. Something that worked wonders for me, i took 2 tablets, 3 times a day for a week to increase the supply, then continued with 1 tablet, twice a day.

Drink lots of soup with added fat - vegetarians can add ghee or butter to the soup, and non-vegeteratians can have any meat soup.

Nursing is key, try to nurse the baby as much as you can. The more simulated you are the more is the milk supply. You can also add pumping sessions in between the nursing time to boot the supply.

What did not work :(

Stress - Once we go back to work, expect the milk supply to decrease. Stress from work, and unable to nurse the baby when you want can reduce supply. Make sure to express the milk when at work to retain the supply.

Antibiotics - There are various reasons why you may be adviced to take antibiotics, and this reduces milk flow and supply. Don't panic, once you are done with the full course of the medicine, go into the 1 week fenugreek routine and the supply comes back. 

Eating Sweets(specially jelebi) /chocolates - a myth that has been till date is the more sweet you eat, more the supply. At least for me, it did nothing besides unwanted weight gain. Don't indulge for the sake of milk supply.

Drinking jwano ko jhool (ajwain soup) - this worked as a digestive and body warmer, however did not work as a milk producer or milk supply booster for me. 

Dehydration - Always stay hydrated, that's key. I had a very bad food poisoning and that led to dehydration. Getting back what I had was a challange, but it can be done.

Meal plans for Gestational Diabetes

It is really hard to plan and eat when you are pregnant. We always think that pregnancy is that part of our life when we can enjoy the most and that can happen when there is no restriction on the food we eat. Suddenly one day you get your test result that you have gestational diabetes, and then you are worried about what to eat. I have been through this and would like to share what helped me all the way.I had no guidance but planning ahead worked great for me. I enjoyed what I wanted to eat even when i was counting carbs.

Wai Wai Soup

Here is meals designed for 3 days that may help you plan your variations. 

Day 1: 

Breakfast: 1 cup milk, 1 toast with cottage Cheese and poached egg 

Snack 1: 1 medium apple, some almonds

Lunch: 1 cup cooked brown rice with Long Beans and Bamboo shoot curry, fried fish. 

Snack 2: 1 cup milk, 2 Digestive Biscuit

Snack 3: Cucumber Salad with Cheese (your favorite kind), Prune - 4 pieces, Almonds and Walnuts

Dinner: Wai Wai Soup (1 pack) with baby bok-choy, tomato and shrimp 

Day 2: 

Breakfast: 1 cup tea, 2 toast with almond butter, scrambled eggs

Snack 1: 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup watermelon

Lunch: 1 cup cooked white rice with goat curry, stir fried mustard greens, fried chicken, tomato salsa(golveda ko achar)

Snack 2: black tea with 1 granola bar

Snack 3: 1 cup veggie soup, 1 pack cracker

Dinner:  2 medium baked potato, sauted mushroom and broccoli, steamed salmon

Day 3:

momo

Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, 2 small pancakes, sausage and bacon

Snack 1: 16 medium grapes, 1 medium peach

Lunch: 1 cup cooked cracked wheat, scrambled minched turkey with bean sprout

Snack 2: 1 cheese stick, beet and cucumber salad, 1 cookie

Snack 3: 1 cup lentil soup with small bread stick.

Dinner: 15 small momo's, sauce for momo (momo ko achar), goat soup

Enjoy eating!



Disclaimer

Navya Arrives

Navya means New and she adds a new meaning to our life

I have been out for a while, but promise to be back regularly from now on. It was a wonderful experience and will keep sharing my thoughts to all the readers. Our second daughter arrived on November 18, 2012 and has been such a blessing for us.

Sharing some of her pictures, and with her growing up I have more to share.

The Family

Friends for Life

Disclaimer