How to Nurse Your Newborn When You Have a Toddler

While I was pregnant with Little Ox #2, I wondered how I was supposed to do things now that I would have TWO children instead of just one. (I still don't know how I manage it some days!)

The thought of how I would nurse our newborn with a strong-willed two-year old running around (usually getting into things he shouldn't be) stressed me out! Luckily, we were able to find something that worked for us - and something that might work for you too!

• Corner off a section of your house only for nursing/play time
• For us, we use my two-year old's room (which is the best choice, if possible), but if they do not have their own room, a sectioned off area of the living room or play room will work well too.
• You can use a playard (something like this will work very well) or any room where your toddler can play unassisted without getting hurt
• Using the toddler's room is best because it will allow them to feel and be more involved in the activity because you (and the new sibling) are in their turf.
• Put a nursing chair or rocker in the designated area
• Make sure it is comfortable enough to nurse baby in
• It can also be helpful if the chair is big enough to fit you, nursing baby, and toddler all at once. Our toddler likes to sit on my lap while I am nursing our newborn so a bigger chair can be useful at times.
• Here are some examples of great nursing chairs:
• This is the one we have from Target
• This one also looks great
• Have a table or bin next to the rocker with nursing essentials
• A list of essentials for us include:
• Water
• Boppy or other nursing pillow
• Spit up rags - This Shop has adorable handmade ones
• Pacifier
• Have a Toy Bin designated for your toddler
• This bin of toys is only allowed to be played with while in the "Nursing Room/Corner"
• Put toys in here that your toddler can play with unassisted so that he/she does not get hurt and does not need your help
• Make a Magnetic Play Board to keep Toddler busy
• This board has been a wonderful activity for Little Ox #1 while I am nursing our new little one.
• You can use any oil drip pan or a magnetic board like This One from IKEA
• We also bought adorable magnets like THESE for him to use with it
• This has been one of my favorite purchases for our son - it keeps him busy the whole time I am nursing Little Ox #2

These things have allowed me to easily handle both boys at the same time, without needing to jump up in the middle of nursing to stop my toddler from drinking the dog water or trying to climb on the kitchen table. 

Delicious Peach Crisp Recipe

 

I am such a sucker for desserts - especially ones that I can eat with ice cream!

Baking is my absolute favorite hobby and I have a lot of dreams that involve baking that I plan on talking about in a future post. I love to come up with my own recipes of things to bake quite often but every now and then I love tweaking recipes that already exist and putting my own Ox Mama spin on them!

I love watching The Food Network - and if I am not going to Pinterest to search for ideas - I am usually going to foodnetwork.com!

I found this wonderful Apple Crisp Recipe to make on Christmas Day and my family went on and on about how delicious it tasted! Even my mom, who doesn't prefer apple desserts, went back for more the next day!

However, in honor of my mother, I decided to twist the recipe up a bit, not much - but still, and make a Peach Crisp instead and see how it worked out. There were a few changes I had to make since peaches and apples have different textures - (the fresh apples would have to cook longer and the peaches would make more "natural syrup" when baked.

With those in mind... Here is The Ox Mama Peach Crisp Pan:

Filling:

2 bags of Frozen Peaches

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons of flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Directions for filling:

Mix above ingredients together until fully mixed. It may work better to mix all everything before adding the peaches - then add the peaches. Continually stir until it is completely blended. Put at the bottom of a 9x11 metal or glass baking dish.

Crisp Topping

3/4 cup of flour

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

6 tablespoons of chilled butter, cut in pieces

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

Directions for crisp:

Add all ingredients for crisp together and mix until butter is mixed in and has broken down in size.

Add crisp on the top of filling

Bake at 350 degrees F

for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream 

And Enjoy.

Perfect for a cold night when that sweet tooth comes calling!

Learning About A Colicky Newborn

How about another postpartum post?!

There are so many things I have learned since having a second child. One of the biggest ones was something that I have always heard but didn't quite believe it until I had experienced it myself.

Every pregnancy is different. Every labor is different. Every baby is different. And every postpartum experience is different. 

I knew this to be true to some degree but not in its entirety. It is obvious that these things are different from person to person but ALSO in the same person's experiences. Regardless, every experience is beautiful and you may have to learn in and from each of them.

I know these things to be true in my own life.

With Little Ox #1 - my pregnancy was as smooth as could be, my labor (and newborn baby) couldn't have been easier, and my postpartum experience was delightful. It took time to adjust to some postpartum changes but it was still wonderful.

Little Ox #2 is a different story. But this does not make him less of a blessing or less of an enjoyment in our lives. Different does not have to mean better or worse.

My pregnancy was pretty horrible at times. I did not have any physical complications and baby was healthy, but my emotions and body were out of whack and way out of my control at times. I struggled with mild depression during the first and second trimester and in the third my body and emotions had been drained of all its strength and more.

My labor was extremely difficult, very emotional, and a lot longer than the first. It was NOTHING like I expected it to be. (When you have children, all your expectations should be thrown out the window anyway, huh??) You can read about my experience here.

My postpartum experience this time around is quite different as well. Previously, it was a nice experience but I struggled with my body after having my first and I never really came to terms with it until about 9 months postpartum. From the start this time, I knew what to expect a little more, and whether or not I lose the baby weight, I love my body and will continue to love it because I know what it has gone through to grow and bring TWO babies into this world. My emotions are a little more out of control than before but I think that is because of how emotionally difficult my pregnancy was. I also believe it is because of how different #2 is compared to #1.

It took a few weeks for me to come to terms with this but Little Ox #2 is a colicky baby. My first was so easy that it is difficult to admit that this one is hard. (oh so hard, at times.)

However, after coming to terms with that and learning more about it, there are ways to become adjusted to it.

Learning about your colicky newborn could not be more important. I thought it would have to be something that I would just have to ride out for the next few months, listening to him cry most of the day, every day, for forever.

Luckily, I realized that it didn't have to be that way and mama and baby are much happier because of it.

I am not saying that we have it all figured out, or I have the miracle cure for colic. But I am saying that these things have worked to make myself and my baby happier during this difficult stage.

• Accept it
• I needed to accept that he was colicky and that I needed to make some changed to ease the difficulty
• Process of elimination
• Figure out the biggest cues that bring on the crying fits and eliminate those things as best as possible. For Nolan, I have had to cut out dairy, chocolate, caffeine, and other foods that cause gas. I have had to change the way I nurse him, the way he sleeps, and how I interact with him during the day. We have learned that swaddling will work some of the time and that pacifiers never do.
• Be open to changes
• I needed to learn that I might need to hold him (or wear him) most of the day for him to be happy. It has changed a lot of my daily routine (and made it somewhat difficult) but it is what works for us,
• Take time for yourself
• Every now and then, I need a moment to get away for a bit and recharge in silence. This allows my patience and understanding to be stretched.
• Remember it is okay and it will pass
• A baby has never died from crying and it is okay to step out of the room to breathe for a bit. Also, remember that it will not be like this forever. It will pass eventually!
• Live in the moment
• This sounds difficult, but remember to enjoy this time while they are still little. You may have to enjoy them while they're crying but do not wish the time away. Be with them and enjoy their presence - happy or sad. And love them regardless because every baby and every experience is different. 

Homework:

If you see a mama out and about with a screaming baby, do not judge. Do not think to yourself that she is horrible for letting her newborn cry or that you could do better. That mama might be struggling and probably has already tried everything. So take a moment and encourage that mama for going out in the first place and give kind words rather than judgement.

Thanks :)

7 Weeks Out

One of my favorite doctor visit is the Postpartum Checkup!

The doctor can finally tell you that you are able to start acting and feeling like a normal person again.

During my pregnancy with Little Ox #2 - it started out a little rough, with some nausea and lots of fatigue. But after a few weeks it faded and I was able to continue my workouts and healthy eating! I loved working out while being pregnant! It kept my body feeling good - when it wanted to be lazy and rest.

However, my pregnancy got REAL hard. I had to stop working out and focusing so much on my eating habits. This made controlling my weight gain difficult, but I became overwhelmed with fatigue and depression at times and it was the last thing on my mind.

 A difficult pregnancy + a very active toddler = 1 overwhelmed mama!

A few postpartum things to think about:

1. Don't stress about weight loss! 
2. Take things easy until you and your body are ready
3. Don't be afraid to ask others for help.
4. Enjoy your baby - because times go by too fast

That being said - I am at the beginning of my health journey once again! I am taking it slow and focusing on getting myself back to where I want to be. I am one happy (and busy) mama - with two wonderful baby boys and a husband that is too amazing for words. Now it's time for me to get healthy again and be a great example to my children.

The thing I was looking forward to the most toward the end of my pregnancy was: being able to start Focus T25 again from the beginning!

What better time to do it than the first Monday of the month! This program is SO fun and it helped me lose a lot of weight before I got pregnant. Here is a little bit about my last time doing it!

Something that has always helped me in the past to stick to this kind of thing - is having a partner to join me! I am so thankful that Mr. Ox has decided to join me once again! He did it with me the my first round with T25! It is just another thing that we can enjoy together - AND it's beneficial!

I am very excited to be starting this again and I will post stat updates every now and then! Have a wonderful Monday!

And here's this one... just because.