Post for Women

Hi there,

This is a post meant to "start a conversation." I will share some of the practical things I learned since I became a wife, and I would love you to leave a comment with useful tips, too! So please do!

In no particular order:

1. If you cut baby wipes into two, four, or even six (depending on the size of the wipes), you can save a lot in a year. A package (60-70 wipes) lasts about a month. I cut them into 4 pieces (plenty enough for the size of an infant bottom), and I use as many as I need (which can be lots when I deal with a messy diaper). So you don't have to cut back on the number of wipes you use, but why use those huge wipes for that tiny area? Give it a try, you will see how much easier it is. (If you have any questions, just ask me!)

3. A great website we let Amy use is pbskids.org. There are plenty of educational games and good shows there. She learned a lot from playing these games and watching these shows. Not all of them are for all ages, but they are all very good. Some of the shows look silly, but when you actually watch them, they are really good.

4. If you are breastfeeding your first child, ask for help if it hurts. When I breastfed Amy (for the first two months) I thought I will die each time I fed her. Well, as it turns out (and is "proved" by Haley), if you are doing it the right way, it shouldn't hurt. 

Also, nursing Amy for 2 months, I thought I had no more milk because I wasn't leaking anymore (like I did before) and so I automatically thought I didn't have any. But just because you don't leak doesn't mean you don't have any more milk. I could have breastfed much longer with Amy had I known that. So again, don't be shy or scared to ask someone who breastfed before if you have ANY questions.

After both Amy's and Haley's birth my boobs got super hard. I didn't know what to do when I had that problem with Amy, but they told me how to deal with it when I had Haley. As it turns out, the baby has a hard time latching on when the boob is hard, the milk flows slow, and there is a greater chance the baby will scar your nipple. Had I known this with Amy, I would have been able to deal with it better then... 

5. Along the lines of breastfeeding... If you need to take a medicine and you are told you can't breastfeed while you do so, make sure to double check that info. (A free online source: http://e-lactancia.org/) Most medications are safe (even antibiotics) to take while nursing. When you are told you shouldn't take it while breastfeeding, ask what the risks are to the baby.

A good breastfeeding site is kellymom.com. 

6. Switch your kids toys every so many moths. Only have some toys out (enough that they can entertain themselves, but are not overwhelmed by them), and put the rest away. Then when they are bored of those toys, switch them with the ones that were put away. I am not sure how well it works with older kids, but it sure works with young ones. :)

7. Make an e-mail account to your kids when they are born and write to them (attach pics and short videos) frequently. You can give the address to them as a special gift.

8. You can make lots of crafts from toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, cereal boxes, etc. Look around your house and be creative!

I will add to these when I can think of something else.

Addition #1: Teach your kids sign language at an early age (even as early as 6 months). A good free online site is http://www.babysignlanguage.com/dictionary/a-d/. We taught both of our girls and Amy was always able to tell us what she wanted way before she could speak. She signed "eat" when she was hungry, "milk" when she wanted milk, "drink" when she was thirsty, "sleep" when she wanted to sleep, she learned to sign "please" when she asked for something and to say "thank you" when she received it.

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There are about 20 very basic signs that can help tremendously before they learn to speak. After that, it can still be useful to use sign language (for example to tell your child to say "thank you" when you are out and she forgets). We also use it when Amy is sick and feels too weak to talk. (Haley already uses a few signs, too.) I highly recommend signing to all moms.

Do you have a quick recipe you want to share? Or a good advice/tip for women? Do you have a "go to" website? Please share!