Traveling With a Baby: Preparation

In preparation for our first trip with our baby, (three-months-old at the time), I did a lot of research. I didn't want to get stuck having to dump out pumped milk or having to pay extra to check a stroller cause we didn't do the process right, or have a flight attendant fuss at me to cover up while breastfeeding. I especially wanted to check all the policies and rules because we would be flying on four different planes over a two-week period and visiting four different states. I just like to be prepared!

So I hoped to save someone else a little trouble and compile everything I found here. This is the first part on a series of traveling with a baby and it's solely on preparing for your trip.

Birth Preferences (infographic)

This will be a short post...
I am not going to go into the details of creating a birth plan and choosing what to put on it right now. I just wanted to share a Birth Prefrences infographic that I just created on Easel.ly
I had created my birth "plan" (which is what they're usually called, but you can't always plan for everything and I know you may not get what you plan for... so I use the term loosely) on a word document, nicely typed with a friendly introduction ("We are so excited to be birthing our baby at Mission Hospital!" etc) before going into my bulleted requests for my labor and delivery. My husband did help create it and then our doula looked over it as well to give her suggestions.
Though I still plan to use my typed one, I saw a cute infographic-style birth plan on pinterest (that you could have someone personalize for you on Etsy for $10) and just had to make my own!

Here is the one you can have made for you on Etsy:

And here is the one I made! I actually made two... one with my contact info on it and this one here, which has no name or contact info (for sharing online... don't need my phone number floating around the cyber-universe!) I'm not sure if I will actually use it, but I was bored and enjoy playing around creating different things like this.

 

Happy to hear your thoughts on it!

Thanks for reading!


UPDATE 3/1/14

I edited my birth preferences infographic to be a little more printer-friendly (less color).
There's an open space at the bottom below the feet, that is where I put my name and contact information.

Human Milking and Making Milkshakes: Breast Pumps

So I had my first request for a post... breast pumps! Breast pumps can be very confusing (as are a lot of things you may need for a new baby I have learned!)
So here is my attempt to concentrate the smorgasbord of information out there on breast pumps... from what they are, to whether you may need one, to the different types available, to safety information, to the best selling pumps on the market today...

What is a breast pump?
Simply, a breast pump is a FDA regulated medical device used to extract breast milk from a nursing mother. They can also be used to "maintain or increase a woman’s milk supply, relieve engorged breasts and plugged milk ducts, or pull out flat or inverted nipples so a nursing baby can latch-on to its mother’s breast more easily." (FDA)

Do I need a breast pump?
Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, you may find you have a need for a breast pump.

Colostrum: The Original Liquid Gold

Colostrum, or "first milk" or "foremilk" is a milky substance that female mammals (not just humans!) begin producing toward the end of the pregnancy. Some women will begin to notice it in the second trimester, others not til the third, and some mothers will not notice the colostrum until after they give birth. I do not "leak" colostrum as some women do (at least, I haven't yet) but I began noticing it early in the third trimester.

Colostrum is the original liquid gold - the first "milk" your baby gets that is yellowish in color with a myriad of beneficial properties.

It is usually a clear/translucent yellow to orange color and is thicker than breast milk and a little sticky. Small but mighty - it is low in volume but rich in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, antibodies, immune factors, enzymes, and it also has laxative properties which help your newborn expel meconium, their first poop. If you deliver prematurely, your colostrum will contain even more proteins and different fats that are important to premature babies. Colostrum even "seals" baby's intestines, protecting them from bacterial invasion.