Nursing Mom's Nest - Indianapolis Zoo

This past weekend my hubby and I decided to take a quick trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. We have always wanted to eventually get a membership when we had kids and now seemed like a great time. The weather has been great, Camden loves the animals, and his birthday is quickly approaching. (And I couldn't think of anything really "big" to get him.) A year-long zoo membership was perfect!

I will post more about the zoo later, but I wanted to focus on a new area of the zoo, which I'm pretty sure is unique to Indianapolis' Zoo. There is a new exhibit at the zoo called Flights of Fancy: A Brilliance of Birds. There are all sorts of birds from probably around the world (I'm more of a seer/doer than a read-the-info person). We got to feed the birds, too, which was the highlight of my trip for sure!

The uniqueness of this area is that there is a great private, indoor separate area for nursing mothers to feed or change their little ones. Enter the Nursing Moms Nest, presented by Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.

A lot of people have misconceptions that a breastfeeding mother is shy or should go to these private places to hide. This is not a place like that. The zoo isn't kicking us out from nursing on a bench out in public. The beauty of this area is that it's indoors, quiet, and comfortable. Any nursing mother will tell you that all of those play a HUGE factor in breastfeeding. If you've ever tried to breast feed a very distractible infant with noises around (especially animals, birds, crowds of people), you know what I'm talking about. Also, it gets pretty hot here in the summer, cold in the winter, and rains whenever it wants to (hey, it's Indiana after all) so the climate-controlled area is definitely a must-have!

I must admit that the area was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It's like a mini-gymnasium. Okay, well maybe not that big, but it was roomy! Whoever collaborated to make this happen, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my my-toddler-won't-nurse-just-anywhere heart. :-)

The artwork was so heart warming and tasteful. They definitely incorporated the aspects of the zoo into the room decor, which I thought was a wonderful touch. They did some "finger" painting with the animals and there were pictures of animals with their young all around. Gorgeous, I say.

There were three private rooms with a rocker and footstool in each. (I assume, anyways, since I didn't go snooping into the two other occupied rooms.) The glass doors were tinted so you couldn't see into the area. There was also a place for you to sit and nurse out in the open, which I don't mind NEARLY as much as I did when first starting almost a year ago. 

Overall, my experience at the zoo this time around was fantastic. It usually always is, but this just made it so much easier to bring my son and not have to miss a thing!

No more nursing my son in the car sitting in the parking lot. It's conveniently smack dab in the middle of the zoo so you don't have to miss a single exhibit. Thanks again to everyone that came together to make this Nursing Nest a reality, because let's face it, this is something a lot more public places should adopt. 

Product Review: Milk Freezer Bags

Breast milk freezer bags are a necessity for a nursing mother. Even if you are a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) like I am (long story, the job didn't work out), you still need to pump, even if just for comfort reasons. There is no need to pour out perfectly good milk so why not freeze it?! If your freezer becomes overly stuffed like ours is at the moment, you can always donate it to the Indiana Mother's Milk Bank, IMMB.

When I first started pumping, I used the Medela bags simply because I had a Medela pump and you can pump right into the bag; no need to clean bottles every time. Well, then I learned that you usually want to combine the two sides of milk into one bag or bottle anyways so you're going to need to do dishes. I had some Lansinoh bags as a sample pack and started filling those too. What a difference a bag makes!

So on the left are the Medela bags, and the right are the Lansinoh bags. Immediately I noticed the bag size difference. The Lansinoh's are much longer and have a higher storage capacity of 6 ounces (versus only 5 ounces with the Medela).

Pricing comparison? There is no comparing ... Lansinoh is LESS THAN HALF the price of Medela for the exact same amount of bags, 50-count. Medela is expensive, running about $20-23 per 50-count box. Lansinoh is only $10 for a 50-count box.

When comparing the ease of writing on the bags/labeling there is a big difference too. Labeling is labeling, I know, but per state regulations (if you're using daycare) there are four things you need on each bag: Name, Date, Time and Amount. Although not a large space, there is space for each of these four items on the Lansinoh bags. The Medela bags do have a large writing space but it's totally blank; so I guess that could be a possible advantage.

Also you will notice that the Lansinoh bag has a seal at the end of it. You just rip that off (so you know the bag's never been used and is clean) and fill it up. 

The seal is very very important when freezing milk. If the milk gets freezer burn (hey, it's happened to the best of us) then you've got to throw it all out. Also, if there's a leak it can make the milk go bad quicker. Note: If it smells funky, don't use it. The Medela bags have been known to leak (and I've experienced this as well as freezer burn). The Lansinoh bags have a double-zip seal so that is less likely with those bags.

With either bag (or any other brand), DO NOT overfill them or you will almost guarantee yourself a milk explosion in the freezer.

Both bags are able to stand in an upright position, although Medela has the advantage here since they are more sturdy. Why you would need your bag to stand up .. I can't tell you since I have no idea. It is nice, though, when first starting out and being able to pour it into the bag on the counter top.

So when the bags are laying flat, which is the best way to freeze and safe space, the Lansinoh has the (obvious) advantage. It lays much flatter, hence the longer/larger bag design. They do tend to stick to one another easier, though they aren't hard to break apart once frozen.

And finally pouring is extremely important! You've got to be able to pour the milk from the bag into the bottle when you need it. Medela has a hole cut out of the tops of their bags, but the milk bypasses it and I often get half of it on the counter tops. The plastic is very thick on their bags so it makes it hard to pour any other way.

The Lansinoh bags, however, don't have a pour spout but the design shape of the bag allows for you to pour it out of the sides very easily with minimal spilling.

Overall:

The Lansinoh has the best advantage when it comes to: price, storage capacity, labeling, sealing, space-saving, and ease of pouring.

Finger Paint Recipe

I looked up several recipes from a few different websites for finger paint. I had an idea to send my nephew a card since he's still young and we wanted him to know we were thinking of him. The easiest recipe also got some of the best reviews on this site and so I went ahead with that one.

The recipe called for cornstarch and water, something I always have on hand. Cornstarch naturally thickens food when heated so I thought this would be a great recipe to try first.

You simply mix 1/3 cup cornstarch with 1 cup water and heat to boiling. Add the food coloring after it has cooled a bit.

I actually used a lot of food coloring and it still wasn't as dark of a color I would have liked. The mixture will thicken as it heats, too. The mixture got to this point (above) even before boiling so I'd probably use half as much cornstarch and reduce the heat a little for the next attempt.

I added some red food coloring (Camden's favorite color) and smeared it all over his hands. :) He wasn't freaked out and luckily didn't try to eat it. It was really hard, however, to keep his figers spread out since he wanted to keep his fists closed. We did a test print on the white paper (mostly for us), then tried the card we sent to his cousin Elijah.

The finger paint ended up thickening up way more than was necessary and after about 30 minutes it was totally gelatinous and unusable. I would definitely try another recipe for next time. I'm so hesitant to use kool-aid because it stains your fingers so easily.

He was tired since he had just had a play date and it was bed time so he looks less than enthused. He did really well and didn't resist though. I am thinking once he starts eating food we'll try again since none of the recipes I found used anything toxic.

Mommys little wiggle worm

Remember when I recently posted about how great the breathable bumper was and it works great?

Yeah ...

It's great for him because he can't get his limbs outside of it. Wait. Err, he can!? This kid is unstoppable. He amazes me every day. Oh well, we'll still keep the bumper up because it at least works most of the time. Heh.

Magic Eraser

I was going through my pantry the other day and discovered that I had almost two full boxes of magic erasers! I love those little things. I think I bought so many when we first moved in because the house was so gross. Instead of using that, though, I decided to bleach everything because well it was just more sanitary. To say I don't go through the house and wipe the door knobs each month would be a lie.

So naturally my insatiable urge to clean kicked into high gear. I got excited and found the dirtiest, most dinged-up door I could. I found it in our garage. It was the grossest looking door, but the magic eraser worked its magic and now the door looks brand spanking new!!! Brad had never used one before or seen what they can do. Needless to say, he was extremely amazed and excited how clean our door looked afterwards.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

I would think that everyones dirtiest door would be this one; from the garage to the house. In our first home it was this way as well. I'm so glad this door got cleaned up and I'm even more excited that I have many more erasers to use. Unfortunately it did take 2.5 sponges to clean this door but I have plenty left!

Now if only I could find a magic eraser for stretch marks ... hmm ...

Photography

A "push gift" is the newest trend with giving birth. I'd never heard of one until overhearing another couple at our childbirth class talk about it. At any rate, my husband decided to get me one anyways (because, well, he's just amazing).

I've always wanted a dSlr camera. Not because they are expensive .. they are. Not because everyone else has one or any other reason. I wanted a reliable camera that takes professional-looking photos. I want the memories we share with each other to last. When I look at old photographs when I was a baby, we've come a long way with technology. I just want Camden and future generations to really be able to see what life was like back then.

Brad decided to get me a dSlr camera for my push gift. I was so ecstatic to find out!! I think he might have gotten more motivation when we booked our newborn photos with a professional photographer. He didn't want to pay $150-200 per session every couple of months. =) We will surely get our yearly photos at a professional place (Sears, Olan Mills, etc), but in the mean time, this camera takes some amazing photos!

Here is the same photo. The first one is from our old point-and-shoot camera. The second one is from our new dSlr camera. You tell me the difference (click to enlarge).

Would it be worth it to you? I surely think it is. His skin is much more clear and soft. His eyes look normal and don't have red-eye as much. The colors are more true and bright. Also, it's way less grainy.

Since having this camera, even on the auto settings I can take amazing pictures (not only of Cam). I have been taking beautiful pictures of my once-pretty sunflowers and just different fun things around the city. If you have the money and especially with kids, a dSlr is the best investment to keep those memories alive. Trust me.

Breathable Bumper, FTW

Everyone (doctor's, pediatrician's, friends with kids, etc) recommend that there be no bumpers, toys, loose blankets or anything of the sort inside of an infant's crib before they are old enough. These items are a choking/death hazard and while the advice shouldn't be taken lightly, I still think it's not entirely realistic.

Yeah, I'm one of those moms who "follows the rules" and does what I'm told to do (to the T, usually). So of course I call my pediatrician for just about everything. Infant poop is our number one topic usually. :) SO anyways...

Camden likes to wiggle around in his crib which we had nothing in but a fitted mattress sheet. Once he became "mobile" he ended up wiggling towards the edge of the crib and getting his arms "stuck" (he thought they were stuck). The nurse recommended I get a breathable bumper for the crib, which I had heard of before.

So that is how I typically find my son in the middle of the night and each morning. Either that or completely perpendicular to where I put him. I'd like to video tape it one night to see just how he manages to get so far away from his original spot, especially considering he can't roll yet.

Well this breathable bumper is amazing. He can still breathe with his face pressed right up against it. It does unfortunately wake him up sooner, but hey I still get plenty of sleep. I used to think 4-6 hours was great but now I get 8-9 hours! This kid just keeps on being more and more amazing!