Warning: If you had low supply issues please just skip this post so you don't end up hating me!  My experience was just on the opposite side of the spectrum.

So by the time I had my baby and started breastfeeding, I had probably assisted somewhere around 100 women in breastfeeding their babies.  Most of these were initiating breastfeeding on the first day of the baby's life and then a follow up, or 2, or 7 all within about the first week.  I felt like I was pretty prepared (although, maybe I'll write about my initial challenges in another post soon) but there was one thing that I just didn't see coming:  he Niagara Falls of the voluptuous mother.  Now, first let me tell you that if you're pregnant and you think your boobs are out of control humungous on your particular body right now, you ain't seen nothin' yet!!!

Hopefully, for your sake, you won't get too engorged after you have your baby because that's just no fun - it hurts to touch, not to mention the kind of yucky feeling that you get if you happen to get that low grade fever along with the soreness.

Anyway, when I was engorged all I'd have to do was accidentally touch my breast and then both sides would just start flowing... and when I say flowing, I mean FLOWING.  If I wasn't careful I'd have milk EVERYWHERE.  I remember getting undresed to take a shower one day and just on my way to the shower from the bedroom I literally left a trail of puddles of milk.  It got a little ridiculous!  I soon realized that I just shouldn't take my bra off because the pressure of the bra and nursing pad was what was keeping me from feeling like a constant leaky faucet. 

After a while I figured out that I had an overactive milk ejection reflex coupled with a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance too, and that was part of the problem - and also why Daliya's poops were so green and foamy (check out what I like to call Dr. Gordon's Poop Page - this is really an incredible resource for new parents).  Once I started nursing her on one side for multiple feedings before switching to the other breast, the engorgement got worse for a day or 2 and then got soooo much better! Plus Daliya's poops normalized and she was happier too.

From that point until Daliya was probably practically 6 months old I just kept wearing my nursing pads and figuring there was nothing I could do about the leaking from one breast whenever Daliya nursed on the other one.  I figured, hey, this was better than leaking all the time and like a floodgate was constantly open like had been happening before.

Somehow no one thought to let me in on this little secret:
You can stop the leaking!  And it is so easy too!!  Whenever you have a let down on one side, if the other side is even partially full, chances are you will have a let down on that side too - which is great if you are nursing 2 babies at once and one is a weaker nurser than the other - but if you only have one baby to nurse, you wonder what to do about that other breast!  Pressure is the answer.  Now, let me be really clear here... I don't mean really strong pressure on your breast or nipple, cuz that is just not pleasant at all when you have milk in there, plus could potentially encourage plugged ducts; I just mean enough pressure to stop the flow in its tracks.

I still do this to this day.  I just put my forearm against my breast when I feel the let down coming and rest the palm of my hand on my upper chest for a minute or two until the let down is over.

And the really really cool thing that I learned recently about this is that when you have that let down, but then the milk has no room to come out, it actually gets pulled back up through the ducts and back into the deeper part of your breast, so you won't have to feel super full on that side until the next time you switch to that side to nurse.

If you have a similar story or other tips for moms with an abundant supply, feel free to post in the comments below.  I  love to hear from all you mommies out there!

Hi everyone, its Jordan again, Becky’s husband.  Just wanted to share a little bit from the files of The Nurturing Daddy.  Lately, I’ve been doing the bulk of the cooking in the Gerson home.  It makes me feel so good when I prepare something my wife and daughter really enjoy and with Becky being so busy preparing her exciting new product, “3 Key Strategies to Get the Birth You Want,” I wanted to do something to make it a little easier for her to get all this important information out there.  Anyway, all this cooking got me thinking about some of the cravings she had and of the things Becky loved to eat during her pregnancy. 

Perhaps the thing that stands out most was her insatiable craving for pumpernickel.  It didn’t matter if it was bread or bagels, this woman had to have it.  Sometimes I would get up early and run (ok, you got me, drive) to the bagel shop and get her a pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese and lox spread.  I had to be careful though, because if I told her I was going out and God forbid they were out of pumpernickel bagels, she would be so disappointed and then I would be going back to the bagel shop morning after morning until I satisfied that craving. 

Becky really didn’t have any weird cravings.  Ok, there were a few times she would eat left over Indian food for breakfast but I have to admit, I enjoyed those leftovers as well. However there was one craving that really made me do a double take and I had to ask her to repeat what she said because I could barely believe my ears. 

One morning Becky said to me, “You know, Jordie, I could really go for some gefilte fish and a chocolate shake.”

“Excuse me?!?” I asked.

“Yeah, some of that really good gefilte fish you make and a chocolate shake,” Becky responded.

“Ugh, gross!”

“No, no, no!  I don’t mean eating them together, I mean taking a bite of the fish, swallowing and then having some shake.”

I just looked at her for a moment and said, “Yeah, that’s better.” Somehow it made a difference in her mind, and I learned long before that moment not to argue with a pregnant woman, especially a hungry pregnant woman, so I just went with it!

Of course Becky actually ate very healthfully fom the bulk of our pregnancy.  She knew, and made sure I knew, that proper nutrition can impact not only your baby’s health but also your overall pregnancy.  Becky’s multimedia system really goes into great detail about outlining what things you can do nutritionally to benefit those preggo mommas out there and the babies they are growing.  Plus, it’s filled with lots of other useful ways you can prepare yourself so you and your little one will get the birth you envision for yourselves.  You can learn more about Becky’s system,
“3 Key Strategies to Get the Birth You Want,” by following the link.  Do yourselves a favor and check it out, it’s really an investment in you and your baby’s birth and overall health. 

One more story before I wrap things up.  Becky also had a thing for grilled cheese sandwiches during her pregnancy.  I mean, it was our go to food for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a midnight snack (until she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes).  She loved them and I felt like I was constantly in front of the stove making these things.  One night, I actually dreamed that Becky had our baby, only she didn’t give birth to a little girl.  In my dream, she didn’t give birth to a baby boy either.  I dreamed that Becky gave birth to a little grilled cheese sandwich!  It really gave new meaning to you are what you eat, or in this case, your baby is what you eat! 

Till next time!

I am so freakin' pumped up!!!  I don't think I've been this excited in YEARS!!! Seriously, feel like I'm jumping out of my skin in such an awesome way right now.

Tell anyone and everyone you know who is pregnant about this intensely awesome and sooo helpful multimedia program called
"3 Key Strategies to Get the Birth You Want."  Tell them that I am running a GIVEAWAY RIGHT NOW!!!

One lucky Nurtured Mommy-to-be will win this valuable, content rich, multimedia program for FREE!
This is a $297 value!

The winner will be chosen in one week on May 28 and announced on The Nurtured Mommy Community facebook page, blog, and in the next Nurtured Mommy E-zine issue.

In order to win, you must do 3 things:

1) Sign up for the Nurtured Mommy E-zine (if you haven't already), which you can do on either my homepage (www.nurturedmommy.com) and get a free video on curbing morning sickness while you're at it, or here on my blog page by entering your name and email in the box on the right.

2) "Like" The Nurtured Mommy Community on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/nurturedmommy).

3) Post one question you have about pregnancy or birth on the wall of The Nurtured Mommy Community (your question might end up being chosen for a Nurtured Mommy Q & A video series coming soon)!

For program details and to findout how to nurture and nourish your body and soul so you can set yourself up for the happy and healthy birth of your dreams, click here:
http://www.nurturedmommy.com/3-key-strategies-to-get-the-birth-you-want.html

Now run and tell all your friends, and "share" it on facebook too!  There is no limit to how many pregnant mommies can enter to win, but they have to do it before May 28!!!

So I have this leopard print nursing bra.  I love it and I hate it all at once.  I love putting on a bra in the morning that doesn't feel like its sole purpose is to be accessible for nursing - its super cute too!  It isn't the most comfortable bra I own, but that doesn't stop me from wearing it when I feel like it. 

The real problem is this feeling I get when I'm nursing in public - particularly in shul (synagogue).  I'm always sitting there wondering, can anyone see my bra?  What are people going to think of me if they can see it?!?!

I was thinking about this self conscious feeling as I put on this bra this morning and realized that people might be more likely to be uncomfortable with the actual skin that's showing since Daliya all of a sudden doesn't want my shirt touching her mouth while she nurses (that used to be my way of nursing "discreetly")!

What do you think?  Should I be more worried about the leopard print or the skin?  Post your vote in the comments below.

Disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR and I do not pretend to be one.  I AM NOT GIVING YOU MEDICAL ADVICE.  I simply think that this is all good to know so that you can feel more informed and at ease when your kid falls and hits her head.  Because she will.  Or he will.  And not just once or twice.  Trust me.

Until this week I knew nothing about concussions.  In fact, I knew less than nothing - I had misconceptions that I'd learned along the way somehow.

I thought you shouldn't let a person fall asleep if you suspect they have a concussion, and that you should look at their eyes to see if their pupils look like they're the same size.  Wrong, and wrong.

Here's what I learned from the doctors and nurses this week:

- It is fine if they fall asleep (on the way to the hospital, for example), you just don't want to let them sleep and sleep and sleep before you've figured out if they have actual swelling in their brain that could cause long term damage or death.

- Not every concussion is a real problem - there are minor concussions and there are major concussions.

- When they look in their eyes they are looking more for normal reaction to light than to the size of the pupil itself.  If one of the pupils is not responding appropriately, one side of the brain is likely being affected.

- If a child is under 6 months old, they are more likely to get a concussion from bumping their head and careful observation is extremely important to figure out the severity (they may keep them in the hospital for observation).

- If a child is acting "intoxicated" and really not themselves, this is a sign of a concussion.  The same goes for if they are acting intoxicated and then lethargic, or are mixed up and not responding well verbally - this indicates a big problem and you need to seek IMMEDIATE medical attention.

- They'll tell you if your child passes out or vomits, this is also a sign of a more severe concussion.  However, sometimes the vomiting doesn't happen right away.  If it doesn't happen right away and your child is acting otherwise completely normal, it is after vomiting 3 times that you should be heading back to the ER.

- If it has been over 24 hours and your child has been acting completely normal but then starts vomiting, it is a good idea to still go in and have your child evaluated, but it could be something called post concussion syndrome - something that can happen after even a mild concussion, where vomiting and headaches can continue sporadically for weeks or even months after the initial injury!

- If you suspect a concussion, chances are your doctor is going to tell you to go to the ER because your child may need some kind of brain scan to check things out.  All of the doctors we talked to this week recommend avoiding doing this scan on children unless a severe concussion is suspected - severe enough that it might require brain surgery to remove a clot or somehow otherwise relieve the swelling... I didn't get all the details on this one.

- If they do decide to do brain imaging, be forewarned that they will probably have to put your toddler to sleep to keep her still.  And also know that the scan does expose your child to radiation - that's why doctors are so hesitant to recommend it unless they are very concerned and think your child is going to need surgery.

- When in doubt, go to the ER.


Daliya apparently has this post concussion syndrome - that's why she vomited 9 times in less than an hour but is acting fine again.  They sent her home and aren't too worried.  Nonetheless, this mama is still a little on edge keeping a very watchful eye on my precious lil' girl.

I went through a drive-through again with Daliya asleep in the back.  I tried to pick fairly "healthy" options... depending on how health saavy you are, you may or may not think I succeeded!

Well, first of all, let me tell you that it feels nearly impossible to eat out (or drive through!) on a budget AND make reasonably healthy choices. 

The truth is, part of me enjoyed my lunch and the other part of me thought it was pretty gross... the "cheese" in my grilled cheese sandwich had a chemically aftertaste and the juice was so sweet I almost didn't finish the little box.  Funny, but I felt like the healthiest part of my meal was the french fries!  Ironic.

So I've finished my meal and I'm sitting here looking at this juice box that says "100% JUICE" in big bold bright green letters, but then the small print under it says "from concentrate with added ingredients."

Please tell me how something with added ingredients = 100% JUICE.  Maybe I need to go look up the definition of juice?

Moral of the story: get on top of reading labels, and don't bother eating the stuff that you wouldn't really want your baby to eat, let alone make a habit of putting in her body her whole life.


P.S. I wrote this while Daliya continued to sleep in the back and I emailed it to myself to post later.  When I searched my email for "juice box" (yes, I get that many emails in a day that I have to search my inbox for things from the same day), I stumbled across an email from back in January from change.org that I thought I should share with you. 

Here are a few excerpts:

"Consumer Reports found that at least 10% of apple and grape juices sampled had more arsenic than what the government says is safe for drinking water -- and even more had unsafe levels of lead."

and

"The dangerous effects of unsafe levels of inorganic arsenic and lead in children are shocking:

• Inorganic arsenic is linked to cancers, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and immune system problems
• Children exposed to drinking water with unsafe arsenic levels had decreased intellectual function
• Low-level arsenic exposure is "significantly related to poorer scores in language, visuospatial skills, processing speed, and immediate memory," among other problems
• Unsafe levels of lead were found in 25% of juices sampled, and lead exposure is linked to brain development and behavioral problems"

If you're reading this and feeling worked up about it, or like you can relate, or even if you have a tip to share about making healthy choices when you are out and about, please do post a comment below.  Getting comments makes blogging oh so much more fun! :)

I like to encourage my clients to consider putting off bathing their newborn for a few days after birth (my daughter had her first bath about a week after she was born) because 1) the vernix - that cream-cheesy looking stuff - on their skin is actually moisturizing and good to let soak in, and 2) the smell left over from the amniotic fluid is one of many perfectly designed cues that help the baby find the breast to breastfeed, as amniotic fluid and colostrum (the first milk) are said to smell so similar - the baby searches for the familiar and comforting smell.

In case you're wondering why babies tend to get their first bath so soon after being born in the hospital, the reason is that once the baby has been bathed the nurses no longer need to wear gloves every time they touch the baby, because they don't have to worry anymore about the residue of mom's bodily fluids being left on the baby and having the potential of transmitting disease.

That being said, you can always request to delay your baby's bath until you get home, and the nurses will simply continue to wear gloves when they handle your baby. 

This video that I'm about to share with you is a beautiful example of how peaceful baby's first bath can be.  Enjoy! 

Hey everyone, Jordan here.  Today I wanted to share a little bit of my philosophy with you regarding being a Nurturing Daddy/Husband but first I’ll start with a story. 

Soon after our daughter was born, I had to return to classes at my school.  It was a struggle to get my self out of the door, not just because of all the things there are to do around the house as a new parent and husband of a momma who underwent a c-section but also because I had trouble prying myself away from my little family.  I did my best, but often I was a couple of minutes late to class, which my amazing and supportive teachers often overlooked and understood with empathy. 

One morning in particular I had put it into my mind that I would be in class on time!  I got up early and got ready, made breakfast for my wife and myself and was about to head to the door when I was asked to change the baby’s diaper. 

“OK,” I thought, “No worries.  I’ve done this dozens of time by now so it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.”  Little did I know what was about to happen.  I unfastened my daughter’s diaper and prepared a new one for her, slipped in under her little tush and all of a sudden BAM! 

Let me just say, I had heard of projectile vomiting, but I had no idea that it could come out the other end!  And it had landed on my crisp clean shirt.  I thought to myself, “ Well, there is no way I am going to be on time today,” and after handing off the baby, I went back into my room, changed, and finally made my way to school.  On the way out the door I said, “Note to self, when changing the baby, never stand in the line of fire!”

This lesson, very early on in my daughter’s life, made something click for me.  Being a parent is about rolling with the punches.  It’s about taking things as they come and bouncing back.  Parenthood, from conception on, requires flexibility and also the ability to learn from our mistakes.  

As Becky has shared in previous blog posts, her pregnancy was not necessarily an easy one.  We had certain things in mind for her pregnancy and birth experience that we had dreamed about.  Some we gratefully received and some we had to let go.  But the things that didn’t quite work out, we learned from.  Becky’s experience with morning sickness helped her to develop an amazing system for aiding other mothers in conquering this early pregnancy struggle.  Her diagnosis with gestational diabetes gave her the experience and the motivation needed to better understand what things the body needs nutritionally to not only survive pregnancy but also to thrive!  Our pregnancy taught us what things we need to do the next time around to increase the likelihood of getting the birth we wanted the first time around.

Pregnancy and now parenthood is a learning experience.  It doesn’t help to dwell too much on the mistakes we’ve made.  It only benefits us to look at our errors long enough to make sense of them and learn how to correct them for the next time. Until next time!

The breakfast in bed, the gifts, the calculated expressions of love and appreciation?  We all know that the appreciation is really #1 on this list.  If we could feel nurtured and appreciated every single day - or even every other day - it would make the daily grind so much more appealing.

As moms we work hard.  We work hard because we love our kids, we love our families.  We want to give our children all the affection, attention, healthy food, reasonably clean and comfortable environment, and so many other things that we believe they deserve as they grow up.  But sometimes we go days and days without thinking about what we need for ourselves, or what we need to feel nurtured on a day to day basis. 

There are so many simple things: a shower at least every other day, a nap once in a while to feel completely rejuvenated, time to sit down and eat a *warm* meal from start to finish at least once a day (or even once a week might be nice)!  If you're a mom, you know what I'm talking about.

I want to challenge you to do 2 things right now.  You can do these on a piece of paper, on your computer, or even on your phone if you're more motivated to just click to compose an email and send this to yourself.  I want you to make 2 lists. One of the lists can start with some of the things I listed above, but I want you to have at least 10 things that you can do for yourself or ask of your partner on a weekly basis so that you feel more nurtured and appreciated, on a regular basis - rather than just one guaranteed day a year.  Your second list is going to be at least 10 things that you LOVE about being a mother.  Each of the things on this list should be things that energize you and make you feel emotionally connected with your children when you think of them.  I'll share my lists with you below and if you feel so inclined, feel free to copy and paste your lists into a comment box below to share with the Nurtured Mommy community.

Let these lists be a tool and a gift to yourself for this year, that you can stick on your fridge and refer back to whenever you're feeling exhausted, out of patience, or just generally bogged down with so many things on your plate.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Nurtured Mommies!


To Feel Nurtured:
1. regular, *leisurely* showers
2. a nap at least once a week (or once a day if your baby is under 3 or 4 months old!)
3. a warm plate of food, from start to finish
4. a bubble bath would be even better - maybe add some epsom salts and essential oils, and dim the lights
5. time to sit outside and look through whatever magazine floats my boat (mine would be Midwifery Today)
6. time to cut and file my fingernails and even paint them (what a concept!)
7. go out to dinner with another mom once a month, without the kids or hubbies
8. wear my hair down and let myself feel well put together at least a couple times a week
9. take 10 minutes each morning to breathe, be calm, reflect and consider the potential of the day that lies ahead
10. take the extra 2 minutes in the morning to choose a pair of earrings, a scarf, or some other unnecessary accessory that makes me feel like I'm expressing myself as a woman and not just a mom as I go about my day

What I LOVE About Being a Mom:
1. the cuddles
2. that I have the opportunity to nurture and nourish my babies any way I see fit
3. understanding my daughter better than anyone else does
4. the thrill of watching her be creative and silly
5. that smile!
6. when she grabs a book or 2 and comes and plops down on my lap, like its her spot and nobody else's
7. that she'll come blow rasberries/zerberts/whatever you call them on my tummy when she wants to make me laugh (or get my full attention)
8. how she communicates with me when she needs something, or even when she just wants to listen to some music or dance! (I love how she pretends to snap and dance till I put the music on)
9. that sweet face when she is sound asleep
10. to see her learning to respect people and show love and kindness, including when she kisses prayer books (just makes me melt and feel proud all at once!)

There's no way you are ever going to forget what your birth was like. 
I can't tell you how often I have the privilege of listening to women's birth stories.  I've heard stories from, strangers, friends, and family alike - everywhere from laundromats, to parking lots, to old age homes, to shul (synagogue).  And it always amazes me how much detail women remember about the day, or days, they gave birth.  Not only that, but regardless of how many times a woman has given birth, she remembers so many details and can so easily distinguish one story from the next.

The first time I realized how engrained our birth stories are in our minds was one of the last times I visited my Grandma Louise before her soul left this world.  I'm sad to say that by the end of her life she had kind of "checked out" and wasn't really in tune with reality anymore.  Some days she thought she was in some kind of dungeon back in Germany during the Shoah (the holocaust), other days she was just minimally responsive because she wasn't quite sure who all these people were who were visiting her and telling her about their day to day lives and how much they loved her.  It was so sad to see that she couldn't really hold a conversation with us anymore, but I kept asking her question after question because I felt like continuing to interact with her would somehow change things, or make things better.  One day I was sitting with her and asking her all kinds of random questions (that she couldn't really answer) when it occurred to me to try asking her about her births.

I'm sitting here in tears as I remember that day and how she went from seeming like she wasn't even there anymore to telling me about her births, one after another.  I so wish I had thought to write down what she told me, but I somehow thought by calling my dad and re-counting it to him afterwards I would remember her stories too.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the details, but I do remember her telling me about what she thought of each of her doctors, what her births were like, how much each of her 5 baby boys weighed in at, and their personalities as newborns.  I'm not sure that she could tell me which baby was which, but she did tell me some of the doctors names and some other details, just like it had happened yesterday.  I was completely in awe.

I was reminded of this experience today when I got into a conversation with another woman who has 6 or 7 grown children and she told me a little bit about some of her births.  She too shared with me incredible details, about what happened when and who was there, what they said, that there was a light drizzle outside, and even the details of an interaction that happened during her birth that made her very angry - and my interpretation was that at that moment she felt violated and disrespected by her care provider.

It just goes to show how each of our births stays with us for the rest of our lives.  Who says that the experience of giving birth doesn't matter?

I never cease to be amazed by women, their strength, and how their births shape them and stay with them as women, mothers, and even grandmothers.

I want to challenge you today to go find someone who is a generation or 2 older and wiser than you are and ask to hear her birth story in its entirety (or stories).  Please come back and share with us one detail that really tugged on a heart string for you.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. <3