Toddler Picturesque's TV Picks

    I know I have been absent from this blog for far too long, we recently just moved and sold our previous home. So needless to say we have been just a tad bit busy! 
    For today's blog, I'm going to mention some of Toddler Picturesque's latest favorite shows. Mr. Picturesque and I tend to enjoy watching most of them with her too, since they are actually pretty cute and educational. 
    Toddler Picturesque's TV Picks

    1. Masha and the Bear. Oh my goodness, Toddler P. adores this show! Unfortunately there are only two seasons on Netflix but she doesn't mind watching them over and over. This show was originally in Russian but was translated to English. Super cute cartoon and Toddler P. likes the antics of this 4 year old Masha. Here is their official website.

  2. Peppa Pig. Toddler P. is able to catch Peppa Pig on Youtube, and boy does she love it. She always is getting at "silly peppa!"

  3. Clifford's Puppy Days. I actually am not a big fan of this show, but Toddler P. adores it. I don't know why, but she finds it adorable and hilarious. We catch Puppy Days on Netflix.

  4. Curious George. George is always up to something silly that Toddler P. is giggling at! She enjoys this show so much Toddler P.'s second birthday was Curious George themed! We catch Curious George on Hulu.

  5. Clifford the Big Red Dog. I prefer Clifford to Puppy Days, but Toddler P. doesn't agree. That's why Clifford is #5 on her list. We can Clifford on PBS.

  6. Sesame Street. Last but not least, Toddler P of course loves Elmo and Sesame Street. You can watch older episodes for free with PBS Kids (either the channel or the App), or new episodes on HBO.

What's your child's favorite shows?

Pin for later.

Mom Support

    As you all probably know, I lead a small group (connected to my church) that consists of moms with toddlers. We get together weekly and discuss whatever book we are reading for the week, this month's study is Fervent by Priscilla Shirer (based off of the movie The War Room). The book focuses on teaching you how to gain the power of prayer. We also bring our children. Some weeks we could have as many as 8 toddlers and 2 babies, or some weeks as little as 2 toddlers! It's busy, it's hectic, it's loud but it's our way of supporting each other as mothers. 
    Ever since I became a mom, it became clear to me that we (moms) are the first line of defense for our families... and therefore the ones that are first attacked mentally, emotionally, and spiritually by the enemy (spiritually speaking of course). We are the ones thinking through our childrens' whole lives, what they eat, what they wear, where they go to school and the list goes on... Our minds are overwhelmed. We go to bed exhausted with the weight of our child's livelihood swimming through our heads. 
    But the truth of the matter is it's not really our responsibility, it's Gods. Scripture says before we were even formed in our mother's wombs we were chosen (Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15, Ephesians 1:4). We were chosen for this moment in time, we were chosen to be these childrens' mothers. If we ask for it, God gives us the wisdom to make the right decisions, the best decisions for our children. Scripture again tells us, if we lack wisdom to ask of God and He will give it to us (James 1:5)!    
    So not only do we have God's support and leading in raising our children, we also have hopefully our husbands support, and friends support. This is another reason why I meet weekly with other moms for small group. We meet for fellowship. We support each other through the good and the bad, and offer what small words of wisdom we can. 
    We approach each other with grace, with hope, and words of encouragement. As mothers we need grace. We surely don't give ourselves enough of it, why not at least give it to another? In today's world of blame and shame, let's offer support to each other and encourage one another. Let's pray together and love on each other. Let's be the the light in the world offering hope, not only to our children but to other parents.  
    Today I challenge you to encourage and support another mom.

Pin for later.

Weaning and its Challenges

​

Edited with permission, CC.

    Toddler Picturesque is almost two, and I have been practicing self-weaning with her for breastfeeding. If you'd like to see my other article on breastfeeding past a year, go here. 
    So what is self-weaning? It is when you let your child decide when to stop breastfeeding and let them wean themselves. Well Toddler P. has done just that, and has slowly made her way to breastfeeding only twice a day now. Although this is a bitter sweet moment for me, it is amazing to watch her make the decision to no longer breastfeed. 
    I expected with weaning that there would be some soreness and some sadness, but I had no idea the changes that would take place in my body from her weaning!
    Every month I was eagerly waiting to see if my period would come, because I had the weirdest, pregnancy related symptoms. I had nausea most of the month, backaches, acne, cramping, ocular migraines, exhaustion, and pain in my breasts. I couldn't figure out what was going on, because I wasn't pregnant. Come to find out, most women experience pregnancy like symptoms when they are actively weaning. This is due to hormone changes and losing certain chemicals in the body such as oxytocin and prolactin (which are hormones that produce milk). Prolactin is a natural hormone your body makes to stimulate lactation and helps to create a relaxed feeling when baby nurses. Oxytocin is the hormone that is required for let-down, it also is called the love hormone as it makes momma especially happy when nursing (see this helpful article for more info).
   Unfortunately there is very little research about this out there,  but thankfully I found other moms who had dealt with similar symptoms and boy was it a relief! So I thought I'd share the information I found with you. If you are reading this and are in obstetrics, please do some research on weaning and the hormonal changes it causes for mothers. It could really benefit other mothers!
    I found that weaning has meant the following symptoms that get worse at the times when my hormones fluctuate (such as at ovulation or during my menstrual cycle):

• Nausea
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Cramping
• Sore boobs
• Headaches
• Extreme hunger
• Some issues sleeping

    When you were weaning your little one, did you have any of these struggles? 

    If you would like more information, I found these articles helpful! "No You're Not Pregnant and Simultaneously PMSing" and "Weaning From Breastfeeding is Exhausting."

    DISCLAIMER: Please remember I am not expert, I just am a mom sharing my experiences in hopes that it will help other moms. If you experience any of the above symptoms and are concerned, go see a doctor.

Pin for later.

Stop Mom Guilt & Trust Your Instincts

Edited with permission, CC.

    I just finished reading this encouraging article, which is a must read (don't worry I posted it on my Facebook page too), about keeping on doing the things for our children that they can do for themselves. The author, Angela, said many things that resonated with me this week... especially this "in this super-informed, super-aware, super-self-analyzing world we live in, it’s easy to doubt every move we make as mothers."
    This article resonated with me because I just worked through doubting my mothering this week. But my mom gave me some great advice to help stop this inward guilt I was feeling. My daughter, Toddler P. has been struggling with a runny nose for three weeks now. Talk about being miserable. It could be a lingering cold, or a cold that turned into a teething runny nose... but needless to say she is over it. She is tired of having to blow her nose constantly, and I totally get why she is tired of it.
    So this past week, she would snuggle up next to me or we would lie on the floor together and watch TV. I was feeling super guilty about spending this time watching TV together. Even though I loved the snuggles, and she loved the snuggles... I kept asking myself if she was watching too much TV. Then yesterday, my mom and I went to lunch... and somehow that came up in conversation. I talked to my mom about how I strive so hard to walk a fine line of not letting Toddler P. interact too much with technology, but also not too little (so that she is up to par with the other kiddos). I shared my guilt but I also shared how we both loved the time together.
    My mom responded, "when you go and play outside with Toddler P., sure she loves it and it's great for her... but she is playing independently. BUT when you sit down and snuggle and watch something you both like together it is a special moment in time for both of you. It's quality quiet time together, and that's what matters. You love that time together and she loves it. You need to do BOTH things, play outside and relax together. Trust your instincts, and stop worrying."
    I thought I'd share my recent guilt trip with you, in hopes that if you are struggling with a mom guilt moment... my mom's sage advice will ring true with you as well!
Pin for later.

Your Toddler & Vegetables (ACTUAL Advice from Parents)

Edited with permission from CC.

    Like most moms, I struggle to get Toddler Picturesque to eat her veggies. She seems to love raw carrots, and sometimes frozen peas... but that's about it (right now anyway). So I sneak her veggies, usually by giving her a little fruit/veggie puree and/or a smoothie with spinach in it. Looking for advice, I turned to the many communities I'm a part of on Facebook and asked fellow parents for advice. There were some great ideas, so I thought I'd share it with you if you too are struggling to get your toddler to eat his/her vegetables.

Give veggies as a snack - Danielle says "I use to give them as snacks. Toddlers don't know that sweet/salty/savory are typically snack foods. Now at age 4 my son will eat a bowl of broccoli or lima beans as a snack because that is what he has always known."

Try juicing - Julie says "On top of them eating veggies they love juicing. It's never used as a meal but as an add on to ensure they get phytonutrients. Having a cleaner diet is a huge factor because they aren't craving or thinking about junk food. Veggies are a normal food for them."

Give veggies first during mealtime - Sarah says "I've always served them first at meal time. Tons of variety, prepared different ways."

Mix the veggies into another dish - Loretta suggests "Meatballs! I grind them up and put them in meatballs. My son is crazy about meatballs!"

   Jessica also says "yeah, i hide them too. i make him smoothies with spinach and he LOVES them!"

   And Julie says "I mix them into everything. Peas & carrots go into rice. Steamed broccoli goes into mac n cheese. Spinach goes into scrambled eggs. Etc."

   Mabel suggests "Make baked Parmesan zucchini sticks. They love to dip them in ketchup and they're crispy like French fries. Also baked Parmesan squash 'chips.' Crispy like potato chips, but way healthier. I also mix them into a lot of dishes. My kids love salsa too, so we use that as a dipping sauce."

Give out veggies at play dates - Stephanie says "Always keep offering. If you have play dates, try giving all the kids the item. They are like sponges and copy each other, especially at toddler age. What one does or tries the other does too."

If all else fails, know that every child is different, and just keep trying - Stephanie says "Keep giving until they try it. Their minds change day to day.... (literally ) with green beans I always tell my son 'you'll grow super long'... that didn't work. But with carrots... I told him, 'Bunnies eat carrots' and now he eats them like they're going out of style. He thinks he's cool like bugs bunny." 

    Rita also suggests "Keep offering, some days are more successful than others. On difficult days I dip the veggies in hummus, which he loves, and he usually winds up eating a lot more that way!"

    Justina mentions "The real answer: every child is different. Some kids will eat anything you put in front of them. Others won't and that's nothing you did. Just keep putting it on their plate and the hope is eventually they will try one they like. Or if they're like my three year old they'll try to push the plate off the table. "

What have you found works to get your little one to try vegetables?

Pin for later.

Treating Baby's Cold

Picture edited as part of CC. 

    When your baby gets his/her first cold you find out that there is pretty much nothing you can give them to stop it. Any medicine is pretty much a danger if given earlier than 3 years old (unless you use homeopathic, which I do). 
    When Toddler Picturesque was a baby, she pretty much had a continuous runny nose. So Mr. P. and I found out early on how to make Toddler P. as comfy as possible without medicine. 
    So what can possibly help your baby when they wake in the night and can't breathe from a stuffy nose?

• Hold and Nurse. If you breastfeed, this is the absolute best medicine for a baby/toddler who has a cold! First off, it holds their head up some so that they can breathe easier and also it is comforting.

                        

• Use a snot sucker. Initially we tried the bulb they give to you in the hospital, and then various other snot suckers... but the one that worked best for Toddler P. (and still does) is the Graco NasalClear Nasal Aspirator.

• Boogie Wipes. Talking about snot, these are a God send! Boogie wipes or the generic version are amazing! When your child's nose is running like a faucet, these wipes are perfect to use. They are gentle on your little one's nose because they have saline in it. With this latest cold Toddler P. has had, I have gone through two 30 packs of these wipes and her nose is still not red! I do typically buy the generic brand at any store that sells the generic version, this saves me a few bucks.

• Use a Humidifier. A humidifier can be helpful to loosen up a stuffed nose. Because the humidifier aids with breathing, it helps your little one to sleep better. 

• All Natural Chest Rub. I found this natural chest rub way past Toddler P. being a newborn, but was super excited to find something that could potentially clear her nasal passages up naturally! The product I use is called Maty's Natural Baby Chest Rub. It has eucalyptus, lavender and chamomile in it. Although I do not use this as a chest rub, but put it on the bottom of Toddler P's feet (just to be extra cautious), I think this does help some.
• Go Outside. Fresh air always seems to help to clean out nasal passages. Because of that, I try to make sure to play outside with Toddler P. and to get out of the house a little more when she is sick. I have noticed such a difference not only in her attitude but also her breathing when we go outside for at least 30 minutes. 

    What have you found that helps when your little one has a cold?

Please note that am not a medical professional, and I am just a mom offering advice of what has worked for my child. If you are concerned or worried, please consult your pediatrician!

Pin for later.

Parenting with Joy

Photo edited from CC. 

    Faith is contagious, as is being positive or negative. Often negativity is far more contagious... which is sad but true. When I first started a small group at church for moms who had little ones, I was close to my wits end. I needed other mothers to relate to, I needed other mothers who had similar views/morals as I do to talk with. I was struggling. Not as bad as I was when I had a newborn, but I definitely felt alone in my struggles. See one of my other articles on "Loneliness and the New Mother."

    Toddler P. was about 7 or 8 months old when I started the small group. We started off with only three of us total, but soon grew to 7 moms in attendance (each bringing their babies as well). Immediately we noticed a change within ourselves after the first meeting. We read books on motherhood and our faith, we talked about our struggles, and most importantly we prayed. I began to feel a weight lifting from my shoulders. There were other moms out there struggling with the same feelings as I was, the same situations as I was... the battle over eating EVERY meal, the battle over naps and sleep, the battle over "no you can't touch that... yes you can touch that."

    Recently I've noticed an internal struggle start again within myself. Toddler Picturesque is now almost 2 years old. We started dealing with temper tantrums early on... at a few months past her first birthday. We still struggle with sleep and eating at times. We are dealing with similar things as when Toddler P. was 7 months old, but it's also so different. It's exciting watching her piece together words, seeing her eyes light up as she understands what mommy and daddy are telling her. 
    But there is also frustration for her of dealing with new emotions, the devastation of feeling she can't do something she truly really wants to, and the longing to be independent but also making sure mommy and daddy are within reach. 
    This is an exciting age, but a tough age, and so I've struggled with my own new emotions. Pure exhaustion from chasing her around, excitement at her learning new things, even more love as each day goes by, anxiety for the future, anxiety for the present... the list goes on. 
    So today I've realized I have to go back to where I was when Toddler P. was 7 months old. I have to realize I am not alone in my struggles, I am not alone in my feelings... I can do this. Not only can I do this, but I can do it with joy and not overreact when Toddler P. throws a temper tantrum. I can do this, and you can too! With God's help and grace we can get through today calmly and with joy!

Pin for later.

Stop the Fear Cycle

Picture edited from CC.

    In the small group I lead (for moms of little ones), we have been reading The Passionate Mom by Susan Merrill. If you have not read this book, and you're a mom, it's a must read! This latest chapter, Merrill brought up such a vital point that I was talking about with my sister. When we enter into the vicious cycle of fear, and let it continue, we end up practically drowning... barely able to breathe because we can't surface from the weight of our fears. So how do we stop this vicious cycle of fear in its tracks? With prayer. 
     First I'm going to talk about what the circle of fear looks like, I know many of you will be very familiar with each stage (as I am). 
1. Fear. Fear starts always with a simple thought. It's often cause by a primary emotion of some sort. What is a primary emotion? It is an emotion triggered by something that reminds us of a bad past experience. If that fear thought isn't addressed, you quickly move to the next section of the cycle, worry.
2. Worry. Worry causes us to focus on our problems. It is this constant nagging thought that causes us to torment ourselves and to fret. If not stopped here, then you progress to the next stage, anxiety.
3. Anxiety. Anxiety makes us useless. It freezes us in our tracks. It often causes us to have psychic tension and constant apprehension. If the cycle isn't stopped here then it continues to the final stage, panic.
4. Panic. Panic causes hysterical behavior. It causes you to be completely irrational, not just in thought but in your actions. 
    So how do you stop the cycle of fear in its tracks? By praying and turning the situation over to Christ.

Picture edited from CC.

• When you have that first fearful thought, pray.  
• Stand on scripture. Knowing the promises that are in the Bible for us and standing on those scriptures is important. In Nehemiah 1 & 2, it says that Nehemiah reminded God of His promises (Nehemiah 1:8). Obviously God does not need to be reminded of his promises, the reminder of His promises is really for us.
• Know that life isn't always easy. But that with the Lord we can make it through with joy and peace (as Psalm 55:22 and Philippians 4:6,7 say). 
• When we are weak, Christ is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). 
• Surrender your fear, your worry, your problem to God.

    I had to put this into practice last night. Mr. Picturesque had food poisoning and was sick all night long. Fear kept trying to creep in as I tried finding medicine for him that he could keep down. I found I was close to the anxiety portion of the cycle, when I heard God's still small voice remind me to pray until the fear went away. The fear did go away, and Mr. Picturesque was able to keep food down after 6 hours. 

    I hope this post encourages you today. Don't let fear take control of your life. Turn your worries over to God!

Pin for later. 

Dealing with Tantrums (Advice from ACTUAL Moms)

Photo credit edited.

    It's "Helpful Tip Tuesday" again, and today I'm going to talk about how to deal with your toddler's tantrums. As you may know, Toddler Picturesque is about a year and a half now. With that age comes toddler like attitudes and emotions. She has started to exert even more independence. She has always worn her emotions on her sleeve, which I love. She is super expressive (just like her parents). But the last few weeks she has started pouting, and tantrums. 
    I tried pretty much everything that has worked before when she starts being irrational: Correcting, explaining why, hugging, ignoring the tantrum, distracting and so on... Unfortunately these things weren't quite working the last few days. Thankfully (through much prayer), I figured out it was a mix of sleepiness, and teething that was the issue. What helped us get past these tantrums was orajel naturals and nap time early. 
    But when we were knee deep in tear stained cheeks and screaming fits with Toddler P., I decided to go to the internet and ask other parents what they have found helpful to stop tantrums with their kids. I thought I would share their responses with you:

• Identify feelings. Marissa shared - "Identify her feelings with her. 'I know, you're feeling mad because you can't have the thing you want! Mad mad mad! It makes me angry when I can't have the things I want!' or 'You are so sad that daddy went to work! You want him to play all day! It makes me SO SAD when daddy goes to work.'"
• Don't assign feelings. Sybil responded to Marissa's opinion with - "Yes, 'sportscasting' what's going on is a great technique. I avoid assigning my daughter feelings if possible and just state the circumstances. 'I said you can't have that toy. But you really want it. It's a fun toy. I know.'"
• Distract. Sunshine - "I usually try distraction first and if that doesn't work then I ignore the tantrum."
• Ignore the bad behavior. Nicole - "I ignore and walk away. It stops the tantrum the fastest with my son. I've also tried imitating him when nothing else worked, and sometimes that makes him laugh, but I'm not sure that's the best strategy." 
• Relocate. 
• Loretta - "I find that it helps my son to go in a different location to calm down. I usually say something like, 'I know you are upset and its okay, do you need time to yourself for a moment?'... This always works. When he is done, he comes out for a kiss and a hug. I always ask if he wants to talk about it."
• Take him/her outside. Elyse - "I let my son be alone for a little bit in the crib or playpen, or sometimes I just take him outside. We sit in the grass quietly/watch the birds. My son's just started those tantrums so they aren't as severe as the ones your probably dealing with. He always stops crying when I take him outside."
• Create a calm down spot. Teresa works with kids and said - "When I do therapy with young kiddos I usually have parents create a calm down spot. Maybe use a bottle and fill it with water, glitter, and other distracting knick knacks that will soothe her visually (and will also distract)."
  
• Talk them through. Jess - "I tell my son that everything is okay and to calm down. I tell him he needs to show me or use his words for what he wants. He will be 2  in a month. So communication has really improved."
• Assign a timeout area. This advice really only would work for slightly older toddlers/kids (starting maybe at 3 or 4). Since you need them to be of an age they can understand a timeout. 
• Heidi - "Depending on the severity of the tantrum... I'd just ignore it, but there were times I would put our child(ren) in their crib until they stopped... Usually they'd cry themselves to sleep and they were great kids for the rest of the day... This would be much like a time out... I think."
• Naida - "Looking at a blank wall was the worst thing ever for my girls. I'd either sit them on a chair or have them stand and face a blank wall. Length of time depended on age and severity of the 'crime.'" 

    What's your opinion? How have you dealt with temper tantrums with your child?

Pin for later.

Shared at: Wise Woman Builds Her Home, A Little R&R Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, and Homemaking Linkups.

Tips to Make Christian Mom Friends

   Making mom friends of a similar mindset and mentality is difficult. But it's so important to have a community of mothers around you when you are raising your children. After all, they often help to keep you: 

• Accountable 
• Encourage you 
• Help you to know that you are not alone in your struggles/fears/worries 
• Help you to know that your kid is going through what other kids go through 
• And basically they help to keep you sane.

    But it's difficult to find a solid community of moms to relate to. So I'm hoping that by sharing what I did to find a community of mothers... it will help you find your own.
    I was looking for women who were Christians and dedicated to raising their children to follow Christ. Thankfully we belong to a Bible believing, Christ following church so I started simply by looking at what they already had available. 
   Talk to the children's ministry. There could be any number of ways you could connect with fellow moms in your church. Depending on the size of your church, most have a children's ministry. This could be a place to start. You could volunteer with the children's ministry or attend one of the holiday events that the children's ministry might host.
  Connect via small groups. Most churches now-a-days have small groups that can help you connect with others. Our church has a variety of small groups, but not quite what I needed. I wanted a small group that was strictly made up of moms who could bring their babies (up to 3 years old) to the meetings. At the time, our church was actually looking for small group leaders... so I talked to the leadership and was able to start my own group (which was totally the Lord). This has been such a wonderful connection both for my daughter and for myself. We have gone through a variety of wonderful books which has helped us in our mothering voyage to focus on Christ with our children (like Wisdom for Mothers by Denise Glenn, Mom Essentials by Kasey Johnson... and we are currently reading The Passionate by Susan Merrill). 
    Attend church events. Many churches have events you can attend (not just church services). Even the smaller churches have ways you can connect with others. The church I used to belong to had potluck dinners on Wednesday nights, followed by a service. That church has less than 100 in attendance weekly, so it was a very small church, and they had events to attend. The church we attend now is the opposite in attendance... it is huge and often has 500+ in attendance (over the course of three services). So attending the Fall Women's Biblestudy or the Easter Egg Hunt can be a great way to connect with others.

Pin for later.

Iron Deficiency & Your Child's Sleep

    Until recently I had only heard about iron deficiency in women (due to our menstrual cycles), and had not heard much about how it frequently occurs in children. Obviously I knew it was possible for children to be iron deficient, but I had no idea how common it is and that it often manifests itself with symptoms, as a parent, we wouldn't think are related.
    Some symptoms of iron deficiency are sleeplessness, and chewing on things that are inedible. See the thing is though, babies/toddlers struggle with these two things anyway right (with or without a deficiency)? So when my daughter was having some issues waking up too early, or taking too short of a nap and then putting random things like books or paper in her mouth... I thought oh it's just because she's teething. Come to find out when we went to her doctor's appointment, she actually had a slightly low iron count. The interesting thing is that just a few months prior, they took the same test and her iron count was fine. 
    Since Toddler P's doctor's appointment, I have increased the amount of iron rich foods I give Toddler P. Since I started doing this, I have noticed such a difference in her sleep and that she less frequently chews on things that are inedible. She does still act like a toddler in these things though, so it's not some crazy miracle cure, but the increase in iron definitely has helped!
   Here are some facts about iron deficiency you might not know, and if your child is struggling with sleep or mouthing things that are inedible... consider asking the pediatrician to check your child's iron levels.

• 1/4 of all infants, worldwide, are iron deficient.
• Iron deficiency (IDA) can affect sleep patterns, and can cause muscle spasms... causing your child to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night.
• IDA is linked to cognitive problems, lack of concentration and learning difficulties.
• IDA can cause your child to crave to eat inedible objects like cardboard, paper, dirt...
• Vitamin C rich foods help with the absorption of iron, so make sure your child is getting enough of these foods. 
• Here's a helpful chart of iron rich foods for child:

(Here are the articles that I used for the above information: Sleep & Iron Deficiency, Magnesium & Iron Deficiency).

    Pin it for later.

Breastfeeding Past A Year (My Journey) Pt.1

    This is a several part post... until Toddler P. self-weans I will continue to write posts on our journey. So stay tuned for those!
    As you've probably read in some of my other breastfeeding posts, breastfeeding did not come easy for me at first. It took me a month (at least) to not be in excruciating pain every time Baby P. nursed. So the fact that we have made it to over 15 months of nursing, is a big win for me!
   When Toddler P. and I began our nursing journey, I just wanted to make it to a year before I figured out where we would go from there. I knew that I wanted her to self-wean... and I'd let her set the pace for her nursing needs. She knows when she's hungry and needs time with Momma, so I knew that I wanted to listen to her and meet her needs. Many of my girlfriends weaned at one year, so when we hit the 12 months mark this was new territory with few to talk to (nursing beyond a year). But thankfully, my mom nursed all three of her kids to at least 2 years old, so she has offered some wonderful advice! 
   Why am I sharing my breastfeeding journey with you? Because as with all of my posts, they have a purpose. I want to help my readers who are also in new territory of nursing beyond a year. So I'm going to share my breastfeeding journey with you and how we've come this far. 
   Newborn to 1 month: As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, the first month of breastfeeding was very difficult. This was really due to the fact that it was very painful for me. Yes our breasts are made for this very purpose, to feed and support our children, but it still takes some time (for both child and mother) to figure out how to nurse in the correct way (where the baby latches correctly). Breastfeeding takes some getting used to, and no it does not come naturally. To be honest, the only thing that kept me from giving up was the fact that breastfeeding was easier than getting up in the middle of the night to heat up a bottle. Tip for new moms: Just remember, this too shall pass. It might be difficult now, but it gets easier! I never thought I could make it past the one month mark, and now we have been nursing for 15 months! You can do it momma!
   1 to 5 months: The next hurdle to get over is how often baby has to eat. Every child is different, and Baby P. was no exception. She nursed every hour throughout the day! Unfortunately the nursing clock starts when you start a nursing session, and Baby P. ate for 30 minutes typically. So as soon as we finished a feeding, I only had a 30 minute break before she was hungry again. As we started nearing 4 to 5 months old though, I was able to push her to nursing only every 2 hours. I know this sounds very frequent, but Baby P. slept anywhere from 5 to 8 hours at this point, at night. I attribute this great sleep to the fact that she ate so much during the day. Tip for new moms: Just remember, enjoy this time with your little one. These are sweet snuggles and time for you to have quiet memorable moments with your baby. Soon your little one will be crawling then walking and want to be figuring out this world, and not as much fixated on snuggling with you.
   5 to 6 months: We started solids a little before Baby P. was 6 months old. The pediatrician had mentioned that once she had started solids, Baby P. wouldn't want as much breastmilk. However, for us, that wasn't true. Baby P. wanted solid food, but she still wanted to nurse right afterwards. I eventually was able to pull Baby P. back to nursing every 3 hours, usually by giving her water or a snack in between feedings (but this switch to feeding every 3 hours didn't happen till she was about 7 months old). Tip: Any progress is progress. Stop worrying about how often your little one eats. All you can do is try your best.    
    7 to 9 months: As Baby P. began to eat 3 meals a day of solids, and she started finger foods... she showed me (by lack of hunger) that she didn't need to nurse quite as frequently. This is where we finally began nursing only every 3 to 4 hours during the day. Tip: Remember not every child is the same. So long as your little one is healthy, trust your instincts and theirs... your child will eat solids and hit milestones at their own rate.
    10 to 12 months: At this point, mainly because Baby P. had 4 teeth and finally could chew better, she increased her solid intake. I started feeding her 3 meals a day, and 2 to 3 snacks in between meals (including water). Because of her increase in solids, she started nursing less frequently about 6 to 7 times a day, in between meals. I know this sounds like a lot, but it's what she evidently needed. 
    12 months: When we hit the 12 month mark, I knew Baby P. was nursing frequently. But I started to wonder if I should not let her nurse as frequently. But the thing was, she needed it. She would nurse for ten minutes at least. So when we had our year check-up and she was still nursing 6 times a day, and the doctor got on my case a little bit... I just told her what and how I fed her. She has always been a healthy weight (90th percentile in growth), so the doctor backed off and said "well you definitely are doing something right, even if you are nursing a lot... she's growing great!" Tip: I truly believe that as parents we have God given instincts and we know our child best. We know what our child needs. Trust those instincts.
   13 to 15 months: Ironically after her 12 month check-up, Toddler P. suddenly showed (by not eating) that she was ready to drop a nursing session. So we went down to 5 times a day of nursing.
   15 to 18 months: Again after her 15 month check-up, Toddler P. went down another nursing session. So we are currently at 4 times a day of nursing. Tip: Whenever Toddler P. stops a nursing session, I make sure that she still gets cuddles during that time and then I check to see if she is thirsty or hungry and give her water/snacks.

    We are still in uncharted territory for nursing past 15 months, but Toddler P. currently nurses 4 times a day. She nurses 1x when she gets up, 1x before her first nap, 1x before her second nap, and then 1x before bed. 

    What about you? Did your little ones ever nurse this frequently?

Shared at: Grace and Truth, Faith Filled Fridays