Teething...

It is important to note, Mommy's and Daddy's, that the term "teething" does not necessarily indicate or mean that your little one's teeth are going to pop right out. Per my pediatrician (and most others), teething occurs from 2 months to 2 years of age. 

Prepare yourself for a lot of drool & keep those teething toys handy!!! ( *Layla LOVES her teething raspberry and banana! We are going on almost 9 months of on/off usage.)

My little LAMM officially has cut EIGHT teeth, the two most recent coming in just says after her FIRST birthday.  She's been steadily teething since her 3 month pediatrician appointment, when we were told her gums were swelling, prepped & ready for teethies.

For the most part, LAMM has been taking teething like a champ, but these last two have been pretty troublesome for my little. Proof of her pain became evident when I received a message from daycare that she was having a very tough day & not her normal, bubbly self. LAMM is a champ and as I mentioned, we never had an issue with her teething effecting her behavior passed her morning wake-up, let alone into the afternoon. The 'tale' that teething pain is at it's worst in the wee-hours has proven false(atleast for our family).

In the earlier months, LAMM would develop little baby pimple like bumps around her jaw from the excessive amounts of drool and would soak several bibs a day, all while looking insanely adorable!

These newer teeth have turned my happy bunny into a raging rabbit who wants to chew on everything. I have even suffered a few "nursing nips". Breastfeeding mama's can relate, or certainly will when the time (& surprise) arrives.

My suggestion is Baby Orajel Naturals directly to the gums, a small dose of Infant Tylenol for the tough nights & repeat the Tylenol every 4-6 hours through the night! Thus far, when my LAMM misses her follow up Tylenol, we all are greeted with hourly fussing sessions. On top of not wanting your little babe to be in pain- you will also begin to feel the effects of the restless nights.

We have also found it to be helpful if baby gets a nice warm bath followed by some lavender body lotion!

In addition to these treatments, it's important to give your little something they CAN chew on; chewable's that are not your fingers, their fingers, or other body parts.

There are many brands of teething wafers/biscuits. My intention was to try to make some home-made, but with everything else going on- I have not been able to find the time.  We've been quite happy with all of these brands & their many flavors; check them out HERE.

Now- preventing "nursing nips" is tough. Fortunately, my little one has only caught me two or three times (in total), and after hearing me screech in surprise and seeing the little twinge of pain look cross my face- she usually releases from nursing when she is done.
If you let your baby pacify on you, know you are not alone, but prepare yourself for the need to possible say "stop please", or tap your babes lips with a "no-no".

Another imporant thing to realize is that your child cannot actually BITE if they are actively nursing. When you see your child is no longer drinking, the best thing you can do to prevent bites/nips is to remove the child from your breast. IF you encounter a nursing nip, remove the child from the breast. This could be seen as "conditioned behavior". Once the child has been removed from the breast two or three times, they will understand that their biting causes them to lose access to the boo-ba. This has been incredibly helpful in our household. There is no need to smack your baby/child's mouth/hands, etc.

With all of this said- I send all teething mommy's & daddy's my love and compassion. We know your pain & can relate. Hang in there, little ones!








Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Eggless Lactation Cookies

Hi mamas!!
Let it be known that I am not anti- dairy or anti- egg by any means. However- as mentioned back around the holidays 2016- my little had a reaction to my eating too much dairy and egg. I went a little crazy on my "taste-testing"! I am sure most can relate to that.

That said- here I am, 9 (almost 10) months post- partum and my little LAMM loves nothing more than a satisfying nursing session. I have had my share of friends and relatives express their opinions that (summarized)- soon I won't have to nurse anymore. I know they don't mean any negativity with those opinions- but nursing has been an honest joy for me. I know not everyone has that experience - but it's been mine. I am also intending to nurse as long as my LO wants to, or for as long as my body will allow. Why not continue to fuel my body with the yumminess it needs to support this effort?
I've gone from molding my own version of lactation "boobie bites" to "milk magic" cookies.

One of my recipes, undoubtedly tweaked from three or four recipes I have tried from other mommy'S recipe books- mine replaces your normal butter addition with coconut oil and omits the egg.

I hope you can enjoy these cookies as much as I do- and remember not to go too heavy with Brewers yeast. Straying too far from this recipe will result in a much different cookie texture. * I've tried adding PB2 and an extra scoop of BY and it went BADLY.

1 c. Whole wheat flour
1.5 c Rolled Oats (quick oats are fine!)
3 Tablespoons Brewers Yeast
2 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal(ground)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 Softened coconut oil (if you need to microwave- make sure not entirely melted)
1/4 teaspoon each: baking soda, baking powder and salt
1 cup chocolate chips ( I like to mix dark and white if I don't have milk choc. )
Bake at 350 (1 dozen cookies on each sheet) until golden. Shouldn't take more than 20 mins!


EAT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT!



Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

To nurse...

First & most importantly- breast feeding is not for everyone.
Whether your milk does not come in, or formula is just a better route for you and your family- A fed baby, is a happy baby!

That said, if you are able to and elect to nurse, it is super important to have a strong and supportive network of friends and family.
I was fortunate enough to have a friends and relatives with nursing experience, a supportive boyfriend and an incredibly supportive family who didn't mind when I tucked away for an hour with my nursing newborn.

I also had an awesome lactation nurse. They worked with me on several different positions and gave me insight on what could happen to my body as I nursed. It is important to know each of the different positions you can hold your little because early nursing can be somewhat uncomfortable as you and your baby figure it all out, together.

We all cannot be expected to nurse the same way. What works for me may not work for you. However, I will share a few things that have helped me, some trials I have faced & how I have gotten and continue to get through them...

The many different nursing techniques/holds:

1. Cradle

2. Cross cradle

3. Football hold

4. Belly to Belly/Lying Down (my favorite! Especially helpful if you find yourself co-sleeping!)

In the hospital, we worked on cross cradle and football hold. I'm not sure if this is general practice, but the lactation consultant suggested them.

Our first few weeks at home were a bit difficult with nursing. Baby girl seemed to be latching slightly off on my left side and I didn't know what to do. Let me preach: Lanolin...lifesaver. End of story. 

I had encountered some BP issues through my pregnancy, so I visited the doctor a week after delivery. The nurse practitioner strongly suggested switching up nursing positions to put latching "pressure" on a different spot, thus avoiding the crack that I was desperate to have heal.

LAMM did not like football hold, but unfortunately- I was suffering from cracked and even bleeding nipples. After a few tries of football hold (while laying down on my bed with her) LAMM's latch corrected and my battle-wounds healed up and we were working together more smoothly. Things finally clicked!

#TreeofLife #Normalizebreastfeeding

EBF, Pumping, Supplementing or Formula Feeding?

This is a choice we all face with our new little ones and here is how I see it...FED is Best!! I apologize if you have read this already. I tend to reiterate this a LOT because it is so important to know. EBF is not everyone's best plan- do what is right for your family and do not allow anyone make you feel less!

Once LAMM was born, we supplemented. I was still off from my pregnancy hypertension and magnesium drip. I couldn't get up to nurse and didn't want the NICU pumping my baby with saline rather than giving her formula. That, to me, was not the route we wanted to take. So- for the first week or two, we supplemented with Similac Supplementing formula to allow Daddy time to bond with baby and mommy an extra few hours of sleep.

As baby girl grew, I began to nurse as often as possible- determined to get my supply up and producing. I was home with her all of the time, so this wasn't an issue.

When it came to pumping- I really didn't want to. That is putting it mildly.

LAMM was sleeping through the night and if I skipped that overnight pump- I was waking up in pools, wet shirts, wet sheet and I couldn't help but be upset at the waste. So I pumped and massaged and pumped and massaged. Determined to get every drop of liquid gold that I could. 

Five weeks after having Layla, I was laid off. This was truly a blessing in disguise. I was able to stay home with her until she turned 7 months and she was EBF up to that point. 

HOWEVER- my biggest battle with EBF is that my little will now NOT take a bottle without a fight. Even when she DOES take a bottle, she will only take half to 1 oz of breast milk before calling it quits. 

EBF mommy's- a piece of advice- give your baby atleast one bottle a day (if not more). If you have to return to work it will make things much easier on you and baby. If you are returning to work as a nursing mom- check out my pumping at work post!









Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Pumping at Work

Oh the joys of being a working mama❤. Top off that peanut butter & chocolate swirl sundae, or whichever flavor you prefer, with being a nursing/pumping mama and you are in for a TREAT!

I am fortunate enough to have an extremely accommodating boss- who dressed up my office window with a nice curtain rod and black out curtain. I am able to pump in my office or in any other empty office, if need be. 

Some women do not have an office they can hide away and pump in, while still feeling safe and comfortable enough to do so. While we all know that it is essentially NECESSARY to be relaxed to get your best pump flow going- it is not always that easy.

Mama's please know that regardless of what type of company you work for, what state you work or reside in, it is required by the US Dept.of Labor that an employers provide a reasonable break time for an employee to pump/express for her nursing child for 1 year after birth, in an appropriate space (see "Break Time for Nursing Mothers" for more detail). This requirement became effective when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010. 

*Note the employer is not required to pay the employee for this break.


It is extremely important to be mindful of what your employer allows. Talk to your Human Resource department head to gain clarity on what is expected. Tell this individual how long it generally takes for you to finish a pumping session and do your best to stick to that.

If you are in a position where your employer does not pay you for your "pump break", than try to get in a good pumping session before getting to work.  Or if you are able to- bring that pump with you to work 15 minutes early and get your pump on before your shift starts. 

Also- take advantage of your lunch break. If you are given a 30 minute break--- utilize that time to make sure you get your pumping taken care of. I am a pro when it comes to eating a good snack/ usually my lunch and pumping at the same time. 20-30 minutes and I am ready to go!

These are the sacrifices that we make to give our babies the best of what we can give them. Hang in there and know your rights as a working and nursing mama! 









Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Warning! Nursing Mamas Go Easy: Holiday Tummy Trouble

The holidays can wreak havoc on parents and babies alike.
This week, I have been working on my holiday goodie basket gifts & have sampled a few too many of the cookies I made. Find the recipe's here, BUT let your hubby, boyfriend or whoever else test them for you!!

Now- most nursing moms (myself included) know their child is essentially 'eating what I eat', so we try to make health conscious choices. I for one am a proponent for making my own lactation cookies, drinking almond milk and eating hummus and carrots as snacks. Mostly because I know all of these choices have been excellent for my body, for my baby's health and have helped with my lactation needs.

Nursing moms- heed the warning in this post's subject line and steer clear of taste testing each flavor of your cookies.

Now I will share with all of you my own personal trauma...

Despite knowing babies can be sensitive, I didn't think twice about scarfing down a few too many homemade peanut butter kiss cookies (flour-less) & cake batter cookies. The amount of egg, sugar and peanut butter consumed was enough to make even the strongest stomach sick. But truly, the thought that 'testing' the cookies would make my little one's tummy rumble didn't even cross my mind. That was until my little started grunting and groaning. This is usually a tell tale sign that something is causing baby some trouble.

I thought that maybe I consumed too much sugar and felt like absolute crap! "How could I do this to my baby", "I'm so selfish!", "I did not need those cookies!" were all things I yelled at my internal self. If you have this internal conflict with yourself, know that it's normal. We all have done it and will do it on many more occasions as our babies grow. Embrace and accept it! ;)

So after a few wet diapers, few being only a bit dirty with liquid- mucous like doodie- I noticed my little one was still grunting and straining while trying to pass a #2. Her behavior remained the same; happy, smiling & having fun while we played with her.

On a trip to run some errands, it came time to change my little's diaper. When changing her- I noticed a little bit of blood in her poo.

If this happens to your little: CALL YOUR PEDIATRICIAN! Change the baby's diaper, avoid irritating the bottom with wipes or prodding. In the event it is outside of your ped's office hours- continue to call & leave a message. Go to the E.R. if your little one is showing signs of illness, ex: fever, vomitting, lethargy or won't eat.
If the amount of blood is excessive and not just a few little spots: GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. Large amounts of blood could be indicative of something much more concerning than the following.

Now- as there were only speckles (not lessening the concern we all have), I called my daughter's pediatrician. I was told the following scenario's can cause speckles/ small amounts of blood in baby's stool:
    - Nursing mother has consumed too much dairy, egg or nut product
    - Crack or damage to nursing mother's nipple, leading baby to consume small amount of blood
    - Small tear on baby's anus. * My pediatrician advised to just ensure there was no visible abrasions on or near baby's sensitive area.

Once we ruled out any damage to mine or my little one's body- it was pretty clear that my issue was my over-consumption of the holiday cookies.

Take this as a lesson learned for Tiffany...I will not be doing this again.










Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Quick Cookies

It is rare for me to have enough time to prep and bake a batch of cookies. However- the following two recipe's were great! One is only a three ingredient cookie, while the other is an actual cookie recipe that can be done with baby in tow.


Peanut Butter Cookies (3 Ingredients):

1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Granulated White Sugar
1 Egg

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine ingredients and drop spoonfuls of batter onto foil lined un-greased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 6-8 minutes.
Cookies will be a bit sticky. Let them cool entirely before trying to remove.

** If you want to add a chocolate kiss, add when outside edges of cookie has cooled, but center is still slightly warm. Too hot & your kiss will melt.


Snicker*Doodle Cookie:

1 Cup Butter or Margerine at room temperature
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Granulated White Sugar
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar (not packed)
1 Egg
1 Egg YOLK
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (I elected NOT to use cream of tartar)
1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon & Sugar Dusting:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon




1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream together your butter and sugars until combined. Add in egg & egg yolk, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Add in baking soda, powder(or CoT if you have), 1/4 cup of flour, mixing with cake mixer on low to medium speed. Add in 1/4 cup of flour at a time and mix until full incorporated.
4. Using a spoon, scoop 1-2 tbsp batter and roll into ball. Toss into sugar dusting and place on cookie sheet. I elected to spray my cookie sheet with a little coconut oil non-stick spray.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes. Middle will be soft, but fully cooked. Let sit until cool.

Happy Baking, Mamas!








Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

My Top 5 Baby Prep Suggestions!

Baby Prep...
(I will give my suggested list summarized at the end of this post!)

Ladies, please do not be shocked if your boyfriend or husband does not feel the urgency as much as you do. We go into nesting mode at various points of pregnancy & our significant others just do NOT seem to fully understand. ha!

I found putting together baby furniture to be such a stress reliever. I would come home after a cruddy day,  park my butt on the floor- screwdriver in hand- and start assembling a changing table or bouncy chair. It brought me peace and a refreshing sense of excitement. It really helped me. So for those who craft when they are stressed (I am one of these people)- put that energy and use of your hands to work and get to it!

Give yourself adequate time to do all the assembly for your nursery. I cannot tell you how important this is! Being home with the little one will not allow you much time to shower, eat or brush your own teeth- so please do not delay assembly. You will be stressed and panicked when your munchkin begins to grow out of that bassinet. 


My first few days home, after delivering my little LAMM, we spent a large part of the days sleeping. Your body will be tired whether you had a natural/drug-free birth, epidural, or cesarean. As far as I am concerned, we have all just birthed a child, are up every few hours to wipe dirty booties & feed our babies (if our worrisome minds aren't keeping us up ALL night), and are exhausted! Do not feel bad about this!! 

I had no desire or intention to cook for the first week or two. It was excellent that family came and tended to us those first few weeks. HOWEVER, what was even better was that we had so many frozen pasta dishes, veggies and meats, that all we needed to do was set the oven. Once family had gone and we had to fend for ourselves- those frozen meals were a saving grace.

Now, as with any human- big or small: food = digestion

I would only do diaper changes in the nursery for the few weeks. Eventually I found it more taxing to walk up and down to the nursery. After running to the nursery every time LAMM pooped, out of fear we had a blow out diaper- we set up our pack N play with the attached napper/changer and had changing pads and a diaper caddy ready to go as needed. This made things much easier and saved many outfits from the damage of diaper explosions. 

Back to food- do your best in the weeks leading up to your due date to have your refrigerator stocked with groceries. Whether you plan to eat raw fruits and veggies or prefer cook & eat frozen goods--- stock up because you won't want/be able to make a fast trip to the store.

Lastly, have a cleaning party, hire a service or buckle down...but make sure your house is clean. I cannot tell you what a bummer it is to come home to a sink of dirty dishes after having your baby... You will be up at night while your baby sleeps- trying to catch up on housework. Been there! 


Top 5:
1. Assemble your nursery in the earlier weeks of your 3rd Tri. 
2. Prep a few freezer meals   ::suggestions::
3. Have multiple changing stations set-up
4. Have your refrigerator stocked
5. Clean House top to bottom









Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Freezer Meal

Now, I do not speak on behalf of  all mothers out there- but I found these to be the best options for us. I had the meats on hand and the pastas ready made and frozen.

1. Penne Ala Vodka: whole grain pasta, choice ala vodka sauce, salt & pepper. 
    add in: chunks of grilled chicken or ground turkey meatballs.

2. Lasagna: ready to bake lasagna noodles, browned ground turkey, choice red sauce, spinach, cottage cheese, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese. Season it to your liking- I'm a garlic and pepper person with a touch of cracked red pepper here and there.

3. Grilled chicken & veggies: seasoned to your liking (parsley supposedly can cause a decrease in milk supply if you are nursing).
      add in: low sodium cream of mushroom soup

4. Sausage with peppers and onions: we always have turkey sausage as well as italian sausage in our freezer, so we would use either. 

If freezing, I recommend double wrapping in foil and using a freezer bag. These precautions will prevent freezer burn! 

My best & only suggestion for freezer meals, or cooking fresh, is to keep it simple. 











Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child! 

Welcome to the beautiful madness...

As I sit here, typing with one hand and holding my little girl with the other, I've decided to put my new found experience to use.

If you are also a new mom, or a mom just looking for a different perspective than your own- WELCOME and please feel free to share your experiences (in relation to the respective blog post, of course) in the comments!

A bit about myself:

My name is Tiffany! I am a first time mama to my little LAMM, who turned 5 months old yesterday. I share two dogs and three kitties with my love, Giovanni. Hailing from Ohio, Gio & I met at college in Long Island and I stuck around. I love social media, country music and Christmas playlists on Pandora, browsing Pinterest [find me here] & singing in the shower!

Last November we found out we were expecting our first little one. Here I am, nearly 500 miles from my family, my hometown, starting a family with my boyfriend of 8 years. There have been so many things we wanted to accomplish before taking this step- but as life would have it- here we were. 

I can say that nothing has ever brought me as much happiness as this beautiful tiny princess.

As I am sure many moms/mums/mothers/mama's can relate; I look forward to and also dread the 19th [insert the date of your child/children's birth] of every month. This day means my little one is learning and doing new things, but also that she get is getting older- further away from the little baby I welcomed in July 2016.

So, as I make my way on this journey into motherhood, I'm going to record what is happening along with the tricks/tips/opinions of how to face it all.

I hope to be helpful to anyone who happens to read or stumble upon this. I also look forward to seeing any of the comments coming in from mama's with their advice!

Here we go...







Disclaimer: All opinions recorded on this blog are strictly my own. I am not a medical professional & my advice should not replace that of your own or your child's medical professional. Always consult a doctor before trying anything new with your child!