If you can breastfeed, do so. It is easier, it is cheaper, it has long lasting health benefits for both you and your baby, it is cleaner,(no bottle warming or bottle cleaning!) The only thing you will have to do, is make sure you are drinking lots of liquids, that you purchase a breastpump and a cool-pack (for keeping pumped milk cold), that you get some comfortable cotton breastfeeding blouses (check out your nearest second-hand store!) and that you create a comfy spot somewhere in your house where you can sit with your elbows, neck, and feet supported.

We found that a wrap-around breastfeeding pillow, a burp towel, a blankie, the remote-control, and a place to put a drink and a magazine, where absolute necessities for the comfy spot.

Keep your baby in optimum health by breastfeeding for at least one year, if possible-- (remember, one very visible advantage to you, Mom, is that the pounds you gained while pregnant will come off faster and stay off longer when you breastfeed!)

To read about some exceptional advantages to breastfeeding, for both you and your baby, we've provided a link to www.breastfeeding.com. If you have ongoing breastfeeding questions or concerns, there is a lovely organization, La Leche League, that will provide help and answers to you in your own town, or feel free to email our in-house experts. :)

What To Do If you Cannot Breastfeed?

Okay, so you have waited the mandatory 10-12 days for colostrum to turn into milk. Your breasts are not feeling full and heavy. They are not leaking or feeling like they will bust when your baby cries.--(which are things that will happen when you are a breastfeeding mom). The baby is latching on correctly, but seems to be frustrated and really hungry. He/she is sucking, but you notice is not swallowing--(To guide your baby to latch on correctly, place your baby close to your breast. With your free hand, press down on the center of his/her chin so that his/her mouth opens in a slight O-shape, then place the baby on your breast. The baby's mouth should cover most of your areola, not just the nipple). (Check out www.medela.com for great information on all sorts of breastfeeding issues!)
--Lastly, you have called the pediatrician, taken the baby in for an office visit, and finally, your pediatrician has recommended that you either supplement with a formula, or go exclusively on one.

Before you go on "standard formula's", (which are full of genetically modified materials and may even contain aluminum salts), ask your pediatrician or holistic healthcare provider about a more holistic and nutritive option--Goat Milk.

Here is a recipe for a natural formula. In this recipe, you can use goat milk, or canned PET milk.--(Don't forget to get that medical opinion!)

Goat's milk, fed to babies, is not new concept---family doctors used to recommend it to non-nursing mothers when doctors still used to make house calls! Milk from goats is closest to human mothers' milk and it is easier to digest than cow's milk.

Take 13 ounces of liquid goat milk.
Mix with 19 ounces of mountain spring water.
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Mix vigorously.
Warm with hot water from the tap, or place glass bottle with goat milk in a pan full of water and gently heat. Test on inside of your arm before feeding to baby. Milk should be warm, not hot.
Give baby only enough that they will drink and refrigerate, or freeze the rest. Do not reuse any milk left over from baby bottle after baby has finished drinking.
Unused milk will stay fresh for 3-5 days in refrigerator.

To freeze, separate unused goat milk into equal parts and store individually in freezer. Frozen breastmilk or goat milk stays fresh between 3 to 6 months in freezer.

If you use the goat milk formula as a supplement to breastmilk, you need add nothing further to your baby's liquid diet. If you use goat milk as the primary source of nourishment, you must add liquid infant vitamins, such as PolyVisol with Iron, to your baby's liquid intake (at separate time from bottle-feeding). Follow the manufacturer's instructions for dosage. Make sure you are under a pediatrician's supervision to monitor and counsel you on your baby's health and diet.
In case you feel creative, here are more options for recipes on homemade infant formula. Check with your pediatrician or holistic health practitioner! MYO Baby Formula and Infant Formula Fortification Protocol by Joseph Mercola

What to Do When a Baby Has Colic?

If your baby is having a colicky episode, be calm. Put on some classical music or water sounds, low. Keep your voice and the lights low. Your baby's stomach is full of gas.
Burp your baby with a cupped hand. Heat some water for fennel tea, for both you and the baby. It works gently and effectively. Make fennel tea by taking a small handful of fennel seeds, placing in a tea diffuser, and steeping for at least 5 minutes in a cup or pot of hot water. You can drink while hot. For baby, wait until tea is tepid, then using a dropper, place only a few drops into baby's mouth, along inside of cheek, so that baby will not choke on the liquid.
Have some Hyland's Homeopathic Colic tabs on hand, or Mylicon, as a back-up.

However, it is possible to try to prevent colicky conditions!
Breastfeeding decreases the incidence of colic, as you, the mother, have complete control of what you put into your breastmilk via the food you eat.

Breastfeeding mothers should eat bland meals and drink lots of water.

Add herbal teas to your diet, such as spearmint, peppermint, catnip, chamomile, or raspberry.

Eat foods such as brown rice, plain pasta with butter or olive oil, oatmeal, baked potatoes, cheese, chicken, turkey or avocado sandwiches.

Minimize your spices. Dill, basil and fennel are fine to eat. Curry, garlic onion are not.

No broccoli, no cabbage, no tomatoes. No acidic juices or fruits or vegetables, like orange, lemon, lime, tomato (which means tomato sauces, as well).

No spicy foods. No Mexican salsa. No Thai.

No sodas. No caffeine. No carbonated drinks. No chocolate. Think boring.

However, if you follow these suggestions, your baby will probably have less gas, and then you, and your baby, can sleep. Keep a notepad for what seems to work for you and your baby. If we haven't covered it, feel free to email us!

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Homemade Organic Baby Rice Cereal
And other Grains and Legumes Recipe

Using a food processor or blender, blend whole organic brown rice until it is finely ground, to a flour-like consistency.
In a saucepan (with lid), bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the rice flour.
Cover the pan and turn heat down to minimum.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure cereal does not burn.

Baby cereal will last in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.
As your baby gets older, you can begin using all sorts of different grains and then legumes such as oatmeal, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, garbanzo beans and black beans. Just blend into flour-like consistency and cook, as with the rice cereal recipe.
Click here, for recipe to make your own organic baby food.

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Tips to Keep Your Patience and Sanity

Take walks with your baby. Use a stroller with a canopy, or use a baby front pack for babies less than 4 months, or a backpack for babies older than 4 months.

If breastfeeding, eat so that you minimize your baby exposure to gassy or acidic foods. (See Minimizing Colic)
Avoid processed foods.
Eat bland foods.
Avoid coffee, colas, spices, gas-creating foods, fried foods, etc.

Sleep when your baby sleeps--Yep, you will be napping on and off all day and night

Create a schedule for calm-down time for both you and the baby--usually in late afternoon, but anytime is ok. Lower the lights, put on soft classical music, and let it be just you and the baby enjoying each other, or enjoying the quieting time. Your baby and you will appreciate getting away from all the stimulation from new faces, television, people talking, daylight and all the noise of a busy day.

While breastfeeding, keep yourself healthy, by eating nutritiously, making sure you are taking in enough calcium (ask your baby's pediatrician), and drinking lots and lots of fluids. We can't emphasize enough, the importance of taking a walk with your baby every day. Frontal baby packs are invaluable to active moms when moving about with baby those first three months. After that, think about investing in a sturdy baby backpack. Keeps your arms and hands free. Ask for these at your shower instead of the battery-powered baby swings.

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Pumping Breastmilk While At Work

Carry a large insulated bag filled with a 4 oz glass bottle, an electric/battery hand-held breast pump (Evenflo has a great one, also check out Medela's pumps), extra batteries, a coolpack, a fistful of Baggies, and a large bottle of water for yourself.

Take the opportunity to pump each time you go to the bathroom, or go on a break, or go to lunch, each time taking the bag with you.

Try to find an extra-large bathroom with a small bench, a shower stall with a fold-down seat, or an empty office where you might be able to pump in private.

Take 10 minutes to pump as much as you can. Pour this amount into a baggie. Wash out the bottle. Place the baggie in a larger plastic bag in the freezer.

Every time you pump, pour the newly pumped breastmilk into the baggie and replace in the freezer. By the time you come home, you may have anywhere between 2-6 oz, maybe more if you've been sprinkling brewers yeast in your oatmeal.

Use the coolpack to keep the milk cold when transporting home.

When you get home, label the bag with the current date and amount of ounces. Make sure you divide the breastmilk into quantities your baby will drink at one feeding. Example: If baby is drinking 3 oz. per feeding, store your pumped breastmilk in 3 oz. serving sizes.

When ready to serve, thaw breastmilk in the refrigerator before serving, heat only by floating baggie in lukewarm, (not hot!) water, until it feels lukewarm to the touch.

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Too Little Breastmilk

We have found that drinking teas like Traditional Medicinals' Mothers' Milk Tea or herbal teas made with fenugreek or raspberry, increase the quantity and taste of breastmilk. You may also choose to opt for sprinkling Brewers Yeast on your oatmeal each morning to get a plentiful amount of breastmilk for your baby. See which one works best for you. If you have allergies, make sure to always check with your physical or holistic practitioner prior to embarking on any new herbal treatment or remedy.

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Too Much Breastmilk

If you have too much breastmilk and are pumping milk, try decreasing the amount of times that you pump. Eliminate herbs that increase breastmilk supply, such as fenugreek, raspberry or brewer's yeast. There are some herbs, that will help dry out your breastmilk, but do not use them unless you are well into weaning your baby. Do not fret. Your body will adjust its output to your baby's needs. Give it a chance.

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Diaper Bag Essentials

Change of Clothes
Diapers
Wipes
Witchhazel Pads for cleaning your hands
Sweater or Sweatshirt
Blanket
Changing Pad
Flap Happy Hat
Breastpump
Batteries for Breastpump
Baby bottles for expressed breastmilk and/or dry pre-mixed formula in bottles
Bandages for "Ow-ies"
Rescue Remedy Drops and Cream
An over-the-counter Anti-bacterial cream such as Bactroban or

-- Bag Essentials for Toddlers and "Big Kids"

Snack Pack with juices, water, wholesome snacks, (fruit, rice cakes, organic crackers, etc.), wipes, diapers if necessary, bibs (still need them!), witchhazel pads, jackets, hats, sunscreen, no-spill sippy cups, change of clothes, Rescue Remedy Drops and Cream, Bandages, and an Antibacterial such as Bactroban or Tea Tree Oil.

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Disclaimer:
KidsOrganics.com information is provided as general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. KidsOrganics.com is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of the KidsOrganics.com website. KidsOrganics.com is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed. If you have any concerns about your own health or your baby's health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.