We're Parents

5 Bonus Benefits of Breastfeeding

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bonus benefits of breastfeeding

Are there really benefits to breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a beautiful experience. One of the best decisions I made in my life was to breast feed my boys. Not only is it extremely beneficial for their health; helping to protect them against many illnesses, while also lowering the risk of SIDS. I love the bond and special moments I share with my children while nursing. The amazing snuggles they give me and the comfort I can provide them fills my heart with warmth. But along with those precious moments that will never be replaced or forgotten there are also fun benefits of breastfeeding given to you, the mama, while nursing your children.

Here’s 5 BONUS benefits of breastfeeding

  1. I get to sit on my tush for a few minutes– several times a day. As moms we live a busy life of go, go, go. Many hours spent chasing after and playing with our children, and running them doctors appointments and soccer practices. So those moments when my 6 month old wants to have his Mama milk, I get at least 15 minutes to sit down and relax where I don’t feel like I should be doing something else.
  2. Playing off the above. While nursing I browse facebook, chat with friends, look up things on Pinterest I will probably never recreate, and catch up on TV shows I usually fall asleep to at night. I may be feeding my child, but I consider this “me” time too.
  3. You get to be a little lazy. This is one of my favorite bonus benefits of breastfeeding. Remember the newborn stage and the constant feedings? Of coarse you do! I loved not having to get out of bed to make bottles in the middle of the night. All I had to do was life up my shirt and it’s party time. My baby is fed and I didn’t open an eye. The feedings may not be as constant now in the wee hours of the morning, but I still have the luxury of laying in bed instead of trudging my tired butt downstairs to the kitchen to make a bottle.
  4. Get to make hubby help. When hubby hollers, “Honey the big one pooped” I get to respond with, “Oh sorry babe… You will have to change it, I have a baby on the boob.” (Yes- I’m extremely sorry I won’t be able to smell that wretched odor that evacuates from my toddlers rear)
  5. The ability to disappear. Though I am not shy about nursing. I have nursed at theme parks, family picnics, birthday parties, the mall, and while grocery shopping to name a few. It can provide a great escape if you want some quite time or to avoid certain people. Oh sorry I have to go feed the baby- I’ll be back in 20. (Maybe, if we don’t fall asleep in bed or if I don’t play catch up on my TV shows) #sorryimnotsorry

These bonus benefits of breastfeeding above along with the health benefits and bonding moments make breastfeeding a fantastic choice for you and your child. I am almost 7 months in with my youngest son with no plans to stop in the near future, and why would I? Those perks make extended breast feeding sound even better. So excuse me while I go lay down… I mean feed my son.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake

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This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake is the most delicious easy lactation recipe that you need! Drink one everyday!

3/31/2017 Update:  We had no idea this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake recipe would ever be as popular as it is! We’ve officially updated our images and have now included a video!  Thank you for the love and support!

Want to try out more easy lactation recipes?

Check out our Peanut Butter Apple Pie Smoothie or our Lactation Energy Bites

**Please note that while these are great for lactating moms, anyone can enjoy them!  They are perfect for kids too!

When I was pregnant, I knew one thing–I was going to breastfeed.  That’s all I knew. I knew it was better for my baby than formula, and since I was planning to be a stay-at-home mom and leave corporate America, obviously breast milk was the most economical option.  But why no one in my life told me how difficult it was going to be was beyond me.  We succeeded breastfeeding and are still going strong at 18 months, but we’ve had our ups and down. Luckily, lactation recipes have made me more confident in succeeding.
I can’t believe how fast she has grown.  I feel like it was just yesterday that she was flopping around and we were both trying to figure out this breastfeeding thing. Now, she will nurse upside down, backwards, and standing on a handstand all at the same time.  Okay, maybe not all at the same time, but you get the idea. 

Do Lactation Recipes Work?

One of the things I hear most from friends who reach out to me about breastfeeding is that they are scared they won’t produce enough milk.  And my answer is always, “it’s very rare that a mom actually have production issues, however, you can take precautions and be proactive in helping your supply.”
I’ve been working to create some great, easy recipes to share so moms have great options when they need them.  So how can this recipe help with lactation?  Oats and Flax are known help boost milk production, while the peanut butter is a great protein to make sure you are getting the calories you need while satisfying your hunger since you are probably stuck on a couch nursing a baby.

**Note:  If you are truly concerned about your milk production, please reach out to an IBCLC and/or your local La Leche League. You can also read our post about Lactation Boosting Foods to increase your milk supply. 

5 from 7 votes
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake is the most delicious easy lactation recipe that you need! Drink one everyday! 

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Lactation
Servings: 1 milkshake
Calories: 557 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp flax seed up to 2 tbsp if you are really looking to boost milk production
  • 2 tablespoon 100% cacao powder
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 cups ice
  • Toppings optional: Whipped Cream, powdered chocolate, sliced bananas
Instructions
  1. In a blender, add the oats and give it a quick pulse or two. Add remaining ingredients, except ice, and blend until well combined. Add 2 cups of ice until well blended. Enjoy with a thick straw or a spoon!
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake
Amount Per Serving (1 milkshake)
Calories 557 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 234mg 10%
Potassium 1178mg 34%
Total Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Dietary Fiber 13g 52%
Sugars 27g
Protein 21g 42%
Vitamin A 7.4%
Vitamin C 12.4%
Calcium 26.9%
Iron 20.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Helpful Tips for this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake: 

  • I prefer to do a few quick pulses of just the oats and flax seed in the blender before the rest of the ingredients so my smoothie isn’t “grainy”. Then I add the remaining ingredients, except ice, and blend thoroughly.  Lastly, I add the ice and finish blending. I find it easier to do it this way.
  • I’ve used both quick oats and old fashioned oats successfully with this recipe.
  • I’ve made it with both fresh and frozen bananas.  Both are great.  You may need to add a bit more ice with a fresh banana to make it as thick.
  •  100% Cacao is slightly bitter since there are no sweeteners. If you are looking for a sweeter taste, add 1/2 to 1 full tablespoon of raw honey.
  • Subbing milk for coconut or almond milk, or even water is always an options, though the taste will be different.


**The pictures below were the original pictures for this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake which you may have seen floating around Pinterest.  It’s the same recipe, we’ve just gotten a lot better at photography!

Tandem Nursing…You Can Breastfeed Twins! {Guest Post}

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Twins! The word evokes a sense of excitement in some…and a sense of fear in others. I was in the latter camp when, at 10 weeks along, I found out we were having not one, but two babies. I had never in my lifetime dreamt that I would have twins, and with two older boys already, I was overwhelmed at the thought!

After announcing to the world that we were having twins, then came the repeated commentary. “Congratulations” was not always the typical response. We often heard comments that were, well, less than optimistic about the situation. “Better you than me!” “Wow, you’ll sure have your hands full.” We even heard, “I’m so sorry, that is going to be so difficult for you.” Then, as my due date approached I began to get questions and comments regarding breastfeeding. All of my friends and family knew I had exclusively breastfed my older boys, so they were curious as to how I was going to handle this situation. “Certainly you’re not going to breastfeed your twins, are you?” “If you do breastfeed, you’ll have to pump.” “You will have to supplement with formula, you know.” Even the hospital lactation consultant told me I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed my twins exclusively for the first eight weeks. She sent me home with a detailed pumping-nursing-supplementing plan. And the commentary went on and on…

You Can Breastfeed Twins

I am here to tell you, from experience, if you want to exclusively breastfeed your twins, you can! Don’t let the naysayers say otherwise. My twins were exclusively breastfed from the day they came home from the hospital until almost a year old, and at 17 months have not yet weaned. Having the right disposition and mindset will do wonders for your success in breastfeeding twins! If you have never breastfed, do remember, it’s not easy for everyone to get started. Be sure to ask for help. Ask for help from a trusted family member or friend that is experienced in breastfeeding. Ask a lactation consultant or contact your local La Leche League.

Tandem Nursing

Breastfeeding twins is a juggling act—literally! I found that it was important to help my babies learn how to breastfeed individually before I could tandem nurse them. Because most twins are premature and small, they sometimes need a little extra help learning how to latch appropriately and really getting the hang of nursing. One of the tools I’ve found indispensable in tandem breastfeeding is using a twin nursing pillow. I used the My Brest Friend Twin Nursing pillow. I used it when my babies were tiny and I still use it now when they’re 17 months old! I’ve also heard good things about the EZ-2 Nurse Twin Nursing Pillow. If you plan to tandem nurse your babies, I highly recommend you purchase one of these. I wanted to be able to tandem nurse from day one. While I’ve read some women can do this—and more power to you if you can—it just didn’t happen for me and my boys. My twins, like I mentioned above, needed a little one-on-one attention. After they got the hang of nursing, and had better head control, tandem nursing was a breeze. It took just a few weeks and we were tandem nursing more often than not. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t tandem nursing from the start—you’ll get there eventually!

Why Breastfeed

Breastfeeding is incredibly important to both your babies health, your health, and bonding with your baby. Make learning how to breastfeed them a priority and surround yourself with positive supportive people on this journey. Don’t beat yourself up if you need help or find that you do need to supplement your babies along the way. As a mom of twins you have too much on your plate to waste energy berating yourself. Enjoy your babies and the journey with them—they grow up too fast.

. . . .

Trisha is a mom to 4 fabulous boys and 1 wonderful husband. She stays busy homeschooling Bradley (8), trying to keep up with Cameron (almost 4), and loving on her twinsies Dylan & Elliot (1). Trisha loves to research and read about a number of topics. She and her husband write about a great diversity of subjects on their blog Intoxicated on Life including: faith, family, homeschooling, health, and anything else that strikes her fancy! They hope you’ll also enjoy following Intoxicated on Life on facebook and twitter.

*This is a guest post.  Thoughts and opinions don’t necessarily reflect our own.

Breastfeeding…How Long Should You Do It?

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There has been a lot of debate lately about breastfeeding.

First, TIME magazine put a very controversial cover featuring a woman breastfeeding an approximately 4 year old child.

Then, two military moms were featured in the news for breastfeeding while wearing their uniforms.

I was about 3 months pregnant when all of this controversy started and I have to admit it confused me even more. The military mom debate upset me because I don’t believe there is anything wrong with this; however, with the TIME magazine article, I have to admit, the thought of still breastfeeding while preparing my child for school in the fall, scares me. The thing about the TIME cover that angered me was the title “Are You Mom Enough?”  To me, it suggests that if you don’t breastfeed that long, or even at all, you aren’t as “MOM” as women that do. And in a country where breastfeeding is already frowned upon in public, this should not be the message being portrayed.
Enough about my opinions on the articles….I knew way before I became pregnant that I was going to breastfeed. My mom breastfeed me and my sister has breastfeed both of my nieces and plans on it once her new baby arrives. I know the health benefits of breastfeeding over formula feeding, as well as the cost benefits (obviously my breasts are free vs paying for formula).
After speaking and hearing some local moms in a variety of FB mom groups I’m in, I know this is one more thing I need to spend a lot of research on.  Obviously, anything can happen and there’s always the possibility that maybe I won’t be able to breastfeed at all….(I pray constantly this doesn’t happen)….but my first goal is going to be 6 months exclusively breastfeeding (EBF). This means nothing for my baby except breastmilk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have both reaffirmed their recommendations to EBF until 6 months. A baby simply doesn’t need anything beside the nutrients a mother can give during this time. The WHO also has a great article on when to start introducing other foods after 6 months as well.
What are your thoughts/opinions on breastfeeding? What age is too old and why do you feel that way?
Updated 2/13/15 — Interestingly enough as confused as I was at the time of posting this, I am currently nursing my 26 month old while pregnancy with Baby #2.  How time changes things!
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