Babywearing Gone Wrong and Three Safety Tips with TLBsafeKids

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Hello! This week we're here to bring you our most trusted support in keeping our little ones safe and close to our hearts with #TLBSafeKids: Babywearing Safety.

Are babywearing years now but a fond memory? Keep scrolling for the latest food-goodness and around the table conversation from Our Stable Table as well as partner and parent connections with Beyond Moi.

Safety. Community. Support.

-TLB Team

Dear Leakies,

What is your biggest fear for your children's safety? Does it keep you up at night or creep up on you when you're relaxing? Does it make it hard to enjoy life sometimes?

I have a few. Some I don't even want to write down here because it makes it seem more real, more possible as a threat. How do we cope with that worry?

Worrying is kind of part of the job description for parents. With all the warnings we receive about keeping our kids safe, it can be easy to be overwhelmed with all the could happen. We're ditching fear and choosing to confidently inform and equip ourselves instead. Because our children can be in danger even when they are literally tied onto our bodies. Babywearing safety is a thing, and for good reason (check here to see if you are making these common babywearing mistakes).

For the month of September, #TLBsafeKids is a campaign (read about it here) with clek car seats, California Baby skin care, Newton crib mattresses, CatBirth Baby Carriers, Crane USA humidifiers, and Rhoost home safety, to support parents in learning and implementing safety practices that don't bog us down in worry but give us the tools to feel confident even as we're aware of the risks around our families.

I don't have all the answers but I have learned a few things about keeping children safe and not being controlled by worry. They aren't feel good tips, in fact, they're rather unsettling but if you can embrace them if can be incredibly freeing. My top 3 tips for protecting our children without stifling and crippling them or ourselves:

Recognize that you can't protect them from all danger. If you think you can, you're more likely to miss danger when it sneaks up on you. Accepting that they will be hurt, they will experience scary situations lets you put your energy into recognizing which ones pose the biggest threat and equipping them to recognize that as well. Instead of trying to eliminate all risk (which will greatly increase the risk that your children will resent you some day), aim to reduce real risk and learning how to manage lower risks concerns.

Inform yourself and be open to being educated by others. If you can't receive safety advice or warnings from others without getting offended, you're going to end up out of touch and out of date on the most current recommendations. That will increase your risk of making a potentially dangerous mistake. We should always be learning and just because you've always done it one way doesn't mean you should keep doing it that way. So much of our safety concerns have increased because many of us feel less connected to community. Sharing together, looking out for each other, admitting our concerns and our mistakes, and passing along information can go a long way in protecting all of our families. Looking out for each other is safer. If you're looking for a judgment-free support community talking about all aspects of safety, join the Facebook group #TLBsafeKids.

Learn to listen to your gut. I know, it sounds so vague, but being out of touch with ourselves and that sense when things are right or wrong can cause us to tune out when we should be tuning in. Teaching our children to listen to that sense can make a difference between them trusting the wrong person because they feel it is more important that they be nice, and coming you with their concern that something isn't right. And a child who learns how to listen to that part of them that sometimes just knows will also be more confident in making friends and moving in society as they won't see everyone as a potential threat.

The good news is we're not in this alone. Though it is easy to judge other parents from a distance, if we come together to support each other, we can be that much stronger.

Here's to growing daily and finding the confidence to be safe while living freely.

Peace,

Jessica Martin-Weber
Founder, TheLeakyBoob.com

This Week On TLB

Avoid These 3 Common Babywearing Mistakes

The benefits of babywearing abound. It promotes physical and emotional development, strengthens the bond between parent and baby, allows baby a bird’s eye view of the

world, allows parents to be hands-free and can allow

for on-the-go breastfeeding. Here are some common errors when first using a carrier.

Too Low, Too Loose ------>

Always aim for the baby to be high and tight or “visible and kissable.” You always want to be able to keep a close eye on your baby and be able to monitor his breathing. Remember to reposition baby after you’ve finished nursing him.
Read more on common babywearing mistakes and how to avoid them HERE

Ask The Expert

Your questions asked. The Experts answer!

How to Breastfeed in a Moby Wrap

Nursing mamas rejoice! You can wear your baby and breastfeed at the same time!

Sarah Harding Traverso of Asobi Sport Family Fitness and Moby Wrap have put together a couple of quick tutorials to demonstrate two popular ways to breastfeed baby while wearing a Moby Wrap: 1) The Side Hold and 2) The Easy Hold. Rest assured, they’re both pretty dang easy, and we’re confident you’ll find the breastfeeding hold that works best for you and your baby. See the videos for the full tutorial, which includes steps on returning baby to the starting position after nursing. For a FULL picture guide, GO HERE!

Ask Your Question for an Expert Here!

Pump Like a Pro – Closed System or Bust

One thing we know about pumpin’ mamas is that they love to share. They share their experiences. They share their wisdom. Heck…sometimes they even share their milk. Pumps themselves can be safely shared, provided they’re the right kind. Be sure to know the difference before giving or receiving a previously-loved pump! The two types of pump are open system and closed system. Open system allows the milk to come into contact with the internal workings of the pump. This makes the pump impossible to sterilize, and thus not an option when it comes to sharing. Closed systems, on the other hand, can be shared safely, provided that each mom has their own set of tubes, flanges, and collection bottles. As an added benefit to closed system pumps, they will also prevent expressed milk from coming into contact with impurities drawn in from the surrounding air.
MORE TIPS HERE

Leaky to Leaky Tips:

Tips From The Leakies for Breastfeeding and Babywearing
The Leakies on the Facebook page had some tips to share for breastfeeding and babywearing, no matter your breast size:

Don’t wait for baby to be super hungry and upset, it’s easier when everyone is calm.
If your carrier has a hood, put the hood up for privacy.
Use a lightweight baby blanket rolled up under your breast for support and positioning help.
For small breasts, be sure not to drop the waist band too low and don’t be afraid to tighten the straps for better support.
If you need baby higher, a rolled up baby blanket under their bum can help.

For more tips and a great how-to video, GO HERE!

Boobs and Bottles Around the Web

How to Keep Your Children Safe from Injury? Focus on What You Can Control

The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am

W hat You Might Not Know About Your Nipples, But Should

The first step can be the biggest. Join the TLB group on Facebook and recieve community and support. J oin our Community.

#LeakyLooks: Milk-friendly Fashion For All Moms!

Back-To-School Fun!

It’s that time of year again! Our Facebooks and Instagram feeds are filling up with photos of newly-cut hair, carefully-chosen first-day-of-school-outfits, smiling shiny faces and brand-new backpacks full of new sharpened pencils. For a lot of us, this means school drop-off and pick-up, and bringing our babies along to cozy coffee-shop playdates. Falling back into a fresh, more predictable routine after the adventures of summer vacation is something I look forward to.

So here are some of my first #LeakyLooks picks for this week. Outfits designed to not take much brain space, #boobfriendly for easy pumping and breastfeeding access, and easy to put together!
For more looks like these and where to find them, check out our latest #LeakyLooks on the TLB Website or on Instagram!

Oatmeal Stout Crockpot Coffee Cake

by Carrie Saum

Ingredients:

3 cups oat flour (You can make your own using old fashioned oats and your food processor or blender, which is the easiest and cheapest, IMO.)
1.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup coconut palm sugar
2 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrow root powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups stout beer (like Guiness)
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until it begins to thicken.
Pour batter into very well-greased or parchment paper lined crockpot. (I recommend parchment paper if you have a dark-colored crock.)
Place kitchen towel over the top of the crockpot, and pull tight and flat. Secure towel with the lid. (This will keep moisture from gathering and dripping onto your cake!)
Cook on low for 3.5 hours.
Once you can stick a knife into the cake and it comes out clean, it’s done! Remove pot from heat source, and allow to cool for 30 minutes before eating.
For more on this recipe, GO HERE

Leaky Chronicles: Real Stories For Real Life

Black Breastfeeding Week and Brittany’s Story

"...Well when people learned that I was going to be breastfeeding, people expressed a wide range of emotions. Some were visibly angry with me for not choosing to formula feed my child. “How am I supposed to bond with your baby?” was a common question. My favorite reaction of all was “Who told you to do that? That’s a white people thing.” Really? Why would someone even say that to me? I really am glad I was determined to breastfeed because there was little outside support in the beginning." READ MORE

World Breastfeeding Month Wrap Up!

World Breastfeeding Month is coming to a close and we want to help close out the party with a celebratory giveaway! Naturally, this doesn’t mark the end of the support that The Leaky Boob offers year-round. But, for the month of the year where the limelight shines brightest on breastfeeding related things, let’s party like a Leaky!

This giveaway includes 3 bundles of awesome goodies from many of our favorite brands, including Diono, Ergobaby, Ameda, Bamboobies, The Dairy Fairy, A Mother’s Boutique, The Naked Nursing Tank, Nursing Bra Express, Cezara, Rumina Nursingwear, Melinda G, The Vintage Honey Shop, Motherlove and Molly’s Suds. Three lucky leakies will have a chance to win one of these amazing bundles. Good luck, and happy breastfeeding!

The grand total value of the products included in this giveaway is over $3000!
To enter the giveaway GO HERE

Working While Toddling {A Parenting Fail}

I’m going to attempt something really ridiculous. Ready?
I will blog while my toddler is awake.
(I’m trying to get a head start at this while he is asleep, FYI.)
As every Work-From-Home-Parent [WFHM] knows, nap time is GOLDEN. All of the emails and texts you’ve been half-assedly (totally a word) responding to between buttering toast, playing dress up, unsnapping stuck legos, refilling water, putting toys back together, being a human racetrack and jungle gym? They get finished. You get to do the real work, too. Like feed yourself. Maybe take a shower. Type an entire sentence without your two year-old turning off your computer in one stealth move.

It’s like two hours of industrious, work-like-a-maniac Heaven. READ MORE

This Week On Our Stable Table

Aioli Grilled Asparagus {Dairy Free}

Basil Shallot Chimichurri Sauce {Vegan, Raw, Paleo}

Grilled Kohlrabi and Apple Salad

Have you entered our huge giveaway with a total value of over $3,000?
Only one more day left for your chance to win!
CLICK HERE

Beyond Moi

life. family. love.

This Week On Beyond Moi

Chicago Marriage Court Judge Amazes Couple by Keeping it Real

by Jeremy Martin-Weber

19 years ago today, I took “the L” to meet my fiancée at the Cook County Marriage Court on Clark street in downtown Chicago. We went to the lower level of the old building and waited our turn to stand before a judge to officially become what we had already pledged in our hearts: to spend the rest of our lives together as a couple. As far as we were concerned, a marriage license was just a piece of paper. It was nothing compared to the reality and strength of our commitment to each other. We didn’t need it personally. But we realized that it was the way to make our commitment official for everyone, to legitimize our hearts’ union, and our physical union in the eyes of Christians, so we purchased the license, waited the appropriate number of days required, and now stood outside the door to the judge’s chambers. READ MORE

Join The Conversation!

Love Stones

It all started when the 4 year old that had been enthusiastic about going to her little Waldorf Kindergarten class 3 days a week suddenly became reluctant and difficult, often refusing to go into her classroom. READ MORE

A Bedtime Song for Daddy

Singing has been a part of our bedtime routine for as long as we’ve had children. It provides a moment to quiet down with one last shared experience for the day
READ MORE

A Girl With A View

On the train, my mom and I notice a kid about 2 or 3 years old with his dad. They are having fun and it is so sweet. But we notice something disturbing, the little guy is wearing a shirt that reads "parental advisory, lock up your daughters."

I told my mom this is disturbing, she agreed. It means that his mom or his dad thinks it is ok which means sooner or later he will too.

Rape culture? Does the indoctrination start young? Being a big sister of girls this same age and as a girl myself, why do we need to be locked up? What is the threat? And why the hell is this funny or cute? READ MORE