Ask Holly, Prevention

Ask Holly: How Do I Avoid Stretch Marks?

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Hi Holly- I’m 15 weeks pregnant with my first child, and I really don’t want to have stretch marks on my belly. Can you recommend something for me to use so avoid getting them? Thank you-
April H.
Little Rock, AR

Hi April-
I was so worried about this problem too, since I have bad stretch marks on my legs from growing so quickly in middle school! It’s important to stay hydrated and get lots of omega 3 fatty acids from walnuts, fish oil. etc. I also religiously slathered on some sort of oil or balm every single night. I’m happy to report that I didn’t get a single stretch mark!

Here are 3 types I really like:

  • Earth Mama Angel Baby LLC.
  • Weleda’s Pregnancy Body Oil- search for it at Top Brand Vitamins– they have it for the best price I’ve seen
  • Little Moon Essentials Beautiful Belly Butter I love everything on this site- the owner, Laura is very passionate  about what she does and it shows! and she offers free shipping on orders over $15
Natural Products

Do It Yourself Disinfectant

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Since we do everything super naturally in our household, I haven’t really worried too much about locking under sink cabinets, and childproofing the bathroom drawers. This is probably more challenging in the long run, since I’m always reorganizing the bottles and toiletries, and I’ve had to clean lots of make-up off of my son’s face (I won’t even get into the state of my eye shadows)!

I have realized than non toxic cleaning products are better for our health, the environment, and keep me a little more relaxed since I don’t have to panic if my child touches the bottle.  He’s really into spray bottles now, so those must be totally safe.
As I was checking out the ingredients of some natural disinfectants, I realized I had all of the ingredients at home!  So I chose to save the $5, and mix some up myself.  Since I’ve always secretly wanted to be a chemist, this activity fills that void.

Here’s how you can make your own disinfecting cleaner:

  • 2 cups water
  • up to 3 teaspoons liquid castille soap (I like Dr. Bronner’s)
  • 1 teaspoon tea tree oil
  • spray bottle

Mix all ingredients together, and spray away!

Resources, Websites

Thinking About Cloth Diapers?

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Green as I may be (my husband calls it light green) it took me a while to get up the nerve to try using cloth diapers.  I briefly used a cloth hybrid when my son was a newborn, but when he turned 1, I was ready to go all out- mainly because I was ready for him to be potty trained and I heard babies in cloth make the transition sooner.  I knew nothing about this, so I turned to Sara Ingmire at Diaper Daisy.  Her site is so great- you can do a two week cloth diaper trial for free to decide if this is right for your family before buying tons of pricey dipes!  You also try different brands and styles- I had no idea there were so many to choose from, and this new world could be quite daunting without expert advice!  Sara is always available to answer any questions or challenges you might face, and responds quickly by email.  At the end of your trial, you simply return the ones you don’t want, and are charged for the ones you keep.  (As an added bonus if you keep them all you get a $20 store credit!)  This is what came in my first package:

I had lots of questions and concerns and Sara was there to support me.  I highly recommend her site for a diaper trial and cloth diapers!

www.diaperdaisy.com

Breastfeeding, Prevention

Get Breastfeeding Support

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Since the news was published that 900+ babies lives could be saved per year I’ve spoken to many moms about how they tried to breastfeed and couldn’t do it.  Then I found these eye-opening stats at Busy Moms Breastfeed:

  • Prenatal Breastfeeding Education Is The Key To Avoiding Most Breastfeeding Challenges
  • 72% of women who planned to breastfeed for at least 6 months have weaned before their babies are 6 weeks old.
  • Most early breastfeeding difficulties can be avoided. These include; sore nipples, engorgement, mastitis, thrush, jaundice, and slow infant weight gain.
  • Crying is a late sign of hunger.By the time your baby cries you have missed as many as 5 feeding cues letting you know that your baby is hungry.
  • 80% of the immune system is located in the digestive tract. Breast milk coats the lining of your baby’s digestive track protecting it from harmful microbes.  Human milk also has special growth factors that will help your baby’s immune system mature.
  • Most first time mothers attend fewer than 2 hours of breastfeeding education classes

“Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life.” -American Academy of Pediatrics

To find the support you need, visit La Leche League International for a list of classes and lactation consultants in your area.