Mums Share Breast Milk via Facebook

By Amanda Pitcher --- Tuesday, November 30, 2010

You've heard of Meals on Wheels, now there's Eats on Feets — a global network of breastfeeding mothers who use Facebook to connect to other mothers to share breast milk.

The group launched their Facebook page in early November and already has members in 50 US states, as well as Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia, MSN's Today Moms website reported.

The Australian branch of the organisation — broken up by state and territory — has signed up more than 1800 members in just a few weeks.

Mothers are using the site to help other mums who can't breastfeed or have a low supply and need to supplement their baby's diet, or for women who have milk to spare to share their surplus.

It's hardly a new concept, wet nurses have been around for centuries, but the practice has been shunned by the Western world in recent years due to concerns over the risk of disease — particularly HIV.

"It was common practice until the late '70s, but stopped when HIV/AIDS started," midwife and executive director of the Australian Mothers Milk Bank Marea Ryan told Mother & Baby last year.

There are milk banks, however, which screen and pasteurise donated milk, Today Moms reported, but prices can be prohibitively expensive and customers are prioritised by need. Understandably, priority is given to premature and sick babies but this can prevent women with low supply from accessing the resource.

Mothers on Eats on Feets are advised to use their own screening methods with potential milk donors — whether it be through a questionnaire or blood test for transmittable diseases. Eats on Feets also recommends home pasteurisation of donated milk to kill viruses, providing a link to a YouTube video provided by the University of California, Berkeley.

There are several milk banks in Australia — most recently in Western Australia and Queensland — but the rapid growth of the local Eats on Feets community shows there is clearly a need for many more.

"Australia has been way behind in this area, yet we're one of the best breastfeeding nations in the world," Ryan said. "We do tend to produce a lot of milk and we throw it away."

Breastfed Babies Have Higher IQ

By Amanda Pitcher Monday, March 14, 2011

A comprehensive UK study involving more than 10,000 children has found those who were exclusively breastfed for at least the first week of their lives performed better than those who were fed formula.

Researchers paired children up based on socioeconomic factors and their mother's IQ — the only difference was whether they had been breast- or formula-fed, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported.

Children who had been breastfed had IQs that were on average between three and five points higher than their formula matches, researchers from Oxford University and the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) found.

The study is part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which is following the development of 14,000 children born between 1991 and 1992.

Children were tested at ages five, seven, 11 and 14. At each age breastfed children outperformed those who were fed formula.

"We wouldn't have been surprised if the effect faded with time, but it didn't," ISER research fellow Dr Maria Iacovou said.

Previous British studies have analysed the health benefits of breastfeeding, but the Oxford University study was the first that looked at its effects on intelligence, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The British study supports the results of an Australian study by the University of Western Australia's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, which studied more than 2900 children born between 1989 and 1991 from before birth to the age of 10.

The Australian study found that boys who were breastfed for the first six months of life received significantly higher scores in maths, reading and spelling compared to formula-fed children with the same socioeconomic background.

The Western Australian results were published in the January 2011 issue of international health journal Pediatrics.

Read more about the Western Australian study

Britain has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with only 35 percent of children breastfed exclusively.

In Australia, 84 percent of children are breastfed exclusively when discharged from hospital, 61 percent at three-months of age and 49 percent at six-months, the Australian Breastfeeding Association has said.

The World Health Organization recommends babies are breastfed exclusively for at least the first six months of life, with complementary foods and breastfeeding recommended up to two years of age.

New iPhone 4

Lately, been wanting to buy a few items but no $$$! (~___~)'' One of it is the new iPhone 4! Who says money is not important!! It not only gives you happiness but also satisfactions if the purchase is worth it! (^_^)

Who says money cant buy you happiness!!?? ($ ___ $) Although $$$ can't buy you long-term happiness BUT with no $$$, you definitely unhappy in the long term! (@____@)

Here are some of the i-Phone 4 casing which I like:




Full Specifications:

Capacity

• 16GB flash drive

Size and weight

• Height: 115.2 mm (4.5 inches)
• Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)
• Depth: 9.3 mm (0.37 inches)
• Weight: 137 grams (4.8 ounces)

Colour

• White or black

Display

• Retina display
• 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
• 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
• 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
• 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
• Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Camera, photos and video

• Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
• 5-megapixel still camera
• VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second with the front camera
• Tap to focus video or still images
• LED flash
• Photo and video geotagging

Cellular and wireless

• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless technology

Location

• Assisted GPS
• Digital compass
• Wi-Fi
• Mobile

Power and battery

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
• Talk time:
  Up to 7 hours on 3G
  Up to 14 hours on 2G
• Standby time: Up to 300 hours
• Internet use:
  Up to 6 hours on 3G
  Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
• Video playback: Up to 10 hours
• Audio playback: Up to 40 hours

Mac system requirements

• Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
• Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
• iTunes 9.2
• iTunes Store account
• Internet access

Windows system requirements

• PC with USB 2.0 port
• Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3
• iTunes 9.2 or later
• iTunes Store account
• Internet access

Environmental requirements

• Operating temperature: 0° to 35° C (32° to 95° F)
• Non-operating temperature: -20° to 45° C( -4° to 113° F)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
• Maximum operating altitude: 3000m (10,000 feet)

Audio playback

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• 
  
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and video

• Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
• Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Happy Wednesday

Don't you just LOVE this walk-in wardrobe? Wish I could have one in my house some day.... it's not just practical & neat but very elegant too! =)

When & How Can I Teach My Toddler to Read?

Judith Hudson, developmental psychologist

The truth is, right now you really can't. Children usually don't start reading before the age of 5 or 6, and for good reason. Researchers believe that until that age, most children have not yet formed certain neural connections that allow them to decode printed letters and then mentally combine them to make words. A few children are able to read earlier, but most of them just pick it up; they don't learn through direct instruction.

The key to reading readiness during the toddler years is indirect instruction: This involves introducing your child to books and print in a way that gets him excited about the stories they contain. Basically, your job is to show him that books are important — and fun! The best way to accomplish this is by reading to him. As early as 6 months, babies enjoy looking at simple board books with pictures and labels. Between the ages of 1 and 2, repetitive and rhyming books are most likely to capture your child's interest, and between 2 and 3, he'll begin to enjoy books with more text and simple story lines. (For BabyCenter's lists of suggested titles, click here.) Be sure to hold the book so your toddler can see the pictures easily, and point to things that seem to capture his attention when you read to him.

Alphabet books can help toddlers learn to isolate letters within a stream of print, and many children can identify their own name by the time they're 3. A lot of toddlers can also identify the signs and logos they see around them. You may groan inwardly when your toddler chirps "McDonald's!" as you pass the Golden Arches, or asks for ice cream when you pass his favorite ice cream parlor, but this is an important step in learning to read — it shows he understands that written words represent things and ideas. If your toddler's listening to stories and looking at books and has some concept that printed words include letters, he's well on his way to learning how to read.

New Presents

During the last school holidays, we've been to Ikea & we've bought a few items which we felt it will be useful for baby J. Well... when you want to buy something who needs a reason??!! hahaha! Most importantly, you don't over spend & you feel good about the purchase. :)

1. Ikea Mular bead roller coaster

Key features - Develops fine motor skills and logical thinking.

2. Ikea Aneboda clothing drawer
Key features - bought at cheaper price & very spacious


3. Ikea storage basket (KUSINER Mesh basket with lid)

Key features - Easy to see what's inside through the net. Space-saving when not in use; easy to press together. I just love their colour & design! :)

4. Ikea baby bath with a non-slip surface
Key features - Provided with slide protectors so the tub will stand steady.

Transition Products

My oh my... time do flies! Baby J has grown so much... It feels like just yesterday we bought baby J home from the hospital after my delivery. He has now becoming more mobile & more active & keep wanting to explore new things! :D Some of the things which he used to use were no longer fit anymore.

Thus, mommy & daddy had gone out to haunt for new things for him - keeping in mind his safety & things which will be useful to him. Here are some of the items which we bought for baby J recently.1. Ashton Cot Bed

• 3 position mattress base height
  
• Protective teething rails
• Single handed dropside mechanism
• Converts from cot to toddlerbed
• Requires a cot bed mattress (70 x 140cm), sold separately
• Suitable from birth to approx. 5yrs
• Natural pine finish
• L144 x W77 x H86cm

2. No longer sleeping in hammock but in his cot! :)

3. No longer interested in rattles but big boy toys! :) And we have bought many toys for him which is suitable for 12 months and above.

4. Baby bath tub to toddler bath tub

5. Thomas the Tank Engine Potty

6. Baby Sleep suits with slip resist soles


7. Baby 1st walking shoes with pi-pi sounds

8. Baby suits to romper for outing wear

9. Baby spoon to 12 months & above spoons

10. Baby bottle to sippy cup for 12 months & above

11. Quinny baby stroller to Pre-Preggo Stroller for older baby

12. Clothing box to Ikea clothing cupboard

13. Mosquito bite cream - Lucas' Papaw Ointment

The following is a list of common uses for the ointment, however many people who use it will apply it to just about any minor irritation or skin condition:

• abscesses and boils ;
• bruises and burns ;
• carbuncles and chafings ;
• cuts and cysts ;
• dry and cracked skin ;
• gravel rash and heat rash ;
• insect stings and mosquito bites ;
• open wounds and pimples ;
• scalds and sunburn ;
• swelling associated with injury ;
• splinters and thorns ;
• tinea and whitlow ;
• nappy rash and cracked nipples ;
• temporary relief of the symptoms of dermatitis and eczema
• temporary relief of the discomfort of haemorrhoids by local application.

God is Great

This has been on my mind & heart all morning - thought I'd share:

Age-by-Age Guide to Feeding Your Toddler

Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board
Last updated: November 2008

Use this guide to find out what and how much to feed your child from age 12 to 36 months. (See our baby article for guidance on feeding children under 12 months.) Don't worry if your child eats more or less than the amounts listed — they're only meant as rough guidelines.

---

Age: 12 to 18 months

Signs of readiness for self-feeding

• Can start to use a spoon himself (though proficiency will take a while!)

What to feed

• Whole milk
• Other dairy (soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese)
• Same food as family, mashed or chopped into bite-size pieces
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread, pasta, rice)
• New fruits: melon, papaya, apricot, grapefruit (citrus is now okay)
• New vegetables: broccoli and cauliflower "trees"
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; thinly spread smooth peanut butter)
• Citrus and non-citrus juice
• Honey is now okay

How much per day

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = 1 cup milk, ½ to 1 oz. cheese, 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese)
• 4 to 6 servings cereals and other grains (1 serving = ¼ to 1/3 cup cereal, ¼ cup pasta or rice, ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel)
• ¼ to ½ cup fruit
• ¼ to ½ cup vegetables
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter)
• 3 to 4 oz. juice

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

---

Age: 18 to 24 months

Feeding skills to look for

• Self-feeding
• Food phrases like "more" and "all done"

What to feed

• Whole milk
• Other dairy (natural hard cheese, soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, pudding)
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oat, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread and crackers, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, rice)
• Fruit, cooked, canned or fresh, cut up or sliced (apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pears, cherries, grapes, plums, oranges, grapefruit)
• Dried fruit, soaked until soft so it won't pose a choking hazard (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, dates, pitted prunes, raisins)
• Vegetables, cooked and mashed or diced (carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, potatoes, peas)
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter)
• Combo foods like macaroni and cheese, casseroles
• Fruit and vegetable juices

How much per day

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk; ½ to 1 oz. cheese; 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese; ¼ cup pudding)
• 6 servings grains (1 serving = ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel; 1 or 2 crackers; ¼ cup pasta or rice; 1/3 to ½ cup cooked or ready-to-eat cereal)
• 2 to 3 servings fruit (1 serving = ¼ cup cooked or canned, ½ piece fresh; 1/8 cup dried; ¼ to ½ cup juice)
• 2 to 3 servings vegetables (1 serving = 1 to 2 tablespoons)
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter)

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

---

Age: 24 to 36 months

Feeding skills to look for

• Self-feeding
• Eagerness to make own food choices

What to feed

• Low-fat milk
• Other dairy (diced or grated cheese; low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding)
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread and crackers, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereal, pasta, rice)
• Fruits, sliced fresh or canned
• Dried fruit, soaked until soft so it won't pose a choking hazard (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, dates, pitted prunes, raisins)
• Vegetables, cooked and cut up
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter)
• Combo foods like macaroni and cheese, casseroles
• Fruit and vegetable juices

How much per day

One serving for a child this age is about ¼ the size of an adult serving.

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk; ½ to ¾ oz. cheese; ½ cup yogurt; ¼ to ¼ cup cottage cheese; ¼ cup pudding)
• 6 servings grains (1 serving = ½ slice bread or bagel; 1 or 2 crackers; ¼ to ½ cup pasta or rice; 1/3 to ½ cup cooked or ready-to-eat cereal)
• 2 to 3 servings fruit (1 serving = ¼ cup cooked or canned, ½ piece fresh, or ¼ to ½ cup juice)
• 2 to 3 servings vegetables (1 serving = 2 to 3 tablespoons)
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon peanut butter)

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

Your child may seem to eat less than before — that's perfectly normal at this stage. If you wonder whether he's getting enough calories, use this guideline: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your child get about 40 calories a day for every inch of height.

For more info go to :

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-your-toddler_1736045.bc?scid=momstodd_20110315:2&pe=MlV5Q2RyUHwyMDExMDMxNQ..

Clueless Wonder

His Dad Style: Loves you, loves the baby. But how can it be that the kid's a month old, and he still doesn't know which drawer the onesies are in? Sure, he's happy to help, but he requires such precise instruction that it's often not worth the trouble. You are always the one to call the pediatrician because you have the number memorized anyway. When you finally leave the baby alone with Dad (like all the books say to do), you come home to find her in the swing and him watching the game -- just like you left them two hours ago.

Early Warning Signs: If the dishwasher breaks, who calls the repair service? Do you send the birthday card to his grandmother (and does he even know)?

Pros: You get to make all of the decisions.

Cons: Making all of the decisions is exhausting. Some moms, when in a certain mood, might use the word "lazy" instead of clueless.

What's the forecast? He's trainable. And chances are good that he's going to grow into the job, most likely right around when T-ball starts. He may turn into Playmate Dad. While this has its downside (you feel like you have two kids, not one), there are many upsides. You'll never have to go to the fourth sequel of Kung Fu Panda. And picture this: you relaxing by the pool while he plays Marco Polo. Pretty sweet, right?

Originally published in the June issue of American Baby magazine.