SM answers breastfeeding issue

Update: SM has cleared that it has no policy disallowing breastfeeding moms from nursing in public inside their malls. Due to the reported incidents by blogger Eliza Santiago-Ypon, SM Breastfeeding Program Director Berna Velasco also renewed the mall’s support for breastfeeding which is evidenced by the breastfeeding stations provided as a courtesy to nursing moms. Read more about it here.

See the earlier post about it here.

- Mommy Smiley

Moms stopped from breastfeeding in public at SM Malls

It is hard enough to begin breastfeeding, and harder still to sustain it. So it is disturbing to hear news that some nursing moms have recently been told to stop breastfeeding in public at SM Supermalls. And this is after I even blogged about SM and tagged them as breastfeeding-friendly malls for putting up breastfeeding stations. Apparently, the opening of the said stations gave some security personnel an excuse to bar moms from nursing in public. Blogger Eliza Santiago-Ypon narrated the story of a breastfeeding mom who was stopped from nursing at a doughnut shop in SM Megamall. Read how she put SM Supermalls to task with her open letter. Another nursing mom blogged about her similar experience in SM Davao.

I can't say that I was lucky after breastfeeding Caitlin in public at SM Megamall twice since August without incident as no nursing mom should feel harassed nor embarrassed for doing so proudly.

Although not totally told to stop breastfeeding, I have my share of discouragement when I tell friends or family that I plan to nurse Caitlin for as long as she wants to. If that’s the case, I could be breastfeeding until she starts walking! As a stay-at-home mom, the choice came easy to me. But the wide-eyed shocked reactions reveal more than what they could possibly say that I began to doubt myself.

But thanks to breastfeeding advocate and founder of Babymama Mi Ann Reyes-Oblea, I am no longer bothered. I agree with her that what’s important is both mommy and baby are happy and healthy.

 

So in case you ever get to doubt yourself, listen to what she has to say and just go on breastfeeding.

 

“If they say or look discouraging, it's out of sheer ignorance and bias. Some people think it's gross na naglalakad na at nag-uusap na ang baby. I think it's the sweetest thing in the world when my daughter says "can I have boob" or when my son says "boob" and presses down on my breast.

By the way, normal weaning age of babies is between 3-4 years old. This is completely normal behavior and is the best for baby not just at the present but even to prevent baby from developing diseases in the future.”

- Mommy Smiley

Tutorial: onesie with froufrou

Pink onesie with froufrou.

Here's another sewing project that's too irrisistible to miss out on. Remember the free onesie pattern? Oh, how you can make so many cute little girl's outfit with that.

Caitlin on a black and white ensemble with matching headband.

Another take on the onesie with tutu. In this case, however, I assembled the onesie first before I sewed the tulle all over it.

Now, here's another design idea by CutieTots Shop.

Pink onesie with froufrou by CutieTots Shop.

It's all about the froufrou, and I made it only by accident. Below is the step-by-step guide.

What you'll need:

- less than 1/4 yard soft tulle in the color of your choice
- matching thread

Cut the soft tulle in strips of 4.5 inches x 85 inches. The longer and wider the strip, the fuller your froufrou will be.  

Fold the strip in half and hand sew a running stitch in the middle. When you pull the thread, the tulle will gather in the middle as seen on the photo. Once you've reached the end of the strip, secure in place.

Another view.

Then you'll have this.

After you finish making your froufrou, stitch it in place of your onesie like such.

What's missing here is my model. I'll have this blog updated once I get her to wear it. 

Happy sewing!

- Mommy Smiley

Caitlin on a nursing strike

Once you get the hang of nursing, it will be difficult to stop. Not only are you physically attached to breastfeeding your child, but you are emotionally connected as well. So once the baby starts to self-wean, mommy should take steps to prepare, too.

But how can you tell when the baby is self-weaning?

I asked myself that when my seven-month old daughter refused to nurse from me for almost seven hours. It was excruciating to see her refuse me and cry several times. It was painful on my breasts, too, so I needed to pump twice to relieve myself from engorgement. She’s teething again and I figured it may be stressing her, but she never had this problem when her two bottom teeth came out two months ago.

It was a good thing that I have a trusty helper around to take turns with me in taking care of Caitlin as I took some time to research online or call friends on what could probably be distressing my little one. This has taken me completely off guard.

My helper was even the one who suggested that I offer my breast milk in a bottle which I made her do. (I don’t give Caitlin milk in a bottle. When she was a week old and mixed feeding, I had Jay do it. I only want Caitlin to associate me with direct breastfeeding). She still refused the milk so I thought that she may not be hungry. But that was already five hours from the time when she last nursed and three hours since she had a few teaspoons of solid food. She usually feeds every three hours unless it’s night time which could be longer than that. Besides, she has been crying every now and then so I know she is hungry.

More than an hour later, I relented and offered the bottled breast milk when she continued to refuse me and she took it. I tried offering my breasts again and she finally nursed and fell asleep soon after.

When she woke up two hours later, she nursed again and her strike has ceased. A nursing strike, according to a useful online resource KellyMom:Breastfeeding and Parenting, happens when the baby quits breastfeeding all of a sudden. On the other hand, “child-led weaning occurs when a child no longer has the need to nurse – nutritionally or emotionally.” This article also mentions that it is unusual for babies to self-wean under a year old.

It is important to note that babies who self-wean cut down on nursing gradually. So as there was a careful process in starting to breastfeed your child, there should also be a slow course when it ends.

Looking back, I realized that I scolded Caitlin earlier in the day when she bit me again. I looked her in the eye and told her not to bite as I have been doing consistently in the past. I wonder whether she took it badly and rejected me as a result.

Whatever the cause may be, I hope the nursing strike won’t happen again. Oh, and I pray she will stop biting me totally as well.

- Mommy Smiley

Tutorial: DIY invitations

When inspiration hits you, grab it.

I saw a Christening invitation shaped as a onesie on Facebook once. But instead of asking where she got it, I googled for an invitation pattern so I can make it myself in time for Caitlin's baptism. With the advent of the internet, you can find almost anything online. True enough, I saw what I was looking for here.

Once you have the pattern printed out, just buy the materials at your local bookstore and leave everything to your imagination.

Pattern pieces.

Some scrapbooking materials I had laying in the house.

DIY invitations with my handwriting for Caitlin's baptism.

Mix and match buttons and ribbons.

For Caitlin's first birthday party, I plan to do more DIY invitations. I am still undecided, however, as to the party's motif so let me leave that for next year.

- Mommy Smiley

Scrapbooking

First-time parents are usually trigger-happy. Every new clothes, every step, every smile, and every tooth brings joy and an occasion to click away. Milestone or not, there will always be an excuse to take your baby’s picture. And before you know it, you’ll be filled with thousands of digital prints waiting to be printed and framed. But not all photographs merit a space up your wall. Some are better kept in an album or your cell phone.

Unfortunately, photo albums and baby books limit your creativity as they only allot minimum space for you to express yourself and your baby’s activity while a compilation of photos on your cell phone can easily be deleted. A better way to capture those precious moments, say a thing or two about them, let your creativity shine, and make them last is through scrapbooking.

Your imagination’s your limit with scrapbooking. You can use keepsakes from your baby’s stuff or buy baby-inspired decors at your local bookstore.

Here’s what I have been trying to put together for the past few months. It’s still under construction though.

Every month, I try to put in a picture that will capture her best. For example, Caitlin can hold her head up at one month old, laugh at two months, bring her hands together at three, and comfortably rest on her tummy at four. On her fifth month, I can't decide what to put in next. Is it her picture reaching for her toes and licking it, crawling on all fours, or her two lower teeth?

On the day that she was born.

A few pages are dedicated for the stuff that I sewed her.

National Bookstore sells affordable scrapbooking materials.

A scrapbooking album also makes for a perfect gift for your child when she can already appreciate it.

Plus, when your little one gets old enough to handle scissors and glue, scrapbooking can be a beautiful bonding time between mommy and baby.

Start early. Compile your pictures today.

- Mommy Smiley

The art of wrapping gifts

I’m so ingit with Mommy Smiley's Christmas tree… to think that Unique Novelties & Toys Corporation is just two blocks away from my mom's house. =( Unfortunately, we haven't started with our Christmas tree yet because for the past two months, we have been squatting with the in-laws. The on-going renovation in our building is such a Grinch in disguise. Boooo!!! But to psych myself into the Christmas spirit, I wrap gifts. I always look forward to wrapping gifts. I love it so much that I have become the designated gift wrapping girl in our whole family. I'm so matiaga in wrapping gifts even for my sisters’ inaanaks. I usually get mad at my sisters if they don't send the gifts to be wrapped early. I also get furious if they don't send me coordinated wrappers and ribbons. Yes, I take gift wrapping seriously! Hahaha!

This year, our motif was Damask. I got gift wrappers from BellaCarta and ordered personalized Christmas gift tags from Adworks (I love Mye Cruz of Adworks. She has a very fine taste) with the same damask pattern in red. For ribbons, I've decided to go green. This year, we’re using recycled gift ribbons.

Ribbons from our wedding gifts (2009).

From left: flat ribbon, loose ribbons, and damask gift wrapper.

Some gift wrapping tips:

1.       Iron loose ribbons. Since these are fabric ribbons, you can iron them out to look brand new. =) 

2.       Separate ribbons following these categories:

· Width or thickness. Make it seamless.

· Color or shade. You don't want to use two different shades of silver, for example.

· Length. See below.

3. Use the shorter ribbons to cover the width. Do not cut the ends yet.

4. Use the longer ribbons to cover the length part. Intertwine the first knot with the second knot. This will create a seamless illusion of a full ribbon.

5. Get the bow that you wish to use and look for its fold. Put the bow on top of the knot and use the shorter ribbon to tie it in place. Do a double knot then cut it shorter than the loops.

Since we're using used and flat bows, invert them to give them life.

Handwritten Christmas message makes any gift extra special. =)

Writing this post just made me realize how creative I could get. Hahaha! I just wish I can learn how to sew like mommy Smiley. Happy wrapping! =)

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy Raquel

Nursing wear must-have

It's a wonderful feeling to get your pre-pregnancy body back and put on your old clothes that you've shelved for some months now in exchange for maternity wear.

For a breastfeeding mom, however, some of those old clothes will still have to be put aside in exchange for nursing wear. (If you do plan to breastfeed your little one, it’s best to buy maternity clothes that could double as nursing wear).

But thanks to creations such as nursing undershirts, tanks and camisoles, you can continue wearing your old tops and still be able to breastfeed discreetly in public.

My top pick is Mamaway’s nursing tank with bra which you can wear on its own, but I prefer to put it under my regular clothes. Since it is equipped with a bra, you no longer need to wear your nursing brassiere. Plus, it is made of breathable cotton and spandex to go with the contour of your body. If you are topping it with your regular clothes though, it could get too hot if you are outside without air-conditioning. So, plan ahead and wear it only if you are going to malls or where there is proper ventilation.

Mamaway's nursing tank with bra sells for Php1,400.

If you favor a lighter material underneath your usual clothes, try Mamaway’s under shirt which has openings at the center front for easy breastfeeding.

Other options include nursing camisoles.

See what fits your fancy.

- Mommy Smiley

Tutorial: baby dress

It's one of those days when Caitlin naps thrice in a day that I get to have some mommy time. So for today, I sewed another dress for her. Mommy time is still a bit about her at times.

The idea for this dress came from Mommy Raquel who showed me a link on Facebook selling clothes for baby girls.

Baby dress by CutieTots Shop

Inspired again, I immediately went shopping for textile at Fabric Warehouse in Libis, Quezon City.

These are my cool finds. I love the nautical-inspired fabric. I am eager to create a matching mommy and baby outfit with it. Watch out for this page soon.

It took me six hours to piece this dress together, from drawing the pattern to taking the final picture and changing soiled nappy in between. The sewing time usually shortens once you get the hang of it.

Anyway, eager beaver as I could be sometimes, I opted to work with what I have just so I can get started. As you'll see, I wasn't able to use matching threads. But it still worked for me.

For the free baby dress pattern, Small Dream Factory offers a simple design for four to six-month olds. Check the quick tutorial here.

Again, I worked with what I have so I modified the front part that calls for a zipper and instead added about two more inches at the shoulder area of the back piece to make room for snap-on buttons.

Plus, I embellished with frayed rosettes and modified (for lack of a better sewing term) the ends.

In case you have hours to spare, try this out, too.

What you will need:

- less than 1/2 yard of fabric for the dress. I used non-stretch Cotton Voile.
- about 1/4 fabric for the lining. I used Swiss Voil in cream.
- sewing accessories such as scissors, pins, threads, and markers.
- glue gun and stick for the frayed rosettes.

Print the free baby dress pattern. I put one centimeter seam allowance all over the pattern because it is not included here. For Caitlin's current size, however, it was not necessary after all.

Since I wanted a two-toned baby dress, I marked the lower portion where I will put the other fabric.

My pattern pieces with cream lining. The strips on the left side will serve as armhole binding.

Pin the blue fabric on the yellow one and sew. Do the same for your back piece.

So it'll look like this.

You may choose to add binding as seen on the armholes or neatly fold the fabric and sew as seen on the neck.

 It'll look like this. Finish sewing the top of shoulder.

Make a bias tape and cut into strips of 2" long. Click here for the tutorial on how to make a bias tape.

Fold the bias tape pieces in half, pin them in between your lining and front fabric, and sew.

Look from the inside (wrong side) before sewing.

Pin both sides and sew.

Make two frayed rosettes. Check out the free frayed rosettes tutorial here.

Place them here and hand sew in place.

And there you have it. You may either sew in buttons or put snap-on buttons on the shoulder. This pattern may be adjusted to fit your growing baby.

See if it fits her and make the necessary adjustments. In my case, I had to shorten the dress a bit.

Oopppsss. Too short this time. I need to adjust it again then have snap-on buttons added at the Kamuning Market.

Up next, I'll be making a matching diaper cover. Watch out for it. =)

- Mommy Smiley

Decorating for the little one

With Christmas less than a month to go, it's time to deck the halls with boughs of holly.

Although Christmas came and went last year without so much as a sock, wreath, lights, or parol in our household, this year is different with Caitlin around. We decided to decorate for her.

So for our first Christmas tree and holiday home decors, we trooped to Unique Novelties & Toys Corporation.

Hidden on a nondescript street in San Francisco Del Monte in Quezon City is a warehouse full of Christmas decors, house wares, kitchen supplies, souvenirs, and other gifts and novelty items. It also houses lots of costumes and party accessories for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and even bridal showers (or whenever you may need neon bright party wigs for).

Most of the items sold here are what you will usually find in malls, but at a discounted price. Items are sold per piece, and go cheaper if you buy a set of three or six.

It also sells many kinds of toys for children. But please take note that children under 10 years old are not allowed in the showroom. Bags are also not allowed up the second floor where most of the items are being sold. You'll be asked to deposit them inside a locker instead.

It opens on weekdays and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm., but from now until December 18, Unique Novelties will open on Sundays.

Unique Novelties & Toys Corporation is located on 15 Zorra St., Brgy. Paltok, Quezon City. Tel no. 02 3735001; 02 3717976.

Decors for the tree. By the way, taking pictures are not allowed inside the showroom.

We'll ask her to help out if she could.

Our first Christmas tree.