Category: parenting

Breastfeeding a Newborn with a Toddler in Tow: A Whole New Challenge.

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Toddler in Tow

Breastfeeding a Newborn with a Toddler in tow: A Whole New Challenge.

Breastfeeding isn’t easy, any mom can tell you that. However it’s an amazing bonding experience between your new bundle of joy and the mom that can be so relaxing and amazing.   Those “relaxing” breastfeeding sessions are over when you have a toddler that WON’T SIT STILL. I learned this very quickly when trying to nurse my newborn while my then 17 month old was climbing furniture and falling nearly cracking her head on our hard tile floor. If she wasn’t climbing furniture she was darting into another room after I got all “set up” to breastfeed.   Here are some tips I have to keep your older one entertained while trying to nurse.

  1. Give the toddler a job– burping buddy, burp cloth and water bottle retriever, or “mommy hand holder” are my favorite “jobs” for my daughter. Logan is always happy to help with things for Kohen so she loves getting his burp cloth.   She also likes to help burp her little brother by lightly tapping his back-or sometimes not so lightly, lol. Logan also is now trained to hand me any water bottle in sight at any given moment-sometimes helpful, sometimes not.   When those jobs have failed, I have asked Logie to be the “mommy hand holder” to keep me company while we sing songs.

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    “Kohen burped! Skuzzz me Kohen”–Logie

  2. Books, Books, Books!-keep a pile on hand! I have a bunch of books in different baskets, which are easy to grab and move to the couch to read while nursing. I will always read my daughter a few stories to keep her entertained while her little brother eats. Now she is trained to pick out books and bring them to the couch.    She even will pick up the book basket and bring over yelling, “look at me, I’m strong!”IMG_6179
  3. Flash cards to learn ABCs, numbers, or shapes!– My proud mommy moment is that Logan knows all of her letters and the ABC song before she is two years old! IMG_6178(You go Logie!) We practiced ABC flashcards a lot while nursing Kohen.  Stop by the dollar store and pick up a pack (or two because when you lose letters Q, F, and X in the couch its hard to complete all 26 letters). Or you can even make your own out index cards.
  4. Count! We practice counting baby’s tiny toes and fingers! We have counting 1-10 down pat!
  5. Master the breastfeed and WALK. Yep ever wonder how that 19 Kids and Counting lady does it? Carry the newborn attached to the boob around the house, it’s not easy but it can be done. Like I said, relaxing breastfeeding sessions are hard to come by!
  6. LAST resort- TV show or movie. I HATE this option because I don’t like my children watching TV, but sometimes it’s all you have.   If all else fails make sure you have your DVR stacked with short shows to bust out the good ole “sit here and zone out kid, so you don’t get into something you’re not supposed to” trick.   I did enjoy playing Logan the old classic Disney movies and we would watch them in 20 minute chunks taking us several days to finish.
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We spend a lot of time on this couch nursing!  To the side of this couch is a toy bin filled with Logan’s toys so she doesn’t have to stop her playing for me to nurse Kohen.

Those are the few tips I have.   Now when I need to feed Kohen I ask Logan if she wants to “help me feed the baby” and she jumps for joy!   She has also pushed Kohen’s screaming and crying face into my breast and said, “Hey! Eat your boobie!” Hahaha

What tricks do you have to keep your toddler entertained while nursing? Comment below with your tricks and tips!

Until Next time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

Easy and Quick Toddler Lunch- Sushi Sandwiches!

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Easy and Quick Toddler Lunch- Sushi Sandwiches! Wait…I mean “circle sandwiches”

Lunch Idea

So if your toddler is like mine, they become obsessed with one type of food and want only that.  Then all of a sudden, BAM, they hate it!   I don’t know what it is with their picky pallets that make them change their mind all the time but it drives me nuts!   Logan sometimes is a great eater, then the next week she is not.   I made these Sushi Sandwiches (renamed Circle Sandwiches by Logan) for lunch to sneak in some protein.   They literally took MAYBE FIVE MINUTES to whip up.   I even made them while my crying 5 month old was in my arms.   This is so easy to make you look like a supermom in disguise!  Steps are below!

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Logan holding up a Circle Sandwich

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All I did to whip these up were:

  1. Flatted out a slice of bread with a rolling pan and cut off crust

  2. Lay on a slice of cheese

  3. Lay on 2-3 slices of lunch meat

  4. Roll tight like a sushi master

  5. Slice into individual circles

BAM done!   You could add veggies or maybe mayo or mustard but I didn’t want to press my luck! Bite size sandwiches easy for those toddler fingers to pick up!

Comment below with your favorite quick and easy meal!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

Daddy Nursing Tips: You Don’t Got Dem Boobies, But You Got Duties!

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DaddyNursingTips

Most mothers know breastfeeding is one of the hardest challenges of motherhood.   Nursing is something most moms want to do, not all can for many reasons, and some give up because of challenges they face.   When you are a breastfeeder- you are the cow…ugh I mean food supply. No one can give you a 2am break to get some needed sleep or a 6pm break so you can actually eat a meal with two hands.   I am very lucky that I have a 100% supportive husband for me being the only one who can feed our child.   One breastfeeding session alone can take around 30 minutes resulting in a lot of lost sleep for mommy and less chores she can do around the house. (Oh darn on that second one). Parenting is a team effort, so DADS here is where you can pick up your end of the bargain with some tips to help your wife through this challenging time.

  1. When the baby cries in the middle of the night go get them first! Yes that newborn probably wants milk but first that little bundle must be changed. This allows mommy some time to go to the bathroom or rub the crust out of her eye before a 3am feeding.
  2. After you have changed the baby and passed them off to mom make sure she has necessities: a drink and entertainment. After my husband always passes of the baby to me, he makes sure I have my phone and a bottle of water in arms reach. There is something about nursing that makes you INSTANTLY thirsty, and I’m not going to lie, if I wasn’t Instagram stalking people at 4am I would fall asleep on the job! He even stepped it up a notch and would put my hair up in a bun for me so it didn’t get tangled in the little one’s fingers. I KNOW he is amazing.
  3. Remember mommy’s job is input, your job is output. Yep, if the baby is dirty just go change them!   Once you’ve master the art of diaper changing and you’re not dealing with a stage ten blowout a diaper change can take minutes- remember breastfeeding can take almost thirty minutes.
  4. Do more chores-laundry, dishes, whatever! I pretty much a psycho when it comes to a clean house. There is nothing more frustrating to me when I am in the middle of cleaning or doing a chore when I have to stop what I’m doing to nurse. Then you just have to sit there for what feels like forever and STARE at the disaster that is your kitchen.   So if your wifey has to pause a job, finish it for her OR even better start before that little gal or little man wants to eat.
  5. When mommy is nursing give a little massage! Breastfeeding can really hurt your back and/or arms.   Personally, I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders when breastfeeding and let me tell you its an amazing feeling when my husband is rubbing my shoulders when I am cuddling my son.
  6. If you’re wifey is a working and pumping mama wash those bottles like nobodies business! Pumping at work is a whole other challenge, then you find yourself home from a long day’s work to your more important job parenthood only to have to store ounces of breastmilk every night and breast pump attachments to wash. Ugh, I’m exhausted just typing the words! Help out mommy, she took time out of her workday, so now its your turn-wash, dry, store, label, freeze.

There are my tips for you dads!  These are also not things I never asked my husband to do, these are things he just did ON HIS OWN to help me and support me through this journey.

Until next time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

Lisa’s Tips For Bringing Home Baby #2!

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BriningHomeBaby2

Lisa’s 6 Tips for

Bringing Home Baby Number TWO!

  1. This is more like a pre-hospital tip: give your child a baby dIMG_0087oll when you’re pregnant. My daughter Logan was just 9 months old when we found out The Doyle’s were blessed with baby number two.   We were thrilled, but would Logan be old enough to understand the joys of having a sibling? Yes. By the time she was one, giving her a baby doll was the best idea. We taught her how to hold the baby, give it a bottle, whisper to the baby, sing to it, and most importantly be gentle! This worked out great for Logan.   Although sometimes I think she believes Kohen is her “real baby doll” giving her a toy doll was very successful for our family.

 

  1. Talk to your child about going to the hospital. I was so sad to leave Logan for several days to deliver our new bundle. I wanted so badly for her to come with us, but let’s be honest that would have been a disaster to bring a 17-month-old along in tow.   Although Logan (at the time) couldn’t expresses too many things in words, we always tried to talk to her like a grown up about things that were going to happen.   We told her she would be staying with grandma for a few days and the baby would come home. I’m not sure if she understood this, but reminding her about a “grandma and grandpa vacation” and “a new baby” seemed to help and ease her worries.  We all know as parents, routine is KEY and not only a new brother would change this routine, but the days in the hospital would turn her world upside down.IMG_2282 - Version 2

 

  1. Spoil the older one with big sister gifts. I bought Logan a few big sister shirts to make her feel special. I wish I would have gotten her a few toys and what not but I dropped the ballIMG_2187 on that. My mom did a great job of making Logan feel special when we were in the hospital. She gave her new outfits (Logan’s obsession) and some toys to keep her busy. There are a bunch of fun big brother/big sister books out there too!


  1. When you finally get to bring the older child to meet the baby, make it all about the older child and not the baby. Although you are obsessed with your newborn and exhausted make the first meet-and-greet about the first born child y so they don’t feel scared.   When Logan showed up we made sure not to be holding Kohen and to greet Logan with tons of love, kisses, and attention. She was so confused about the hospital and why mommy looked so crazy. Lol. After she got warmed up to the hospital I held Kohen and we introduced them. Then we let Logan explore the situation and say “hi” to her new baby brother.   We each took turns holding Kohen and allowing Logan to take a peek. Even though Logan seemed like a baby herself only being 17 months old, the moment she held her little brother (with assistance from mom) it was love at first sight.

 

  1. When you get the baby home, give the older one a “job”. So Logan was a late walker (15 months) and Kohen arrives when she was 17 months, so I know what you are thinking “what job can I give them?” I have basically TWO BABIES! Logan feels very important when getting to help me take care of her brother. This job makes her feel included verses left out and helped reduce jealousy because she is apart of the process, not ignored. These are Logan’s “jobs” -retrieving diapers, handing me wipes, bringing over the burp cloth or blanket, singing to baby, and helping me “feed” Kohen (sitting next to me, because this girl was running and climbing all over my house when trying to breastfeed. I’ll post about this later…breastfeeding a newborn with a toddler was a whole other challenge.)

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  1. My last tip is stick to the older child’s schedule. We all know as parents it’s all about that schedule, schedule, schedule.   Well stick to the older ones! It’s going to be tiring; your up with your newborn from 4-5am and your toddler gets up at 6am. But YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT!   Remember: those first few months are the hardest and they will end because everything is a phase.   Try your best to take shifts with your husband. My amazing husband gets up with Logan at 6 so I can sleep a tiny bit longer since I’m awake more for nighttime feedings. Eventually now that Kohen is five months old he has somewhat molded to Logan’s schedule, they wake up at the same time, go to bed at the same time, and if I am LUCKY nap at the same time.IMG_2732

Good Luck!

XOXO,

Redlocks and Shamrocks: Lisa Doyle