Weaning & Nutrition

Tuesday November 2. 11th Meeting of LLL of Murray.

We had 8 moms in attendance. 3 leaders, 5 returning moms (1 of whom is expecting her 1st in December). There were 4 tots and 6 babes. Liz lead the meeting on Weaning and Nutrition, and did a fabulous job.

We introduced ourselves and shared as an "ice breaker" something in our own diets we were proud of. The answers ranged from a focus on whole foods to introducing new things into the family diet that were healthier, even ingredients that the individuals previously thought they didn't even like.

Then we each took a sheet of paper with a diet discussion item on it, read it out loud and shared our own tips for the discussion item, as well as got feedback.

For the following I am stating specific ideas which were shared in the meeting, such as thoughts on "organic" eating. La Leche League's philosophy is "Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible." Whole foods, organic, "dirty dozen" and "top ten" are all things that were discussed specifically at the meeting. The idea is that we are all at different places in our nutritional needs, understanding and goals, so the information shared here and at the meetings is just part of the journey to better understanding and moving towards a more balanced and healthier diet for ourselves and our families.

Tips for eating "well" on a budget: If you are interested in organic foods but can not afford to eat WHOLLY organically, find the "dirty dozen" or "top ten" list of items that are recommended for organic choosing (tubers, apples, fruits and veg with edible skin, berries, etc), consider leaning more towards a "whole food" diet instead of an "organic" diet, shop bargain bins for items you would normally put in your diet that are in dinged cans, etc. Consider purchasing artisan breads at the "day old" price and freezing them for future use, or buying up "whole foods" when they are on sale and freezing what you can or learning new recipes to incorporate them. Also consider purchasing from a co-op or CSA. This will not only help alleviate some of the cost of your whole foods, it will also push you outside of your usual box of cooking and force you to find new recipes. Think up new recipes for leftovers. Example, Last night I had some leftover noodles and leftover homemade fries in the fridge, not enough for a meal for the family, but I put a little chicken, a couple of carrots and a parsnip in some broth. . . and two previous meals, became a third meal. Leftover homemade chicken nuggets were put into a stir fry tonight. Soups are an awesome way to stretch your dollar, especially when using meats which can be expensive. Consider having a "vegetarian" night (or two) to try a variety of proteins and save on meat costs. There were a lot of really awesome tips on eating well and eating whole foods on a budget.

Tips for adding healthier foods into your family's diet: Pizza was a big topic of discussion here. Kids love pizza. It's a fun way for everyone to pick their own toppings, making your own crust you know what you're getting, just a few ingredients. It's easy to sneak dark greens into pizza sauce by wilting down kale, chard or spinach in just TBSP or 2 of water and some garlic or garlic powder and then blending it in it's own liquid. Carrot puree can also be added to red sauce (for pizzas or pastas and even into a chili base). Making food fun is another great way to get picky eaters to eat healthy, making food faces, anything through a straw, smoothies and DEFINITELY letting kids help when appropriate. It has often been said that when kids are involved in the making of their food, they are more likely to eat it.

Tips for healthy snacks for the early weeks of pregnancy: Thinking ahead. Having some whole grain crackers, or something very simple in the early weeks and being sure to eat first thing. Making meals when you are feeling well, so you're not tempted to eat poorly when you don't. Being sure to take snacks with you while you're out so that you don't feel 1)nauseous and 2) tempted to eat out.

Tips for eating well when traveling: Stock a cupboard with quick foods. Packaged foods aren't off limits, certain granola or "power" bars, easy snacks, prepackaging little bags of nuts or homemade trail mixes so you don't get bored. And again, thinking ahead.

Other thoughts: leaning towards a whole food diet, knowing what's in the food you eat (be a label reader), less is more (when a list of ingredients is concerned), make as much as you can from scratch so you know what's going into your food and into your body (or that of your children), none of us is perfect, consider an 80/20 diet (or a ratio that suits your family) 80% whole foods/healthy foods 20% indulgences. Try not to make food an "issue," and listen to your children's "needs" they are wonderful at hearing their own bodies and letting you know what nutrients they are in need of at any given time. Try for a balanced WEEK, not a balanced meal or a balanced day even, especially when it comes to tots. Have a "super hero" focused kid? Call healthy foods "grow foods" or "things that make you big and strong" and see if that doesn't persuade your Superman wannabe!

If you weren't at the meeting but are interested in a list of CSA's/Farmer's Markets/Co-ops/recipes and recipe sites that were discussed, feel free to email lllofmurray@gmail.com

Birth Control and Breastfeeding

This article was recently sent by one of our area leaders and with permission I posting it here:

We are receiving more and more reports from mothers of a decrease in milk production associated with the Mirena IUD. Today I received two such reports. Given the constant chronological relationship between the placement of the IUD and the mother’s decrease in milk production (1 to 2 weeks), it is quite possible that the decrease in milk production is a result of the IUD.

Of course, it is also likely that not all women will have a significant decrease; nobody contacts me when they don’t have a decreased production. But it is also likely that only a tiny percentage of women who do have a decrease actually contact me.

I think we need to be prudent and warn women about this possible side effect of the Mirena. All hormonal contraceptive methods should be avoided by breastfeeding mothers if possible.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC