Aussie Anzac Lactation Bikkies - Recipe for supporting/increasing milk supply

Every now and then I feel like writing about something other than cloth nappies... as much as I love them ;)

Since having my second bub, I'm once again thinking about milk supply and weight gain. LouLou, my first, starting sleeping 8 hours a night at around 8 weeks and would often sleep up to 5 hours during the day as well. She started this while we were on holidays. I assumed that because she was going to sleep ok and staying asleep she mustn't be hungry and must be getting enough. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and when we got back and weighed her she hadn't put on enough weight. So for the next 2 months, I did lots of expressing, trying to increase my supply, but at the 4month mark, she still wasn't putting on enough so I had to start supplementing with formula. And by 6months I had pretty much run out (and LouLou had grown teeth!) so I decided to give up. I was quite sad at the time, because I loved the connection we had while she was feeding, and it didn't seem quite the same with a bottle. But LouLou thrived and loved me just as much, if not more, for feeling full & healthy and I had one less (big!) thing to worry about, which was great!
So with ChaCha coming along, naturally I started thinking about it all again. While I was pregnant I found out about lactation cookies and teas and stored that info away for future reference, which is now :)

I found this great recipe for lactation cookies with helpful info on the ingredients and why she chose them. They're really yummy but also full of good stuff - a real "feel good" bikkie... and with choc chips! The recipe is here at Dr Momma.

I did find them a bit hard to make, though. The dough is quite dense and I almost burnt out my little electric hand beaters. If you had a mix-master or kitchen-aid it'd probably be easier. So anyway, I decided to make an Anzac version to make it a bit easier on myself and thought I'd share it with you, as I didn't notice any online in my searches. I've used the same key ingredients from the above recipe and added them to my Anzac recipe. I hope you like it!

Aussie Anzac Lactation Bikkies

1 1/2 C Rolled Oats
1 1/2 C Coconut (I use 1C dedicated & 1C shredded)
1 C Plain Flour (I use 1/2C white & 1/2C Wholemeal)
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 C Flaxseed Meal
3 Tbsp Brewers Yeast
3 Tbsp Golden Syrup
200g Butter
2 Tsp Bicarb Soda
4Tbsp Boiling water

1. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (oats, coconut, flour, sugar, flaxseed meal, brewers yeast), mix well, make a well in the centre and set aside.
2. In a medium sized glass (microwave safe) jug or bowl add the golden syrup and butter and microwave on high, stirring regularly, for 1 minute or until melted and hot.
3. Add the bicarb soda to boiling water, stir to dissolve and add immediately to the syrup mix. It will froth up a lot, so be ready to pour it into the dry ingredients.
4. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until well combined.
5. Roll heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls, place on tray and squash a little fork. To stop the mixture sticking to your hands and fork, wet them after each few balls.
6. Bake at 180C (160C fan forced) for 10-15mins or until golden.

Variations:
For extra fun (& nutrition) you could add 1/2c of chopped mixed nuts to the mix.
Or swap the golden syrup for honey and add peanuts for a "Crunchy Nut" version :)

These bikkies are a bit more "meaty" than regular Anzacs, but have the lovely Anzac flavour. Let me know what you think of them!

Disclaimer:
I do have to mention that if you too are blessed with a good sleeper, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have problems with supply like I did. There were a few other contributing factors that are worth mentioning.
Firstly, my mum had similar problems with the four of us, so there's a good chance it was partially genetic.
Secondly, we were on holidays and doing a lot of driving, so she might have been rocked to sleep in the car when she otherwise might have woken and cried for food.
I'll let you know how I go this time round :)

Nappying my Newborn - Prefolds, Fitteds & Covers

Intro:
In my stash of Newborn Nappies, the majority (and the ones that I use the most) are 2 piece systems - prefolds or fitteds with a separate cover. I prefer these for a couple of reasons:

• They're cheap,
• Interchangeable
• More realiable (2 layers of leak protection)
• Good fit / less bulky
• Less to wash when the cover doesn't need changing
• Prefolds can be re-used as boosters in larger nappies

There are also a few cons though:

• They can be fiddly - hard to get both pieces on properly when bub is wriggling
• Disposing of the soggy nappy
 

Features:
Prefolds
I've been using Hemp Babies Little Weeds and the Peapods Bamboo trifold boosters as my prefolds, which I fold into a triangle and put in the cover. (see pictures). I also have some proper cotton prefolds (with the thicker middle third, but find them more bulky and less absorbent)

Hemp Babies Prefold & Weehuggers Cover

To get a nice fit around the legs and create a bit of a poo-pocket, I roll the sides in a bit at the arrows.  Since Cha Cha is still quite small, I can fastened them at the front with a snappi. I like doing it this way because they are trimmer and fit more snugly around the legs, leaving less room for leaks onto the cover, but I often find that as I go to put the cover on, she wriggles and it all comes apart, so I sometimes end up just wrapping it around her and putting the cover on as tight as I can to hold it in place :s

 I've found that already at 8 weeks, I'm needing to boost my Hemp Babies, but the Peapods are still lasting the distance.  I'm boosting them with the bamboo boosters from the small Baby Beehinds Magicalls (All In Ones)  and Pikapu microfibre boosters.

Fitteds:

Geobels

I managed to find some Geobels Fitteds second hand on Used Nappies and I really like them. They are bamboo terry fabric and come with a little booster. The wings are quite long and overlap across the front and I use a snappi to keep them in place and then the front of the nappy folds down over the top, to give a great adjustable fit. They are a little bulkier than a (snappi-ed) prefold and take a bit longer to dry but are very absorbent, rarely leak and aren't as fiddly to put on.

Bum Cheeks make a newborn prefold that I also love - bamboo fleece, with a snap in booster and snap closure - they fit really nicely and hold quite a lot - haven't had any leaks yet.

Thirsties Fab Fitted

While I'm here, let me quickly tell you about the Thirsties Fab Fitteds as well. They're made of microfibre wich and extra layer sewn in the centre and fasten with velcro - I have the small size and they're still a little big for Cha Cha, but I loved them on Lou Lou and almost ditched the rest of my stash and bought a whole set. The thing I love about microfibre on little bubs is that it's so lovey and squishy even when it's wet - not solid like bamboo - it seems so much more comfy :) 
UPDATE:  At 9 weeks they're fitting quite well and I still love them!

I also have a 2 tots Bots but they're still a bit big... more on those later


Covers:

Thirsties X Small (and gussets), Thirsties Size 1, Baby Beehinds, Imse Vimse, Pikapu, Weehuggers

I have so many - all PUL some velcro and some snaps

Thirsties Size XSmall and Size 1 - lovely thin stretchy PUL and soft elastic. Velcro closure. Double Gussets. The Size 1 has sizing snaps and the other doesn't, cute colours and prints.

Baby Beehinds Newborn - PUL sandwiched between 2 layers of polyester to protect the PUL coating (good quality!) and wide leg elastic, Strong velcro closure. Cute colours, prints and minkee! Although this one doesn't have double gussets, the wider ealastic makes a good, comfy fit around the legs.

Imse Vimse Organic Cotton Premmie - PUL with organic cotton outer (the PUL side of the polyester is sandwiched between the layers so the PUL isn't exposed.  Lovely and gentle, with wide wings, elasticised waist and velcro closure.  Great fit right from the beginning. Double Gussets

Pikapu Newborn & Blueberry Mini Coverall - These 2 are very similar, the Blueberry is slightly bigger.  They are the same style as the Thirsties with sizing snaps, but not quite as thin and stretchy -  stretchy PUL, velcro closure, sizing snaps, double gusset.

Weehuggers - snap closure, double gussets, gorgeous prints! This one has an inner flap at the front and back to tuck the prefold into, which keeps it nicely in place, however, if used with a fitted it gets soggy.

Bum Cheeks Newborn - PUL with snap closure. A little bigger leg holes, was too big over my prefolds at 5wks, but fits better now (8wks)  3 snaps on each wing to combat wing droop.

I like and use them all, but prefer the softer , stretchier ones - they seem more comfy. Generally, the thinner the cover the stretchier it is and therefore it's easier to fit and seem more comfy, but if the laminate layer is exposed, it could potentially deteriorate quicker. Although, because these are only used for a few months, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I find the velcro is heaps easier to fasten on a small and wriggly bub, but it can sometimes rub on their tummy, which must be unpleasant.

The sizing snaps are handy and make the cover use-able for longer, but add bulk and warp the leg holes a bit.

Double gussets are ingenious and fit so beautifully snug around the legs!  A definite must for keeping in newborn poo-plosions!

Summary:
So, as you can probably tell, I'm having a hard time picking my favourites, I love the trimness of the hemp prefolds with the Imse Vimse cover, but the asorbency and fit of the Geobels with the soft thirsties covers is great for longer periods.

As I mentioned before they can be fiddly, which is annoying especially in the middle of the night, and I've also found it slightly more tricky to dispose of the soggy nappy. I use mainly pockets on my 21mth old, Lou Lou, and when I change her, I just roll them up and fasten the wings together, so I have a nice parcel to put to the side (or on the floor!) while I dress her. But with these, when I re-use the cover, I have a soggy prefold to deal with. I have been hanging a wet bag off the corner of my change table and putting them in there, but an icecream bucket would be another option. Or I could use a clean cover for each change, and then after I take the nappy to the laundry, I could bring the cover back and load it with another prefold, ready for the next change. This would give the cover time to air and would make the next change easier... I like this idea - I'm going to have to try it :)

So they're my thoughts on my collection of prefolds, fitted nappies and covers. Let me know if you have any questions :) Or leave a comment and let me know how you nappy your newborn. Which nappies are your favourites?

Nappying my Newborn - Intro and Index

Welcoming new bub and super model: ChaCha :)

It's been 5 crazy weeks, but she's finally testing out all my newborn nappies, which lots of fun!
Most of my newborn stash consists of prefolds & covers, but I've also got some All in Ones and All in Twos. And once she's got through all of those, we'll start on all the One Size nappies my 20 month old is using :)

These are the brands I'll be testing:
Prefolds: Hemp Little Weeds, Peapods bamboo absorbers, Pikapu microfibre
Covers: Baby Beehinds, Bumcheeks, Pikapu, Thirsties, Weehuggers, Blueberry, Imse Vimse, Motherease, Tots Bots
Fitteds: Fluffies, Baby Beehinds, Motherease, Geobels, Tots Bots, Thirsties
All In Ones (AIOs): Pikapu, Itti Bitti, Baby Beehinds
All In Twos (AI2s): Baby Beehinds Petites, Eenee, Cushie Tushies, Itti Bitti
One Size: Cushies, Peapods, Bum Genius, Baby Kangas, Baby Beehinds Magicall Multifits, Itti Bitti Tutto

Overview:
With my first daughter, LouLou, I did a lot of research but still couldn't work out what I wanted, so I ended up buying quite a few brands in different styles to try out.
For a newborn a lot of people were adamant that prefolds & covers were the best way to go, and I have to agree - cheap, easy, less bulky, less leaks and you can use them as boosters in your other nappies when your child is older!

Other people skip the newborn nappies altogether and go straight to small or one size nappies, which I can completely understand! They're only in them for such a short time, and it can a few of those weeks to feel ready to tackle cloth nappies, especially if it's your first. I'm keen to see how long it will take Charlotte to fit those bigger nappies and which One size nappies really do fit from birth :)

Use the list above to find your way to the reviews you're interested in.