Archives for April 2020

Gestational Diabetes Breakfast Round-up

April 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

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My diagnosis with Gestational Diabetes was a bit overwhelming at first, I’ll be totally honest! I will also be the first to tell you that I very quickly got sick of eating eggs…especially for breakfast! (you can read my takeaways from that whole experience HERE!) After a lot of trial and error, I found some tried and true breakfast options that gave me fantastic sugar levels, so I rounded them all up to share with you, my fave people. And hey, if you are new to this whole thing, go grab yourself a FREE downloadable sugar tracker HERE.

So, without further adieu, let’s eat breakfast!

1. Greek Yogurt

I think I ate Greek Yogurt for breakfast 5-6 days a week, not even kidding! I grew to love it. While I had some success with the flavored ones, I got my best results buying plain and flavoring it myself! Remember, protein offsets carbs. But the lower you can keep the carbs, the better your numbers will be.

Most mornings, I fixed myself a big fat bowl of yogurt, added a couple of packets of Splenda (or whatever no calorie sweetener you prefer) and some vanilla extract . It tastes amazing but has no sugar! This is also a great addition to a more carb heavy meal to help offset.

2. Egg and Cheese Omelettes

These are way easy to whip up quickly and taste far better than just boring ol’ scrambled eggs! I love this recipe over at Mr. Breakfast. Delicious!

3. Hard Boiled Eggs

I typically made up a big batch of these at the beginning of the week so that I had them on hand in the fridge and was set up for success. On mornings when you just don’t feel like making something fancy, or don’t have the time, grab and go hard boiled eggs are the answer! Jessica Gavin gives a great tutorial for the ways to make them over on her blog!

4. Almond Crusted Quiche

This one requires a bit more planning ahead but it is so worth it! In fact, we had it for dinner a few times, too! You could make a couple of these up in the evening and keep them in the fridge for a quick re-heat in the morning! The almond crust takes out most of the carb content, but it tastes so good that you hardly miss it! Grab that recipe HERE!

5. Protein Shakes

These are a life-saver for when you are in a hurry! Or when you make a bad choice and have too many carbs and need a quick fix to bring your sugar down! (Been there, done that!) They are especially delicious if you freeze them and then eat them with a spoon like ice cream! Premier Protein were my favorite and this variety pack gives you options!

6. Protein Bars

Just like the shakes, these are great for grab and go mornings! I almost always took one of these on OB appointment days, because I had an hour drive and was usually in a hurry! They are a tiny bit more carb-filled, but always still gave me great numbers. Plus you feel like you are having a treat! Here are a few that were my favorites!

7. Bacon, egg and cheese on whole wheat toast

I found that if I put enough protein in my sandwich, I could get away with whole wheat toast! The Incredible Egg has a great recipe, but you can totally keep it simple here! Try it and see how your numbers do!

There you have it! A breakfast option for each day of the week! My biggest recommendation: Find what you like. Keep it simple, but vary it up as much as you can!

Hang in there, mama! You’ve got this! And it will be SO worth it when you hold that little one for the first time!

By the way, this is the one thing I wish I had known about when I had Gestational Diabetes! My biggest struggle was eating the same things over and over again, and eMeals has totally shaken that up for me! You can choose Keto and Low Carb meal plans and they will curate delicious recipes FOR you! Try 2-weeks FREE on me!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

April 15, 2020 2 Comments

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As I will tell you time and again, I am a firm believer in galactagogues! And also in cookies! 🙂 They work very well for me in terms of increasing breastmilk supply and have been a staple in my establishing this time around, especially! (Check out my post about increasing supply HERE) Fenugreek does terrible things to my supply, so I have gotten creative. I came up with this recipe when I was nursing Addilyn, and after having a lot of success with them, had a few batches frozen and ready to go when I came home from the hospital with Lilliana.

I tried my hand at quite a few different lactation cookies, but most are dry and honestly just gross! I tried the expensive ones that you order online, but with our budget that was just not a sustainable option for me. Once I perfected these delicious milk bombs, I have never gone back! I keep them on hand and eat a few a day (sometimes for breakfast…) and can definitely tell on the days that I don’t.

Soon to be mama? Do yourself a favor and make about 5 batches before you have your baby! Struggling with supply? Make some today and enjoy a few extra! You will thank me, I promise!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

Servings: 20-25 Cookies
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp Brewer’s Yeast
4 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, Brewer’s yeast, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated.
Add in the dry ingredients a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula until well distributed.
Roll into balls that are approximately 1 inch in diameter.
Place on your cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden.
Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

You can totally stop at the “roll into ball” phase and freeze these! I typically double the recipe and freeze (at least) half. Simply place them on a cutting board, close together but not touching, and freeze for a few hours. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months! Then you can just pull out a few (or a dozen) at a time and bake. It is also super handy when dropping a meal to a new mom to gift her a bag of dough balls to bake when she wants them!

If you’re struggling with the dreaded Postpartum hair loss, read how I healed mine here! I had it so bad the second time around. These are my tried-and-true remedies!

Check out my viral chocolate buttercream recipe, while you’re here!

Vindication or Sanctification?

April 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

I spent a lot of time this past weekend reflecting on the sacrifices that Jesus made for us, as I’m sure many did. In fact, Friday afternoon I was reading in Matthew about the events leading up to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, which I have read so many times in my life.

Then just Friday night as we were putting the kids to bed, tensions came to a head and my husband and I did not show the best versions of ourselves. (Hey, we are human!) He went on to put Addie to bed, and I stormed off to our bathroom to fume over it a bit more. As I stood in front of the mirror, I asked Jesus to give me some strength because I was at the end of what I felt like I could handle in that moment. Then I remembered a sermon on marriage that we had listened to recently.

See, marriage is not meant to be sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it’s not meant to be easy. Marriage is meant to sanctify us and teach us to be more like Christ. It is actually a place where the ugliest parts of us so often arise, and I don’t think that is by mistake. We can choose to peace out when things get hard, or we can choose to see that exposure for what it is-a call to pray for help and work on that area of ourselves.

In that moment of frustration and conviction, I prayed “Father, Instead of the vindication that I feel entitled to, may I seek the sanctification that you have called me to.” Instead of storming back into the room once it was just us and making sure that my point was made and everyone acknowledged that I was right and he was mean (hah!), I needed to follow the example of Jesus in the garden the night of his arrest.

“Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?””

Matthew 26:50-54 ESV

Jesus was entitled to vindication, far moreso than I ever will be. It was His right to see that servant’s ear struck off. But He chose sanctification and grace over vindication. And if the purpose of marriage is sanctification, then I ought to do the same, right?!

Marriage is not the only avenue to practice this discipline though. We are wronged by people every day. The car that cuts us off. The keyboard warrior that gets us riled up on social media. The friend that ignores us or says a hurtful word. Our bosses and co-workers. The person who fights us for the last roll of toilet paper. 🙂

In every facet of our daily lives, instead of the vindication that we feel (and may very well be) entitled to, may we seek the sanctification that Christ has called us to.

How to Increase Milk Supply (without Fenugreek!)

April 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

My breastfeeding journey with Addilyn was anything but easy. I battled low supply, and worried constantly about her (lack of) weight gain. I also learned the hard way that products containing Fenugreek actually tanked my milk supply. Like almost made me dry up, which apparently happens for half of the women that try it!

So throughout that journey, I learned a lot of things that I have used to empower myself for my journey with Lilliana! I am so happy to report that I have a fantastic supply, and baby girl is thriving! I primarily nurse, but pump just to have extra in the freezer should I dry up or get sick, etc. With Addilyn, I would feed her and then pump once a day usually. That pumping session I pretty much consistently would get about 2 oz total between both breasts. If I pumped in the middle of the night (without feeding her) I would get about 4 oz total. As I am writing this post, Lillie is 4 weeks old, and I am consistently getting 4-5oz from one side when I pump! That is a major win for this low-supply mama!

All of that to say, I feel like I absolutely MUST share this knowledge with you, my sweet readers. I am sure if you are reading this, mama, you are worried about your own milk supply. I want to be the first to tell you, you are doing fantastic! Keep it up! But these tips and tricks should help make it a bit easier. 🙂

1. A Good Breastpump is SO important!

I cannot stress this enough! I have tried a Spectra S2, Medela, a Motif and a Lansinoh and I have to say that the Spectra S2 is my favorite by far! They all work well, but I get the best milk removal in the shortest time with my Spectra.

If you have insurance, Aeroflow is fantastic! Click that little picture right below here and go fill out the form! They will file your insurance for you and make the whole process so incredibly easy. Take the hassle out! If you don’t have insurance, you can order a Spectra on Amazon and get it right to your house!

2. Use a Haakaa, and do it early!

I discovered this little wonder about 3 months into my breastfeeding journey with Addie, and at that point my supply was already regulated. Still helpful? Sure! You just suction it onto whichever breast your baby isn’t nursing from and it gently draws out the milk and catches your letdown. I am not a leaker, but if you are, this will be even more wonderful for you! No more wasted milk! Even with a regulated supply, I would get about a half or a full ounce out each time I used it. So over the course of the day if I added it all up, I would have about 6oz of milk that I could put in my freezer.

This time, I started using my Haakka when Lillie was about 2 weeks old. This is so important to start early, because if you don’t fully empty your breast, your body will take that as a signal to produce less milk. The Haakaa helps make sure you are fully drawing all of the milk out of your breast which in turn encourages your body to up production! Since I started it earlier this time, I average about 1.5-2oz per breast (sometimes a little more!) when I use it, so I am starting to really stash away some milk!

I absolutely love this because it helps remove (and store up!) milk without having to use your pump that often at all. A pump is still way more efficient and if you need to increase, I would recommend using it at least once a day. But the Haakaa is a great tool to have!

3. Galactagogues!

You will hear some people say that they don’t work. I beg to differ! I swear by them and can tell a difference same-day! The big things that have worked for me are Oatmeal (or anything containing oats!), Brewer’s Yeast and Flax seed. I need to write up my lactation cookie recipe, but there are a lot of them out there! Find one you like and stock up! I eat oatmeal for breakfast most mornings, just to jumpstart things for the day.

I prefer this Brewer’s Yeast because you can’t taste it! Check out the Amazon list at the bottom of this post for a few other tried-and-true galactagogues!

4. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate!

Your body needs water to create milk. If you don’t drink enough, you won’t make enough milk. It’s a simple enough rule, but easy to forget in the stress of caring for a newborn! I personally keep my big hospital cup at my breastfeeding area. My goal is to drink the whole thing while I am sitting there nursing. Milk out, water in. I have made it a habit so much that I notice immediately if I am sitting down feeding the baby and don’t have water. If you can do this, you shouldn’t have a problem with hydration!

5. Stop stressing.

I know. Your doctor is on you about your baby’s weight gain. You have gotten mixed advice from mommy groups and lactation consultants. You probably feel confused and overwhelmed. Let me tell you…this was me! I cried over it. And it was a major contributing factor to my postpartum depression the first go around. My whole world centered around breastfeeding this baby and I was failing at it miserably (so I thought).

Here’s the funny thing. Stress actually can prohibit letdown. All of that worrying may actually be making it harder on you! I decided this time around that I was just going to feed my baby and try not to overthink it. Am I sure that is why things are going better? No. But I can tell you that I am mentally in a 100% better place, and we are doing great!

6. Perfect your latch.

This is really important! If your baby isn’t latching deep enough, it will cause supply issues. This was part of our problem the first time around and takes some work to get right. Seeing a lactation consultant can be super helpful with this, especially early on! Your baby is learning just like you. Help them get a good latch to efficiently remove milk, and you will have much better luck!

Most of the time, the hospital that you deliver at will have lactation consultants that you can see even after you are discharged. Just ask for their info! Our pediatrician’s office actually has two on staff as well and they have been lifesavers for me!

7. Warm compress.

I absolutely love these Lansinoh Therapy packs! I apply them about 20 minutes before a feeding or pumping session (I leave them on when I am pumping), and they help the milk to let down a lot quicker! Not to mention they are just soothing. 🙂 I highly recommend ordering a set! You can chill them for pain, too!

8. Hold off a little on the Paci (or bottle) if at all possible!

I know, it can be maddening when you spend 30 minutes nursing your newborn and then the second you pass them off or lay them down, they are screaming for your boob. I get it. I wanted to kill my husband when he would look at me and say “she just needs you. I have nothing for her.” I just wanted a break. And there were times I wanted to crawl out of my skin at the thought of latching that baby back on to my sore breasts when she just came off. And hey, if it is causing you mental distress then by all means, just do the Paci. But if you can possibly stomach it, it is SO helpful to wait! Not only does it prevent nipple confusion (which causes latch issues) for your baby, but all of that stimulation actually triggers your body to make more milk! It is biological.

So as much as you can for the first month, do skin-to-skin and latch your baby as often as possible. Ideally for 6-8 weeks until your supply can regulate, but I caved on the Paci at 4 weeks with both of my girls. Not in place of a feeding, but just for those moments when I knew she was fully fed and just wanted something to suck.

Following all of those tips has made a world of difference for us this time around! Lillie is eating well, mama is mentally less stressed out, and I am building a pretty beefy freezer stash (for a low-supply mama!) really early on this time!

Have you tried any other tricks?? Share with us in the comments! (And be careful with Fenugreek! As I said, it works great for some, and causes major issues for others….like me!)

Check out this post on my Breastfeeding Must-Haves, too!

Tea for Two Sugar Cookies!

April 6, 2020 Leave a Comment

Addie’s Tea for Two Birthday Party was easily one of my favorite get-togethers that I have ever thrown! Even more-so because I pulled it off the day before my induction with Lilliana. Nothing like a good crunch time party to kick labor off with a bang!

When your mommy is a cookier… you simply cannot have a party without fancy cookies! Creating this set for my sweet girl was so much fun and they made her so happy. They were the perfect addition to her special day!

I added the little tea bag cookies as an afterthought, so I hand cut them using a rectangle cutter and a coffee straw to punch the hole!

They looked so pretty sitting on the tables! Pink and florals are the epitome of a girly tea party! A plate of cookies everywhere you turn is every little girl’s dream. 🙂

Want to try your hand at them?? Grab my Sugar Cookie recipe HERE, and my Royal Icing recipe HERE!

Four Ingredient Dill Chicken Salad

April 3, 2020 Leave a Comment

When we threw Addilyn’s “Tea for Two” Birthday party, I decided last minute that I needed another substantial food item. I had plenty of light snacks and sweets, but with it falling at lunch time I knew I needed something else.

After digging around a bit to see what I had on hand (this was literally at like 8pm the night before!), I decided some chicken salad was the answer! My mother-in-law was bringing croissants anyway so I had all that I needed. If you are in a pinch and need a quick idea, this recipe is for you! I had several party guests (hubs included!) tell me that they typically don’t like chicken salad, but thought this was fantastic. Major win, for a thrown together meal!

Four Ingredient Dill Chicken Salad

Servings: 24
Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded (I did mine in the slow cooker with broth for 6 hours)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp onion powder
4 tbsp fresh chopped dill (you could use dried but the flavor won’t be as strong)

Directions:

Shred your cooked chicken. I did mine in the slow cooker the night before and put it in the fridge overnight. You could totally do it in the InstantPot if you are in a pinch!
Chop your fresh dill. I typically just cut with my kitchen shears because it’s quick and easy. Feel free to add more or less dill to taste!
Add your Mayonnaise, onion powder and dill to your shredded chicken. Adjust the amount of Mayonnaise to your preference! If you like it more creamy, add a bit more!
Chill and serve! That is literally it! SO easy and quick!