Tag Archives: motherhood

About a Boy

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adorable formula fed baby

Meet Jack. He is my first born and the reason that Little World Organics exists. He propelled me into this wild ride they call motherhood almost eight years ago to the day. Man those first days were hard. I had no idea what I was doing. I was certain I would breastfeed him for at least a year. Formula? Ha! Not for my child. No way.

One of the most important pieces of advice my OBGYN gave me was at my postpartum check up after having sweet Jack. She told me that as a parent you will quickly learn things don’t always go as planned. You need to be flexible and able to roll with the punches.

You see, I was an emotional wreck. I didn’t know that like many other mothers I was dealing with postpartum depression. It wasn’t even on my radar. On top of that I was in a very bad headspace because I was failing at breastfeeding. Jack cried a lot. Not as much as my second child who no joke cried for two years straight, but enough to make me question my decision to have children at all.

At the time I didn’t realize he was crying so much and nursing around the clock because the poor little guy was hungry. I went to a lactation consultant who confirmed that Jack was not getting nearly enough breastmilk. She then prescribed a routine of triple feeding that just about blew my mind. I knew that the best choice for my mental health, my relationship with my husband and most importantly my newborn baby was to feed him formula.

As a new parent, I was inundated with stories and data emphasizing how crucial breastmilk was to the health and well-being of my son. I was certain that Jack would be sick all of the time if I fed him formula. I was sure he would graduate at the bottom of his class. But what I didn’t expect was the amazing bond and love that developed after accepting my new reality. I was rolling with the punches.

I was a formula-feeding good mom who was doing what was best for herself, her baby, and her family.

And you know what?

Everything turned out A-OK.

European infant formula fed baby. Holle 1. Little World Organics

Jack, who spent his first year of life drinking Holle 1 is now a rising second grader who loves soccer and school. He is a “mama’s boy” to the core, every teacher’s dream (hello rule follower!), and the most likely to care for me when I am old. I can count on one hand how many times he has been sick IN HIS LIFETIME, and he is in the GT program at school. I am not bragging (though I am extremely proud of my oldest child), but merely showing that formula feeding your child is not the end of the world.

For me, it was really just the beginning.

organic infant formula from europe formula fed boy healthy and smart second grader

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Holle Organic is the gold standard of organic European infant formula. For over 85 years, parents have trusted Holle to nourish their little ones and provide the most wholesome ingredients while caring for the environment, as well. To learn more about Holle infant formula or to make a purchase, click here.

Changing Your Formula Milk

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How to change your infant formula milk with ease
How to change your baby's infant formula milk

If you decide to switch brands or stages, you’ll want to keep a couple of factors in mind.

If you decide you want to change your baby’s formula milk to a different brand or stage (e.g. from infant to follow-on milk), or even if your current brand launches a new formulation, there are a couple of things to bear in mind.

First is the type of formula milk your baby is currently drinking. There are four main types of formula milk: cow’s milk based, goat’s milk based, soy-based and hydrolyzed protein formulas. Unless you’ve been advised by your GP to switch from one type to another (usually because of a suspected allergy), you’ll probably want to stick with the type of formula you’re already using. For most parents, this is a cow’s milk based formula.

You’ll also want to consider your baby’s age. If you’ve already started weaning, the transition from one formula to another can be quite quick. Try changing one feed on day one, followed by two feeds on day two, and so on until all feeds have been changed to the new formula.

If your baby is still only having milk, the transition may take a little longer. To start with, switch just one feed on both days one and two, and then switch two feeds on days three and four, and so on.

If you are changing to a different brand, instead of just a different stage of formula, you may want to swap as slowly as one feed every 2-3 days to allow your baby time to adjust to the new formulation.

Shop Little World Organics for certified organic infant formula from Europe

Shop Certified Organic Infant Formula from Europe here.

Brand Spotlight: kendamil organic

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Introducing the new and improved Kendamil Organic, the most natural and scientifically advanced organic formula on the market. Behind the scenes at Kendamil HQ, our team of R&D scientists have developed the brand new Kendamil Organic recipe to be our closest ever match to breastmilk. Kendamil Organic is exclusively made with ingredients sourced across the UK and now, for the first time, will include key nutrients as identified in breastmilk, including HMOs, ARA, nucleotides, taurine and L-Carnitine. Uniquely British, our nutritional standards remain above the rest.
Human Milk Oligosaccharides, better known as HMO’s, are the third largest solid component in human breastmilk, following lactose and lipids. Research has shown that HMOs can help with promoting good bacteria in the gut, development of the intestine and reducing the risk of pathogenic infection and allergy, while supporting brain development and cognitive function in infants. The new Kendamil Organic baby formula will also include Nucleotides, linked with improved immune function; Taurine, an amino acid that helps infants absorb fat and ARA, linked with improved visual acuity and cognitive development. We take extra care to source all ingredients without the use of hexane solvents. 
Crafted with over 58 years’ expertise, Kendamil Organic remains the most natural, traceable and sustainable formula in the world, still lovingly made in the Lake District using full-cream milk from grass-fed British Jersey cows – uniquely providing babies with natural milk fats, proven to result in reduced crying and favorable stool consistency. We’re proud to use zero palm oils (linked with reduced calcium absorption in infants) and to use zero fish oils, replaced instead by sustainably-sourced plant-based Omega-3 DHA.

Shop entire Kendamil range at lworganics.com.

What I Wore 12-8

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19 weeks 4 days pregnant and off to teach 2nd grade.
  1. Maternity V-Neck Long-Sleeve Tee size M
  2. Maternity Full-Panel Leggings 2-Pack size M
  3. Quilted Vest (old) similar here, here, here and here. Ordering this today because mine is a tad too small, and this Tommy Bahama vest is perfect for pregnancy! I love how long, loose, and comfy it looks. Adding to cart now. ✔️
  4. Women’s Lainee Heeled Scrunch Fashion Boots – Universal Thread™

Ordering this ↓ ASAP

Tommy Bahama Plush Fleece Vest

Baby Bennett’s Birth Story

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By Lacey Appolito

Three weeks ago, I delivered my fourth baby (second girl) with my most favorite OB and I couldn’t be more thrilled that my family is now complete. Two boys. Two girls. Lots of chaos. No shortage of love.

I have a weird habit of reading birth stories on my phone while taking a bath during my last month of pregnancy. As each week passes, I change my Google search… 36 week birth stories. 37 week birth stories. 38 week birth stories… You get the idea.

The final few weeks of pregnancy are filled with anticipation. Every cramp is scrutinized. Each trip to the bathroom is a quest for a lost mucous plug. It is fascinating to read how different women experience labor and birth, and exciting to imagine how your own will play out.

My first son Jack was born on a full moon, at 40+3 weeks after days of false labor. I was induced with my second son William at 41 weeks, and my daughter Evie’s birth was almost identical to what I experienced with Jack. It was a full moon and I endured several days of inconsistent but strong contractions before she was born at 39+5 weeks.

I thought for sure that my fourth baby Bennett would come early and fast since my body had birthed so many times before. And even though I know that how dilated you are doesn’t mean much in terms of when you will deliver, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed when I was barely a finger tip dilated and baby was very high at every single appointment leading up to my 40th week of pregnancy.

I was confident that a fourth baby would more or less fall out of my body, but it wasn’t looking like that would be the case at all. So, with the full support of my husband and OB, I scheduled an elective induction for Baby Bennett’s due date, and unlike my induction with William, I didn’t fret over my choice to induce at all.

In comparison to my spontaneous labors, William’s birth was less painful and more controlled. It really was an easy birth, and after a fast labor with Evie, I was worried that Bennett would be born in our car on the way to the hospital, which I wanted to avoid at all costs obviously.

Fast forward to my due date, September 14th, 2018. My husband and I checked into the hospital at 5AM. I quickly changed into my hospital gown and we rested while the nurse set up the Pitocin. Soon after the IV was placed, I felt a few mild contractions and about an hour later my OB came in to check my cervix, break my water, and insert an internal catheter to keep a closer eye on my contractions.

After my OB broke my water, which I have never experienced pre-epidural by the way 😳,  the Pitocin was cranked up and my body started to respond. I dilated from about one centimeter to five centimeters relatively quickly, and I felt confident that I would have a fast labor, after all.

Prior to my induction, I toyed with the idea of a natural birth. Of course I didn’t share this plan with anyone but my husband (who laughed because he knows me so well), so once I reached five centimeters the nurse started talking epidural.

I wasn’t in excruciating pain yet, but I also knew I did not want to feel the pain I felt with Evie, when I was eight centimeters dilated and clenching on to the side of the hospital bed for dear life, cussing and crying, begging for an epidural to take the pain away… So I agreed.

And then everything stopped.

For two hours I remained a little more than five centimeters dilated, but suddenly the situation changed. I started to feel the pain of each contraction again, and despite pressing the epidural button over and over again, the pain only intensified.

It wasn’t pressure I was feeling. It was the familiar stabbing sensation of labor. And it hurt like a mother.

The nurse checked my cervix and I was seven centimeters dilated. The pain continued, moving lower with each passing contraction.

“I’m feeling pressure!” I moaned to my nurse through clenched teeth, who decided to call my doctor up to check me again. Less than thirty minutes had passed and I was now nine centimeters dilated. The doctor wanted anesthesia to come push more medicine through my IV before birth, as the pain was unbearable at that point.

So we waited… briefly. Anesthesia never made it, as I was ten centimeters and ready to push within a couple of minutes.

My doctor returned, and sweet Bennett was born almost immediately. I pushed through two contractions and in an instant she was there! They placed her gooey body on my chest and she peed all over me, but I didn’t care. I was captivated by the moment. In awe of life and its miraculous ways.

It was a bittersweet moment in time, and one that I will cherish forever. My last pregnancy. My last birth story. My last time to experience the surreal feeling of bringing a child into the world.