BREASTFEEDING & PARENTING

Choosing a company to work for as an independent working woman is one thing but once you become pregnant everything changes. Some women don't expect to get pregnant at their current job and could care less about the company’s policies on maternity leave. I am here to warn you that the company you work for is just as important as the hospital you choose to deliver your baby.  America is lagging behind when it comes to benefits for working mothers among other civilized countries. The United States remains the only country in the developed world that does not mandate employers offer paid leave according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. American women have been working later into their pregnancies and going back to work sooner after birth. Research has shown that paid maternity leave is associated with better job performance and retention among mothers, increased family incomes, and increased economic growth.

As a mother and a wife there are numerous things you tend to feel guilty about but taking time for yourself should not be one of them. Every day many mothers grapple with making time for themselves and fulfilling their needs for their family. Even when you get a moment to yourself you tend to feel guilty because your habitual thought process is saying what else do I have to do? You find it difficult to sit down and relax because you know you have forgotten to do something. There seems to never be enough time to do it all, especially if you're a working mom. I noticed that the little things that are important to our well being we neglect sometimes and put everyone else's needs in front of our own. This type of behavior is detrimental to our spirit and can lead to depression, anxiety and a breakdown of a marriage if you are not careful. If your daily routine has always been doing everything for other people and neglecting yourself you will be miserable. I know from experience that if you don't take care of you first you will die a slow spiritual death. If this sounds like I am being selfish, then good it's time for me and you to become more selfish and take care of ourselves. Why do some of us think that we have to wait until our kids are grown to get our lives back? By that time it might be too late. The time is now. There are ways to manage our time more effectively and methods to decrease the workload such as:

As I was strolling through my feed on Instagram I noticed an interesting headline.  Hmmm... I thought no way this has to be fake news, let me do further research. As I began to investigate some more I found tons of online news articles stating the same exact information. There is now a potential cure for HPV!

Why are so many parents skeptical about vaccinations? Let's face it over the last 20 years many parents are hesitant towards vaccinating their children and to be quite frank, I can't blame them. No one wants to even take the flu shot. I remember taking the flu shot years ago and immediately I became ill. As a result of my bad experience, I was deterred from ever getting the flu shot ever again, nor did I want my children to take it. Even though the flu can be deadly, I don't trust it and wasn't sure that it would prevent the flu. I chose to be exposed rather than vaccinated.

Must we attend every school performance? Is it ok for a parent to say I don't feel like going? I love my children but when these events come up I dread them and here's why. It may be the Fall Talent show or the Winter Festival it doesn't matter what they call it, you are required to attend. Your children repeatedly remind you of the date and the time of the show. It is harassment on every level.  Its as if you are forced to attend and be thrilled about going. I know some of you are reading this saying oh my goodness she is so mean but hear me out before becoming judgemental. There are many of you reading this right now who can relate to what I am saying. I’m going to state what every parent wants to say but doesn’t, I despise school performances. I loathe them, especially in this era. It is very difficult to just sit back and enjoy the show.  If you're from New York City you would know our school auditoriums have not changed since I was a kid. Same ole hard wooden seats, bad speakers and terrible microphones. You come on time and the front row is already taken. You and your family members try to take the closest seat possible because you need to make sure your child knows you have arrived and make sure they see you in the audience.

Is it just me or are dads stepping up in a big way? Many fathers nowadays play an active role in their children's lives. More fathers are taking on more responsibility when it comes to their children. We see you in Starbucks feeding your babies, strolling down the streets with your baby carriers and doing your part as a dad.  I am not stating that we should begin to roll out the red carpet for them just yet. Men do one thing right, which is what they are supposed to be doing and we are quick to applaud them or pat them on the back. Dads are standing up and declaring a comfortable space to change their children's dirty diapers.

Elephants and humans look completely different, but we share similar beliefs. These are 6 lessons we implement that the Elephant’s Matriarchal Society implements as well. Do you agree on all of these?

The recipe for mother's milk is an ancient, powerful, healing formula. Science hasn’t perfected the formula yet and there’s still so much to discover about its magnificent wonders. It’s a recipe that female bodies have been developing for 300 million years, no wonder it contains so much…magic.

Moms Pump Here is proud to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with our global mom communities.

All this week we will celebrate our 4th Annual Virtual Latch-On ! Tag us on all of your brelfies, breastfeeding photography, blogs and videos.

Summertime is the perfect time of year to be outdoors and by the water. We get new bathing suits, toys to build sand castles, beach umbrellas or new floaties for the pool. But what about summer safety. How prepared are you to be by the beach or pool with your baby?