
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. from NYT Health https://ift.tt/2Imh6Fg
via IFTTT
Fun fact, I just had a baby. Well, almost 7 months ago. Leading up to her birth, like many first time moms, the only way to calm my nerves was to prep. So I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. A lot. I made tons of freezer meals, babka bites, muffins, cookies. you name it. I made so much that our stand alone freezer was completely full and I am pretty sure I still have some blueberry muffins in there that we just never got to. One of the items I made in advance, that I actually think were a great item to have waiting in the freezer, were these little energy bites.
I imagined life with a newborn would be crazy and I wouldn’t have time to sit down to eat although I would be constantly starving from all the breastfeeding I was doing. All of that was not totally wrong. It was actually spot on. And these little bites were perfect little energy boosts. What made them extra great? I packed them full of milk boosting ingredients to really get the most bang for the ball (sorry that was horrible).
What also makes these little guys great? They are not just for new moms, no these are the perfect pre or post workout snack, late afternoon snack, 2nd breakfast, 3rd breakfast. You get the point.
I made sure these bites were full of lots of good stuff but also that they tasted good becuase honestly, life with a newborn is hard enough, no need ot make it harder by forcing yourself to eat anything less than delicious. The base of these is peanut butter, but any nut butter will do, a little honey or maple syrup to sweeten, and vanilla to add just a nice rounded flavor panel. Then I included lots of ingredients that are said to have milk boosting properties like oats, flax, chia seeds, and even brewers yeast (I had never even heard of brewers yeast before but alas here we are). Lastly, I had to add in chocolate chips because what kind of monster would make energy bites without chocolate chips??
*As I mentioned earlier these are great to make in advance and freeze. Just make sure to put them in an airtight freezer safe container. They should be ok for at least a month in the freezer. Whenever you are ready to eat them, take them out and let them come to room temp, or put a few in the fridge for the week and just snack on them as needed.
Recipe created for stuytown.com
Photos by Jill Paice: @copperspooncollective
This morning when I was looking at my blog statistics, I discovered that “Lactation Lament” is my blog that has the most views. Today, I thought I would expand on it with “Never Give Up!!!”
Why today? Because today is December 30. It also marks 5 months of being formula free and only being on breastmilk (plus now some Stage 1 food)! This is huge, and I share that so others can see the importance of never giving up! If you’ve read my first blog on this subject, then you know how easy it would have been for me to quit. However, I’m stubborn and to quote one of my business mentors, Julie Weaver, “You don’t tell a redhead what she will or will not do.” We’re spunky that way!
Breastfeeding isn’t the only time LilKsby has taught me to never give up. When he wanted to sit up, but didn’t have the core control to do so, he did baby crunches until he could sit up. Now his favorite thing to do is sit up and play with his toys! When he wanted to not have to do tummy time, LilKsby rocked himself sideways again and again until eventually he could roll over! Currently, he’s applying this never give up mentality to learning to crawl. Everyday he gets a little closer!
Imagine if all of us could have the determination of babies. What if, no matter what naysayers might try and tell us, we never gave up on our goals? What could we accomplish in life if we would just keep going? I imagine that we could conquer the world with the right attitude!
As a new decade is about to begin(raise your hand if you’re ready to party like Gatsby), I want you and myself to be like LilKsby and never give up! Whatever your goal might be, I’m here to cheer you on as you cross the finish line! I hope that our successes can inspire you (and myself) on any future endeavors!
XOXO,
The Great Kaysby
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global initiative of the WHO and UNICEF launched in 1991 to support breastfeeding. As of 2019, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and Prince of Wales are designated Baby-Friendly, with Pamela Youde Nethersole, Tuen Mun, Kwong Wah, United Christian and Princess Margeret awarded different levels of participation and commitment. Gleneagles is the only private hospital with a Certificate of Commitment to becoming Baby Friendly.
But, just because your hospital is not accredited does not mean that resources are not available. The nurse may not be the most knowledgeable, but most hospitals have lactation consultants on hand to help you get a good start on breastfeeding.
A great way to prepare is to take the La Leche League Breastfeeding course. I recommend La Leche’s course over any other because it is a nonprofit organisation with 41 one year’s history in Hong Kong. The course is taught by a La Leche League leader who has themselves breastfed for over a year. All classes also include a copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, the tome of reviving breastfeeding. If you can’t make a class, there are always the monthly meetings, or their hotline where you can ask questions over the phone. It is an invaluable resource.
More Resources
For more information on which hospitals are accredited, and what that means, check out Baby Friendly Initiative’s Website here.
For the Chinese La Leche League Meetings, check out their Facebook Page here