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Picky or Problem Eaters

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“Picky Eaters” Will Not Starve Themselves
But Problem or Resistant Eaters Might

by ISA MARRS

I spend a lot of time writing and speaking about picky eating. When I say “picky eater” I am referring to a child who has picky behaviors but can learn to eat a broader diet and change the bad habits that are negatively impacting themselves and their families. However, when it comes to feeding disorders there is a continuum of severity. And many of you have children with more severe food aversions.

Approximately two-thirds of children on the autistic spectrum have severe food aversions which can impact their growth and development. While this population of children often has feeding aversions it is in no way limited to them.

Read more at SpeechLanguageFeeding.com

Poop Goop for Constipation

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Does your child have problems with constipation? Do you want a solution other than laxatives or stool softeners? Tiffany Jensen shared two great recipes called Poop Goop.

Poop Goop 1
1 cup raisins
1 cup prunes
1/4 cup dates
8 ounces prune juice
~Mix together in a blender or food processor. Store in the refrigerator.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per day.

Poop Goop 2
1 orange
1 apple (with skin)
1 cup raisins
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup prune juice
1/2 cup orange juice
~Mix together in a blender or food processor. Store in the refrigerator.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per day.

How Do I Choose a Breast Pump

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When deciding what kind of pump to use or if one is even necessary, it is helpful to consider what your needs will be for expressed milk. Some women find that they never need to use a pump after seeing how easy it is to take a breastfed baby along. Others who will be away from the baby for specific times will need some way to express milk. Many women find it easy to hand express milk when needed. LLLI offers an information sheet Manual Expression Of Breast Milk which is available in the LLLI Online Store or from your local LLL Leader.

If you find you do need a pump, there are many different kinds of pumps available. Selecting the best pump can be likened to choosing a handbag–there are many options, and what works for one woman is not necessarily the best option for another. Some considerations when thinking about pumps are cost, portability, noise level, ease of use and efficiency. There are manual (hand operated) pumps ($14-$50) which often are helpful for those who want to pump on an occasional basis to leave milk for baby. Most are easy to operate, are small, and easy to transport. Some require two hands and others operate with only one hand. The “bicycle horn” style manual pump is NOT recommended. There are also small electric pumps ($30-$150) available from different manufacturers. These use batteries or AC adapters to supply the power and are still quite small and portable. Some are quiet and some are not.

See more at: La Leche League

Expressing Breast Milk

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Learning to express milk manually can be trickier than it sounds.

To express milk manually, gently massage to start the milk moving down the ducts.  Work evenly around the breast, stroking repeatedly downward toward the areola. Starting about halfway up the breast, run your thumb firmly down.  As it reaches the edge of the areola, press in and up and the milk will squirt from the nipple.  Repeat all the way around the breast. Do not squeeze the nipple as this will close the ducts, nor continue expressing until you think the breast is empty.   Stop when  the milk starts coming in drips rather than jets.

For more information go to: Breastfeeding.com

Reasons for Using a Breast Pump

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If you choose to breastfeed, you may also need to pump your breasts sometimes. This article from BabyCenter.com gives lots of information on using a breast pump. Here are the main topics covered.

See more at: BabyCenter.com on using a breast pump