Saturday, March 28, 2009

I'm a Mom! Holy Crap!

OK this is a big deal- my first post since Baby Q was born!
The most coherent thought in my head is that I am obsessed with getting baby stuff to people who need it.
The other day I had just finished breastfeeding. Baby was sleeping on my chest and husband and I were sitting around the living room chilling. My husband said, "Formula is so expensive! It's like liquid gold. Do you know that it's the most stolen item?"
Me: "Oh my gosh that makes me want to cry." And I promptly started crying.
It is so satisfying to me to feed my baby, and to think that someone else cannot feed their baby and needs to steal food for it is just horrible. I mean, you can't feed babies anything but breastmilk or formula up to 6 months (or something like that, I'll worry about those details later). Someone who can't afford formula probably has to work, and therefore probably can't breastfeed unless they pump, and for some people that's just not feasible. But their babies still need food.
SO. I have got to find out where I can donate formula and stuff to local families. I'm sure there are many national places I can just give money to; that option's alright too.
But I also have some baby stuff here that I don't want- blankets, and clothes that are gender neutral that I don't need, and I want those to go directly to local people if they need it.

I mean, maybe they don't need it. I don't know.
So. One of my projects in the hours that the baby is sleeping (besides me napping, eating, and getting a shower) is figuring out who needs stuff and how to get it to them.
The end!
Yes! I wrote a post!!!!

A pregnant friend came over the other day; I told her about my and my husband's formula conversation and she started crying, too. I don't think it's only hormones. It's knowing how much food means to a baby. It's all they do. They eat, sleep and poop. For God's sake, I breastfeed b/w 4 and 5 hours a day, usually closer to 5 (thank you handy dandy iPhone breastfeeding application). To think that someone can't feed their baby is a painful thought.

6 comments:

CT Mom said...

Congratulations - he's beautiful!

I couldn't breastfeed either daughter, so I remember full well those days of formula shopping. Both girls could not tolerate regular formula, so we had to get soy, which was incredibly expensive. We celebrated their first birthdays with cake and a gallon of whole milk - much cheaper than formula!

Kristine said...

Thanks CT Mom!
Yeah feeding a kid is not simple whatever way u swing it!

Unknown said...

It's formula or breast milk for a year! When we switched from nursing to formula when my son was 5 months old, I was like, "Holy S**T!" because of how expensive it was, and how much he was drinking! I can remeber combing the ads weekly for sales and buying formula coupons off Ebay (and selling the ones I couldn't use). I also donated all those formala samples of the brands I wasn't using to the local food bank.

Anonymous said...

Oh, goodness, that photo is melting my heart, as is the formula discussion. Yes, it can get VERY expensive especially if you decide to go the organic route! Liquid gold is an understatement!

I hope that you are enjoying every minute of your little guy. And I am yes, now convinced that there is an iPhone app for absolutely EVERYTHING!

I think there is a place called "Person to Person" in Darien (?) that takes all those extra things and does not charge (?) the people that come in for them. I'll try to look into it for you!

Unknown said...

Just beautiful!

Julie said...

There is a breastfeeding application for the IPhone....Did you know there is now one from Charmin that locates the nearest restrooms and rates their cleanliness? That alone is worth having an IPhone for in my opinion!