Happy weekend everyone! I’m celebrating with some overnight oats 🙂 🙂 Topped with raspberries and banana. I’ve actually been into classic yogurt lately instead of Greek. I’m liking it’s smoother texture and how it coats fruit better. It’s been a fun change to the breakfast bowl routine.
You might have seen on Insta that I tried out the Roots app! Instead of waiting in line and paying for parking in the garage, you order your bowls on the app and then swing in with flashers on and pick up your bowl, which is labeled with your order number. I had a little trouble with a road closure and going the wrong way on a one way street to get out, but that temporary problem was worth getting this uber-delicious lunch!! I’ve been on a serious take-out lunch kick (can I blame pregnancy on this?) and while it’s not great for my dining out budget, it’s been great for my nutrition because I’ve been eating so many superfood-packed meals and salads! Baby needs those superfoods. (LOVE their BBQ tofu too!)
Speaking of baby, I bought a hospital PJ set! When I had Mazen I ordered a special PJ set to wear in the hospital with a matching robe. I still wear that set, but I wanted a new one for baby B. I found this one by Everly Grey at Nordstrom that came with a nursing tank, stretchy pants, a robe, and a matching baby gown!!
It comes in a handful of different colors, and yes, the baby gown was totally what sold me.
I finished Little Fires Everywhere! It was one of those books that I always looked forward to sitting down to read, but I can’t say that I totally loved the ending. There were lots of motherhood themes though, so I did find it a timely read.
PSA: Kindle Paperwhites are the lowest price they’ve ever been in advance of Amazon Prime Day.
Next up on my reading list: I’m going for a little nonfiction and ordered the Moms On Call book. I want to see what the hype is about. I’m already 60% of the way through and was able to skim a ton of the topics, but I’m most curious about their eat-sleep schedules. I always fed Mazen on demand, but I do think that I often fed him when he wasn’t necessarily hungry (hello 100th percentile for weight at 3 months!) so I’m wondering if at least trying a schedule might be useful this time. I know the book is quite controversial, but I also don’t think they are ever advocating letting a hungry baby go hungry because of a clock. I’ll try to let you know what I think when I’m finished.
Which fiction book should I read after that?! I have samples of An American Marriage, The Family Next Door, and Tell Me Lies ready to rock. All recommended by others!
I had dinner Wednesday night with my friend Tricia at Common House, a private social club with a nice restaurant inside that opened here in town maybe a year ago? I love the idea of the social club, but I don’t think the monthly costs make sense in our budget, especially since we have a kid(s). I hadn’t been for a meal before and it was fun to step inside!
We shared a fresh salad and the above grilled ricotta and beet toasts. And for my entree I had this amazing pork verde with swiss chard and grits. I could only fit half and had the leftovers for dinner last night! It was very good. We shared a chocolate torte for dessert at the end. Yum!
I promise we still cook! We made this repeat Blue Apron meal on Monday night. It’s Thomas’s favorite BA meal to date, and I think we’ve made it 3-4 times now. The goat cheese coated zucchini was actually another Blue Apron side dish recipe that we re-made as well. We do get a lot of ideas from the service.
Did you see that Gina started a Fitnessista Podcast?! I have added it to my rotation, and I really enjoyed the episode on postpartum fitness. I did not know I needed to wait so long to get back into my plyo classes though! But I also think I’m forgetting how tired I will be 
I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday that went well and was uneventful. I’m measuring and gaining on track, and he said the baby sounded happy in there 🙂 He’s growing fast! I have the delicious glucose test to look forward to in the next week or so! Oh joy.
Gussie already loves him so much <3
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
The BBQ tofu bowl looks so good! Wish I could order that right now!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Lisa says
Moms On Call is a great way to kill your milk supply. I read it because I’m a speech pathologist that works with really little babies and have had some parents follow the schedule. It gave me anxiety just reading it. Great way to teach your kid to sleep, yes. Awful, awful way to be a parent.
KathEats says
Like I said: controversial 🙂 Since I’m still reading it, can you tell me what’s so bad about it? These women seem to have a pretty good resume with 8 kids and 20 years in peds – I find it hard to believe they killed their supply 8 times! Not trying to argue – I’m just curious as to why you think it’s so awful?
Molly says
I’m a full time working mom whose 11 month old has never had formula. I just started pumping a little less than she’s drinking while I’m gone, but my freezer supply is still insane, so needless to say, my supply is fine. Anyway, I followed takingcarababies’s methods, which are similar to MOC except the time schedule is not as rigid. We still did eat-awake-sleep, but I fed her on demand for the first four weeks of her life, and then fed her every 2.5-3 hours after four weeks (with some exceptions obviously). As a professional who needs to be mentally coherent at my high stress job, I could not function if I was up multiple times a night nursing a baby. Getting her on a schedule was of vital importance to me and DID NOT hurt my supply or affect the bond I have with my baby.
KathEats says
I think it’s important to note too that even though I would say I “fed Mazen on demand” he still created a schedule and we were nursing at regular time intervals and times of day. So the schedule is kind of a moot point in that regard.
Lisa says
Because of the stringent nursing times. If you aren’t waiting to feed on the schedule then you aren’t really following the schedule. It’s biological to fall asleep at the breast as well. That’s why so many babies fall asleep nursing. They also advocate letting very young babies cry for short amounts of time without comforting. I am not okay with that. Yes, nursing to sleep and holding a crying baby can teach bad sleep habits, sure. But it also helps form the incredibly important bond between mom and baby. Work on sleeping down the road. Having a newborn is tough, but it’s such a short amount of time. I don’t understand people who insist on schedules and sleeping through the night so young (not saying that’s you at all Kath). Hold your baby. Feed when hungry. Didn’t Mazen start thinning out at some point? He seems perfectly healthy now!
KathEats says
I totally hear you. I do think some of the parts of it sound overly strict, but I think there are learning points – like the French Le Pause – that make sense (some babies cry while still asleep and if you don’t pay close attention you will actually wake them up.) And Mazen was totally pacifier dependent and it made months 4-6 awful for us. The MOC ladies did say you can comfort if you want. My biggest question from the book is actually related to having them sleep in their room, in the crib, from an early age. I know I want baby B to be in our room for a while since our nursery is on a different floor, and when I’m nursing all night I’m not going to go up and down stairs.
Lisa says
Yes, sleeping in their crib in their own room is also not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as it’s a SIDS risk.
KathEats says
Good point!
Karen says
I read MOC with my first, and remember a blogger (I think Healthy Happier Bear, but I could be wrong) was advocating for it very strongly at the same time. Her milk supply tanked almost immediately, but she also said she sleep trained at 2 weeks, and her daughter slept through the night at 4 or 5 weeks. It definitely did not work for us, but I guess it depends what your priorities are as a new mom: breastfeeding and baby snuggles, or having a strict schedule and beauty rest. To each their own, I suppose!
Laura Swanson says
She was actually diagnosed with insufficient glandular tissue so it wasn’t the MOC method that caused her to not have enough milk.
Meghan says
My sister’s pediatrician just admitted that babies sleeping in their own room is only a risk in “less than ideal” homes where there may be smoking, unsafe pets, substance abuse, and unsafe persons living in the home. Her doctor encouraged her to put her four month old in his own room.
Amy says
I wholeheartedly agree! At the risk of sounding like a know it all “hippie”—Mom of 3, nursed on demand ,
Baby fell asleep at breast often. This is a short
And precious time…. cherish it. Skip the schedule. Feed them when they’re hungry, hold them as long as you can! Love them all the time!
Laura says
Kath, I read both Little Fires Everywhere and The American Marriage. I liked both of them! I just finished a book called The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain and I loved the story so much. I would recommend that!
KathEats says
Just sent a sample to my Kindle! I’ve read a few of her other books : )
Anne says
Oh my goodness…that matching PJ set and baby gown is the kind of thing that gives me crazy baby fever, even though we’re done with our two boys. So adorable! Kath, my first son was born a couple months after Mazen and I always enjoyed your posts about babies. You may be interested in a new sleep book and blog that’s hit the market since then – Precious Little Sleep. It’s practical and funny, and a nursing mama, it really helped me the second time around!
KathEats says
Thank you!
Chelsea says
It’s a few years old now at this point so you might have read it but I was reminded of it because I mixed it up with An American Marriage which you mentioned, but if you haven’t read Curtis Sittenfeld’s American Wife I highly recommend it. It’s my favorite of her novels.
KathEats says
Oh gosh I can’t remember if I read it or not!! I have a horrible book memory. I know I read about it! 🙂
Sally says
I also loved Little Fires Everywhere! And American Marriage is great – you should definitely read it. I had read a couple of “heavy” books, so needed something light and beach-y, so started Final Girls at a friend’s recommendation. It’s great so far! A total page-turner thriller, and a good brain break. I’m going to dive into the new Emily Giffin book next!
Kaci says
That PJ set! All the heart eyes!!
That fancy meal sounds fun! But I’m with you on costs like that. I’d rather split up my money to several places/things than to spend a lot at one place.
Aww sweet Gus! <3
Kori says
Your oatmeal bowl looks so satisfying! I love doughy soaked oats. Also, the nursing outfit, robe, and infant PJ set are very adorable! Hope you have a lovely day!
Kate says
What is a social club? Do you pay to just be able to go there? That seems crazy! How much?!
KathEats says
Yeah you pay like a country club I suppose. They do have a ton of perks and events and the space is really cool, but it’s out of our budget to join just for the access – I think like $500 initiation and $225 a month for a couple.
Elizabeth says
I was not a fan of An American Marriage. I know many were fans, and it is pretty popular, I just found the writing style to be difficult to read and hard to form that relationship with the characters. I wanted to let you know as well, I just finished Educated. OMGSH!! I loved this book and I have been recommending it to all of my friends! For a fun girly book, I have loved JoJo Moyes (Me Before You) and her newest book just came out, and it is fantastic! Happy reading!
Ashley M Runco says
We used the Moms On Call schedule once Ava was past the feed on demand stage and I can not recommend this book high enough on the MUST READ list for newborns!! It helped put us on a very consistent sleep schedule very early on and I think that is why she sticks to and likes her schedule so well to this day! Lifesaver.
KathEats says
The people who love it LOVE it!
The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
An American Marriage is really good!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
That set is adorable!!!!! Like literally so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KathEats says
You should get it in a coordinating color and we can share photos 🙂
C in MD says
An American Marriage was EXCELLENT. The writing – particularly the dialogue – was fresh and raw. I won’t say anything about the plot so as not to spoil it, but it was topical. I just loved it.
Alix says
I saw in a previous comment you had questions about Mom’s on Call recommendation to have the baby sleep in their own room in the crib. I had the same situation as you – nursery on a different floor than the master (not to mention fearful of SIDS), so I *mostly* followed this book but just had the baby in my room til 4 months and it worked out fine! Once my baby was sleeping through the night consistently for a few weeks I moved him – and found he slept in later because I used to hear him roll around and thought he was up for the day, when actually he was rolling around and then resettling for another hour or so of sleep! So happy I moved him when I did, but I also do not regret having him in my room. we also were much more lax than the book about letting the baby cry at night – we weren’t comfortable with that, so we went to him immediately to comfort, but only picked him up to feed or anything else, after that happened for the 3rd time close together. Then we knew he was actually hungry. But we never let him cry much at all – that’s why i say *mostly* followed MOC.
KathEats says
Sounds like a good plan. I think I’ve taken away a few tidbits from every parenting book I’ve read over the years and made my own style work. It’s not all or nothing.
Marissa says
Thanks for sharing the pajama and matching set. I’m due on Dec. 25th and think I”m going to have to purchase this! I also second the book recommendation for Educated.
KathEats says
It’s so soft!!
Kate says
I recommend The American Marriage as an audiobook. It’s incredibly well done.
Liz says
Two things! I’m so sorry if this is super long….but hopefully it’s useful?? 🙂
1. Moms on Call – I have used it with both of my kids, and found it really helpful with A LOT of caveats. One being that the schedules start WAY too early. I remember with my first I tried to start the schedule at 2 weeks and it went terribly. Once I relaxed about it and focused more on the eat/play/sleep rhythm (which is generally what the book recommends even though they don’t call it that) I had much more success and eventually my little one did end up somewhere close to the schedule. I never had issues with my milk supply, even though my daughter was one of those who just slept through the night naturally very early. I really think there is a happy medium between completely feeding on demand (because not EVERY cry is hunger, right?) and being overly strict about a nursing schedule (which can obviously lead to supply issues and is probably not great for bonding and attachment). I think Babywise actually has a clever term for it…parent directed feeding I think(?) that I felt was a more nuanced, middle of the road strategy.
I also never implemented the total extinction sleep training approach. Honestly, there is no rigorous scientific evidence to suggest that it’s harmful to do so, but I think it’s difficult for most parents to handle, and I was able to get both my kids to fall asleep independently without having to resort to complete extinction. If you are interested, there is a REALLY great Facebook group called “Respectful Sleep Training/Learning” that has a lot of great resources on what the actual scientific literature on sleep training says, and they provide great advice and support for sleep training moms with NO judgment about methods.
Lastly, I thought the MOC books provided a lot of really useful information outside of the nursing/sleeping/schedule stuff. It isn’t really a sleep and scheduling book so much as an overview of basic baby care, and I found a lot of the information on solid food feeding, what to do about sickness, etc. to be helpful. I also REALLY liked the toddler book, which has some good ideas for discipline as well as schedules to accommodate 2 kids.
2. I just read a fabulous book I would highly recommend! Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. The protagonist, Ruth, is an African American labor and delivery nurse. She is assigned to a couple who have just given birth who turn out to be white supremacists, and the couple demands that Ruth be barred by the hospital from caring for their newborn son. However, during a chaotic shift she is briefly left alone with the couple’s baby when the baby experiences a medical emergency. She has to make a split second decision about what to do since she could potentially lose her job for disobeying the order not to touch the child, and she ends up in a legal battle resulting from her actions during the emergency. I thought it was totally gripping and such an honest discussion of race and privilege in our society. Anyway, just wanted to throw that one out there since you’re looking for your next read!
KathEats says
All makes total sense thanks!
And I have a sample of that book downloaded but someone told me not to read it pregnant/new mom because I’d get too upset. (I’m not sure which part they meant.) It sounds like a really intriguing read though. Not far off from Little Fires Everywhere.
Liz says
That does make sense, although I just finished reading it and I am pregnant too 🙂 The part that they mean is when there is the medical emergency involving the newborn. I did find that part quite difficult to get through, but after that the focus of the book shifts away from medical stuff and I was totally fine reading after that.
KathEats says
Ok good to know!
Katie Dawson says
You should read The Nest. It’s the story of a super dysfunctional family that is surprisingly light and funny. I know that sounds weird, but trust me, it’s a good one!
Jaci says
Love the MOC discussion! I followed it nearly to a T except I did have my son sleep in our room (not in our bed) until he was 6 months old. Just did everything they said, in our room. He did nap in his own room however. I absolutely loved it and it provided structure for us. Such a help! Like you mentioned, you can comfort your kiddos. And some days you can rock them to sleep. We weren’t 100% regimented every second – you find a groove! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Amanda says
What’s the repeat Blue Apron meal you made? The link didn’t work when I clicked on it.
I’m reading The Last Mrs. Parrish and it sucked me in from the beginning!
KathEats says
It was the Chipotle Meatloaf!!
Anna says
Hi Kath,
I’ve never commented before but really felt moved to after reading the discussions about the MOC book above. Can I suggest you also read The Gentle Sleep Book by Sarah Ockwell-Smith? It is completely evidence based and provides a lot of food for thought.
And just to add a couple of points:
– you cannot over feed a bf baby
– there are natural growth spurts at several points in babies’ lives, which mean they need to cluster feed for hours on end.
– there is no evidence to support the idea that feeding to sleep creates a feed-sleep association, bm naturally makes babies sleepy.
– a crying baby should always be held, this is really good for their brain development.
Apologies for the ‘shortness’. Trying to type with one hand whilst cuddling my poorly 8 month old with the other arm ?
Molly says
We did Babywise, and I can’t recommend it enough. Especially if you think MOC is too rigid. We started it at 1 month and milk supply, sleep, bonding, etc. have all been great.
Jen says
Loved Babywise and used it on all 3 kids.
Simone | Real Food Blog says
That baby robe is just the cutest!
Amanda says
I’m also pregnant and I’m totally with you on the take-out lunches. I work in an office and used to pack 3-4 times a week with a few take-out lunches, but once I got pregnant I couldn’t rely on my sandwiches made with lunchmeat and also didn’t really know what I’d be in the mood for. For some reason, thinking ahead about packing felt totally overwhelming. So I’ve let this go a bit and have the same mindset about getting salads – great way to get the veggies to baby!
Larbs says
Just started an American Marriage. And after $1500 in diastsis recti PT, I’d listen to any postpartum fitness advice!!
KathEats says
I didn’t know yours was that bad!
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
I also got an Everly Grey set for postpartum (the shorts one) and used the robe way more than I ever thought for not being a robe person. I was excited about the baby gown, but my daughter’s feet never stayed in and I felt bad that maybe she was always a little cold, so I only used it once or twice. I actually found that I wore my delivery gown the most in the hospital, then switched to the PJs the night before we left.
We did a mix of on demand and loosely “scheduled” nursing. I had a low supply, so I’d feed her every two hours (which, as you may remember, is counted from the start of feeding, so with her nursing nearly 40 minutes a session, that was only a crazy hour or so in between nursing). If I fed her on demand, I would have just had her attached to me 24/7. We ended up needing to supplement, and then that helped us move to every three hours or so, but always taking her cues into account. Sometimes she’d be hungrier than other times, especially during a growth spurt or mental leap, which is nearly constantly in those first three months/fourth trimester.