Fairhaven Health’s Supplemental Giveaway

What makes a business more than just a company trying to sell you something?  The people behind the brand.  Suzanne, Director of Product Development for Fairhaven Health, is a mother of two and she is passionate about raising healthy families.  She has taken the time to answer a few interview questions about her life in the Pacific Northwest, her role at Fairhaven Health, and her views on nutrition and breastfeeding.  Take a moment to get to know her and this great TLB sponsor.  Then, enter the giveaway below for your chance to win some supplements designed to help breastfeeding moms maintain a balanced nutritional diet.  

Munson Family Lake Padden

TLB:  Hello Suzanne!  To start off this interview, what kinds of activities do you particularly enjoy doing this time of year?

Suzanne:  Spring is a great time of year in the Pacific Northwest.  After many months of short days, the extended daylight is always so welcome and I love getting outside in the evenings.  One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to meet up with friends for a walk or bike ride around the lake near our house, and have a picnic afterwards.  (The above photo was taken at that lake.)

TLB:  Could you tell us a bit about what you do with Fairhaven Health?

Suzanne:  I came to Fairhaven Health a number of years ago, after earning a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and working in the natural products industry for more than a decade. As a nutritionist and a mom of two kids, I can’t help but be passionate about raising healthy families. As Director of Product Development at Fairhaven Health, I get to spend my work day talking to women about how they can improve their reproductive health naturally, and I get to work with a team of medical professionals to dream up new products that help couples optimize their fertility and that keep women healthy during pregnancy and nursing.  What an awesome job!

TLB:  As a nutritionist, what would you like to share with our Leakies about how their food intake impacts their health?

Suzanne:   As a whole foods nutritionist, I definitely believe in the health benefits of eating “real” food! By real food, I mean anything that is minimally processed . . .fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fresh meats, fish and poultry. And, the more you can avoid highly processed junk foods, the more room you will have in your diet for the good stuff.

Of course, eating well is important during all stages of life, but is especially vital during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding.  It goes without saying that taking care of a newborn is demanding and tiresome (and wonderful!). And, producing breast milk requires extra calories and nutrients. So, eating real food, and plenty of it, is important to ensure that you have the energy and stamina you need to meet the demands of new motherhood.

TLB: Do you have any tips to help nursing moms get the nourishment they need?

Suzanne: The reality is that most us don’t really eat all that well, even under the best of circumstances. So, with the time constraints that accompany new motherhood, cooking, meal planning, even eating, might be some of the first activities to go.  Here are some tips that might be helpful:

  • Have fresh fruit handy
  • Buy vegetables in a ready-to-eat package to cut down on chopping time
  • Snack often on nutrient dense foods, like nuts (and nut butters) and seeds
  • Cook in big batches and freeze extra portions
  • Ask family and friends to bring meals

TLB: Fairhaven Health is giving away Nursing Postnatal. Why do you think it is important for nursing mothers to take a multivitamin?

Suzanne: While women don’t bat an eye about being told to take a prenatal vitamin before and during pregnancy, some women are surprised to hear that taking a multivitamin while breastfeeding could be helpful. As we touched on above, eating enough of the right kinds of foods is a challenge for most of us under normal circumstances, and is certainly no easier when you are breastfeeding. So, taking a daily multivitamin simply allows a mom to bump up her nutrient intake. This is important for her health, and it helps ensure that her breast milk is nutrient dense.

Breast milk is an amazing food, and perfect for your baby. It contains approximately 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and 7 grams of carbohydrates per milliliter, and these proportions do not change even when the mother’s diet changes.  But, it is also true that a mother’s diet (and her overall nutritional status) can influence the vitamin, mineral, and the essential fatty acid (EPA and DHA) composition of her breast milk, all of which impacts the overall nutritional quality of the breast milk, and ultimately the overall health of the baby. Because of this, it is my humble opinion, that we need to encourage nursing moms to both eat as many real foods as possible and take a multivitamin.

TLB:  Did you personally take multivitamins after the birth of your children?

Suzanne:  Yes, I continued to take a multivitamin while breastfeeding with both my kids, and try to remember to still take one every day.  I actually have a bottle of Nursing Postnatal on my desk at work.  Even though I am definitely a “food first” person, my life is busy and hectic and I don’t always eat the way I know I should.  So, taking a multivitamin just helps to ensure I am getting enough nutrients.

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Fairhaven Health is giving 5 lucky Leakies one bottle each of Nursing Postnatal and Fenugreek.

Nursing Postnatal is a vitamin and mineral supplement designed specifically for breastfeeding moms, with extra amounts of Vitamin D and the B vitamins.

Nursing Postnatal

Fenugreek is often used to help support breast milk production. Fairhaven Health’s Fenugreek contains a unique blend of organic Fenugreek Seed Powder, along with a concentrated Fenugreek Seed Powder extract (8:1), delivering a dose equivalent to 2000 mg of standard fenugreek seed powder in just 2 vegetarian capsules each day.

Fenugreek

Currently Leakies can find these and other pregnancy and nursing products at www.FairhavenHealth.com.

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Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered.  The giveaway is open from April 1, 2013 through April 8, 2013.  A big thanks to Fairhaven Health for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to visit BellytoBreast on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and/or Pinterest and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is restricted to U.S. (including Puerto Rico and APO) and Canadian residents only.

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Fairhaven Health Giveaway

“For more than a decade, Fairhaven Health has been helping couples “make” and raise children naturally. Our passion is to develop products designed to safely and naturally promote fertility, pregnancy wellness, and breastfeeding success. And for years now, we’ve been achieving that important goal. From preconception through pregnancy and nursing, Fairhaven Health is there – every step of the way – to provide clinically-proven products to help you along your journey to parenthood.” ~Suzanne, on staff at Fairhaven Health.
TLB has asked Suzanne, to share her thoughts and resource ideas for new moms in the following interview. You’ll find your opportunity to enter the Fairhaven Health giveaway below the interview; enter for your chance to win a collection of great nursing products!

Munson Family

TLB:  What is your funniest story of what surprised you when you had a newborn?

Suzanne:  I will never forget the look on my husband’s face after we buckled our brand-new baby daughter into her car seat for the very first time as we prepared to head home from the birthing center where she was born less than 24 hours before. The discharge nurse looked on as we got her settled, then did a quick security check of the car seat and told us we were free to go. My husband stared at her in disbelief, his eyes big as saucers.  “Are you sure we should go?” he asked. The nurse smiled knowingly, hugged us both, and said, “You will all be fine”. We must have sat in the car for at least 15 minutes before my husband started the engine, staring at each other and our beautiful little girl, surprised and overwhelmed by the immensity of gratitude and responsibility we suddenly felt.

TLB:  What is the best advice you can think of to give a new mom?

Suzanne:  Use your people!  Everyone loves babies, so let your friends and family hold your baby, change your baby, and bathe your baby. And, while they are caring for the baby, make sure to take time to rest. Also, don’t be shy about asking your friends and family for help with chores around the house. Your friends will be happy to fold cute little baby clothes while you chat and drink the Fairhaven Health Nursing Time Tea you win in this giveaway!

TLB:  How is Fairhaven Health supporting breastfeeding not only in product but also in resources?

Suzanne: At Fairhaven Health, we support breastfeeding as the optimal feeding choice for moms and babies. We also understand that for some women, “choosing” breastfeeding isn’t always easy. Pregnant woman are constantly bombarded with confusing messages about breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, and even when new moms want to breastfeed, they often lack the information and support (from peers and professionals) they need to breastfeed successfully. In addition to offering a variety of natural products to support breastfeeding moms (including dietary supplements and teas that offer nutritional support and promote breast milk production, as well as a natural, lanolin-free nipple balm), Fairhaven Health is proud to sponsor the following organizations that are actively working to normalize breastfeeding and support nursing moms in our communities. If you don’t already know about Cottonwood Kids and Best for Babes, be sure to check out these awesome organizations. And, of course, we all love The Leaky Boob!

In addition to supporting the organizations above, we are always looking for ways to serve as a resource for nursing moms needing information and support. Our BellytoBreast Facebook page is dedicated to issues and information pertinent to pregnant and breastfeeding women, and we offer several ways for nursing moms to interact with our customer service team, including email, phone and live chat.

TLB:  When moms have a new baby, what are your favorite ways to suggest she takes care of herself to recover well, have energy, and be set up to reach her breastfeeding goals?

Suzanne:  This is a tough question! Let’s face it, as wonderful as being a new mom is, it is also very demanding and, at times, quite stressful. And, all of the things that you “should” do to take care of yourself (like rest, eat well, exercise, etc.) take time, which is, of course, in short supply. So, I definitely don’t have the secret to restoring and maintaining energy levels while breastfeeding, but I will share with you what helped me when my kids were babies: yoga (as infrequent as it was!), playing the piano,  getting some fresh air (even if I just sat on the front porch for 15 minutes as I nursed), and napping.

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Fairhaven Health is giving away a collection of their nursing products to 10 (ten) lucky Leakies.  The retail value of the collection is: $62.00

The 4 items in the collection are:

1 bottle of Nursing Blend 

NursingBlend image

1 package of Nursing Time Tea 

nursing-tea

1 Nipple Nurture Balm 

nipple-nurture

And, just for the fun of it, 1 DreamBelly Stretch Mark Butter!

DreamBellyButter

Currently Leakies can find these and other items at FairhavenHealth.com.

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Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered.  The giveaway is open from February 19, 2013 through February 25, 2013.  A big thanks to Fairhaven Health for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to visit BellytoBreast on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and/or Pinterest and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is restricted to U.S. (including Puerto Rico and APO) and Canadian residents only.

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