Some of my favorite mama/baby products

I have an 11 week old, so that means I'm pretty much a pro at this mom stuff... ha. Yeah right. However, in my short mom life, I have dabbled in various products for mom and baby. When creating a baby registry, places like Buy Buy Baby and Babies 'R Us make you think you need the sun and the moon. Then baby comes and you're covered in vomit and poo and realize you have a house full of overrated crap you will never use, because all you really want is a shower and a strong drink. Anyways, here's my top 10 list for mamas.

1. Puj bath tub- This small foam tub folds to conform to your sink making it easy to bathe baby. The upside is that you unfold it and can hang it on the back of a door to dry or to store. Many baby tubs out there are large and bulky but they make you think that you need a tub that will continuously clean your water and maintain the precise water temperature needed for baby. Give me a break. Get the Puj.

2. Arms Reach CoSleeper bassinet- If you're like me, you're going to bring your teeny human home and take one look at your pristine nursery and realize you cannot imagine your baby sleeping anywhere but in your room. The arms reach is like a teeny crib for your bedside. It's super light and one side comes down so you can better get babe out. There is a way to attach to your bed, but I haven't found out why you would need to do that. Save yourself the time, don't attach it to your bed.

3. Peanut changing pad- I don't understand why anyone would have any other changing pad. The material it's made from makes it impermeable to moisture and also limits bacteria growth, what does this mean to you? No diaper pad covers, which means less laundry because why do you want to have to change a diaper pad cover? Get a poo splatter on the peanut, just wipe it clean and move on with your life. It also doesn't move around when on a dresser. It's the best. Keekaroo Peanut.

4. A baby carrier- Wear your baby. Just do it. There are so many benefits to wearing your kid, I don't understand why anyone wouldn't, however that being said, there are so many carriers on the market, it can be overwhelming and most people gravitate to the Bjorn because it's a popular name. Do research and also try many varieties of carriers on. I wouldn't recommend the Bjorn because of the way babies legs dangle, which can cause hip dysplasia. Look for a carrier that uses the "happy hips" position. I happen to love the Stokke carrier (good for dads), the Tula carrier, which is a soft structured carrier, and I also have the Moby wrap. There are baby wearing groups nationally, which allow you to test out all the different types of carriers before you buy. It's also a great place to meet moms!

5. breast pump- Before you register for one, check with your insurance about coverage. All insurances are different but I believe all insurances will cover something related to breastfeeding "equipment." You will also want a hands free pumping bra, otherwise you will spend 30 minutes holding the bottles and watching the clock, which inhibits let down, plus you have no hands for anything. Get a hands free bra. Simple Wishes is a very well rated hands free bra because there's really two sizes. I have ginormous boobs and I am still in a standard size. There are ways to get the perfect fit for all those different sized milk boobs out there.

6. Earth mama angel baby- This company is an organic mama and baby product company. Avi had a bad diaper rash around 1 month, so bad that the pediatrician prescribed some ointment. Before I used that, I put some of earth mama angel baby bottom balm on her tush and no joke, it cleared it up in a day. It's magical and made of angel tears. Get some.

7. Nursing tops- So many people get those nursing covers like hooter hiders or udder covers or whatever nonsense boob covers are out there. I also got one cause it seemed like the thing to do. Avi hates being covered, she kicks and squirms and we both sweat and so then it's obvious what's happening because I'm wearing a bed sheet trying to breastfeed. Stop it. There are nursing tops that allow breastfeeding discretely in public. I love them. Some brands I love are Boob design, Molly Ades nursing tank, Nom black nursing dress

 

Molly Ades nursing tank. You can't see a thing, and I have a lot to see!

8. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets- They are a little pricey but worth it. They can be used for everything. So lightweight, perfect in summer or winter as a swaddle blanket, stroller cover to block out sunlight, nursing cover if you're wanting to cover up. They are fantastic. Aden + Anais.

9. Stroller- There are a bajillion strollers to choose from. Again, if you have access to a store with a big selection, I'd recommend trying a few out to see what feels best and fits your families needs. A family in the suburbs needs are different than a family in the city. We have a Bugaboo Chameleon which we love, but more importantly I want to rave about the umbrella stroller we bought for travel. I think it's almost essential for everyone to have two strollers, especially if you do some traveling and don't want to lug your big expensive stroller to the airport and trust the luggage handlers not to dismember your stroller. We got the UPPAbaby G-luxe umbrella stroller and could not be happier. There are very few umbrella strollers that recline enough for a baby, which is essential for babies with limited head control usually less than 3 months old. The UPPAbaby reclines almost flat, its' super light weight and opens and closes in one motion. Also with the purchase of the UPPAbaby travel bag, the stroller is guaranteed for 2 years. Legit. Holy hell, it's so easy to use. Best purchase ever.

10. Bottles- One thing no one told me was to consider the different types of flow with all the bottles out there. If you are breast feeding and will be introducing a bottle, you will want the flow of nipple and bottle to be similar. Some of the bottles out there pour out and lots of babies will choke because the flow is so fast, or some will get used to how easy it is to chug and then will prefer bottle over breast. Every baby is different with preference to bottle, so I would recommend buying a few 4oz bottles in a variety of brands. Some I like are Avent Natural 4oz, Dr. Brown's natural flow (I also like the wide neck version), Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, Playtex Drop-Ins nurser. Also, just extra information- you don't need to sterilize your bottles more than once. When you get the bottles for the first time you can sterilize them with boiling water, or if you have a sterilizing function on the dishwasher, however you don't actually need to buy a bottle sterilizer. After that, hot soapy water will clean them fine.

Co-Sleeping is terrible... or is it?

Oh leave it up to me to discuss another taboo topic, but oh well, I like to talk about things that other people keep hush hush about.

We just came back from our first vacation with Avi, we decided to bust outta this tundra and head to Arizona for some sun. We stayed in a huge resort filled with families, kids, and drinking parents. When we arrived we requested a crib for Avi. I was shocked when the hotel staff brought this "crib" into our room. All white metal bars with the inability to raise the height of the mattress, something straight from the 60s. I took one look at it and knew Avi would not be sleeping in there. The bars were further spaced than the standard crib in today's world, so I knew there was a risk of Avi getting her leg or arm in between the bars, not only that but I would have to bend way down in attempt to safely pick her up and put her down. No thanks.

When we checked into the hotel it was already around 11pm, and by the time we got the metal contraption it was close to midnight, so there was no waiting or asking for other arrangements. The room we got had two beds, so I decided I would sleep in one bed with Avi and S in the other bed.

Avi is 10 weeks now and probably around 14 pounds, so not teeny and she has great head control, so I wasn't that worried about sleeping with her, however... there's so much controversy and stories about moms rolling over their kid, ect., that it gets into your head that you're going to roll onto your baby while sleeping. The first night I slept in and out, always waking up to peek and make sure she was still on the bed and alive.

In the morning, I realized that Avi slept so soundly compared to when she's in her bassinet. I also noticed she would move her burrito body so she could snuggle her head against my arm. *swoon* It's like mama crack when your baby moves closer to snuggle with you. I wanted more.

The next 4 nights, we continued to co-sleep while on vacation. It was fantastic. I was in love. Prior to vacation, our routine was putting Avi in a bed-side bassinet (Arms reach co-sleeper bassinet) and then when she would wake up to nurse, I would prop pillows up behind me, turn on bedside lamp and grab her from her bassinet. Not a huge hassle, but it involves a few steps. When co-sleeping, Avi would rustle to let me know it was time to eat, and all I would do was pull a boob out and she would find it and latch on. I barely had to move, let alone turn a light on. She would then pull off and I could tell by her breathing she had fallen back to sleep. We slept soundly and peacefully, however being a mama, I was still aware of her presence and her needs.

Here's my issue with the stigma with co-sleeping. Starting from the beginning of time, mamas would sleep nuzzled with their babes, just giving them a boob sleepily in the night to nurse baby back to sleep. This was the pattern of moms. Somewhere in time, babies began to die in their sleep from a variety of reasons, so now we say "back to sleep" and no co-sleeping in bed. But what happened to taking each person or each family as an individual and looking at their needs? If you talk to a handful of moms, someone will say they know someone who rolled on their baby, and another mom will know a baby that died in a bassinet away from moms side, or in a car seat, or while breastfeeding in bed, so on so forth...

I think saying absolutely no co-sleeping is not the answer. There are aspects to look at. I wouldn't co-sleep after drinking, or if I was absolutely exhausted, or with another person in bed. I wouldn't sleep with Avi if she was much smaller or a newborn with limited movement and head control. Those are my limitations on where I am comfortable. I am also a still sleeper. I usually sleep on my back or maybe to a side. I don't twist and turn or move around a lot, so I still don't know how it would be possible to soberly ignore mama instincts and roll on your child, I don't do a lot of rolling anyways.

In these early months, I feel there are benefits for some moms to co-sleep. Some moms and babies will sleep better, it allows bonding between mom and baby, especially for moms who work full-time. Babies grow so fast, there's something so wonderful and amazing about sharing their sleeping space.

There are also downsides to co-sleeping in that, when do you stop? How do you transition to a crib, bassinet or their own room? Will it make things harder to transition? What about intimacy with your partner?

There are so many things to consider, however every family is different, and every mom's comfort level is different. I think that education and open dialogue about safe co-sleeping should exist, because let's be honest, it's going to happen one way or another, so people should know the safest way to go about it. It's like sex education. We can't just tell teenagers not to have sex, let's be real. They're going to do it, let's have them do it safely.

I feel like I have superpowers

So as I'm still on maternity leave, I'm still figuring out the ropes of motherhood. Today marks 2 months, I can't believe how the time has flown by. Initially I spent all my days on the couch with a baby on my boob unable to function or do anything else and hoping someone would just bring me water. I was just in survival mode. Time has changed, I'm basically a superhero with powers, at least that's how I feel based on what I got done today.

Here's the breakdown of my schedule of what I'm capable of at 2 months...(sounds pretty pathetic) oh well.

7:30am- tubby wakes for her first breakfast. I bring her into bed to feed her in the side lying position (this position is critical to master. Get to know it.)

8:00- done with tub's breakfast and ready for playtime round #1. I'm pretty asleep at this point so I let her babble in my bed next to me while I half ass babble back. Avi gives me some slack with my  half ass attempt at play time, she knows mom isn't a morning person.

9:00- time for Avi's nap (I've been somewhat comatose this entire time), playtime was pretty intense for tubby. Paci goes in the mouth and both Avi and I fall back asleep.

10:30- Tubby wakes for breakfast #2. I guess it's time to get up. She eats for about 30 minutes, again in side lying position so I can get a little more shut eye, man I'm such a lazy ass loser. Tomorrow we are having people over for dinner and I told the hubs I wanted to make prune braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. The kicker? The short ribs take two days to make, so I have to start today.

11:00- brush teeth, change diaper. Crap I waited too long and pee leaked out onto sheets. Oh well, it'll dry. Put baby in Tula and get to kitchen for some cooking. Throw on some Pandora tunes and bust out the ingredients.

11ish- chop, chop... brown the meat... chop chop. Dance a little. Dog walker picks dog up. Dance more. Avi still not asleep, but content. Don't splash hot oil on baby. Chop and dice more. Crap, my blood sugar tanks. Drink some Kefir.

1:00- All prep work and browning of meet is done and at some point Avi fell asleep in the carrier. Dish goes in oven for 2.5 hours to cook. Avi wakes up and is ready for lunch. Grab pineapple and yogurt (I just realized how yogurt-filled my day was... today I really sacrificed food to get shit done). Sit and look out window with baby and dog and snack one handed while feeding baby.

1:30- Some tummy time (okay picture is of her on her back, but I promise we did some tummy time), throw days of poopy laundry in wash and then watch "Scandal" (Yes I am way behind, just starting this). Avi demands snack while watching Scndal, she has yet to really get into the show.

2:30- Food is done cooking in oven and Scandal is over. Avi is somewhat content, so on a walk we go. Grab stroller and bassinet. Throw on boots, take stroller out door. Grab dog. Bundle baby. Shit... wallet in car. Go back inside, out backdoor to car to grab wallet. Now we are set to head to bakery to grab donut and coffee. Walk around with dog and baby. Gulp coffee, and call mom (I could use about 2 other hands at this point, but we make do. I most likely looked ridiculous and spilled some coffee, but worth it).

4:30- Get home. Baby still asleep. Now what? Take shower! Bring bassinet in, don't touch baby, leave her on the floor, jump in shower. Hear baby cry. Open shower door- baby quiet (it's the crazies in my head). Yes. This shower will include shampoo and conditioner. Shave legs? Crap, razor on counter outside shower. Another day.... or next month.

5:00- Avi still asleep. Put clean underwear on. Yes. Put hair in french braid (It's a fancy night obviously). Find clean leggings ( let's be honest, no one is ready for real clothes, let's not get ahead of ourselves).... no clean leggings. Find somewhat clean leggings. Fuck it. Just find some leggings.

5:30- baby still sleeping. Now what? Grab a piece of fruit and water. Lug bassinet downstairs and put on couch. BLOG.

5:40- Avi wakes up for dinner. Time for more "Scandal" and wait for hubs to come home.

BOOM. I'm the master of the universe with clean underwear and washed hair.

milk jugs

Breastfeeding is probably one of the biggest questions, concerns, problems, interests,  you name it, that a post-partum mom has. For some people it's a no brainer to breastfeed once their baby is born, for some they know they will start formula right away and others are unsure.

For me breastfeeding was one of those things that was a no brainer. I wasn't going through life with these huge boobs for nothing! Once Avi was born, I'm talking less than an hour after, she already had the perfect latch. I still don't really understand how babies come out and know how to latch on, or know the smell of boobies. So weird. We were pretty lucky that she had a good latch, we didn't struggle with tongue tie or a low weight lethargic baby, however that doesn't mean this shit was easy.

I knew that there were always challenges to breastfeeding, however I was surprised with exactly how challenging and time consuming it would be, and for any exhausted new mom, this can really be a breaking point. The nights of the first week home were more than hard. I was so emotional and Avi was nursing CONSTANTLY. I couldn't catch a break. I look back now and remember in desperation all the friends I emailed or facebook messaged, hoping they would shed some positive light. I wanted to quit and start formula. It would have been easier, and I could have gotten more sleep. I was desperate for a few hours of sleep. For whatever reason, I pushed through those first few tiring weeks with a baby permanently attached to my boob. Two months later and still nursing, I am so glad I stuck with it. It sucked bad at first and it's still time consuming and my boobs leak all over the place, but it's worth it. There's a pride aspect that happens. It's only two months, but I'm proud I've come this far. I grew a human inside me and now I'm growing her just with boob juice. That's like unicorn magic.

Some things I know now about breastfeeding:
1. this.shit.is.hard.- Think of it like learning to dance. You and your partner both need to learn the moves and then need to learn how to move together. It takes time and patience, and sleepless nights and bloodied chapped nipples, but eventually land on "so you think you can dance" with your partner.

2. Your boobs will be ginormous and you'll think that your milk has come in... wait 4 weeks, you're milk just barely came in. Yes, those are your milk boobs. Huge balloons filled with glorious milk that your newborn will be able to sniff out of a crowd. For this reason, don't even think about buying a nursing bra before 4 weeks, you'll just be blowing your money. Live in nursing tanks or a nursing sleep bra until 4 weeks post-partum, then go get those bad boys fit for a real nursing bra. My boobers, which were no teeny weenies to begin with are now a size that I didn't know existed.... like 36 H or J, or who the hell knows.... towards the end of the alphabet though.

3. Get a hands free bra for pumping, otherwise you'll be sitting there holding those massive milk bags for 30 minutes while pumping. Ain't nobody got time for that. Hands free is the way to go. Pulls your nips through slots like little sausages while the pump sings the sweet tune of dairy farming. Pumping is the devil.

4. Don't worry about building a freezer stash until about a month before you go back to work. If you're going back to work and will be pumping, the baby will get all the pumped milk the next day, so you don't necessarily need a ginormous stash. I have one for emergencies and to possibly use when Avi starts solids (to blend with oatmeal, ect.), but there are people who accumulate thousands of ounces in milk. Ummmm, yeah, you're gonna need a special deep freezer for your milk supply then. It's like starting a Dairy Queen outta your home.

5. Leaky boobs, holy moly. Some people will not experience this, and you should be thankful. I take a milk bath every morning in this sticky baby gold. I wear pads in my bra. Yes you read that correctly. PADS IN MY BRA. Shit. Maybe someday it will regulate, or maybe I'll be in board meetings with wet rings on my shirt. Either would be awesome.

6. nipple confusion? People in the hospital will tell you not to do certain things. I was told to not give a pacifier and to hold off until 2-3 months to give a bottle. If you're a supermom, go for it... I my friend am weak and thus I jam pacifiers in Avi's mouth all the time, and it gives me peace and quiet and thus I am not a maniac. Do whatever works for you. I started that at like day 4 and she doesn't confuse a pacifier with my boob. Same with bottles. I didn't want to wait. I wanted sleep and I wanted it sooner rather than later, so I had the hubs give a bottle at like week 1 or 2. We have slowly started introducing the bottle, so maybe once a week she'll get one from someone. I feel that since I've introduced everything she hasn't had a hard time transitioning between the three, but then again, she's a heffer and LOVES her mama's boob so I can't imagine her not wanting that, and then again when it comes to the bottle she's like "hey this stuff is awesome even from this plastic nip!" and gulps it down. Maybe I'm just lucky, but this is what I needed and what worked for me.

7. The bond you develop with your baby while nursing can be pretty magical, but I don't doubt you can still have this while formula/bottle feeding. I love the quiet time in the mornings when I'm nursing Avi in our rocker in her nursery. She's calm and happiest in the morning and that damn rocker sings me lullaby's from heaven. GET A ROCKER. You'll be the happiest mom on the block with your comfy rocker, it's worth the money.

8. See a lactation consultant! Definitely see the LC in the hospital to establish the latch, ect. But let me tell you, you will be exhausted, overwhelmed and your nipples will hate you. Slather on the nipple cream, but plan on seeing a LC once you leave the hospital and are slightly more coherent. I said slightly. Since Obamacare, LC's are covered by insurance so that's a huge bonus. Have the LC come to your house if possible, usually they will weigh baby before and after a feed so you can see how much milk is getting transferred. They will also show you other holds and most importantly support you in this journey. I would beware of LC's that start off with all the things that you should not do, ie: pacifier and bottles... some are so hardcore breastfeeding they can't see any other way, and sometimes breast is not best for some people. My LC told me the most important thing was to feed my kid and get sleep, so however we could achieve that was important. At the moment when I was going to quit and start formula, this was the attitude I needed. I needed no judgement and for someone to tell me I was being a good mom no matter what my decision.

If you want to breastfeed, just know that it will take a little bit to get over the hump at first. You'll be glad and proud you did. But also know that at the end of the day your kid needs to be fed. You need to do what's best for you and your family. Don't let anyone tell you differently.