Great deal on a fancy nursing bra!

Hey breastfeeding mamas and mamas-to-be, Saks Fifth Avenue's Friends and Family event is on and you can score this Le Mystere nursing bra (note that it includes underwire which is a positive or a negative depending on your preference) for $15 with coupon code FRNFAM now through October 20th. They have a lot of sizes not typically available in big box stores and although it was originally $50+ at retail, I am excited to score this bra for a big box store price. I hope I like it!

Note that the photo was one I assembled for Consume or Consumed because I didn't want to post a woman in a bra for those who read from work.

Three to six month favorites

By the time Emilia was three months old, she was sleeping happily in her crib (much to my own unfounded concern and worry... I worried for no reason frequently as I adapted to new motherhood). Over the next three months as her motor skills developed even more, she would put everything in her mouth, chew on anything she could, and roll and scoot as means of mobility. She started sitting up and liked being held in a standing position. Accordingly, a lot of the consumer goods we came to appreciate during this time were those that ensured continued safety, comfort, and stimulation.

She had developed enough head and neck control to sit safely in her Bumbo seat. And with the play tray, this seat became her first eating chair. I am reluctant to call it a high chair since we kept it on the ground but it gave her a nice spot where she could sit up, play, and eventually try new tastes. We waited til she was six months old to actually start solid foods but the seat was helpful long before that as a way to keep her propped up and able to be in the mix, socially. 

Although it wasn't perfect, we liked our breathable bumper.

As I said above, Emilia began scooting and rolling all over between three and six months. With increasing mobility, our beloved swaddle was no longer safe. We transitioned her from the swaddle when we were in New York right after her four month birthday. As a crib sleeping baby, her risk of limbs getting caught between bars cause some worry. We used a breathable bumper to guard against suffocating. Of course and as demonstrated above, this bumper was not a perfect solution. Still, we were so glad to have it during this period of her growth.

At night she typically slept in a sleep sack layered with a footed sleeper because it was still quite cold in Pittsburgh. We loved the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle because she had plenty of kicking room plus the optional swaddle wings (since we were still swaddling her at three months). She had all kinds of footed sleepers but because our house is somewhat drafty, I preferred fleece or thicker cotton with a zip closure rather than buttons like this one from Carters. This way changing her could be done swiftly. We would still typically layer onesies underneath most of her outfits.

 

When it came to bundling up before leaving the house, we learned our best bet was to move swiftly. She came to get frustrated when we would put her in warm clothing while still in the warm house so the faster we could make the process, the better. We were handed down an adorable, thick Gap Baby bunting that had two very easy zippers for closures.  This one is quite similar albeit for fall and early winter rather than the coldest of the cold days.

Whenever we wore her, we began using the Ergo more often because she was big enough to fit in it (since we didn't have the infant insert).  My only beef with the Ergo is that the thick shoulder straps are a bit bulky under narrower coats. A lot of my more tailored outerwear options look ridiculous under the Ergo. But over doesn't feel secure enough to me.

We still prefer the Ergo to our other carriers. I love the big zip pocket in the front. I regularly wear her around the neighborhood sans purse because I can fit my phone, keys, and money in there with no problem.

Her favorite toy during this time became the Winkle. Its rattling sounds, bright colors, and highly grab-able/chew-able tubes were the perfect design for her grabby hands. She loved gumming it and shaking it and does to this day! We accumulated a cache of teethers but her favorite one for on the go was her "car keys." We kept them tethered to her car seat via these "lots of links." The links themselves are fun to play with and chew. And we still keep her keys handy for trips.

Because she enjoyed a supported standing position so much and seemed fairly stable, we also began using the Exersaucer. Yes, it looks hideous. But one of the compromises of this new life is to accept the practical over the aesthetic. We needed a spot to put her into that wasn't her bouncey seat (which she basically outgrew/became bored with) or her swing (which she would only tolerate when already tired).

We still used her sound machines and video monitor religiously. We still loved her hooded towels and many blankets. She still played with her baby gym and some other things from my Newborn to Three Month Favorites post. But all of the above became our most helpful items as she continued to grow and change.

Baby bookworm

When I was newly postpartum and post-surgery, feeling groggy, sad, and insecure in my new mom role, I turned to books. Not books on parenting mind you, but children's books. I decided that even if Emilia was very newly born, something we could do together that didn't require a lot of special talents or knowledge or even physical mobility was reading. Books were my comfort zone. And Emilia was lucky to have a lot of books gifted to her before she was even born!

Growing up, I was a voracious reader. My schoolteacher mom encouraged it and some of my earliest memories are of reading with her and my grandmother. My gram taught me how to read via the classic "Fun with Dick and Jane" series. It had lots of rhyming and illustrative pictures that enabled me to work with contexts to make sense of letters on a page. That was when I was about 3. Still, when I was pregnant I didn't anticipate that I'd turn to reading with my own baby to bond with her when she was barely a week old.

The first book we read was Charlie Harper's Colors. The vivid contrasts allowed Emilia's blurry newborn vision to still be stimulated and follow along. The second book we read was The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. She was mesmerized by the page where all the animals exercise. It remains her favorite to this day! All the Boynton books are favorites of Emilia's because of the fun rhyming and cartoon animals. And reading The Going to Bed Book remains integral to her bedtime routine, along with Goodnight Moon.

After attempting to read, If I Could Keep You Little when Emilia was only a few days old, I found myself crying my way through the words. I put it down to save for another less fragile time. Its message truly captures the bittersweetness of how swiftly time passes along with the excitement of seeing them grow and change.

Another book we read very early on that remains a favorite was The Mommy Book by Todd Parr. When my own mom (who bought the book for us) read it to her, she marveled at how engaged Emilia already seemed by the pictures and the process of advancing a page. The page depicting the mommy with the long blue hair wearing jeans caused Emilia's face to light up with enthusiasm which was amazing to see.

Now when we read books, it's fun to notice what will stand out the most for Emilia. Often she will put her hand on a page and try to get us to turn back so she can linger on a visual from before. She loves to point to the babies in Everywhere Babies. I was really lucky to be given the bulk of her library as shower gifts from loved ones. And I've also bought some of my favorites like Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House.

My mom and sister created centerpieces for the tables at my baby shower with children's books they picked for us. Through working with children my mom in particular was familiar with many series and titles that are new to me and fantastic. The above book, Llama Llama Misses Mama is one such newer volume about separation anxiety with a mama who drops off the little llama at school/daycare when she goes to work. We're reading it a lot lately because the message about separation anxiety fits our current situation.

Regardless of whether my mom chose old favorites or new classics, she inscribed every book with a message for me and my then baby-to-be. When I read to Emilia, I include the inscriptions, though she's sometimes eager to advance the pages to find their more exciting visual offerings. I had no idea I would get so much joy out of reading with her. I had no idea she would respond so strongly to pages and colors and the sounds of words in patterns and rhymes. Reading remains among my favorite moments of our early days together. And it's one of my favorite things to do with her to this day.

Newborn to Three Month Favorites

 Hanging at the Skip Hop Tree Friends gym

One of the fun parts of prepping for baby was researching items to add to our wish lists and registry. As a genre of consumer goods, I was about as unfamiliar as I could be with baby items. At different points, I asked the "been there, done that" moms I knew, I searched for blog posts, I read reviews, and I went with my gut. We wound up being showered generously by many loved ones who were so excited to welcome Emilia and help make our family transition as smooth as possible.

Now that she is nearly nine months old (!!), I figured I would share some of the most useful and lovingly used items among the baby gear. Because she is such a different tiny human with new and changing needs, I am breaking it into two posts. This one covers the "fourth trimester," aka the period from birth to three months. The next will be from 3-6 months.

As shown above, the Skip Hop baby gym has been a favorite around these parts from week one. It is great for tummy time as well as kick time. Emilia still plays with it so its usefulness extends well beyond the fourth trimester.  And it is adorably gender neutral making it a wise buy for people contemplating more than one baby.

I realized when I was putting together my list, most of the items for 0-3 months are about facilitating sleep. This makes sense because so much newborn time is spent sleeping. So the following items are about sleeping and soothing.

Summer Infant Co-sleeper, Soothie, Swaddle Blanket by Aden + Anais, and Sleep Sheep

Although we knew we wanted to co-sleep to make nighttime breastfeeding easy on everyone, our bed didn't seem very conducive to doing so, safely. Our bedroom isn't set up in a way that would accommodate the Arms Reach Cosleeper loved by so many. And I didn't want her to be across the room in a pack'n'play. So we went with this Summer Infant Side by Side Co-sleeper. It is essentially a padded metal frame with mesh sides and a cushy oval bed. The stock photo on the box depicts the bassinet set between the two doting parents. We tried this the first night we were home from the hospital and it was too big to be comfortable in our queen size bed. Thankfully, we have a foot board so we put it at our feet so that we could just sit up and soothe her in those early days.

It was great that she had her own space while being so close. Some nights Chris and I would take turns laying at the foot of the bed with her, allowing us to get close without fear of falling too deep into sleep. Especially when I was still taking prescription pain medication after surgery, it seemed important to keep her close albeit in her own safe spot.

Perched nearby at the top left of the photo is the mini Sleep Sheep. Wow was this thing clutch! We brought it everywhere because it was so useful to have white noise to calm her and allow her to nap. Sometimes we still bring the sound machine part when we travel in case we're in a louder hotel or something.

My favorite sound machine option is the Homedics Sound Spa Lullaby that has many songs and sounds, a timer function, a plug in option so you don't need to worry about batteries, and best of all, it has the option to project a light show onto the ceiling or wall. She still loves this light show! And when she was really small, she was MESMERIZED! This was an off registry gift from my aunt and it is probably the most useful, helpful sleep related thing that goes well beyond the 0-3 month period. We have brought it with us on every overnight trip because the white noise options are versatile and you can use the timer or just let it play all night. It muffles  city noises and dog barks fantastically!

In the early days, Emilia slept best when she was swaddled and we had apparatuses for this. Summer Infant Sleep Swaddlers, Halo Sleep Sack Swaddles, Aden and Anais muslin blankets, etc. Although I liked the muslin blankets that were recommended highly everywhere, in the early days I preferred the Pottery Barn Kids receiving blankets in flannel. They were warmer and seemed to stay in place better than the muslin. Since she was born in November, she spent a lot of time adjusting to the coolness of our drafty house. We increased the base temperature of our thermostat but having warm swaddle blankets also made a difference. After she grew a bit, I came to really love the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle because she had plenty of kick room and the versatility of the swaddle wings that could just wrap around her waist or help snuggle her arms.

 in the moby

They don't always sleep though! They like to look around and explore. On the coldest days we didn't really take Emilia on many walks but we still tried to get her out and about. For walks while babywearing, we used the Moby Wrap and the Baby K'tan. She was too little for the Ergo then and these felt more snuggly. We also liked our Britax Chaperone car seat which snapped into the Britax B-Agile stroller. The stroller is lightweight and folds in a snap. It also fits into my trunk much better than the Chicco Cortina travel system I also considered.

Laying on the newborn napper pillow

It's helpful to have a spot to put your baby while you're hanging out together so we loved the Boppy Newborn pillow. We would put it between us while we ate dinner on our coffee table. That said, it looks just like a dog bed so we had to be pretty vigilant in putting it up and away from Speck.

Speaking of pillows, I continued to use my pregnancy pillow as an in-bed nursing support pillow. Although I had a regular boppy that lived downstairs, if I was only buying one to last through pregnancy and postpartum, I'd re-buy this.

Other hits: wipes warmer (winter babies in old drafty houses need them), nosefrida, hooded towels, books, toys, a nursing cover, burp cloths, socks that look like shoes, buntings from baby gap (that zip instead of button!), a video monitor, hats... so many hats. I could go on... but I'll stop there for now.

Baby Shopping

Since becoming a parent, I've come to enjoy shopping for baby things more so than shopping for anything else! Here are some items I've been eying for Emilia as well as my new parent and parent-to-be friends.

Row 1: Dress, Doll, One Piece, Book
Row 2: Dress, Mobile, Doll, Blanket with Hat
Row 3: Dress, Leggings, Manhattan Toys, Crib Shoes, Book

Baby Style

Barn Organics peplum onesie; Children's Place tutu pants; Trumpette socks

 

Baby Gap one-piece

 Gap bear sweatshirt bunting

Baby Gap dress; Gymboree tights- Trumpette socks

Now that Emilia is six months old, I've had a few opportunities to go through her clothing to sort things that no longer fit. Because she grows so quickly some of my favorite ensembles are only worn a few times.

Tea Collection print I loved so much that I got it in a tunic and one-piece.

My approach to clothes shopping for myself centers on maximizing the "cost per wear." But with baby clothes, that theory holds no water. You just dress them in what you think is cute. And there is a whole lot of cute out there!

Beautiful handmade sweater from my Aunt Sylvia (that I hope will still fit come fall!)

 Gymboree onesie and corduroy dress

Old Navy jacket, Etsy wool pants

 Marimekko onesie with jeggings

Still, it makes little sense to overspend. I have had good luck finding cute things at Gabriel Brothers, on Ebay, and in the generous hand-me-downs from mom friends. Not to mention the gifts! Oh my goodness, this is a lucky little girl that inspires so much gift-giving in her loved ones (especially the grandmas)! Above are some of my favorite outfits that I was smart enough to photograph with my real (non-phone) camera.

Postpartum Favorites

I already posted about my hospital-related must-haves for postpartum times. But as a savvy shopper, I didn't just raid the freebies in order to make my transition from pregnancy to motherhood go smoothly. I researched and acquired a number of things that became really important.

Within a week of discharging from the hospital, I realized that I absolutely needed nursing gear. Tanks. Bras. Covers. Tops. Dresses. Ointment. Pads (reusable, waterproof, leakproof, disposable, wool/cashmere... every kind I could find). All of it. I was eager to breastfeed but learning how to do so along with my newborn was challenging. Without the support of my loved ones, my lactation consultants, and my stash of nursing-facilitating goodies, I might not have stuck with it.

Bras:
I really need to find the time to go back to A Mother's Boutique in Wexford. The proprietor, Judy has a huge selection of nursing clothing and underpinnings and she is a fit expert! In the meanwhile I bought some cheap and less cheap bras from Target, La Leche League, and Anita.

Tanks:
For sleep, I like Gillian O'Malley from Target. I wore Bravado during the day early on. They are surprisingly supportive for tank tops. I like the additional coverage of the tank and the fact that they make regular tops nursing friendly without exposing one's stomach. But my favorite are the Rumina Hands Free Pump and Nurse Tanks. They are softer than Bravado but as supportive. They have two options for coverage (full and regular which both serve their own useful functions). And they haven't faded the way that my dark colored Bravado tanks have with wash and wear. I will be doing a full review and giveaway on Consume or Consumed very soon so stay tuned!

Breastpads:
My favorite breast pads were the Lansinoh disposables. Although they aren't as environmentally friendly as reusable, they are absorbent, relatively thin, and affordable. They have two sticky tabs per pad so they tend to stay put better than those with just one. They are breathable so the risk of thrush is decreased. They come in bulk quantities. Of the reusable ones, I liked bamboobies. Soft, heart-shaped, discrete. I just worried about their waterproof layer. For night time (since E is a winter baby) the wool pads were helpful in keeping me warm enough. I also have Lilypads (which prevent leaking) but don't plan to use them until I'm back in the classroom.

Breastmilk storage bags:
I tried a few kinds. The Medela ones attached right to my pump. But I prefer the Lansinoh bags because they freeze so nice and flat, making for easy storage and organization of one's stash!

Hands free pump bustier:
So you can pump and work! 

High-waisted underwear:
They're not the prettiest panties in the world but the Hanes multipack cotton hipsters in a size up from my pre-pregnancy size were great in that once I was out of the mesh hospital underwear, these were comfy, cheap, and sat above my surgical scar.

A good binder:
At the recommendation of another c-section mom, I went with a Squeem. Although I wasn't crazy about the rubbery smell, it definitely held me in well and it provided the counter pressure I so desperately needed when sneezing or coughing in those early postpartum days. Many women regardless of their birth stories swear by binding to promote the return of their pre-pregnancy shape. Although I didn't get this specific binder until I was about two weeks postpartum, I began binding my stomach while I was still in the hospital. Other than the hospital binder, I used this. I don't know if it made a difference because I have no basis for comparison and my waist remains larger than it was pre-pregnancy but it didn't hurt. The counter pressure was really the most important element for me personally. I do wish I had sized down because although it fit at first, it quickly seemed too large to make a difference shape-wise.

Vitamin E and Lanolin:
To moisturize all over!

A water bottle:
To hydrate. Drink "to thirst" as Kellymom says but "to thirst" when you're breastfeeding is more water than you can imagine. My rule of thumb was to have a glass every time I fed her.

I'm going to do an entire post on diaper bags soon but I want to include my favorite diaper bag. I love that it has stroller straps.  More favorites: nursing cover, lightweight scarves (to act as a cover), drapey cardigans, v-neck dresses and tops, layers layers layers, burp clothes.

Pregnancy and my body: gains and losses

two weeks postpartum

Over the course of my 39 weeks of pregnancy I gained 33 lbs. The weight distributed all over my body but of course concentrated most in my stomach. The total was more than I had hoped to gain because I didn't start off especially small. But I followed my body's cues with regard to eating and tried my best to eat healthily.

three weeks postpartum

At a visit to my dermatologist to discuss postpartum skincare, 2.5 weeks after birth, I had lost 27.5 of the pounds I had gained. I feel pretty pleased by this though I don't know what is normal or abnormal. I also began pregnancy in the thick of cake season* during which I was about 10 lbs heavier than my preferred weight. So if I am keeping track, I have about five pregnant lbs and ten cake season lbs left to shed. Breastfeeding has helped me so far. I have read that the final lbs linger on breastfeeding moms because the body keeps them as a makeshift insurance policy (i.e. in the event that I no longer had access to food, the additional weight would allow me to still produce for my child). Realistically, my inability to go to the gym for another 5-6 weeks will inhibit my level of fitness, regardless of what the scale says.

Back in September, I packed away my favorite fall and winter clothes, anticipating that I would not be able to fit into them for another year or so. I've dug through them this week to see what already fits while still being nursing-friendly. No matter what, I am still wearing my maternity pants because they are so darn comfy and the stretchy band at the top feels supportive over my tender abdomen.

Speaking of my abdomen and recovery, while in the hospital I was given a belly binder to help provide counter pressure over my incision. That did really help for the first week after birth. When I shed the bulk of the retained water my medical binder became too large and too stretched out to bind so I turned to the commercial binders a friend had sent me as generous hand-me-downs in anticipation of my birth. I ultimately purchased a Squeem which gives me much more intense support.

I am not sleeping in the binder anymore but I try to wear it for at least a few hours every day. When I sneeze, belly laugh, or cough my incision aches so the binder is useful for extra support. If I catch the pain-inducing action in time, I press my hands up against my abdomen which helps offer much needed counter pressure.

The other major body change is my bust. I am still trying to find supportive nursing bras though I bought a molded cup one from Target as a quick fix. I hate the added bulk of molded cups so I eventually took a chance on this La Leche League bra. It is a little big in the cups when I'm not full but it allows room for my breast pads. When I am feeling mobile post holiday madness, I am going to revisit Judy at A Mother's Boutique for a fitting and breastfeeding-friendly supplies. I intended to get there before birth but birth came early.

I have driven twice since surgery. Once to parallel park my mom's car on my street. And once for about 20 minutes on the way home from my mom's family's holiday party. I found that on the lengthier drive, my incision pain felt most intense while using the gas or break pedal over bumps or potholes. With this knowledge I will avoid certain streets in dire need of paving. I have gone to Target with baby (thanks to the help of my mom and sister) and a restaurant (Mad Mex where one of my mothers-in-law was having a bday party). But I didn't drive in either case.

Despite my soreness, I am pretty amazed by the body's resilience. Gestating, laboring, and undergoing major surgery have certainly changed some aspects of my physical self permanently. But a lot of things feel normal. My heartburn is gone. My need to pee a zillion times a night went with it. My back and pelvic girdle pain have subsided. I don't have sciatica anymore. My feet are almost back to normal (though not quite). And my waist is visible again. I do still have relatively clear skin which will change once my cycle returns. But considering the immense changes I experienced, my body almost feels like mine.

*cake season marks the time of year between February and April when Chris and I celebrate our birthdays and eat a lot of cake. 

Registry Anxieties

Pottery Barn Kids Brooklyn Crib Bedding

 
Picking out baby things for someone I've not yet met is challenging. Will she like swings? Will she like being worn? Will she like being swaddled? All of these questions remain unknowns until she arrives and we get to know her.

The very dense and lengthy registry checklists offered by major retailers seem to inflate the amount of gear they claim you will "need." But it is difficult not to feel overwhelmed by this new consumer realm. Sections of stores that never mattered to me suddenly matter. Sale racks that I would have previously ignored get at least a once-over. Predicting clothing sizes as they correspond with seasons is a gamble but some of the end of summer clearances have been too steep to skip. And the plethora of information regarding products is both helpful and annoying. How much trust do I place in reviews? And how much time do I invest in researching things like mattresses, strollers, and cribs?

I do know that I fell in love with the above pictured bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. It is so pretty that I would use it if it existed for adult beds! And when I compared the quality and price with the sets I saw at Babies R Us and the like, there was really no contest. If only the other big product decisions were as fun to make!

Recent preparatory consumption

Infant Boys' Onesies
Toddler Boys' Shirts

Today on Plum District, the Honest Company has a deal where you spend $20 and get $40 worth of natural baby products/household products. I bit because I had been considering grabbing some things to try for a while. You can access the deal by clicking here.

Gap and Old Navy (and their affiliated brands) have a code that offers 30% off (JULY2012), including maternity and baby things already on sale. I shopped through ebates for cashback. Above are some of my favorites for a pregnant body, and babies of both genders. What baby wouldn't want a lobster print romper?!

My first baby stuff sale haul

The women at Fashionism are expert deal hunters and one friend alerted the board about a clearance at CVS of baby things. I was a bit reluctant to shop for a baby-to-be because there are so many unknowns and I still hope to attempt some cloth diapering but for travel and for convenience these prices were too good to pass up.

The goods:
Row 1 from top left: CVS brand diapers, Huggies OverNites, CVS brand multi-pack wipes
Row 2: Munchkin Caterpillar Spillers, Munchkin bowl set (x2), Butt Paste, Mam pacifier set
Row 3: Munchkin plates set (x2), Munchkin spill-proof sippy cup

Everything I selected was 75% off the regular price. Although I didn't have any additional coupons I do feel like I did very well. I don't know a lot about kid and baby brands but liked that all the Munchkin stuff specified it is BPA-free.

Physically, I'm faring less well. Somehow I came down with a post-nasal drip which developed into a full-fledged cold. It seems too pronounced to simply be pregnancy rhinitis. I don't feel comfortable taking Sudafed due to some heart-specific things so I am using Claritin (regular, not D), gargling Listerine, and trying to muster the courage to neti-pot. It's just too hot for hot tea with honey (which would be another comfort solution). My sleep routine is disrupted from it because I can't breathe well enough to sleep comfortably. Hopefully it will pass soon. I have to say, as a person who rarely gets sick, this pregnancy immunity is for the birds. I'll be back this weekend with some bump updates at least.