Breastfeeding Favorites

I'm a nursing mom. I'm a breastfeeding mom. I'm an exclusively breastfeeding mom.

Wow. Those are things I wasn't sure I would ever say.

Before I got pregnant, I don't think I ever thought about breastfeeding.

I never thought that I would be able to take the feeling of a baby nursing, and I was so scared of it.

But, as soon as I became pregnant I knew that breastfeeding was something that I was going to at least try to do for sure, and boy am I so happy I did.

I love the bond I have with Emma. I love the way she looks at me when she's nursing, it's just she and I, and no one else. I love that she NEEDS me, and I love that I can always soothe her.

Of course, do I even have to mention all the amazing benefits?

Breastfeeding isn't easy. AT ALL.

And I'm not saying that to scare anyone, I'm saying it because it's the truth.

I'm not going to go into details of WHY it's hard, you can Google it and everyone will say the same things about the soreness and pain, and etc.

But I'm here to tell you to DO IT! It's so worth it, I promise.

I decided to put a list together of my Favorite Breastfeeding Items, hope this helps you mamas who want to breastfeed.

Enjoy!

Medela Pump In Style Pump & Cooler Set- I was so thankful that my insurance was able to cover my breast pump! And I honestly have no complaints with my Medela. It's small and light, and easy to carry around when I have to pump at work. The cooler set is a must have, the ice pack inside is molded so 4 Medela bottles fit perfectly. I'm able to keep a mini fridge in my classroom, but when I have to pack up and take my milk, I put them in the cooler bag and they stay cold for hours.

Medela Nipple Shield- Like I said, breastfeeding is HARD! But this little shield saved me for 3 days! I was so sore, bruised and cracked, but giving up wasn't an option! Emma's pediatrician told me to get a nipple shield, and while it didn't help with the soreness it definitely helped with everything else. Please note that this should be used temporarily!

Medela Soft Shells- So when your "girls" are hurting and wearing a bra is basically unbearable, these soft shells come in and make life so much better haha! They keep your nipples from touching anything, and your breasts from being squished against your bra and shirt.

Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Breast Therapy- Pop these in the microwave and put them on your breasts to help with milk flow, or freeze them to help with the soreness. These were awesome in the beginning!

Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads- These were great with helping sore nipples. You might think that there's no way you'll put something super cold on you nipples, ha! Talk to me after you've been breastfeeding for a couple of days. I thought the same thing!!!

Lansinoh Lanolin- Awesome for the cracked nipples. They're safe for babies, but every time before I nursed I made sure to wipe it off. A little bit goes a long way, and I still have basically a full tube. I hear this works great as a lip balm but I haven't had the guts to try it yet, lol.

Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra- This Nursing Bra is super comfy! There is no underwire, the nursing clips have one-hand access. I love it.

Simple Wishes Hands Free Pump Bra- 4 words. HANDS FREE PUMP BRA. You get to pump without having to use your hands!!! Do I need to say more?

Kismet Love Nursing Scarf- These scarves are super cute, well made and when you're not nursing, you just wear them around on a chilly day or as a cute accessory. I have two of these and I like them a lot! They really do a great job covering you and baby for privacy when breastfeeding. They offer a lot of different and fun fabrics to pick from. The maker of these scarves is a mama herself, and you know how much I love to support small businesses and moms.

MilkMakers Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies- I'm obsessed with these. I'm so happy I get to eat a cookie every single day and not feel guilty about it haha. These are great and they help with my milk production. I have a subscription so every month I get 2 bags and 1 box of these. So yummy!

I also received 2 other products after I had already made my flatlay that I love so much so I'm adding on here!

Check out the NursElet™!

The NursElet™ is Mommy invented. I really believe that every product made by a mom is awesome, because who better than an actual mom to come up with something great for other mommies to use?  The NursElet™ is a hands-free solution to make breastfeeding and pumping easier and comfortable for nursing mother. No matter which kind of you are wearing, NursElet™ secures your shirt in no time, and when nursing is done, NursElet™ can become a nursing bracelet to remind which breast to use next. It also easily slides over the shirt if in case of changing a breast position while holding baby. It's adjustable, reversible, machine washable, no metal, no BPA. Each NursElet™ is handmade with quality materials, inside and out. You can also choose from a bunch of different fabrics.

What a simple, but super cool product!

I also received some products from Mrs. Patel's.

I received the Fenugreek Bars Combo, the Chai Spice Tea and the Munch Crunch.

Let me tell you that those bars are MAGICAL! I was told that it would take a few days for me to notice a difference, but I ate one, and right away I noticed a difference in my production!!!

Since I got the combo, I tried all 3 flavors they offer, chocolate, peanut butter and regular.

The Fenugreek Bars are kind of spicy, so I couldn't handle the regular bar, but I put Nutella on it, and it tasted so good! The chocolate has this sweet/bitter taste to it, and the peanut butter one was my favorite, I even added more peanut butter on top of the existing amount haha.

I'm not a fan of tea. Hot Tea, Iced Tea, I never loved tea, but the Chai Spice Tea definitely does its job! I like that it's caffeine free.

And finally the Munch Crunch, I put it in yogurt, and ice cream! I'm a fan!

Now, what are YOUR breastfeeding favorites? Please share! I would love to know!

Emma - 3 Months

My cutie! You are getting sillier by the day!

When you smile, one of you eyes squint more than the other.

You've been pulling Mommy's hair already and you have such a good grip, OUCH!

You gave Mommy such a hard time one weekend, you didn't want to breastfeed, you only wanted a bottle. Mommy was so so sad! My milk production got low, but I just pumped and pumped and fed you as much as I could, switched bottles, oh man, you gave me a run for my money for 3 days! But, I toughened it out, and together we got everything to go back to normal! Now grandma switches off bottles every other day so you don't get used to just one kind! You'll learn really quickly that while you might be clever, Mommy is the cleverest of them all, just ask Daddy! :)

Mondays are the worst, we spend all weekend together and then I have to leave you to go back to work for the week. I know I'm doing what I have to do to be able to give you everything you need and more, but I still feel so guilty. I cannot wait to spend all Winter Break with you.

You are sitting up much better, and you like to keep your head up too! We've been practicing sitting on the Bumbo, and while it's not your favorite, you are a trooper.

I'm also looking forward to your 3 Month photoshoot! It's so crazy to see how much you have grown and changed. I'm so thankful for knowing Auntie Bee, and having her create these beautiful pictures for us. Like she says, one day you'll have the most awesome TBTs! You'll learn about those one day, but I'm sure by the time you would be doing TBTs, something else will be cooler, haha.

You saw Santa for the first time, but you were more worried about the tulle on your shirt than Santa himself. He asked Mommy what she wanted for Christmas, but I told him I already got the best gift of all - YOU!

I love you the most!

- Mommy

Weight: 11.4 lbs

Height: 25 in.

Eye Color: Still Blue! But sometimes they seem gray.

Hair Color: Dark Brown.

Diaper Size: Size 1

Clothes Size: 0-3 Months usually, some 3-6 here and there and PJs are getting tight cause you're getting long, so I've been buying 6 months which are a little roomy, but better to put on.

Sleep: Basically still the same as last month. You sleep in your bassinet and on the weekends when you wake up super early Mommy feeds you and then lets you stay in bed to cuddle! I wake you up at 4:45AM to eat and once you get to Vovó's house you take naps.

Eating: Still every 3-4 hours. I let you sleep through the night or if you're napping during the day for as long as you want, but I don't usually let you go past 4 hours without eating, except over night.

Likes: Minnie Mouse, your car seat toy bar, iPhones and iPads, when people talk to you in a silly voice, when mommy "steals" your nose. BATHS!
Dislikes: Being hungry! When you're sleeping and the dogs bark and scare you.
Milestones: You found your hand, kind of, but you like to eat it when you do find it. You've been getting better at grabbing things, and you are definitely more aware of your surroundings.
Firsts: First Thanksgiving! First time seeing Santa.
Personality: You are still so silly and cute, but your cries are getting louder and more intense. You love being held, but when you are hungry nothing makes you happy except for Mommy's Milk!

And I had to add this one of you and Zoey cause it's just too stinkin' cute!!!!

1 Month & 2 Months Favorites

I've combined my 1 & 2 Months Favorites since they were pretty much the same.

You can find my Newborn Favorites here.

Owlet Monitor- I have written a whole blog post about this baby monitor, and I still love it! Click here to read about it. Also, if you are interested in purchasing it, click here to purchase it,

Bright Starts Carrier Bar- Emma is in love with this little toy bar! She hates car rides when she's alone in the back, but at every red light I click the little owl's heart and it blinks and sings to her and calms her down. She smiles and smiles at it, it's so cute!

HALO Bassinest- I'm including this bassinet again because it's still a favorite. I'm happy I didn't listen to everyone calling me ridiculous for getting it because of it's price tag because I do love it. This bassinet is awesome! It's in my bedroom and right next to me, I love that it swivels and has all these cool little features on it. Emma finally enjoys the vibrating feature and she also likes to listen to the songs it plays.

MamaRoo- Including our MamaRoo again as well because Emma loves it and so do we! She still naps in there all the time. The only complaint is the little mobile on the top, can you say BORING?! It doesn't move, turn, or light up, it's just 3 colorful plush balls. I actually took those balls off and I hang a little colorful toy that Emma likes to look at. For such an expensive, modern item, you'd think they would include a super cool mobile, no?

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blanket Bag- Another repeat because we still use these every night. Emma still startles herself to the point where she wakes herself up, so she wears a blanket bag overnight. Not for naps, just overnight. They're light enough for her to wear on top of her PJs, and they have such adorable prints too!

Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottles- I had SUCH a hard time one weekend getting Emma to nurse, she only wanted a bottle! So I got these bottles which are supposed to be great for breastfeeding babies, and Emma loves them! I like the little tube they come with, like the Dr. Browns bottles, which I also use. Now my mom (who watches her) switches between bottles so she doesn't get used to just one haha. Hey it's been working!!!

Lalabu Soothe Shirt- I'm in love with this shirt! Check out my post about it here!

Graco Pack N Play- This is where Emma naps and hangs out while she's at Vovó's house when I'm at work. It's light and super easy to fold up. I really like this little pack and play.

Fisher-Price Soothe and Glow Bunny- This is one of Emma's Christmas Presents but I couldn't resist to at least show it to her and OMG, she was in a trance. She really really liked this bunny! The belly glows on and off and it sings a little song. She was fussy trying to fight sleep and nurse, I turned this bunny on, showed it to her and she instantly stopped crying! I was like whaaatttt! Haha.

I can't believe that in just 10 days I'll have a 3 Month Old and a completely different list of favorite item to share with you all!

Emma's Nursery Reveal

Well, here it is, Emma's Nursery Reveal!

I have gotten so many comments from so many mamas throughout my pregnancy and after Emma arrived wanting to see her nursery, and even though it was finished months before she was born, I wanted to make sure I had some really nice pictures to show it off!

And guess who came to the rescue? My friend Amanda from Lovely Bee Photography of course!

Check out Emma's Nursery with links to the sources.

I hope you love it as much I do, Emma certainly does, it's her favorite room in the house, she is always so smiley and happy and in the best mood when she's in her room, it's the cutest! It's like she knows it's HER special room. :)

Princess Ballerina Wreath | Wood Monogram | Chandelier

Crib | Mobile & Crib Garland

Curtains | Rug | Little Lamb Rocker

Glider & Ottoman | Pink Shaggy Pillow from Home Goods (Similar Here) | Pink Lamb Plush

Dresser | Knobs | Changing Pad | Changing Pad Cover | Diaper Trash Bin

Tray | Tissue Box | Cloud Cotton Swab Holder

Sophie | Lamb Teether | "Sugar" Bowl

Cloud Pillow | Princess Pillow from Home Goods | Donut Pillow | Cupcake Pillow

(Little Lamb Plush was from Emma's 4D Ultrasound it has her heartbeat inside!)

White Shelves | Ultrasound Frame | Princess Carriage Snow Globe

Chevron Letter E - Home Made | Pink Mason Jar & Flowers - Home Made

Frames from IKEA | Mirror

* The pictures in the frames for the gallery wall were either made by me, or found on Google by typing "Watercolor Pink Heart", "Watercolor Pink Bow", "Water Color Animals".*

If I forgot to link anything and you'd like to know where it's from please leave me a comment and I'll let you know the source!

Emma - 2 Months

Baby Girl you are 2 Months! TWO MONTHS!!! STOP IT! :(

Even though I'm loving how more aware you are becoming, I miss my squishy baby who just slept on me all day! And it's also sad that time just goes by so fast, next thing I know you'll be running around, pulling Cooper and Zoey's ears and destroying the house!

There is so much to write about this month, so get ready for a long post.

You are becoming so smiley now, which I love! You are also trying to "talk".
It is the cutest thing and Mommy and Daddy, well, everyone melts when you smile.
Mommy tries to record you, but then you get distracted with the phone and stop.

You pay attention to things now, if Mommy is breastfeeding you while using her phone you look at the screen, you like to look at lights, and in the middle of the night when it's dark in the room and you're eating, you like to look at the ceiling and watch the shadows, so Mommy makes funny hand movements for you to see and you pay such close attention!
You also notice the TV and actually watch it, I can tell by looking at your little eyes that you're paying attention.

Mommy and Daddy had their first night out on your 5th week, we went to Pedro and Caro's wedding and you stayed with Grandma Bette at our house. You were a good girl and did a great job drinking Mommy's Milk from the bottle!

You trick or treated for the first time on Halloween with your cousins. You only lasted about 1 hour and you slept most of the time. When you were awake you cried, and every time we stopped walking you cried. You were in the stroller dressed up, and you did manage to score some candy, but since you're not allowed to eat any yet, Mommy and Daddy enjoyed them for you, haha.

You dressed up like Tinkerbell, Mommy was Wendy Darling and Daddy was Peter Pan.
Daddy made his costume all by himself, and insisted on wearing tights!

You went on your first road trip!

We went to Orlando so Mommy and Daddy could go to Halloween Horror Nights.

We waited until the very last day to go, but we really didn't want to miss out, it's a yearly tradition and I really can't wait until you can join us! I hope you love horror as much as Mommy does!

You stayed at the hotel with Vovó and she said you were such a good girl!

When we got to the hotel we realized that Daddy didn't pack the cooler (yes, it's his fault even though he denies it) so I freaked out because all the milk I had pumped for you stayed home! I messaged the lactation consultant for help and went to the store and got you some formula to supplement the milk I was able to pump before going to the park. All was well!

You also went to your first "event", Tia Fernanda's Surprise Bridal Shower. You were so well behaved, you couldn't even tell there was a baby there because you were so quiet.

Mommy had to go back to work this week. I cried and cried and cried.
I know you're in great hands, Vovó loves you so much, and you love her too, but Mommy wishes she could be the one taking care of you all day every day. After all, you are my baby, and I feel like that's what Mommies should do, take care of their babies, that should be all Mommies jobs!
But you are doing awesome! Vovó sends Mommy and Daddy pictures and videos every day! You mostly sleep and eat, and sleep again and eat and sleep with a few diaper changes in between.

You have a love/hate relationship with car rides. You finally found the little pink owl that hangs on your car seat handle that sings and lights up, you stare at it and even though you make a funny face at it sometimes you seem to enjoy it, it calms you down.

I love you more and more every day, and when I think about you getting older I cry.
I hope you'll always love me as much as you love me today.

You're my favorite!
- Mommy

Weight: 10.14 lbs

Height: 24.5 in.

Eye Color: Still Blue! Hooray!

Hair Color: Dark Brown, but it's getting lighter.

Diaper Size: Size 1

Clothes Size: 0-3 Months but baby clothes sizing is so weird!!!!! Some 0-3 are too small on you, some are just right and some are too big! Go figure... You are long so your 0-3 PJs are getting tight and a pain in the butt to zip up/button up!

Sleep: You have been such a great sleeper lately! You sleep in your bassinet and on the weekends when you wake up super early Mommy feeds you and then lets you stay in bed to cuddle! Now that Mommy is back to work, I have to wake you up at 4:45AM to eat! But once you get to Vovó's house you take a long nap!

Eating: Every 3-4 hours, but I let you sleep through the night for as long as you want, sometimes you even last 7+ hours! Wooo hooooo!!!!

Likes: Mommy's Milk, looking at lights, being outside, same as last month, but now you also like watching things like the TV, phone, any toys with lights and/or sounds. And I think you're liking your MamaRoo better too! And you LOVE taking baths!
Dislikes: Getting out of the bath still! You get sooooooo mad!!!
Milestones: You're flipping over!! It's so crazy! One time you did it and you scared yourself and cried so much, my poor baby!
Firsts: So many this time! First time away from Mommy for more than a few minutes, First Halloween, first time trick or treating, first road trip, first event. First time sleeping through the night.
Personality: You are feisty! You know what you want, and when you want it, you want it NOW!!! But you are also super sweet, and smiley, and cute, and delicious! Seriously, you are such a good girl! I hope you stay that way forever, my sweet baby.

And Baby Girl didn't cry one bit this time, hooray!

So here's a super cute pic of her after she fell over haha.

Celebrating Emma - A Princess Themed Baby Shower!

My fabulous friend Amanda, the creative mind behind Lovely Bee Photography, who I shout out all the time for her amazing talent behind the lens was a guest at my Baby Shower, but of course she couldn't resist and ended up doubling as the photographer and got some beautiful pictures!

My friend Ashly and my mom hosted, we had an all girls brunch at a special beach resort, in which I spent plenty of time in during my college days.

*Update: My dress is from Amazon. I had a lot of people asking me about it! :)

Check out Emma's Princess Baby Shower!

Lalabu Soothe Shirt

I am so excited to share this amazing item with you all, the Soothe Shirt!

The Soothe Shirt is an all-in-one stylish top, cozy pouch, nursing bra all-in-one.

Let me tell you how much I love this shirt... A LOT!

I honestly wear it almost every day! Emma loves it too, she likes to be close to me, and when I need to get things done around the house and don't feel like wrapping, I just put this top on, put Emma in the pouch and go about my day. If I need to nurse, all I need to do is pull the tank to the side and Emma has access to start nursing.

Check it out:

Here I'm rocking the Soothe Shirt as a regular tank top.

It's nice and stretchy, and extra long which I love because it covers my waist.

This is definitely my favorite tank top, doesn't Emma look so cozy in there?
She tends to fall asleep after I walk around for a while with her in the pouch.

When I wear it out I get so many questions, everyone loves seeing how it works, how comfortable Emma looks in it, and how easy it is to carry your baby around.
People think it's the coolest thing and I agree! :)

I'm so happy that I have the chance to share this awesome baby product with so many people online, and when I go out, and even happier that I have this to use with my Baby Girl!

Lalabu is named in honor of the woman who taught founders Keri and Brian how to wrap babies on a trip to Africa. I absolutely love that 2% of all sales are given to moms in Africa, supporting mom entrepreneurs through micro-finance. They are the creators of the Soothe Shirt and other innovative products for mom and baby.

Click here to get your own, it is so worth it!

Newborn Favorites

Hello Ladies! (And Gents if there are any reading my blog!)

I wanted to put together a little list of my Newborn Favorites to share with you all, the following items were really my must haves, and still are! They really helped me with Emma's first few weeks.

Check them out:

HALO Bassinest- This bassinet is awesome! It's in my bedroom and right next to me, I love that it swivels and has all these cool little features on it. I was very hesitant to buy it because it's pricey and Emma won't get to use it for more than a few months, but it has been worth it!

MamaRoo- Another pricey item, definitely a splurge, but I love it and so does Emma! This is where she takes her naps during the day. She's actually right next to me on it, sleeping as I blog! :)

Soothie Pacifiers- These are the only pacifiers Emma will take! She's not big on pacifiers to begin with, and will only use them until she calms down, then she spits them out. She would cry every time they fell out of her mouth at night, but the last 2 nights she has actually slept all night without them!

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blanket Bag- I loveeeeeeee these! Emma only sleeps for a long period of time if she's tightly swaddled with her arms in and these blanket bags are amazing! They're light enough for her to wear on top of her PJs, and they have such adorable prints too!

NoseFrida- Ok, I was that mom that said I would NEVER use this because it's disgusting... Flash forward to your crying baby miserable because she can't breathe with a super stuffy nose, and the dumb bulb isn't helping at all.. Bring in the Nose Frida. Works wonders! And it has a filter so nothing goes in your mouth.

Aden & Anais Swaddlers- Cute prints, amazing texture, lightweight, these are my go-to all time favorite little blankets. I use them to wrap Emma, to cover her carseat in the car without making it too hot in there for her, to cover myself while breastfeeding. These are awesome!

Boppy Pillow- I use it for breastfeeding sometimes, and it helped visitors hold her when she was super tiny!

Whale Bath Sponge- This is a cushion that makes it easy to bathe newborns and infants, it has really helped me while bathing Emma because she just lays on it without slipping and I have both hands free to wash her. It is designed to support your baby while in the tub.

Honest Company Diapers- My all time favorite diapers. To me they're like disposable cloth diapers, that's how I would describe them. These diapers have plant-based inner and outer layers are gentle on your baby's skin, they contain natural citrus and chlorophyll for odor prevention and wheat/corn blend in super-absorbent core. I like that they're free from a bunch of chemicals!

Honest Company Wipes- These wipes are the bomb! (Haha) They feel like mini towels, they are also free from chemicals, and I like that they don't irritate Emma's booty.

Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash- I love how soft Emma's skin feels after a bath using this body wash. Her hair smells so good and gets so fluffy too!

Honest Company Diaper Cream- This cream is expensive. I said it. It's expensive so I don't use it with every single diaper change. It is lightweight and not super chunky/creamy like most diaper creams, so it really is my favorite! I use this cream mostly for the overnight diapers since Emma will have it on her skin for a longer period of time.

Honest Healing Balm- If Emma's skin looks red, I apply this right away! It also helps with dry skin.

Also, check out my post about the Owlet Monitor, this monitor has also been my favorite!

If you are interested in purchasing it, click HERE!

Hope this helped you mamas to be looking to get ready for those first few weeks! :)