breastfeeding - Stuff Parents Need

Shower Time Revolution for Nursing Moms: The Shower Hug (GIVEAWAY!!!)

June 20, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 48 Comments

There’s a product I have been using on a very regular basis since about 2 weeks before Layah was born. It has been helping me SO much with feeling comfortable in those weeks before and the weeks after having a baby.It’s called a Shower Hug, and at first glance, it may not really seem to be that phenomenal of a product. But hang with me and I’ll explain!

This is a terry velour wrap that goes around your breasts in the shower. It is meant to be a protective barrier between your chest and the shower spray, which can suddenly feel VERY uncomfortable when your breasts are sore or engorged. Additionally, it acts as a warm compress which is extremely soothing and does help to ease engorgement.

Now, for me, engorgement only lasted 3 days. The Shower Hug provided enough comfort in those 3 days that I would say it is worth it just for that period, but I can also tell you that it has several uses after this phase of breastfeeding ends.

First and foremost, if you are going to be breastfeeding, you will learn that you are supposed to avoid using soap on your nipples and areolas, as they can actually dry you out and impede breastfeeding. I am still using the Shower Hug when I get in the shower to keep suds from my soap bar and from shampoo away from that area. But at the same time, the Shower Hug does get wet, so I don’t feel as though I’m not rinsing that area off well.

I also really enjoy getting to take hot baths again, and when I am taking a hot bath, I dip the Shower Hug in the hot water and then wear it while I soak. Our tub is on the small side, so it is impossible for me to fill it up to the point where my chest is submerged. The Shower Hug gives me that same feeling, though!

The Shower Hug is also useful to me during the night when I really don’t want to wear a nursing bra to bed, but I know I can’t sleep with nothing on or else I wake up with wet sheets! I can wrap my Shower Hug around me and put in breast pads. It is really nice to take a break from something with straps.

The Shower Hug comes in white with pink trim, white with blue trim or natural with sage trim. It is proudly made in the USA. It is available here for $29.95.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Shower Hug!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

26 Days In: How Breastfeeding is Going

June 1, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

I was very dedicated to breastfeeding my first child. I assumed that after the initial physical pain of breastfeeding, everything would go super smoothly and we’d never have any issues. Unfortunately, we did have some troubles and I found myself supplementing close to half her daily food with formula by 6 months. By 10 months, Darah had weaned herself.

While I know it is too early to declare that we are going to be problem-free this time around, I will say that so far, things are going much smoother! And I think a fair amount of that success has to do with my approach to the process. Simply put, I’m much more relaxed about the whole thing this time around. I’m still keeping track of her feeding times like I did last time, but I’m not obsessing over whether or not she’s eating too frequently or not frequently enough. I just feed her when she seems to be hungry. Sometimes that’s every 1 1/2 hours….sometimes it’s every 4 1/2 hours. I can see with my own two eyes that she is growing like a weed, so I’m not getting all caught up in putting her on a schedule this time around.

I also discovered in the first week of feeding Layah that she has a very favorite way to nurse: laying down! That works for me, especially in the middle of the night! I suspect that I also have an overactive let down, and the laying down position helps with that because it is easy for Layah to just let the milk that she can’t drink quickly enough flow right out of her mouth.

Another thing I’ve done differently this time around is kept my resources for support close at hand. I went to a breastfeeding support group meeting when Layah was just 8 days old, and even though we weren’t having major problems, it was SO great to connect with other moms in the early weeks of breastfeeding. I’ve also been quick to consult kellymom.com when I do run into questions, as that is a very comprehensive site with some really terrific information.

Finally, I have made sure that I have the right clothes for comfortable breastfeeding, which is something that I did not have squared away when I was nursing Darah in the early weeks. One of my very favorite items is The Essential Nursing Tank from Bravado. There are many things to like about this particular nursing tank, but my absolute favorite is that it comes with a built-in bra, so you don’t have to wear a separate bra under your tank. HALLELUJAH! And these tanks come in specific sizes for different breast sizes, so it really and truly will fit you, even if you are a bit larger up top!

I also love the snap design on this tank. While it holds in place just fine on its own (I have never had it come undone on me!) it is also easy enough to unsnap with just one hand, which is a clever design for those of us with hungry, mad babies in the other hand!

I also really appreciate the length of the tank. I’m a short gal, so the top isn’t so long that its more like a nightgown, but it does completely cover my tummy, which makes me feel more secure. I’m definitely not at the stage with my post-baby body where I want my mid-section hanging out for the world to see!

While I held on to my nursing tank and didn’t use it until Layah was born, the material is stretchy, and designed to be usable during pregnancy, as well. So if you purchase this tank, you are sure to get LOTS of use out of it!

I personally am trying to decide which other colors I should purchase. I currently have the brown tank, and it is constantly being washed and re-worn. I could definitely use one or two more!

The Essential Nursing Tank by Bravado is available for $49.00 and comes in 9 beautiful colors that will help make your maternity and post-partum wardrobe super functional. It can be purchased here.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ Nursing Pillow Review

May 17, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Breastfeeding, on the whole, is a very simple and cost effective way to feed your growing baby. But in my experience, you do need to purchase a few accessories to make the work a whole lot easier. One thing I think every nursing mom could benefit from is a nursing pillow. I had one with my first and knew that I was going to want one with my second, as well. Without one, in my experience, you find yourself in positions that are bad for your posture and bad for nursing, which lead to a whole lot of other problems. A great nursing pillow can eliminate many of those issues.

With Layah, we are using the mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™. It’s a great upgrade from our first nursing pillow, as it has some features that make it oh so very useful.

First and foremost, the pillow has two different levels of firmness. One side is more firm for nursing. I LOVE this feature. The pillow is not so firm as to be uncomfortable, but it keeps baby more elevated while feeding, whereas other pillows I have tried before can be so soft and squishy that the baby is not ideally positioned. Here you you will see Layah and me during a middle of the night feeding. It’s really nice to not have to get out of bed and go over to the rocking chair at 4am!

The other side of the pillow is softer, and that makes it great for the baby to lounge on during awake time. We like to use this side when we are showing Layah her black and white flash cards or doing some baby massage on her legs and feet.

Second, mombo has a vibrator inside the pillow that you can turn on, and this is SO nice for times when baby is just a little bit fussy and in need of extra soothing. What a clever idea!

I also think the line of covers that mombo offers are really cute; I appreciate the variety. Overall, we are really impressed with this pillow and I would highly recommend it to other expecting families!

mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ retails for $29.99 and covers can be purchased for $19.99 at places like Babies R Us.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Maternity Monday: Itzbeen Timer Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

March 26, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 91 Comments

Lately I’ve been reading a book all about breastfeeding. It’s really helping refresh my memory on just exactly what it takes to feed a newborn…and it’s a LOT of work. You have to feed the newborn a minimum of 8 times each day, round the clock. I can tell you from experience just how easy it is to lose track of the number of times you have fed the baby, or when, exactly, they last ate, or how long it has been since their last diaper change, or even how long it has been since their last dose of medicine if they happen to be taking anything.

With Darah, we had an old-school pen and paper system, and it got the job done, but we would still sometimes forget to stumble over to our dresser and write things down in the log, especially in the middle of the night when the last thing we wanted to do was turn on the lamp. We would promise ourselves that we’d write it down in the morning. You can probably guess how often that actually happened, though.

While it isn’t the end of the world to miss a log entry, keeping up with this sort of thing really is extremely helpful. If you are feeling worried about your baby’s milk intake, for example, you need your log to determine how many wet diapers she has had in the last 24 hours, as this will help you know if she’s eating often enough. So that log really is quite important.

And now there’s a way to make keeping track of it all SO much easier. It’s called the Itzbeen baby care timer, and it makes recording all these events as easy as the push of a button. One handy little device (that can clip onto your belt loops for easy travel around the house!) can keep track of the following:

changing time
feeding time
sleep/awake time
one more timer for whatever you need (such as medication time)
nursing reminder (help you keep track of the side you nursed on last)

Trying to keep up with all of this in your head will NEVER work, and keeping track on paper also isn’t ideal, especially in the middle of the night. What makes the Itzbeen timer perfect for any time of the day or night is the fact that it has a display back light so you can easily read and record in the dark. Hooray!

Yes, people have been caring for babies since before technology entered the world, and they managed to get through it. But I’m telling you, this technological innovation is going to help Tim and me not feel quite so loopy, and that is worth a whole heck of a lot!

Buy it!: The Itzbeen timer retails for $24.99 and can be purchased at many online retailers or at a location near you. For a complete list of place to buy, click here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your own Itzbeen Timer!

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How to Breastfeed in Public Without a Cover

January 26, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 77 Comments

As I have mentioned before, I am fortunate enough to be able to visit my 5 month old daughter every work day during lunch at her daycare. This gives me the opportunity to feed her myself and to have some special time with her in the middle of the day. I’ve also mentioned before that her daycare center does not have a private place where I can take her to nurse so I have to breastfeed in public. In December I was using a resource room. I think I fed her in that room 9 times, and I was only left uninterrupted 1 of those times. Seriously! There were even a few times when I had to use the room while other women who work there were cleaning and organizing in the room. Everyone has been very nice to me, but my need for privacy does not seem to trump their need to access the room.

This month I have just decided to nurse Darah in the room she stays in. If I have to make small talk with other adults while I’m feeding my baby, it might as well be with the women who are actually watching my daughter! I’ve tried a couple of things in an effort to be at least a little bit modest. I’ve tried using her swaddling blankets as a cover. This only works if she is too exhausted to pull them down. I’ve also tried using a nursing cover (the kind that goes over your head). Darah seems to be really annoyed by this contraption, and she frequently will stop nursing and try to move it out of her way. She just doesn’t like being covered, which makes sense, because she is never covered when I nurse her at home. The issue of how to breastfeed in public has been quite a challenge for me, to say the least.

So, what to do? There actually is a really cool solution to this dilemma! It’s called Baby Bond, and it is a nursing cover unlike any other that I’ve seen! Baby Bond is designed to provide mom with a bit of privacy, but it doesn’t cover up baby at all. It does require you to be a little bit more brave, as it is possible for you to be exposed if your little one suddenly stops nursing and throws her head back to talk to you (as mine sometimes does), but if you are prepared for that scenario, you can quickly move the fabric over your breast when that happens. The Baby Bond comes in 3 different styles. I was sent the Flex style to review. This is a really great product for me to use at daycare, as privacy is not an option and the nursing covers and blankets just aren’t cutting it. I wear the Baby Bond like a sash, and then just unbutton my shirt with the sash over me. I separate the two panels of fabric when Darah is in position and ready to eat. She covers up some of my breast, and the Baby Bond covers the rest. I am able to keep my shirt on to keep my belly and back covered. It’s great! Darah seems to like it, too, because she really does enjoy looking at me while she eats, and this doesn’t cover her up or obstruct her view of me in any way. Another terrific feature of the Baby Bond Flex nursing cover is the fact that it has a loop meant to hold the burp cloth that comes with it. This has been an absolute lifesaver for me. Before I had this product, I probably forgot to bring a burp cloth with me to nurse Darah at least 75% of the time. Now it is built in to my nursing cover so there’s nothing to forget. Leave it to a mom to think of such a great invention, and then add such a great bonus feature!

Speaking of the inventor, let me tell you a little bit about why Missy created this product. She says, “My determination to incorporate breastfeeding into my lifestyle meant nursing in public everywhere. It also taught me a lot about myself. I discovered that refusing to cover my baby’s head while nursing did not leave many options. I did not feel attractive when I lifted my shirt to nurse because I found myself slouching forward and it revealed my postnatal stomach and back. I also felt that by exposing my breasts, the intimacy shared between my husband and me was somehow compromised… I wanted to keep some things just for us.” I can certainly relate to all of these feelings, as they have caused me to really shy away from breastfeeding in public, which totally stinks. I also want to highlight the fact that Missy is a business owner with a heart for others. She regularly donates her products to various organizations and individuals who have need for them. I am always impressed with a business that gives to others on a regular basis. Check out some of recent donations here. Baby Bond also comes in two other styles. The Original cover is similar to the flex, but has a built in burp cloth. The Couture can be worn like a belly band or a nursing cover. This makes it a terrific option for moms of newborns who need the coverage a belly band can offer, and who need to nurse so often that they shouldn’t even take off their nursing cover!
The only difficulty I have had with the Baby Bond has nothing to do with the product, and everything to do with my wardrobe. It is designed to be worn with shirts that allow you to nurse from the top down (button up shirts or nursing shirts). A good chunk of my work wardrobe requires me to pull up my shirt, so on days when Darah is at daycare, I have to strategically plan what I’m going to wear if I want to use the Baby Bond. Hopefully you are smarter than me and already have a wardrobe that is more conducive to nursing!

Buy It! Baby Bond is available at a variety of online and retail outlets, and you can also buy it on the Baby Bond website! This product provides the means for you to nurse anywhere, anytime without sacrificing that important eye contact with your baby. It’s also great for those squirmy babies like mine who refused to be covered up! Get yours for $35 today.

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to #30!

Win it! Missy and Baby Bond want to give Stuff Parents Need readers the chance breastfeed in public once again and to win a Baby Bond cover! This contest will run until Thursday, February 4th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my winning notification email. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure that your email address is either listed in your profile or listed in your entry.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which Baby Bond nursing cover (including the color and size) would work best for you. Choose wisely, as you will win what you select!

Additional Entries:

1. Follow my blog on Google friend connect (find it on my sidebar) (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

2. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS

3. Add my button to your blog

4. Become a Fan of Baby Bond Nursing on Facebook

5. Follow Baby Bond Nursing on Twitter

I was provided with a sample for product review purposes. The views expressed in this post are strictly my own.