A breastfeeding giveaway!

If you are pregnant, nursing, or know someone who is....keep reading!!

I recently had the chance to try out and review 3 great products from Fairhaven Health. Read my two blog posts below to get a better understanding of why I love these!  They have been so generous as to allow me to giveaway all 3 of the products I tried to one lucky reader!

(Hint: I am going to ask you questions from these posts for your entry...so be to sure check out the posts)

World Breastfeeding Week...& A Review!

and

A Little Postpartum Honesty

 

 

Now is your chance to win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

World Breastfeeding Week...& A Review!

Breastfeeding has been one of the most exhausting, challenging and rewarding things that I have been able to do since becoming a mother. My breastfeeding journey has been going on now for 2 years and 28 days. We have overcome postpartum depression, a tongue and lip tie, mastitis, pumping at work, nursing through pregnancy, and now tandem nursing. As hard at it has been at times, I wouldn't take it back for the world. I have never been so proud of myself for sticking with anything in my whole life. I take great pride in the lifelong benefits that I am providing for my children (and even myself!)

I want to say Happy World Breastfeeding Week to all the momma's who have given breastfeeding a chance. Whether it was for one day, one month, one year or even more!

As some of you may have read, I recently worked with Fairhaven Health to try out their Sitting Pretty Soothing Spray for postpartum pain and healing. They also let me work with them to try out two of their products for nursing moms! I got to try out the Milkie's Milk Saver! I have seen this thing everywhere. It's been on Pinterest, shown up on my Facebook feed, it's been posted in the breastfeeding groups I belong to...and I couldn't wait to try it!

Let me explain. It is a storage device that holds up to 2 ounces of "Liquid Gold" that would otherwise be wasted while you are nursing on the other side. You just slip it in your shirt over the nipple of the breast you are not going to be feeding on. (I recommend getting yourself situated for nursing first so that you don't knock the container loose while trying to get access to the breast you will be nursing on). If you are a mom who leaks a lot while nursing, this thing is going to be your best friend. I typically get anywhere from 1/2 ounce to a little over 1 ounce when I use this. If I have an extra hand, I find I get more out if I massage my breast while my letdown is happening. As a bonus, it saves your nursing pad from getting soaked so you can put it back in!

(Milkies Milk Saver is ON SALE NOW for $27.95)

It gets better....Fairhaven Health also allowed me to try out their Milkies Milk Trays. These are  perfect to pair with the Milk Saver! The Milk Trays look like ice cube trays, but for your milk! They allow you to freeze your milk in 1 ounce "Milk Sticks" that fit through ALL bottle openings and allow you to thaw just the right amount of milk for each feeding. I find that I don't use these much when I do my normal pumping session when I pump 10 ounces or so, but I almost always pour the milk I saved with the Milk Saver into these. Not only do you not waste your milk, but it also saves storage bags from only having 1 ounce in each (which get expensive!)

(Milkies Milk Trays are ON SALE NOW for $19.95)

I have to admit, it's really nice having products in the home that are designed for breastfeeding. I never really felt like breastfeeding was something that anyone could ever "help" with. I use these two products together to allow myself to take "mommy breaks". My little guy is 6 weeks old and drinks about 5 ounces at a time. That means, that for every 5 times I remember to use the Milk Saver and freeze my milk into the 1 ounce sticks.....I get to take a break. Daddy can throw a couple sticks in the bottle, warm it up, and I can go take a walk outside, alone. I love being a mom, but I also love my very short...and very rare...mom-breaks. And for that, I thank you Fairhaven Health!

A Little Postpartum Honesty

Yesterday I went back to work after being off for 6 weeks after having my beautiful baby boy Wyatt. You think you know everything when you become a mother for the first time, but it is amazing how much there still is to learn. Some things are exactly as I remembered them, and others are almost the polar opposite. Let me explain...

When I had my daughter 2 years ago, I remember recovery being terrible. I would tell people that recovery was worse than the labor and childbirth itself. This time, not so much. I was more prepared when I went into the hospital and I knew what to expect. Which was why I teamed up with Fairhaven Health to work with them on a review for some of their products. I knew I was going to need something for my lady region from my experience last time. They offer a product called Sitting Pretty Soothing Spray and I was excited to try it. You see, the hospital offers a brand of soothing spray called Dermoplast. I wanted to avoid using it this time because of the ingredients. Take a look at the difference in the two soothing sprays ingredients.

Dermoplast: Benzocaine (20%), Menthol, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Aloe Vera Gel, Butane, Cetyl Acetate, Hydrofluorocarbon 152A, Methylparaben, PEG-8 Laurate, Polysorbate 85

Sitting Pretty Soothing Spray:  Witch Hazel, Vegetable Glycerin, Water, Organic Calendula Extract, Organic St. John’s Wort Extract, Organic Grapefruit Seed Extract, and Organic Lavender, Peppermint & Tea Tree Essential Oils.

Without going into too much detail, I was glad that I packed this in my hospital bag! It really helped with the discomfort of just giving birth, I feel like I healed really well and quickly, and it didn't smell like chemical spray like the other brand. It was such an opposite experience from my last post labor experience. All in all I would recommend making sure you have it on hand if you are getting ready to head into the hospital!

It's actually on sale right now for $14.95 on Fairhaven Health's Website!

Labor with second baby ♥

While I was pregnant with baby boy, I was very vocal about my labor fears. I had a wonderful labor and delivery with my daughter but this one scared me. I was scared for two different reasons. One being that the doctor had estimated this baby to be almost 9 lbs. My daughter was only about 7.5 lbs and I thought that was big enough (in my opinion)! The other was I had heard how much faster second babies can come, and I was terrified picturing my husband delivering a large baby in the back of his truck.

I was delighted that everything worked out well!

My labor started in the evening around dinner time. Having been pregnant before, I knew right away that these were no longer Braxton Hicks and they were the real deal. The contractions came at intervals around every 15 minutes and the evening wasn't so bad. By the kids bedtime, the intervals had gone down to 10 minutes. I assumed I would be waking my husband up around midnight like my last pregnancy. However, I was so wrong. Contractions slowed down to about every 30 minutes overnight, but we getting more painful. I did my best to try to get rest but waking up constantly to being in pain made a good nights sleep impossible. I remembered the importance of getting as much sleep as possible from my last delivery where I delivered on only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before.

By morning the contractions picked back up. They stayed right around 10 minutes for a long part of the morning. My husband and I decided to try to speed things up by walking around the neighborhood. Our doctor had told us not to come in until contractions were 5 minutes apart for a half hour. We walked circles around our street and the one next to us, talking to neighbors who were amused that I was home during labor. I was hot from the heat and wanted to go inside to take a break. As soon as I sat down on the sofa to close my eyes, I had a VERY STRONG and LONG contraction. It lasted for just over 2 minutes. All of a sudden I rushed upstairs to use the restroom. I told my husband my mucus plug had come out and by the time I was done telling him....another contraction. And then another while I was walking down the stairs.

And just like that....contractions went from being round 8-10 minutes.....to 2 minutes apart! We immediately left for the hospital.

We got to the hospital and I was 5cm. By the time they checked me in, put in my IV and got my to a room, I was 8cm. They told me it could still be 2 hours until delivery so I opted for an epidural. The anesthesiologist came right in and got me hooked up. My doctor arrived right after to do an exam. He looked at me and said, "Um, theres a head right here. I'm going to go change into my scrubs. You're going to be holding your baby in 5 minutes." I couldn't believe it.

When he came back, I pushed 5 times in just about 5 minutes and I was holding my chunky baby boy. He weighed in at 8lb 4oz and looks just like his daddy. It was the easiest, fastest labor that I could have imagined. (However, my labor was not lacking curse words or snippy remarks to my husband trying to comfort me....but all is forgiven now!)

So while my fears did not come true...I still think my labor was fast enough for my liking after it rapidly picked up. Thank gosh it was a weekend and my husband was home. Had we waited any longer to leave for the hospital I am not sure we would have made it!

&& He is here!

He is here!

Our son is finally here! Baby boy Wyatt was a wonderful Fathers Day gift for my 

 husband. Our daughter has adjusted seamlessly and all is well with everyone. I can't wait to share my labor story and give updates on our (rapidly) growing baby boy!

PinkBlush Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the PinkBlush gift card giveaway! The winner has been announced on the post and contacted via email. If the winner does not claim within 72 hours I will redraw a new winner.

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways!

Nursery Sneak Peak

Baby boy's nursery is taking me a bit longer to complete than his big sisters did. By this time in my pregnancy with her, every detail was in it's place and drawers were organized. However, I am sure he will forgive me for not being ready 2 months early :)

I have, however, picked up his wall decor and some odds and ends. Hopefully this weekend or next, I can figure out hanging locations and get everything hung! This is what we have so far. By the way...without naming names....notice the "W" I picked up? ;-)