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!

 

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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!

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!

PinkBlush Maternity Review & Giveaway

32 weeks pregnant. I repeat, 32 weeks pregnant. If you have ever been here, you know that day and night you feel....enormous. It was almost time for my "Sprinkle" (baby #2 in the oven!) and I hadn't even thought about what I was going to wear. Why? Because I have nightmares about clothes. Sometimes I feel cute walking out the door, and then catch a glimpse of myself in a storefront window and I'm reminded that I look like I'm smuggling a beach ball. But joking aside, I do love how the female body looks while carrying a child. I had so much fun "dressing my bump" last pregnancy. I have to admit I've been doing less of it this time around. Which is why I was so happy that PinkBlush Maternity asked me to work with them in reviewing their site and products.

When you are on their site, you will find TONS, and I mean TONS, of adorable maternity clothes. The selection of maternity clothes in every store I go in is always less impressive than I could hope for...but not on PinkBlushMaternity.com. If you follow them on Facebook you can keep up with all of the sales they have. Recently, I have seen great sales like 70% off Flash Sales and 25% off the Entire Site! I knew I wanted something comfortable and was hoping it would help me narrow it down, but it there were so many options. I ended up picking their Mint Green Floral Chiffon Maternity Dress. The dress is regularly $73 but can be found on sale right now for just $56 (see what I mean about the great sales?)

The dress came fast and I was impressed with their customer service. When I opened it I knew right away it was a well made dress. I was excited to try it on! (I made sure I had my hair and make up fixed first...that's always best!)

I felt great in the dress and I had a lot of fun taking pictures for this post. It was really great to feel confident even this late in my pregnancy. I paired the dress with simple earrings and natural colored wedges. I am sure it would look good dressed up or down as well.

Enter below for a special giveaway, loves!!
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Tags: cute maternity clothes, maternity clothing, cute maternity dress, maternity boutique, maternity clothes, maternity dresses, trendy maternity clothes, pinkblush maternity, pinkblush maternity 

Color My Bath Review

I purchased these color tablets for Aubrey for Christmas. My daughter typically loves bath time so there were lots of bath toys on Santa's list this year.

These things are so fun. We typically start running the water and then I start asking her about her colors. She knows her colors so well and I really think it's because we use these almost every night. We talk about what colors there are and what color she wants to make her bath. I always put the tablets in the bath for her to avoid any issue with her putting them in her mouth. They only take a minute to dissolve and the colors are beautiful!

The package includes 100 Large and 200 Small Tablets and they come in Red, Yellow, & Blue. I find that the red really looks more like pink (unless you add a bunch of the same color I suppose.) But this works out because she loves pink!  We mix different colors and sizes of tablets to make new colors, but most of the time I just use one large tablet and it's plenty of color for the bath.

The tablets are available on Amazon HERE for $12.99

Sock Ons

When Aubrey was about 4 months old, we encountered a new issue. My little girl was constantly pulling off her socks and putting them right in her mouth. We would end up in the mall and realize a sock was lost somewhere or I would find a dripping wet sock hanging out in the crib. With it being winter, having bare feet or wet socks is not going to fly. I know I am not the only mother with a baby who loves doing this.

I was desperate for a way to keep the socks on her feet so I turned to the internet. With a little bit of searching, I found a product called Sock Ons on Amazon. They had a numerous amount of great reviews, but I was still leery. I purchased a three pack that had light pink, dark pink and white pairs. Two days later, they arrived in the mail.

They are very easy to use. You just slip them on over a pair of your little ones socks. I wasn't quite sure that something so small would work, but I put them on and waited. Hours went by, and the socks were still on! Thinking it may have been a fluke, I continued to put them on Aubrey day after day. THEY REALLY WORK!!

Aubrey is now 7 months old and we put these on her every day! I love that I no longer have to worry about lost socks or cold, wet feet! Here are a few pictures of my little one wearing them:

These are one of those products that I am going to be purchasing as Baby Shower gifts in the future! Such a simple product can save you from so much headache.



Need these for yourself?
Buy them now on Amazon.com!

Check out their website HERE

Graco Tablefit Highchair Review

Until now, we had been using an old highchair that sits on top of an existing chair. Considering we only have a table that has 4 chairs, we wanted to get out 4th chair back. I had been on the search for a highchair that met all of my requirements:
            * Space Saver
            * Matches the kitchen
            * Good reviews
            * Ease of use
            * From a trusted brand
            * Inexpensive

After looking for a while, I thought I was going to have to settle on something bigger or something that was an eye sore. I was wrong. While searching on my favorite shopping site, Amazon, I came across the Graco Tablefit Highchair....and amazing enough, it came in a print perfect for my kitchen!

Take a look at this beauty....

We placed the order and two days later we were putting it together. It only took us a few minutes, and we put our sweet girl in it!

We both come from families that have always eaten together at the dinner table. Studies have proven that this is very beneficial for the children. Not only does Aubrey love her new high chair, but she gets to be right at the table with us!

Not only is this highchair easy to use, it looks great and your children can be pushed up right against the table!

Gotta have it?!
Buy it now on Amazon for under $75!

Britax Free Ride Event

Hurry! There are only a few days left to scoop up on this great sale from Britax! If you have a little one coming, this is a great deal. We currently have the Britax B-Safe car seat and my little one loves it!

This sale only happens a couple of times a year!

Ends 11/21   Learn More HERE

Kate Spade Surprise Sale

It's that time again! The Kate Spade Surprise SALE! I very rarely jump on items the second they go on sale, but this is an exception. I have the Kate Spade Stevie Diaper Bag and LOVE IT! I mean, LOVE! It is so cute that I don't even mind having a diaper bag as my purse. It has plenty of room to hold everything I need. It also has compartments to help keep my organized. This sale, they are offering a leopard print bag! I have a black and cream stripe one, but I couldn't help but to drool over this one when I saw it.

The bag is 63% off for the sale making it only $149.00! It is on sale until 11/5/14 at 12pm (or earlier if they sell out).

This is such a pretty bag which makes it a perfect gift for someone expecting!

Nursing & Pumping Essentials for New Moms

I always knew I wanted to nurse my children. It sounded like such an easy thing to say. Nursing is all that everyone said it would be, and more. There was a time in the beginning when I struggled and almost gave up, however. I am so happy that I stuck with it and get to experience the beauty of nursing. At 6 weeks I started the task of pumping while I went back to work part time. Any breast milk you give your child is a gift. It doesn't matter if you nurse one time or one year, it is a gift.

Breastfeeding Essentials

Boppy
These things are great. I brought mine to the hospital when I went into labor and I am so glad I did. It got so much use in the two days in the hospital that I knew the Boppy and I were going to be great friends. It has a cut out so the pillow goes around your body, allowing the newborn to lay straight across you. It is also thicker than a normal pillow to hold the baby up higher to your breast. I now use it to prop Aubrey up and for tummy time. The fact that it has multiple uses makes it a great buy.

Lanolin
Please, I urge you to not try nursing for the first time without this. Buy it before you go into labor. Make sure you have it with you at the hospital and at home. The hospital provided me with a different brand that does not even compare to this one. This was crucial in me surviving my first two weeks of nursing. You can use it before nursing, right after nursing or even put it on before you get in the shower so the water doesn't sting. A MUST HAVE!

Nursing Pads
For some reason I didn't think I was going to need these. I was wrong, so wrong. I didn't register for them like I read I should. Luckily, I had a ton of samples that I saved during pregnancy. If you plan on nursing for a while, make sure to get a box.

Formula Samples
You will most likely receive formulas samples in the mail or at the doctors while you are pregnant. I recommend saving them. It may not sound like it, but there may be a time when you just can't bring yourself to nurse. You'll want these as reassurance that baby will having something to eat even if you just can't do it that time. I was so glad I had these in the other room for emergency use. I was so lucky to have my husband cheer me on at the hardest parts, and I ended up not needing mine. I gave them to another new mom who was using formula, but they were worth holding onto for a bit!

Pumping Essentials

Breast Pump

I love love love my Medela Pump In Style Advanced Dual  Pump. I dreaded pumping and I waited until the day before I was going back to work to figure it out. It was so easy to set up and it works like a charm. Check with your health insurance about getting one at no cost after delivery! 

Hands Free Pumping Bra

I don't know why they don't supply these with all dual pumps. I'm not even sure dual pumping is possible without one. With that said, I love the Lansinoh Best Wishes hands free pumping bra. I bought mine at Target in a light pink color. They are one size and you can constantly adjust they sizing if you need to.

Enjoy your journey into motherhood and breastfeeding. There are so many products available to make things easier on nursing mothers!