How to survive the Holidays with your nursling.

The Holiday season is a wonderful time of year, But for those of us who have a little butterball turkey hanging from our chest it can become exceptionally stressful. Lets take a look together at some steps we can take to prevent unneeded additional stress. 

Plan ahead- Start making plans now for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lets face it once we become moms everything we do takes at least twice as long. IF you need to make travel arrangements make them now. Schedule when you are leaving. Making plans now also allows for changes to be made if needed, without them being last minute. A loose but flexible schedule now, while not under the pressure of time can make all the difference. And yes it is okay to go ahead and start getting presents for your holiday. 

Decide Now- What are you comfortable with when it comes to nursing at holiday functions? What are your comfort limits. Choosing now will help when baby gets hungry at the function. I am pretty open when nursing. My babies wont allow a cover on their heads and I don't feel we need one. However, sometimes a crazy group of friends and family is twice as distracting. So asking your party host now where a quite place that you can step away to nurse is at is not a bad idea. Not because you should feel you have to hide away, but just so baby and you can connect and baby wont be too distracted to eat. 

Don't Forget-Take care of yourself mama! Your important too. Eat well, Drink lots of water, and BREATH. Keep yourself focused on making happy fun memories. What ever you need to do to keep yourself reasonably sane, do it! Ask for help, and talk about your feeling and stress. You are loved mama and you are not alone!

Buttons Diapers Review

Well it is official we are buttons diapers fans!

The best way I find to truly decide if a diaper is true love is to run it threw my night only test. Buttons sent me a hemp insert. And let me tell you it ROCKS!We have used it for a solid month, mostly at night. One insert last lil miss E 12 hours. This is a size small and it does its job. The insert becomes saturated but we have had zero leaks! it is also topped with fleece.

You may notice we get a great fit. It is also very attractively trim. And the print is gorgeous!


The double leg gussets not only help catch any crazy poo messes, but they also offer a better range of adjustablity!


These diapers are also tough, but soft. the double layer of waterproof does not hinder the flexibility of the diaper. I find a diapers ability to mold to my baby super important and this diaper hits the nail.

The only minor complaint I could come up with is the inserts fold a bit in on them selves. However this is not the first diaper I have had do so. I remedy the issue but rotating the insert each use. I also make sure to flatten it out as I put it on baby.



Buttons Might be right for you if.......

1. You prefer a AI2 or AI1 or cover system.
2. You love unique fun patterns.
3. Need a great adjustable and contouring diaper.
4. You find you need a tough diaper.
5. You want lots of absorbency choices.

Mombo, Boppy and My Breast Friend- What nursing support is right for you?

One of the top items you will use after having a baby is your nursing support pillow. For many years Woman have used their standard bed or couch pillows or even nothing at all. But the last decade have been a blessing to new moms and we have other options.

The Boppy

My personal Favorite is the Boppy pillow.

It is versatile soft and last! There is nothing super special about the basic U shape pillow. However, it does offer the best support. Boppy pillows are nice and plump giving mom the best support to have baby at breast level. I love the U shape. I turn it side ways, in on my hip, when I need extra back support. I have found this simple design to be most comfortable for me in terms of nursing.

In addition to being a great nursing pillow it can double as a baby item. The pillow offers great support for a tummy time support or as sitting support. Although Boppy does not recommend sleeping in the boppy when not properly accessorized Both My older children do use their boppy every night. Our oldest is 5 years old! 

The mombo

With little Miss E I bought a mombo. Although she too has a Boppy now. I used it for awhile as a traveling nursing pillow. For at the grandparents. It is the same idea as the  Boppy, but there are a few differences. The mombo is not as bulky, it has a more slim and contoured design. For me this did not get baby boosted as high as I personally needed. Th cushion is fabulously soft but this does make baby sink in. The pillow will still function as a nursing pillow and tummy time pillow but does not offer enough support to use as a sitting support. My favorite feature was the vibration. I would support my back with it while side laying and the vibration did wonders on my sore sciatic. 

My Breast Friend

This pillow has a few unique features. First it has a buckle. That means you get a custom fit! You can even use it while standing. The back support also supports a little higher the the front of the pillow. The pillow itself however is about as think as the mombo which again for me is a little slim. The pillow is consistent in padding. It also features a pocket which is great for many uses. Sadly this really cant be used for just baby it is only for a nursing support. 

There really is no best pillow. What is most important is finding a pillow that is right for you. So shop around a bit and try out each.  You may want to wait for baby to come, or go shopping with a large doll to give you a good idea how each feels. 

Good Luck and Happy Nursing!

Talking to your boss about lactation breaks and maternity leave.

So your about to take your leave and before you go you need to have one of the most important conversations of your life.

I want to help take some of the stress out of the conversation.

Thanks to the new healthcare reform this conversation should go easy. Here are a few steps to take. 

Know your stuff. Google both your state laws and Federal laws. Starting the conversation by saying "I know that...."  Will get the conversation going in a good direction. Your employer will have a hard time cheating you if you already know the law.

Have a plan. Come up with a simple plan and present it to your employer. Leave room for compromise and work the deal together. Try to work in a line that says that as your needs change your break times do as well.

Write an email. After you strike your deal recapping what you discussed so there is documentation.



If you are worried about talking about leave here is the deal.

Most Managers are being taught to be very careful because pregnancy is a protected status. Just as no one can fire you for being a woman, You can not be fired simply because you are pregnant. 9 of 10 employers are going to help accommodate you in the work place. What that will look like in each work place will vary. The good news here is that  having a conversation about leave is usually easy. And most managers are happy for you.

If you are having trouble the best place to turn is the department of labor.

Most important thing is to do your research and know your rights, and do what is best for you and baby.

Insurance and the Breast Pumps.

Okay so lets see if we can't break this down into easy steps. It might seem a bit overwhelming but I promise it is worth the effort. 

1. Start with a phone call. Yes you can probably find what you qualify for by looking at your insurance's manual on line. They however are hard to read, understand and are generally hard to navigate. So look at your insurance car and find the Medical  number. 
2. Follow the prompts and be ready to ask questions and take notes. 

• Explain how far you are in your pregnancy and that you would like to know what you are covered for.
• Write down and note who you spoke with and what the outlined for you.

 3. The two most common options are 

• They will tell you an amount you are covered for. You will have to purchase and be reimbursed. 
• They will give you a list of suppliers that you work with to get a pump. This may mean you are limited to certain pumps. 

4. Follow through. Keep all you notes together and remember to write down who you talked to and when. It is a process. After each step you take your a step closer to a pump! So although its covered its not really free you have to do a bit of foot work. 

I know this seems like a lot but each company is different so it is best to allow them to guide you. They have the information there on their computer system. I am happy to answer questions and help guide anyone who would like a little help. Leave comments here or on Facebook. 

My insurance gives me a price that's covered and then will reimburse me for my pump. We are not through the whole process yet but when we are I will blog that as well. 

We did however already receive our pump and we did an unboxing video check it out below!

New giveaway!

We are having a giveaway on our Facebook page please check it out and enter!

Facebook.com/thisnursingmama

Congratulations Jessica! We hope you are enjoying your new book.

Prenatal pains and how to cope...

Because lets face it coping is all you really can do. Unless you are in supreme perfect condition before you got pregnant chances are you have got aches and pains.For me I started out with chronic back and knee pain and carrying a heavy  front load only adds to it. Plus the oldest two did some permanent damage to my poor tail bone.  So here are some of the ways that I deal with my pains.

1- Breath and Stretch- Every now and then my body will lock up and the tears will start to fall. First thing I have to do it get myself to STOP. I am a pretty driven person who is pushing the boundaries of my body. Stop, breath slowly and deeply and stretch the area that is bothering you. For me its my hips that usually set me off. Leaning down and supporting my upper body with a table I sway from side to side slowly until the worst has worn down. also simply flexing your feet( pulling your toes up and pushing your heel down) is a great stretch for the whole leg.

2-Use hot and Cold-  does not matter what one , use what feels good where it feels good and often. Ice massages can be great for sore knees and backs. Try freezing water in small Dixie cups. Then just pull the top of the cup off as the ice melts. Alternate between both hot and cold.

3- Ask for help.  I know it is the hardest thing in the world for me and i am sure for some of you. But if ever there is a time to just take it easy and even look weak its pregnancy and postpartum. So if you can not do it in one try ask for help.

4- Talk to your provider. They may know of a million ways that can help your specific pains. Don't be brave ask. Or they may even give you medicine or other remedies that can help, but if you say nothing then you are not truly giving the accurate account of how your pregnancy is going. And those men and woman are there to help.

5- Massage with the knobble- This little thing can take my 10 pain down to a 4 pain. It gives a great sensation both with self use and with the help of a kind soul. Here is a little video that gives a good jest of the product.

What is to come of this blog?

As you may have noticed this blog has been a bit slow. My little N has been done nursing for nearly a full year now and how is one to blog about nursing when not nursing? I have a million ideas of where I want this blog to go and I am hoping you will join me on the journey. So here's a sneak peak of what I have planned for the next several months.

Before baby comes I'll touch a bit on issues like....

• Guidance on getting a breast pump paid by insurance
• How to talk to your employer about Maternity leave and lactation breaks
• Managing pregnancy pains

When sweet baby three makes her arrival....

• Various Moby Wrap how tos
• Kangaroo care 
• Much more nursing blogs
• Pumping advice
• New cloth diaper reviews

Don't miss out on all the new things to come! 

Youtube

Facebook

Like us and subscribe because I am going to do a random drawing GIVEAWAY on June first. One entry for each like on facebook and each subscriber on youtube. The prize is a surprise! 

New things to come......

We are excited to say we will be expecting baby three in late August. That means we will have lots of new things to come.

Newborn cloth diapers reviews

More videos

More blog posts

More baby item reviews

More advice

More giveaways

Is there anything you would like to read that you can not find anywhere?