Milk Making- My best secrets

Girl- Teach Me How You Make All That Milk.... 

Since I began documenting my postpartum journey thru Instagram and Instagram stories I keep getting the same question over and over and over again. 

Girlfriend how are you making so much milk. If you have been in the season of breastfeeding/ pumping you know that this is a holy grail question. Us mamas are obsessed with building that stash and are always looking for the “secret” to upping production. 

Today I wanted to share with you my two cents on what has worked for me. Please realize I have no lactation certifications or what not, I am just a mom who has been making milk for lots of years now sharing what worked for her. 

Before I share my tips I want you to know the I am a huge supporter of the theory that fed is best. While breastfeeding can be something really special to some moms, it can be a nightmare to others. I hope that you can find the courage to know what makes you and your baby the happiest. A stressed out mama isn’t good for anyone involved. Once you figure out  what is best for you do it and own it. 

With my first pregnancy I breastfed and gave a bottle for my son's  first four months of life. I gave a bottle about three days into life and also gave him a pacifier. He handled bottles well and it allowed for the opportunity for others to feed him. This was important because I was going back to my classroom to return to teaching at 8 weeks. He was daycare bound so this was important to me. As much as I didn’t want to send him I HAD to work so exclusively breastfeeding wasn’t an option. I lasted until June pumping each day during my planning period and lunch break in my classroom closet. It was horribly stressful and I was only ever a few days or a day ahead of him in my milk stash. It stressed me way out. I decided that I was over breastfeeding and pumping and called it quits. I switched to formula at this point. I didn’t regret it or feel ashamed. Instead I was proud of  the awesome start I gave him. 

My daughter Grace was different. I was no longer working anymore outside of the home so I had the luxury to truly EXCLUSIVELY breastfeed. It sounded great out-loud, but it became a very stressful situation for me as well. I’ll explain… this time around the lactation nurses pushed no bottles for several weeks and encouraged me to also not give a pacifier. It seemed odd because I had done both of those things with Carter pretty quickly, but went with it anyways. After about three weeks of life we went ahead and gave the bottle a try. That of course DID NOT WORK. Girlfriend only wanted her mama. I bought every bottle under the sun, I tried every trick and nothing worked. 

I was very proud of my breastfeeding journey with her and actually made it 16 months. While that was awesome, I will say it was hard on me. It meant I could not go anywhere without her - at least not for very long. It meant it was always ME getting up at night for the feedings and it also meant I was her pacifier since she wouldn’t take one of those either. I got used to multi-tasking and breastfeeding in public- neither of which bothered me. The only reason I quit actually was because I was pregnant with Sadie. I think I would have gone longer, but my body was flying thru the calories and I needed them to nourish the baby I was growing. Since we had a history of miscarriages I decided my body needed to focus all of its energy on growing life and keeping me healthy so we called it quits. 

This time around I actually considered not breastfeeding at all. Yep- read that again. Me the queen of breastfeeding. The one who nursed Grace for all that time was considering not doing it. Why? Well truth be told I was terrified how I could keep Grace my 22 month old entertained and safe while breastfeeding this one. My husband actually is the one who talked me into doing it again. Not in a way that I felt pressure, just in a way that he reminded me how special it was that I got to provide them with such a great start. He would have supported me either way, but kept encouraging me to reconsider. The day Sadie arrived I had this desire to nurse her right from the get- go. It felt right and was absolutely what I wanted to do. 

She nursed like a champ in the hospital and for the first weeks at home. The only issue was she was a lazy nurser. It took her ages and she wasn’t draining my breasts. It meant she was wanting to nurse more frequently because her belly wasn’t all that full before she would fall back to sleep. She was still not at birth weight so I decided to start pumping for a few reasons. Number one - I wanted to be sure she was getting enough and was on a mission to get her back to birth weight. Number two - I did not want another baby that didn’t take bottles or a pacifier so I introduced both as soon as we got home from the hospital. I was loving the extra help I had because of the bottles. My husband and I were able to share night time feedings and it allowed loved ones to help too. 

This also fixed the HUGE problem we were having with my toddler. Everyone told me that during the time I nursed Sadie would be a great time to bond and read or snuggle with Grace. It actually turned into the exact opposite. She was lashing out, kicking me and the baby and having meltdowns left and right every time I would sit down to nurse the baby. Lots of jealousy when I would do it. I decided to start pumping more often and see how she responded to that. I asked if she could “help” mommy and allowed her to turn it on and sit with me. It worked because pumping was something she could be a part of. We would wait until Sadie was sleeping then pump together. This in turn allowed me to also have her help feed her the bottle of pumped milk that we pumped together. 

Sadie is now almost a month old and I am at this point exclusively pumping. I thought I would feel sad about it - but I don’t. I feel happy that I found a solution that is allowing me to still give her breastmilk and keep my toddler safe and happy at the same time. Motherhood has taught me it’s only to go with plan B sometimes. 

So back to that question about the milk. Here are my secrets. 

1. I am following a super structured meal plan that is specific for postpartum breastfeeding moms. I have be eating a TON of healthy foods and incorporating many healthy fats. I create a weekly meal plan and have been sticking with it since my first week of postpartum. While I am not exercising yet I am seeing quite a change in my postpartum body. Many women worry that they will see a drop in supply if they follow a meal plan. The truth is I think most women actually are not eating ENOUGH foods to lose weight the healthy way while still keeping up with their supply. If you want to learn more about the program I am doing or do it alongside me in one my my groups feel free to check it out by clicking here

2. I pump every three hours. Around the clock. Yes I am tired, Yes I am over it some days but it’s working really well for me. My sash is quite large and building it has become fun to me. I love looking in the freezer seeing so many filled up bags. At night I have my husband feed her and change the diapers while I do the pumping. We keep each other company and I don’t feel resentful that I am up at all hours of the night while he gets to sleep. We are both in the trenches and exhausted together. I find that my biggest pump session is always first thing in the morning so I make sure I don’t miss that one or cut it short. 

3. Blue gatorade - lets’ be honest it’s all over Pinterest and the mommy blogs and YES I have totally tried it. AND yes it totally works. However, I would encourage you to read the back label. There is a BOATLOAD of sugar and not so awesome ingredients. Instead of the gatorade route I do drink an electrolyte replacement. It’s called Hydrate and it’s from the Beachbody performance line. The ingredients are much better with much less sugar. Both work about the same as far as upping production at least for me personally they did. While I can’t promise that or put it on a label, I can talk from experience. How do I know? Well because I “tested it out” a few weeks ago. In the event that you want to check it out you can use this link 

4. Lactation bars - These are convenient and something that you can make yourself or buy. I make a lot of things myself since I love to cook but wanted some pre-made ones as well to have on hand. The ones that I have is from Milkful. They are made with several lactogenic ingredients that are high quality and good for you. My favorite flavor is the maple walnut one. In the event that you are skipping out on gluten or dairy these are a good allergy free option. You can check them out at www.milkful.com if you want to get a discount you can use my code - sarahelizabeth27 

5. Lactation tea- I find that my supply is the lowest around 9 pm each night. This is when I try to have a cup of lactation tea to to help boost my supply for the upcoming pumps in the middle of the night. If you know me, you know I am an Earth Mama brand girl so I love their milkmaid tea the most. I have tried a few other brands in the past but like the flavor of this one the most. 

Here is the link to snag it. https://earthmamaorganics.com/products/organic-milkmaid-tea.html 

You can use discount code sarah20 (it will work on regularly priced products- no bundles or gift sets.) 

Disclosure: Please keep in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission or receive product exchange for reviews.  I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Welcome Sadie Marie

Our Birth Story For Baby #3 

365 days ago I drove myself to the emergency room. The visit was to confirm what my heart already knew. After what felt like hours of waiting I was given the news that hit me like a ton of bricks. “I’m sorry honey, but there is no heartbeat anymore. The baby has passed away.”

The days after that stung. They left me with wounds that took months to heal. The loss was traumatic because not only was it unexpected, but I went thru actual trauma when I passed the baby. Minutes before they took me back to have the surgery to remove the remains I passed the fetus on my own.

Seeing those tiny fingers and toes was not something I was ready for and it rocked my world. Like I needed therapy rocked. I spent the last year walking thru it all and trying my best to not only overcome it, but to also come out stronger.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that my pregnancy with Sadie was one that left me nervous and fearful most of the time. I tried my hardest to lean into my faith, but once you go thru something like we did, not just once but twice you learn to guard your heart.

That was what we worked thru in therapy. Un-guarding my heart and helping me gear up to welcome this special rainbow blessing that God so knew our family needed.

It’s fitting today that I write out Sadie’s birth story as a celebration of what life has give me just one year later from all the trauma that we walked thru.

Thanks for taking the time to sit and read her birth story. I hope it gently reminds you that there is always rainbows after storms and beauty for ashes.

Welcoming Sadie Marie

As I shared before I have a history of precipitous labor. Meaning that the babies come within four hours or less typically. Because of this condition my doctor was allowed to induce me. It was something I chose to do for my last pregnancy as well. The plan was that we do a “Cinderella” induction. Meaning that after the stroke of midnight that Friday night into Saturday I could be induced. We had to wait until 39 weeks to be allowed to start the process and I wanted my favorite doctor from the practice to be the one to do it so this was the plan since she was on call that night.

That Friday I cleaned the house one more time, napped during the day with Kevin and made sure everything was all packed up before the evening. We put the kids to bed, I showered and “got ready” and anxiously awaited the phone call to come in.

Ready to kick off my Cinderella induction 

Around 10:25 pm my phone rang and they said to head on over. We had a good 30 minute drive ahead of us into the city so we left right away. The waiting room was empty when we got there. They took us back to the labor and delivery room just shy of midnight.

One thing that we did as a family was have a guessing game of what time she would arrive. Our parents, siblings and grandparents weighed in. Everyone gave number guesses and we tracked them on a piece of paper. Little did I know that my guess would be only 1 minute off from her actual arrival! Pretty cool if you ask me.

I told them I got two guesses since I was the one who was giving birth. My first guess was one minute off. 

Once we settled into our room they began to track contractions. Mine were already about 5 minutes apart without the pitocin and I had been dilated at 4 cm on my own over the weeks leading up to the delivery.

I swear the IV was one of the worst parts of the entire process. My nurse wasn’t able to do it so the IV team had to come and try again. I swear I complained about my hand hurting more than I did about the actual labor process.

Once they started the pitocin the plan was to get my epidural started and break my water. I knew that was when the progress would happen quick so getting the epidural first was the priority. Even though I had had two epidurals in the past for some reason I had a ton of anxiety about this one. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I made it out to be in my head and went very smoothly at first. We didn’t know it, but they must have went a bit too far into my spine because my blood pressure kept tanking and setting off all sorts of alarms. It left me feeling really sick and I started to get some splitting headaches. It was getting a little scary, but the baby was handling it really well. Her numbers were never affected even though mine were all over the place. They ended up giving me a shot in my leg and keep the pressure up. It worked - thank goodness.

Looking a little rough at this point in the game. Wasn't feeling so hot. 

After they broke my water (which was totally painless) the labor started to ramp up pretty quickly. We were only alone for about half an hour just the two of us before the nurses joined in to sit with us full time. The doctor came back pretty quickly because I was feeling pressure but I was only at 5 ½ cm. I started to worry that maybe I wasn’t going to have a quick labor after all. My nurse insisted otherwise. This was around 2:30 am.

While I wasn’t feeling much of anything thanks to the epidural, my contractions were indicating she was coming sooner rather than later. The nurse called the doctor back in right around 4:15 am. This is when you start to get a little nervous. The big overhead lights come on, tools and instruments come out and you know things are about to get serious. They moved the bed into a position for pushing. I had a nurse on each side to help with my oh so numb legs and Kevin stood on my right side helping with that leg and to coach me thru it all. I was 10 cm and it was go time so we started with the pushing. It only took me five or six sets of contractions until she came out and when she did it was like a cannon.

At 4:46 am Sadie Marie Griffith arrived. Safe and sound. Perfect and sweet making our family complete. It was fast just like her siblings were. True labor was only about 2 and a half hours long. Kevin got to cut the cord after the delayed cord clamp while I was busy holding her for the first time. The emotions that you are flooded with in the moment are some of the best you will ever have in your entire life. We were both in tears and I was sobbing. It’s a gratitude sob along with a sob of relief that all the waiting and all the worrying was over.

Because she came so quickly she had some fluid in her lungs. We did skin to skin for a bit, but then the NICU had to come and suction out her lungs and do some check ups. They kept her under the warmer and listened to her lungs for a bit and did her vitals before giving her back. While I hated to not be holding her the entire time during the “golden hour”, I also wanted her to be safe so we had to let them have her for a bit. They repeated this three times before giving her back.

At this time I began to breastfeed her for the first time. She latched like a champ and nursed for quite awhile.

After two hours in the labor and delivery room we were given breakfast then taken up to the mother and baby floor where we would spend the next two days recovering and loving on our sweet girl.

We enjoyed short visits from family and tried to rest as often as we could. Our all nighter from labor really wore us all out. Carter and Grace came late in the day to meet her for the first time. The moments were priceless. They both wanted to hold her and touch her and were just so eager to finally meet her. Each of them wanted to take something of hers home with them when they left so both of them got to take one of her hospital swaddle blankets to snuggle up with that night at home.

We were able to leave to head home Sunday evening around 6 pm. We could have stayed another night but we wanted to get home to our new family of 5.

Sweet Sadie Marie “heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born. You are loved.”

Let the adventure begin.

Let's Talk Labor

Oh Baby - It's Almost Go Time...

All the feels... moments after delivering our rainbow baby Grace

Women who have given birth often LOVE to share their own personal labor stories. I absolutely love taking the time to listen to these stories and always find myself in awe of the miracle that birth truly is. Each woman always has such a unique story and situation. Mine like many others is unique and something that as long as I live I will treasure and cherish forever.

I have been fortunate to have had two successful labors and am about to bring my third into the world this week. While many women will tell you horror stories of extra long labors and lots of pushing my story is different. In fact it’s the exact opposite. My labors are insanely short. To the point that it’s almost scary how quick these sweet babies of mine like to arrive. I have a condition called precipitous labor. I had no idea what that was until after having my son. Precipitous labor is classified when you deliver within less than three hours of your initial contractions. Labor for me becomes an “extreme sport” fast.

With Carter I went into labor two days before my due date on my own. I came home from a late night movie went upstairs and went to the bathroom. At that time I lost my mucus plug. I didn’t know it them but that was the start of what was to become a crazy night. Shortly after I began to have contractions that only grew more rapid . Because this was my first go-around we had no idea I was really in labor. I just kept thinking it was Braxton Hicks. It totally wasn’t. I did most of the laboring at home within that hour of the mucus plug coming out. I even went thru transition and threw up all over the bathroom floor still hardly realizing this was the real deal. At that point my contractions were every 3- 4 minutes and were getting harder and harder.

Luckily we lived near the hospital and my husband was able to get me there quickly. When I arrived I was 7 ½ cm which was pretty crazy for a first time mom. The team moved very quickly and before I could blink I was holding my son in my arms. It was a total whirlwind. The mucus plug came out around 11:45 pm and Carter as in my arms at 2:47 am. While yes the fact that it was so short was awesome, it made for some pretty horrific tearing and lacerations on my lady parts. The swelling was worse than the actual process of giving birth.

Checking out my masterpiece shortly after delivering my son Carter. 

When it came time to have my daughter the OB talked about doing an induction instead because it would be more controlled. They assumed she would also come fast so they encouraged me to think about it. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be inducted because I had heard all of those horror stories about how painful it can be. Ultimately, we decided to do it because we wanted my recovery to be easier than it was the first time around. Looking back I am SO glad that we went that route. My delivery was so much less stressful and my recovery was a breeze in comparison.

With Grace I arrived on induction day already 4 cm and about 80% effaced. This is not uncommon for your body to begin to dilate but not be in true active labor the more children you have. They started me on an IV of pitocin and let me sit on the labor ball. This did nothing actually. We did that for two hours and aside from a few regular contractions it wasn’t really putting me into labor. I had opted for an epidural so the next step was to get that then break my water and begin the waiting game.

Once those things were done they gave me what was called a “peanut ball” it’s like a yoga ball but it looks like a peanut and goes between your legs to help with dilation. They assumed since we hadn’t seem much action a few hours before that it might be a long afternoon. They encouraged me to rest and said they would come back later to check. Well later never happened. That labor quickly went from 0-60 in a matter of an hour. Grace was born within two hours of my water breaking and just like Carter’s birth, it was a whirlwind. The good part though, was it was a controlled whirlwind and a lot less scary than my birth with him.

As the doctor was finishing with my placenta delivery she mentioned how smart we were to have went this route for the delivery and suggested that if we ever have more we should strongly consider doing the same for the safety of me and the baby.

That brings us to my soon to be “Cinderella” induction that will take place this week. As you may already know you are not allowed to be induced until 39 weeks so my doctor has to wait until I reach that milestone. Turns out she will be on call the night leading into week 39 for me so we are going to be waiting until midnight or a little after then she will begin my induction. While no birth is ever truly the same she is anticipating a crazy whirlwind night ahead of us once she starts the process.

We have a 45 minute drive to get to the hospital now where we live and are very nervous about her coming on her own early. We realize that if my water breaks or contractions start to ramp up I have VERY LITTLE time to get there. I am already 3 ½ dilated and the baby’s head was at a +2 station early last week. While we are eager to meet her and anxious for what’s to come this week we also want to make sure she comes in a safe environment both for her and for me. That is why an elected induction has been our choice and we will kick off the fun at the stroke of midnight.

Some would argue that she will come when she is ready and that I should just let her be but I prefer safe and controlled over spontaneous chaos any day.

Aside from sharing my birth story with you all I also wanted to share some of my must have postpartum brands for recovery just in case you are expecting as well and are new to postpartum recovery.

1. Wear the mesh underwear they provide and even take some extra pairs of them home with you if you can. They are super comfy and then you won’t ruin yours.
   
2. Wishgarden Herbs - After Ease- This is a tincture that I drink for about a week after delivery. Once you have more than one baby the post labor pains are often more painful than delivery especially if you are planning to breastfeed.
   
3. Earth Mama- Periodic Tea - This tea should be drank right after birth. I like to double up and use a few tea bags at at time the first day. It has a nice cinnamon flavor and really aids in cramping. You can also use this during menstruation as well.
4. Earth Mama Perineal Balm and Perineal Spray - These are heaven for your lady parts. They will help a lot  with swelling. Ingredients are very “clean and chemical free” if that matters to you. The balm is for heavy duty pain and swelling and the spray I used more so in the weeks following delivery.

5. Earth Mama Sitz Bath - These can be used as an actual sitz bath or you can use them as a compress on your lady parts. They come in a contained pouch. You can also make padsicles from these by pouring the “juice” over pads and freezing them. Awesome treat to come home to and have for recovery.
   
6. The Honey Pot postpartum pads - These are pads that are infused with herbs to help with swelling down there that comes along with the days following delivery. The provide a cooling sensation and help ease some of the pain.
   
7. Peri Bottle - TAKE THIS HOME WITH YOU!!! The hospital will give you one after you delivery. They will teach you all about it after you deliver. My advice is just don’t leave it behind. You will totally want it as you recover from home.
   
8. Stool Softeners - No brainer. Just get some and thank me later. Your lady parts will be glad you did.

Wishing you all the best with your own recovery. Be kind to yourself. Don’t over do it. Simply rest and bond with your little one. No need to try to do housework or cook right now. You simply need to recover.

xoxo

Sarah

Third Time's A Charm - Hospital Bag Must Haves

Third Time Around - Here's What Made The Cut 

My first go around when it came to hospital bag packing was over seven years ago. Back then the mommy threads and groups were not like what they are today and Pinterest was just taking off. 

Needless to say packing the bag didn't seem like such a big deal back then because I had nobody else's to really compare with. I guess you could call it bare bones packing. I had a coming home outfit for him. Some basics for me and that was it. I didn't have matching outfits for him and I or Instagram worthy swaddles or pacifier clips or any of the THINGS that moms today read that they need to have in their hospital bags. 

I barely changed out of the hospital gown and I think he was in hospital clothes most of our stay too. We made it thru just fine. 

Then five years later I went at it again as I was gearing up to pack for the hospital for the delivery of our daughter Grace. It seemed there was so much pressure to have the perfectly packed bag. I remember stressing over all the lists on Pinterest thinking I had to have ALL THE THINGS!!! While I tried my best to not be too over the top I was for sure packing heavier the second time around. I had everything from custom onesies from ESTY to matching outfits for her and I. My hospital "bag" was more like hospital LUGGAGE. 

This time around I would call my hospital bag a combo of my first and second go around. I am wiser and know what I need, but it won't be as over the top this time around. 

Here is what is coming with me. I am going to break this list down by things for me and things for the baby incase you want to print it off. For most of this I will just write the list. A few of the things I will explain the why behind it incase this is your first time.

Mom Stuff 

*Soft blanket, pillow from home and nursing pillow
*Phone charger
*Fuzzy socks
*Sweats and a top to wear home - You may want something fancier but honestly I just want to be comfy

*Robe
*Bras - Nursing, sports, regular - whatever makes you most comfortable.
*2 pair of pajamas - If you are planning to have a c-section and know you will be there longer you may want to throw in one more outfit. 

*Underwear - big ones and you probably won't even need them. Spring for the mesh shorts they give you postpartum. They are wicked comfy and won't ruin your own stuff. I'll bring some along, but have full intentions of just wearing those mesh ones. 

*Dry shampoo, tooth brush, tooth paste,- I won't be washing my hair there it's too much work.
*Lotion, face wash/ lotion, make up
* Hair brush, pony tail holder, bobby pints,
* Deodorant
* Glasses and contacts
*Towel and wash cloth - This one is not necessary, but the hospital ones are pretty small and rough. 

*Sibling gifts for Carter and Gracie
* Nursing pads and nipple cream- I use Charlie Banana nursing pads and Earth Mama nipple cream 

* Earth Mama postpartum care products - bottom balm and spray, periodic tea
* Wish Garden AfterEase tincture - this is something that helps with the after birth pains
* Essential oil diffuser with wild orange for labor and serenity for postpartum recovery 

Every blog post I come across also suggests snacks, but honestly that's never been an issue for the last two deliveries I had. The hospital I stayed in had plenty of food and I could order more whenever I wanted. I guess check out where you are delivering at and get a feel for what you will have available then decide if you want to bring something along. 

Baby Stuff 
*Muslin swaddles - I will be bringing 3 but you could always throw in a few more if you want.
* 3 outfits - They will be onesies/ sleeper outfits. Nothing too fancy. 

* Coming home outfit - This used to be a much bigger deal than it is now. Spring for comfort for them rather than fashion. 

* Name tag - Hello my name is - I ordered this from ETSY since we have not shared her name.
* Car seat and base - If you are clueless on installing it be sure to ask for help! Don't try to wing it!
*Pacifier
*Earth Mama baby wash and lotion - Most hospitals have their own or use hospital grade soap. I prefer one with less chemicals so I like to bring my own and use a brand I trust.
* Wipes - most hospitals will NOT have wipes on hand for you. They have theses cloths that are like a paper towel that you have to get wet. We are not a fan so wipes will come along with us this time.
* Hats or a bow if you are planning to have one for pictures. I would say bring a hat for sure though to keep them warm during those first few days.
*Diaper bag - This is not something that we will bring in instead we will just have it along for the car ride in the event that we need it. 

* Car seat cover - I like the Milk Snob ones - this keeps everyone from touching or looking at your new addition. 

* On The Night You Were Born Book - We started the tradition with my son and love reading this book to them the day that they are born. We also read it each year on their birthday to them. 

Hope you find this list helpful. I promise there are things that are missing and not all of these are NECESSARY!!! This is just what will be coming along with me as a THIRD time mama.

Best wishes with the packing!
xoxo 

Sarah 

Swaddle Blankets - How Many Is Too Many?

MUSLIN SWADDLE BLANKETS - ONE OF MY MUST HAVE BABY ITEMS

Okay moms! Especially first time moms. I know what you are thinking at this point in the game - What are the must have baby items vs the nice to have items? Maybe you are building your registry or asking other mom friends or are feeling totally clueless about what you need. Regardless I am going to weigh in on swaddle blankets today and share my two cents.

First things first, with my son seven years ago I started with ZERO actual muslin swaddle blankets. I had tiny flannel receiving blankets that I thought would work but they turned out to be better burp clothes than blankets.  A close friend brought me a four pack as a gift when he was born and thats when my "small obsession" started.

For my son,  I really only used the Aden & Anais kind. It was one of the most popular brands at the time and quite honestly still is when it comes to swaddles. Back then I didn't know that there was a difference between the regular muslin cotton vs the bamboo or even that the ones at Target were not as soft as the ones that came from the company. As my collection began to grow I learned all of this along the way. We used them to swaddle him in the beginning, but over time they just became his blankets for snuggling. I would take one everywhere we went. Car rides, trips, daycare. You name it - was had a swaddle along with us.

They were wonderful for the summer time because of how light weight they were. At the time I also used them for a car seat cover when needed and a burp cloth if he drenched me in baby puke. (Yes - this happens more often than you realize, especially if your baby has any reflux issues.)

My collection for my son was probably 25+ swaddles. Keep in mind though he was my first.

When it came time for my second several years later the swaddle market was getting even cuter. I went ahead and purged my son's collection first. I got rid of the BOY specific ones and held on to the ones that were gender neutral since we were having a little girl.

Gracie and I with her Little Unicorn Swaddle. You can still get this one now and it's still one of my favorite prints. 

I probably added another good 10 blankets to the collection and got ones that were pretty girlie. I found two new brands that I also bought from in addition to Aden & Anais. I really started to fall in the love the patterns from Clementine kids and Little Unicorn. You can buy these thru the company website or find it on this really fun baby site called Spearmint Love. My daughter is almost two now and we use a new one daily as her blankie. She is not specific about which one she has but she does insist on having one where ever she goes.

One thing that I started to use as burp cloths the second go around were the Aden and Anais muslin musy squares. These are mini version of the swaddles. I think the intention is to use them for a lovie but they were hands down my new favorite kind of burp cloth.

Now that it was time to prep for number three, I took more of a minimalist approach. I have come to learn that while having 20+ swaddles is NICE -it is not necessary. Having more like 8 -10 is a realistic number. You could actually have less, but if your baby turns into a blankie baby like mine are you will be doing laundry often.

Since my daughter is still using her swaddles and very much attached to them I knew that I needed to buy new rather than plan for those to be hand me downs. Otherwise there would be lots of blankie stealing going on between the two. My collection now is mostly all bamboo swaddles because I prefer the softness. I do however still get some that are not because the muslin cotton tends to be a bit cooler in the summer time. All the ones I have purchased have been kept out of my toddlers reach. I didn't want to show them to her and have her thinking they were hers before the baby gets here.

This time around I got swaddles from the following brands so far:
1. Aden & Anais- Only the bamboo ones.

2. Pattie & Co - Probably the softest one I own. It's from a company in the UK that had a rainbow one I just had to have for our sweet little rainbow baby.

3. Little Unicorn - Expect to pay more for these but the patterns are stunning.

4. Cloud Island - These ones are carried at Target. Not bad quality at all and perfect for the cool cotton I will need for summertime.

Last but not least realize this - the bamboo ones don't always hold up as long as the regular muslin cotton ones do. Many of our bamboos have tiny holes from lots of love. The more you wash the cotton muslins the softer they will get. I would recommend washing them several times before the baby arrives and get them extra soft and fluffy. I use dryer balls too to help with static and to keep them looking nice.


Wishing you all the best mama! Find something you love -then buy enough to get you thru. The baby needs far less "THINGS" than you realize, but they do need lots of love. You are going to be amazing at this.

Boss Lady Bootcamp

Boss Lady Boot Camp 

Are you an entrepreneur struggling to make your own health and fitness a priority? Take a minute to check out this video to see if you might benefit from my upcoming boss lady boot camp kicking off on March 2, 2019. 

Interested in snagging a spot? Apply below. I will be in touch shortly. 

Transform Your Life - Transform 20 Launch

New Shaun T Program - Launching SOON

T minus just a few short weeks until Transform 20 is officially available for public purchase. Info was released to us this summer about the upcoming New Year launch and man are we ever excited to get started with this one. I thought it would be helpful to take a few moments to share all the details that I have with you at this time about the program. I will update the blog once I have more to share but for now, this should get you started and excited for what's to come. 

Transform 20 is coming to Beachbody On Demand  April 1, 2019. Offers will be available to purchase on December 4, 2018, and VIP Early Access kicks off January 14, 2019!

• Trainer: Shaun T
• Intensity: Intermediate/Advanced
• Program Length: 6x/week, 6 weeks
• Workout Length: 20 minutes
• Equipment Needed: Step (I’ll talk about this below)
• Best For: Burning fat, toning, abs, legs, booty, upper body
• Release Date: VIP Early Access January 14, 2019, BOD April 1
  
  

Get ready to transform your body and your mind in just 20 minutes a day. It’s you, Shaun T, and a Step, 6 days a week for 6 weeks. After 5 minutes, you’ll be out of breath, at 10 minutes you’ll be sweating, in 15 minutes you’ll be looking at the clock, and by minute 20, you’ll be done and proud of yourself.

And for the first time, Beachbody and Shaun T  have created a step program that’s nothing like old-school step aerobics. Less dance and more functional, you’ll sculpt your glutes, chisel your abs, tone your upper body, and burn fat. It’s hard, but that’s why it works.

Shaun T also created weekly behind-the-scenes videos with him and the cast as they discuss their own challenges, with the goal of motivating everyone to stay committed and strong.

Transform :20 is great for Shaun T-lovers, as well as anyone who wants quick workouts, minimal equipment, and built-in motivation!! As always, there will be a modifier so you can fit the workout to your fitness level and abilities.

What’s the nutrition plan for Transform :20?

You have the option of following two different meal plans for this program:

1. The Transform :20 Meal Plan
2. Or 2b mindset

Just like many other Beachbody programs, the Transform :20 plan uses the Portion Fix container system. It gives you a simple formula to use to figure out which bracket you fall into and container counts for each day — simple!

There are 3 Phases to the program: Commit, Climb, and Conquer. As you progress through each phase, the workouts get harder and the moves become more intricate (similar to 80 Day Obsession).

There are 5 weekday workouts: Burn, Faster, Stronger, Powerful, and Cut. Each workout has a different focus. There will be lots of fast feet movements on the steps and plenty of pushups, burpees, and lots of ab work!

And finally one for the weekend: Balance. This consists of some light cardio and strength work, and lots of stretching.

Interested in being a part of our client launch group? Fill out the application below and I will be in touch about getting you a spot in our January group.