I can hardly believe it, but it's already been eleven weeks since our precious little girl, Esther, entered the world! Time has gone by so quickly, and, yet, at the same time, all those sleepless nights make it seem like such a long time! Can I get an Amen from all of the Mamas out there?! I have plans to work on Esther's birth story soon, and that will most likely be a multi-part blog post. I will give you spoiler now and tell you that her birth was everything that I had hoped it would be. Despite the pain of a natural labor and birth, everything was just what I had prayed for!
I wanted to write this post and get it out soon because these types of posts are the ones that I loved when I was pregnant and trying to figure out exactly what I needed. As I've gotten older, I've realized that I don't need, nor want!, a ton of extra stuff in my house. It stresses me out. So I determined to find things that were really necessary for both Esther and I. A lot has changed in just three years since Seth was a baby, and a few of the items in this following list I wish I would have had when Seth was little! They've just been so helpful and I think may have reduced my anxiety and stress level a bit had I known about them three years ago. p/s I almost want to make a video of this post as well. Is that something you readers would be interested in watching?
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1. A Haakaa (^ linked in subheading) This small and extremely handy tool is my #1 must have! I use the one with a suction base and flower stopper, as I know left to myself, I would knock over that sweet liquid gold if I didn't take preventative measures. I really struggled with nursing Seth when he was a baby (that's a long story). When he was 6 months old or so, I started slowly supplementing with organic formula, which led to full formula feeding just about a month and a half later. Now, I am 100% in support of "Fed Is Best". As long as your baby is getting the nutrients they need and are thriving, that is what ultimately matters. I am very thankful for this tool because I catch about 1-2 ounces of LETDOWN every time I nurse Esther (about 8 times a day). That's about 2 cups of milk every single day! I'm building my freezer stash, and have been able to donate milk as well. It is such an incredible feeling ti know that I can help mother's in need when I didn't think I would have the opportunity to nurse like this again after Seth. I am so extremely thankful for this little gadget and the ability to produce milk for my baby, as well as others'. Watch this video to learn how to properly use the Haakaa. I was doing it wrong for about a month and a half! Now that I'm using it currently, I am collecting even more milk (start watching at 2:42).
2. A super comfortable, and supportive, every day nursing bra
I LOVE the feel of my nursing bras that I wear at nighttime, but there's just something about putting something on during the day that feels like a "real bra" that makes me feel like a woman again and not just a 24/7 nursing cow. I can't seem to find the bra that I have, but this one is most similar to the one that I own.
3. Earth Mama nipple balm - I LOVE this stuff! It works so well at keeping those tender areas moisturized (especially during the first few weeks of nursing) and I don't have to worry about wiping it off before the next session of nursing, as its natural ingredients are safe for baby, too.
4. Natural remedies to help boost your milk supply I actually really enjoy the taste of Traditional Medicinals Mother's milk tea much more so this time around than I did after having Seth. Maybe after forcing myself to drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (bleck) in my third trimester during this past pregnancy, my taste buds were much more ready to accept literally any other type of flavored tea. I've seen a quick increase in my supply shortly after drinking this tea, which is very encouraging to me. Other things that I've done are drinking lots of water (I personally aim to drink around 100 oz every day, which is three 32-ounce cups and a cup of tea for me), taking some tinctures (my friend Lindsay makes them, and her Facebook group is here), and lactation balls made with Brewer's yeast.
5. An app to track down EVERYTHING If you're anything like me, I need to have a plan for everything, I like to know the plan in advance, run through it a couple of times, and be aware of all angles of the plan before moving forward. This said, babies are funny in that they are mostly unpredictable those first few weeks, and that's enough to drive a die-hard planner like me insane. I HIGHLY recommend using the Sprout Baby app to track everything: sleep, eating, diaper changes, bath times, whatever your little heart desires. Having this app as something that I can rely on during this newborn stage has allowed me to have just a sliver of much-needed sanity, especially after so many sleepless nights. Click here to download the Sprout Baby app for Apple products.
6. Love To Dream swaddle My mom calls this swaddle that I use for Esther a straightjacket, but I like to lovingly refer to it as a baby burrito wrap. I've used other swaddles that work just fine, but I really like using the Love To Dream swaddle for 4 weeks and older, so they can have a little more movement with their arms. Esther's wanted to sleep with her hands by her face since day one, and the Love To Dream swaddle lets her do this while feeling snug and not waking herself up due to startle reflex.
7. Snuggle Me I've lost count as to how many giveaways I've entered on Instagram to win a Snuggle Me or a Dock A Tot, and I have yet to win one! While I wait for my big break to win one, a very nice friend is letting me borrow hers for the time being and it's been such a great tool in getting Esther to sleep safely on her back at night. I'm very thankful! For those unfamiliar with what these products are, it's a "sleep nest" so that babies can feel safe and secure while sleeping.
8. Magnesium
About a year and a half ago, I was having consistent trouble sleeping at night. I would abruptly wake up, and would then have difficulties going back to sleep. I put a post out on Facebook about it, and a lot of comments came back about possibly needing more Magnesium. As far as sleep supplements go, Melatonin has never really worked for me, so I figured I'd give Magnesium a try. I remember my first night going to sleep using Magnesium spray (I spray it on my forearms and on the bottoms of my feet), it totally knocked me out cold! I slept like a well sleep-trained baby, and have been a huge fan of Magnesium every since! When I was pregnant, the spray itself wasn't enough for me (because of hormones), so I started implementing drinking some Magnesium as I start winding down for the night. This particular brand has a lot of different flavors! My favorite one so far has been the watermelon one. I am amazed how much better my sleep continues to be, and how less stressful my dreams are, when I take a Magnesium supplement on a regular basis. I also recently started taking this 3-in-1 tablet that has Magnesium/Calcium/Potassium, and that's really helped me with sleeping deeply and soundly as well.
9. Essential oils I've been using essential oils for almost a three years now (Wow! That went by quickly!), and have used a couple of different brands since discovering how great these little guys are. By far, my favorite brand is Young Living. After using other brands, the quality of Young Living oils, as well as their other products, are by far superior (and no, I'm not being paid to say that; it is my own opinion). When Esther was first born, I had anxiety through the roof. I was barely sleeping because of having a newborn and the intense hormones. Plus, I was having more anxiety because I was anxious that she would wake up right as I was falling asleep, and it's all just one big, hot mess. Any Mama out there who has been through that rough newborn stage will understand! Because of this, I thought it would be helpful to have some essential oils to help me relax just a tad and hopefully make it easier to fall asleep quicker. I'm sadly allergic to Lavender, so I have to be creative when it comes to essential oil combos. My favorite sleepy time combo right now is Cedarwood, Frankincense, and Citrus Fresh.
10. Tiny baby hats & mittens
I am a complete SUCKER for baby hats and baby mittens. Seth was 4 months old before I begrudgingly gave up the mittens and let him figure out how to use his hands and fingers (haha! poor kid). I'm not exactly sure what it is about these two items, but it makes my heart swell with even more love for my tiny humans. I also love these crocheted hats (and costumes! and bonnets!) from my friend, Caryn's, Etsy shop. She does such a fantastic job on everything that she makes, and she even does custom orders! What!
11. Gas relief remedies
Until I became a parent with a very uncomfortable and miserable baby, I never even had to think about gas relief remedies for anyone besides myself. I had heard great things about the Windi from several people in my Midwifery group on Facebook, but never knew of their magic until I used it for my baby one day when I couldn't bear to see her in such discomfort anymore. It took a few minutes before, you know, it to come out, but once it did, she was so calm! Now I understand what everyone was raving about.
I have also used this organic Gripe water a few times, but am glad that it did not have to be an ongoing thing. I think once Esther and I figured out a good feeding routine and how often she needs to burp, Gripe water wasn't needed anymore. It is handy to have in those first few weeks when you and baby are still figuring out one another and your routine!
Last but not least, I cannot stress enough how beneficial it is to reach out for help, especially first time moms. Heck, even second and third time moms need help; we don't have it all together, either. I have reached out for help so much more with Esther than I ever did with Seth, and I am really thankful that I did. I could have saved myself a lot of frustration and anxiety just by putting some of my pride aside and doing this simple thing. Some people that have helped me tremendously during my "fourth trimester" this time around are other mom friends to talk to, my own mother, a licensed lactation consultant, and someone to check for (and double check for!) a tongue tie in baby's mouth (Midwife, lactation consultant, dentist). If you're reading this post and find that you don't have anyone to talk to, I am here for you. If we don't personally know each other, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at stacyahoffman@gmail.com