Three months ago I gave birth to my second child and recently I have been thinking about how most of our customers are moms just like me. I did a poll on Instagram to find out what people are interested in seeing besides embroidery and some asked for baby and toddler must have products. I thought since it is fresh in my mind after having my second I have a few products and tips for new moms or soon to be mamas.
I have had two completely different birth experiences so when I say this is what worked for me, I understand that everyone and every baby is totally different based on a lot of different factors. My goal is to hopefully share some knowledge that I learned this second time around because frankly I was surprised how much I still did not know.
A little back story on my journeys, my first born was born three weeks early, frank breached via c-section. He also had to be in the NICU for a few days and we lived in Maryland. My second, I went 40 weeks, had an epidural and was delivered via VBAC, and we now live in Pennsylvania. I don’t really plan on getting into the details of the births, but would be happy to answer any questions in the comments section.
My goals this second time around were to breastfeed, enjoy the baby stage and take one shower a day. I put no pressure on myself to be successful for any of them (except the showering one), which in the end has worked to my advantage. Before I get into the products, three pieces of advice I would give any new mom is the following:
1. If you are surrounded by people who want to help, take them up on it. Let them do the dishes, laundry, cleaning, make you meals, etc. If you need sleep or to take a shower, ask them to watch the baby for an hour or so. Don’t let the fear of asking for help stop you because it truly does take an army.
2. Use your resources. If you are struggling breastfeeding, go see a lactation specialist until you get it figured out (there are so many factors that go into breastfeeding). I don’t care what anyone says, for me both times it hurt really bad for the first few weeks until we got the hang of it. The lactation specialist taught me proper technique and sized me properly for my pumps. If you are feeling postpartum depression, go get help. If you want to help your body heal, do pelvic floor therapy. It will most likely be covered under health insurance. I had no idea what that was after my first child and for some reason it is not something doctors tell you about (at least mine didn’t).
3. Get out of the house and go do things once you are healed and feel good enough to get out. I had both my kids during winter, so getting out to walk was not easy, but we could go get a coffee, go to a friend’s/family members house, go to the store and walk around. Anything to take a break from being in the same place 24hrs a day helps reset the mind. I also understand that this one may be hard, especially if you have more than one child, so starting with a car ride might be all you can do and that is okay. Put the window down for a minute and breathe in some fresh air.
Moving onto the products that I would recommend to any mama out there. These are the top 5 products I have used the most and some I am still using three months postpartum.
1. Silverettes
When I say I had pain breastfeeding, I mean it was toe curling pain for the first few weeks and I would cry every time I had to feed her. For any new mamas out there that want to breastfeed, just know that directly after having your baby you are going to get contractions and cramps and for me they hurt just as bad as during labor. Okay, so why this product…I did not know how to properly get her to latch and my nipples were cracked and no lotion, padding, etc. was working for me. I looked into Silverettes and was very apprehension to buy them, but honestly, I was desperate and needed something if I was going to make breastfeeding work. BEST PURCHASE EVER! Within a week of wearing these 24/7, I was healed and the experience of breastfeeding completely changed. I would let the milk sit in the Silverettes and because breast milk is the most amazing thing, it helped heal the cracks and so did the silver. I did do a lot of research and went with these because I wanted to make sure the product itself was true silver and not some knock off. I still wear them as needed.
2. Baby Nose Aspirator (aka Nose Sucker)
This one is pretty self explanatory, but babies have a lot of boogers and it makes it hard for them to feed if they cannot breathe out of their nose. This nose sucker works really well for us. I try not to use it everyday only because I truly don’t know how it feels for her and don’t want to cause any problems. This was a game changer for us though and still is because it helps keep her clear. She actually likes it and smiles when she hears the sound and suction. You need to make sure you are using the right tip and I would recommend getting replacement tips. I am curious how this will work as she grows. Stay tuned.
The Solly baby carrier was a middle of the night impulse purchase for me while I was still pregnant. When I had my first child, I don’t know why, but these carriers were looked at as bad, like they did not work and were dangerous. So I got the super bulky ones that were uncomfortable and for a woman that has large hips, never quite fit right. Anyways, this time around I decided in the middle of the night that my baby and I were worth this purchase (they are not cheap). This was another game changer for me. With having two kids, this carrier makes life a lot easier when you need both hands and are trying to do a million things. It has also worked really well for us when we are out doing things that the stroller just does not make sense to bring. The only downside is that I am a hot body and so is she, so sometimes because we are essentially skin to skin, we both get overheated and I need to take her out. The carrier is so soft, stylish, and practical. I would recommend it to any new mom.
The one thing I learned about breastfeeding this time around was that I should not be pumping right away. I was shocked when the lactation specialist was telling me that. Why was I surprised? Lack of knowledge, but it does make a lot of sense that our body would produce the right amount for what our baby needs. It took me a lot of patience and talking myself out of pumping for this to actually work, but I would use the Haaka suction pump while I was breastfeeding when I was feeling full or leaking. After the first few weeks, once your milk does come in, your body is adjusting and for me that meant lots of leaking while she was feeding which for me was frustrating and made me feel dirty all the time. This product was great because I could put it in my bra and then without pumping I had milk to freeze. I used these for the first two months. Now I did pump once and awhile depending on my day, how I felt and in preparation for going back to work I was determined to get a bit of a stash. These were a great way to help ease the discomfort of milk coming in and feeling too full without having to clean a million parts.
5. Newton Bassinet and Bedside Sleeper
The first month for both babies were the hardest for me. This time around though I knew that I had to figure out sleeping sooner than I did with my first born. The bassinet I did have just wasn’t doing it for me. I couldn’t see her through the mesh, she was higher than me so I always had to sit up to see her, I was constantly checking to make sure she was breathing and she wouldn’t stay sleeping which told me she was uncomfortable. Now we still use this bassinet downstairs because it has wheels and it is nice when you have to run to the bathroom or do something quickly. For sleeping though, I wanted something that was completely breathable and at my level that I could lay on my side and be right there with her. For me, that was the Newton Bassinet. It is completely breathable so I do not have to worry if her face is smushed somewhere, it is a sleek design, it has different levels so it can align with your bed and it has a fold down side so you can reach in and be right there to sooth her. This bassinet is also good for up to 6 months which is great because we can slowly transition her into her crib.
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There are so many great products out there and it really is trial by fire to figure out what works for you and your baby, but I hope what I have listed helps someone out there. You got this MAMA! Lots of deep breaths, asking for help and telling yourself one day at a time because it truly is only temporary. Every stage with kids has its own challenges, but man they are so much fun and drive you crazy all at the same time.
xo - Christie