Modern New Mom Survival Kit

 A lot has changed in the world of having children. Parenting techniques have changed and now there are a LOT of different ways to raise your child. New research is constantly emerging regarding vaccinations, breastfeeding, and discipline. The way the hospital treats post-delivery mothers has changed greatly in the past 30 years. I remember when my mother had my younger brother. It was a normal, uncomplicated, routine delivery and yet her stay in the hospital after the birth was 5 days. When I gave birth to my children with normal, uncomplicated, routine deliveries, I was discharged within 48 hours of delivery.


Women are returning to the workforce a lot sooner than they used to.

The following excerpt is from a study conducted in 2014.

"We asked mothers in LTM II about their employment patterns after they had their baby. 
Among those mothers who had returned to paid work, more than a third had returned by 
6 weeks, and most (84%) were back to work by 12 weeks (Figure 8). This represented 57% 
of all formerly employed mothers. They typically returned to the same work setting 
(full-time, part-time or self-employed) that they had been in during pregnancy. Overall, 
36% of mothers had paid work responsibilities by 12 weeks after the birth."

The fact that more women are returning to work and soon than past trends indicate only goes to show the different social climate new mothers are in.

And while advice from mother may get you quite a ways in navigating those early newborn waters, things have changed a great deal since she was in your shoes.

It is for that reason that I have compiled a short list of items that I either had or wished I had during each of my three pregnancies to help weather out the chaos.   


Congratulations! You're Pregnant


While the book What to Expect When You Are Expecting is still my favorite go-to for just about anything pregnancy related, I do like Angie's Congratulations! You're Pregnant as a sort of quick reference guide. It also has a lot of recently updated information especially that pertaining to nutrition. For example, I am a big sushi lover, but decided to go without while I was pregnant. (Fear of raw foods and all) However, Angie shares that most forms of sushi are safe to eat while pregnant as long as the raw fish in it were flash frozen first which most major fishing industries do on the boat right after the fish is caught. The freezing process kills any parasites that could potentially cause sickness. This is good to know and just wish I had known during my last pregnancy.  While there were some topics that I wish Angie had gone a little more in depth with, I do love the book, and as I mentioned above it makes for a great quick reference guide or even a bathroom read (yeah, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom with each of my pregnancies: morning sickness among other reasons.)


Breastfeeding Scarfs


With my first two kids I used receiving blankets, but they can be really annoying to carry around and seriously with a little baby do we really need to carry more things. I used to stash it in the already over-stuffed diaper bag and it would constantly get in the way when I would need to fish out a diaper or a wipe. Not to even mention that I live in the South and covering up my kids with a receiving blanket while they nursed would have both of us flushed and sweating from the heat. And while I loved the bonding time it gave me with my babies, it was rarely a positive experience for me or them when they needed to nurse in public.



That is where this breastfeeding scarf has changed the game for my latest child. I can wear it as an infinity scarf, scarf with hood, or even as a shawl over my nursing tank top. The material is extremely soft and gets softer with each washing. It is almost like butter made into cloth. It is very light weight and breathable and there is enough material there to create a large "tent" area so you are completely covered as you switch sides without having to readjust the cover.

I only wish they had came out with this sooner, so I could have used it with my first two children.






Snug Baby Monitor for Smartphones (Apple/Android)

This is an item that has been made possible due to advances in technology, and now that I have one for my third child, I don't know how I ever got along without it for my first two. This baby monitor connects to the house's wifi network and can be accessed through an app on either an Apple or Android mobile device. The monitor mostly stays in stand-by mode and can either be activated remotely through the app or is activated by either sound or by detecting motion. If the monitor activates itself it sends a push notification to the connected mobile device. Now I can actually get stuff done while the baby is laying down for a nap without having to go check on him every 20 minutes. The monitor takes a little while to set up both physically and on the wifi network. It can be mounted to the wall and the eye of the monitor can do a full swivel for a complete view of the room. Once it is installed and set up it works beautifully.


Resistance Loop Bands


As mentioned in my introduction, women with young babies are returning to the workforce. This creates an even great demand on a new mother's time. Add to that demand the added pressure society puts on new mom's to shed the baby weight and it is no wonder that new mom's can feel overwhelmed.
While I have stubbornly ignored all of society's expectations regarding my maternal stores (I am still about 20 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and the baby is now almost 2) I have found an item that makes working out much easier than going to the gym.

These resistance loop bands come in a pack of five and have different weight resistance. They range from super light (about what you would need for physical therapy) to super heavy (really work on that muscle tone). The material feels strong and durable and I don't have any concerns about them breaking and snapping (although that could be an issue once they become worn). I love how they are compact and offer all the benefits of a home gym without taking up all that space. I also love how I could work out at home during the baby's nap, instead of trying to fit in a trip to the gym.



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The Great Diaper Debate part 2

So to continue on my previous topic on the Great Diaper Debate I found this video that compares the three brands I have used in the past along with the Honest Company's diaper.

I hope this video helps you to make the best decision for covering up your little one's waste elimination end and helps you to avoid the catastrophe that I endured.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Meatloaf was right with two out of three ain't bad, except when it comes to sick children.

These past few days has created a complex mixture of emotions within me. My two youngest children have been feeling under the weather with a stomach virus. My morning started out well enough. I had gotten to sleep in because the older two were out of school for Fall break.
I woke up and got Number 3 ready for day care and running errands. My plan was to run errands and then drop him off later. Number 3 was acting a little weird and that should have been my first indication, but I just chalked it up to a restless night for him. Right before we reached out second stop, he started whining in the back seat. I stop the car and look back at him just in time to watch him throw up. Well, not just trow up, but turn into a spewing fountain of curdled milk.

 (You would not believer how many pictures there are of babies projectile vomiting.)

From his car seat he projected the vomit so violently that he almost got it on the back of the seat in front of him. It took about two seconds for the shock of vomiting to register within his toddler brain. When it finally did he freaked out. Never in his 1.5 years of living could he recall his body betraying him in this manner. Then to top it all off, he was now covered in slimy milk curds. His little mind could not wrap around the events and so he sat there, too afraid to move for fear of getting the milk curds anywhere else on him and he cried. Needless to say my errand running for the day was over.

But that was only the beginning.

When I got Number 3 home, safely in the door, I started stripping him down less than two feet inside the house to contain the mess. Number 2 comes up to me before I am done stripping down Number 3 and informs me that her head hurts and that she has already thrown up this morning. Concerned with an emerging pattern I call Number 1 to interrogate him on his well-being. He reported that he felt just fine.

I cleaned up Number 3 and got him and Number 2 some Tylenol as they felt like they were running fevers and then I convinced them both that what they needed more than anything was some rest.

What then followed is what causes me to have my internal conflict. Number 2 and Number 3 slept. The got the rest their little bodies needed. Normally all three of my kids interact with each other antagonizing and fighting creating most of the noise within my whirlwind of a life. However, with Number 2 and Number 3 out of commission my house experienced a quiet peace it had not experienced since before we moved in. I watched Number 2 and Number 3 in their cute and peaceful slumber. I also got to read a book without being interrupted every other line. For the most part my day was perfect with the exception of the occasional instance of vomit in stereo as Number2 and Number 3 coordinated  stomach onslaughts. Part of me feels bad that my children were not feeling well, but the other part recognized that I do not get many breaks and rejoiced at the opportunity for quiet.

The Great Diaper Debate

One of the most important items you will purchase after the birth of a child is diapers. But there are so many different kinds and brands. How will you know which one is right for you?

For the longest time I didn't know. It pretty much took until my third child before I became convinced that I had finally got this whole diaper thing figured out.

For me this was never a question. For my lifestyle and the fact that I was always chomping at the bit to return to work after each new addition to the family it was a no-brainer that I would go with disposable. Yes, I know that decision is the worst for the environment, but I try to make up for it elsewhere. Life is about compromises, you know.

A mommy friend of mine who also had a child about the same time I had number 3, opted for the cloth reusable diapers. For me she is a trusted source of information. She was a stay-at-home mommy and when all was said and done, she stated that the diapers only added about one additional load of laundry to the pile. She also pointed out that in changing a diaper you are already up to your elbows in baby poo, so just complete the cycle and clean out the cloth nappie. That is a very noble decision on her part, and I give her props for being more of a supermom than I can commit to.

So instead, I opted for disposable diapers for all three of my children out of convenience. With child number 1, my husband insisted that the premium diaper brands (ie: Huggies and Pampers) were priced as more because they obviously were of a better quality, and only the best would do for his baby. I remained skeptical and stubborn and purchased which ever brand of diapers were on sale or whichever ones I happened to have a coupon for. (I mean really, how much do I want to spend on an item that is designed to catch poop and be thrown away?)

I have used three major brands through out the course of my three children: Huggies, Pampers, and Luvs. I mostly used Pampers when the kids were really small. All the hospitals I delivered at used that brand in their nursery and generally we just continued using them after we got home. I have never had any complaints about Pampers. They work wonderfully and very rarely leak, even on a long night after the baby has drained a lot of bottles. I love the Pampers Swaddlers brand, but that line stops right about the time the baby is a year old and begins to walk. At that time, I guess we are supposed to switch over to Pampers Cruisers. My one and only complaint is the price for the larger sized line.

The price for these larger sized diapers are substantially higher than the Swaddlers line and me trying to be frugal would eventually win out over the spouse and begin purchasing Luvs which is much more affordable.

And this is where things start to decline. With my older two children, using Luvs was an occasional inconvenience. Every once in a while they would fully empty more liquid into their diapers than I previously thought to be possibly contained within their pint-sized (appearantly gallon-sized) bodies. Leaks bad enough to have to change out their crib sheets maybe happened once every two months. So even with this little inconveniences, the product was still worth the price.

That was until child number 3.

On this fate-changing morning, I woke the older two and got them ready for school to catch the bus. It was early in the school year and light was streaming in through all the windows, promising "Today is going to be a beautiful day! Nothing can go wrong!".

It lied.

After gathering up the necessary items to wake number 3 and get him ready for daycare, I approached the door to his room. The gentle snoring from within lulled me into a false sense of security, and I cracked the door open quietly. (I love getting in the room before he wake up so I can see him sleeping peacefully.) However, as soon as the door was cracked the air from the room spilled forth and enveloped me within a putrid cloud.

Something was very wrong, if the smell assaulting my nose was to be any indication. I carefully creep over to number 3's crib and peered in. The sight laid out before me was one of parenting horror. Number 3 was still snoozing contentedly on his stomach, knees drawn up under him, BARE bottom up in the air with poop smears on both cheeks like some sort of yoga sun salutation: poopy variation.

Poop was EVERYWHERE!

(This scene has been recreated for dramatic purposes and is not an actual scene from the event)

I picked up Number 3 as gingerly as I could to contain the already catastrophic mess and ran him to the bathroom. Number 3 grumbled at his rude awakening but settled quickly and contentedly into a bubble bath. With the bathroom door open I went across the hall to assess the damage and try to piece together what happened. The only incriminating evidence as to what happened was the sad, scraggly Luvs diaper with a broken strap on the side. In the middle of the night, Number 3 woke briefly and dropped a decent deuce. He then curled up and went back to sleep. Somehow twisting around in his sleep the strap on the Luvs diaper broke spilling the stinky contents within. It took several hours to clean the mess. Since then, as the slogan for Luvs goes, (and almost gets it right) "You live and you learn, and then you DON'T get Luvs!"

The saying goes you get what you pay for and I definitely got what I paid for. 

For more information regarding the Disposable vs. Cloth debate below are some awesome sites that help break down the pros and cons.

www.thebump.com

www.babygearlab.com

And So the Winds Rise

Hello Everyone,

This is the first post in what I hope will be many.

I am a mom of three kids (age ranges from 1-9 years old) and I work full time. From my life experiences I want to share with you the things that work for me and what does not in the hopes of saving you time, money, heartache, and maybe even a temper tantrum or two.

Mission Statement:

I want to provide honest feedback of not only items I try in my household, but even the life hacks we all want to try to see if they really work but maybe hesitate on. If ever you see something that you would like for me to try, please leave a comment and a link to it (if you can) and I will see what I can do.

A Little About Me:

I am 29. I have no shame in admitting my age. I have a bachelor's degree in Media Arts and Studies and I am only a few classes away from a Master's degree in Communications with an emphasis in Marketing and New Media.

As I mentioned above, I have three kids. The oldest, Jacob, is nine. My middle child, Bianca, is six. Nick is the baby, born in 2014.

I will be drawing on my personal experiences in day-to-day products and activities and hopefully my humor will shine through.

Life can be hectic, hopefully by showing you the inside of my whirlwind of a life, I can help you through yours.