my B(R)E(A)ST FRIENDS WITH WALMART
HELLO !!! HAPPY MONDAY !!!
just like that another week has begun! i spent the weekend working a little bit & chillin at home with my peeps! i feel like it was a little bit of a blur the last couple weeks with work and potty training and baby jax’s minor surgery (all is well btw!) – trying to get back to our routine now that charlotte is pretty much potty trained & we’re feeling more comfortable going out with her! so crazy how we worry sometimes about the next phase, wondering what it will be like, getting all anxious and stressed! haha or is that just me?! i remember just thinking – ahhhh i don’t want to potty train! its going to be so hard & what if she doesn’t get it and it takes forever! haha! OMG – i really need to relax and have a little more faith but you know how it is – you’ve never done something before and sometimes the unknown can be nerve-wrecking! anywho all is good! she actually caught on pretty quickly and i’m sure we’re not completely there
yet but so far so good +++ baby jax had his little surgery that went well and he seems to not notice it or be in pain and its healing nicely – soooo i can let out a huge sigh of relief and breathe a little better this week… until the next thing! ha you know how it is if you’re a mama! #MOMLIFE
SPEAKING OF #MOMLIFE
i am very much still breastfeeding baby jax – feel super lucky and blessed that i am able to provide milk for him and that we have kept it up this long! if you’ve been following me, you know he is not a fan of bottles, but i still pump at work to keep up my milk supply! and if you’re a breastfeeding or pumping mom or BOTH, then you know how much time, commitment & dedication it takes to do this EVERY DAY & EVERY NIGHT for this long – for me it’s been TEN MONTHS!!! i actually pumped for about 13 months for charlotte, but breastfed her until she was almost 17 months! so i plan to go as long, maybe even longer with baby jax! and as much time as it takes and how some days i am so tired and want my body back to myself, i DO ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. breastfeeding givea me a connection to my babies no one else will have and i enjoy our bonding time – both babies hold on to my shirt while they feed or rest their little hands gently on my chest and i LOVE IT! i always knew i wanted to breastfeed my babies – never knew what it would take or how long i would do it until i did it with my first. i am lucky that breastfeeding came pretty easily to me and both babies. especially since both my babies were NICU babies – i knew how important it was to make sure they got my breastmilk and even better if i could breastfeed them.
SPEAKING OF BREASTFEEDING
did you know that August is NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH?! and i am all about spreading awareness on breastfeeding – not only is it great for bonding with your babies but you can provide the best nutrients and exactly what your baby needs with breastfeeding – but i also know that breastfeeding doesn’t come as naturally or easily to some women or some women decide that is not the path for them and their baby – and THATS OK! FED IS REALLY BEST! but since i am a breastfeeding and pumping mom, i teamed up with WALMART to share my favorites for breastfeeding mamas and pumping mamas! after becoming a mom, i realize how LITTLE people actually pay attention to mom and breastfeeding – they say you should do it because it’s good, but sometimes i feel like most women don’t realize it can be a challenge! it really isn’t as easy at looks every time, so i am sharing what i now love to gift to new mamas – BREAST FRIENDS! we all get excited about the cute baby clothes and toys & baby gear, and don’t get me wrong, i love those things too but i know i wouldn’t want to be going out with a newborn in search of breast pads because i didn’t realize i was going to need them or that my breasts would be leaking! so i put together the things I LOVE AND USE ALMOST EVERYDAY!
sharing why i love all these items and why they should be you BREAST friends too!
1. BREASTMILK STORAGE BAGS – if you are planning on pumping, then storing them in bags is best! also there are attachments you can find that should fit on your pump so you can directly pump into the bags – COMPLETE GAME CHANGER – makes pumping so much more efficient!
2. BREAST PUMP – having a breast pump at home and one you can also take with you is so crucial – at least it was for me especially in the first few months and once baby starts sleeping more, i had to pump to not get engorged and to make sure i had some back up milk in the freezer – this is the pump i mainly used at home – love that it comes with all the accessories and travel bag – also can use batteries so you can pump in the car!
3. BREAST PADS – so not everyone will need these but i certainly did – and having a wet bra or leaking through your shirt, especially in public is no fun – i always had a ton of these at home & kept some in my bag!
4. QUICK CLEAN STEAM BAGS – ok another thing about pumping that kinda sucks, cleaning all the parts! especially when you’re rushing to pump at work – these are PERFECT! rinse parts, put in bag with a little water, pop in microwave and boom clean! so easy!
5. BREASTMILK COLLECTOR – i have one similar to this and i don’t know why i didn’t know about this with baby charlotte – but got one with jax and basically get a good amount of milk from one side while you breastfeed baby on the other side! its amazing!
6. BABY WARMER/PUMP & GO SET – i got this with baby charlotte and i love the warmer because our babies are spoiled and we warm their milk, plus it comes with attachments and some bag you can pump directly into AND attach a nipple to to feed straight from the bag instead of transferring to a bottle!
7. DR. BROWNS BOTTLES – whether its just once in a while or you’re pumping exclusively and using bottles or using formula, its good to have some bottles around! these are probably on the top of our list even though jax rarely takes a bottle, charlotte loves these ones!
8. BOPPY PILLOW – nursing pillow that is easy to use but also works for sitting baby up or tummy time!
9. NURISNG BRAS – these ones are easy to wear, no fuss, soft! if you’re nursing, gotta have comfortable easy bras!
10. BIBS – both our babies definitely needed bibs before, during and after feeding, and we also got these bandana style ones they’re so cute, the right size and useful!
11. PUMPING BRA – planning on pumping, get a HANDS FREE pumping bra – GAME CHANGER – eat lunch, do your nails, whatever while you pump! don’t waste time holding! haha!
12. BURP CLOTHS – kinda goes along withe bibs, gotta burp the babes so gotta have these on hand!
13. COMO TOMO BOTTLES – these are super popular and the one bottle baby jax will actually take! i love that they’re soft and the nipple is closer to a breast if that makes sense, so more likely for your baby to take it!
14. NURSING COVER – this type of cover is seriously the BEST! works amazing as a nursing cover, car seat cover, shopping car cover and high chair cover!! every mama needs one!!
if you are a mama or mama to be, what are some of the products on your must-have list??
hope you enjoyed this post! have a great day and a fabulous week!!
xo, steph
thank you to WALMART for sponsoring this post – all opinions are 100% my own.
this post also contains affiliate links, which means i make a small commission on purchases made using these links at NO extra cost to you! thank you for your support!
