The Most Useful Supplies for Pumping Moms

A common misperception amongst moms who pump is all you need is a pump and some grit and you’ll be good to go. A minimalist at heart, when I first started pumping I decided I would invest in as few things as possible. The way I saw it, this was a finite time in my life, I didn’t plan to pump more than a year per child, and I didn’t want to be stuck with a bunch of things I didn’t need when it was all over. Read More

Our Five Favorite Tips for Boosting Milk Supply

What is more frustrating than wanting to breastfeed and not having enough milk? When my son, Max, was just a few days old I took him in for a weight check. With my other two babies, they didn’t have any trouble gaining the weight back, so I went into this appointment feeling confident. I was assuming I’d hear what I heard before, “your baby has regained his birth weight, go home and pat yourself on the back.” Read More

How to Pump the Most Amount of Milk in the Shortest Amount of Time

The goal of the pumping mama is to get as much milk as possible in the shortest amount of time as possible. The less time you spend attached to your pump, the more freedom you have. And the more milk you pump, the less you have to worry about having enough for your babe.

When I was a pumping, working mama, I would try to time myself to get 8oz in 15 minutes. Read More

The Importance of a Free Breast Pump

When I was a brand-new mom, I knew that breastfeeding was something I wanted to try. I had no idea that I would fall in love with it. Having my little baby cuddled in my arms getting all the sustenance they needed made me feel powerful and strong. I also didn’t know how important pumping would become to my ability to continue on with my pre-baby life when I felt ready.

With my first two babies, I went back to work when they were 12-weeks-old. Read More

Spectra Breast Pumps Covered By Insurance

We’ve been hard at work talking to pumping and nursing mamas about their pumps and which ones they love. We first talked about Medela and today we’re going to talk about why Spectra breast pumps are among the most popular pumps on the market.

Spectra breast pumps extract milk equally as well as any pump on the market. Here are a few reasons that nursing moms love these pumps:

1. Spectra breast pumps are very quiet and lightweight

What is great about Spectra breast pumps is they are much quieter than other pumps. Read More

5 Important Tricks for Boosting Milk Supply

Let’s be honest, when you want to breastfeed and something goes wrong, it can be heart-wrenching.  And there are so many moms who experience so many problems! From a poor latch, to a fussy baby who is refusing the boob, to low milk supply, there are a million and one different problems that nursing mamas face. Breastfeeding is hard!

One breastfeeding problem that so many new moms experience is low milk supply. Luckily, it’s also a problem that can sometimes be solved quickly and easily.  Read More

Recovering From Childbirth

My cousin had a baby a week ago. I was talking to my aunt and she said about my cousin — the new mom, “It’s like she never even gave birth, she bounced right back!” I had to silence my gag reflex. Obviously I was happy for my cousin that she had such an easy recovery, but it was still hard to hear considering it took me over a month to move without pain after my births.

I’ve had three c-sections which you can read about here, here, and here. Read More

Oh boy, the third trimester is often a doozy. I’m sure there are some lucky people who have no issues, but for many women (yours truly included) the third trimester is filled with aches, pains, anxieties, and so. much. swelling.

During the third trimester you are carrying around an almost fully grown baby, plus all the blood and fluids that goes along with it. Your organs are compressed, your hip ligaments are loosening, and your bladder is working on over time. Read More

4 Things I Wish I knew About Having a Baby

Before I had a baby, I knew that I wanted to be a mother. I knew that I loved cuddling babies and nothing made me happier than smelling their sweet scent. I also knew that there was more to being a mother than cuddling, but looking back, I’m not sure I knew how much more.

Here are a few things I wish I’d known.

 1. The cuddles/snuggles are usually short lived

I swear I would have 1,000 babies if all they did was sleep on me. Read More

Changing Expectations When Baby #2 Is Born

When you bring your newborn home from the hospital, there is nothing but time. Depending on how you and your hormones are feeling, that can be both good and bad. You’ll be exhausted, but at least you know you can sleep when the baby sleeps. Plus your friends and family will be so enamored by your little one they will hopefully lend many helping hands.

And then at some point you may decide to go and have another one. Read More

6 Pumping Hacks for Working Moms

Maternity leave often passes in haze of sleepless nights, chapped nipples, and baby snuggles. When it’s time to get back to work, reality sets in that you have to figure out the most effective way to provide breast milk while not being near your baby for 8+ hours a day.

When I went back to work, I thought, how hard can pumping at work be? Turns out, it’s plenty hard so here are a few of my favorite hacks that will make pumping at work a little bit easier. Read More

Breastfeeding 101: The Top 3 Things New Moms Need to Know

There is so much to think about when expecting a baby. When I was pregnant with my first (and second and third), I felt like my mind was being pulled in a million different directions every day.

I was thinking about actually being pregnant – was I eating right, exercising, would the sunscreen I was wearing seep into my skin and harm the baby?

Then I thought about the birth – did I want the epidural (HELL YES), how could I avoid a C-section (I couldn’t), who did I want in the delivery room (just my husband). Read More