Braxton Hick contractions and dehydration

When I was pregnant for the first time and started having Braxton Hicks contractions, I didn't know what in the world was happening. But thanks to the power of the internet, I was able to do a little research and find out that I was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. Braxton Hicks are sporatic uterine contractions that start at about 6 weeks, although you probably won't notice them until about halfway into your pregnancy. Basically it feels like your stomach is as hard as a rock, they aren't really painful but can be uncomfortable, and they come and go at random intervals.

My experience with Braxton Hicks contractions was a little different though. They would come at regular intervals, usually 5 or 7 minutes apart. I remember clearly calling the midwife on call thinking that I was going into labor at 15-20 weeks. Turns out my problem was dehydration.

We all know that drinking lots of water is important in every day life, but it's even more important in pregnancy. I was having Braxton Hicks contractions a lot, but after finding out that I wasn't drinking enough water, I made sure to drink plenty every day and the contractions decreased significantly. And when I would have contractions, I'd down a couple of glasses, and they would go away. So with my second pregnancy I knew better. I started off my day with a glass of water, and made sure I drank water regularly throughout the day. I didn't have nearly as many Braxton Hicks contractions the second time around. And once again, when I did have them, almost always drinking a couple glasses of water would make them go away.

Of course talk to you doctor about any concerns you have with contractions, but if you are experiencing a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions yourself, perhaps dehydration could be the culprit and the fix is as easy as making sure you drink more water throughout the day.

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Milan Maternity Spotlight

Everyone, I'd like you to meet Rebekah, who I am pretty sure is Super Woman with having 2 kids a year apart. She is the mother to 1 year old Katherine and 2 month old Daniel. She stays home with her two kids while her husband is a full time seminarian.

Here's what Rebekah had to say when I picked her brain.

The first time you were pregnant, was there anything about it that completely surprised you or that you wish you had known about being pregnant?

I wish I would have known that I could relax more and not try to be perfect. I gave myself a lot of stress the first time because I was always afraid of doing something "wrong." Though I strongly believe one should make healthy decisions, it is not worth it to stress over the trivial things.

Have you announced your pregnancies to your husband or family members in any fun and memorable ways?

Actually, the way I told my husband for all of my pregnancies was at the most inconvenient times possible. Just before bed (he was already in it and had to wake up super early) and just before leaving for class. It was memorable because it was the worst timing possible.

Have you found any tricks that work really well for you with morning sickness?

Mint candies. Lots of them. I was one of the lucky ones and felt good when I did eat. So I ate all of the time! When I felt sick but couldn't eat a meal, I would just have some mints.

What have you found to entertain and keep your kids busy when you've been too drained?

I got pregnant when my daughter, Katherine, was only three months old. She took a lot of naps throughout my pregnancy, so that was very helpful. There was not a lot that I could do to distract her as she was so young.

Did you always plan to use cloth diapers with your children? How did you decide to go that route?

I had been planning on using cloth diapers for a while. I know there is a debate on if they are actually better for the environment, BUT there is one thing for sure- they are better on my wallet! When I bring a freshly washed load into the nursery I feel like someone just stuffed ten bucks in my hand. It is a glorious feeling. I did a lot of reading about what diapers to choose. I initially bought a few pre-folds with various covers to try. In the end I bought about thirty microfiber stuffed diapers. They were the cheapest I could find on the internet. It has saved us so much money.

What is your go-to dinner when you don't know what else to make and you need something quick and tasty?

Goulash. My mother made it all of the time while I was growing up- so did my grandmother. It is my comfort food and is also super easy to make. I am sure there are a lot of fancy versions, but my simple stand by is easy: ground hamburger (boiled- no browning ahead of time!), chopped onion, canned diced tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic and elbows or some similar pasta. It couldn't be easier and it is delicious. I let it simmer for a long time to make it very flavorful.

I think every stay at home mom has one or two chores that they absolutely hate doing. What are those for you and have you found a way to do them that makes them a little more tolerable?

Vacuuming. I never liked it before but now Katherine is terrified of it. Once I tried helping her to see it as a fun thing and not something to be terrified of. I probably scarred her for life by showing her how it sucked things up the tube. So far my method has been to do it when she is in her room or when my husband is home to help keep her happy.

What are one or two of your favorite moments with your children that you will always remember?

There are so many it is hard to narrow down! Everyday has moments that I want to cling to forever. Recently it has been watching Daniel smile. He started doing it a couple of weeks ago. It is so amazing to see his face completely light up.

What do you like to do when you get the opportunity to have some "me" time?

I love to go thrifting! There are some awesome stores around us that can have amazing vintage clothing from time to time. I also spend a good amount of time blogging about recent projects. I also love reading fashion blogs. They have some great ideas.

Do you have any beauty secrets of what you do when you only have a few minutes to get ready?

I try to keep a lot of outfits mentally prepared. I remix items a lot, so it is pretty easy to throw something together on the fly if my usual combination is covered with baby spit or something. A belt can make make a plain outfit dressy- that is another super quick thing that I like to do.

When we are pregnant or have kids, it seems like we get all sorts of advice, wanted or not, from all sorts of people. What is one of the best pieces of advice you have gotten?

To trust myself. I am a doubter and worrier. Trusting myself is often hard to do. A lot of parenting is common sense or even instinctual. Being able to trust myself has been very helpful.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you felt like you just couldn't handle it, and what got you through that?

Oh yes, I have more of those moments than I would like to recollect. There are two things that I do. The first is to pray. I was raised in a Christian home where prayer was always highly valued. I try to maintain that in my own home- especially when things are falling apart- it really helps to hold me together. I also try to follow the advice of my spiritual father, the abbot of an Orthodox monastery, that is to just take a break (when possible). Just leave the situation and have a cup of tea or something. When you come back, you are much more able to handle it. I drink a lot of tea that way.

What are some of the things that you do as a family when you all spend time together?

Since the babies are so little it usually involves some sort of playing with toys. I can't wait until they are older and would appreciate long walks, camping trips and just being outside.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a mother?

To see my children blissfully happy. Sadly, I know that it won't last forever- the troubles of the world will get to them one day. But for now they are happy and innocent. When I see them get so joyful- just because I am holding them- is remarkable. It is so fulfilling to be unconditionally loved.

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Take time for yourself

After having my son 3 years ago, I was doing well until a few months in. When I finally opened up to others about thinking I had post partum depression, I got some great advice from my mom.

Take time for yourself. She told me to get out of the house at least once a week alone. Grocery shop, aimlessly walk the aisles of Target, go to the gym...SOMETHING.

Being a mother is great, but it's a 24/7 job, and we all need to have a little break. Those little breaks are what can help rejuvenate us so that we can handle everything that motherhood throws at us. I have learned that those breaks are a necessity for me and there is no reason to feel guilty about it.

Last week we sold a house, bought a house, moved, and then the very next day my husband left for 3 days. I was looking forward to him getting back so I could just get out and have my weekly break. Unfortunately with all we have going on with getting our new house together, it never happened. So I am going to make sure I get my break this week (maybe two breaks to make up for the one I didn't get last week).

So here is your reminder to make sure you take a little time for yourself this week and every week to follow. Don't fight me on this one, just do it!!

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Psssssst...I've got a secret

Before getting pregnant and having children, I almost religiously washed my hair every other day. I won't say how long I sometimes go now, but let's just say that sometimes there are a sequence of days where there just isn't enough time to do all the things I need to do AND take care of the children. Or if I'm being completely honest, sometimes I prefer to take the time it would take to wash and style my hair to watch a tv show while the kids nap.

Either way, the point is, I don't always have time to wash my hair, which is why discovering dry shampoo was a miracle more than anything else. Now when I need to just go one extra day with out a hair wash, I can use dry shampoo and no one knows the difference.

I had a hard time finding dry shampoo but finally found "Psssssst" at a drug store. CVS if I remember correctly. I'm sure of all the dry shampoo's out there, it's one of the cheapest, but it does the job just fine. Spray it in at the roots, brush it out, and I'm good to go.

And an added bonus, now when I wake up and am having an awesome hair day but need to wash it, all I need to do is use the dry shampoo. Then my good hair day isn't wasted.

I'm pretty sure dry shampoo is something that every mother needs.

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Milan Maternity Spotlight

Say hello to Brittney! She's a stay at home mother of 4 kids who are 6, 5, 2.5, and 6 months. And since that doesn't keep her busy enough, she is also a full time college student, taking classes online. She is only 8 classes away from getting her bachelors degree and already has her associates in psychology.

I had the opportunity to ask Brittney the questions everyone wants to know, and here's what she had to say.

The first time you were pregnant, was there anything about it that completely surprised you or that you wish you had know about being pregnant?

I think everything about it surprised me. I wish someone had told me about the blood work at 16 weeks that tell you what your odds are of having a baby with down-syndrome. My tests came out that I had 1 in 15 chances. It made my pregnancy much more stressful than it should have been. I couldn't really enjoy the pregnancy. I never had that test done again!

Have you announced your pregnancies to your husband or family members in any fun and memorable ways?

No. I really hated announcing that I was pregnant. I told my mom and my husband told his mom and we just let the gossip take it from there. LOL

Have you found any tricks that work really well for you with morning sickness?

I would suck on peppermint candies and keep gingersnaps and ginger ale always on hand! Also when that wouldn't work...I would take vitamin b6 and b12 every day. At night I would take b6 and a half a pill of Unisom. Worked fairly well. I would get it really bad for 7 months! and with the last pregnancy my doc suggested the vitamins and Unisom. I really wish I had known about that with the other 3 pregnancies!

What have you found to entertain and keep your kids busy when you've been too drained?

Disney movies. Thank heavens for Disney!!!

Is there anything you wish you had known about labor that you weren't prepared for?

The pain! Holy cow! No one really gets the point across how bad it is going to hurt! lol

I think every stay at home mom has one or two chores that they absolutely hate doing. What are those for you and have you found a way to do them that makes them a little more tolerable? My bedroom and the bathroom. I haven't found any way to do them that makes them a little more tolerable. I even tried to re-decorate them to see if that helped.....nope. So any ideas would be great! :)

What are some things you do with your older children to show them special attention now that there is a new little one in the house?

I have one on one time with them. I will take one and have them help cook dinner and the other one will help make cookies or a cake for desert.

With all of the responsibilities you have between family and school, what do you do to help balance it all out?

I take a two week break in between classes. I use those two weeks to really catch up on housework and some R&R.( My classes are 5 weeks long)

What are some of your children's favorite activities to do during the day?

My 2 oldest LOVE school. While they are at school I use that time to clean and play with my 2 year old and 6 month old. I have really enjoyed having some one on one time with them. When the older two come home we do home work and then we do chores until it is dinner time. After dinner we will then walk to the library and check out some books and then we will walk to the park and play for about an hour. My kids love being out doors.

As mothers we have some special moments with our children that we always remember and cherish. Do you mind sharing one or two of those experiences?

My kids are constantly making me laugh. One of my favorite memories is.... One day I had to go to the doc for one of my monthly pregnancy checkups. I had no one to watch the kids while I went, so I had to take my kids with me. While we were waiting in the waiting room my kids were playing in the kids corner and all of the sudden my 4 year old son started screaming. He came running over to me holding his pant leg. I thought he hurt his leg until he started screaming that a bug ran up his pants. I tug on his pant leg and he grabbed his pants higher and started screaming more. I took him into the bathroom and had his take off his pants. Sure enough a cockroach came out. I stepped on it and he put his pants on. I asked his older sister how the bug got in his pants. She said he tried to step on the bug and missed and it ran up his leg. My son was crying and he stopped and said "If I would have had my cowboy boots on that bug would have been dead!" He doesn't go any where without his good o'l cowboy boots now. I still giggle about that to this day! And my thought about that now is "there was a cockroach in the doctors office!? Yuck!"

When you are having a rough day, and counting down the hours until your husband gets home so you can get a break, what is it that you are looking forward to do as a stress reliever?

Sitting down with a good book. I love to read, read, and read. I sometimes like to sit down and play the piano. My kids do not let me do that at all and I love playing so much!

When we are pregnant or have kids, it seems like we get all sorts of advice, wanted or not, from all sorts of people. What is one of the best pieces of advice you have gotten?

Well....my aunt, that is freaking adorable, said that it took her 15 years to learn to take a chill pill. She told me to learn to take one while my kids are still young so I can enjoy them a lot more. She regrets not relaxing more when her kids were younger.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you felt like you just couldn't handle it, and what got you through that?

Oh yes, very often! Well to quote the movie chicken little..."today is a new day". I tell myself that all of the time. I constantly remind myself to take it one day at a time. And...I usually call my mom. lol She gets me through a lot of those moments too. She raised 7 kids so she is a pro!

When you are rushing to get yourself and your family out of the door to go somewhere and you only have a few minutes to actually get yourself ready, what do you do to pull your look together quickly?

Lip gloss and run my fingers through my hair. I don't go anywhere without my lip gloss. If you want good cheap lip gloss or makeup in general check out eyeslipsface.com!

What is the most rewarding thing about being a mother?

My 4 year old just gave me a hug and told me I'm the best mom in the whole world. It's moments like those that make being a mother the best thing in the world. I love my kids and seeing them happy and even more happy when they learn something new they can do, like ride a bike, or how to write their name...that's what makes it rewarding. My life would be so dull without my kids!

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Pregnancy sleep

It gets to a certain point in pregnancy where sleep can sometimes seem impossible. It can be very frustrating, but know that there are some things to help.

The problem: All of a sudden you're a snorer due to more estrogen, which contributes to swelling of the mucous membranes that line the nose.

The solution: Sleep on your side, preferably your left side (more on that later) and elevate your head as much as possible.

The problem: Heartburn and indigestion.

The solution: Avoid foods that trigger heartburn. (Which can be hard to do if you just can't resist some of those pregnancy cravings.) If you have to give in, make sure it's a few hours before you go to sleep to give your body time to digest the food. A glass of milk can help ease the pain. And try sleeping as propped up as possible.

The problem: Leg cramps.

The solution: Straighten your leg, heel first, and flex your toes back toward your shin. If that doesn't work, get up and walk around for a couple of minutes.

The problem: You just can't get comfortable.

The solution: Pillows, and lots of them. (Or one big body pillow). My husband gets about two inches of bed space when I'm pregnant because I have a pillow behind me to support my back, a pillow between my legs, and a pillow under my belly for support. You may think I'm crazy, but being uncomfortable hasn't been a sleeping problem for me when pregnant thanks to my bed of pillows.

The problem: So...very....hot...

The solution: Only wear what's necessary, keep it as cool as possible, and get an extra fan if needed. I'm generally a cold natured person, but pregnancy makes me feel like I'm living in the Sahara. If your signifcant other is freezing thanks to your desire for artic weather, remind him that he can get an extra blanket, and that he should be thankful he isn't the one pregnant.

The problem: Needing to go to the bathroom much too frequently.

The solution: Sleeping on your left side can help keep pressure off of your bladder as your uterus begins to expand. And try not to drink anything a few hours before bed so that you aren't going to sleep with a full bladder.

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New carseat recommendation

Some of you are probably thinking that I'm a little late finding this out, but there's nothing new about that. I just found out last week that the American Academy of Pediatrics released information in March advising parents to leave their children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. It also advised that most children should ride in a belt positioning booster until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The last update came in 2002 when parents were advised to leave their children rear facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also gave age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum.

Even though deaths in motor vehicle crashes in children under age 16 has decreased by 45% between 1997 and 2009, mother vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for children 4 and older. A study conducted in 2007 found that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.

The new suggestion of the age 2 transition isn't a deadline, but a guideline to help parents know when the best time to transition is.

To read the full release from the AAP website, click here. You can also find a car seat guide here

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Unconvetional forms of entertainment

My son's third birthday is this Friday. That means I've been busy trying to figure out what toys to buy him that he will really enjoy and will keep him busy through this process of moving to a new house. I went to Toys R Us and saw about a billion things that I thought he would love. And then I remembered what people say about "kids have more fun playing with the box then the toy that came in it." It's funny, but so very true! It got me thinking about all of the unconventional toys that he enjoys playing with so much.

Here are some of the unconventional toys that have kept him busy recently:

A real piggy bank with real money. My husband would come home and dump his spare change on the kitchen counter and one day I finally just took it all and put it in a piggy bank for my son. (Actually, it's an elephant, so...an elephant bank). I had to make sure I bought one that was pretty sturdy and not break so easy. My son LOVED putting the money in, then taking it out, then putting it in, then taking it out. I kid you not, the first time he played with it, he did that for 30 minutes. And since my son has the attention span of a gnat, that was impressive. It also turned in to a good way to teach him the names of all the coins and to try to help with his counting.

Real tools. (Are you noticing a theme with these things needing to be real?) Perhaps letting your children play with a chain saw or drill wouldn't be wise. But my son found one of my husbands small wrenches and loves to go around fixing things. He'll find all the bolts he can and make sure they are in working order.

A small, retractable tape measure. My husband got it for him from Home Depot for about 99 cents. He loves pretending to measure things. And he loves to lay down on the couch and have me measure him to see if he's growing. We measure his legs, arms, hands, feet, back, etc. And he has me do it over and over.

Anything with a cap. My emptied spice bottles, drink bottles, or cleaned out vitamin bottles are one of his favorite. He loves putting the lids off and on, and putting things inside of them to carry around. When other people come over to play and find the empty bottles with his toys, they probably think we don't know how to throw things away.

Our old, still chargeable cell phones. As much as I hate, and I mean HATE, that my son is so in to electronics and that he knows how to use a smart phone better than I can, there is just no getting around it. We have a couple of our old cell phones that he loves to play with to listen to the ring tones, and to send texts to his sister. (His words, not mine) The real ones, even if they aren't in service, are way better than the toy ones, and kids totally know the difference!

Pots, pans, bowls, spoons. I think we all know how much kids love to play with everything in the kitchen. For months it looked like my kitchen threw up because I couldn't keep anything put away. There is just something about those things that kids love...Oh yeah, it's all the noise they make!

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Milan Maternity Spotlight

Meet Jennifer! She is a stay at home mom to two kids. Her son is 3 and her daughter is 1 1/2. She is also expecting baby #3, due next March. And on top of that she is a wife to a medical student!

I sat down with Jennifer to ask her some questions (and by that I mean I sat down at my computer and typed up the questions and she sat at her computer and typed up her answers)

The first time you were pregnant, was there anything about it that completely surprised you or that you wish you had know about being pregnant?

I wish I'd known how exhausting it was going to be. When I was pregnant with my first child, I was a full time elementary school teacher, and boy was it tough being on my feet most of the day!

Have you announced your pregnancies to your husband or family members in any fun and memorable ways?

The first two times, I just told my husband and called our families on the phone…I know, kind of lame. But this time, I made cinnamon rolls early one morning before my husband woke up. When he came down to the kitchen, there was a note on them that said "there's a bun in the oven". He was so happy about another baby, and the cinnamon rolls. :) And we haven't told our families yet, so if any of you read this before we do….SURPRISE!!!

Have you found any tricks that work really well for you with morning sickness?

I don't really get traditionally "morning sickness" like most women (knock on wood!). I just get tired and nauseous, but no vomiting. I just eat frequent small meals and snack throughout the day. I also don't try to schedule too many things in the early morning, when I feel the worst.

I think every stay at home mom has one or two chores that they absolutely hate doing. What are those for you and have you found a way to do them that makes them a little more tolerable?

I hate mopping and cleaning the bathtubs. To make them more tolerable- honestly, my sweet husband often does it for me. He rocks!

As an expectant mother with 2 other children, what are some things you are doing to prepare them for the new arrival?

They are very young, 3 and 1 1/2 so we haven't even told them yet. I still look the same to them, it's months away before he/she will arrive, so for now, I'm just trying to keep things as normal as possible. When we do tell them about the new baby, we'll try and make it exciting, let them help pick out a few new things for the baby, and tell them how they'll be a big brother and big sister.

What are some of your children's favorite activities to do during the day?

My kids love to color, play outside, and watch Elmo. They love going to library and of course the park.

As mothers we have some special moments with our children that we always remember and cherish. Do you mind sharing one or two of those experiences?

I just remember getting up in the middle of the night with my infant son, feeding him, and holding him until he went asleep. There's just something about 2 a.m. that is so quiet and peaceful when you have a beautiful little baby to share it with. Babies just have such sweet, innocent spirits.

When you are having a rough day, and counting down the hours until your husband gets home so you can get a break, what is it that you are looking forward to do as a stress reliever?

I love to read blogs of my friends and families. I read a handful of blogs of people I find inspiring. I also enjoy a good book now and then, too.

When we are pregnant or have kids, it seems like we get all sorts of advice, wanted or not, from all sorts of people. What is one of the best pieces of advice you have gotten?

Follow your own instincts. That's just it- you'll get advice from everyone and anyone about everything when you are expecting or a new mom, and you just need to filter it all out and do what YOU think is best for your family.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you felt like you just couldn't handle it, and what got you through that?

I usually call my sister who has 3 young kids, and she can totally relate to my mothering dilemmas. And another thing that gets me through is something my mom told me growing up and tells me know that I'm a mom; "It's a good thing their cute!". That is so very true with kids, even when they aren't behaving very well.

With your husband being in medical school, and all the time that takes, what do you two do with your children for fun when you do have that special time together?

We really just keep it simple most the time. We go to lots of local parks and playgrounds, go for drives, get ice cream, and dance to kids' music. We just spend as much time together as a family we can.

What is the best thing about being a mother?

Just seeing their cute, happy faces every morning helps me start each day fresh and know that I CAN do this; I not going to be perfect, but I am their mother and I love them. And that's enough.

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In the midst of the craziness

Our family is in the middle of selling our home and buying a new home. So dealing with all of the paper work, the packing, the back and forth with our agent about what we need to do, and having a nearly 3 year old and an 8 month old has been...what's the word...just slightly overwhelming. I feel like I am being pulled in a million different directions.

Luckily, my son provides me with brief moments of joy to help me forget about the craziness. Although having a boy his age can often times be frustrating, I still have those moments of overwhelming love for him. And every time I have those moments, I grab him, hug him tight, give him a kiss, and tell him I love him. Now I'm being rewarded by having him do the same to me. Nothing helps me deal with all of this stress more than when he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me as tight as he can and tells me that he loves me. Then, he not only plants a kiss on my lips, but then he turns my head and gives me an extra one on my cheek.

It has reminded me of how important it is to let our children know how much we care for them and love them. Especially when it seems like most of the words coming out of our mouth to them are "No!", and "Don't do that." and we have a million other things going on. And having them return the love is even better!

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"LABOR" Day Weekend Deals

MILAN MATERNITY "LABOR" DAY WEEKEND 25% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER

Save 25% off all purchases, (regular AND sale items) with coupon code "LABORDAY25" through Monday, and have a GREAT weekend!


Rosella Top in Aqua
List Price: $34
Sale Price with code: $18.75

Annalisa Maternity/Nursing Top in Dark Heather
List Price: $36
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Elisa Top in Olive
List Price: $34
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Sofia Maternity/Nursing Top in Honeysuckle Pink
List Price: $38
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Gisella Top in Emerald
List Price: $33
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Black and White Circle Dot Diaper Bag
List Price: $28
Sale Price with code: $18

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