Breastfeeding Fashion Tips

The baby is born, you can't wait to start getting back into your old things and then you realize that all those fashionable pieces you had before aren't going to work. AH! Here's a few tips on how to get the most of your old fashion while breastfeeding and what can help while breastfeeding out in public.

1. You absolutely must have a bra that fits and works correctly. There are many different kinds to choose from, try them on and get the right fit. Make sure it's not too tight or anything.. oh and make sure those girls are where they need to be. Yes all this can be done when you find a good nursing bra. A good bra can make breastfeeding a lot easier.

2. A secret I figured out.. my belly is flabby many months after having a baby and I definitely don't want anyone looking at it. Wear a stretch camisole and pull the top down and your shirt up. Keeps your belly hidden, gives you a slimming look and helps you stay a bit more discreet with a shirt on top and bottom.You can start wearing your old pieces and still be comfortable nursing.

3. Find nursing tops that open right under your breast, you can lift up and pull down allowing for discreet, comfortable nursing.

4. Nursing covers, they're amazing when the baby is small and you're still finding that niche of not revealing too much but still satisfying that little love. However once baby gets older (in my experience) they don't like the cover.. the camisole idea works great at this time.

5. Don't wear super tight shirts that are going to be hard to get over your breasts. Something comfortable but still slimming, cute and what you like. Just like when you're pregnant, you don't have to wear boxy, big huge shirts to breastfeed your baby.

 I hope these tips are helpful too you. Breastfeeding should be a happy time, feel good, look good and nourish your baby!

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The Miracle of Birth Captured Through Child Birth Photography

When my first daughter was born, I fell in love with the miracle that is child birth. I had such a fantastic experience birthing her and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that miracle as often as possible. Of course, having dozens of children myself wasn't exactly what I had in mind so I started pondering the different career paths I could venture into that would allow me to be a part of birth as often as possible. I toyed with the idea of becoming a doula, I thought about going into nursing with the intention of becoming a labour and delivery nurse. I even briefly entertained the idea of going as far as to become a midwife. But then I discovered the world of child birth photography.

My best friend gave birth to her second child in October of 2008 and a mutual friend of ours was in the delivery room and photographed the birth. The pictures moved me to tears and I instantly knew I had found my calling, the way I could be involved in the miracle of birth on a regular basis. I had always been interested in photography and had already toyed with the idea of starting my own photography studio and after seeing the images from KJ's birth, I was sold. I told my husband I was ready to go into business and he supported me 100%.

I often get funny looks when I tell people that I am a photographer who specialize in child birth photography. For a lot of people, their first thought is “ewww! I don't want pictures of that!”, but more often than not, once I share some of the images from my child birth photography sessions, they change their minds, or at least recognize the fact that birth photography isn't necessarily what they think it is.

Birth photography really can be a beautiful thing when done right. It captures all the emotions of a huge day in a family's life. It captures the concentration on mom's face as she puts all her energy into pushing. It captures the concern of dad as he watches his wife work so hard, knowing there is little he can do to truly help bring baby into the world. It captures baby's first breath and mom and dad's reaction to seeing their little one for the very first time. It is highly emotional and I can't think of one birth I have photographed where I haven't shed at least a tear or two at being given the opportunity to witness such a beautiful, miraculous and intimate event.

All that being said, I completely realize that hiring a birth photographer isn't for everyone. For some people, having a photographer capture every moment of something as intimate as child birth just does not appeal. Even my husband has been leery of hiring someone to photograph the births of our children, and I've been working in the field of child birth photography for over three years now! He is only just comfortable with the idea now that we are a few weeks away from having our third child. I am so excited to finally be having my own birth experience photographed.

I am grateful for those who do allow me into such a special moment in their lives. Each birth I attend takes my breath away, regardless of the circumstances... natural birth or c section, home birth or hospital, induction or completely med free, each birth is incredible and I feel so blessed to be apart of them.

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Preparing for Your Second Pregnancy and Baby

After the initial overwhelming recognition that you are pregnant again, there are often some realizations that a second pregnancy can be very different than your first pregnancy.  No pregnancy is the same, and during your second or third+ pregnancy, there are many factors you didn't have to consider the first time around.

One of the very quick realities many pregnant mothers face is being sick.  Seeing as how my first child is still a toddler, something that I did very quickly was determine a safe place for him to be when I was having morning sickness.  We are lucky enough to have a space near our bathroom that is large enough to store a pack and play, and this was the safe spot I'd put him in when I was sick.  It was already stocked with toys and books to keep him occupied, toys that he only got to play with during those specific times, so he was happy just to sit and play.

A second consideration as the pregnancy progresses is where your first and second child will reside.  Do you have enough space for them to have their own rooms?  Do you co-sleep or roomshare, thus this being a non-issue?  Do you want them to share a room?  Do you re-decorate all over again?  Personally, we designed a unisex nursery the first time around, so we only had to plan/design/implement our son's toddler room.  

If your child is old enough to understand, you also may spend some time addressing the topic of preparing your child mentally and physically for their new brother or sister.  How you choose to approach that topic will vary greatly based on your child and your relationship with your child, as many children learn and process in different ways.

Last but not least, you have to prepare yourself.  Many mothers have fears and trepidations about bringing a (much-wanted!) second child into their lives.  There are few mothers who don't worry about how it will affect their first child, change their current lives, and try their patience or ability as a parent.  After having a few of these fears as a first time mom, however, most second time moms realize that you will get through these fears and get to the other side.  The second time mom realizes that everything is a phase, there is always enough love to go around, and cartoons are amazing on a rough day :)

What is something you are doing to prepare for your pregnancy and baby?

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Raising a Redhead

One thing I never anticipated about being a mother was having a child with red hair. My third son was born with fair skin and, instead of being blonde like his brothers, he has red hair! Although I never anticipated it, I adore his red hair. It is so unique, and fits his little beautiful personality perfectly.

As Baby E is getting older, (he’s almost 15 months), not only is his hair getting brighter and brighter, but I’m realizing how much of a parenting shift this will require. Going outside to play without thinking twice about sunblock is a thing of the past. We had a family photoshoot a couple months back, and although it was completely overcast, Baby E got sunburned in the hour we were outside! This was when it full hit me how attentive I was going to have to be with him and his exposure to the sun. We play outside all the time, all year round. I had to do something to help avoid this in the future.

Photo from HERE

I have two favorite products that I am (almost) always with during the summer months. 1. A Sunskinz swimming suit. I got it on sale at Costco, and it has been well worth the money. It even has a hood so I can cover up his head when the sun gets really hot. And, it helps that he's stinkin adorable in it.

Product #2 that is a must-have is Supergoop. (Rad name, right?) It's free of parabens, fragrance, and oxybenzones. It uses completely natural and skin-compatible ingredients, meaning not only is it safe for my baby, it's safe for the entire family, on a regular basis! I don't have to be grossed out by sticking the chemical stuff on faces and around eyes. Nice!

It is definitely an adjustment having to accommodate Baby E’s specific needs, but I’m grateful for the opportunity that I have to learn what I can do to make his life more comfortable. I feel in doing so, I am getting more educated on products like sunblock, and am able to utilize that knowledge with all of my children. I’m grateful for modern advances like UV protective clothing and chemical free sunblock that make it possible to not have to alter our outdoor-loving lifestyle.

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Toddler Summer Activities

As my oldest is about to enter Kindergarten, I’m making extra special effort this summer to cram in as much fun as possible. With a 5, 3, and 1 year old, the list of things we can do and all enjoy isn't very big, Since the oldest and youngest have hardly any of the same interests! I've come up with a few ideas that have, or will keep us occupied with lots of summer fun!

• Water kickball- Each base is a 5 gallon bucket. There is a slip and slide between third base and home, and a sprinkler by the pitcher’s mound. We obviously do this one when friends are over so we have more kids to play with, but it is so fun to be active, and stay wet and cool in the meantime! Even if the 1 year old can’t play kickball, he sure can have a blast toddling through the sprinkler! 
• Sidewalk chalk- It took a couple times of doing this to convince Baby E that it wasn’t okay to eat chalk, but after that, this is an activity that we love doing as a family. We practice spelling words, numbers, draw outlines of our bodies, hopscotch and make up fun games.   And Baby E has a blast scribbling in 5 different colors.  Another fun twist is to wet down the concrete before we sidewalk chalk. It makes it a little more messy, but the colors are much more vibrant! And let's be real, who doesn't like to get a little dirty?
• Library Story Time- Our local library has a fantastic children’s summer program. They have activities every week for all different ages. They are versatile enough that all of my kids can enjoy them. A benefit is that it’s fun to be able to check out new books on a regular basis.
• Family Exercise Time- Every day we decided to do family exercise time. We all run (or ride in the stroller) to the park that is 2 blocks from our house. When we get there, we do a 5 minute workout session, complete with jumping jacks, monkey bars, and stretches. Then we get to all play on the play structure for a few minutes, before we run home. It’s fun to burn some calories together and encourage family laughter and togetherness

It has been such a fantastic summer with more outings and experiences, and I hope that we can continue making memories like these because we’re having a ball. I can’t wait to see what other fun activities we are able to add to our list as my children grow and start contributing ideas of their own!

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How to look cool in all this heat

Whether you are a pregnant mother-to-be or a mother already (or both!), this summer heat can put a huge damper on your personal style.  Well, unless your personal style includes 80's style sweatbands :)

Especially now that I am pregnant and running after a toddler, I find it hard to spend a ton of time on my personal style.  And the heat really makes me want to just put on a bathing suit and lay in a pool and forget going anywhere looking nice anyway!

Here are a few tips to keep your style fresh during those hot summer months:

- Purchase a few light, summery dresses.  I find the Adelina dress from MM on the left to be a great option for a pregnant mama because it is easy to be dressed up or down.  Summer dresses are perfect for mothers additionally because it is one piece.  Grab it from your closet, throw it on, and go.  No messing with finding something to match it to a top or a bottom!

- Choose simple, basic pieces that are wardrobe staples.  Solid color shirts, khaki shorts, and lightweight everything.  Having the basics of your wardrobe covered can really take you far.

- Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!  Adding a brightly colored necklace, pair of earrings, or fun pair of printed flats or sandals can really make those basic wardrobe staples stand out, and save you a lot of time in putting together an outfit!

- Experiment with your hair.  Braiding has been pretty popular the past few seasons, as well as the new trend of ballerina buns.  Both of these styles can lend to being very functional in this heat!  And, as a mama of one already, I can personally attest to the fact that a braid can be done the night before and only needs light tweaking in the morning before heading out the door.  Such a time saver!

Hope these tips help and you're dealing well with the heat!

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Wearing Baby While Pregnant

Babywearing, or the act of carrying your child on your body, with a little help of some simple and not so simple contraptions/cloths, can be a part of motherhood that some women enjoy.  There are many benefits to babywearing, and it's something I've done consistently with little man since he was born.  However, now that I am pregnant again, wearing my child has become a totally different ball game.

Early in pregnancy, babywearing is just normal business.  You put your babe into a sling, wrap, carrier, etc. and go.  No changes in your body yet, no additional reasons to be uncomfortable... yet.

However, shortly after hitting my second trimester, some of my typical carriers for little man just did not seem comfortable any more.  It seemed that a lot of carriers I LOVE when I am not pregnant just began to hit me in the wrong place, sit in an odd position, or just generally hurt in ways they had never made me feel before I was pregnant with baby number two.

Here are some tips to try if you plan to babywear while pregnant:

- Invest your time first!  Read, research, and then read some more.  There are TONS of reviews on the internet about all different kinds of baby carriers and babywearing devices.  It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you read a few different reviews, you can get an idea on how that carrier is to wear while pregnant.

- Know yourself.  When I first had little man, I loved to use lots of wraps, because I had the time to do different types of wrapping and only a happy, smiley baby waiting for me in the swing to be picked up.  Now, I know that the most important thing for me as a pregnant mama in the middle of a ridiculously hot summer is to not be spending 20 minutes in the parking lot of a store wrapping little man up, only to stop in for one item.  Knowing what you want out of a carrier first can help guide your choice.

- Try them out!  As I mentioned above, some of my favorite carriers from pre-pregnancy are completely uncomfortable now, and I've had to adjust what I use.  There are many babywearing groups and libraries you can join to rent, borrow, or just test out different carriers and how you specifically like them.  I've also had good luck borrowing wraps or carriers from friends and likewise have loaned out some of my own and taught others how to use them.  The best way to know what you like is to actually use it.

- Be open minded.  The logistics of carrying around a toddler while pregnant are not very appealing to many, but it can be done if you find the way that works the best for you.  However, if you don't seem to find something that works, a stroller can also be a great option for use during pregnancy.  I haven't met a wrap yet that has a cup holder for a cool drink!

Babywearing is something fun to try out and, if you like it, you've just found a new way to tote around your tot.  Leave some babywearing love in the comments if you have a favorite carrier or wrap and let us know what it is!

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