Motherly Advice

So here are some tips and tricks my fellow mom friends have bestowed on me these past couple of months as well as things I've randomly discovered. It has been so nice to lean on people for advice and support during this time, rather than just trying to just find it all out on Google!

1. Instead of buying fancy burp cloths, just use cloth diapers. They are thick and do the trick! (Thanks Jen!)

2. Before you go and buy a breast pump, be sure to check with your insurance company to see if it is covered first. Blue Shield actually covered everything and the process was surprisingly simple. I called them, they gave me a list of providers to purchase it from, I ordered the Medela Pump from Yummy Mummy, put in all my insurance info, and received it in the mail about two months later! (Thanks Jill!)

3. Quick-Zip Sheets. I randomly came across these while researching a while back and love how much easier they make your life! The top simply unzips off so you can wash it, that way you don't have to take off the mattress and remove the entire sheet. I went with two Quick-Zip Crib Mattress Pads, a Drop-in Base with cover, as well as two white Heavenly Soft Extra Zip Sheets.

4. Instead of registering for specific bottles, you may want to go buy single ones and see which your baby prefers first. All babies are different and may like different styles. So while my friend recommends Dr. Brown's Glass Bottles, our baby might not be a fan! See which one they like first and then purchase more. (Thanks Jade!)

5. Alright so this tip doesn't come from a mom, but my baby daddy! Instead of purchasing one of those expensive $300 baby monitors, you can use an old device instead. We all have old iPhones and iPads laying around. Set one in the nursery and install the LiveStream App. It is free and allows you to stream video. That way you can stream it and watch the baby on your phone, computer, or even TV! (Thanks Kyle!)

6. These are best toys to buy that your little one will actually like. My friends say its the best ten dollars you will ever spend! Their picks are Baby Einstein's Take Along Tunes, the Oball Infant Rattle, and the WubbaNub Infant Pacifiers. (Thanks Marissa, Alison, & Veronica!)

7. Badger Baby Balm. It is natural, organic, and safe to use on the baby, and one of the customers at her store swore by using it on the nipples to prevent dryness and cracking during breastfeeding. Already ordered mine! (Thanks Marissa!)

8. My mama was kind enough to buy us our carseat and stroller and when I was purchasing them, I came across this great site called Albee Baby. It was by far the best deal because they offer NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING. This is huge for all of your big ticket items! We went with the Stokke Scoot v2 Stroller and the Stokke Pipa Nuna Car Seat. They also have a rewards program, so I used my rewards toward the Baby Bjorn Bouncer my friend swore by. (Thanks Amy!)

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I wanted to pass along their knowledge and learn from you as well. Any of you have some motherly advice for me? What are some other good mama hacks out there?

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Meditation & Motherhood

Today I wanted to blog about the importance of Mind/Body Connectedness during pregnancy, and boy is it a struggle. 

Your hormones are raging, your emotions and thoughts are racing, and you are now growing what feels like the alien from Predator inside your body causing the most random physical changes and symptoms. 

For me, meditation has been my saving grace during this pregnancy which has not been easy on me by any means. 

At the beginning of 2015, my health coach Emily urged me to start meditating daily and said that it would be life changing. And she was right. It has been said that prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God. That's the best way I can explain it. Sitting in stillness and silencing all of the doubt, fear, frustration, and anxiety each day is what helps you truly live in the here and now and be happy with the present moment. 

Last year was a very stressful year on my family and I, and honestly I don't know how I would have gotten through it without daily mediation. My body craved it. My mind craved it. Especially when life felt so out of control. I was in a great routine with it until... I got pregnant. 

I was so sick and miserable the first trimester that any sort of routine I had went out the window. Although my body physically started feeling better in the second trimester, I could tell my mind was falling back into its old habits - dwelling on past hurts, worrying about the future, and trying to control things beyond my control. It's tough, because pregnancy does require you to plan ahead (registries, nannies, life insurance policies, 529 plans, yada yada yada... the list goes on and on!) All of this planning was making it very hard on me to stay in the present. 

So when I was dealing with Restless Leg Syndrome and weeks of no sleep in March, I had been told Magnesium supplements would help, but I also knew I needed to get into a nightly meditation practice again that would help with my sleep. 

To kickstart things I began Oprah & Deepak Chopra's 21 Day Meditation Class and felt a complete difference in myself by Day 3. Despite these changes in my body, my mind was starting to feel much calmer, connected, and 'in flow' again. 

I cannot stress how important meditation has been in my life these past two years and I know it needs to remain a priority even with a newborn. Whether you are a mom or not, everyone could use a little stillness in our chaotic days! Just try it for a week, and let me know if you notice a difference. 

Here's how I started: I would listen to this Reiki Zen Song on YouTube and set my timer on my phone for 5 minutes. At first your thoughts are racing but as time goes on they start to silence and you are able to just sit and be present in the moment. Keep increasing the time as weeks go along. I reached my goal of 20 minutes and do that daily.

In this world of social media (which I would gladly bow out of and probably will at some point, if it wasn't for being able to share my blog and writings with all of you!) it is so important to realize that all of these posts are just filtered, photoshopped, snapshots of what people what you to see of their life. It's not real life. Comparison I believe is the number one killer of happiness. Meditation has taught me that happiness isn't found in things. It's a choice and that choice lies within me. 

Sorry for the babble and emo post, but this kid has put me through the ringer already and I always love to share with you all the things that actually work in my life. Now, try it out for a week, and let me know if it works for you too!

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Journaling During Pregnancy

Unfortunately, I am not one of those pregnant women who could say, "It was a breeze. I loved being pregnant!" If there is a symptom, I've probably experienced it. The latest - Restless Leg Syndrome. I was hoping that I would be able to recoup after Awards Season, but then the damn RLS set in and I spent the month of March wanting to chop my legs off with weeks without sleep. Not the type of 'relaxation' I had in mind. 

Thanks to Magnesium supplements, meditation, and warm baths during the night, I've been able to snag some more hours of sleep. Guess my body is just preparing me for life after birth! 

Now while there are lots of days during this process I would like to forget, there are are tons I want to remember - the baby's first kick, Kyle feeling it move for the first time, & putting together the nursery, which is why I've been journaling about this process since the day I found out.

The Happiness Project Journal allows you to write down what you are grateful for and take note of all of the little things that happen daily in your life. 

I've bought The Happiness Project for Mothers for lots of my other mom friends. It's a one sentence journal that allows you to track your journey over five years. 

For me it's nice because I keep it on my nightstand and jot down a couple lines about what happened that day. While I would love to journal more, I know keeping up with writing paragraphs a night isn't realistic for me. I also love that I will be able to look back and see what was happening on a certain day that spans over five years time. 

I know my life is about to change drastically in 3 months time. Good and bad, I'm doing my best so I can look back and have memories recorded of it all!

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