Mommy Tips & Essentials For First Year

Hi Loves!

No, I did not forget about the mommy series. It is a lengthy post but it covers all I have to share on that topic for now.

So with this post, I’ll be rounding up the mommy series. I hope you they have helpful and insightful and just enjoyed reading about my experience in general.

To me, one year  post-partum, which I am getting close to seems like the magic point at which things starts to return to "normal"  both physically with the body changes and gaining some sense of normalization and consistency in the flow of activities in general. 

By this point, I most certainly have a routine down and that is also when I aim for to stop or at least start to the process to stop nursing/pumping.  Physically, weight wise, it is close to returning to pre-pregnancy and that's without doing any major consistent work-outs or making a drastic change in eating habits for me. 

Mentally and emotionally, I most certainly have made it past all the emotional roller coasters that comes with having a new baby and all the hormonal changes and imbalance that leaves you so vulnerable. I start to feel like a complete me again!

Putting all that aside, no doubt the day I welcome both of my babies will forever be one of the best days ever. With that comes a new name, role and job you are automatically signed up for, for the rest of your life.

It a great privileged to be called mommy, and it's not a title that I hold lightly. So In my short time being a mommy, here are some of what have I learned along the way.

• Everyone is different and parents differently.

• Not everyone is good at everything and different things are important to different people. Making homemade food is important to some while some will rather spend that time making a mess with their kids. Not to say you can't find a balance.

• Try not to judge other moms. It is hard enough assuming this role and even on some days feeling like you’re not doing enough. So, the last thing you need is an outsider’s or even another mom's judging eye.  Everyone has a story and every mom wants and has the best intentions for their kids. We moms can be each other biggest critic but at the same time, we can be great at being each other's biggest motivator.

•   Having friends in the same stage of life going through what you’re going through is helpful when it comes to random questions, venting session, needing advice, or just someone to talk to that you don’t have to feel bad or conscious when somehow every topic of conversation leads back to your kids.

  

To wrap thing up, I am also sharing some essentials that I used almost on a daily basis that have made my life easier as a mom both in the early stages and beyond.

Mini crib - Portable and takes up less space than a full-size crib. If space is a constraint for you, this is a great alternative. It was for us when we had Eliana.  And it can be converted into a twin size bed in the future.

Bassinet - Great for newborn to about 6 months to have in the master bedroom. At just about 6 months with a somewhat active baby I feel like this dude could find his way out. One other cool thing I love about the one we have is the generous space on the bottom to store supplies like diapers and wipes and it stays covered. My exact one(pic below) is no longer available, but I linked one very similar below.

Changing pad liners - I bought a specific type which i believe is Carters brand the first time that I absolutely love but I cannot find them online anymore. I guess they were discontinued. They make having an accident or cleaning up a mess easier. I don't have to worry about getting stains out of the changing pad cover with this. They are leak proof and washable. A few sprays of stain removal and a quick wash and it's good as new. I have definitely gotten my monies worth at this point with mine. I linked similar as well.

Ergo baby carrier - I haven't tried many carriers, but I love my ergo. From newborn with the insert to baby and toddler years without the insert. The design is great for the baby as they are actually full bottom sitting and not being string up in the crouch and also great for mom or dad as far as adjustability and comfort. The only thing I might consider a downfall is the bulkiness as it makes storing it securely when you don't during outing a bit difficult. Only option is to just drop it next to the rest of your stuff.

 Wrap carrier - I wanted to try something new with Emmanuel so I bought a Boba wrap. I think it works great for newborn to a few months. Not sure I like it for when baby becomes active and weighs a decent amount. They are very restrictive for the baby as far as movement and being tied so close and tight to you and you can't do much maneuvering either which is why it’s great for those non-active stages.

Nose Fridal & Little remedies - This combination is a life saver. Forget the little suction bulb that never worked for me. This in combination with a little saline spray makes getting all those pesky nasal junk out.

Medela Pump (Electric and Manual) – I have not tried any other pump brand and I don't think I want to. My experience with Medela have been superb. No complaints here. I've had one of my unit for almost 4 years now and still going strong.  I have two since I get them for free with my insurance with each baby.  Decided to get a new one with baby #2 just in case my first one craps out since it has been so long but it never did. One of my unit is currently loaned out since I don’t need both.

The other best part is the manual pump. This has been a life saver when it comes to traveling and being on the road. I can easily pump on the go and with very few and small size part needed, it doesn’t take up much space. I stopped traveling with my electric pump ever since I got this. It gets the job done just as well, maybe even faster in my case than the electric pump.

Hands Free Pumping bra - I pump during my lunch break at work so this allows not only hands-free pumping but also allows me to multi task as well, eat, text, and do whatever else I need to do.

Nipple cream – Don’t make the mistake of leaving this at home while packing your hospital bag If you’re planning on nursing. I made that mistake the first time. Let’s just say that didn't happen again. I started using this from day one and it made a world of difference for me. While I used this during the entirety of nursing / pumping experience with my first, I only used it for about the first 3 to 4 weeks with my second and didn’t really feel the need for it anymore. Starting to use it earlier than later is a key factor to those nipple cracks which you're almost guaranteed to get during the first few days/weeks healing faster.

 Car seat cover – There are a lot of options out there today but I especially love this one. It’s easily goes one and off but I leave mine one permanently during he colder months and we don't use it during the summer months. The zipper makes it easy to get baby in and out.

Portable Potty – I shared about our potty training experience and essential here. This again has come in very handy when on the road and has helped us avoid a few accidents.