Cloth Pads from Goddess Moons: Review and Giveaway! (Closed)

Goddess Moons is a shop based in Vancouver which specializes in hand made cloth menstrual pads, panty liners and postpartum products. The owner, Melissa, firmly believes that the time for cloth pads to be accepted by the masses is long overdue, as cloth is more comfortable, cooler, healthier, affordable and economical, and safer to the environment.

I discovered Goddess Moons while searching for Canadian mama cloth retailers (as part of my quest to try different types of cloth during my latest postpartum period) and was impressed by the variety of sizes and styles offered as well as the company's drive to build awareness of cloth as an alternative to disposable feminine hygiene products. Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear back directly from Melissa who generously offered to send me a variety of samples to review!

I received four pads and two inserts, all in the Wildside Goddess style (one of eight beautiful themes available). I was particularly eager to try out the samples with the inserts, as this was the first time I'd come across this mama cloth feature.

Two of the samples are from their regular range, and two are from their new Stronger range which was developed to meet the needs of women passionate about using cloth, but who feel that their flow is far beyond the capabilities of cloth alone.

First, I received a daytime pad with a heavy flow insert from their regular range.

Goddess Moon wings have pockets at both ends designed to hold inserts in place. They are approximately 9 inches long by 5 1/2 inches wide, and are formed with 2 layers of flannel and a core of organic cotton/bamboo batting.

Goddess Moon Inserts are approximately 8 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide.

• a heavy flow insert is made from 1 layer of flannel, 4 layers of organic cotton/bamboo batten, and one layer of 100% cotton.

Next, a night time pad from their regular range.

Night Time Pads are approximately 12 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide, and contain 1 layer of flannel, 4 layers of organic cotton/bamboo batting, and 1 layer of 100% cotton.

Third, a daytime pad from their Stronger range.

 

Goddess Moon Stronger wings have pockets at both ends designed to hold inserts in place. They are approximately 12 inches long by 6 inches wide, and are formed with 2 layers of flannel and a core of organic cotton/bamboo batting. Goddess Moon Stronger inserts are approximately 11 inches long by 3 inches wide.

• a Stronger insert is made from 1 layer of flannel, 4 layers of organic cotton/bamboo batten, and one layer of 100% cotton.  It also has a backing of PUL (polyurethane laminate).

Finally, a night time pad from their Stronger range.

 

Stronger night time pads are approximately 13.5 inches long by 8 inches wide (including wings), and contain 1 layer of flannel, 4 layers of organic cotton/bamboo batten, and 1 layer of 100% cotton.  They also have a backing of PUL (polyurethane laminate).  PUL should not be ironed as it will reduce its water-resistance.

All of these samples share the following care guidelines: 

When washing and drying, avoid high temperatures and avoid the use of softeners, whiteners or any other unnecessary additives.


My Review:

First things first - I love the animal print patterns in the samples I received! Very unique and attractive. From a tactile standpoint, both the flannel and cotton surfaces of all pads are pleasant to the touch, with the cotton having a cool feel. The night pads and inserts feel spongey when pressed, due to the layers of cotton/bamboo batting in each one. Melissa mentioned that the use of batting allows for better airflow than thinner, denser pads on the market, though it also results in a little extra girth.

I checked the initial measurements of all pads and inserts, and each was within 1/2" of its product description (or matched exactly) so this was good to see! I decided to prep along with my cloth diaper laundry which admittedly went against the recommended guideline to avoid high temperatures (as my CD routine involves one hot wash cycle). As a result, the pads and inserts shrank a little (1/4" to 3/4" for each measurement) which had me concerned they would no longer fit right. Indeed, the snapped together width did become a little narrower causing the fabric of my underwear to fold over a bit in the middle, however thankfully this didn't appear to affect comfort nor performance. (More on this in a bit.) All in all, I'd say my own personal preference is to wash on hot and endure some shrinkage as I like the sanitization factor of a li'l heat, however if maintaining the pre-wash sizing is super-important to you, you'd obviously want to follow the recommended guidelines.

Back to comfort. First, these pads definitely feel much nicer than disposables - no question there! The added thickness can be noticed compared to trimmer cloth pads, however it's not really an unpleasant feeling. The pads feel "pillowy" as opposed to just thick and bulky; again, presumably due to the inner batting. The night time postpartum pad does feel quite large, however there's no getting around this. It's all about function in this case, right ladies? :) Second, once snapped these pads stay in place really well. The only slight shifting I noticed was with the day pad, which appears to secure a little looser allowing it to move up and down a bit at times with moderate activity. This may have just been my own sample, however.

Performance-wise, these pads (and inserts) are awesome! They all appear to draw liquid lengthwise so it stays aways from the outer edges, which is key. The three largest samples (particularly the Stronger night time pad) can hold a heck of a lot of flow. I wore each of these at least once overnight during my first two weeks postpartum and didn't have a single leak. The Stronger night time pad could have probably held 2-3 times the amount so would definitely be an option for those with very heavy postpartum or menstrual flow. I'd even feel comfortable next time around (if there is a next time!) wearing it the very first night postpartum. Seriously!!

A little more on the design of the two day pads. The 2-part system is pretty neat! The base pad can be used alone as a panty liner to handle very light flow, or with an insert to add more protection. For the regular day pads, Goddess Moons offers both light flow inserts (with 2 layers of batting) and heavy flow inserts (with 4 layers of batting), so protection can be customized as applicable. The day pads in the Stronger line come with heavy flow inserts exclusively. Similar to all-in-two cloth diapers, if an insert alone gets soiled you can replace it with a clean one and reuse the base pad. This approach is more cost-effective as you can stock up on inserts and purchase fewer "shells". That said, my own personal preference is to wash both the base pad and insert together when the insert gets soiled, but I'm a bit Type A about these things. :)

All in all, Goddess Moons certainly offers some nifty mama cloth options! Their pads are breathable, perform well, allow for customized protection (via the 2-part system) and come in an array of lovely patterns. I recommend the Stronger line in particular for postpartum and strong menstrual flow. This is some heavy-duty cloth!! I also applaud the company for their commitment to spreading awareness of mama cloth as a greener alternative to disposable products. As for drawbacks, the pads are prone to shrinkage when exposed to heat (though they remain entirely wearable) and they're a bit on the bulky side, but these criticisms are minor. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Goddess Moons for those venturing into mama cloth, or looking to expand their collections!

Buy It:

You can purchase Goddess Moons cloth menstrual pads, postpartum products and other accessories directly from their website or via several third party retailers. Use the special discount code m2mgm on their website and receive 10% off your order! (Good until March 8, 2013.)


Win It: 

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win a 4-pack of panty liners from Goddess Moons! Winner chooses from among available styles. Open worldwide!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow all instructions within each entry option to ensure your entries are valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Goddess Moons.  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample item free of charge.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

Mama Cloth from Stitched by Hand {Etsy}: Review & Giveaway! (Closed)

Before CJ's arrival, I decided I was going to try out cloth pads (or "Mama Cloth") during my postpartum period. Like cloth diapers, mama cloth comes in all sorts of styles, sizes, materials and patterns, so I was happy to get the opportunity to partner with two different brands to review their offerings.

The first brand I worked with was Stitched by Hand, an Etsy shop owned by mama of 6 (soon to be 7!) and former blogger Holly. This lady is one talented seamstress; in addition to mama cloth, Holly also offers nursing pads, crocheted hats, natural teethers, stuffed baby toys and other hand-stitched goodies. I partnered with Holly previously to review an adorable crocheted owl hat (which S still wears today!) and giraffe stuffy toy. This time around, Holly sent me three different cloth pads to try out. She generously threw in a pair of nursing pads too!

Holly always packages up her orders minimally but attractively. Love it!

Here are the three cloth pads, right side up and upside down. Notice they are all different sizes, shapes, patterns and materials yet use the same type of snap closure. From what I've seen so far (from Stitched by Hand and other mama cloth sellers), the vast majority of cloth pads use this snap closure/attachment method.

Let's look at each pad in a little more detail.

First, the Organic Bamboo Velour Overnight / Postpartum Mama Cloth.

This pad is made with super soft organic bamboo velour on top for a total pampered luxurious feel, a double inner layer of French Terry for absorbency, and backed with a layer of waterproof PUL to ensure no leaks with the fewest possible layers for less bulk. Each pad is turned and top stitched allowing for the most comfortable fit, and has a "channel" sewn in the center to help direct the flow towards the middle of the pad, and not overflowing towards the edges.

Measuring approximately 12 inches long, and 3-4 inches wide on the padded part itself, the snappable wings help hold the pad in place and offer even more protection. The wider ends on this style work wonderfully for a heavier flow, and it's extra length makes it the perfect overnight or post-partum pad. (Choose backing color from: pink, dark blue, seaspray, yellow, or red)

Second, the Extra Coverage Mama cloth in the Funky Flower print:

This pad is made with 100% cotton flannel on top, an inner layer of French Terry for absorbency, and backed with a layer of waterproof PUL to ensure no leaks with the fewest possible layers for less bulk. Each pad is turned and top stitched allowing for the most comfortable fit, and has a "channel" sewn in the center to help direct the flow towards the middle of the pad, and not overflowing towards the edges.

Measuring approximately 10 inches long, and 3 inches wide on the padded part itself, the snappable wings help hold the pad in place and offer even more protection. The wider ends on this style work wonderfully for a heavier flow.


Finally, the Evening Butterfly Mama Cloth:

This style has the same product description as the extra coverage version, however does not have the wider ends so it's more suitable for a regular/lighter flow.

All of these pads have the same laundering/care directions:

For best care, pre-rinse with water and oxy or hydrogen peroxide to prevent staining, and wash on normal cycle with your other laundry. May machine dry.

Holly also offers pads in a minky fabric, if you're looking for some extra-fluffy protection! :)


My Review - Mama Cloth:

Upon opening my package, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cloth pads were smaller and trimmer than I anticipated. As a total newbie, I guess I had this idea that mama cloth would be bulkier than disposable pads - similar to the size ratio of cloth diapers to 'sposies. But this isn't the case at all - at least not with Holly's cloth! All three pads are actually much thinner than disposable pads designed for heavy flow/postpartum use.

Prior to laundering, I took measurements and all items were quite close to description for length. I decided to measure the wing span for width rather than the tip. Here's what I recorded:

Overnight/Postpartum: 13 x 6 1/4 "
Extra Coverage: 10 1/4 x 7 1/4 "
Regular: 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 "
Breast pad: 4 1/4 ish

I prepped the pads by laundering once with my cloth diapers (including a hot wash cycle and medium dry). All items came out perfectly - no shrinking, fading or wrinkling. I re-measured a couple of them just to check, and indeed, they still had the same dimensions.

So now the important details - ease of use, comfort/fit and performance!

All of the mama cloth pads are easy to put on - just place, snap underneath and you're done! No fiddling around with throwaway parts and sticky, awkward wings like you get with disposables. All pads are also super soft and comfy to wear - again, a welcome contrast to the papery, rough feel of 'sposies. The postpartum pad feels particularly luxurious with its organic bamboo velour outer. All pads have been cut to a perfect width for a "standard" pair of underwear so there's no jutting out, bunching or pinching of material.

Performance-wise, I was impressed by how much flow all of the pads could handle! I started wearing my mama cloth 3 days postpartum, as I felt more comfortable wearing those pseudo-diapers to contend with the initial super-heavy flow. So I'd say my flow was similar to a heavy period when I started wearing my mama cloth. I mainly used the postpartum pad overnight but I was able to use the other two during the day for at least 2-3 hours at a time. True to description, each pad directs flow along the core and not out toward the edges, providing an effective guard against leaks. All in all, I felt very confident wearing these pads!

The only usage issue I noted is that, with a lot of movement/activity, the larger two pads can shift so that one or both ends are hanging off the side a bit. My guess is that this isn't a problem with Holly's design so much as a challenge with cloth pads in general, since they attach via a single middle snap vs. disposables which stick right down in one spot. This was only a minor nuisance, however.

As for care & maintenance, I rinsed each pad after wearing, stored them in a small wetbag and then laundered them with my regular loads - both cloth diapers and clothing. The pads have generally washed out well, though some minor staining has developed on the postpartum one. Admittedly I haven't used any pre-rinse agents so this probably could have been prevented with a li'l more TLC. Not a huge deal, though, and the staining could probably still be sunned out.

All in all, I love my Stitched by Hand mama cloth from and will definitely use it again when "Aunty Flo" returns! The pads are all sewn extremely well and the material appears to be quite hardy, so I'd expect them to last at least a few years - possibly all the way to the Big M!


As I mentioned earlier, Holly also sent me a pair of nursing pads, in the same Evening Butterfly print as the extra coverage pad.

 

These nursing pads are made with 100% cotton flannel on top, an inner layer of French Terry for absorbency, and backed with a layer of waterproof PUL to ensure no leaks with the fewest possible layers for less bulk and breathability. Each pad has sheared edges (so slight fraying after washing is normal) and top stitched allowing for the most comfortable fit.

Pads measure approximately 4 inches, and come in a set of two.


My Review - Nursing Pads:

Similar to the mama cloth, these nursing pads are also very trim, and slightly smaller in diameter than other cloth nursing pads I've used. They fit nicely into the cups of my nursing bras and lie flat & smooth so it's difficult to detect that they're on. I do usually wear a bra with a molded insert which fully conceals any nursing pad, however it's good to know these ones are virtually seamless when worn with an unmolded bra as well! As for leakage absorption, the pads do a fine job - no issues here!  I was a bit concerned when I noticed the outer edges beginning to fray following the 2nd or 3rd wash, but Holly reassured me that this is normal and expected. The fraying results in a natural look which is her "signature", and the double zig-zag stitching prevents the pads from coming apart. (Obviously I didn't read the product description close enough as this characteristic is mentioned right in there - oops! I'll claim Baby Brain on this one! ;) Overall, these are trim, well-performing nursing pads with a funky touch - definitely recommended!


Buy It:

To purchase some mama cloth, nursing pads and/or other hand-stitched goodies of your own, head over to Stitched by Hand and shop to your heart's concent! Use the special discount code M2M10 and receive 10% off your order! (Note: Etsy policies apply to all purchases.)


Win It:

Holly has offered to give away 2 Mama Cloth pads from Stitched by Hand to one lucky Manager to Mom reader! Winner chooses from among available styles, materials and patterns. Open to CAN/US.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow all instructions within each entry option to ensure your entries are valid.  


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Stitched by Hand.  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample items free of charge.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.  

CJ's First Month!

Everyone always says that babies grow up so fast. On the one hand, I totally agree - the weeks tend to fly by super-quickly when you're a busy parent, and when I look at how big S has grown and how far she's progressed emotionally and intellectually in the 25 months since her birth, I'm pretty floored. However I have to say our first month with li'l bro CJ seemed to last a looooong time! Not that we were any less busy; infact, quite the opposite! We packed in so many different projects, events and experiences during this timeframe that it's hard to believe it all happened within a mere 31 days!

I'm going to continue the tradition of monthly photos with our little man, like we did with S. Here is his official 1 month photo! Isn't he a handsome li'l guy?

Let's look at what all's been going down since he arrived!

Week 1 (Dec 11 to 18)

I followed my midwife's advice and spent a lot of time resting and relaxing with CJ, mainly in the bedroom. His bassinet is beside the bed (like we had it with S) so he's always nice & close - especially helpful during night-time feedngs! During the first several days things actually felt super-easy; Chris was off work so he was able to help full-time, CJ started off nursing well (such a relief after the trials & tribulations we experienced with S) and when he wasn't nursing he pretty much slept full time. Unlike last time, we felt up for visitors right from the start so many family and friends stopped by over the first few days. (In fact, on Day 1 alone we had four visits - my midwife Katie, my Dad & stepmother, my BFF Maryana and Chris' sister and her family!) Newborn snuggles galore!

I also felt like I was bleeding less and healing better than last time. Yay!

My milk came in Thursday overnight (3 1/2 days in) and by the next evening I was painfully engorged. Oddly, though, my letdown reflex wasn't happening right away so I was huge AND he wasn't getting much out! I did some research and read that frequent nursing and massaging was the best approach (no pumping!), and thankfully I was letting down properly within another 24 hours or so and engorgement was down. My nipples were pretty sore over the first week as well (a downside of having a super-strong latcher from the start?) however the calendula lotion from my midwife provided some relief.

CJ thrived well over his first week! 2 days in (at his hospital visit/bilirubin test) he'd only dropped 6% of his birth weight (down to just under 8 oz, from 8lb 6oz), then he started climbing again right on schedule: 8lb 1oz on Day 3, 8lb 3oz on Day 5 and 8lb 6oz on Day 7! It was so nice having all the home visits from the midwives to check up on both of us. Again, quite the difference from going the OB route!

Another big milestone during Week 1 - our basement got finished! w00t! Finally a proper office for Chris and toyroom for the kiddos!

Week 2 (Dec 19 to 25)

Bring on the holiday festivities! From the 22nd to the 25th, we hosted or attended a total of 6 events, and it would have been higher if I didn't come down with another postpartum infection. On the evening of the 23rd, I started bleeding heavily again and feeling some pressure/discomfort in my abdominal region. The next morning these feelings continued and I passed a large clot. :( Luckily I got in to see my family doctor that afternoon and he prescribed me some antibiotics (clindamycin and flagyl, same as last time). The midwives are totally perplexed as to why I've gotten an infection twice now, as usually this only happens when there are "retained products of conception" (i.e. a piece of the placenta kicks around) which wasn't the case either time. Plus, Katie was super-careful with the post-delivery repair work this time around. By all early evidence, I was healing so well! Very odd, indeed, and frustrating. Antibiotics aren't fun and I knew I'd have an uphill battle keeping my energy up while taking them with everything else going on! Luckily CJ continued to sleep and nurse well, and all the events were a lot of fun for S and kept her busy.

Another big milestone this week - we transitioned S to her Big Girl Room! She was so happy and proud - a special parenting moment for sure!

Week 3 (Dec 26 to Jan 1)

CJ started nursing more frequently this week (especially late in the evenings) so I figured he was either on a growth spurt or perhaps my milk production was low due to exhaustion from all the events / lack of sleep, the antibiotics or a combo of the two. Indeed, at his 2+ week midwife appointment he was only up to 8 lb 9 oz - gaining, but at a slower rate than expected. The midwife suggested I try compressions and work on his latch to ensure he was feeding efficiently. He also got a "refer" on his hearing test (right ear) which means we need to go for special testing. Apparently we shouldn't be alarmed at this point as the vast majority of refers end up checking out OK, but still a bit of a concern - knock on wood! (His test is booked for late this month.)

This week we also purchased new furniture sets for the basement and main floor, did some home organization (gifts away, items up for sale online, etc.) and completed S' room decoration project. New Years was low key - we stayed at home and had my dad and stepmother over for board games. CJ was a quick study! :)

Week 4+ (Jan 2 to Jan 11)

With the holidays over and Chris back to work, "real life" began to set in. I have to say - caring for an infant and toddler on my own has proven to be no trivial task! It didn't help that we all came down with various forms of illness starting the weekend of the 5th/6th....boooo. More on all this later.

CJ's continued desire to nurse super-frequently at night prompted me to pick up some Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid Tea and it definitely seemed to make a difference! Some mornings after drinking a cup I've actually been somewhat engorged - normally not a pleasant thing but in my case (given our low supply concerns) actually welcome!

We had another midwife visit on Jan 7th and CJ weighed in at 9lb 2oz - a much better gain rate than last time! We also got cute li'l ink prints of his feet as a keepsake. Katie re-checked his hearing and we got another "refer" on his right ear, but she reassured us that there was still no real cause for concern. We'll find out this week one way or the other.


All About CJ!

As I mentioned in CJ's birth story, our little guy was healthy, vigorous and a good feeder right from the start! He's also proven to be a pretty easygoing baby. He cries infrequently (usually just when he's hungry or not feeling well, and sometimes he "grump cries" when he's wet/dirty) and has lots of content, alert periods when he is awake. Like S, he had lots of those "twitchy sleep smiles" right from the start, and at around the one month mark, he began showing us some true, heart warming social smiles. Love! He also makes this funny, cross-eyed "alien face" when he gets excited and has the cutest "pout cry" ever. Here's a little video collage of his many adorable little faces!

Sleep-wise, right from the start he went 4-5 hour periods overnight which this tired mama has certainly appreciated! His day napping is all over the board, however - sometimes he'll nap the better part of the day and other times we'll just get a couple 30-40 minute cat naps. Recently the poor guy's been all congested from one of the many bugs kicking around so it's been hard getting him to nap at all. :-/ A car ride is the one sure thing, though - this'll usually knock him out for hours! One thing that's been pretty consistent is that he likes to "party" and cluster-nurse late in the evening. This can get pretty draining as we'll get our rambunctious toddler down for bed just in time for a little man demanding lots of food and entertainment!

Although (as I mentioned in the weekly summaries) his weight gain has been on the slow-ish side, he certainly appears to be growing like a weed! He is already too long for all his newborn sleepers and onesies, and a bunch of the supposed "0-3 month" ones. Looks like he'll outgrow the bassinet at about 2 months too like his sister did.

CJ has already garnered quite a few nicknames. I call him Superman and Bubs, and Chris likes Mr. Man. :) I'm sure he'll accumulate many more over the years!

Naturally, we can't help compare CJ to his sister at the same age. Their mouths and jawlines are decidedly similar and both were born with dark hair, though CJ's is a little lighter/fluffier and his hairline goes to a cute little point at the front, whereas S' mane was longer and shaggier. Both had deep, dark eyes as well. S ended up with light blonde hair and blue eyes so it'll be interesting to see if CJ follows suit! Both of them have long, thin, "piano playing" fingers too. And neither one has been much of a spit-up baby which is nice. As for differences, CJ has a rounder, more "bulby" nose and wider forehead, and S had bigger ears, one of which bent out at the tip. A few weeks in, CJ started looking less like his sister and more "boy-like". Which is good, since he is a boy and all!

For fun, I made a few comparison collages. S is on the left and CJ on the right in each one.

Heading home from the hospital

Sleepyheads - you can really see the jawline and mouth similarities here!

First cloth diaper (8-9 days old) - who do you think rocked it better? :)

Nose kisses with Daddy!

Snuggles with Granda

1 month old "look how I'm growing!" shot

It'd be fun to do a month-to-month comparison vid of our two little monkeys a couple years down the road! Yeah - I think I'll do that. :)


Adjusting as a Family of Four

Elizabeth Banks came under fire the other day when she said she was "really a mom" now that she has two kids. While she arguably could have phrased things more tactfully, I can certainly relate to the sentiment! With a newborn and toddler in particular, both have almost completely separate needs and (likely) very different schedules. You can volley a single child between two parents, but with two young children, each parent pretty much has one at all times. Or one has both - which I'm learning can be very challenging and exhausting! One thing I have yet to do (believe it or not) is embark on an outing by myself with both of them together. The thought of all the logistics involved (especially now during the winter) and the potential for one or both to melt down still intimidates me. I know I just need to DO IT to increase my confidence and get us all out of the house, as it's not fun nor healthy for any of us to hibernate all winter. I have one really good friend (a mama of 4 1/2 and 2 year olds) who is super down-to-earth and helps ground me. She said you have to be OK with letting go of some control - meltdowns happen, one (or both) of them are often going to be upset and as much as you attempt to plan for things, life has a way of throwing you curveballs. So one of my own challenges as a mom of two is to relax, not sweat the small stuff and learn to go with the flow a bit more! Of course everything's harder when you're exhausted, sleep-deprived and/or sick - states I've had the "pleasure" of experiencing in abundance over the past month! :)

Things have been challenging for Chris too, particularly since going back to work. He has a demanding job and tends to work long hours, so it's been exhausting for him balancing this with family life. He works from home which is convenient, however it also makes it difficult to draw a line between work and non-work time. One thing that's nice for him is that he curls 3x/week, so at least he can get out for some fun, exercise and social time.

Finally, the Big Question - how is S adjusting to having a little brother? Well-l-l, she's proving to be a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde! She oscillates between being SUPER-sweet - giving him kisses, singing him songs when he's crying and helping with diapers - and, well, seemingly plotting his demise. :) We've had a number of incidents of biting, slapping and eye poking so we have to be vigilant when the two are near each other. At the same time she seems more inclined toward this behaviour when we make a big deal out of it and/or indicate that he's "off limits", so it's a delicate balance between allowing them to bond and keeping him safe. Apparently all this is a pretty normal reaction for a 2-year-old when their new sibling arrives, however it's one more thing that stresses me out about caring for the two of them by myself!


I could ramble on about all this adjustment stuff further, but I'll save it for an upcoming post (or five) - this one's gotten long enough! (Mine have a tendency to do that, don't they? ;) Plus I've got a small window here to grab a shower - gotta take it when you can get it, right? ;) Ciao for now!

Quickie health update

So as wonderful as my pregnancies tend to be, health-wise, it appears I'm not as blessed during the postpartum period. I just stopped taking a double dose of antibiotics for what appeared to be a postpartum infection the other day only to wake up this morning with a bad cough that has progressed to include aches, pains and fatigue as well. Just looked up symptoms and this definitely smacks of the flu. :( Sooooo unfortunately it looks like I'll be MIA on here for at least another few days until I'm feeling more human again.

Thanks to all my readers and sponsors for your patience - I'm excited to post a bunch of great reviews and giveaways but unfortunately it'll just need to wait until I'm finally on the path toward wellness. Hope all of you are managing to stay healthy so far in 2013!

Mama Cloth, here I come!

I once read that "cloth diapers are the gateway drug of green parenting" and I have to say, after 2 years of CDing our daughter, this is bang on. Cloth diapering has opened my eyes to the fact that there are a plethora of other reusable alternatives to personal and household items that most commonly come in a disposable form - for example, cloth wipes, (un)paper towels, coffee filters, straws, wrapping "paper" and, yes indeed, feminine hygiene products.

My first foray into a reusable option for contending with Aunt Flo was The DivaCup, which I had the opportunity to review this past winter (in the nick of time - got to use it for a single period and then boom, Li'l Man decided he was ready to start camping out down there!) The DivaCup is a specific brand of menstrual cup, which is one main type of reusable monthly solution. The other type is cloth menstrual pads or, as they are often affectionately referred to as, "Mama Cloth". So basically menstrual cups are the reusable equivalent of tampons (an internal solution) and cloth pads are the reusable equivalent of disposable pads (an external solution). 

I did have a positive experience with the DivaCup in the limited time I got to try it and certainly plan to use it again when my regular cycle returns, however I've been eager to try "Mama Cloth" as well for a few reasons:

1. A menstrual cup (such as my DivaCup) is not an appropriate solution for postpartum bleeding, which I'll obviously be contending with shortly!
2. The DivaCup does take some time to insert, remove and clean. As such, I feel like I would likely prefer cloth pads at times when I'm in a hurry, when I'm out and about, on lighter flow days, etc.
3. Cloth pads come in the coolest variety of styles, patterns and textures! Similar to cloth diapering, I can see it becoming almost addictive trying a bunch of different varieties. :)
4. Menstrual cups have recommended replacement guidelines (e.g., one year for the DivaCup) whereas cloth pads should last much longer than this, assumimg they're well-made and cared for properly.

During my postpartum period, I'll be getting the opportunity to review various brands and styles of "Mama Cloth" from a few different vendors, and you'll be getting the opportunity to enter and win some of your own! Stay tuned. :)

Curious to hear - how many of you have already tried mama cloth? Love it? Hate it? What about menstrual cups? Feel free to share your preferences and your stories! :)

"Fit Moms for Life" book by Dustin Maher: Review & Giveaway! (Closed)

Are you looking to adopt a healthier mindset and lifestyle for yourself and your family? Become stronger and more energetic? Lose a few extra pounds and keep them off permanently? Or perhaps gain a few extra pounds?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of the above questions, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the brand new book "Fit Moms for Life" by Dustin Maher. I was contacted by Renee, Dustin's PR rep a few months back regarding a review/giveaway for this book, and I was initially a bit hesitant because I'm actually underweight so the last thing I wanted to do was become even thinner! However, Renee assured me that Dustin's recommendations have also helped his underweight clients gain a few pounds (5-10 on average) so the book could definitely help someone in my own situation.

So, first of all, a little background on the author (and fitness tycoon) Dustin Maher. Dustin is a certified personal trainer who began teaching fitness classes in university. He graduated in 2006 and started working full time as a fitness professional, moving on to develop MamaTone classes and a program called Fit Fun Boot Camps which has grown into one of the largest boot camp programs in the US. To date, he has worked with over 5,000 people looking to improve their fitness levels, and sold more than 10,000 of his fitness DVDs to clients around the world. He also blogs and offers a newsletter including fitness and nutrition tips, inspiring stories and other tidbits. (Side note: it's one of the few newsletters I regularly take the time to read, so I definitely recommend signing up!)

If you're like me, you might be wondering why such a young guy (just 28 years old, and no children of his own) has chosen to work primarily with moms. First of all, he is very close with his own mother who stayed at home to raise Dustin and his three siblings, with an unwavering dedication to meeting their needs and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, he just enjoys it! He finds that moms bring a lot of energy to their workouts, appreciate having the time to focus on themselves, and are especially proud when they achieve results. Finally, he loves that in working with moms, he is also influencing future generations to be healthier and more confident.

The Fit Moms for Life program focuses on the entire person and is based around five pillars of health: mindset, nutrition, strength training, burst training and environment. Dustin asserts that this approach to fitness is well rounded and sustainable, and one busy moms can fit into their lives. It also reinforces that there is no "quick fix" to getting healthy and fit; one needs to be committed to the process and recognize that it's going to be challenging, but certainly worth it in the end! I really like that his approach is both holistic and pragmatic, unlike many other weight loss and health programs out there which strike me as gimmicky and too good to be true.

Before delving further into the book itself, here's a video narrated by Dustin which describes the pillars in more detail and includes numerous clips of featured moms rockin' some hardcore fitness moves!

 

Fit Moms for Life is broken into sections focusing on each pillar in more detail.

The first section on mindset explores concepts such as motivation, building confidence, positive thinking, setting SMART goals (i.e. those which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed) and conducting an effective "before" assessment (with respect to fitness, nutrition and other self-care elements). It does a great job illustrating why mindset and preparation are such an important part of a lasting fitness strategy. It provides moms with a number of tools to reinforce motivation and commitment when things get tough.

The second section on nutrition includes 16 rules to eat by, foods to avoid, keeping a food diary, planning meals, healthy snacks, grocery shopping strategies and many other helpful resources. This is one area where I've become fairly knowledgeable myself over the last few years, via independent research and communicating/working with associated professionals, and I'm happy to report that the info presented in this section of the book jives with my learnings elsewhere. This isn't to say I didn't discover a new thing or two. In fact, I was intrigued by one of Dustin's rules to avoid grains after 4 PM, and while I haven't followed this 100%, I have cut down on grains and carbs in general later at night, and I have to say I've noticed a positive difference in energy level in the morning. All in all, some super-valuable stuff in this part of the book.

The third section covers the "meat and potatoes" of the Fit Moms for Life program - strength and burst training. Two prominent concepts stressed here are that 1) lifting heavy weights will not cause women to bulk up and 2) long duration, steady-state cardio is not the way to get fit and lose weight, and may actually make you fat. In addition to explaining why strength training and burst cardio are the way to go for optimal fitness, this section includes practical instructions for putting together a workout routine and a complete, fully-illustrated sample workout. Now admittedly, I (currently) don't work out and have done very little of this in the past, however this section did a good job convincing me that I should start. While the idea of lifting heavy weights is somewhat intimidating, Dustin continually asserts that women can do a lot more than we think, and we often end up surprising ourselves. So hey, maybe even this here scrawny bod could kick some butt if sufficiently motivated! And the fact that cardio is recommended only in short bursts is appealing as well - less time required for a complete workout with better results. Sounds pretty good, right?

(Now, to get things started.... :) 

The final section of the book discusses environment, including the "fit mom, fit family" link and creating a fitness community of like-minded individuals who keep each other motivated and on-track. In this section, Dustin describes his latest mission: to have one million moms in the Fit Moms for Life community by the end of 2015, via embracing the program's philosophy and approach either individually or (even better) as members of local workout-oriented support groups.

Several appendices are included as well, including fitness for new moms (and moms-to-be), documenting your fitness journey, additional resources and FAQs. He also includes a full list of his workout DVD programs.

Finally, the best (in my opinion) part of the book: spread throughout the chapters are 31 real-life stories of women who took part in one (or more) of Dustin's programs and experienced profound transformations in mind and body. The women profiled range in age from mid 20s to early 50s, which I was happy to see as it illustrates that it's not too late to get started if you're past your physical prime. Each story includes before and after pictures, weights and clothing sizes, and tips from the woman on achieving nutrition, fitness and general health goals. The stories themselves are varied and unique, ranging from overcoming pervasive medical challenges, to beating clinical depression, to takings things to the next level and becoming a certified trainer! I really enjoyed reading every one of these stories, and went back and read some of them a second time. I found that they added a real element of credibility to the program.

A few more general comments on "Fit Moms for Life":

• It is an easy, accessible read. Perfect for overworked, sleep-deprived moms! ;)
• Dustin comes across as confident without being arrogant or pushy. He recognizes that there isn't always necessarily one "right way", that individuals are different from one another, etc. 
• The book contains a balanced level of information in the different sections - not too much and not too little! Dustin is quick to admit when he's not an expert in a particular area and includes additional resources for more information as appropriate.
• While the book is marketed to moms specifically, much of the advice is applicable to all people, young and old.
• There's a certain element of authenticity and trustworthiness in the writing which really makes me believe what I'm reading. In fact, there's even a little joke going on between my husband and I that "Dustin Maher says..." has become one of my go-to vocabulary staples. :)
• Finally, while this book could easily have been a fluffy, thin-on-content offering produced solely for the purpose of marketing more lucrative products (in this case, Dustin's DVDs and bootcamps), I want to stress that this absolutely isn't the case here. While there is some level of promotion for Dustin's other products (and why wouldn't there be?) Fit Moms for Life can definitely be used on its own to kick start an individual down a path to better fitness and overall health.

Buy It:

Order one or more copies of "Fit Moms for Life" directly from Dustin's website! Single copies can be purchased for $17.99, however if you order in bulk you can get them at a discounted rate ($14.99 if you order three or more, and $12.99 including free shipping if you order 10 or more.)

Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win their own copy of "Fit Moms for Life"! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Comments do not count as entries, however feel free to add a comment to remind yourself that you entered! 

Another Life Update - Sniffles & (Lack of) Schedules

Ever since S started daycare (back in November), settling into a consistent & organized daily schedule has admittedly been a challenge. More often than not, Chris and I both sleep in until S wakes up (7:30-8:00), I sleepily nurse her and then one of us hauls butt out of bed to get her changed, fed and packed up for the day while the other either showers or lollygags in the sack for a bit longer. So needless to say, our time with her in the morning hasn't been of the highest quality, and we're often still feeling tired and crusty by the time we get her to daycare and start work at 9:00ish. Then the whole day just kinda feels out-of-whack. (Side note: we both work from home, for the same software company. WFH can be both a blessing and a curse, as I'm sure it can be seen!)

To be fair, our family's been battling various sickies since I returned to work. S gets exposed to a lot of germs at daycare (no surprise here, and surely a Good Thing in the long run as she's building up her immune system), so she has been snotted up pretty much constantly for 2 months. Chris and I aren't sure whether or not we should be concerned with this. On the one hand, when it had "only" been 2 weeks, we took her to our family doctor who put her on antibiotics claiming it's not normal for a baby to be sick for this long without getting better on his/her own. (The antibiotics didn't do anything. :( ) On the other, many people have told us that their little ones went through the exact same thing when they started daycare. One person even said their babe was stuffed up for an ENTIRE YEAR. So...yeah. We decided to book an appointment with her pediatrician which will hopefully lead to some balanced answers/advice on this topic.

In somewhat related news, S is overdue for her MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot based on the standard vaccination schedule, however I've recently read Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book which, for various reasons, led me to the conclusion that I'm more comfortable giving her this shot when she's between 1.5 and 2 years old. *nods*

You might have seen my FB update that I had strep throat over New Year's. Huddled on the couch feeling miserable wasn't the most ideal way to ring in 2012, but dems da breaks. Thankfully the antibiotics DID kick in here and the oh-so-pleasant sensation of swallowing razor blades faded after several days. Plus, Chris and S managed to dodge this bullet entirely which was a huge relief! I had very little contact with S for the first couple days which may have prompted a pretty significant bodily change - got my period back on Jan 2nd! So we could, theoretically, get on trying for S #2 - but not just yet. ;)

One crappy thing about my strep-cident was that it caused me to lose several pounds, which Isn't Good since I am still struggling to reclaim some of the weight I had lost following S' birth. Related to this (and likely Aunt Flo's recent visit as well) I'm pretty sure I've become iron-deficient once again. This problem has insidiously crept in several times now over the last few years. Same pattern: I'll slowly start feeling tired (despite adequate sleep), weak, foggy-headed and generally crappy which will prompt me to wonder what the heck is going on and start entertaining thoughts that I've developed some sort of deadly disease. And then I'll smack myself on the forehead and go duh, of course. A few tins of smoked oysters + several ferrous gluconate tablets later and I'm almost always feeling back to my usual productive, energetic self. So here's hoping that's all that's going on here as we have a lot of stuff on the go!

Which brings me to my next post - my ideal daily schedule. I was planning to write this up tonight but ended up doing this here life ramble instead, and I want to ensure I get in a good 8-9 hours of sleep tonight. So hopefully I'll get to this puppy tomorrow.

Because I don't want to just use my blog as an outlet to b!tch and complain about feeling crappy. That's not my bag, baby. But I do need more energy to write about all the AWESOMENESS that deserves to be bloggified. More great reviews/giveaways coming up. Tasty recipes. A green living series. Tips on hosting giveaways. Lots more. Just....neeed....energy.....!!! (And Time!)

Too much of a good thing - losing MORE than baby weight!

I've always been thin with a high metabolism (5'7" and just under 125 pounds prior to conceiving), so it wasn't a surprise when I was able to shed the 30ish pounds of pregnancy weight very quickly once  S was born, due mainly to exclusive breastfeeding and increased daily activity. I received compliments galore on my figure during the first couple months postpartum, which was certainly appreciated given our early struggles with nursing and my li'l stint back in the hospital, among other challenges!

I was happy and felt great when I'd returned to my pre-pregnancy weight, but then the pounds continued to melt away. This concerned me, so I commented to Chris that I was losing too much weight. His response - keep this on the down low unless I was out to make some enemies! And indeed, the first couple people I mentioned this to told me I was crazy, that I looked great. But then when a few MORE pounds had dropped off, the compliments turned to questions and concerned observations - had I lost a little too much weight? YES, yes I had! Did I mean to lose this much? Absolutely not. I began cringing each time I weighed myself on Wii Fit for fear of the BMI bar undercutting its predecessor (which it usually did).

Things really hit home when I decided to weigh myself holding S the other day at the doctor's office.

The scale registered 125 pounds.

This is what I weighed ALONE prior to conceiving. Not only have I lost my excess baby pound-age, but on top of that I have shed my almost-six-month-old's equivalent in additional weight. That's pretty mindboggling, and scary.

So, I did what any mama in her right mind would do in that situation; I made a beeline to McDonalds and promptly scarfed down fries and a third pound angus burger with swiss cheese and mushrooms. And it was delicious, in all its glorious wrongness. My body is obviously craving calories!

But then I came home and consulted Google for a more sensible, long-term strategy to up my caloric intake and slowly put those pounds back on. One of the first things I found was a La Leche League forum post reassuring me that I'm not alone among breastfeeding mamas. So that was nice to read. Common advice I came across suggested incorporating more dense, nutrient-rich foods into my diet such as avocado, eggs, nuts, coconut and meat. Yum - I can do that! I'm going to get back into a routine making big breakfasts (which I was doing for a little while a couple months back) and also plan to work the above foods more prominently into my menu plans.

Another good thing - now that S's starting on solids, she won't be getting ALL her calories from me which will help as well.

Here's some motivation. Me before preggy:

 

Me now:

Wish me luck in my quest to look like the before pic again! (Minus the long hair. Way too much for Little One to grab! ;)

Memorable Monday: The Inaugural Edition

I've invented (I think) an alliterative weekly blog event! Yay me!

What I'm going to do each week is showcase recently read blog posts in other journals which were, well, memorable to me in one way or another. Perhaps they were hilarious or touching, they hit home in a personal way, or they revealed an excellent tip which I plan to incorporate into my own life.

I thought of naming the event "Memorable Mama Monday" to extend the alliteration, however I wouldn't want to exclude the daddy and child-free bloggers I'm following as you guys rock too! :)

(And yes, I realize it's no longer Monday, however I came up with this idea late last night just before hubby & my snuggle / Ally McBeal time. :) )

Without further ado, here's this week's listing!

The Mrs - a newly discovered (for me) Canadian mommy blog, Mrs makes the list not only for having an incredibly engaging and hilarious writing style in general (she manages to work in her maple candy addiction every three sentences or so) but also for her bare-it-all documentation of Project Grocery, in which she strives to stay under $120/week on grocery-related expenditures. Her Oatmeal Time installment in particular was memorable, as I didn't realize you could make oatmeal ahead and refrigerate it for up to a week! I'm totally doing that. :) Finally, she reminded me to do the laundry late at night - surprisingly, this'll save us some $$$!

Hobo Mama (another new blog on my reading list) for her frank synopsis of post-partum sex. Without going into detail, I can certainly relate! I highly recommend this one if you've recently had a child and are disheartened at the resulting changes in this area.

Mommy Only Has 2 Hands! just wrote an excellent tutorial on how to continue with Blogger after purchasing your own domain name. This is something I'm considering, so I'll definitely reference her article if I do take this step.

The Connected Mom for her compelling article on Elimination Communication (EC) myths. I've been intrigued by the idea of EC, especially since I have good friends who practice this with their son. I'm not sure we'll take the plunge (no pun intended) with S, however it would more likely be something we'd look at for child #2 (assuming he or she "happens"!)

To round things out, Everything Cloth earns comic relief points with her graphic EBF blow-out story. :D She had me LLOL (literally laughing out loud) several times with that one!

Feel free to join me with your own Memorable Monday posts - let's let those bloggin' gems out there really shine!

Small world part 2 - Baby yoga!

When we were pregnant, Ange and I took yoga together at Queen Street Yoga in downtown Kitchener. It's a spacious studio with terrific instructors and many types of classes - I highly recommend it! They teach a Parent & Peanut class as well so I thought we could get back into yoga together with our little ones. However, it turned out that these classes are on Wednesday mornings and Ange has Leena then (who is 2 1/2) so this didn't work out for her.

But! She found another "Mom + Baby" class at the Svasukha yoga studio (Uptown Waterloo) which is on Tuesday mornings, so we made plans to check it out this morning. Unfortunately Ange & Sam didn't make it until near the end of the class as he had his 2 month checkup beforehand which ran late, but S and I managed to get there on time (impressive for us, as we're still honing our time management skillz when it comes to getting places, especially in the morning!) The class was a nice combination of baby bonding/cuddling and flowing postures designed to help new moms regain strength and restore abdominal muscles and back stability. I alternated between taking part in the poses and feeding, changing and snuggling S who was, for the most part, in good spirits and enjoying the new environment but also had a couple "Whoa - what's going on?" moments!

Of the five other moms who took part in today's class, it turns out I know two of them and Ange knows a third! Shara was there with her little boy Sam who is 4 months old; I've known her for awhile and she's another blogger and cloth diapering mama! It was also good to see Jenn Forristal, who is a naturopath at the Roberts Centre of Integrative Medicine. I saw her a couple years back when Chris and I were starting to think about getting pregnant. She has the funniest little guy who is really vocal and had us thoroughly entertained during the class! Finally, Ange and Naz worked together several years back at Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. S was enraptured with Naz's little girl Taryn - possibly because their names are so similar? :)

All in all, a fun class and a great group of ladies! Ange and I are planning to go back next week and will likely grab the discounted 8-week pass. Many thanks to Kerri, our instructor, for allowing S and I to join despite the fact that we didn't (realize we needed to) pre-register. Oops! We'll definitely drop a note to confirm next week!

Health Updates - Mom & Baby

Lots of doctor appointments recently - for both S and myself!

Let's start with me since that's a quicker update. Had my 6 week postpartum appointment with Dr. Savasi (Dr. Schnarr's mat leave replacement) on Thursday and she said that I've healed well from both S's birth and my appendectomy. She checked me and couldn't even find the cyst that turned up on the ultrasounds, so said I shouldn't be at all worried about this. A couple stitches remain from the delivery repair work, but she said these should come out shortly. Finally, Chris and I got the green light to resume all "marital activities", if you know wha sayin'. w00t!

S, on the other hand, had a couple appointments with our family doctor recently and will be seeing a pediatrician soon as well. She's been battling some skin issues - lots of little bumps/whiteheads mainly on her face and chest which get "angrier" when she's upset, after a feeding, etc.















Our family doctor diagnosed it as miliaria rubra (or prickly heat rash) and prescribed a 1% hydrocortisone cream to use specifically on her chest where the rash was the worst. The directions were to use it 3x per day, however we only ended up using it a few times to reduce the inflammation and any associated discomfort she might have felt. Cortisone cream is pretty strong so we didn't want to expose our little one to any more if it simply for the aesthetic factor. We suspect she might actually have a combination of prickly heat (when she gets all fired up) and baby acne, the latter of which clears up on its own and isn't bothersome to baby. In any case, it seems to have stabilized so we're not too worried about this anymore.

We're also wondering if she has some mild to moderate digestive issues. Sometimes she cries right after a feed and almost looks like she's in pain - she clenches and the cries are really sharp/desperate. At times it's just about impossible to settle her - she needs to be constantly held & rocked in order to calm down. As new parents inevitably do, we've also been paying close attention to her poop, which has ranged curiously from brown to green in colour, and from mushy to foamy and mucousy in texture. Some of these variants may or may not be normal; for example green poop in a breastfed baby COULD be nothing to worry about, or it could indicate a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance or an allergy/sensitivity. In any case, the doctor asked us to take a stool sample to the lab. (That was an adventure in itself, attempting to scrape the wet poo out of her highly absorbent cloth diaper, and S peeing all over it for good measure.) We will also be taking her to a pediatrician once the results of the poop sample come back. I've been keeping a "food & mood" journal to see if there may be a link between what I'm eating and how S's feeling. It's possible she's sensitive to something like dairy, which is quite common in infants (though thankfully most of them outgrow this.)

Despite some of these concerns, S continues to thrive overall from all standpoints. During Monday's appointment, she weighed in at 9 lbs, 10 oz (just over a pound heavier than her birth weight) and measured 22 inches (a gain of almost 2 inches). She's growing more alert every day, and when she isn't fussin' & mussin' she's a super happy baby, grinning away and starting to find her little voice to make cute little cooing sounds. She can track colourful objects in all directions and she loooves face time, especially with Mom & Dad! Lucy the Tuxedo Cat is even warming up to her too! :)














All in all, S's symptoms are probably nothing to write home about and Chris and I are just being prototypical concerned new parents. But - better to be safe than sorry & all that jazz. I'll post an update following her appointment with the pediatrician.

"S" days 25 to 31: Road to Recovery

We spent the end of S's first month in recovery and adaptation mode, following my appendectomy on Saturday, December 18th. As the percocets wore off on Sunday evening, I was in quite a bit of discomfort which the prescribed Tylenol 3s were only partially able to mitigate. It wouldn't have been a huge deal pre-baby, but with S here and Chris back to work the next day, I was going to need some help!

The first thing we figured out was how I was going to breastfeed over the next little while, since the standard cradle hold put too much weight on my tender belly and side lying was pretty uncomfortable as well. Women who deliver via c-section (a similar situation) tend to nurse using the "football" hold, however I'd tried this already and found it quite awkward. (The lactation consultant we saw early on thought my arms were too long for it to be comfortable!) So Chris and I amended the hold by constructing a "pillow tower" beside the boob I planned to nurse on and positioning S on top. The tower consisted of one of those standard U-shaped pillows on the bottom and a "My Brest Friend" on top. I hadn't really used either up until this point (preferring just a regular, firm pillow to support the cradle hold) but they certainly came in handy for this contraption!

Dad and Linda brought over beef stew the next day and also picked up an extra Bummis Fabulous Wet Bag for me that I found on Kijiji - brand new for $10 from a seller in Baden. (No more "transitional" dirty diaper piles bunched up in the basket during laundry time - w00t!) Chris' parents came over that evening with some groceries - lotsa fruit, prunes and other healthy "regulatory" stuff. (Mom and Baby were both a little blocked up since the operation!)

Mom and Norm came over on Tuesday and were super helpful. Mom did a bunch of chores such as sterilizing the bottles and pumping equipment we'd used recently, and Norm managed to jump my car (the battery had conked out due to non-usage at some point since S's birth - I think I mentioned this in a previous post.) Mom and Norm also got in some good snoozy time with S. No wonder she cluster feeds in the evening and stays up so late - she does all her sleeping in the afternoon!



















S finally pooped later that day and it was a dandy! Mom was all proud because it was HER prefold that successfully held in the mess. :) I was feeling somewhat weak & dizzy by the end of the day, but the tenderness in my belly was starting to subside, allowing me to move around a little more easily and get some stuff done myself.

Chris' parents came over again on Wednesday, affording me a much appreciated nap in the afternoon and allowing Chris and I to get out and finish our Christmas shopping that night. "Santa Sharyn" was feeling particularly festive!



















Finally, Mom came over once more on the Thursday for more baby time, enabling me to get all the gift wrapping done. Chris and I are lucky to have our families so close by - without all the support this week, it would have been a lot more challenging to recover, keep our home relatively undisgusting AND get everything done before the holidays. Love you guys!! Laughs and winks from S too!