Udder Covers Nursing Gift Set: Review & Giveaway! (Closed)

When it comes to nursing, I believe in demand feeding and there are, of course, many times my little guy gets hungry when out in public or hosting guests. I love the convenience and bonding that breastfeeding offers, so I prefer to do this whenever possible vs. pumping and bottle feeding. However, I do respect that not everyone is comfortable being around openly breastfeeding women, so it's my preference to cover up in these situations. When nursing S (our first), I simply latched very discretely or used receiving blankets, but often felt a bit exposed using these two methods. Therefore with CJ I wanted to try a dedicated nursing cover to see if this would provide a more comfortable experience.

Enter Udder Covers, an amusingly-named brand of nursing cover created by Jenny Pierce, mother of 5 and designer of multiple other mother & baby product lines (including the Milk Bands nursing bracelet and Seven Everyday Sling). I got the opportunity to review their 3-piece gift set including a cover, two pairs of breast pads and a MilkBands nursing bracelet. I chose the "Porter" style for the set.

Product Info - Nursing Cover:

We at Udder Covers are committed to making the most dependable nursing cover on the market. It's simple. We want you to have a product that will cover you where you need it and yet still allow you to have eye contact with your baby - all while wearing something chic and stylish.

Our rigid neckline gives you direct eye contact with baby. Our fabrics are made of 100% breathable cotton. Stainless steel d-rings allow fully adjustable neckline.

Our covers allow mothers everywhere to breastfeed their babies in comfort, style and confidence anytime - anyplace!


Udder Covers come in 15 different styles - for example the Caleb, Natalie and Porter.

My Review - Nursing Cover:

When I first opened my cover, I was surprised how fine and light-weight the material was - similar to a delicate blouse. I was expecting something closer to the thickness of a receiving blanket. As I began using it, however, I discovered that this is a Very Good Thing! Covering up creates extra heat, and I can imagine how uncomfortable this could get with a thicker, non-breathable barrier - especially during the warm summer months. The compact size is also nice for tossing into a diaper bag, purse, etc. I was initially concerned that the thin material would be see-through during nursing, but this turned out not to be an issue. The cover requires direct light on one side for there to be transparency on the other side, which obviously doesn't happen during nursing since mom's body blocks out the light.

The cover measures 32" x 23" which I feel is an appropriate size. There's plenty of material on each size to achieve effective coverage without feeling like you're drowning in fabric.

The neckline is pretty easy to adjust using the rings - simply thread the "tail" down through both rings and then back up over the bottom one and under the top one.

Given the rings are a D-shape, however, they are prone to switching position when manipulating the cover, thus causing the tail to pull loose. This is kind of annoying, so I'm wondering why the designer opted against using circular rings (similar to those used on ring slings) which would stay in proper position. Perhaps a suggestion for a "new and improved" model!

The rigidness of the neckline helps provide a hands-free window to see your nursing baby.

I find I do need to fiddle around to get a good view, however. Here are a few tips I've learned:

• The tail needs to be fastened quite tight allowing the neckline to push out in a U-shape 
• Shifting the center of the cover toward the current nursing side helps line up the viewing window.
• It's important to sit up straight. When in a reclining position, the material underneath the neckline tends to droop back down over baby's face
• Sometimes the rigid neckline needs to be popped inside out to help it stick out better.
• If the above techniques don't get the job done, I use my free hand either on the outside to pull the collar out straighter, or on the inside to push up on the material.

As for care & maintenance, I've had no issues. The cover washes and dries well in a low heat cycle; so far no shrinking, fading, etc. The stitching around the edge also appears very solid - no loose threads or other imperfections - so I see the cover lasting a long time.

Overall, I've gotten a lot of use out of my Udder Covers nursing cover and it serves its purpose well. It's light, compact, well-made, pretty easy to use and launders nicely. If the rigid neckline didn't require as much tweaking and the issue with the d-rings could be resolved, it would be perfect in my book!

Product Info - Washable Breast Pads:

Udder Covers™ Reusable Nursing Pads will protect your skin from irritation by absorbing all moisture. You will LOVE them!

Product Benefits: 

• Leaking milk and moisture is drawn away from skin by 5 layers of absorbent cotton fabric
• Machine-washable and reusable
• Soft layers conform to breast shape for a natural look under clothing

Product Features:

• 100% Cotton
• 5 Ply

My Review - Washable Breast Pads:

I'm fortunate in that I leak very little milk, and therefore don't really need to wear breast pads. Of course that makes it a little challenging to review them! ;) That said, I can tell you the following about the Udder Covers pads:

• Based on a water test, they're definitely absorbent. They pull liquid in immediately and hold a good 2-3 tablespoons each. However liquid does travel through from one side to the other fairly quickly (after about 1 tablespoon is absorbed) so those who leak heavily may find this to be an issue.
• They're quite comfortable to wear.
• They are a bit noticeable when worn under a non-padded bra, but not when worn under a padded bra.
• They start at about 4 1/2" in diameter and shrink about 1 cm upon washing. Shrinkage is quite even, however so they remain pretty smooth.

Overall, they seem pretty solid but again - you'd probably want to take my opinion with a grain of salt on this one! :)


Product Info - MilkBands:

Give your nursing journal a rest! Throw away your safety pins and stickers! Quit juggling objects from wrist to wrist! Stop relying on imperfect memory! 

Milk Bands™ are a uniquely designed nursing bracelet that enables the mother to quickly and conveniently identify which breast she last used to feed her baby by simply turning the bracelet inside-out! 

Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelets have time measuring sliders that can be used for multiple purposes such as tracking how long your baby fed or what time!

 Milk Bands™ work regardless of which wrist they are worn on and are so easy to use it only takes one hand! Our breastfeeding bracelet works in the dark and can be worn during any and all activities! 

When the time comes, Milk Bands™ can be used to help you wean your baby!
Let Milk Bands™ keep track of the basics so you can worry about more important things!

My Review - MilkBands:

First of all, I like that the MilkBands bracelet can remain on the same wrist. Flipping it inside out is definitely more convenient than switching wrists to indicate last nursing side! If you're wondering how the proper side can be identified when feeding in the dark, the company has thought of this too - the word Right is raised up and the word Left is lowered (mnemonically helpful as well - nice job guys!) so this can be determined by touch.

The bracelet displays two sets of numbers and comes with attachable sliders for tracking additional information. Three sliders are included, however only two are used, so presumably the third is an extra in case one gets lost (though this is unlikely since sliders snap on very snugly). Last nursing time can be tracked by setting the hour via the slider on the right and minute via the slider on the left; total nursing minutes can be tracked by starting with the left minute scale and then incrementing the right hour scale if/as applicable.

The mechanism works well; sliders are pretty easy to move when desired but then stay in place nicely between nursing sessions. They can be a bit tough to move while nursing, however (and especially so while nursing in the dark!), so they're best adjusted either before or after a session.

I can definitely see scenarios where these bracelets would be helpful - for example to ensure a particularly sleepy newborn is eating enough, to assist with combo feeding, etc. I can also see them being used for non-nursing-related purposes - for example tracking wet or soiled diapers, counting glasses of water, recording exercise minutes, etc. The key benefit of the bracelet is that it provides a tracking tool that's with you at all times vs. another mechanism (piece of paper, phone, etc.) which may not be.

The bracelet is comfortable to wear both during the day and at night. The instructions mentioned that some women may experience mild irritation but I haven't noticed this myself.

My guess is that the main complaint some women may have about these bands is that they're aesthetically basic. Solid-coloured and made of fairly thick silicone, they're not going to win any fashion awards. Fine with me as I'm a jeans 'n' t-shirt kinda gal, but trendsetting mamas may wish they had a little more pizzazz.


Buy It:

You can purchase an Udder Covers nursing cover or gift set of your own directly from their website or use their store locator to find a retailer in your area. Use the special discount code ManagerToMom when purchasing from the website to receive a $35 discount on any item! This allows you to obtain a free cover (or super-inexpensive gift set); you just need to pay shipping! (Good until May 31, 2013.)

If you're interested in a MilkBand alone, these can be purchased here.


Win It: 

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win an Udder Covers Gift Set of their own! Winner chooses from among available styles. 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 Udder Covers.  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.

Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra from Baby on the Breast: Review and Giveaway! (Closed)

Along with unmedicated birth, another natural family practice that's uber-important to me is breastfeeding. I experienced moderate challenges here with both my children (early latch issues with S and sore nipples / low-ish supply with CJ) but was able to overcome them all with determination, assistance and (in some cases) the right gear!

On this note, I'm excited to introduce y'all to Baby on the Breast, a new online shop located in Brampton, Ontario, which sells top-of-the-line nursing wear & accessories as well as name-brand slings, wraps and other carriers. The owner is a mother of two boys (3.5 years and 18 months old) who believes strongly in attachment parenting. Before her second child was born, she knew she'd need a way to carry her baby at all times and nurse comfortably in public in order to get out and about with both her baby and toddler. During her research and material gathering, however, she noted the lack of local resources for babywearing and breastfeeding and was inspired to do something about it. Shortly thereafter, Baby on the Breast was born! In addition to its online store, the BotB website also includes information on breastfeeding and babywearing to help out those in need of a little support (no pun intended! ;)

I'm happy to be partnering with Baby on the Breast to review and give away two different products. The first I'll be covering here, and is for an item I already know and absolutely love - the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra. This was by far my favourite nursing bra while breastfeeding S, so I was naturally super-pumped (no pun intended again - I'm on fire!) to receive another one from Baby on the Breast and sing its praises for all of you! ;)


Product Information:

The Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra was designed to melt onto her body, and give her amazing comfort. This molded foam cup bra offers a seamless silhouette, lovely shape and great support.

Features:

• Easy to fit - the body silk sizing system makes sizing your customers a breeze! The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra’s ability to gently grow and contract to constantly support her changing shape makes this bra ideal for any stage of pregnancy or nursing.
• Removable foam inserts - removable foam cups molded to her shape provide great versatility and the ability to hide nipples and breast pads.
• Seamless support - this bra melts onto her body, supporting every breast shape beautifully while the seamless buttery-soft fabric provides comfort and a seamless silhouette that is virtually invisible under clothing.
• Signature Bravado B-clips - designed by Bravado because no other nursing clip met our stringent quality requirements! B-clips are a proprietary functional design, and will stay closed with her every move. B-clips are easy to open and close with one hand and are discreet under clothing.
• Full nursing access - cups that drop fully away from the breast 

Sizing chart:

My Review:

Baby on the Breast sent me a small, black Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra to review.

All too often, I find that many of the features listed in a product's description aren't too notable in practice. This isn't the case with the Bravado Body Silk. It is One Fantastic Nursing Bra, for exactly those reasons laid out above which I'll illustrate further for you here.

Easy to fit

First of all, the sizing chart indeed did make it super-easy to select the correct size - without even trying it on! (Certainly nice for online shopping.) I'm right in the middle of Small territory myself, but I'd guess that someone borderline between two sizes should be fine with either one because the bra is so "forgiving"!

The material is super-soft and stretchy over the entire bra. This truly does result in an ultra-comfortable, seamless and dynamic fit and guards against issues such as blocked ducts. (I only had these a couple times with S, and each time followed a period of pronounced engorgement!) For those mamas who experience night-time leakage, the bra can be safely worn overnight to keep things comfy and dry.

In addition to the stretchy fabric, a full four sets of 3-hook closures are built in for even more flexibility achieving that perfect fit.

A nursing mama's breasts can change in size immensely over the course of a single day. I can certainly attest that The Bravado Body Silk adjusts to these fluctuations perfectly - from engorgement following an unexpected 7-hour overnight stretch to tapped out post-cluster feed pancakes. ;)

Removable foam inserts

I love these and wear mine in all the time. They help create a flattering, natural look and completely hide nursing pads. Or, if you're like me and don't have significant leakage issues, it's not a huge deal if you forget (or opt not to) wear pads at all as the inserts do an admirable job themselves preventing the flow from sneaking its way out!

The inserts are tucked in via a pocket opening in each cup. I find it's much easier to position them properly while wearing the bra.

Seamless support

You be the judge - can you spot any seams? (Note - foam inserts are in.)

Signature Bravado B-clips

These clips are definitely easier to unclasp and reclasp than other nursing bras I've tried. Both can be done one-handed, which is very helpful when manuevering a famished or floppy, "mik drunk" baby! ;)

Full nursing access
 
I love that this bra allows the entire cup to drop down for nursing. This is a jillion times more effective than the "little window" design which is, for some reason, all-too-common on nursing bras. Nothing worse than your little one gumming down onto a big mouthful of material!

Finally, another big reason why I love this bra that's not listed in the description (but should be!) It's extremely durable! As I mentioned earlier, the first one I bought was my go-to nursing bra over the 14-ish months I nursed S, and it's still in excellent condition. I fully expect it to last through nursing CJ and still have some good life in it!

I truly do feel that the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra is perfect in every way. It's ultra-comfortable, seamless, flexible, durable and makes nursing a breeze. No question - every nursing mama should own one. Or several. Y'know, to have one in each colour. :)

One more neat-o thing - Bravado has recently launched a Bra Conversion Kit (BCK) which can turn a Bravado nursing bra into a regular bra, once nursing is finished. I believe a BCK is included with every Bravado bra sold now. I haven't tried a conversion yet (still need the nursing element, obviously) but great to see Bravado's thought of this!

Buy It:

You can purchase your own Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra and other great nursing and baby gear directly from Baby on the Breast! Shipping is free on Canadian orders over $50 and US orders over $100! Use the special discount code m2mbotb and receive 10% off your order!


Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win a Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra of their own, from Baby on the Breast! Winner chooses from among available colours and sizes. Open to Canada.

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 Baby on the Breast.  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.  

You Can Breastfeed Here! (dot com)

Today we took S to the Rogers Centre for Baby's First Blue Jay Game! We scarfed down some pre-game sausages, took lots of pictures, enjoyed an 11-1 home team victory and didn't have to worry about where we were going to feed and change S thanks to You Can Breastfeed Here, a site dedicated to tracking breastfeeding-friendly locations across the United States and Canada. Its entry on the Rogers Centre told us that "There are nursing rooms/family bathrooms near the first aid area with a toilet, sink, and small couch." And indeed, there were!

What a great idea for a site! Although it's certainly legal for breastfeeding mothers to nurse their babies in public anywhere in Canada or the US, it is outside the comfort levels of many women to do so, and some places (unfortunately) do not provide the most supportive environments for breastfeeding. The ability to check out a destination ahead of time and locate a discreet and/or friendly & supportive location to nurse one's child is certainly helpful in these cases! I am personally willing to nurse in public if necessary, but definitely prefer somewhere a little more privat where I (and S, in turn) can fully relax and enjoy the experience.

You Can Breastfeed Here allows you to browse existing locations, submit new locations (including photos) and add comments to existing submissions. It appears that the vast majority of submissions at this point are in the United States, however I'm hoping to see it expand to include more Canadian locations. (I just submitted one myself for Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener, which includes two dedicated nursing areas!)

The site also includes state-specific breastfeeding laws and links to other resources. All in all, a great site for breastfeeding mothers!

Take a deep breath...

I'd planned to do some blog updates yesterday following a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. (Hope all you mamas had one as well!) However, I woke up in the morning feeling like someone had beaten the crap out of me and pushed razor blades down my throat, so this was an initial deterrent. (Side note - I almost never got sick before giving birth, but since then I've come down with a bug three times. Boo to that!)

And then the biggie. S had begun having some coughing spells about a week back, and they worsened over the weekend (mostly at night) so I called the doctor and got her an appointment for yesterday afternoon. Chris took her in so I could crawl back into bed for another hour (yay to working from home), and he came back with some sobering news. According to the doctor, it's very likely that S has asthma. :( Along with this hypothesis came a prescription for two inhalers: a blue one which clears out her bronchial tubes (for short term relief) and a brown one which reduces the inflammation in her tubes (which should reduce and HOPEFULLY eliminate the condition into the longer term.) He said he wants to rule out asthma; if the inhalers don't work, then she is dealing with something else like a respiratory infection. But if they *do* work, it's virtually guaranteed to be asthma. He also prescribed an AeroChamber, a device which attaches to the inhaler enabling it to be used for a baby.

Apparently the pharmacist saw the look on Chris' face when he began to fill the prescription, as he reassured him that this is a common and very treatable condition. However, our research has indicated that it's not common in infants and toddlers (usually it shows up when a child is 4 or 5 years old). And no one ever wants to receive the news that their baby is suffering from a significant health condition - no matter how common or uncommon it is.

We began her on the inhalers last night and we did notice a reduction in her coughing spells overnight. Poor girl hates the process of giving her the inhaler, though Chris pointed out that the bigger of a "production" is made out of it, the more she fusses. (He gave her a shot of the blue inhaler first thing this morning and it wasn't too bad, however when we tag-teamed a bit later on the brown one she really squirmed and cried out.)

So aside from the inhalers, we also need to be really diligent about keeping things clean and allergin-free around here. This means frequently cleaning/vaccuming the floors and laundering all bedding and soft toys in hot water to get rid of dust mites (a notorious culrpit) and, unfortunately, finding a new home for Lucy. :( We discussed doing this earlier when we suspected S was developing an allergy, but now that she's been virtually diagnosed with a serious breathing condition, this is a step we have to take. Wish us luck here; it's not easy to find devoted caretakers for an older cat, even one as loving and awesome as Lucy.

Another concerning thing is that it is possible that swimming in indoor, chlorinated pools can trigger or worsen asthma due to trichloramine, which can be released when chlorinated water reacts with urine and other organic material. This concern was raised in Germany this past January and we've found it in other sources as well. Due to this, we'll need to make a decision regarding her swimming lessons as well.

So this was some unfortunate news, but we're of course going to do whatever we can to promote our daughter's health and wellbeing. We started last night with about 4 loads of bedding & toy laundry, and we plan to steam clean the carpets very soon as a next step. (With her out of the house, of course. Perhaps a Grandma and Grandpa day is in order!)

Finally, as if all of the above weren't enough for one day, I experienced a first last night: an inability to nurse S at bedtime. My milk just WOULDN'T let down! Luckily we had some pumped milk in the freezer, which she gulped down with gusto. And thankfully I was able to nurse her effectively again during our two overnight feedings. A bit disconcerting, though I think we can chock this one up to my illness, stress over the day's events or a combination of the two.

So that's that. We have a follow-up doctor's appointment for S in 10 days to check in. Crossing fingers and toes that with some super diligent cleaning, help from the inhalers and lots of fresh air, she'll be in tip-top shape in no time!

Our current sh!tuation

Excuse the pun. I couldn't help myself.

So S hasn't pooed in 11 days. That's right - 11.

At about the 5 day point, I did some research and was relieved (no pun actually intended on this one) to discover it's quite normal for EBF babies not to poo for several days at a time. Plus, she didn't seem in discomfort at all, so I wasn't worried. Now that we're approaching 2 weeks, however, I've become somewhat concerned. In addition to the sheer length of time since her last BM, she's recently been doing A LOT of stinky farting, last night she woke up a few times crying and today she's been fussier than normal. I ended up calling the doc this morning and he suggested that I incorporate more fibre into my own diet and try giving her some juice (unsweetend prune or apple). First one - easy peasy. I promptly bought some Fibre 1 and had a big bowl when I got home. Boom - about 12 grams of fibre. I then made smoothies with prune juice. Another 3-4 grams. Several hours later, still no poo from S so now I'm thinking of moving to the second suggestion. I'm hesitant, though. She hasn't had anything to eat or drink except BM so far (well aside from a chunk of napkin the other day, but that's another story). So I'm a little skittish about giving her juice, especially before she has started on "milder" foods such as rice cereal or veggies. But - tomorrow will be 12 days. That's a LOOONG time without a poop!

Have any of you been through something similar with a little one? If so, how long did the "no poop" period last? Did your kiddo eventually just go on his/her own, or did you introduce something like prune juice or an infant suppository to help move things along? And what was the first BM like after the drought? Normal? Overly plentiful? Was it the same consistency or different? Interested in hearing from others who have been through the same thing!!

Date night & first (planned) bottle!

Chris and I went on a date last night! :) It was a traditional dinner 'n' movie affair - Mediterraneo for Greek cuisine (delicious) followed by "Black Swan" at the Princess Twin (Aronofsky in peak form - thoroughly engrossing!). It was cooooold out so we grabbed Starbucks on the way home - decaf for me, of course! We did miss our little one, especially during dinner as we were reminded of her by a couple with a 6-ish month old baby girl at the table beside us, but it was definitely good to get out for some time together with just the two of us. We decided we'll try to do this at least once a month.

Mom and Norm came over to babysit S while we were out. This was the first time that S was *intentionally* bottle fed; we had no choice when I was in the hospital back in December. I was a bit concerned she wouldn't take a bottle since it had been so long (and since she outrightly rejects pacifiers) so we did a "trial run" on Friday night; she fussed a bit but did take it once she realized hey, this is where my food is coming from right now. :) Apparently she was pretty agreeable when Mom fed her last night, so that was good. It's reassuring to know that she WILL take a bottle now when need be, but that she still prefers da boob when it comes down to it! Plus, all that pumping beforehand and cleaning afterwards reiterated how much extra time, planning and effort is involved in bottle vs. breast feeding, especially when using expressed breast milk. Words can't express how happy and thankful I am that S and I persevered and managed to overcome our early issues with latching & whatnot - sooo worth it!

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!

"S" days 13 to 15: Frogs and Frenzied Feedings

Day 13: Monday, December 6th

Great Aunt Heather and Uncle Terry came over to meet S. They brought over Swiss Chalet for dinner and gave her the most adorable gift - a customized froggie from Build a Bear Workshop with her name and date of birth! I was obsessively into acquiring frogs when I was young (both real and collectible) so S's been receiving a few frog-themed gifts, but this one took the cake! I got a little teary when I opened it up. :)

Proud Great Aunt & Uncle:



















Froggie!



















It was a bit of a tough evening & overnight with S. She appeared to be ravenously hungry, but a number of times when I tried to feed her she got upset and fussy. She also spit up a few times. I've read that babies can go through growth spurts at around 2 weeks, so perhaps our little one was starting hers early!

Day 14: Tuesday, December 7th

Chris and I had planned to embark upon a sizely Christmas shopping excursion today, but we only made it as far as Walmart. I'd been feeling more cramping & pressure over the last couple days, my bleeding had increased and I was feeling physically weak, so I was ready to head home after just an hour. (S, on the other hand, slept like an angel the whole trip. I guess she'd pooped herself out the night before!)

When we got home, I called my OB and they made an appointment for an ultrasound. They wanted to check me out to ensure no "products of conception" remained kicking about given my recent symptoms. Shortly after this, I passed a blood clot the size of a golf ball! It was quite disturbing, but apparently large blood clots like this are fairly common in the postpartum period. The general consensus is that one should only be concerned when the clots are the size of a lemon. A LEMON! That's almost the size of a human kidney! Ahhh the lovely things our bodies go through to have kids!

I made another fascinating bodily discovery that evening. I was beginning to leak milk! This happened most prominently from the "unused" breast during a feeding, but I also noticed little spots on both sides when I heard her fuss just prior to another one of her meals. It's official - my boobies have fully morphed into udders!

And finally, some exciting news to end the day - Ange finally had her baby! He was born at 5:34 PM and weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz. So just one ounce heavier than S, and also born 10 days overdue (one day before a scheduled induction!) Methinks the two of them will get along famously! :)

Day 15: Wednesday, December 8th

This was our most challenging night / early morning with S since her first few days. She wanted to eat every hour or so until about 3 AM, but continued to be crabby and spit up frequently. She went through quite a few sleepers, lemme tell ya!

Despite the rough night, we felt pretty good the next day. My bleeding had subsided somewhat and I felt less pressure, which was likely due to getting rid of the clot. This was the first day in a long time that we stayed in and S didn't have any visitors, so we took the opportunity to do some chores and relax. I researched cloth diaper laundering techniques, which helped us arrive at the routine I described in my last post. I also unearthed my favourite childhood story book from one of the myriad basement bins and read a couple of the shorter tales to S.

That evening, S's birth certificate arrived via courier, less than a week after we completed the application. Evidently Service Ontario doesn't mess around when it comes to certifying a new human's existence!

....aaand finally, a li'l dose of preciousness to cap things off:

"S" days 7 to 9: "Settling" into Parenthood

Day 7: Tuesday, November 30th

S, Chris and I had quite the lengthy outing today! We attended a New Mother Support clinic back at Grand River which was SUPER helpful - not only did we get additional reassurance that S was well nourished via breastfeeding (she was up to 8 lbs 2 oz prior to a feeding and then 8 lbs 4 oz following a 15 minute feeding - the Lact-Aid was taking us 4 times that long to get the same amount into her) but we also got some tips to make latching even easier ("hamburger" the boob when offering it to her) and nursing more comfortable (bring the other arm around to complete the cradle with intermittent rather than more regular compressions).

Following the clinic, S had her first shopping trip. We hit up the Baby Boutique to spend the $60 gift certificate we received when we purchased her UPPAbaby Vista stroller. There were some good specials so we ended up with a sizely bag o' loot - an additional HALO SleepSack for when she's a bit older (6 to 12 months), another change pad cover with a pretty flower pattern (which S picked out - she went "Ahhh!" when we showed her this one!), an extra hooded bath towel which matched the change pad cover, a monkey bath mitt and a "Buncha Farmers" stain remover wetstick.

Finally, we popped into Chris' grandparents place where S got to see Gramma and Grampa Campbell AND Great Gramma and Great Grampa MacDonald! Lots of photo opportunities ensued.

Gramma and Grampa Campbell:



















Great Gramma and Great Grampa MacDonald:



















When we came home, a huge box was waiting for us on the front porch. Our work had sent us an adorable toy cradle with a doll, a sleeper and a rattle. So sweet! :)

That night, we hooked S up with her first cloth diaper - a Bummis prefold with a "super whisper wrap" froggie cover. She's on the low end of the weight range at this point so they're pretty huge on her, but adorable nonetheless (if we do say so ourselves!)













 
 Day 8: Wednesday, December 1st

Happy 1st week birthday, S! :)

In the early afternoon, we took her to Dr. Irvine (here in New Hamburg) for her first check-up. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 5 oz (just 3 ounces back from her birth weight already!) and in the doctor's words, there were "checkmarks in all the right places"! Of course we had our fair share of new parent concerns (Her tongue looks white - is that thrush? What about that rashy looking area on her chest?) but the doctor reassured us that all was A-OK!

Aunt Becky and Uncle Paul came by for a visit later that afternoon. S got pretty fussy and hungry so they didn't stay too long, though Beck did get in some good cuddle time!














That night, Chris and I got to enjoy some relaxation with an episode of Ally McBeal (we're currently working our way through Season 2), and then he found the finale of America's Next Top Model (Cycle 15) for me. It was nice to have a bit of a break from 24/7 baby-related activities. :)

Day 9: Thursday, December 2nd

In the morning, we registered for S's birth certificate and then in the early afternoon we had a home visit from a friendly & gregarious public health nurse named Kathy. She asked us a bunch of questions and provided us with numerous baby & parenting resources (booklets, checklists, etc.). And finally, she gave us two thumbs up that S is thriving nicely and we're doing well as new parents (and that no, our home was not yet in a state meriting its own episode of Hoarders, despite our mild concerns :)

Papa Charlie and Nana Linda brought over an early dinner (delicious crockpot beef stew) and stayed for a game of Settlers of Catan. S learned the ropes quickly and helped Chris win!

"Build a settlement on the wheat port, Daddy!"



















Of course, there was lots of time for snuggles too! S and Papa had fun making faces at each other. :)














We ended the day with our first load of cloth diaper laundry. The prefolds appeared to launder nicely as per the instructions in the Bummis manual, but we'll see how things go after a few washes. Effective long-term CD laundering can evidently be quite tricky with a front load washer!

We also noticed before bedtime that S had developed little "breast buds". A quick Google revealed that this was in all likelihood due to Baby getting hormones from Mom through breast milk, which is quite common. Something to watch, in any case!

"S" days 4 to 6: the Way to Milky

Day 4: Saturday, November 27th

Happy 35th birthday to Daddy! I felt my milk starting to come in slowly overnight, but there still wasn't enough to feed her fully, and latching continued to be a bit hit & miss. Add to this our growing exhaustion levels and lack of 24-hour support and it was definitely a challenging day! We alternated breastfeeding with Lact-Aid, and supplemented with formula for a couple feedings. I pumped after every feeding as well to help my milk come in.

Tracey and Don (Chris' dad) came by momentarily to see S. Don wasn't able to visit her in the hospital as he was staying with Chris' Grampa MacDonald, who was alone as Gramma MacDonald was undergoing knee surgery in Owen Sound. Sharyn (Chris' mom) was there with her so she wasn't able to see S during her first few days either.

S only had one poo and one pee the whole day, so we were pretty concerned about this. We called Beth and New Mother Support at the hospital to get some tips, and to arrange a meeting with Beth the next day (along with our postpartum appointment with the public health nurse).

A few positive notes from the day - I got S to feed successfully on the right side (up until this point we'd only really had success on the left), her cord stump came off (quite early, but it looked healthy so we were grateful rather than concerned about this!), our Kawaii diapers arrived (!!!!!!!!) and Chris gave S her first home sponge bath!

















Day 5: Sunday, November 28th

I woke up in the morning and felt that my milk had fully come in - yay! My breasts were definitely larger and tender, but not overwhelmingly so like some of the horror stories I'd heard. That said, my milk might have been a bit less plentiful because of our difficulty feeding during the first couple days. As such, I planned to continue pumping for another day or two to help things out.

S had a really good feeding that morning on both sides and Chris and I were beginning to feel a lot more optimistic. At our postnatal appointment, the public health nurse Monica thought S was doing well (and in fact, she'd already gained back 2 ounces from her discharge weight, putting her back up to 8 pounds). The remaining concern was the lack of wet & dirty diapers, so we were really hoping to see more of these shortly! We had been planning a home visit with Beth, however we discussed our progress with her and we'd made such great strides that we mutually decided we didn't need that extra step at this point. Instead, we celebrated with Starbucks lattes and called it a day! :)

On our way back home, we stopped back in on Don and Doug (Chris' grampa) for a quick visit. That evening, S "broke the seal" and had 6 wet diapers in as many hours, as well as a big poop! What a relief! (Pun partially intended.) Funny how these are the things that excite you when you become new parents. ;)

S and I also discovered the side lying position for breast feeding which she seemed to prefer on the right side in particular, and Chris gave her her first REAL bath. She loved it!

















Following her bath, Mommy and S enjoyed some nice skin to skin time...
















...then we wrapped her up like a burrito and got some shut-eye! (On a side note, the Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe RULES!)
















Day 6: Monday, November 29th

Grandma Mary and Great Grandma Catherine came over today for a visit. S slept the whole time in her adorable cow outfit. :) Great grandchild #18 for Grandma C!






































S continued with lots more wet and dirty diapers today, so we took a risk and made it a 100% booby day - no more Lact-Aid! This was evidently a good move as she appeared to be fully satiated at the end of the day - yay!!

"S" days 1 to 3: First Visitors and Latches

It's hard to believe that S is already 11 days old! I'm starting to appreciate the sentiment we've heard from so many parents to enjoy our little one while she's young as "they grow up so fast!"

On this note, I decided to fully document S's first month on a daily basis, as there is so much learning and growing during this early period and we wanted to capture all the experiences and milestones (along with lots of pictures of course!)

Day 1: Wednesday, November 24

Following S's birth at 8:19 AM, Chris and I spent a good 3-4 hours holding and cuddling her close. She spent most of this time crying and sleeping, and didn't enter into the quiet, alert period which many babies do soon after birth. I wasn't able to get her to breastfeed either. We assumed this was probably because of the stress she underwent having to be immediately whisked away and suctioned, but it was still early so we weren't too concerned. Beth stayed with us for a couple hours as well, which was nice.

S's visitors started to arrive shortly after noon, beginning with Chris' sister Tracey and my mom. Tracey physically entered the room first, but turned down the first hold as she said she couldn't hold her before her grandmother. :) According to Chris, Mom "looked like she was going to have a seizure" when she first entered and saw S ("...but at least she was in the right place" he added). Look at the proud Grandma!


















Aunt Tracey got to spend some time with her next:
















 Soon after, Aunt Becky, Paul, Papa Charlie, Nana Linda, Aunty Maryana, Uncle Mike, Aunt Anne Marie, Cousin Hailey and Aunty Ange came to visit her as well. What a day! Aunty Ange was just about due to have another little one of her own!























Pictures of all S's visitors can be found in my FB album.

Once the last of our visitors had left it was about 8:30. I tried to nurse S a bit more but I still couldn't get her to latch, so I expressed some colostrum and fed her a few drops from my fingers. One nurse named Mary was able to get her to latch momentarily but she was just nibbling and not really feeding in a nutritive fashion. The nurses said the expression and finger feeding should give her enough nutrition for her first day, but that we'd really need to work on things the next day. Chris and I spent a lot more skin to skin time with her that night and I believe we managed about 3-4 hours of sleep. Chris also ended up changing about 4-5 meconium diapers the first day as well, so at least she was eliminating well!

Day 2: Thursday, November 25

S and I started the day with a 9:00 AM breastfeeding class conducted by a lactation consultant named Brenda. About 4 other mothers & babies joined along with us. I was starting to feel frustrated and anxious as a couple of the other mothers were able to nurse their babies right away but we were still having such difficulty. Brenda came over and tried to help me latch S. She latched for a few seconds but then came off and was quite agitated. Brenda told me she'd come by our room a bit later for more dedicated support.

Chris and I dedicated the rest of the day to getting this nursing thing down. When Brenda came by we had our first pseudo-successful session. S stayed latched on for a few minutes and she was swallowing, which was great progress! I still felt the various positions to be quite awkward (especially in my own state of recovery) but was starting to get the hang of things. I also started using a breast pump to encourage my milk to come in. Another nurse named Jennifer helped us later in the evening. S still wasn't getting enough so Jennifer showed us how to use Lact-Aid, a device consisting of a syringe and feeding tube. Expressed breast milk and/or formula can be fed to Baby through the tube via your finger or as a supplement while Baby is latched on the breast. We tried both methods, and S seemed to take better to the finger feeding so we fed her a few times this way. We used expressed colostrum and ended up supplementing with formula as well. I was really hoping we didn't have to go this route, but S was hungry and the most important thing at this point was to get her some food!

All in all, Day 2 was quite exhausting, though it did end on a positive note. Sometime late at night or very early the next morning (can't quite remember), S was hungry and the oh-so-determined Mom in me took over. I got her to latch and do a small feeding on my own! It was very empowering and left me hopeful that we would get the hang of things after all!

Day 3: Friday, November 26

Sometime overnight, one of the nurses came in to do S's hearing test (she passed) and evidently give her a bath as well, as she was clean when we woke up in the morning. We managed a couple more tentative feedings with her, both on the breast and via finger Lact-Aid. We also watched a couple videos - Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding and the hospital discharge video which covered various topics from fever to postpartum depression. The staff wanted to ensure we had a nursing plan for her once we were discharged, so we met with Brenda once more. The plan was to nurse her when we could, pump after nursing and use the Lact-Aid device with either expressed milk or formula when necessary to "top her up". We were to also diligently track all feedings and wet & dirty diaper changes over the course of her first week. We felt pretty good at this point - we were getting there! Right before we left, a couple assistants came in to take S's blood for her PKU and hypothyroidism screening test. She wasn't a big fan of this!

We finally completed all the paperwork and were all set to leave at about 4:00 PM. It actually felt sort of bittersweet leaving the hospital. On the one hand, we were finally taking our new daughter home, but on the other, we'd no longer have the 24/7 support from the hospital staff who had been so wonderful. This was more than a little bit intimidating!

Here's a pic of Daddy getting S ready for her first car ride back home to New Hamburg! She slept the whole way, as expected. :)
















When we got home, we immediately brought S upstairs to our bedroom to start getting all "nested". We had her bassinet all ready to go, and got out extra pillows, blankets and our various nursing accessories. Then I spent some nice skin to skin time with her, and Chris and I shared an emotional moment as everything was just starting to truly sink in. We were parents!!

The evening brought some additional concerns & challenges as S continued to sleep for 3-4 more hours. We were hoping to feed her within an hour or two of getting home, but we couldn't rouse her! Eventually we called Telehealth, and the nurse told us that if she didn't eat for 6 hours we should be concerned. We were at 5ish hours at that point, so we continued to talk to her, apply cool wash cloths to her forehead, etc. until she did eventually stir and we got her to do a few good feedings....whew! Looks like she has procrastination tendencies like Mom! ;)

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Dad's up with S right now having some post-nap play time. She'll be hungry in a few minutes, so time to get ready for a feeding! More "early life" posts to come!