Hot Mama

I don't know about you mamas, but my post-pregnancy aint shining. I did my take on no hair washing and my bengkung part. Thank goodness, I also followed the no-going-out for 30days. So for that 30 days, I enjoyed spending time with Baby J, cultivating build-up on my scalp (maybe I will try to source good dry-shampoo for Mamas), and of course my tummy doesn't look anywhere being tight after I took off the bengkung.

So after locking myself inside the house and time to meet the outside world, I wanted to look good. It was quite depressing when none of my old clothes fit and my pregnancy clothing that weren't breast-feeding friendly added to my wardrobe woes.

I ended wearing the only outfit I had at the time, the top from Materna Love is light and comfortable. The best thing is I can breastfeed without pulling up my top as it has discreet openings on the side.

So Mamas out there who are breastfeeding and want something flattering on post-pregnancy shape, get the Materna Love tops :)

Breast Feeding Stuff To Get

Breast milk is the best source of milk for babies. As much as I enjoyed my pregnancy, I enjoy breastfeeding Baby J. I love seeing her face while she is feeding and looking up at me. No matter how busy the day can get, I will time-out myself and breast feed. Its our mother-daughter time.

For mothers who plan and are able to breastfeed, here's some recommendations of what to get:

1. Nursing Wear - your husband's shirt may be an option if he lets you wear them. Buy a loose nursing wear for easy access. When you have a hungry wailing baby, you would like to be fast to get your baby to access to his milk!

1. Nursing Cover - you may be fine feeding in front of your friends, but not all is as open-minded as you. Plus the covers make us look chic.
   
2. BPA-free Breast Shells -Oh! How I thank my lovely friend for getting me these! When I feel a let down, these shells save my breastmilk and I have to quickly store them.
3. Nursing Bras - Buy several of them. There are many cheap alternatives that are good enough and find the ones that have a hole in the middle instead of flapping the entire cup down.
   
4. Nursing Pillow - Get the U-shape pillow that goes around your waist. Not only its very helpful to prop babies to the breasts, we can use for pregnancy and for babies to sit (when they are learning to)
   
5. Breast gel packs or anything that you can heat up with - When our breasts are engorged, the feeling is not too great and we have to decompress them. A friend told me to put hot water to baby bottle and roll on our breasts but I find it quite messy. Find gel packs that have covers and you can out into the bras, so the breast milk can leak to the covers
6. Breast pads - When we feed or express milk, our free breast leak and it can get quite messy. You need to buy a few boxes of breast pad packs as we have to keep changing breast pads to keep the breasts hygienic.
   
7. Automatic breast pump with silicone cups - Invest in one, you will thank yourself when you have it. Careful don't drop the electric handle, else you have to replace with a new pump.
8. Adiri bottles - Breastfed babies like the comfort of their mother's warmth and of course the breast. Transition to normal baby bottle may not be easy for some babies and Adiri mimicks mother's breasts for easier transition from breast to Adiri bottle.
9. Cream for babies face - Choose a natural ingredient cream for baby's tender face. Our breast milk can cause rash called 'Milk Rash' and it doesn't look too pretty on our cute babies!
   

If I miss anything out, please let me know. I still like to breastfeed in next 4 months.

Breast Feeding Products

Graha Baby is going to include more categories for Mamas!

We currently have Earth Mama Angel Baby's Breast Feeding Support Kit, which is great as it has its Milk Tea to help support healthy breast milk production, lanolin-free Natural Nipple Butter to help prevent sore, cracked nipples,Booby Tubes to use warm or cool to ease breasts sore from engorgement or mastitis, and organic, herbal breast packs for extra nipple and engorgement care.

Soon we are going to have nursing wear, nursing covers, therapy packs for sore breasts. Stay tuned!

This Really Works!

I have to try products before I can market and sell them. I have to say I have used 3 bottles of Calendula Cream from California Baby! 2 for myself and the other Baby J is still using.

I breastfeed Baby J and sometimes she gets skin irritations from the breastmilk on her face, I apply this magic cream and voila! next thing I know, the red spots disappears.
This cream just works so well that I apply on Baby J's thighs from diaper friction, on her tender bumpy to prevent rash and just any skin irritations.
Tried and Tested!

Shhh... Baby Finally Sleep!

Pacifiers has bad rep- babies get addicted to it, babies' teeth becomes unaligned due to sucking on it, etc

Well maybe yes in many cases but its a great thing to introduce when the baby needs some pacifying (I can hands up on this). When baby is cranky and we have try all ways to make her comfortable and nothing works, pacifier can be a good thing. Pop it in and baby will quiet down and look at you with the most innocent pair of eyes and you forget on how bad pacifier is supposed to be.

Good new is Natursutten makes 'good' pacifiers.
Natursutten pacifier is made of one-piece and is safe of any plastic chemicals as it is purely made of natural rubber. They also have orthodontic pacifiers for parents who worry that their babies will have unaligned teeth.

I recently introduce Natursutten to Baby J, she doesn't really like it but it works. And good thing for me is that Baby J spits her round 0-3mth pacifier out before she nods off to sleep.