How Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Helps Me Save Hundreds

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

I wish I would have done this sooner. And by “this” I mean signing up for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. I wish I would have done that while I was still pregnant so I could have a stockpile of necessities.

As a new mom–and now 8 months into this whole “mom” thing–Amazon’s Subscribe & Save has been a lifesaver for me. What is Amazon Subscribe & Save? Well, it’s a subscription service and the more you subscribe to, the bigger the discount. As long as you have 5 items arriving to your house every month, you’ll receive up to 15% off your products. If I’d go to Safeway or Target to get these things, guaranteed they’d be more expensive. Doing this has allowed me to save hundreds of dollars.

Here’s what I subscribe to:

Pampers Diapers. This has been a huge help! Not having to frantically run out to buy diapers is a plus as a new mom.
Dreft Laundry Detergent. Because babies have lots of laundry.
Happy Family Stage Two Formula. Jadyn’s main source of food is still formula, so this is a perk having it automatically delivered.
Water Wipes. Because babies poop and you can never have too many wipes.
Dreft All Purpose Wipes. I love these because you can use them on toys and on the highchair tray!

Now, I don’t get all of these every month. Every three months I’ll save 15%-20% per product, but every month is usually 5% per product. Still a killer deal! The main benefit is not having to remember to order these essentials and saving tons of money by just clicking a button.

Having them magically appear on my doorstep is also wonderful.

Do you use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save? I’d love to know what you order! Leave a comment below.

Starting Solids

I can’t believe I have a five month old. Jadyn is not only talking up a storm and can almost roll from back-to-tummy, but she’s now on solids a few times a day.

At her four month well-check, Jadyn’s pediatrician said we could start introducing solids. I always thought I had to wait till 6 months, but by the time Jadyn is 6 months, two of her meals during the day should just be solids. At four months, I thought she was still a little young to truly start, so if I was eating a banana or watermelon or cantaloupe, I’d let her try some. But once Jadyn hit four and a half months, I really thought about it and started thinking of different things to purée. Here are my go to combinations right now:

Sweet potato + apple
Sweet potato + carrot
Mashed bananas
Zucchini + apple (completely tastes like apple sauce)
Broccoli + apple

What I plan on trying next:

Peas
Pears + spinach + kale
Spinach + apple + sweet potato
Apple + spinach
Chicken + sweet potato
Cantaloupe
Watermelon (she already loves sucking the juices from melon!!)

With fruits, you don’t need to steam them (obviously)–puréeing is just fine. However, in order to keep the nutrients in the veggies, steaming is better than boiling. And one of the best gifts I received from my baby shower was the Béaba Babycook. It’s a one-stop-shop to steam and purée vegetables for your little one. I use it three times a week to make Jadyn’s concoctions. You can find the Babycook on Amazon. And for more recipe inspiration, I’ve been browsing ThinkBaby.org’s recipes page. They have some great combinations I need to try and also some tips and tricks for when Jadyn is in the toddler years.

courtesy of Amazon.com

Obviously starting solids was a slight learning curve for Jadyn since she didn’t really know what to do with a spoon, but since I have the Béaba silicone spoons, I let her play with them for a few days and every day when we eat, she’s learning that a spoon helps get food in her mouth. It’s so cute!

I also have to give a shout out to Inspired Start. They sent me a couple samples of their apples and wheat pouches to try out. What I love about Inspired Start is that each pouch contains a couple teaspoons of a common allergen like wheat, tree nut, peanut, seafood or soy, and masks it in a sweeter fruit. We’ve used the apple and wheat pouch a few times and can easily say that Jadyn does not have a wheat allergy! You can find Inspired Start only on Amazon.

I’m so excited to learn what Jadyn is going to enjoy next! It’s always an adventure with her.

What food combinations did you try with your little one when you introduced solids? Leave a comment below!

The Perfect Spring & Summer Accessory

With spring finally here (I mean, we’ll still probably get rain, but oh well…) I’m excited to start dressing Jadyn in more outfits that are bright and colorful. She has so many outfits that I’m eager to put her in, accessorize and–of course–snap a photo.

One of my favorite Etsy shops to purchase hair accessories for my daughter is Lucy Belly Designs. Owned by my friend Nina, her shop features the most luxurious leather bows, clips and hair ties for little ladies, cuffs for tweens and moms and since she opened shop last year, Nina now offers bow ties for little (and grown!) gentlemen. Nina’s shop is truly amazing.

My latest purchase just arrived yesterday! One of my favorite pieces is the Oversized Jade Bow Mommy + Me set I bought a couple months ago. I purchased it in the color Sky and I can’t wait to match with my little nugget. I also had a custom order made featuring what I like to call a “lady bug” bow. She can make anything custom–all you have to do is message her on Etsy and she’ll work with you to make a one of a kind item.

Here’s my latest trio of Lucy Belly Designs bows:

This is the Jade bow (named after my daughter Jadyn!) in orchid, the Aurora bow in quartz and the Sienna bow in tangerine. All classic sizes and I’m obsessed with these colors!

Listen, I’m not getting free bows for writing this review for Lucy Belly Designs. I have purchased almost every single one of Jadyn’s LBD bows (except for my baby shower gift set) and Nina’s bows are worth my money. I mean, can you see that I’m obsessed with these?

She has a special offer going on right now, just in time for Mother’s Day. Use code LBDMOM15 now through May 5th and receive 15% off and ensure on-time delivery for Mother’s Day!

Have you purchased any Lucy Belly Designs bows? Snap a photo and share in the comments!

What Happens Post-Baby? Here’s What They Don’t Tell You

Having a baby is truly magical, but no one really tells you what happens after your little bundle actually arrives. For me, the worst has been my postpartum hair loss. Here are some postpartum truths I’ve discovered.

1. You’ll lose your hair. Lots of it.

via GIPHY

2. Sleep deprivation is real. Like really real.

via GIPHY

3. Food? What’s that? You’ll forget to feed yourself because all you care about is feeding your child.

via GIPHY

4. Breastfeeding is hard. It’s okay to say “I’ve had enough” after you’ve given it your best shot.

via GIPHY

5. You’ll have a whole new appreciation for coffee.

via GIPHY

6. Gone are the days of social drinking.

via GIPHY

What were your truths? I’d love to know! I may even add them to this list! Leave a comment blow.

What I’ve Learned About “Mom Guilt”

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash

Mom guilt. They’re two words one may hear while pregnant, but in reality won’t ever experience until your little one arrives. Sure, you prepare your home, family, your body for your baby’s arrival. You make sure you’re nourishing yourself properly to grow that little seed into a majestic human being. You give up caffeine (or if you’re like me, switch to decaf), walk for 30-minutes every day, take your vitamins and listen to your doctor’s advice and guidance to ensure your baby is growing as they should.

But what happens when your little nugget arrives? Well, you’ll lose sleep, forget to feed yourself since you’re so consumed in your baby, basic hygiene may go out the door for a week or two (granted, at some point you have to shower), make sure your animals that shed are kept in a separate area, if you have a winter or summer baby rack up that heat/air condition bill and you figure out your rhythm when it comes to nourishing your child.

Let me be clear. Mom guilt can happen to any mom for any specific reason. Your hormones are through the roof the first two weeks postpartum (you thought pregnancy hormones were bad, guess again…) that even a Pepsi commercial can make you cry.

What I personally have learned about mom guilt is that it’s 100% in my head. I am playing the mom guilt card in many different situations, and for me, it’s been mainly associated to figuring out the best way to feed my baby.

Since birth, my little girl has had a hard time latching. Every time we’d try, she’d get frustrated that she couldn’t latch onto my boob. She has a very small mouth, which can be part of the issue, but I blame my nipples. They aren’t the most ideal for breastfeeding. At the hospital, my body had to heal itself a bit before it could really think about nourishing my child, so I was self-expressing colostrum and finger-feeding it to her. Once we arrived home, I was pumping and trying to get her to latch. I was pumping every hour and a half when I got home that I had cracked and bleeding nipples and have since discovered a bruise on my right breast from the intense suction (a hospital-grade pump will do that to you).

I try and get my little one to latch every time, but in all honesty, we’ve had to supplement her with formula. The formula I’m using is from Happy Family Brands and is the Stage 1 Happy Baby Organic Formula. The reason I love this formula so much is that it’s modeled after breast milk and doesn’t wreak havoc on my little one’s digestive system. She handles this formula really well and I feel good when I feed it to her. At this point in our breastfeeding journey, it looks like my supply is dwindling down no matter how much I pump or how much Fenugreek I take.

Enter my main “mom guilt.” I keep beating myself up that I can’t provide more of my breast milk to my child. At this point, she is a formula baby.

While I know that the first month of life is the most crucial for my little one so she receives the antibodies in my milk to help build a strong immune system, potentially having to stop because my supply is getting smaller was never part of my plan.

Society puts a lot of pressure on moms to breastfeed their child. “Breast is best” they say. True, it is, but what about those moms whose supply isn’t there, or moms who just don’t have any milk at all? They give them formula. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I envy those moms because they never had to even go through a bout of mom guilt related to breastfeeding.

When taking my breastfeeding class prior to giving birth, the instructor mentioned that it doesn’t matter what type of nipple you have (inverted, flat or pointy), you can breastfeed. What they fail to mention every time is that it’s not easy. There are so many situations that may come up that prevent successful breastfeeding:

Your baby has a hard time latching due to a small mouth, lips, etc.
Your nipples just aren’t erect enough for them to hit the roof of your baby’s mouth in order to stimulate suction (this is my problem).
You have little to no milk supply (granted, you won’t know this till the time your milk is supposed to come in). This is also my problem.
It’s a frustrating experience trying to get your baby to latch. You get stressed out and they get stressed out, resulting in nothing.

All in all, it doesn’t matter how you feed your child––whether it’s breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding, or straight up formula––the only thing that matters is that your child is fed, growing and healthy.

If you’re happy and not stressed, your baby will be, too.

Did you have any issues in the breastfeeding department? I’d love to know which route you took for your child. Let me know in the comments!

Heading Back To Work: Bottle Feeding to the Rescue

This post originally appeared on RedTri.com.

There is nothing in the world like the smell of a newborn baby, especially when it’s your own (and your first!). Basking in the glory of your new bundle of love never gets old and as the days turn into weeks and those weeks turn into months before you know it, you have to get ready to go back to work.

As a breastfeeding mom who also works full time, I’ve needed to figure out how I can still give my little one my milk, all while still being able to maintain a successful career.

Since bottle feeding is my only choice when it comes to feeding my child while working, I didn’t want to use a bottle that would lead to nipple confusion. I still want my baby to latch and continue feeding at the breast when possible.

Finding bottles that wouldn’t result in nipple confusion is a trial and error experience. I’ve tried so many bottles from AVENT and Dr. Brown’s to Evenflo and Tommee Tippee.

Either my little one won’t take the bottle or she mimics bottle feeding on the breast, which is somewhat unpleasant. The nipples on the bottles I’ve tried are either too short, too thick, too thin or provides so much flow that my baby can overeat.

Enter nanobébé. Not only do these bottles mimic the breast, but are the first on the market to preserve the nutrients found in breastmilk, so you know your little one is still getting everything he or she needs. It’s nice to know that I can warm up stored breastmilk and not lose any of the antibodies and nutrients. (You can learn more about nanobébé here.)

Bottles Made for Pumping Moms Like Me

Like I said before, the shape of this bottle makes transitioning from breast to bottle and back super easy for my little one. There is little to no nipple confusion as the shape of the bottle mimics the breast.

What I also love about these bottles is that there is an attachment so you can pump directly into the bottle. Gone are the days of having to pump in separate bottles and then pour out the appropriate amount. It’s a one-stop-shop with these bottles.

Nanobébé also offers breastmilk storage bags and a little storage bin to go along with it, so keeping accurate amounts of breastmilk to then transfer to a bottle makes things easy when you’re working or on-the-go. This has been especially convenient when I’m having to have someone watch my little girl while I attend meetings or on a conference call.

Fast Warming

I’ve noticed the nanobébé bottles warm up so fast! It’s super convenient, especially when my baby is crying at night and I can’t feed her fast enough. With the way these bottles are shaped, overheating is prevented, making sure all the nutrients are maintained.

Before using these bottles, I had no idea that when you warm up breast milk in other bottles it depletes it of its nutrients! New mom brain, for sure on that one.

Quick Cooling

According to nanobébé, “The FDA states that bacteria in fresh breastmilk doubles every 20 minutes that it does not reach storing temperature (fridge or freeze). nanobébé’s unique surface area is geometrically designed to spread the breastmilk into a thin layer allowing it to cool twice as fast as standard bottles on the market, which prevents bacterial growth.”

photo by Leigh Weinberg

Easy-Peezy Cleaning

You’d think that with constantly going back and forth between bottles and breastfeeding that the cleaning and sterilizing of the bottles would be a pain. I have found that the nanobébé bottles are actually really easy to clean. They come apart smoothly (and not many parts to them, thank goodness!) and fit easily on any drying rack.

I do have to say that the nanobébé Slim Drying Rack makes things even ten times easier since the bottles fit the rack like a glove. Perk: you can store it anywhere when not in use as it’s so skinny! Keeps my kitchen organized, for sure. They can also easily stack in your refrigerator or, when not in use, in your cabinet.

My Husband Loves It, Too!

When my husband is home and I need to get some work done, all he has to do is take one of the breastmilk storage bags out and put it in a bottle, heat it up and voila! Our baby will have her meal.

If you’re like me and have already transitioned back into work after having a baby and are looking for bottles to make your life easier when you have to catch a meeting or a conference call, don’t overlook the nanobébé bottles.

Or, if you know a new mom that would greatly benefit from these bottles (and other products), nanobébé has a whole starter kit just for newborns. I know I’ll be heading to Babies”R”Us or buybuy BABY to grab some more of these to keep a constant ready-to-go stash for my little nugget!

Head to nanobébé to purchase a Newborn Starter Set or a Starter Set and receive 20% off + free shipping when you use code RedTri20 at checkout!

–all photos courtesy of nanobébé

My Labor & Delivery Story: Part 2

If you read part 1 of my labor and delivery story, you’ll learn how things progressed for me during the early stages of labor.

Once I hit active labor at the hospital, everything changed. At 5.5 cm I plateaued and needed Pitocin to keep things progressing nicely. Before I had them start the drug, I asked for the epidural. The procedure to get the epidural is scarier to think about then actually experience. Since the anesthesiologist has to come in and do the procedure, you’re only allowed one other person with you, so I had Max stay with me. He had to wear a scrub cap and everything (as did I) in order for the room to be sterile enough.

I was lucky with my anesthesiologist in the sense that he was quick with the epidural procedure. We were watching (and I was feeling) my contractions on the monitor and he was able to do the procedure in between contractions, which was nice, so I didn’t have to hold too still during those times. Once the epidural catheter was in my back (yes, it’s a procedure that goes into your spine to numb the nerves from the waist down), I thought the medicine would kick in almost immediately.

This is where things took a turn for the intense in my labor. The epidural medication kicked in a first, but lasted maybe 20 minutes. I had a button I could push for more medicine every 15 minutes, but suddenly the pump administering the epidural medication started beeping with an error code. The anesthesiologist came back over and I heard him say “hmm, error code ‘air in pump'” and my eyes got wide. I asked if they were pumping air into my spine and I was reassured numerous times by the anesthesiologist and my fabulous nurse Lisa that it wasn’t the case. Still, when you’re immobile with a tube in your spine and you think air is getting pumped in there, your brain takes a turn for the worst. You don’t want to come out of a childbirth experience paralyzed!

So, they replaced the pump administering the medication. Then the other pump malfunctioned: same error.

To make a really long story short, my epidural didn’t work. It was a faulty epidural and pump (and, apparently, we can blame our President for the problem since Kaiser gets its epidural meds from Puerto Rico and they were low on supply with a lot of New Years births happening…).

I. Felt. Everything.

It got so bad that my nurse literally had to administer drugs right into my IV port so I could get some rest before having to push. That’s the whole point of having an epidural is to get ample rest before putting your body through one of the most stressful, yet magical, things ever. Having to deal with excruciating pain was not part of my birth plan once I received the epidural.

I was in so much pain that I was literally screaming every time a contraction happened. Thanks Pitocin. At around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2018, the doctor checked me and as she was checking me, I had a contraction at the same time, and my water broke. That was a surreal experience actually feeling my water break. Once that happened, my labor progressed a lot faster.

January 2, 2018

At around 1 a.m. the doctor came in to check me again and told me that I was 100% effaced, 10 cm dilated and 0% station, and ready to start pushing. At that point, my night nurse, Kat, started helping me with the pushing process. Eliana and Max were each at one leg holding it and she was helping me count to push. I was so exhausted and felt like I wasn’t pushing to the best of my ability through each contraction. After pushing for a little over 2 hours, the OBGYN attending (yes, residents primarily deliver you at Kaiser San Francisco, unless they need assistance from higher ups) on call came in and asked if I could continue. I vividly remember saying that I can’t push anymore, that I was getting tired.

The doctor said “before you give up…” which my quick-witted response was “really, before I give up? I’ve been pushing for 3 hours and in labor for almost 36!..” the doctor wanted to use vacuum assistance to get my little girl out. I obliged after being threatened with an emergency c-section (that would not have been fun). Both doctors told me that if I couldn’t push Jadyn out with three pushes, it’d be necessary to have a c-section.

My first two pushes were mediocre and she would come down and then go back up. My last and final push, I gave it my all and pushed for way longer than 10 seconds and then…

Instant relief.

Jadyn Sky was born on January 2, 2018 at 3:17 a.m. She is the best New Years gift I could have ever received. After all the trauma my body went through, the end result is perfect. She’s my little angel nugget and we are so, so in love with her.

During my delivery of her I ended up getting a second degree tear and that was definitely not fun to feel the tugging of stitches down there. Also, according to my mom, husband and bestie, I lost a lot of blood. That would explain why I passed out twice about two hours after Jadyn was born when they tried to have me go pee after delivery. Thank goodness a nurse was watching the baby!

January 2-4, 2018

My hospital stay was to be expected. I ended up needing iron to help with the blood loss and nurses kept checking in on me every few hours. We attempted breastfeeding, but Jadyn is having a hard time latching, so I’ve been pumping and bottle feeding her (please no judgement. She’s getting my breast milk and it shouldn’t matter how). After a couple days of nurses and doctors checking in on me – and pressing on my uterus to expel any blood – we were able to go home. Jadyn checked out with a clean bill of health and I checked out with Motrin, Tylenol, a stool softener and iron supplements to last me a lifetime.

Let’s just say I haven’t received a solid night’s sleep since December 30, 2017. But in the end, it’s all worth it as we have the most beautiful little nugget in the entire world.

She Has Arrived!

I am so happy to announce to you all that our little bundle is finally here!

Jadyn Sky made her debut at 3:17 a.m. on January 2, 2018.

Labor and delivery story to come at a later date.

xoxo,

Leigh

Officially 40 Weeks Pregnant

As of today I am 40 weeks pregnant. And so far…nothing. Our little girl is cozy in there and doesn’t seem to want to leave, while I am getting more and more uncomfortable. We are so ready and excited to meet her. I want to really see who she looks like: does she have my nose or lips? What about Max’s eyes? We are so curious and so ready.

Today is also a very bittersweet day. Today marks 10 years since my father’s passing and it feels like it just happened yesterday. Here’s what I posted on my personal Facebook account that sums things up perfectly (along with two of my favorite photos of us):

“Today is always a hard day. I cannot believe it has been 10 years since this great man left this earth. This year has been a joyous one and I know it’s because of him. He has been watching over me ever since he departed and made sure, especially these last 9 months, that his little girl will have one of her own very soon.

Today is also my official due date. Crazy how the circle of life happens, right? We want to meet you Baby W, so please arrive soon!

Miss you every day, dad. I wish you were physically here to witness this magical time, but I know you are watching from above. I love you. “

If my dad were still physically here on this earth I know he’d be so ecstatic to meet his granddaughter and be cheering me on to get her out. This time of year is always tough, but with Baby W making her debut literally at any time, this time of year will truly be joyous.

If I don’t write again before 2018, I wish you all a safe, fabulous and Happy New Year!

Pregnancy Update: 39 Weeks

And so it begins… I am currently 39 weeks and 2 days and let me tell you, the aches and pains of pregnancy are absolutely real at this point. I have been really lucky during this pregnancy overall, though. I hadn’t really started feeling horrible until about 38 weeks. The back pain increased, walking turned into waddling and pregnancy insomnia is now in full effect. You know it’s bad when I’m writing this blog post while currently bouncing on a birthing ball.

Here’s what’s been happening since I gave a true pregnancy update or written a pregnancy post:

Baby W’s nursery is done. I am currently waiting for this custom bow holder from Magnolia Sweet Things (I love Etsy) and this rug I ordered from Overstock.com as the final thing to go under my rocking chair so it stops sliding when I sit in it. I kept her nursery somewhat neutral, going for greys, whites, blush pinks and golds. I have butterfly decals on the wall where her crib is and a grey rocker custom selected for me by Curated Nest (check out my sponsored post with them here).
We took all our classes. Per my healthcare provider’s instruction, we completed the three classes they strongly recommend we take prior to our little one’s arrival. Those are: breastfeeding, newborn care and preparing for childbirth. The most informative and bearable was the preparing for childbirth class. We even met another couple who is due a few weeks after me, so our little one with already have a playmate around the same age!
Hospital bags are ready. Baby W’s bag was ready at 36 weeks and I finally finished packing mine last weekend. I know, I know… it’s just hard to truly pack when I’m still using things on a daily basis (brushes, deodorants, etc), but I bought some travel sized items to take with me and everything is packed.
Car seat is installed. We officially installed the car seat in my car. Thanks to my father-in-law, we got our Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System that comes with a car seat base for easy (and safe!) install. We’re surely ready to bring our little one home from the hospital once she decides she wants to make her debut.
Labor playlist is ready. If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, I shared my labor and delivery playlist with you! Music has always played a big part in my life, so I can’t imagine going through something so monumental without music. Here’s the post if you’d like to check it out.
Trying to kick-start labor. I know I really shouldn’t be trying my hardest to get this little one out, but I am just so uncomfortable at this point. I’ve been googling ways to kick-start labor and they range from nipple stimulation and lots of sex to castor oil and drinking raspberry leaf tea. At the time this post was written, lots of raspberry tea has been consumed. We’ll see which of these options helps!

How did you feel this close to delivery? I’d love to know in the comments!