pumping at work

 

BREASTFEEDING

7 Things To Do At Night To Make Pumping At Work Less Of A Chore

Being an out-of-the-home working mom is a chore by itself, but if you are still breastfeeding your baby while working, then your difficulty level in “momming” just doubled (maybe tripled). Pumping is no easy task, especially if you are doing it in a habitual and necessary way. (As opposed to the one-off occasions of pumping while away for several hours.)

“By taking the time to prepare before you get into bed at night, you can help relieve some of that morning chaos and ensure pumping at work goes as smoothly as possible.”

If you are pumping at work or if you will be soon, try putting these seven nighttime habits to practice to help make it a less stressful routine in your day.  [Read more here.]

Giphy

Giphy

 

How hard is breastfeeding? This nerd mom has data that says “Very!”   

Breastfeeding is hard. You’ve heard that? Said that? Experienced that? Sure, but it’s an opinion, right? Not according to one mom’s data she tracked!

“Looking back at the sheer amount of work having a newborn has been is “both validating and overwhelming” for Kristi, a self-described nerd. Not only is she good with numbers, she’s been shockingly diligent about keeping track of how her daughter Grace has grown.”

Kristi used the Feed Baby app alongside Excel to track several things happening with her baby for a little over a year including, feeding, pumping, and diaper changes. When you don’t track these things, you are still very aware that they all happen a lot.There is a lot of feeding; a lot of pumping; a lot of diaper changes. But when you actually see how the numbers stack up, you’ll even impress yourself! [Read more here.]

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PREGNANCY

 

14 pregnancy symptoms you should never ignore 

The worrying and questioning of a parent begins from the moment you find out you are pregnant. (Possibly sooner if you choose to ‘try’ to get pregnant.) When should you actually worry and call your doctor? This article covers 14 symptoms you should definitely tune into and talk to a professional about if you notice them happening during your pregnancy.  [Read more here.]

 

 

My Real Postpartum Body: I Want Every Mom To Know That It’s Normal And You’re Beautiful

The common cycle a mom goes through with her pregnancy body is somewhat of a rollercoaster affair. First there is excitement over the early signs of an actual bump. That is followed by self consciousness over the fact the bump is still too small to be an obvious baby bump to the random eye (but just big enough to look like you’ve got some excess weight). The excitement returns when the bump becomes big enough for any stranger to know you’re preggo. In the end, though, there is a lot of annoyance over the massive size of your belly. With that last stretch of feeling more than ready to be done with your pregnancy belly, you may be sorely disappointed to find out the belly doesn’t quite disappear after delivery. This mom shares a wonderful article, documenting her body to show mothers they are not alone in their body’s postpartum journey.

“There’s so much pressure to bounce back into your skinny jeans after childbirth, but physical appearance is only part of the story. So when my second son was born, I decided to document the “brutiful” – that’s brutal+ beautiful – truth about those early days up to 14 weeks.” [Read more here.]

My Real Postpartum Body: I Want Every Mom To Know That It’s Normal And You’re Beautiful Bored Panda 2017-03-19 23-58-35

 

MOTHERHOOD

 

Dear Best Friend, Even Though Life Gets In The Way, You’re Still My Person

Even with today’s countless means of communication , it becomes an extreme challenge to keep in close contact with even your closest friends once entering motherhood. The day-to-day moments are unpredictable and usually keep your hands tied, and when you actually aren’t assisting a kid in the bathroom or rocking a baby to sleep, you are trying to catch up on the 10 loads of laundry. Getting on the phone with your BFF is usually one of those things that you decide will have to wait for another day.   But that’s why that person will always be your “person”.

“These days there are fewer photos of us. There aren’t as many photographic images of our friendship in its current state. Our friendship seems to exist in a series of text messages, which would tell you almost everything you need to know about our friendship. Almost.” [Read more here.]

 

 

I Have Learned To Appreciate Having A ‘Lived In’ Home

Going through your daily routine of motherhood you don’t always think about how other people are living their life. (Although, social media is making that less and less the case.) However, it can easily cause a wave of doubt and frustration to visit friends’ houses who seemingly have it ‘all together’. There are a couple of things to remember with these situations. Obviously keep in mind you are only seeing a glimpse into someone else’s life and you have no idea the struggles of their daily routine. But mostly remember that the life you are currently living–the one full of chaotic children–is one that is short-lived and will one day be sorely missed. So, how do you want to remember these days?

“And then I heard it. I heard myself barking orders instead of having the kids run off and play. I felt the family dynamic shift. I could hear the faint whisper of  Annie’s “It’s the Hard Knock Life” cueing up.” [Read more here.]

Image: Anna Nahabed / Shutterstock

Image: Anna Nahabed / Shutterstock

 

INFANTS

 

First time moms: when to call your pediatrician? 

As a mother, you will likely never stop worrying about your children, but as a first time mom, you have extra worries simply because of lack of experience. This usually results in Google searches alongside a lot of phone calls to fellow moms, your own mom, and experts in the field, particularly your pediatrician. When exactly is it best to call or visit your doctor?

“Even though I don’t have my pediatrician on speed dial anymore, I wanted to find out whether I had a case of “first-time-mother” or if, in fact, it was better to be safe than sorry.”

The author interviewed a pediatrician with over 24 years of experience to get answers on not just when to call, but signs you can look for for peace of mind with your child. [Read more here.]

 

 

Here’s the Secret to Raising a Happy Baby — You’re Probably Already Doing It

There is nothing quite so heartwarming as that of the toothless, mouthy grin of pure joy expressed by a baby. Do you ever wonder how you can hold on to that perfect happiness for your child?

“Experts agree. ‘The key task of infancy is to develop trust,’ says Dr. Michael Paff, PhD, a child and school psychologist. ‘ The infant needs to know that if she is hungry, uncomfortable, or cold, the parent will respond. If her needs are met, then she can go on to develop other skills (like verbal speech), and other facets of her personality will emerge (like risk-taking). If not, development will be delayed, and the infant who does not develop trust may develop into an anxious, hesitant toddler.'” [Read more here.]

TODDLERS

 

How to Respond To Your Toddler’s 9 Most Annoying Behaviors

Terrible twos? Threenager? Familiar with the terms? What about a young child just past baby-hood who likes to push all of your buttons? If none of that rings a bell then you simply have not dealt with a toddler yet. While the ages of 2 to 4 bring some of the sweetest joys and silliest laughs, they will truly test your patience as your little ones begin to test limits.

“The more you tell a kid that their behavior is wrong, the more they want to do it. After all, they’re getting a reaction from you.. To change the behavior, you need to connect with your child and shift the “bad” behavior into a fun and silly behavior.”

This article covers the big issues you are bound to find yourself battling, including yelling, tantrums, fighting, hitting and more. [Read more here.]

 

 

Tips for Transitioning From Crib to Bed

There are a lot of milestones in a child’s life that you have little to no control over: a baby’s first steps or first tooth. Then there are milestones that you, the parent, have complete control over. It might be the first time you leave him with another caretaker or their first trip to the zoo. And then there is the first time he sleeps in a “big kid bed” (ie: anything other than a crib). This is obviously another bittersweet moment reflecting growth, but it can also be a huge challenge for a parent–so much so that you put it off. It can be hard to proactively choose to hit a milestone when you know that milestone will result in more work for you–and less sleep.

This mom shares how she managed moving her kids out of their cribs at only 18 months of age.  [Read more here.]

Little boy wearing blue pyjamas in bed

Little boy wearing blue pyjamas in bed

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