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0 In Baby/ Motherhood

Products for new mom and baby – a Babbleboxx review

Products for new mom and baby - babbleboxx review

This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own

Welcoming a new baby is an exciting time! One of things I looked forward to each time was trying out new products and gadgets for mom and baby. Babbleboxx recently sent me their new mom and baby favorites and I had the opportunity to test out some cool goodies. Read on below to see all of the products and read my review.

Baby Magic Bath and Body Products for Baby

Baby Magic’s Calming Baby Bath, Calming Baby Lotion and Gentle Baby Lotion keep your baby’s skin hydrated and soft. Baby Magic has been a trusted skincare company for little ones for several decades. All of their products are hypoallergenic and free of sulfates, dyes, parabens, and phthalates so you can feel safe using them on your babies. And they smell really good too!

Starting in September, Baby Magic will be donating a portion of proceeds to Baby2Baby. Baby2Baby is an organization that provides children living in poverty with all of their basic necessities, something every child deserves.

To purchase, click the links below.

Calming Bath

Calming Lotion

Gentle Baby Lotion

Disney Lullaby Playlist

One of the greatest gifts you can get as a mama, whether you’re a new mom or a veteran is the gift of sleep. Disney Lullaby is a playlist featuring calming renditions of all of your favorite Disney tunes to help soothe your baby to sleep. Music has been a huge help as far as getting our little guy into a sleep routine. (Read more about my sleep tips here). Download Disney Lullaby on whatever streaming service you use to stream your music.

Download the playlist on your preferred streaming service here

Auto-Dish Detergent Pods from Lemi-Shine

With a new baby around, you’re going to have alot more dishes and bottles to wash. Lemi-Shine dishwasher detergent pods combine citric extracts for extra cleaning power that helps remove hard water stains, stubborn grease and food. I love cleaning products that use less chemicals and these detergent pods are a cleaner version. They’re available at most major retailers like Target, Walmart and Amazon.

Get up and Go B12 supplement

Boost your B12 with these great tasting and quick dissolving B12 supplements by Pink Products. Each tab offers a blend of 5,000mcg of Vitamin B12 and L-Carnitine so 1 tab is all you need! Plus they’re free of gluten, dairy, artificial flavors and preservatives.

Visit pinkproducts.com for a $2.50 off coupon and to find a retailer near you! Valid through 12/31/20

My First Horoscope Book

I love all things that tell me more about people’s personality types, horoscopes, enneagrams you name it. This book is so cute! My First Horoscope would make a cute baby shower gift for expecting moms to learn more about their little one’s personality. Mav is a Cancer like me and Maxwell is a Libra like his dad. It’s so crazy the similarities.

Baby Banana

Baby Banana is a company most well known for their baby toothbrushes and teethers. These are a huge hit in our house right now since Mav is teething. All of their products are 100% non toxic and BPA free. We personally love the Mystical Dragon Toothbrush (also comes in a Unicorn) to help introduce little ones to oral hygiene as well as soothe achy gums (works great in the freezer!). The Lil Squish Jellyfish is also a great sensory toy and teether as well!

Use code FALL50 to get 50% off through 9/30/2020

Breastfeeding Consultation from SimpliFed

Lastly, if you plan on breastfeeding or pumping, this is a great resource for you! SimpliFed is a group of highly trained lactation consultants available online for virtual appointments to help you make decisions and guide you on your journey through feeding your baby. I love their mission which is to help moms through the decision making process of infant nutrition – whether that means exclusively breastfeeding, deciding what pump to buy and/or supplementing with formula.

SimpliFed is offering a 10% discount for all of my followers and subscribers ! Once you book an appointment, you will enter OURTINYNEST-SimpliBox110. This code will get you 10% off a 30- or 60- minute lactation consulting appointment.

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August 27, 2020 By Nicolle

0 In Motherhood/ pregnancy

Tips for preparing for your birth from a labor and delivery nurse

You’ve got the nursery organized, the carseat installed and your freezer stocked with freezer meals, but are you truly prepared for the birth of your baby? Preparing for the birth of your baby is an exciting time, but is also a time of information overload, and lots of emotions as well. As a labor and delivery nurse, one thing that I have learned is that each birth is different and unique, and there is no way to predict how things are going to go. Yet, there are some things that you can do to be prepared.

Here are some ways to prepare for your birth from a labor and delivery nurse:

Familiarize yourself with the birthing process. Education is key to helping dissolve any fears and build your confidence. The more you can become educated on the birthing process, the more comfortable you can become with what to expect. One topic that I find especially important for new mothers is to be familiar with the birthing process and the stages of labor.
Take some childbirth classes. Classes are a great way for you and your partner to learn different relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms to help you through labor. In addition, they are also a great way for your partner or support person to learn how they can best support you throughout the birthing process. There are many different kinds of classes from Lamaze, to the Bradley Method to Hypnobirthing. You can reach out to your obstetrician or midwife or the hospital in which you plan to give birth to see what classes they offer. Some classes even include a tour of the hospital or birthing center as well.
Create some sort of birth plan. As a labor and delivery nurse, I do remind women that birth may not always go the way they had planned, and at the end of the day, the best plan is a healthy mom and baby. But it’s a good idea to have some sort of idea as to what’s important to you and your partner and have a discussion ahead of time with your obstetrician or midwife. And most moms feel comfortable knowing that they have a plan in place should certain situations arise. When you check into the hospital, let your nurse know your wishes for example if you want delayed cord clamping, or skin to skin. But remember, the best plan is a healthy mom and healthy baby, however that should happen.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I had envisioned going into labor naturally and having an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. However, at 37 weeks, I found myself being induced for high blood pressure and ultimately it ended in an emergency c-section. (You can read more about my birth story here). While it was not the way I had planned, at the end of the day, we were both healthy.

Even though I was a labor and delivery nurse and familiar with the different methods of induction, at the time being in that situation, I wasn’t thinking as a nurse. I was a sleep deprived mom in that hospital bed and all of my clinical thinking and reasoning went out the window. However, had I had somewhat of a plan in place in the event that induction was necessary, I would have discussed with my provider the different cervical ripening methods and played a more active role in the decision making. In the end, the outcome wasn’t what I had envisioned, but both myself and baby were healthy and that was all that mattered.

While every birth plan may look different and certainly isn’t set in stone, education is the key to being prepared for your birth.

Click here to check out my post on what to pack in your hospital bag and get my free printable checklist

Check out my tips on preparing for your c-section and recovery

August 12, 2019 By Nicolle

7 In Motherhood

A letter to me before you

Do you ever look back and think how different you were before becoming a mom? If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice before entering motherhood what would you say? I’ve linked up with some other mamas and we’ve all written a letter to our pre-mama selves doing just that. When you’re finished reading mine, head to the bottom of this post and read their versions of “A letter to me before you”.

Dear mama,

Yes you, I’m talking to you. You’re a real ball of fire. You’ve worked so hard to reach academic success and now you’re a hard-working career woman, bringing home the bacon. But you know how to have fun too. There’s lots of nights out for drinks after work, brunches on the weekend, and boy do you shop til you drop. You take pride in yourself, putting yourself first. You enjoy living carefree and having no commitments.

You’re still not quite sure you’re cut out for the motherhood thing. Trust me, you’ll know when it’s time and it’s the best thing that will ever happen to you. And when it is time, you’ll have to work really hard at it, but you’ve always persevered. With a little help from science, it will happen. From that moment on, your whole life will change. And there’s no greater joy than watching as a life grows inside you.

The minute you see your husband holding your new baby your heart just swells. You’ll go home with that little bundle and when the sleepless nights hit and the monotony of maternity leave sinks in think to yourself “what have I done?” But you’ll get through it. You’re not used to asking for help, but that’s what family is for.

Some days, you won’t even recognize yourself. You will look in the mirror one day and see that you have morphed into a totally different person, one who’s been wearing that same pair of leggings for a week and with spit up on your shirt. But it’s the best version of you. Don’t get hung up on those stretchmarks and deflated breasts. Those are your reminder of what an incredible miracle your body grew.

Don’t worry about being perfect. Your son will remind you daily that he doesn’t want the perfect mom, he wants you. He doesn’t care if your house is clean, or that the sink is full of dirty dishes. Hold him as long as you want, everything else can wait. And when he wants you to get down on the floor and play with him, just play. He will teach you not to take life too seriously. That smile of his and that musical laugh, there’s no better sound in the world and you will do anything to make him laugh again, just so you can hear it.

When it’s time to go back to work, your heart will feel like it’s being torn. But you’ll learn to balance career and family. And now, your priorities have changed. There will be no greater sense of pride or accomplishment than when you see your son do something new for the first time. Or when you come home from a long day at work and he runs over to you and throws his arms around you and says “I wuv you mama”. And as you cuddle on the couch, all of the day’s stresses just melt away. Because this is all that truly matters.

And when it’s time for baby #2, you’ll think to yourself “how could I love another baby as much as the first?” and a whole nother set of worries will appear. But you’ll manage and figure it out, just like you did the first time. Because if there’s anything motherhood has taught you, it’s that you’re flexible, yet resilient.

By far, becoming a mom is the greatest gift. You will truly find yourself in motherhood. And while you may not be the same woman you once were, loving another little human more than you could possibly love yourself is your greatest success.

March 21, 2019 By Nicolle