a must have for mamas
On a trip to the city to see a friend's play, my husband and I forgot our little black diaper bag in a taxicab (oops!).
On my quest - to buy new stuff, I didn't get anything except for this treasure I stumbled upon. It's made of plastic (boo! hiss!) and it's not made of recycled materials (even worse!) but it has one amazing redeeming feature - it saves your milk!
Let me back up for a moment and explain: when I first had Bear, it took a few times of baby being wet for me to realize that my boobs were leaking - that clued me in, along with the ants who moved into my house to drink my fabulous vegan milk. Anywho, I asked a friend what to do. She said, stuff your bra with a big sock. That worked for the first eight weeks when I didn't leave the house, but once I was out and about, I needed a better solution.
This milk saver was the answer! While you feed your baby, it collects milk from your other boob. Now, instead of soaking it up with a sock, I save the extra milk. Sometimes I save an ounce at a time, maybe more.
I use it facing this way. The nipple goes inside the hole and milk collects in the bottom so you can save it. I put it inside my nursing bra to hold it in place. Just make sure to give it a cleaning a couple times a week. It's been a Godsend up until now.
It's so helpful, because I'm with the baby all the time, so sometimes I forget to pump. Now, for times when my husband is withBear and needs milk, he can just use the milk I saved. All those little drops add up! I love it, and I use my milk saver everyday, many times a day. The only problem is that I'm a klutz, and sometimes I forget to take out the milk saver before I bend down - then I spill my precious milk everywhere. Makes me so mad every time - but then I smile.
Anywho, I love to avoid waste wherever possible, so this milk saver has been a treasure for me. Plus, it keeps my bra dry and my (or my husband's) socks clean!
All you kind mamas, is there a gadget you can't live without? Share what it is and why you love it in the comments below!
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9 comments
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The joys of being a new mother are just so awesome! That's why I love working with new mamas about breastfeeding!
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I also wasn't interested in wiping my precious baby's bums with chemicals! I got a wipes warmer, (which I realize isn't the most eco purchase, but it saved a LOT of garbage), and I cut up old receiving blankets into wipes size and just folded them up into the warmer and added tap water. I kept a little stack of dry "wipes" to dry them off, and then used my own natural, homemade bum cream. I keep a garbage can nearby with the wet bag that my cloth diper kit came with, and I just throw the whole works into the wash once(ish) every week or so. My babies have never had a diaper rash :)
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Oh- also in another post I read of someone with ideas for wipes- I use a soft cloth and keep two containers in the change room with some warm water and add essential oils like a drop or two of lavender to it. (one to wrinse the other to dampen) Then used that to wipe with. My babies have sensitive skin and most "general wipes" have all kinds of nasty ingredients in them. If they can clean crayons off your walls when nothing else will then probably not a good thing to wipe little ones with!
There is a brand that I found for when I am out and about- I got them at Walgreens- Aleva Naturals- Bamboo Baby wipes. They are 100% biodegradable, no sulfates, parabens, chlorine etc.
Hope these ideas help!
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Hi Everyone! I have two little girls and am a couple of months away from welcoming our third! My favourite "can't live without" is: after trying numerous cloth nappies- even the old school ones my mum used, and handmaking my own- I finally settled on the G- Diaper brand. They are very convenient, not as bulky as most, you can use cloth inserts or you can get the biodegradable disposable inserts- these can literally be flushed in your toilet. You swirl it around and watch it break up or if you bin it you can watch a photo montage on their website of it composting down in a very short amount of time (I haven't seen it in a while but it was within a month or two I believe). The outer part of the nappy you can use over and over again and wash it just the once every day or two if needs be- as it has a liner that keeps the insert seperate. These helped prevent mountains of laundry and water usage, and allowed the convenience of disposables without the damage!
I loved the Boppy too! That really helped with the initial back/shoulder pains.
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My boppy pillow is still used alot and my daughter is now 5 years old. what I love best about it: My aunt used it for her 2 kids (the oldest is now 24 years old), and I have used it for my 2 kids. I don't see me ever giving it up, because we pull it out all the time to snuggle with. Plus my cat would probably hate me if I got rid of it.
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I also wanted to mention that I donate my extra breastmilk to a hospital (do your research first and make sure they won't sell it but will give it to babies). Vegan milk is especially important. If you're within a few hundred miles of North Carolina, Wakemed mother's milk bank will pay to have your milk shipped to them, and the will send you bags to collect your milk.
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Fuzzi Bunz are great and there's a less expensive brand called Comfy Rumps that I bought. It certainly saves a ton of waste compared to disposable diapers, and it's not much hassle.
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I adored "Fuzzi Bunz"{http://fuzzibunz.com/} cloth diapers when my baby {now 7!!!} was in them. I also nursed both of my girls and loved these: http://www.lilypadz.com/ I also couldn't live without my bravado bras and nursing tops!!! I breastfed everywhere without ever covering up thanx to those things, even as we walked along the busiest of beachside boardwalks! :)
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