Nursing Pad Showdown

Last time I was nursing, I used a combination of disposable Lansinoh pads and washable pads. This time around, I am still using my washable pads at night and disposables again during the day, especially when out and about.

I'm a big milk producer, apparently, so tend to leak a LOT when I let down. Lucky me. I have been in a mall and had milk soak through a washable pad, bra, shirt, sweater, and a jacket... walking around in public with big dark wet spots on your front is neither comfortable nor attractive! So, pads are a must, and washables don't cut it unless I can change them and/or my shirt in a hurry.

Disposables are expensive. I mean, really... they cost so much more than pantiliners and aren't they pretty much the same thing in a different shape? Perhaps it's a demand thing. Anyway, I decided to try out some different kinds as I found that Lansinoh are pretty much at the top of the price scale.

Here's what I've learned so far.

For comparison, I've tried out Medela, Lansinoh and Johnson & Johnson disposable pads so far. Here are the pros and cons of each:

Medela
Pros: Come individually packaged, which is great for tossing in your purse. Cheaper than Lansinoh at around $10 a box of 60. Thin, so not as apparent under your shirt.

Cons: Individual packaging means they're more wasteful. I find the packaging difficult to open. There is an "open here" arrow that points to the side of the package, yet they rip most easily down the middle. The wrapper is also staticky, so once you tear it open it sticks to your hands. Weird pleats in the shape mean you get lumpy looking boobs. Just one adhesive strip means they shift around a lot, especially as the bra is up and down all day with nursing - and that means they're not always in the right place, and they get more lumpy as they start to break down. The worst thing about these is that they do not keep moisture away from the nipples. On a hot day if you are sweating or if you are leaking at all you will be able to feel moisture on your breasts under the pads. To me that screams bacteria - and I wonder if it's a coincidence that I got mastitis again with these pads. I will never buy these again.

Lansinoh
Pros: Come individually packaged, which is great for tossing in your purse. Very absorbent. Two adhesive strips means they stay in place - all day if necessary. Thin, so not as apparent under your shirt. A quick rub seems to smooth out any folds that show.

Cons: The most expensive at around $12+ for a box of 60. Individual packaging means they're more wasteful. The plastic packages are a little tricky to open (but not as bad as the Medela ones).

Just a note here that Lansinoh pads in Canada and the US are slightly different. The US ones are marginally better - packages are easier to open, and the pads are slightly more shapely. I discovered this after using American Lansinoh pads and then buying them here and being a little disappointed about the quality difference.

Johnson & Johnson
Pros: Very thick and absorbent. A single adhesive strip seems to work with these - because they are much more stiff and hold their shape better than the thinner Medela and Lansinoh. Again around $10 for a box of 60.

Cons: What is up with the "nipple" on these? I think it's bizarre! Completely visible under a bra and shirt, it looks like you have erect nipples (and Google is going to bring some strange visitors now I've said that) all day. Weird. Also, the pads are very thick which means they are also quite visible - they are smaller than the other pads, so you have a thick round circle on the front of your boob with a fake nipple on it. They look strange. And to me, already somewhat body-conscious so soon after baby, that's not good at all. No individual packaging means you can't really stick them in your purse unless you tuck them in a sandwich bag or something... and even if protected by a bag, they will get squashed and lose their shape. Then they'd be even more lumpy.

Overall, in my experience, the Lansinoh pads win, hands down. They may cost 20% more but they are worth it. I'm not sure I'll bother trying more brands unless someone recommends them to me. Do you have a favourite nursing pad? Or, one you don't recommend? I'd love to hear about it.

Surprise!

I've been a little quiet lately, keeping some BIG news to myself. We were waiting and waiting and waiting until our trip home over the holidays to let our family know that....

Mia's going to be a big sister!

I'm 16 weeks pregnant today! Baby's due in June.

The first trimester was really difficult this time. I was much more nauseous than with Mia, and so, so tired - no full night sleeps and first trimester exhaustion really wear on a mama. I'm a little less sleepy now, but I still need an afternoon nap when Mia naps to keep from becoming a cranky monster. 

I'll admit, I've had more than a few "what were we thinking?!" moments, as Mia at 23 months is still (yes, still!)  not sleeping through the night. She did SO well on our trip, with three nights in a row of 8 hours of sleep straight - which makes six nights in her entire life where she has slept 6+ hours in a row.

But, she is back to her old habits now that we are home. Last night she was up four times, at midnight, 3, 3:40 and 5:45am... I will say that I am used to it, but that doesn't really make it any easier.

And she's such a busy toddler, I have no idea how I'm going to manage the constant needs of a newborn with the constant needs of Mia! But I tell myself women have been doing this for thousands of years... I'm sure I'll get by. The hardest part is that I have no support system out here in Calgary. All our family is back in Ontario, and while I have friends here, they are busy with their own kids and won't exactly be able to drop everything to help me out when the baby's born.

Mia's also still breastfeeding about 2-4 times a day, which is actually way down from three months ago, when she was still nursing between 10-15 times a day(!). I don't mind nursing her at all, but I know that she won't be thrilled about sharing Mummy's "milks" with a baby.

Anyway, we'll be finding out what the gender is in early February. Any guesses? I can post a nub shot if anyone's into that, but I warn you, it's the most ambiguous nub shot I've ever seen :) Tricky little one!

Fairhaven Health Nursing Time Tea - Review and Giveaway!

I know, another giveaway?! Oh, my. I'm finding it a little hard to keep up with a toddler and a blog (how do those mums of many do it all??), and it seems the rambling posts have given way (for now) to the review posts. Hopefully my lovely readers can stand yet another review and giveaway :) 

I have had the pleasure of working with Fairhaven Health several times already and have never been disappointed by any of their products. I actually reviewed the Nursing Time Tea previously, back when Mia was just about 3 weeks old (read that post here, if you like).  Early on, I was so engorged all the time it was painful, and leaked ounces at every feeding (for about seven months. So glad that doesn't happen - often - anymore). Supply was not really an issue for me!

Now she's 15 months old, and it's a whole different game.  These days, I find that my milk supply changes with the time of the month, and there are days when she lets me know that I'm not meeting her quota!

I'm still nursing Mia frequently - I guess it's not that usual, as people seem surprised when they ask how much she nurses, and I reply, "Well, it's about six times before noon, and beyond that I lose track - as often as she wants!" I am proud to still be breastfeeding, especially after the ridiculous challenges we faced in the early days (raging thrush, mastitis, overactive letdown... it was excruciatingly painful for me and difficult for her). We are stubborn creatures, my daughter and I! (She does eat solid food, of course; she just loves her milk!)

And that's where the Nursing Time Tea comes in at this stage. I find that it helps during those times of the month when my supply is low. It's a relaxing blend of herbs that are lactagogues (promote milk production), help with gas for baby, and contain nutrients for mum and child. The ingredients are organic, and it is caffeine-free. A bag is about a 1-month supply!

I find the flavour to be herbal rather than "lemony" (as it is described) - with a predominant flavour of anise, which I love. Add a little honey or maple syrup in there and it's truly fabulous. I tend to brew a big pot, then keep it in the fridge. Hot, it's relaxing and soothing. Cold, it's refreshing.

Do you know what? I think the loose tea would be lovely in a not-too-sweet shortbread as well. A new kind of lactation cookies? Hmm! I may just try that.

Anyway, I am thrilled that Fairhaven Health has generously decided to offer one of my readers a bag of the loose leaf Nursing Time Tea to try out for themselves!


Click "read more" if you don't see the Rafflecopter form to enter!

Also, feel free to visit some of my past reviews for Fairhaven Health products: FertilAid for Women, FertileCM, FertilAid for Men and Digital Basal Thermometer, Natural Pregnancy Deodorant, DreamBelly Stretch Mark Cream, Nipple Nurture Balm, Nursing Blend Breastfeeding Supplement and Nursing Time Tea, Nursing Postnatal Breastfeeding Multivitamin and DreamBelly Stretch Mark Butter. Loved. Them. All.

Sleep....

My baby doesn't sleep. Still. She's 13 months and a week old. Still up five times a night, usually (more often now than she was night waking at 16 weeks) - nursing every time, because it's easier and kinder to all of us for me to bust a boob out and be back in bed 15 minutes later than to lie there for an hour not sleeping, listening to her cry until she cries so hard she throws up and then spend the next half hour scrubbing puke out of the carpet. That's my effort at letting her self-soothe and it does not work for this baby (and I feel like such a JERK for lying there while she is upset, too). I have tried more than once but it just doesn't sit right with me to ignore her cries. CIO is simply not for us. It doesn't work and it makes us all miserable.

I have ended up using overnight disposables at night (cloth during the day) because I was changing her three times a night with cloth. Yes, doubled-up with hemp inserts. I tried all kinds of things. She's a super heavy wetter and with so much night nursing, cloth just doesn't work for now. I still change her disposable at 5am because if I don't, she's soaked through her sleeper and the crib sheet by 7.

Bedtime is often a battle, involving crying. We have a bedtime routine - a sleep sheep, a bottle of water in the crib, a favourite bunny, bath time, stories and cuddles. Some nights she is so tired she crashes fast. But it's still a battle. She wakes after about an hour and a half every night, crying. I could set a clock by it. And then at 11, 12:30, 2:30, 5, and sometimes she will wake just 15 minutes after I get her back to sleep, crying. Bad dreams? Maybe not all the burps came out, although I do burp her after every nurse? I don't know.

And she doesn't nap without a good hard fight, either. Some days she does not nap at all and those are long, long days. Some days she will have two naps (rare) and those are great days.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted... so tired all the time. I haven't gotten a solid night's sleep in over a year and a half (I couldn't sleep through the night myself when I was pregnant). I can't even imagine waking up feeling well-rested.

When did your little one sleep through the night? I want to hear from the long-haulers, the mamas who stuck with attending their babies when they cried, the night nursers and attachment parents. Tell me this will not go on forever.

True story... as I was writing this, she woke up, 40 minutes after she went down at bedtime... sigh.

BumbleWee Nursing Wear - Review!

I've had the pleasure of reviewing a transitional top from BumbleWee Nursing Wear before (back when I just had a little bump!), and it's a top I still wear and love now that my bump is a baby! BumbleWee is a Canadian company that really cares about pregnant and nursing mamas, and helping them look and feel their best!

For their 3 year anniversary I was sent another fabulous nursing top to review. I received the Majamas Bramble Top, which is marked a "personal favourite" of Denise - the mum and cofounder of BumbleWee. That's a good endorsement as she has access to so many different brands and styles!

The style is a pull-aside overlayer with an underlayer for discretion. I really like this style of nursing top as there are no flaps that end up falling in Mia's face as with pull-up nursing tops. It also leaves very little exposed if you are nursing in public. It's super convenient, and a flattering design.

The fabric is a heavier weight, stretchy knit made of 95% modal and 5% spandex. Those fibers mean it hangs nicely and stretches comfortably. I like that it's heavier weight, because I find that nursing pads tend to add some (sigh) lumpiness. A very thin fabric just emphasizes that. I also like the detail at the shoulders, a bit of a gather with a detail of black and white patterned fabric. It's just a nice touch.

I think the fit is pretty flattering (forgive the wrinkles - I put it right on when I got it! Soon after, the wrinkles "fell" out.). It is the kind of top you could wear in early pregnancy as well - the empire waist is good for that. I think my bump was too big to have fit in this top during the last months of pregnancy (then again I loaded on 50+lbs -gasp!- and had a particularly big bump), but if you are looking for a transitional type top for early days and then nursing, this would be a good one. Denise tells me it fit her throughout her pregnancy, so it is possible! Not only that, but for her the fabric recovered beautifully from the stretch and went right back to the shape it should be! Is it weird now for me to say that I wish I could test that out for myself?!

As always, shipping from BumbleWee Nursing Wear was quick and I got the exact size and product I ordered - the helpful sizing guides for each garment mean I'm pretty sure before I order that it will fit. I love the quality of the fabric and stitching too. I have a nursing top from another company *coughExpressiva* where the stitching fell out and the fabric developed holes along the seams within the first couple wears. That is so not going to happen with the Majamas Bramble Top - it's well-constructed and high quality fabric.

You can check out the many different nursing tops available here, and keep in mind that BumbleWee also has lots of other products: maternity dresses and nursing dresses, pyjamas, nursing bras and accessories, and postpartum products, along with cute photo albums and such for kids. Shipping on orders over $200 is free to Canada and the continental US!

Do check out their big 3 year anniversary sale on now!

Like BumbleWee on Facebook for the latest news (and sometimes they have fun contests too!). They also keep a blog with breastfeeding articles and info about current events at BumbleWee. And you can follow BumbleWee on Twitter as well!

Disclosure: BumbleWee Nursing Wear provided me with a product to review. I was not paid for this post. My opinions are honest. Yep, I really do like it - and I'd tell you if I didn't.

Teething - a question for you!

Mia is finally cutting her first tooth. It started two days ago, at a couple days past 7 months old. She's been fairly good with it, just extra clingy and a little extra whiny, but still in a happy mood overall. She's been wearing an amber teething necklace for ages (we've been expecting a tooth since we first saw little white dots 3 months ago). Whether it really helps or not, I'm not sure, but it is cute!

My question for my experienced readers is - does teething bring barfing? Mia got over reflux (finally) at about 5 months old, and hasn't really had a problem with bringing up since. However, the last few days she's been throwing up a few times a day and I'm not sure if it's related to teething or if it's what I've been feeding her, as she is eating more solids now.

Not to be too graphic here, but I got barfed on today. In the FACE. As in, I picked her up and held her up to my face and she promptly lost it on my face. Barf was coating and dripping off my nose and chin. I'm yelling, "I need HELP! Get a CLOTH!" and my husband is spending time looking for an appropriate cloth, saying, "what cloth?" (as if I cared - how about whatever's at hand and fast!). It was so gross.  When he saw me, he said, "Don't look in a mirror when you wash it off!" It was really that bad.

I haven't been keeping a food log for her, so I've made it hard to try to connect any particular food with the barfing. Or perhaps it's something I've eaten, as I'm still breastfeeding her often. I've also got a cold (getting more miserable by the hour) and although she hasn't shown signs of getting it, I guess she could have a version of it.

I'm not looking forward to the first big chomp during nursing! She's bitten down a couple times with just the razor edge of that tooth poking through the gums, and it hurts. I've read the advice to bring baby close when that happens, so she opens her mouth to breathe, but I guess I don't have big enough or squishy enough boobs or something, 'cause I haven't had luck with that. I've instead broken the latch with a finger.

Can't wait to see how cute she looks when the teeth are up and out! :)

Fairhaven Health Breastfeeding Multivitamin - Review and Giveaway!

Another great product from Fairhaven Health has made its way to my cupboard. I am currently using the Nursing Postnatal Breastfeeding Multivitamin (yes, both nursing and breastfeeding are on the label!). Like it says, this one's for nursing mamas - specifically designed to help supplement your and baby's health after the birth and during breastfeeding.

I can't even begin to paraphrase all the good information about Vitamin D and B being so important for breastfeeding women, so I recommend you go check out the product page. It's interesting information (honest)!

They even have another option for mamas who need a little help with milk production - the Nursing Blend version contains herbal extracts for just that purpose. As I've mentioned before, I'm like some kind of crazy milk machine so I definitely don't want MORE milk! That one's not for me! But it's awesome that they are helping out mamas who need it.

The Nursing Postnatal Breastfeeding Multivitamin (phew...) dose is two capsules daily. You can take them both at once, or space them out for optimal absorption. Because I don't think I'll manage to remember to take them both if I space them out, I've been taking both in the morning. I was able to remember to take the FertilAid three times a day back when we were TTC, but then my mind was completely focused on the task at hand (like a crazy woman. I had the baby fever and I had it bad!) and it was like second nature to remember things like that. These days I'm scatterbrained enough trying to manage baby care with keeping a relatively clean house, trying to work a bit from home, cooking, you know... the zillion things women do every day and seem to manage in a capable fashion that have me scrambling.

Another plus - it's vegetarian-friendly. No gelatin in the capsule. Yay! 

I've had the pleasure of reviewing several products from Fairhaven Health over the last couple of years - here are some of my previous experiences with their products:

• FertilAid for Women
• Natural Pregnancy Deodorant
• Dream Belly Stretch Mark Cream (fyi - didn't get a single stretch mark from pregnancy!)
• Nipple Nurture Balm, Nursing Blend Supplement and Breastfeeding Tea

As you will see, I have nothing but good things to say about Fairhaven Health. Their products are consistently appropriate, safe, health-conscious and great quality.

Fairhaven Health has generously offered one of my readers a one-month supply of the Nursing Postnatal Breastfeeding Multivitamin! I know I have a bunch of lovely nursing mamas reading - this one's for you! 
click read more if you don't see the Rafflecopter form! 

BumbleWee Nursing Wear's Anniversary (contest & coupon!)

You may recall I had the pleasure of reviewing a top from BumbleWee when I was pregnant (ooh! Just over a year ago. How time flies!). I am looking forward to cooler weather when I can wear it again, as it is the perfect kind of transitional top that goes from bump to nursing. I'm still loving the soft fabric (it's so comfortable), the colour and style.

BumbleWee is celebrating its third anniversary with a fantastic contest! This is a photo contest - you simply upload a newborn or nursing photo to the contest page and the photo with the most votes will win!

The contest runs until September 21st, so there's still a good chunk of time to get your photo up and earn some votes! It's easy to add a photo to the site (I've entered mine already!) and it's fun to see who's getting the most votes.

What's the prize??? Well, how does $350 worth of maternity/nursing goodies sound? Here is the package:

• 2 Maternity & Breastfeeding Tops
• 1 Maternity & Breastfeeding PJ
• 1 Nursing Bra
• 1 Pumpease  - Pumping Support
• 1 Breastfeeding Bonnet
• 1 Nursing Cover
• 1 Photo Book

Hmmm, yes please! AND, every entrant gets a 30% off coupon towards any product in the 3 Year Anniversary Sale category. Already on sale and then 30% off that... just for entering. Sweet!

Leave a note if you enter, and I'll head over and vote for you myself :) And feel free to send a vote my way if you feel like it! I'm nowhere near in the lead but it's fun to see my picture get a few votes.

We're down with NIP

I've nursed in a lot of different places - at the mall, on airplanes and in airports, at family reunions, restaurants, in the car (stopped of course!), park benches, in crowds, you name it - but this is the prettiest place I've ever nursed:Behind me, a huge waterfall - you don't get a sense of the massive scale in this photo - and that's snow - yep, snow in July! We're up a mountain! And this is the view in front of me:We were at Waterton Lakes National Park for the weekend, hiking up a storm (this particular hike, to Lower Rowe Lake, was 8.2 km up the side of a mountain). Mia was in her new carrier (the Deuter Kid Comfort III) that my husband found secondhand.
She's still a little on the small side for it, but she finds it comfortable enough to sleep in for long hikes and my husband finds it comfortable to carry her in it.

The wildflowers were at their peak, and we saw all kinds of wildlife - antelope, black bears, marmots, bison, mule deer, snowshoe hares, pheasants, red fox, pikas, golden mantled and Colombian ground squirrels, and a stunning mountain bluebird. It was such a fun weekend. The town of Waterton is really nice, with little shops and a pretty waterfront.

Mia had her first pool swim (she did well, but I can't say she loved it). My husband was a lifeguard and swim instructor for years and years, so I trust him completely with water and Mia. I'm not a great swimmer, so I did have some anxiety over it. My hope is for Mia to be a happy, skilled swimmer so that she doesn't end up like me in that respect!

What's the prettiest place you've ever nursed your baby?

The Nursery - photo tour

Here are some pics of the nursery, just for fun. I am not a big fan of theme nurseries or gender-specific stuff, so we went with a colourful, eclectic look.

Her bookcase we got secondhand - solid wood, so perfect and we didn't pay an outrageous price. The decal of the branch and birds is from Wilson Graphics (read my review and see it being installed here). The little painting on top of the bookcase is by Toronto artist Scott Waters, and features a parakeet and sailboats. I love it.
The glider I bought secondhand (I paid $25 for the glider, plus $75 for fabric) and recovered (see the before and after here). The print above the glider is a monoprint I did in one of my university printmaking courses.The crib is secondhand, too (I paid $100). It was a drop-side crib, but my husband secured the side so it no longer drops down. I made the dust ruffle because I couldn't find one I liked - it's simply broadcloth in white and blue with a gold braid trim. The sailboat mobile is from ATG Stores, and the two quilts are handmade (all hand stitching!) by my aunt. The maple dresser is one I refinished the summer after high school. I remember stripping off about 9 layers of paint, so I couldn't bear to paint it white to match the other furniture! The shelves are from Ikea, laundry basket from Bouclair - I picked it up on sale for less than half price and added the fabric that I used on the glider to the laundry bag. To the right of the dresser (just outside the picture) is the dirty diaper pail for cloth diapers. The red horse on the top shelf I picked up at an art gallery in Spain years ago - it's modeled after a horse in a painting (and I have just totally blanked on the artist and the painting). The tigers are from my husband - he won a contest some years ago to name tiger cubs at the Metro Toronto Zoo, and along with a behind the scenes tour of the zoo he got those cute stuffed tigers. Something I did just today was add a couple of ribbons dangling from the shelving above the change table, with clips on them, and clipped on some Wee Gallery baby art cards in black and white - something to look at for her, and it's easy to change the images from time to time.
As you can see, I did end up using the wire alphabet that I made - my husband spray-painted it bright red and I love the way it turned out! I hung it using tiny finishing nails. Here's a close-up:And the little bird you may have spotted on the curtain rod... one I made just for fun a while back.
_____
We discovered the cause of all the nursing problems - thrush! No wonder I've been in so much pain. I knew it wasn't the latch!

The medicine they gave the baby (Nystatin) makes her spit up all day long, and the cream I've got (the one recommended by Dr. Jack Newman) doesn't seem to be helping much. Ugh. I've been treating this for a week and it has gotten better (I'm not in tears with every feeding) but it is not all better. It's driving me crazy. The next thing to try is vinegar (1:3 with water) swabs, and instead of giving the baby 2mL of Nystatin twice a day, swabbing her mouth with it instead so she's not taking so much in. I sure hope it starts working.

So I'm spending my days nursing, cleaning up after baby spits up - changing her outfit a lot, nursing again because she's hungry because she spat up all her milk... along with doing cloth diaper laundry and stuffing, and wishing she would sleep (this baby does not nap OR sleep at night!).

This is the first chance I've had to get on the computer for a week! I miss the blog and hope to get back on a more regular basis (just need to get her on track with that plan!). I have reviews of some really great products to write and giveaways too, so do bear with me, there is good stuff to come.

Lastly, I can't resist sharing a pic of our cutie - just over a month old now:

In love & BF help?

I know, I'm biased. But - isn't she great?

The only troubles I've been having are some issues with breastfeeding. I thought going in that it's natural and how hard can it be? I had the firm belief that it would be easy. HA! Everyone told me it was hard and they were right.

She is two weeks old tomorrow (wow!) and I am exclusively breastfeeding. She's gaining very well, no trouble with supply - but my nipples are so freaking sore. She's on 5-6 hours a day. They're cracked and just super, super sensitive. I've got an inversion on one side and engorgement on the other (which I have also had surgery on to remove a lump; it's not clear whether the milk ducts were affected by that). Maybe this is way TMI for a blog post?

I've had a public health nurse come by and spoken with two others on the phone... they're recommending baby-led latching, cold - NOT warm - compresses, cabbage leaves, air-drying. My midwife recommends NO cabbage leaves, warm and cold compresses, latching by popping the nip in when baby opens wide.

Of course, baby rarely seems to open wide enough and constantly has her hands up at her mouth when I'm trying to get her to latch (once she's on, we're good). When she is latched, she's grabbing and scratching at my breasts and her own face. Wearing mitts keeps the scratches down but her hands are still in the way. Argh!

Advice welcome, I've had so much contradicting advice so far a little more won't do any harm!