Mommy Necklaces

Internet!  It's been a while!  Sorry for the delay in recent posts... we've had the back-to-(pre)school sniffles and sickness around here the last few weeks and are finally starting to feel rested and healthy again...so back to the post!

Since I am once again tethered at the breast to a baby (or at least that's what it feels like most days, especially since she (still!) refuses to take a bottle), I spend a fair bit of time nursing.  One of my favorite things is to look down at her while she is eating, and see her reach her hand up towards me, the sparkle in her eye ... and then things take a turn for the worse - she either pulls my hair, or digs her razor sharp fingernails into my chin, or grabs hold of the neckline of whatever shirt I'm wearing and pulls it just as hard as she can (which is remarkably hard, considering she is just a baby!).  If this has happened to you, you know you now have the joy of wearing a shirt that has a neckline all warped and stretched out, so it looks like you pulled a beach ball through the neckline before you got dressed in the morning.

The trick is to give the baby something appropriate to grasp and pull on, such as a Mommy Necklace.  No, I'm not suggesting you let baby make a plaything out of your finest pearls...there is actually jewellery designed exactly for this purpose.  Made of high quality, lab-tested acrylic beads, Mommy Necklaces are not only made to last, but they are really pretty!  I personally have the Aurora Dangling Donut and the 34" "Simply Snazzy" design, both of which I got on Baby Half Off (have I mentioned how much I love that site?). 

The Aurora is my favourite thanks to the jewel tone bead colours, the fun donut feature that baby loves to play with, and the perfect length (for me).  The Simply Snazzy is also really pretty but I find the rings over the beads to be kind of noisy when they move around, plus the 34" length is just a bit much for me, and tends to lay on top of baby's face while she's feeding, which is distracting to her and me.  Both necklaces come with a fantastic break-away closure made of a black rubbery plastic material, the ends snap together and will pull apart if there is too much pressure (ie, baby gives a super hard yank, the necklace will unclasp, instead of digging into your neck).  I have not had baby pull hard enough on it yet to make it come undone, so I don't think you need to worry about having it come undone unintentionally.

The necklaces are attractive and stylish enough to wear with your normal day to day clothes, so you can wear them long after you finish nursing your little one.  They come in so many different styles and colour combinations that there is surely a perfect Mommy Necklace for everyone.   Have a look at www.mommynecklaces.com to see some of the styles available.

Leading Lady - Nursing Bras and More - GIVEAWAY

Last week, I received a wonderful package in the mail. I had been anticipating a nursing bra from Leading Lady to review on this blog, and imagine my delight when in the box were TWO lovely nursing bras, exactly the ones I had hoped to be able to review for you all.

Leading Lady is more than just a retailer of nursing and full-figure bras, they also support nursing moms via their website.  They have a dedicated section of their website called Amy's Corner where user submitted questions are answered by a lactation consultant.  Their helpful articles there include tips on breastfeeding in the heat of summer, breastfeeding your baby when you are sick, and making holidays less stressful so you can spend more time with baby.

They also make and sell some great and affordable nursing bras, such as the "Baby Sees It" molded seamless underwire, and the lovely molded seamless lace edged underwire, both of which I will review here.  Each of these two bras is well made, the stitching is tight and secure, and the bands are wide enough for a triple hook closure (there are also FOUR! different closure settings so I could really customize the fit).  They both look brand new even after being worn, spit up on, and washed.  The cups are molded so even when nursing, I can maintain a sleek silhouette under summer's light tees and tanks*.  The inside slings are secure and so I felt supported even when baby was nursing, and the fact it didn't shift around also made it easy to pull up the molded cup and fasten the clasp with one hand while balancing a sleepy baby with the other hand.  The openings are generously sized, and do not leave any unsightly bulges at all.  When I chose the size bra to order, I followed the website's fit guide, which suggested a 36C.  I am currently wearing a 36D and 34D in other brands, so I took a chance, and ordered a 34D despite the size chart's recommendation.  Both bras fit me very well, however, the band on the Baby Sees It bra is less stretchy than the lace edged one, and so I have to wear it on the very last closure setting.  If you are uncertain which band size to order, for this style I would suggest rounding up, since it has four settings for the closure, you should get a good fit that way.  The lace edged one fits like it was made for me, since the band is a bit stretchier, and so I use one of the middle 2 sets of hooks to close it.

* Both bras also received the husband-thinks-they're-sexy stamp of approval.

The Baby Sees It bra has a couple of really neat special features: the sling fabric is printed with a bold high-contrast pattern to draw baby's attention to it while feeding, and the straps are wider and padded for comfort.  I found that when nursing with a button front shirt, the printed sling "Baby Sees It" feature really did draw my baby's hands and eyes to it (and kept her from pulling my hair, yay!).  The effect was a little less noticeable when nursing in a shirt lifted up for baby's access, because the tucked up shirt covered part of the sling.  I was concerned that the print might be distracting or keep baby from falling asleep at the breast but I didn't have to worry (I guess the sleep-inducing powers of breastmilk are hard to beat).  The wide padded straps really added to the comfort of this bra, my only other molded bra up til now has ridiculously tiny straps that dig in within the first hour of wearing it.  Now that I have these two lovely bras in my collection, that old one is going into the bin.

I was unsure about how comfortable a lace edged underwire bra could be, since lace can be a scratchy material, but the lace used in this bra is the softest I've ever felt, it looks very elegant and feels so soft against my skin.  The straps are not padded like the Baby Sees It, but they are still generously wide, and have the convenient feature of adjusting in length at the FRONT.  Most bras have the strap length adjustment in the back, but this bra has it on the front of the strap so you can actually get the correct length without having to either contort your arms behind you or take it off to do the adjustment free-hand while you are not wearing it.

Leading Lady has been kind enough to offer to ONE of my readers a $10 discount off your order with free shipping on the entire order.  They do only ship to the US at this time, so this giveaway would make sense for my US readers or those with a US shipping address.  To enter, please visit their website (http://www.leadinglady.com/) and leave a comment here saying what you'd like to order using the $10 discount.

Their bra prices are already very reasonable, so having an extra $10 off plus free shipping would be a great deal!  They also are running a great deal on their website right now (til August 31st 2011) with 20% off your order and free shipping if you buy over $75.

Plus earn up to 3 extra entries by:

1. Liking "Geekmommy Reviews" on Facebook and telling me you did this in the comments (be sure to let me know your name on Facebook)
2. Following @geekmommyreview on Twitter and tweeting about this giveaway (be sure to link to the tweet in the comments)
3. Following this blog on Google Friend Connect and telling me you did this in the comments

Winner will be drawn on Friday September 16th, 2011 using Random.org.  Your odds of winning obviously depend on number of entries received.

*Disclaimer:  Geekmommy Reviews was given free of charge the product(s) to review in exchange for featuring this product on http://www.geekmommyreviews.com.  Any opinions or statements given above come only from Geekmommy Reviews and were not influenced in any way by the product vendor.

Nursing Covers - Udder Covers and Cover In Style by Hooter Hiders

I'll admit, I'm not really that big on "covering up" when nursing my baby - it's usually too warm for her and me, she is at that distracted age where she would just grab it and pull if I did try to use a cover, and it's just one more thing to carry around.

However, there are occasions where a coverup has been perfect. Take for example the time I had to nurse my son in the hospital waiting room when he was just a few days old. Neither of us had any idea about breastfeeding and so latching was an awkward and time consuming process (with way more exposure than I was comfortable with at the time). Or how about the times that I have ventured out to church with a baby, that isn't exactly the kind of place where I'd like to whip out a boob... Not to mention that not everyone is as easygoing as I am with breastfeeding in public, and some places even give nursing moms a hard time (that is awful, I'm glad no one has ever told me to cover up, I think they would have gotten an earful!).

I have a new black and white Udder Covers brand coverup and a borrowed pink and white Cover in Style coverup by Hooter Hiders. Both operate on the same premise, they are a rectangle of fabric with a strap attached, and a section of hem between the strap connections that has some boning to make a stiff opening when the strap is fastened around your neck. This opening can be made bigger or smaller by loosening or tightening the strap. Both nursing covers allow this to be done fairly easily using a double d-ring fastener. Once the cover is on, simply bring the baby into position, arrange the fabric around him/her, and rest assured that no one will be seeing anything that you don't want them to. I suppose if you are sitting down and someone stands up behind you, they could possibly see in from the top, but really? Who does that? (Please tell me no one does that...)

The Cover in Style has a terry fabric pocket on one corner, it's great for wiping up any milk leaks or spit up without having to wrestle with another piece of cloth.  Both coverups fold/roll up quite small and so they don't take up much space in your diaper bag. I usually keep mine in the car so that if I happen to be in a place where I need it, I have it handy. They are machine washable (delicate cycle recommended), and can go in the dryer on low heat, though I usually line dry mine.

Both the nursing covers come in a great selection of colours and patterns, I would recommend a lighter colour if you think you'll use it outdoors where the sun can make it uncomfortably warm for you and baby. You can check out the selection of Udder Covers at http://www.uddercovers.com, as well as use the store locator to find a local retailer (and save yourself the $10 shipping!).  Although they don't seem to make the Cover in Style anymore, you can also look at the similar Hooter Hiders and Bébé Au Lait nursing covers at http://www.bebeaulait.com. All of these brands will cost somewhere in the $30 to $40 range.

My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

I had a simple Jolly Jumper nursing pillow when I was breast-feeding my son, and for the most part, it did what I needed it to do. But it was sometimes awkward to get it into the right position, and as my son grew, I found that his body being supported at the same height as his head was kind of like you or I lying in bed on our side without a pillow...not comfortable and definitely not that conducive to breast-feeding. So I ended up hunched over and supporting his weight on my arm despite the pillow being there. It was not that great for my back, let me tell you.

When I was pregnant I heard a lot of good things about the My Brest Friend nursing pillow, and I must say, now that I'm using it, I definitely feel it is a good choice of nursing pillow, especially if you tend towards chubby babies that are heavy to hold in those long late night "feeding frenzies" (or am I the only one whose baby takes two hours to settle to sleep at night?)

It is made of foam and has a comfortable C shape that curves around the front of your body, and a narrow piece that goes behind your back. The narrow piece can be buckled to the front part (essentially so you are wearing it like a belt) or you can leave it undone. I prefer to leave it undone so that when my baby finally falls asleep, I don't risk waking her up by fiddling with buckles, etc on our way from rocking chair to crib. The top of the pillow is a uniform flat surface except for two small hill-shaped "pillows" which gently support baby's head while nursing.  The cover has an attached pocket for any essentials, Vitamin D drops, or a book to read while nursing, or whatever else you can think of.

The cover is removable and washable, which is great, because few things see as much spit up as mommy's shoulders and nursing pillows... I'm not sure if the foam core is machine washable, so I always try to keep a spare blanket on the "business end" to help minimize the number of times the cover needs to be removed and cleaned.

If you are the type to need a nursing pillow, I would highly recommend the My Brest Friend pillow. You can find out more at http://www.mybrestfriend.com/

Review: Glamourmom Nursing Tanks and Tops

Back when I was nursing my son 4 years ago, I heard about Glamourmom and their fantastic nursing tanks/tops.  I wanted to get some but just couldn't justify the cost at the time.  But when I was pregnant with my daughter, and I saw them come up on Babysteals.com, I couldn't resist.  I purchased 3 of them.  (I had tried them on at a local retailer to make sure I was ordering the right size...)  When I got them, one had a teeny tiny hole in it, which Babysteals made right, right away, by sending me a similar replacement.  So now I have a blue nursing bra top with lace, a nude nursing bra top (with a teeny tiny hole), a purple nursing bra tank, and a light pink nursing bra tank.  They are all great, but I wish the tanks also had the wider elastic straps and the nursing bra type closure, rather than spaghetti straps and the smaller flat closure.

The "tops" have slightly wider straps and a secure clicking closure like most nursing bras have.  The "tanks" have narrower straps and a closure more like the back of a bikini top.  While they do also click securely, it's a bit more fiddly to close them up with one hand (while juggling a baby on your shoulder) and so sometimes I don't get them clicked all the way shut, and then I end up walking around the house with what some might call a wardrobe malfunction.  Not cool.  HOWEVER - both the "tops" and "tanks" styles have amazing support.  They have a secure shelf bra built in, and an extra layer of mesh fabric in the fold down part that really holds things in well.  I would never think of going out of the house in a typical shelf bra tank, but I have worn these out (under a hoodie or button up shirt) a ton of times without feeling self conscious at all.

They are very comfortable, although I do suggest getting a size bigger than what you typically wear (I'm a M in most things but had to get the L in the tanks/tops so that the shelf bra elastic would fit comfortably).  They are generously long so they cover the post-partum belly area nicely.  The "tops" are also made of a material that is stretchy yet holds things together to help give a smooth line when worn under a shirt.  They come in many different colours so you are sure to find something you like.  Check out the selection and get more information (including where to buy) over at http://www.glamourmom.com/index.asp.

Review: LoseIt! iPhone App

We've all got the baby weight to lose, some of us are lucky enough to lose it while our kids are still babies, others are still toting the baby weight along to preschool graduation, even high school graduation.  I personally called it baby weight til my little boy turned two...then I just called it extra weight.  I did end up losing it though, using an app called LoseIt!  I started using LoseIt! when my son was almost 3, and in about 6 months, I managed to shed almost 20lbs.  Then I got pregnant with my daughter, but instead of abandoning LoseIt!, I adjusted my daily calorie target to account for the extra calories needed during pregnancy.  I don't know if it was just using LoseIt! or if there was something else at play, but I did not gain nearly as much with my second pregnancy than with my first (and that's even with the 9th month of crazy chocolate cravings...).  I'm still using it (most days) now that I'm breastfeeding (again, I added calories to my target to make sure I'm getting enough), and after three short months, I'm only a few pounds from pre-baby weight.

I'm not an advocate for "diets" - fancy and scientific though they may be, the basic concept of weight loss is still limiting your calorie intake while maximizing your calorie expenditure through activity.  LoseIt! app for iPhone helps you to track calories in/calories out in a simple and quick way.  Because let's face it, we're busy moms, we don't have time for fancy journals, point calculations, support group meetings/weigh-ins, or typing in all of the nutritional info of each thing we eat.  LoseIt! allows you to select from the HUGE list of built-in foods, their food database even includes restaurant foods which is handy when you are eating out.  For the odd item that isn't in the database, LoseIt! app allows you to enter in custom foods.  Not only can you enter in custom food data, but you can even enter in custom recipes!  You just add foods to the recipe, say how many servings it makes, and it calculates the calories for you.

The best part is that the app is on your iPhone, so you can have it with you everywhere you go.  That also means there's no excuse to not log your meals.  LoseIt! can be set up to remind you at a set time if you haven't entered, say, your breakfast by 10am.  LoseIt! also tracks your exercise, so anytime you do anything, be sure to enter it in.  It does the calorie expenditure calculations based on the weight you are on the date you exercise, so you'll also want to make sure that you log your weight regularly.

If you want to try LoseIt!, check out their website here: http://www.loseit.com/ or check it out on the iTunes App Store (it's FREE): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lose-it/id297368629?mt=8

Review: Milkshirt

While there are many flattering nursing shirts out there, such as Milkstars Nursing Tops, sometimes you just want to wear your "before" shirts.  What you may not want is to have to lift up your shirt to feed your baby and have a few of those soft squishy belly rolls freed for the world to see.  Even if you're not self conscious about them, it can be cold & breezy with your midsection exposed.  This is where a wonderful invention called the Milkshirt comes in. 

Milkshirt (black)

The Milkshirt is a basic tank top style undershirt, but with a special feature - holes where your breasts are.  Even though it looks kind of silly drying on your clothesline, it looks great while wearing it.  It comes in black or white, and is worn over your nursing bra and under your normal shirt.  The holes are edged/hemmed so that the shirt lies flat under your regular tops.  When I bought them online I was worried that the edges of the holes might show through my shirts, but that hasn't been a problem with most shirts, the only times they do show is if I'm wearing a particularly low cut or V-neck shirt.  I like how they add an extra layer of comfort to your outfit, and they are made of soft breathable cotton.  I do wish they were a bit longer in the waist area, because I find sometimes when I sit down, the back will come untucked from my jeans.  Granted, I tend to wear somewhat lower rise jeans - no "mom jeans" here - so this may not be an issue for everyone.

The Milkshirt sells for about $20, and if you think of how two Milkshirts (one black, one white) can pretty much turn your ENTIRE wardrobe into nursing tops, it is well worth the money.  They can be machine washed & tumble dried, and they seem to hold up really well with repeated washing/drying - no pilling or fading so far.  You can read more about the Milkshirt over at http://milkshirt.com/.

Review: Ingrid & Isabel Bellaband (vs generics)

I bought my Ingrid & Isabel Bellaband when I found out I was pregnant, thinking it would, as advertised, be great for holding up my "normal" pants in early pregnancy and covering the gap between the bottom of too-short maternity tops and low-rise maternity pants in late pregnancy.  It did both of these things well, but what I consider the BEST use of the Bellaband is the containing and hiding the post-pregnancy midsection jiggly bits.  I wear it with normal shirts and it turns any shirt into a nursing top by hiding the midsection that tends to hang out and greet others when I am breastfeeding.   It comes in a ton of colours (though I just have one, in a neutral cream shade) so you can co-ordinate it with any wardrobe.  Because it is basically an elastic tube, it not only hides your midsection, but it also helps rein in any post-baby muffin top and smooths any other lumps and bumps so that you can look sleek (if not slim) in your summertime tanks and tees.

After buying an Ingrid & Isabel Bellaband (on eBay, to save money), it occurred to me that I might want more than one, in different colours, so I went splits with a pregnant friend on a set of five generic bands from another eBay seller.  I think I bought the wrong size, because I find the generic bands to be too stretchy to really hold anything in, and a bit too tall to wear post-baby.  I like to use the back pocket of my jeans (yes, my iPhone gets sat on ALL.THE.TIME.) and so I don't like to pull the band down so far that I don't have access to the pocket, but with the generic band, I have to pull it down this far so that it doesn't bunch up under my bra.  I was a size 8/10 pre-pregnancy, and so I bought the Bellaband in their size 1 (sizes 0 to 8).  I bought the generic bands in a size Medium (sizes 6-12) because I thought that would be more appropriate than their size Small (0-8).  If I were to do it over, I think I would have bought either two Ingrid & Isabel (one light, one dark), OR I would have gotten a 5 pack of the generics in a size Small.  I still think the Ingrid & Isabel brand has a better stretch and "holding power" so budget permitting, that's what I would choose.

Check out the Ingrid & Isabel Bellaband on their website at http://www.ingridandisabel.com/category/ingrid-isabel-catalog/bellaband.  Or, opt for the generic brand bands over on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.ca/1-2-3-5-BE-BELLA-Bands-maternity-belly-nursing-tops-/

How about you - did you wear a belly band in your pregnancy or afterwards? Did you have a preferred brand?

Review: Milkstars Nursing Tops (Styles: Joan and Jenny)

I bought two Milkstars nursing tops from Babysteals when I was still pregnant, for the same reason that I bought my Bravado nursing bras (check out the full review here) - so I could nurse my baby in comfort and style.  Boy, do these shirts deliver in both departments!

Milkstars nursing tops are made of the softest fabric that drapes perfectly against your figure without being tight or clingy.  The two styles that I bought have short sleeves, and have 2 layers of fabric all around.  This is so that you can lift the top layer of the shirt to give your baby access to feed, without having to bare your belly or any other unfortunately lumpy bits.  The openings in the bottom layer are generously sized so you won't have to tug at the shirt to keep fabric from getting in baby's mouth or face.

The shirts come in many different styles and colours, I bought the Jenny (scoop neck, cap sleeves) in a bold purple shade, and the Joan (scoop neck, flutter sleeves) in a hot pink.  I wish I had ten of these shirts, whenever they are clean, I am wearing them.  Once they've both been worn, I usually will do a load of laundry just so I can get them back into the rotation.  The Milkstars website recommends hand washing the shirts but acknowledges that busy moms probably won't have time for this (exactly!) so they also state that machine washing on a gentle cycle and then laying flat to dry will also work.  I have a philosophy about clothes that are supposed to be hand washed, which is as follows: if they can't survive the delicate cycle on my washer, then I wasn't meant to own them.  The Milkstars shirts have not let me down in this department.  I have even hung them on the line to dry, but I don't recommend this as the clothespins do leave dents/marks wherever it is clipped.  They do dry nicely on an indoor rack where you can fold them in half to hang them up.

I do wonder why the shirts have the double layered fabric in the back as well as the front, perhaps it is to help the material fall nicely around the body, but it does add a bit of extra warmth which I don't really need, I find that breastfeeding is enough to keep me warm most days without extra layers on top.

If you'd like to buy a Milkstars nursing top, you can do so from their website at http://www.milkstars.com - they offer flat rate shipping to the US ($7) and to Canada ($12) so you might as well get more than one!  They are currently advertised from $56 to $60 for shirts, $79 for pyjamas (be still, my heart... I would LOVE to try these out!), and $85 for a dress.  I was fortunate enough to buy my two shirts when they were on Babysteals.com for half price (http://www.babysteals.com) but if you were to spend $30-$40 on a regular nursing top from a maternity shop, you might as well put in the extra $20 and get one of these, because you will love it forever.

DEAL ALERT!  Right now on their Facebook page (search for Milkstars Nursing Wear) there's a 25% off sale code that's valid til Wednesday - so move fast!

Review: Bravado Lifestyle Microfiber Bra

With my first pregnancy I had no idea how flubby and unattractive I would feel after giving birth and before getting my figure back.  I had purchased 6 cheap cotton nursing bras, with seams in unfortunate places (so they were never smooth under t-shirts), and they did not offer much support.  The colours were good, I had two white, two black, and two nude.  However, I never really felt good wearing them.  They did what they needed to do, but weren't exceptionally comfortable, and definitely were not attractive in any way, shape, or form.

So this time when we found out we were expecting again, I resolved to only wear maternity and nursing clothes that made me feel good about myself.  I bought 3 Bravado Lifestyle Microfiber bras in the "Enchanted" colour scheme, which is a really nice chocolate brown and has dark aquamarine coloured lace and ribbon trim.  I also bought two Bravado Lifestyle Microfiber bras in the "Sugar" colour scheme, which is an ivory colour and has a peach coloured lace and ribbon trim.

The bras are the most comfortable I have ever worn, and are very supportive.  I normally wear bra size 34C so I bought four bras in size 36D and one in 34D.  The 36D ones have a triple hook closure which is really nice and wide for extra support and helps to rein in any back chub.  The 34D has a double hook closure but is otherwise the same as the 36D.  The cup fabric is not padded but is made of two layers of fabric.  The outside layer is the coloured microfiber, while the inside layer is cotton which feels really nice on your skin.  They are well put together and very elegant, even my husband loves the look of them (or maybe it's just the larger breasts?  Regardless...)

I normally wear a padded underwire bra so I am very surprised how I enjoyed wearing this bra.  I haven't had too many moments where my "headlights" were showing as the two layers of fabric do a nice job holding everything in close.  I love the wide shoulder straps - they are almost 2cm wide - as they distribute the weight nicely on your shoulders without digging in at all.  I have even worn them to sleep in the early weeks with our new daughter when my normal sleep bras were in the laundry, and they were so comfortable that I did not miss my sleep bras at all.

One last thing I have to mention about these bras is the way you wear them when nursing.  The clasp is super easy to open and close with one hand, and the entire cup folds down.  There is a non-stretchy piece of fabric that runs along the outside edge of the cup (near your armpit) that connects the strap to the band, but there is no fussing with an opening that has to be lined up just right (is it just me, or do other bra manufacturers make these openings way too small to be helpful?).  The clasps feel nice and solid, and make a distinctive click when they close so you know things are put back together.  I've heard some people say they find the click too loud, but it's never woken my baby so I don't mind it at all.

You can find out more about these bras and purchase them here: http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-lifestyle-microfiber-nursing-bra.  They are worth every penny!

*Disclaimer:  Geekmommy Reviews was not paid to post this product review.  In fact I purchased the product myself and was not compensated in any way.