Moments of Musing

BlogHer Creator Summit 2018–3 Takeaways

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

Two weeks ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone to attend an afternoon and evening of BlogHer
events for my blog and social media. It started off with a rocky, much-longer-than-anticipated commute but ended on a high note. My time at the BlogHer Creator Summit was great but the dinner I attended afterwards was the icing on the cake. 

Of all I learned that day, the biggest takeaways from my time there were: 

1. Showing up matters. 
Half the battle is actually getting the confidence to RSVP and then arrive at a place, especially alone. It could be a great time or it could feel like a waste of time. RSVP and go, anyway. You don’t know who you’ll meet, what you’ll learn or what opportunities might arise. 

2.  No one else is you! 
There might seem like there are many fish in the sea, but you are the only you there is. So, don’t worry about the hundreds or thousands of other mom bloggers that exist because none of them are you. No one else has your special life experiences to share with readers. You are one of a kind. You are unique— use your voice. 

3. Community is key. 
Meet others in your niche. Share tips. Help one another–i.e. offer to take their photo and they’ll likely take yours. Strike up convo. Exchange emails and business cards. Network, network, network. Need I say more?

I Received a Compliment on my Bump…2 Months Postpartum

Filed Under: motherhood, postpartum body //

I received a comment on the below Instagram photo I recently shared complimenting my cute belly/bump. To be honest, I deleted the comment (primarily because I did not want others who were quickly passing by my feed to think I’m expecting). BUT I didn’t feel too badly about the comment. 

You see, the photo was taken less than two months postpartum and I understand and appreciate my body much more now. So thanks but no thanks to the person but also, it’s okay you thought I had a belly. I’m okay with having a little belly right now. 

I’m proud of my body. It will always have some reminders of child birth (#1 being my c-section scar) and that’s beautiful. 

One day, my kids will become independent. I’ll hold them less and less and then eventually, they won’t even live with me. 

My body will always serve as a sweet reminder that some time ago I held them very close and grew them to the best of my ability in my belly for 9 months so they could be born into this world. 

For those reasons and more, love ya, bod!

*Also, please let this serve as a gentle reminder not to comment on others’ bodies unless you are being kind, certain they are expecting, or they’ve invited compliments/critique.*

The One Morning Routine Change That Has Given me More Energy

Filed Under: motherhood, self care //

Maternity leave after having my first baby was exhausting. I lost so much sleep staying awake while the baby slept to make sure he was still alive… not kidding. I would watch him breathe or awake at any odd breath or movement.

The second time around, I knew newborns have unusual breathing patterns. So, I did not really lose sleep over his breathing. However, I did lose a lot of sleep do to cluster feeding in the beginning. I’m talking 3.5 hour feeds in the middle of the night.

It was so hard.

Add in my energetic toddler and mornings were brutal. I could barely keep my eyes open. But breakfast had to be made, my toddler had to be entertained and my new baby had to tended to. Life with two under two was really difficult in the beginning. Thank goodness my husband had two weeks off (I think it really should be longer but moms don’t even get guaranteed paid leave so..); thank goodness for my mom who is very helpful; and thank goodness for the end of cluster feeding.

Even when the cluster feeds ended, though, I was still tired. I’d either stay up way too late after the boys went to sleep or my toddler would fight bedtime until midnight and I had to wake shortly thereafter to breastfeed my baby.

So, the morning exhaustion continued.

Then, one day I decided I was going to take both boys out for the first time (to somewhere other than a playground) by myself. I woke up, made breakfast, fed my toddler, fed my baby who then fell asleep to nap and I hopped into the shower.

Little did I know, that would change my energy completely. You see, prior to then, I would shower at night and skip the morning shower because mornings felt too hectic and like I said, my energy level was way down. I felt defeated almost immediately after getting out of bed.

Showering in the morning: 
1. Literally wakes me up
2. Makes me feel so much more energized
3. Helps me feel more put together 

I felt ready to conquer the day after stepping out of the shower. And so, now before going out with the boys, I try my best to hop in the shower if I have a few minutes to do. I have felt such a shift in my energy level since doing this.

What gives YOU energy in the morning?

Maternity Leave Guest Series: Transition to Pumping at Work

Filed Under: maternity leave guest series, motherhood //

As most of you know, I will be away from blogland a bit while I’m on maternity leave. Lucky for me – AND you!- I’ve partnered with some lovely bloggers to consistently bring you great content. 

I am in denial (and very sad) that I return to work from maternity leave in just a couple of weeks. However, it is happening so I want to be prepared for the transition from predominantly nursing to predominantly pumping. That is why this week I am especially happy to share an informational post by breastfeeding advocate Marilys Candelario about the transition to pumping at work. 

Enjoy!


Transition to Pumping at Work 
by Marilys Candelario

Mom hold Breast Pump
Hey World! I am Marilys, networking queen, breastfeeding advocate, and working mami. I’ve watched so many friends struggle with breastfeeding and never thought I could have a successful long nursing relationship with my daughter, Azaris. I was fortunate to find some good resources and support groups and somehow managed to nurse Azaris for 16 months. While spending countless of hours pumping at work I developed #PumpLifeChronicles to entertain myself and showcase all the cool tips and accessories I was using to make pumping seamless. I am a total amateur, bad at editing and cursed a lot so I had to remove most of the videos since you can’t be too careful with what you post on the internet these days. I hope this post helps you prepare for a seamless transition into #BreastfeedingWorkingMom life.


>>Preparing to return to work
The U.S. has a far ways to go when it comes to supporting working moms, especially breastfeeding mothers. I work in corporate america and even as a human resources professional I found it difficult to find the proper literature to support me in my transition back to work. For some women, the thought of returning to work can build a lot of anxiety and fear. Breastfeeding mom or not – it can be terrifying to leave your baby! I cried every single day the week leading up to my first day back at work. To those mothers, I assure you it gets better, especially after you spend your first few days back with uninterrupted eating while on coffee or lunch breaks! To the mothers who can’t wait to get back, shout out to you! There shouldn’t be shame in knowing you weren’t cut out to be a stay at home mom. It can be difficult to actually say out loud that you enjoy being baby free while at work and feeling like more than a human cow to your child. I am especially reminded of this every time I go to the nail salon and they ask where my baby is since I have the day off work. I say, ummmm she is at daycare because momma needs alone time- yea I said it, and I don’t feel bad!


Back to preparing to return to work…


After trying on work clothes to see what fits your post baby body, and figuring out your childcare routine, you may be full of questions like:
How do I get my baby to take a bottle?
Will I be able to pump enough milk?
How much milk does my baby need while I am at work?
Will I have time to pump at work?
How do I store breastmilk at work and during my commute?
How often do you nurse when you get back from work?
And many more….


Check out my suggestions below. I hope this helps you feel better prepared. You’ll notice I provided a lot of links to posts on KellyMom.com. This site was developed to provide evidence-based information on breastfeeding. It is crucial that you follow evidence based information rather than suggestions of loved ones to avoid incorrect, potentially harmful, advice.
 
>> Introducing a bottle
If your baby has been exclusively nursing it is important to begin to introduce a bottle so they baby can learn to transition from breast to bottle easily. Did you know there are bottle feeding techniques to protect the nursing relationship? If the bottle makes it too easy to drink the milk than baby can get a bit lazy and not want to latch or suckle at the breast which can lead to exclusively pumping if your baby ultimately refuses to latch.  


>> Building up a supply
If you are exclusively nursing or intermittently pumping it may be difficult to understand how much milk baby needs while you are away at work. A good estimate to use is the following, if baby usually nurses around 8-10 times per day, you can guess that baby might need around 3-4 ounces per feeding when you are away. You can read more about the calculation here. So in order to have the amount of milk necessary for baby on your first day back to work you may need to begin adding a daily pump session, at least a week before returning to work, and begin storing that  milk. I suggest having at least five 3 to 4 ounce bottles for your first day away. I calculated that by assuming one 3 to 4 ounce bottle every 3 hours that you are away, including your commute time. If you find it difficult to have this ready in time for work you can always supplement with formula. Don’t give yourself more stress as that can impact your supply.

>> Maintain a balanced nutrition so that your supply is protected.
   
>> Proper accessories
You’ll need the basics to properly pump, for examples: a pump, tubing, breastshields/flanges, connectors, valves,  membranes and collection bottles or bags. There are some accessories that will make your life much easier! I suggest checking out the following cool breastfeeding accessories:
  • SimpleWishes hands free pumping bra helps you hold the breast shields in place so you can be hands free during pump sessions.
  • PumpinPals are angled flanges that allow you to pump in a comfortable posture while the milk easily flows down into the bottles.
  • Freemie Cups are an accessory that replaces all the basic pumping equipment – you only need the pump and tubing, Freemie cup handles the rest. You place this cup in your bra and connect the tubing, that’s it! Check out my review here.
  • Kiinde Twist Pouch allows you to securely pump into storage bags without spilling any of your liquid gold! This leak proof disposable breastmilk storage bag is a must have!

* If you are a driving breastfeeding mom I strongly suggest considering a travel power adapter or car adapter for your pump. With the Freemie Cups pumping while driving is super easy!

>> Practice day
I suggest practicing your first day away from baby, prior to your first day at work, to help prepare you for the emotions you may feel on the real day. One way to do this can be by setting up the caregiver to start a day before you return to work. On that practice day you should ensure to pump at least 3 times every 3 hours. Example routine can be:
6am nurse
9am pump
12pm pump
3pm pump
6pm nurse


You can setup your sample routine based on your working hours and your commute. The milk you pump that day will be used for the following day. When you don’t work the following day you can store the milk in the fridge and use for up to 3-8 days, although ideally you want to stay within the 3-5 day range. If you won’t be needing the milk within that time frame you can freeze it. Note that everyone’s milk is different, please follow the guidelines for storage as described here.


When setting up your pump sessions, in order to activate let down it is important to focus on thinking about your baby. Look at a picture of your baby (nursing, if possible). Try listening to a video recording of your baby fussing before nursing and/or feeding sounds. These acts, along with massaging your breasts, will help stimulate your body to release the milk.


>> Pumping at work
Depending on your industry, your employer may accommodate you in slightly different ways. You should know you have  legal rights that protect you pumping at work and this link may help you understand how your industry can support you pumping at work.  Overall WomensHealth.gov is a wonderful resources and has a wonderful guide on how to speak to your supervisor about your needs so you can have a stress free pumping experience. It’s important to, at a minimum, discuss your anticipated pumping routine and how to manage the breaks with competing priorities, such as meetings that run over the scheduled time. There is nothing worse than having breasts full of milk and feeling engorged while a colleague continues to speak for ten minutes past the anticipated end of the meeting!


>> Storing breastmilk at work and during commute
There are many breast milk coolers that allow you to place bottles or bags with frozen ice packs inside for easy commuting. If you aren’t sure where to start here are my favorites: Medela Bottle Cooler and Kiinde Bag Cooler. Since your milk can be safely stored in a cooler for up to 24 hours one cooler bag and ice pack should be sufficient enough for your working day and commute.  


>> Nursing when you reunite with Baby
It is helpful to nurse your baby once you get home as it is easily accessible organic fast food! All jokes aside, it alleviates having to wash more pump parts and bottles but also is crucial for your baby’s bond with you. Additionally, your mammary gland receptors (located in your breasts!) interprets the baby’s saliva for bacteria and viruses and, if they detect something i.e., the baby is sick or fighting off an infection, your body will actually change the milk’s composition, tailoring it to the baby’s needs and building antibodies. Hence the saying, “I make milk, what’s your superhero power?”


Thank you for reading my post, I hope these tips were helpful! If you are interested in supporting organizations that educate mothers for evidence based mother to mother support I urge you to consider making a donation to Breastfeeding USA. I am currently in the application process to become a Breastfeeding Counselor and look forward to continuing my education with them so I can offer the best mother to mother support possible. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions: Mcolon5@gmail.com 718-308-7619 IG: @mari_vega


Thanks Jackie for letting me support you in your transition to #PumpLife

Family Planning for Women

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsTalkPlanB #CollectiveBias #ad


Note: This post is informational, not political.


As many of you know, my husband and I recently welcomed our second baby boy. As was the case with my first pregnancy, we discussed at great length having another baby, when we’d like to have the baby and how prepared we thought we were for a new addition to the family. Being able to plan my pregnancies helped ease my prenatal anxiety a lot. I became a mother when I was ready (or rather as ready as anyone can be).


Having that choice in the matter helped me feel a lot more in control at a time when I had little control over everything else i.e. physical and emotional changes. It was important to me to feel that way.


I know not everyone feels that way – being prepared/ ready — when they engage in sexual intercourse, though. That is why Plan B One-Step is an important optionfor women’s health and autonomy of their bodies and their personal choices, although Plan B should not be anyone’s first method of birth control. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive pill for those in rare situations when you may have had unprotected sex or failure of your regular birth control method.


Plan B is available at CVS.  For $10 off of your purchase, use this coupon: http://cbi.as/a1wa0. (You do not need to show ID to purchase it and there is no age restriction.)



It is important to note that Plan B is not an abortion pill. It will therefore not affect a beginning or existing pregnancy, and it will also not impact your fertility.


So what does Plan B do? When used as directed within 72 hours of unprotected sex or birth control failure, which is very important, it helps prevent pregnancy before it begins after unprotected sex or birth control failure. That is because it mainly delays ovulation. The sooner you take it, the more effective it is. The active ingredient (levonorgestrel) is actually contained in many common birth control pills. Plan B just has a higher, single dose of it.



There is also a misconception that it is primarily used among young women. In reality, half of the women who use Plan B are 18-24-years-old and the other half are 25 years and older.


Now that you know more about it, my hope is that you will not judge others who have the need to take it or feel ashamed to use it yourself. There is nothing shameful about doing what’s best for yourself and your health!