Let’s face it: maternity clothes can be a bit pricey. So it’s not unusual to find expectant moms sporting oversized shirts or pants to get comfortable and avoid shelling out tons of cash for clothes that will only be worn for a few months. (Heck, when I was pregnant with my first, I only splurged on maternity leggings because I knew they were a must!)

Luckily, there’s a solution that’s just sprung up: Bella Gravida, a new wardrobe service that revolutionizes the way moms-to-be find and wear maternity clothing so they don’t have to just wear frumpy clothes during pregnancies. Meaning Beautifully Pregnant in Italian, the service allows women to experience affordable luxury in their maternity clothing. Women can find styles in whatever they desire from six categories, Classic, Modern Trendy, Romantic, Bohemian, Dramatic, and Southern Chic.

The way the service works is simple: for a monthly flat fee starting as low as $39, women can rent thousands of designer maternity and nursing outfits with free shipping and unlimited exchanges! There’s even a laundry service included so you don’t have to wash before returning.

Visit the newly launched site HERE to check out all the styles they offer! 

Ana @ Mommy's Bundle

Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.

mommysbundle.com

The post How to Get Luxurious & Trendy Maternity Clothes for Less appeared first on Mommy's Bundle.

Whether you choose to do it or not, it remains equally important to educate yourself to get all the facts OR find adequate support if you run into issues on your journey…cause let’s face it, breastfeeding is a full-time job!

With that being said, I thought it would be a GREAT idea to scour the web and find the best breastfeeding-related posts from mothers who’ve been there and done that.  So if you’ve written anything on the subject, please join in the fun and link up your posts below! Your words of wisdom will be forever appreciated by all those nursing mothers out there!

RULES

1. Follow Mommy’s Bundle (Blog/Facebook/Twitter) – first link below.

2. Link up your Best Breastfeeding Blog Post.

3. Visit other blogs on the list to get inspiration.

4. Follow as many blogs as you can.

5. Spread the word!!!

Ana @ Mommy's Bundle

Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.

mommysbundle.com

The post Best Breastfeeding Blog Posts {Linky} appeared first on Mommy's Bundle.

Well ladies, this is the reality.  Breastfeeding most definitely demands a comfortable position for mommy…otherwise your body will pay the price!  That’s why after hearing various stories about how pillows don’t always provide the best support, I made it a point to include the My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow on my baby registry!

My Brest Friend, is just what it sounds like.  Your “best friend” for breastfeeding — or more specifically, a wrap-around pillow that is designed for breastfeeding support.  It is said to be the #1 choice of lactation consultants for nursing mothers who are looking to achieve longer holding and feeding cycles…or simply more comfortable feedings.  And I have to agree!

When I first tried the Brest Friend pillow, I wasn’t won over immediately, however.  I was only a few days postpartum and still recovering from a c-section.  So when I finally tried it on, I noticed that the darn thing was surprisingly snug — the latch-on belt was too tight around my waist and the pillow kept rubbing my incision.  I think it was a bit too early.

Related: How to Breastfeed at Night (Tips to Stay Awake and Prepared!)

When I decided to revisit the pillow and see how it would fit about two weeks later — when my wound wasn’t so fresh — I realized it was quite helpful!  Not only was it firm enough (unlike the Boppy) to support my growing baby and relieve my sore arms, it also left me with a free hand to use for other things like scratching that annoying itch on my nose!  Plus, My Brest Friend attaches to your body so you can move around as needed…very handy when you can’t sit tight after awhile.

But the best benefit I’ve gotten out of this sturdy pillow, is ongoing back support during feedings.  For someone with chronic back pain, I can appreciate the lumbar support it provides that helps to strengthen and align the rest of your core.  It just makes you feel much more comfortable.  And I can’t stress how important getting comfortable is when you need to sit still for 15 to 45 minutes!

I think My Brest Friend is an essential product first-time mothers need to consider if nursing.  You can rely on your standard pillows for support of course, but they really won’t provide the most comfort in the middle of the night…or day for that matter! And yeah, I’d say it’s true: My Brest Friend is pretty close to becoming my new best friend :)!

Ana @ Mommy's Bundle

Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.

mommysbundle.com

The post Product Review: My BrestFriend Nursing Pillow appeared first on Mommy's Bundle.

Hard work aside, there’s no denying the medical benefits of breastfeeding.  Antibodies in breast milk can protect against major illnesses like obesity, asthma, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.  In addition, breastfeeding can help boost a child’s IQ.  So, it makes sense that doctors recommend it.

But the time commitment needed to take on this ever-important function is quite daunting.  A mother can really become an around-the-clock milk factory.  And that’s exactly the situation I’ve been finding myself in over the past month.

You hear about the latching-on issues or nipple confusion you may encounter, but you may not hear so much about the constant pumping or demand feeding required to sustain a proper milk supply for baby.  Yeah, that’s right.  The more you pump or feed, the more milk your body produces for later…so if you skip a couple pump sessions while hubby bottle feeds, you’re sending signals to your body to produce less milk.  And so you find yourself trapped in a perpetual pumping/feeding cycle.  A bit frustrating indeed :(!

Related: How to Breastfeed at Night (Tips to be Prepared and Stay Awake)

Breastfeeding can really pervade itself into every aspect of your life and become much more than a full-time job, so it’s important to prepared.  Here’s how it’s affected mine:

Food: I grab whatever I can eat after baby has been fed, changed and resting.

Showering: What a luxury! If I can time it so that baby isn’t fussy and sleeping before noon, I can sneak in a quick shower.

Sleeping: At night, a 3 hour sleep schedule is a good night. But baby hasn’t displayed a very consistent pattern yet.  Could be 1, 1.5 or 2 hour schedule. During the day, it’s impossible to nap when baby does…feedings happen about every two hours and can last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. And then of course, you gotta throw in some time for pumping.

Entertainment: I’ve never watched more day-time reality tv in my life. What else can you do while attached to a pump machine?

Outings: Haven’t really gotten out much despite the nice weather kicking in. Baby can’t be in direct sunlight and I just haven’t had time to take him for a stroll around the block during the day yet. Hopefully that will happen soon!

Not exactly what I thought nursing would be like, but this is the reality. I guess that’s the price you pay to have a healthy child.  And I’m sure it’ll be well worth it after 6-12 months!

Ana @ Mommy's Bundle

Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.

mommysbundle.com

The post When Breastfeeding Becomes Your Full-Time Job appeared first on Mommy's Bundle.