My Favorite Things: Post-Partum Edition

It may be my second time to take care of a newborn, but there are so many things that still feels new to me again!

Today, I’d like to share some of my new favorite things. These are items I either absolutely loved or those that I feel really helped me post-partum this time around (specifically during the first two months after I gave birth.)

1. Lecithin Supplements

I had clogged ducts the first week and it was horrible! Dylan would cry because he couldn’t get the milk out. It was physically painful for me too. I even had a lactation consultant come twice to massage.

A friend recommended taking lecithin supplements. So after researching and getting the go signal from my lactation consultant, I immediately got a bottle of Legendairy’s Sunflower Lecithin supplements from Mamas Hub PH. Surprisingly no more clogged ducts since then!

Note: I used this supplement for 3 days straight and then stopped after the ducts cleared. You can continue with a lower dosage for maintenance. But for me I just took it again whenever Dylan slept extra long and I wasn’t able to feed for hours (for fear it would clog again.)

2. Nursing Pajamas + House Clothes

I was stubborn during my first time and thought having nursing clothes was a non-essential. After all, I could just pull up my old shirts to feed, right? True. But who knew having actual nursing tops would be SO MUCH EASIER? (Hello, dummy me! Hehehe!)

Now I want to collect nursing shirts and buttoned down silk pajama sets. They are comfy, they make me look decent and they make breastfeeding easier. Some of my honest to goodness favorites:

• Mamaway’s Nursing Pajamas:  The pants are adjustable!! I repeat, adjustable!
• Bub & Weave’s Mia Shirt: I love how the access is a compelte pull-up and not just holes inside
• Ellie and Me’s Ella Lounge Shirt Dress: So comfy and makes me look presentable at home

3. Lactation Treats

So after I got over being engorged, I decided to treat myself with lactation goodies! I tried the entire sampler set of Sweet Delights by Charlotte and loved them all. My favorites though are the cinnamon cookies and the brownies!

Having delicious lactation treats is the perfect reward to hardworking breastfeeding mommies. Ahem. (Happy mommy, happy baby, right?)

4. Shapewear

LEFT: A week after giving birth. RIGHT: A month after giving birth.

I didn’t use a shapewear with my first son, and it took me months to shrink my belly. This time, I really wanted to get back in shape fast so I got myself different kinds of Belly Bandit shapewear.

During the first month, I couldn’t fit into any of the ones I bought (see my still bulging belly on the photo) so I just used the Belly Bandit Bamboo Wrap.

Thanks largely also to breastfeeding, my stomach got significantly smaller after a month and so I started using the Belly Bandit C Section Undies (can be used even for those who did not undergo CS, like me!), as seen on the photo on the right! That’s my favorite and I wear it underneath my clothes whenever I go out!

5. Baby Sling/Wrap

I don’t know how I survived without a baby sling with Luke before but what a lifesaver! I borrowed this Baby K’Tan from a friend (thanks Erika!) and I love how it frees both my hands!

I have decluttered drawers (Konmari all day, everyday!), homeschooled Luke, worked on my desktop and prepared Macaroni salad (to name a few) all while Dylan was hanging comfortably on my chest like a little joey kangaroo. Hehe.

6. Newborn-sized Clothes

I have no idea why the smallest baby clothes are usually sized 0-3 months. The size difference between a newborn baby and a 3-month old baby is huge! All our 0-3 month-sized clothes are still too big for Dylan and they aren’t comfortable for him to wear. Which is why, I LOVE our newborn sized clothes!

People usually don’t buy newborn sized clothes because they think the baby will outgrow it fast. That may be true (time flies after all, right?) but having well-fitting clothes during the first 1-2 months really makes a huge difference!

Personal favorite: Cotton On‘s newborn-sized ones and H&M Baby clothes sized 1-2 months (Like the one in the picture!)

7. Nursing Poncho

It’s my first time to use a nursing poncho  (I used apron style ones before) and it’s a game changer. Getting 360 coverage makes life easier when nursing a fidgety baby.

I use the iFlin Burp and Nurse. It’s a little pricier than other nursing covers but I’ve always been a fan of the iFlin line because it’s so breathable and soft!

8. Sleepsack Swaddle

Halo is known for their sleepsacks and swaddles that promote safe sleep. That’s actually the reason why bought them at first. But we were so pleasantly surprised to find out that it also helps babies get longer (yay) and better sleep.

We’ve been using Halo since Luke’s time and we still love it until now. I’ve tried different kinds of swaddles but I find that Dylan sleeps the longest whenever he’s wrapped up in this.

9. Double Electric Breast Pump

Because again of my engorgement, I had to use a breast pump early on to drain all the excess milk out. Eventually, the pump became a regular part of my day as I decided to have Dylan’s yaya (nanny) bottlefeed him with my expressed milk around twice a day.

I was then able to do other things such as spend time with my first born (who’s been craving for some quality alone time with me) and work on other personal and work-related matters.

I used a different pump for Luke but I got a Haenim Breast Pump as a gift this time and decided to try it. Happy I did because I love it! Unlike my old pump, it attaches straight to wide neck bottles, which is what I use for feeding. I also feel that I get more milk out from this one. Yay!

10. Wide-neck Silicone Bottles

This is one of those things you didn’t think you really needed but once you try, you could no longer imagine how you lived without it.

I love these Comotomo Bottles because of two things: The super wide rim makes cleaning easier AND the bottle is designed to mimic breastfeeding to avoid nipple confusion! This means I can go back and forth from feeding him directly and giving him the bottle.

11. UV Sterilizer

It’s my first time to use a UV Sterilizer! My old one was a steam sterilizer and dryer and my major pet peeve about it is that it always took such a long time. This Ecomom UV Sterilizer takes only 35 minutes to sterilize and dry the bottles so I can get my clean bottles and pump parts fast!

Major plus points that I can use it to sterilize so many other things like Dylan’s toys in the future! Also, they look PERFECT in Dylan’s room. Hehe.

12. Self-Standing Milk Storage Bags

My milk supply this time has been great (all praises to God alone) and I am able to store a lot of milk. I’m so amazed and grateful because with Luke, I struggled a lot with keeping up a good supply.

Anyway, this means I need to store a lot of milk bags in our freezer. And because I’m applying Konmari/Minimalism in our home, of course even my milk bags had to be stored neatly! Haha. This is why I love these self-standing Lil’ Twinkies Storage Bags.

(I wish I can show you guys how nicely they look all standing side by side neatly but I couldn’t risk opening the freezer for so long for fear of ruining the milk. Sorry!)

13. Amazon Kindle

Late night feedings are a bummer but I gotta do it! And since we don’t bed-share (it’s dangerous!) I need to wake up and cradle Dylan in my arms as he feeds for 30 minutes and sometimes, even an hour. Huhu. I try my best not to nod off to sleep (because this is also dangerous!) by reading on my Kindle.

I try to avoid using my phone during these late night feedings because the blue light really messes up with my head and I find it hard to go back to sleep. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite solves that because the kind of light that it has doesn’t hurt the eyes.

14. Fazup Anti-Radiation Patch

Ok. So, though I don’t use my phone as much during late night feedings, I use my phone a lot while I breastfeed during the day. Come on, it’s impossible NOT to use the phone while breastfeeding and remain sane at the same time, right? Right?

But like most paranoid moms (hehe,) I’m definitely worried about radiation.

Having this Fazup Anti-Radiation patch on my phone eases my mind. Mor got me Fazup around 3 years ago when he saw it at the in-flight boutique of Singapore Airlines. We were sold after learning that it’s tested in an independent accredited laboratory in France. It’s scientifically proven to reduce negative effects of mobile radiation.

And because being able to use my phone with peace of mind is priceless. After all, you can’t be too careful, especially when you have a newborn!