As all of you know, I have been a 24 hour milk manufacturing plant since I recently had my baby.  I have been constantly on the lookout for cute, wearable, and chic nursingwear.  I have been fortunate to come across talented designers and companies who have nursing lines that have made my closet go from unbearable to fashionably wearable.  As a nursing mother, all I can say is that “I want to look cute too!” Recently I came across a nursing line called DOTE.  What caught my eye about this line was that all of their clothing looked super comfortable and they were super chic as well.  The dresses and tops did not look like nursingwear and looked like any fashion line you would see currently on the market.

Charlotte Cape Dress

After sifting through their many eye catching dresses, I wanted to try the Charlotte Cape Dress. The first thing I noticed when I received the Charlotte Cape Dress was that it was super soft at first touch.  I checked to see what it was made of and it was 91% rayon and 9% spandex.  I tried it on and it had a “home-sweet-home” type of comfortability, with a lot of stretch to it. The dress had two openings for each breast which was masked by the cape design on top. The elastic waist accentuated the figure and made me feel like a woman, not another mom in some muumuu. It only came in black which I didn’t mind because I would have probably chose that color anyways.

All in all, the dress made me feel like a confident, strong, and modern nursing mom. I loved that I could wear something that was not only chic and modern, but that was really comfortable. I could wear the dress “up” with some heels and I could wear the dress “down” with some flip flops. I love all of their dresses on the website and would love to try those out as well. For more information and where you could purchase these fabulous dresses, please go to: www.dotestudio.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Aye ya ya!  Just got back home from going to Vegas for the ABC Kids Expo.  It was a fun but exhausting trip.  My husband, children, and I went there all together.   The drive there felt never-ending because we had to make stops to nurse the baby, and after doing that, my toddler had to go on potty breaks.  They never seem to coordinate together, so that we could make one stop to take care of everyone’s needs.

My husband was really great with helping me out.  He was always ready to take on the tasks before him.  However, there were times where his hands were full, and it would have been great if we could have had more help or more hands.  I’ve noticed that having 2 children versus 1 is that we do not have enough hands.

The show was a lot of fun.  But again it was a lot of work having a toddler running around everywhere, I mean look at all the things made just for her, and then I had the baby to nurse.  Also, the Convention Center did not have any areas to change a baby’s diaper, very child un-friendly.  After running around areas to find where I could change my baby’s diaper, someone clearly saw that I was totally frantic and told me about a mother’s nursing area that was made for the show.  The nursing area was filled with samples from Medela and other companies, as well as a nice closed off area, equipped with gliders and Medela hospital grade breast pumps.

After walking around and seeing a lot of great products, as well as meeting the faces behind the names of people whom I corresponded with, it was really nice.  I received samples of products from a variety of companies and it was great to see new companies come out to seek distribution.  With a toddler and a baby, it was impossible to go to every booth.  I wanted to meet with every company, but it was not possible with the amount of time I had.  Plus, the show was HUGE!

After the show, we left to go back home at around 2 pm.  Both my children were asleep, so I was praying that we would have minimal stops, for a fast trip back home.  My wishes stopped within 20 minutes of the ride with my daughter wanting to go potty.  On top of that, the baby woke up hungry again.  With an exhausted husband, two children with needs, and my own exhaustion, I felt like we would never make it back home. We stopped 7 times on our trip back home, with one being a dinner stop.  I hardly got to eat any dinner because I was nursing the entire time.  We finally made it home at 9pm.  It was a long trip to say the least.  Now I understand why a lot of families have an extra set of hands helping them.  That would have been nice during this trip.

There are so many products that I found during the show that I want to talk about in the coming weeks.  But first, I need to physically recover before I give the 411 on the goods.

Sometimes being parents, we feel in control as well as out of control, when it comes to our children’s diets.  We want our children to take in all five food groups and make sure they get enough nutrients to perform well at school.  We want to make sure that they make smart choices independently without having us hovering over them as they make simple but impactful life decisions. A lot of times, we prepare a healthy breakfast and dinner, but the mystery lies in the lunchroom? Did they eat my healthy turkey sandwich with apple or did they run to the lunch line opting for a greasy cheese pizza and some oil soaked fries?

I know growing up and having my own adolescent days sitting in a school’s lunchroom, I didn’t always eat the most healthiest.  My mom did a good job in raising us to eat healthy foods, but when you see pizza, fries, garlic bread, chocolate cake, hot dogs, hamburgers, and other not so healthy foods, sometimes it’s hard to resist.  I distinctly remember in my junior high days, my mom would pack me a sandwich filled with avocado, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, and some turkey.  However, when it was lunchtime, I was first to run into the line to pay my 50 cents for a garlic bread. Eating with your peers and in a setting other than your home does pose some challenges to healthy eating.

Since my daughter is in preschool, she takes a packed lunched everyday.  Although she eats a good breakfast and dinner, her lunch has been my main concern on a daily basis.  One good thing is that when she doesn’t eat something or does not finish it, the school sends it right back home.  I am able to see what she ate and what she didn’t.  From there, I go back to the drawing boards and tweak her lunch.  I found what works is to incorporate one of her favorite snacks with each lunch.  I just take it in strides. She now eats half of her sandwich versus not eating any of it at all, by including one of her favorite snacks.

Some of my daughter’s favorite snacks are carrots with ranch dip, strawberries, grapes, multigrain crackers with peanut butter, potato chips, and goldfish.  As you can tell, my daughter’s favorite snacks range from the healthy to not so healthy.  I don’t completely eliminate any of her snacks.  My daughter knows that when she does get her potato chips or goldfish, she has to eat her turkey avocado sandwich.  She also knows that when I give her mac and cheese, she will have to give a beet salad a try.  It’s a matter of balancing and making it work for you and your child.  Substitution is also great when giving higher fat foods, such as using low fat/non fat chedder cheese for mac and cheese.

Healthy eating is a lifestyle and you and your child can make choices and collaborate to come up with the most fitting lunch for them.  It takes patience and team work, but at the end of the day, you have a healthy child who is picking up good habits in making smart conscious choices.

Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy will be answering reader questions about nutrition.  You are welcome to submit your questions to her and she will post answers starting the week of September 14th.  You can submit questions to eatingright@wb.com.  For other healthy tips, recipes, and information, visit http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/.

(Disclosure Notice: I have been hired by Warner Brothers to participate in the Looney Tunes Eating Right Kids Program.)

As parents, we count on each others’ opinion when it comes to making choices on products, a caregiver, a ballet class, a local preschool, even down to what child-friendly restaurants to eat at.  As a mother, I definitely like to see what other parents have to say about certain things that have to do with our children.  Before buying my expensive Orbit stroller, I looked to see what other Orbit users thought about the stroller, the pluses and minuses, and then decided on the purchase.  Even when I was looking for my midwife, I went on local message boards to find my match. In order to make smart conscious decisions, we really rely on one another’s opinions as a society (I mean that’s why message boards are so successful).

One place I went to seek great information on child/maternity/nursing products was PTPA Media.  This is not a publicity plug on my behalf.  I truely liked to see what products were out on the market and why they were so outstanding because they were chosen by parents like you and me (Parent Tested Parent Approved).  I actually purchased a lot of the products that won the seal of approval because they were super child-friendly, user-friendly, and innovative.

After being the person that was on the other end, who got to see what other parents liked, I finally got to be that parent-evaluator.  On top of that, I became a part of the PTPA Panel of Moms.  I get to evaluate all different kinds of products where I can offer my honest feedback.  It’s pretty much a tell all say all and that’s what I love.  When you see a winning product on PTPA’ s site, you know you are looking at a great product that’s been tested and approved by parents like you and I.

As part of being on the PTPA Panel of Moms, I got to evaluate Cloud B Bamboo LullaBag.  It’s a perfect and safe blanket alternative to keeping your baby warm and comfortable. Plus, it’s made of bamboo, so it’s very eco-friendly.  The LullaBag is very well made and the fabric is soft to touch.  The two way zipper offers convenience which allows easy access without waking the baby.  Last but not least, using the LullaBag vs. regular bedding/comforter reduces the risk factors associated with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and suffocation.  The Bamboo LullaBag won the PTPA seal of approval and its great to know that I tested the product.

Be a part of the evaluating process and visit PTPA Media online.

When Ella was born, she was considered to have almost no jaundice at all.  Of course that was shocking to me because almost all Asian babies have some degree of jaundice.  I had it when I was a newborn and so did my first DD (Dear Daughter).  Before Ella was discharged from the hospital, they checked her bilirubin levels, and they were very low.

At Ella’s 4 day appointment, the pediatrician did not see any jaundice in her.  So I felt that we were clear of that.  When we went in for her following appt. at 4 weeks, the doctor said that she was a little jaundice.  The doctor said that she had breast milk jaundice.  I had no clue what that was.  She said that if the jaundice did not clear up within 2 weeks to come back to her.

I had to find out what breast milk jaundice was so I went searching all over online and came across Dr. Hull’s site at www.drhull.com.  From Dr. Hull’s Parents’ Common Sense Encyclopedia:

jaundice, breast milk

About 2% of healthy breast fed term babies develop significant jaundice (breast milk jaundice) after the 7th day of life. This is believed to be caused by the presence of an enzyme (glucuronidase) in the maternal milk that interferes temporarily with the normal bilirubin elimination pathways of the liver.

The elevation of bilirubin levels in the blood is usually not to a harmful degree (but can very rarely reach levels that are dangerous¹). In the usual situation, even if the mother continues to nurse, the bilirubin levels will fall to normal gradually over a period of 3 to 10 weeks. However, if mother simply stops nursing for one or at most two days (she can pump and store the milk for later use if she so desires), the jaundice rapidly resolves. Nursing at the breast is resumed as if nothing had happened and proceeds uneventfully – the condition does not reappear. There is no reason to totally stop nursing.

Warning: The CDC has recently reemphasized² the danger of assuming that jaundice in nursing newborns is simple breast milk jaundice and failing to check blood levels of bilirubin. Visual estimation of blood bilirubin levels is unreliable and has led to tragic outcomes. While the benefits of nursing are clear, everyone involved – parents and physicians – must understand that careful monitoring of a baby’s progress in establishing effective nursing is critical. This means

• careful attention to the baby’s weight gain by sufficiently frequent weighing on calibrated scales
• careful monitoring of bilirubin levels with actual laboratory determination of the level to confirm clinical estimation whenever there is any uncertainty

Also, it is imperative to remember that true breast milk jaundice is a phenomenon that develops later. In the tragic cases of brain damage detailed in the recent CDC report, jaundice appeared early – sometimes in the first few hours of life, a “dead giveaway” that it was not breast milk jaundice. Early onset jaundice is not breast milk jaundice and has to be investigated and treated appropriately.

Wow.  A lot of great information on Breast Milk Jaundice and the best that I could find online.  I wasn’t too worried and thought it would just pass like my other daughter.  However, 2 weeks came by, and she still had a little yellow but it was hardly noticeable.  Remembering that the doctor told me to bring her in, if it didn’t clear, I took her in that day.  The doctor took a look at her and said that she was still a little yellow and told me that she would send me to the lab to get blood drawn and bilirubin levels checked.  She also proceeded to tell me to take my baby off the breast for 24 hours which would help speed up the process.  I did not want to take her off my breast. 

After taking her to the lab, which was an emotional story of its own, I decided that I would not take her off the breast, until I found out the results.  Today, the doctor called and said that her bilirubin levels were low and that her tests all came back normal. Whew!  She also said that this is more common in Asian babies and sometimes the yellow of the skin can go on until 3 months.  She said that if at 3 months, it was still present, we could try other things.  So I hope it clears up within a month and half period!!!

Let me first start off by saying, I have been genetically blessed with good genes, if that makes sense. When I had my first child, I literally got my pre-pregnancy shape back, right after she was born.  Both nurses and family members were amazed how quickly I bounced back. My stomach was flat as a board. When I was pregnant with my second child, everyone said that I might not be so lucky this time around because it was my second time.  I heard endless stories from other moms that the second time around they were left with flabby bellies, and they continued to look pregnant for months.  So hearing that I had prepared for the worst.  I went online and read about other post partum moms’ stories and what they were doing.  I came across a forum where they talked about tummy wrapping.  Everything from wearing spanks to using medical  waist bands that would bring your waist to its pre-pregnancy shape.  I was amazed by this theory.  Of course, I watched movies and saw paintings from the past such as Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jette,” where women would be stuffed into their Sunday’s best with the help of a corset.  It’s beem historically done, but I never knew people still did it. Maybe I’m a little out of the loop.

After I read all this information on the forum, I had to go on Google and do a search.  The search led me to a whole bunch of other forums, sites, as well as companies, that made these belly tightening garments.  A lot of doctors even recommended it to their post-partum patients to get back into their pre-pregnancy shape. I think I probably spent a good 2 hours going from site to site, gathering all the information my brain could soak up on the subject of banding one’s belly.  There were a lot of companies that sold a variety of products that would do this job.  Everything from a mummy looking band to a material that looked like a back brace.  I was surprised at how unattractive and uncomfortable these products looked.  I did not want to be caught dead in those.  I wanted to find something that looked at least half decent and was comfortable because having just given birth, who wants to go through pain all over again, on top of the recovery pain.

I went through a multitude of companies, and then I discovered “Cinch” by Anew. It was refreshing to be on the site because it was not only half-decent looking, it actually was very cute and feminine, and the packaging is fit for a princess.  I had to try it out because it looked pretty and reading from the site, it was the most functional band that I had seen.  But of course I had to wait because I had to have the baby first.

Once I had my baby, try not to kill me, but I was blessed again, and bounced right back into my pre-pregnacy shape.  I literally went back to my flat tummy after I delivered the baby.  The only difference this time around was that, although my tummy was flat as a board, instead of the flat hard stomach that I had with my first child, I had a flat soft stomach.  Basically, I was visually flat, but it was soft to touch. Obviously, I just gave birth to my baby so this would be the norm.

After about 3 weeks post-partum, I got to try out the Cinch.  Before then, I probably could have not handled anything being too close to my body, other than my baby. The Cinch was packaged luxuriously, in a silk bag, hung on a hanger attached to a paper body form, and pink ribbons going down the front of it. It looked so decadent, I did not want to remove it from the packaging.  It was nothing short of danty cuteness. It was super easy to put on.  You just unzip the side, zip it up, and then take the side flaps to adjust the snugness to fit your body.  If you detach the front panel, which gives you the option to place cold/warm packs, you can also see your progress.  Every time you go down another inch off your waist, you can velcro it in. So eventually, it keeps going down in measurement, until you meet your goal. It’s very innovative and super functional for the post-partum momma.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it’s super comfortable.  It molds to your body and fits you at all of your curves.  Nothing beats that!

After wearing this for a week, my stomach became hard as a rock, and super tight. The biggest bonus of it all for me, since my stomach was flat to begin with, was the huge back support.  All of you know, I was struggling with sciatica and a possible herniated disc during my pregnancy.  The intense pain subsided with the birth of the baby, but I was still walking lobsided with a lot of pain.  Wearing this, my back was supported, which made my posture straight.  On top of that, it was great for breastfeeding.  This would be such a great gift for the new mother and something all mothers deserve. I love my Cinch!  For more detailed information on the Cinch, please go to www.byanew.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Our home is a mad house!  Who would have known a husband, wife, a toddler, and a newborn could do so much damage.  I think each individual has his or her needs and with that has come some challenges.  Let me break it down:

Hubby: Works long hours, has 1 hour commutes each way, loves to surf the internet (which makes him sleep @2am), loves to sleep (which makes him wake up late, when he has to drive our preschooler by 9am, she gets there @10am), and he is a dad (he donated his genes, at least that is how I honestly feel at 3am, when I am up nursing and changing poopie diapers).

Momma: Just had a baby, trying to recover, has to deal with screaming toddler, has to deal with needy husband, and a newborn who is attached to my boobs (I sleep in very short intervals and even shorter intervals when it is hot).

Toddler: Is trying to deal with her transition from babyhood to big sisterhood. Started to throw tantrums over very minute things, such as not having the straw at the angle she desires, which changes all the time.  Not wanting to eat actual meals and wanting to make cakes, ice cream, and cookies as her main staple.  Testing mommy, not daddy, to see what she can get away with.  Thinks time out is fun and actually gives herself timeout and sits in the corner as she smiles at me. Doesn’t like to do “clean-up” anymore and makes such a mess, she gives a tornado a run for its money.

Newborn:  Transitioning from fetalhood to babyhood.  Trying to figure out the world around her.  Sleeps most of the time and needs to eat every hour and sometimes every 30 minutes.  Needs to be burped multiple times or else milk with come out through the nose and mouth.

Everything written above has been edited to its nicest version.  With all that being said, our home has been a hectic and crazy battlezone.

Now breastfeeding my newborn, burping has become an Olympic sport in my household.  If we don’t get a burp out, we feel we are doing an injustice to her, and when we are trying to burp her, it feels like an endless marathon. But ultimately, when we do get that burp out, it’s like the biggest accomplishment of our lives.  Not all burps come out the same way, and some times there can be a little spit up, to a lot.  With that being said, a burp cloth is a necessity.  I never knew that there was such a huge market for burp clothes with the variety of styles, sizes, and functionality.  My mother in law bought me some burp clothes from Korea for my first child.  It was the typical white square with some bear designs on it. We got a lot of use out of it, but we went through so many, that laundry became a huge hassle.

I will be the first to admit that I am a huge fan of packaging.  I like products that are super cute, but super functional.  Anyone that knows me, knows how picky I am.  Usually when they buy me gifts, they ask me first because they know that I will not use anything I don’t like.  I guess this is true for most people, but I’m just really honest about my likes and dislikes.  I just had a summer baby, which means it’s super hot, and I will probably head to the local mall to cool off.  I need a burp cloth that I can use at public places that’s “simple, functional, and super cute.”  That’s where BabbaCo comes in.  A company that was started by Jessica Kim, a mother and an entrepeneur.

I was first intrigued by this company with their super cute BabbaCover. A super cute cover for your car seats.  Now, they came out with their BabbaBurpie line of Burpies.  At first glance, you cannot deny their cuteness.  Currently, offering 7 design patterns, you can definitely express your inner personality through these designs. I received the burpie in “Mimi Cream” and the design was earthy chic. I guess you can say that there is that eco-hippie-chic girl inside me.  What I love, love, and love most about this burpie is that it’s reversible, so you get a 2 in 1 burp cloth. So no more stuffing your diaper bags with lots of burpies.  Once one side is wet or dirty, you can flip it inside out, and you get a new burp cloth. The cloth is made of French Terry which makes it soft and absorbant. Plus, there is doubled thickness on one side so that you can use it multiple times.  Now that’s a burp cloth!

Like BabbaCo’s motto its “Simple.Functional.Super Cute.“  I use mine all the time and I get a multitude of compliments everywhere I go. It retails for $22.50 which is definitely reasonable when you look at the quality of burp cloth you are getting.  This would be the perfect baby shower gift.  Head on over to BabbaCo’s site: www.babbaco.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Safeway, Inc. have teamed up to create a better-for-you line of food products for children, uniting flavor and nutrition with the iconic Looney Tunes characters. The Eating Right Kids food line featuring Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck and others offers more than 60 items across 18 categories including breakfast foods, produce, portable meals, dairy, snacks, beverages and frozen entrees – making it easy for moms to spot healthier food and beverage items for their kids that taste great. 

Items in the basket include:
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1
Tweety T-shirt from Junk Food
Looney Tunes plush item
Looney Tunes stationary or home good
Eating Right Kids “green” shopping bag from Safeway
Eating Right Kids post card
Eating Right Kids Products (non perishable) in a branded lunch box
Canned Ravioli with Daffy or Microbowl with Tweety
Tri-color Wheat Rotini with Sylvester and Tweety
Apple juice with Taz
Chewy Bar with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner

Please note: If an item listed in the giveaway prize is not available, it will be replaced it with a similar item of equal value.

In order to be entered to win the gift basket please comment on what you would like to win most from the basket and why.  The giveaway ends on September 24, 2009 at 11:59 pm PST.  Winner will be chosen randomly and winner has 48 hours to respond.

Growing up, I was raised in a pretty healthy household. I did have the occasional junk food when it was appropriate, such as friend’s birthday parties, family gatherings, etc.. However, having children of my own, I realized that I ate healthy because my parents ate healthy, and that’s all I knew since the time I was born.  With that in mind, I knew I had to be a good example for my children. I can’t tell my children to healthy when I am filling up on junk.  Our children follow our lead, and we definitely have to set a good example because they will eat what we eat.

Shockingly, more than half a million 4-year-olds are obese, and the number of overweight and obese children in 10 to 17 year olds are at or above 30 percent in 30 states. With that being said, most of these children grow up to become obese adults with all sorts of weight related health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.  Being a parent myself, this worries me greatly because what my children eat can be greatly affected by what their peers eat.  For example, if my daughter is eating a whole wheat avocado sandwich with blueberries and her friends are eating chicken nuggets with cheetos, she might feel like an outsider and want to convert her eating habits.

When trying to teach my children about healthy eating choices, I lead by example.  I found that to be the easiest because my 3 year old, looks up to me, and she mimics my every move.  If I eat grapes, she wants to eat it.  When I indulge in a cupcake, she is right there by my side.  My family and I shop fresh.  We go to our local farmers market to buy our fruits and vegetables.  While we do our shopping, my daughter walks around sampling all of California’s finest.

When my daughter was just eating within the confines of our household, she ate really healthy with the occasional snacks that would be brought by grandparents and our own friends.  We did not have any problems trying to get her to eat healthy because all we had were healthy foods.  However, once she went to preschool, it was a different story.  She wanted to eat what her friends were eating.  What’s sad was that most of them were eating non-healthy foods.  Of course, I had to figure out ways to feed her healthy (refer back to post on August 25th), but more importantly I had to ask her why and listen.

One day, when we went to the farmer’s market, we made it an educational day.  Everytime I would buy something, I would explain what sort of benefit it would have on our health.  For example, when we bought carrots, I said it was for our eyes and for our vision.  With every vegetable and fruit, my daughter was being educated and she was having fun.  After that trip, she started to make associations between food items and her health.  Eating should be fun, and by teaching her by example, she can understand what sort of impact healthy eating has on her health.

For me, leading by example and showing the impact that food has on health, has taught my daughter to make healthy eating choices.  I don’t shun junk food, but I try to steer my daughter to a healthier alternative.  If she wants a bag of potato chips, I have her get the baked chips, and if she wants chocolate chips cookies, we get ones that are not completely fat ridden.  Showing her that she can eat those snacks and still maintain a healthy eating habit is really important in showing her choices and options.

Sometimes making healthy choices is not as simple as 1-2-3. If you have any questions, advice, or want to get some healthy recipes, please visit http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/.

(Disclosure Notice: I have been hired by Warner Brothers to participate in the Looney Tunes Eating Right Kids Program.)