Friday, August 29, 2014

Breastmilk - It's What's for Dinner (for Baby)

Well, another World Breastfeeding Month has come and is now coming to an end.

To finish up the month, I've found a bunch of infographics and fun breastfeeding graphics that I'd like to share with you. Some are for encouragement in your breastfeeding journey, some are to make you laugh, and some are for great information about the benefits of breastfeeding. I found all of these either on Facebook or Pinterest.

Happy nursing - and keep it up mama, you are doing a GREAT job!!










~Evie

Monday, August 25, 2014

Certified Bra-Fitters....What Does That Mean?

Did you know that every one of our in-store employees is a Bravado Certified Bra-Fitter? Even if you did know, do you know what that actually means? And what difference does it make anyway? You just need a nursing bra, right? Does having the right size actually make that big a difference?

Well, let me start out by saying that having a nursing bra that fits you perfectly is absolutely essential!


Take it from me. I'm a rather well-endowed woman, and I really had no idea how much the size of my breasts would fluctuate during pregnancy, the first few days after birth, and even through the next months of nursing. During all my pregnancies my bra size increased at least a full cup and rib size. After my babies were born (both times), I was so engorged when my milk "came in" that my breasts actually looked plastic. Talk about painful.

After a couple months of finding our nursing "rhythm", I finally got to a somewhat "regular" size. Those first couple months, though, weren't easy. Depending on what side my baby ate on first, how long it had been since she/he had eaten, etc, my size varied greatly.

I was fortunate and never dealt with plugged milk ducts or mastitis, but those are very real issues that can turn up, especially if you have an ill-fitting bra. Continuous pressure in a single spot can cause a plugged milk duct, and if it doesn't get drained it can lead to mastitis. Both are very painful and difficult things to deal with when you have a newborn that depends on you for complete care!

Because of this, a bra that fits right is simply essential. I didn't know all these things, and looking back I wish that I had known more about well-fitting bras. This time around is definitely going to be different! :)

I have at my disposal (AND SO DO YOU!!), Bravado Certified Bra-Fitters at Elegant Mommy. Everyone who works in the store has gone through Bravado's course and passed a rigorous test to become certified to help us all get fitted correctly. Elegant Mommy *cares* about our breastfeeding relationships with our babies, and wants to help us all have the most successful experience possible.

By having a well-fitting nursing bra our chances of getting a plugged milk duct or mastitis drastically goes down, thereby helping our breastfeeding relationships with our babies flourish!



So, if you are needing a nursing bra, look no further than Elegant Mommy. No appointment is necessary. Just stop on in anytime during regular business hours and get the service you've come to expect from our awesome team!

Happy nursing!

~Evie

Monday, August 18, 2014

It's Time to Update Our Cover Photo!


Who is ready for a contest?


It's time for us to update our Cover Picture on Facebook again, and we want to give you a chance to show off some of your best snapshots/pics (that you have copyrights to, of course!). They don't need to be professional...just whatever great shots you have!


What kind of pictures are we looking for?


Basically, any great picture that displays what we are about..."From your baby bump to your baby's rump, we've got you covered". So, any cute belly bump, cloth diaper, breastfeeding, baby wearing, birth, or sweet baby pictures are what we are looking for!


How do you enter? It's EASY!


Just make sure to "like"our Facebook page (Elegant Mommy) and then just send me an email with your favorite picture(s)! (Please limit your submissions to 3 or less) 


Who will choose the winners?


The Elegant Mommies will choose the finalists, and then there will be opportunity for all of our followers/readers to vote for their favorites! 


The details:


Send your picture to me at media@elegantmommy.com by noon on Thursday, August 21. Don't forget to "like" our Facebook page! Finalists will be chosen by August 25, and voting for the winners will take place through Thursday, August 28. Watch our Elegant Mommy Facebook page for information on how to cast your vote and when voting will start (voting will take place on our Facebook page).


Good luck, and we can't wait to see your great pics!!


~Evie

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Five Tips To Make Breastfeeding Easier

One of my favorite bloggers is Mama Natural. If you haven't checked her out, definitely take the time. She does a lot of very entertaining vlogging as well as blogging.

She did a vlog awhile back on Breastfeeding tips, and I wanted to share it with you - I find it very simply stated and helpful for new breastfeeders, so take the time and check it out :).



One caveat I would say to her last point is this: If you are painfully engorged be careful with pumping. You don't want to pump so much that you increase your supply making it more painful. I personally got very engorged with both my kiddos and pumped a tiny bit just to take the edge off so my babies could get a good latch (I was SO hard my husband said my breasts looked plastic. Yep. Painful!). The other thing is that I didn't need to have a good pumping supply because I wasn't planning to pump-to-feed them. I work from home so am able to nurse on demand all the time (well, most of the time), and when I couldn't nurse them for whatever reason I was able to pump just enough to get them through the short time I wasn't around. If you are going to be returning to work or have other reasons to pump, though, definitely follow her advice - it will make it much less stressful when the time comes to leave your baby!

Happy breastfeeding month!

~Evie

P.s. Don't forget tonight's Breastfeeding Support Group at Educated Mommy at 6:30 pm at Educated Mommy!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Just Another Reason to Breastfeed

You know how beneficial breastfeeding is. How nourishing. How perfect. How it actually changes as time goes on to adapt to exactly what your sweet growing baby needs. That's not even talking about cost savings compared to formula feeding.

So do you need another reason to breastfeed your baby?

Well, I've got one for ya, and so does La Leche League. How about that YOUR MILK IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE? Here is an excerpt on that very subject from La Leche League's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding:

As a nursing mother, you can take off on short notice for a family excursion, a long trip, or a full-day picnic - situations in which formula can spoil. You can make your plans and pack your bags without worrying about having an adequate supply of formula for the baby - a formula that may not be available everywhere. You won't even have to be concerned that a strange water supply will make your baby ill, since a breastfed baby does not need extra water.

Wherever you and baby are, so is your milk. It's a most reassuring thought, particularly in the rare, but always stressful time when the usual, normal supplies of food are cut off. This doesn't happen too often, but we do hear from mothers who have had such experiences and are most grateful that their little ones were spared the brunt of this disturbing situation.


In the Midwest, an unexpected and severe snowstorm stranded a family in their car. While the husband went for help, his wife snuggled the baby under her coat, keeping them both warm, and the baby nursed and slept. The young mother found the feeling of normalcy associated with feeding the baby helped to keep her own fears in check until a rescue crew came for them.

Another family unexpectedly spent a night in the mountains. The four Walkers of Ohio - mom, dad, five-year-old Scott, and one-year-old Adam, in a backpack atop his father's shoulders - set out for an afternoon's hike and didn't make it back to their camper for twenty-one hours. "We had hiked these trails so often we thought we knew them all thoroughly," Judy Walker wrote. But when the Walkers started down the trail they thought led back to their car, they inadvertently went down another trail, which they learned later, "went right off the map." The night spent in the isolated area was cold, rainy, and so dark "we couldn't see each other." Judy concludes her story: "My husband kept scooping leaves over us trying to keep us dry, and all night, at least once an hour, Adam woke, hungry, wet, screaming. Each time I nursed him, as it was the only thing that calmed him. I thank God that throughout that cold, wet night I had warm milk to fill my baby's tummy and to comfort him."

Kay Troisi from Alabama tells of her family's experience:
A hurricane came roaring through our community with little advance warning of its nearness or intensity. A lot of damage resulted, including many fallen wires, and snapped pine trees perilously perched on power lines. Consequently, we were without electricity for two and a half days. During this time, I realized even more what an advantage breastfeeding is. Our daughter, Tamara, was only three weeks old and not having to worry about how to feed her was an immense rlief. There was no concern over preparing formula, not to mention sterilizing, storing, or heating it without electricity. Not only did I have ready nutrition and reassurance for Tamara, but baby and mother were also consoled by our nursing session during the worst of the storm. We could be in our little world while nursing, oblivious to the external ragings. After the storm, continuous closeness ensured a peaceful baby, contented mother, and overall a happier family, during a time when other families might have been in chaos.

So if you need another reason to breastfeed your baby, look no further. You've found it - CONVENIENCE!

That is definitely one of my favorite things about breastfeeding, and I look forward to it with our upcoming arrival as well. Because seriously - us "mamas of littles" need all the convenience we can get!

If you need some breastfeeding support, make sure to join us at Milk Monologues every Wednesday at 1pm, and we also have our evening Breastfeeding Support Group this Thursday at 6:30 pm, both at Educated Mommy.

We look forward to helping you on your breastfeeding journey!

~Evie

Friday, August 8, 2014

Breastfeeding - Increasing Supply

If you know anything about Elegant Mommy, you well know that we are *passionate* about breastfeeding and doing everything we can to help moms have successful breastfeeding relationships with their sweet little ones.

I have no idea where I got this list, but it has some pretty good suggestions for increasing your milk supply, which can be an obstacle for some mamas. Take a look, absorb the information, and let us know if we can help in any way!



If you have any questions about breastfeeding, join Educated Mommy's Milk Monologues on Wednesday afternoons at 1:00 pm. If you need some more specialized help from our staff Lactation Consultant (the wonderful Alicia Fonder), you can call her up to set up a one-on-one with her through Educated Mommy. Her private consults are charged on a sliding scale, so everyone can get the support they need!

Happy Breastfeeding Month!

~Evie