It’s Mothers Day Week, and I have lots of Mom/Baby related posts planned.

I have shied away from doing too many mom posts (just like I really shied away from pregnancy posts) because prior to this being the phase of my life (or SEASON as people like to so dramatically use, this SEASON OF LIFE) that I was in it never resonated when I’d see it from the other bloggers that I follow.  But now that this IS the phase of life that I’m in, and that it’s kind of all consuming at the moment (well…. ya know, except for things like Bravo and food and fitness and Netflix and clothes and other things that I still am obsessed with) I feel like I need to just embrace it and WRITE WHAT I KNOW.  And by “know” I mean “don’t know but try and like for myself so why not share with others”. Ya know what I mean?
So I want to say sorry not sorry for future mom-posts because it’s been harder to
NOT write about any of it than to write about it.
So just pass on these posts when it isn’t for you and check back the next day for some clothes and Bravoholic fun. (I swear I WILL be funny again with Coffee Talk, these little ladies just still haven’t graced me with even time be my hilarious witty self quite yet).  Baby/Kid posts never made me stop following a blogger;
just because I didn’t have a toddler running around, I would just simply not read that specific blog post.
So I need to get over it and get working on blogging all of my incredible knowledge, because I’ve just totalllllly got my sheyite together and know so much right? HA!
K…. glad we cleared that up and I’ll get on with it……

{I had a C-Section and am now exclusively pumping, so in terms of natural delivery and nursing things may be a bit different.  Also, everyone is different of course so whatever works for you works for you!!  And as always I know NOTHING about nothing, keep that in mind 😀 this is just what has helped me }

#1. Wine

#2. Coffee

#3. Wine

Ohhhh I jest………
Kind of…..

I also completely utilize my Comcast Voice Remote command to its fullest potential.  I don’t know how I never did this before – telling it to remind X minutes, fast forward X minutes, go to DVR, go to a certain show, go to Netflix…. I meannnnnn it’s amazing.  You can just stop reading now because that’s my #1 tip……
but I digress…….. 

Belly Band :

A belly band is my #1 thing that I think helped me with recovery, especially with the c-section.  I also credit it with helping me get everything sucked back in after delivering the twins.  I was terrified to put it on in the hispital because having anything touching my stomach was a NO THANKS, but I wear a tight tank top and put it on over that and I LOVE IT.  From the moment it went on I felt so much more stable and it just felt GOOD. I was pretty religious with wearing this for the 6-8 weeks following their delivery.
I was using a Belly Bandit at first because a sweet friend sent me hers to borrow but then I found an even better one from Amazon that I LOVE.  See below.

Belly Bandit – for sizing, I am not much help.  I had a size Small but two people had used it before (they stretch with use) so then I ordered an XS when it was too big to use and I could BARELY close it even with the jaws of life (jaws of life being my husband).  Now I am able to close it on my own, but it took some SERIOUS time.  So I think a size Small still would have been the size for me.  I have the Original Belly Bandit.
Use code MAMA19 for up to 50% off your purchase through tomorrow for Mother’s Day
and look, it’s Cassandra from The Bachelor modeling it for you!

For a GREAT Belly Band that I may love more?!?! At least I definitely love more for daytime use and at a fraction of the price I found this belt from Amazon.  It is only $15!!!! It has the main band and then two smaller ones that can cinch you in even more.  This one is much easier to bend and move around in than the Belly Bandit and I could wear this one all day and night and never need to take it off, but with the Belly Bandit I would need breaks if I was moving around a bunch.  I got this in a size Small.

(I don’t know about regular delivery, but a Spanx type of underwear was a hard no for me for a few weeks after delivery – see below for when I switched to something tight.  I still have tenderness in my lower tummy and have to be gentle even washing my stomach in the shower, so I was NOT going to put on something tight that has to roll over that area for quite some time.)

C Panty 
I did not get this until probably 6 weeks after having them, and this is a C Section only item.  The skin above my C-Section incision was puffy and swollen – which I assume happens to most? – but after a few weeks I worried maybe it wouldn’t quite flatten down on it’s own and would need some help.  This underwear is like a great pair of Spanx combined with a little silicone strip to help heal the scar.   I am glad I didn’t wear these prior because having to roll something tight onto my stomach was NOT gonna happen – it was so sore and tender to the touch (hence the belly band being the better option).  I am happy to say I no longer have that dreaded shelf/ledge above my scar and I think wearing this (or any kind of Spanxish underwear) is credited with that.

For non-C-Section moms, these undies look great and have amazing reviews.

Tight Black High Waist Leggings + a long Tank Top.
My uniform post babies.  I wore my Zella Maternity Leggings constantly after the babies because they would stretch over the top of the belly band and also they were just COMFY.  After a few weeks I was able to switch to normal leggings and now can wear some with the compression at the top, but it took some time to get to that point.
You can’t go wrong with a high waist legging though.
I also always always had a long tank top on because my bare stomach always would feel so sensitive if it didn’t have something over it. (I love these control top leggings, they run true to size)

Depends + Colace – just sayin.
If you want you can do Panty Liners/Pads instead, but trust me, you don’t want to.  You want the Depends.  (and I had no idea this was a thing that C-Sections needed too, so thank Gawd I realized that right before I had the twins and ordered some.) Thank the Amazon Prime Gods that you don’t have to go buy it in the grocery store if you don’t want to and can just have it delivered straight to your door sight unseen.  (But after birth, you stop giving a damn about most things.  I couldn’t care less about who saw me buying stool softeners and
Speaking of, have the colace on hand.  Just do it.  Trust me.  Nuff said.

Button Front Tops
I lived/still live in button front tops.  If you are nursing or pumping it is very nice to not have to take your top off to access anything and it’ll get old real quick.  Sure, a lot of the time I am just in my robe which is easy to open, but I try to put clothing on every day to feel like a sane human being.

Organic Nipple Cream
Your boobs take a beating, especially the nips.  Use the cream.

Nipple Heating/Cooling Pads
One of the only things that has brought me to tears since having the babies in terms of being legitimately upset (not just hormonal tears which Oooooo Weeeee way more things, like a song that previously meant nothing to me on the radio will have me weeping like a baby) is CLOGGED DUCTS.  I meannnnn.  It is hell.  And when your husband touches your boob “to help” and a sound comes out of you unlike anything you ever heard before, you will slap him do anything to get rid of them before they get worse (Mastitis? NO Thank you, Next.)
These pads can be cooled in the fridge to use after nursing/pumping or heated in the microwave to use before.  A hot shower or a heated pad helps release the milk (but careful not to burn yourself when you heat them in the microwave… not like I’ve done that about 15 times or anything….I’m way too intelligent to do that…15 times……)

Haaka Hand Pump
This is a MUST for a million reasons.  If you nurse, you put this on the opposite side and it collects extra milk for you with zero effort.  If you have clogged ducts, you put some epsom salt and hot water in it and attach it to help draw out the clogged duct. You can also have instant relief on the go if you are in a pinch and away from your baby or the pump.  Get it.  Have it on hand.  You will use it.
ALSO. When you google the epsom salt and hot water to remove clogged ducts you will see HORRIFYING images that look like a penis or something is in this thing and not a nipple….. and then it will remind you that your nipples are no longer nipples and WOW has your life changed.

Lecithin 
For those damn clogged ducts that ruined me for about a week or two when they would. not. stop. coming.  This thins out your milk (I think?! I’m not a doctor but the internet basically is, right?) and helps it flow more freely.  I don’t know WHY WHY WHY I wasn’t taking this from the beginning.

Pumping Bra 
A must. I have a black and a tan.  I also got a strapless one that you can take on and off easily from the zipper front but this style is my go-to.

Nursing Bra
I nursed when the girls were in the NICU, but I quickly learned once they were home that I could not nurse then give them the follow up bottle to ensure they were getting enough then feed the next baby nursing and then a bottle and then pump.  I’d be tied to a baby and a pump 24 hours a day.
BUT I had ordered nursing bras and still wear these and love them.
They are so comfy and wear well and you cannot beat the price.

Nursing Pads
Self explanatory – but the nipple balm will stain too so use these even if you don’t necessarily “leak”.

Lactation Cookies
My favorite thing in the whole wide world! Eating cookies and saying you “have to”.
Make a big batch and freeze the dough in balls.
Basically can add to your own recipe by adding in milk producing ingredients like oats/brewers yeast/flaxseed/wheat germ.

If you want to make your own in advance to freeze, here is the recipe I use.  Then I use a scooper to put them on parchment paper, freeze, and then transfer to a big ziplock bag to bake off as needed.
Miracle Milk Kookies

Oh. My. Word.  I’m going to do a separate post on these but WOW.  Wow-wow-wee-wow. The most delicious cookies EVER. My husband is allowed to eat the cookies I make but he is not allowed to lay his hands on these.  And these have helped my production big time when it plummeted the last week or so.
9/10 moms notice an increase in supply with the cookies and I definitely did with mine!
They also have a “clean” cookie and I think I am going to try that one out next!

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is great for milk production.  A fellow twin mom recommended The Cranberry Protein Oatmeal and it is SO good and I look forward to eating it everyday.

Protein Bars + Snacks 
Have these stocked on hand all day and all night because you will be so so so so so so hungry at all times and need easy and frequent snacking options.  I am partial to these Clif Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars lately.

Extra Pump Parts + Portable Plug
If you’re pumping, don’t try to do it all.  Learn from me and my mistakes are order some damn extra pump parts.  Just do it.
I also just got a car adapater to be able to plug mine in in the car and a rechargable battery pack for if I need to use it when not near an outlet.  It took a couple weeks of being tied to an electrical outlet or being out and desperate to get back home to pump to realize these are worth it to have when you need it.
(I got this for $10 to have the pump work in the car and this to have it work with batteries.  You can also use the Haakaa on the go in a pinch but not for a real full pump session.)

Body Oil – I had read somewhere to keep oiling AFTER the baby arrives to help with preventing stretch marks.  I was vigilant about oiling 2x a day throughout my pregnancy and didn’t get a single stretch mark.  (It may have just been luck, but I think the oil helped!) NOW however, my boobs are porn star status.  And they grew to pornstar status literally overnight one night while I was in the hospital.  So I don’t think I’m going to make it out without stretch marks on my breasts BUT I ordered some of this dry oil to try to help them out. (I was good about it when they were in the NICU, now I’m too tired to put it on most of the time, but my point is any lotion or oil to moisturize will probably help.)  In the end, it’s probably bound to happen no matter what, but I might as well try when I think of it.
I got this Quick Dry Oil so that it would dry fast but it doesn’t dry nearly as quickly as I’d hoped.

Diaper Bag – I have the Fawn Design Backpack and I love it.  I’ll try to do a better post just on this, but I love the backpack wearing option of it (it can also be worn crossbody or as a normal purse).  I’m on board with the backpack bandwagon because I need all the free fingers and hands I can get!
This even fits everything for both babies just fine – so many little compartments and everything!
(I found it on Amazon for half the price in some colors!)

Moms on Call or BabyWise or 12 Hrs by 12 Weeks or Taking Cara Babies on Instagram
This is part of our “next steps.”  I read Moms on Call and our plan is to follow that as a guideline.  I might read 12 hours by 12 weeks too, or Baby Wise and try to mix and match.  We are lucky that the NICU put them on a schedule (we feed every 3 hours and they’ve been good with that schedule since the day we brought them home a month ago).  Figure out what works for you and your babies.

ALSO: and not be forgotten:
A nap, a support system, a walk listening to a podcast, a workout, a nap, a face mask, some online shopping, sitting in silence, standing in the shower, YOU NAME IT.
A friend told me to try to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing something for you alone and I think that’s amazing advice.
Leave the bottles in the sink, the laundry all over the house, and as long as the babies are safely sleeping, you do you.

Next up I’ll do the Essentials for Baby!!
But you can get a sneak peek without a description in my Amazon Shop.
We can’t live without our bottle sterilizer, this twin pack and play with changing station on top, the Twin Z pillow (or boppy pillows for one baby), these SwaddleMe swaddles, the Motorola Baby Monitor, Sound Machine, our stroller organizer — the list goes on and on.  and on.  They require OH SO MUCH.  What on earth would I do without Amazon Prime?!