*This post contains affiliate links. Shortly after Baby J was born, I chose to exclusively pump. With that choice came the need for numerous pumping products. I tried out a lot of different options, and here are some of the things I still use after 6 months:
A double electric breast pump (this is the one I got through insurance and it has been great!):
Manual Pump (this one is great for when you want to electric pump on one side):
Extra pumping parts (I keep these at work so I don’t have to carry around as much):
Breastmilk storage bags (Lansinoh does a double zip so they are less likely to leak):
Disposable breast pads (I like Lansinoh because they have two sticky strips instead of one like other brands):
Breast pump shields (did you know some brands are interchangeable?):
Nipple ointment (I’ve tried a variety of ointments, and I really like the Bamboobies brand).
Hands free help (I chose this pumping bra kit, which basically allows me to pump hands-free without having to always wear a pumping specific bra):
Drying rack for pumping parts:
*Bonus* A product I bought but haven’t really used is a lactation massager. I was really worried about plugged ducts when I first started exclusively pumping so I bought this. I’ve only used it a few times because I’ve found that my hands can be just as effective in applying pressure and massaging:
This post series is inspired by the book, First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents by Bonnie Angelo. The book is about 11 mothers of presidents, all of whom lived in the 20th century. While Angelo presents a much more rounded version of the President’s mothers, my goal in these posts is to share only the positive things each mother did. So without further ado, here are some anecdotes about Dorothy Walker Bush:
Her nickname was “Dottie.”
She was a competitive tennis player. Although she didn’t compete professionally, she kept up tennis throughout her life.
She was also a strong swimmer and horsewoman. “She captained the mothers’ teams at our school. She was the fastest runner, the best pitcher, and the best football thrower.”
According to her daughter Nancy, Dorothy taught her children “bridge and thousands of games and organized incredible treasure hunts.”
She taught her children how to be team players. Once, when George came home after a game he told her he scored three goals in soccer. Her reply was, “Fine, George, but how did the team do?”
Family lore has it that when she was full term with her child, she played in a baseball game where she hit a him run and ran around all the bases and then straight to the hospital. While much of it is true, she actually went to the hospital a day or two later.
She continued to offer motherly advice well into her son’s presidency. Some examples include: suggesting he walk ahead of his wife at official events, reminding him to pull his socks up before appearing on the Tonight show, and to stand up straight before a presidential debate.
When her husband died in 1972, she asked everyone to wear colors to his funeral to show that it was a celebration of his life.
She constantly taught her children to put others first and to think of other people. “She was a real Second Commandment person.”
She flew out for George’s inauguration in an ambulance plane with two doctors and a nurse. She had to stay in a wheelchair the whole time, but that didn’t stop her from shaking hands and greeting visitors.
If you want to learn more about the first mothers, read the whole book!
I wish I could tell you with words just how much I love you! But there aren’t enough words.
I wish you could see how my heart is so much bigger since each of you came into my life. I always knew that I wanted to be a mom, but WOW- I had no idea just how in love I would be with a little person that I bring into the world. Each of you have truly changed my life, made me a better, kinder, gentler, more whole- of a person.
If I could make sure that I accomplish ONE thing as your mother, it would be that you never doubt my love for you. Out of everything I teach you, out of everything I do wrong in raising you (despite my best efforts), I want more than anything for you to know that I WILL LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT. There is nothing you could do that would ever make me love you any less.
And that love is a lot. Think of how impossible it would be to try to count the pieces of sand on a beach. That amount isn’t even as big as my love for you. This love grows stronger and stronger as you get older, and it will always be this way.
I want you to know some things:
-Life is hard. It often isn’t fair or just. People you love will hurt your feelings, even break your heart sometimes. But this is because the more you love someone, the more it hurts when they make a mistake. This is how we are designed! Our souls are meant to feel strongly and deeply, for the good and for the bad. Even though life is sometimes really hard and there will be times you question whether everything will be okay, take my word for it: EVERYTHING WILL ALWAYS BE OKAY. Just keep going, keep trying.
-You don’t have to be perfect to be a good person. Just do your best! Try to be kind and good. As your mom, I know you best- and you ARE sweet, kind, good, and wonderful!
-Don’t let anybody tell you that boys have to be a certain way. No two boys are the same! You can and SHOULD cry and be vulnerable. You can do the activities you want to do and be passionate about the things that speak to your heart.
-Self-esteem comes from within. No one else can make you feel less or more than you are, unless you let them. You are capable of amazing things, just the way you are. Self-love and self-acceptance is one of the keys to happiness.
-As much as I love you, Heavenly Father and Jesus love you even more! They are always mindful of you and want more than anything for you to be happy and to feel peace. Pray to them every day, and you will be on the right path to peace and joy.
-Women are your equals. In fact, everyone is equal! All races, religions, cultures, and genders, are equal in God’s eyes. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Treat every girl and woman you come across with gentleness and respect. Even though we want to be treated equally and feel that we are as strong as men, we also want to be taken care of lovingly by the men in our lives.
Each of you are the joy of mine and Daddy’s lives. We are so proud of you! We love you, and we hope that you always know this.
2018 was an exhausting year for me and for my family. Although we dealt with a lot of uncertainty and heartache, we learned and grew and are better off for it.
One of the hardships we faced was the death of my husband’s mother. She was an amazing lady who left an unforgettable legacy of love, loyalty, and faith. She was diagnosed with liver cancer and passed away about 2 months later. Liver cancer is a cruel and painful disease, so it was actually a tender mercy for my mother-in-law that she didn’t have to suffer with it for very long. My husband, his family, and I feel peace that Mom is happy now and that we will all see her again.
I didn’t really know how to tell my sons that their grandma was going to die soon. We didn’t tell them immediately after we found out about the cancer diagnosis. We waited to tell them until it was pretty clear that treatment wasn’t going to work and that her time was limited. My husband and I just sat our boys down (they were 4 and 2 years old) and told them, “you know how Grandma has been sick? Well, she is going to die soon.” And our 4 year old’s response was, “it’s okay. Jesus made it so we’ll be alive again!” We then had a brief discussion about how when we die, our spirit leaves our body; but when we are resurrected someday, our spirit and our body come back together and we will live forever and ever! He knew some- if not all- of this already. But we wanted to make sure he understood that when someone dies, it’s a temporary thing.
My sweet boy’s perfectly hopeful reaction changed my perspective- and probably changed my life. I was taken aback by his response, although I guess I shouldn’t have been. Children understand more than what we give them credit for. Death is sad and can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be scary. Kids are practical and think in black and white- things are the way they are, and right is right and wrong is wrong. Not much gray area yet for those little ones.
So how do we teach our kids about something that we adults consider so difficult, so tragic, so heartbreaking? We want more than anything to protect our little ones from anything sad or scary. We just want them to be safe and happy. Well, something I realized from this experience is that children deserve to know the truth, and they will be able to handle it.
My husband and I want his mom to play a significant role in our lives, still. We want our kids to know her as much as they can without her being right here with us. But there is no doubt in my mind that she is with us still, watching over her family.
I know that not everyone has religion in their life, but it is central to mine. I am grateful that my family has the hopeful perspective that no one is really dead forever, that family relationships are eternal, and that Jesus Christ made it possible for all of us to have our bodies back. And I am grateful for sweet sons who remind me to have faith, hope, and joy.
From this experience, I learned that the most important things a parent should do for their children when a grandparent dies are:
Be specific and honest about what’s happening. Don’t be vague. And don’t assume that just because they’re kids, they can’t handle the truth. Kids can get confused if you don’t tell them what is happening. If you have a faith, use this time to talk about what you believe about death.
Give lots of hugs and be present for your kids. Let yourself be vulnerable and let them see you cry. Death is a sad thing, because we don’t want the people we love to be gone. Kids should see that their parents feel deeply and love deeply. Mourn together, but also show them that you are hopeful for the future and know that everything will be okay.
Make an effort to keep the grandparent part of your family. I don’t want my kids to forget their grandma’s face. I want them to know stories about her. We believe that we will see her again, and this brings us a lot of hope. We know that we will be a family forever.
I hate when I go to a food blog and have to scroll for ages to get to the recipe.
So let’s do things in reverse. Here’s the recipe, scroll down for the back story.
Almond Joy Lactation Energy Bites
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup flaxseed
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup almond butter
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Directions:
If desired, blend the oats for a finer texture. Mix the dry ingredients. Then add the almond butter, honey, and vanilla. Once everything is incorporated, use a spoon to form balls. Roll the balls in coconut flakes- you may need more than the recipe requires depending on your preferences. Put bites on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to set, then store in airtight container in the fridge.
Backstory:
While these energy bites specifically benefit lactating women, they can also be a great snack for anyone. Oats and flaxseed are the “lactation” ingredients in this recipe, as both are recommended to boost milk supply. Another great variation of this recipe can be found here. I have 3-4 bites a day, and while I haven’t noticed a huge increase in my supply, I do produce an extra ounce about 5-6 hours after eating the bites. It’s also been a great midnight snack because I always get hungry after nighttime pumping/ nursing sessions.
Man-Cub Mamas 