Our little nugget has finally arrived! Miss Eliza Francis was welcomed into the world on June 16, 2017 and we are so in love!
I have been living in a newborn baby fog and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I will say I truly enjoyed every moment of my pregnancy. I was lucky enough to have it very easy so naturally I assumed my labor would be dramatic but just like the pregnancy it wasn’t bad at all. She was a breech baby throughout the pregnancy so I ended up having a c-section. I will say, many people will give you all sorts of advice and prepare you for what you will go through but nothing can prepare you for when that doctor holds up your baby and you meet for the first time. She is beyond precious and perfect and I can’t stop staring at her!
Speaking of being prepared, there were a lot of things that helped me throughout my pregnancy and post pregnancy that I thought I would share. I always loved finding blogs with product recommendations and so many of my now pregnant friends and family members keep asking me about things I used so I thought I would do a little round up of some of my favorite items! If you’re expecting I hope you find some of these things as helpful as I did!
STRETCH MARKS: First let’s start off with stretch marks! It has been said that stretch marks are genetic and if your momma had them it’s inevitable that you will too. I can’t say that it’s not true but my mom had stretch marks from her 3 kids and I am happy to say I do not have one! The product I used and loved was Tummy Butter by the Spoiled Mama. My favorite thing about this product, aside from the obvious, was that it was very creamy and didn’t leave me feeling sticky.
SPANX: My next pregnancy must have was the Power Mama Maternity Shaper. This shaper snugged me in all the right places and really helped me feel supported. By the third trimester I felt like my belly was falling and this helped me get the lift that I needed to feel comfortable during a very uncomfortable time!
MATERNITY WEAR: I tried to go as long as possible in my own clothes but eventually I had to give in. I had a few sites that I enjoyed shopping from. 
This site has some great staple pieces. My favorite are their fleece lined leggings! I mean there is a very good chance I will be wearing them way after being pregnant ha!
Asos is one of my favorite online sites to shop from so naturally I would love their maternity section. They have some great jeans and beautiful dresses at very affordable prices.
H&M is full of great basic tees and tanks but will also be your best friend if you plan on nursing. They have some really cute nursing tanks and bras to choose from.
BREASTFEEDING: I’ve always heard about how hard breastfeeding was. I never knew how hard until I experienced it myself! The first couple of days seemed euphoric and amazing. Having this opportunity to bond with my baby was what I always imagined. Then the pain set in. Oh my, the pain! Turns out my little miss couldn’t latch correctly and was doing damage! I tried to power through it but in the end it was much healthier for our relationship for me to stop. I went through the mommy guilt of not being able to offer myself to her but cringing and crying every time she wanted to be fed led me to realize it just wasn’t right for either of us. I am now exclusively pumping. That is not to say the pain has gone away because almost 2 months later I am still waiting for the healing to happen! I have easily spent a small fortune on products to help make this time and experience a happy one. Some of these products worked and some did nothing! Here’s what I have found to be very helpful.
These cooling pads are a life saver! After a feeding or pumping session pull these out of your fridge and slap them right on for an instant cooling relief! A piece of advice, buy 2 packs this way you always have one ready to go in your fridge! 
Nipple cream. Self explanatory.
These cooling/heating gel pads are amazing! If you end up with a plugged milk duct you can pop these in the microwave to heat up and wrap them around your breast to loosen the milk. You can also keep them in the freezer for the opposite cooling effect!
BABY ITEMS: It’s been a little over a month with my little one and there are a few items that I couldn’t imagine not having! I know that all babies are different and some may love these and others may hate them but it’s what works for us! 
This right here is a must have! The Dock A Tot is like a portable crib. It hugs babies in all the right places and keeps them snug and comfortable. Our baby girl loves this thing and sleeps beautifully in it. When she fell asleep in it on the couch we would carry her into the bedroom and put it right inside the bassinet for the night. I recently stopped doing this when I noticed how close her face was getting to the edge. I chose to pick safety over sleep. I just didn’t feel safe letting her sleep in this overnight without being able to watch but during the day when I can check on her she can be found hanging out or napping in this bad boy! It comes in 2 sizes so baby can grow into it and in some really cute color and patterns!
This Love to Dream swaddle has been great. There are some really pretty swaddles out there and while I love wrapping and unwrapping the little one in the wee hours something about getting to just unzip her has made life easy. Not only that but when I was swaddling her I always kept her hands out because she was a self-soother and this swaddle lets her arms stay out in a sense. The best part is Love to Dream makes swaddles where the arms can be removed so you can transition your baby from swaddling to independent sleep.
There are so many gadgets out their for babies and I certainly have a slew of them but nothing is better than this Fisher Price Soothing Motions seat. It goes up and down, it sways side to side, it vibrates, it plays music, it can cook you breakfast. Ok that last one was a lie but you get the idea! Eliza loves this seat and another plus is that its bluetooth compatible so you can turn it on and off from your phone.
I hope you find this helpful!