Simply Peggy's Mommies-N-Babies Page

I loved being pregnant! 

Feeling my baby(ies) grow bigger and move about within me - it's beyond description!

And every day that would pass,my love for my unborn child/ren  would grow as well..

Believe it or not: I miss being pregnant..! (even though none of my pregnancies were easy)

What I do NOT miss, are the months and months of sleepness nights when I was pregnant with little Miss Zoey! Oh..just thinking about them wears me out..*whew*

One of the reasons I could not sleep was my gigantic belly..The only position that would be halfway comfortable was on my side..of course..But this big and heavy belly would not rest on the bed..it was too firm and stuck right out..*lol* I looked as if  I was having quadruplets ;-)

Josh was so sweet and brought home a body pillow for me, one day.. I was so grateful!

Finally my aches would be gone..and i could say "hello sleep!"..

Well..not exactly!  The pillow was too big to use it under my belly, as was anything else I tried.I  never was able to get comfortable..

But the body pillow was great to lay behind my back! I could semi-recline and keep the weight off my chest by not lying flat on my back..

One day, my mother and I went to Motherhood to shop for maternity bras, and as I was strolling through the brassiere section, my eye caught on odd-shaped pillow.."What is that?" I thought..

I picked it up. It read "Pregnancy Wedge".

Oh my!  I heard the angels sing! I knew that this was going to be the solution to my problems!

Forgotten were the bras! I was as excited as a kid in the candy store..

After literally only having slept maybe 7 hrs in a WEEK for months..I was desperate!

I couldn't wait to go to bed that night!

Let me tell you, sliding the pregnancy wedge between my belly and the bed..it felt sooooooo good!!!

I was able to really relax, and not tense up..I just let my belly "fall".

Oh..it was amazing!

Although I never did get a whole night's sleep throughout the entire pregnancy, I did get some sleep that night, and other nights as well.Without the pregnancy wedge, that would not have been the case.

I am so glad I found it!!

So, Moms-to-be:

If you're hurting for some relief at night,maybe the wedge will help you too. You can always give it a try.

I'd love to hear from you if this blog helped you out :-)

You can go to  http://simplypeggy.webs.com/featuredproducts.htm to see a picture and get the direct link to MOTHERHOOD.

If you are breastfeeding or know someone that is, you should read this!

This information is mainly going to help you get through your baby's growth spurts. And believe me: You will be glad that you read this when that time comes!

Here are some things that  no one  told me about breastfeeding but I wish they had!

Had I known of them, my son would've been breastfed longer and he and I both would've been spared a lot of stress and many tears (his and mine!).

This time around,with  little Miss Zoey,it  is so much easier and a relaxing experience. She is one happy fat baby, and I've got plenty of milk to feed her :-)

First of:

there is no such thing as "running out of milk".

It is a supply and demand situation.

The more you latch your child on to your breasts, the more milk you will produce.

What you absolutely MUST DO from the first day that you are nursing  to keep up your supply and your baby  happy (as well as yourself sane) during a growth spurt  is the following:

PUMP!

PUMP!!

PUMP!!!

and freeze!!!!

I suggest that you pump and freeze every morning, because that is usually the time of day that you will have the most amount available.

Having breastmilk in the freezer will prevent you from giving up on breastfeeding, out of fear that your baby is not getting enough.

When you can tell that your child is going through a growth spurt because your supply has lessened, compared to the demand , go ahead and feed your baby a bottle of  your frozen breastmilk. 

BUT you MUST pump directly (about 15 min later) after having fed him/her a bottle, to let your body know that it must produce more.

You need to pump 15 minutes per breast.

I strongly recommend that you purchase a breast pump BEFORE you deliver your child.

I am forever grateful that my "sister in law" Amy sent me mine when she did. Because of complications that both the baby and I had to endure during and after labor, I was unable to nurse her until she was 2 weeks old. She was formula fed until then, and it nearly killed me that I had to pump and dump my precious colostrum.

This brings me to my next  piece of advice!

Have Daddy, or another family member, feed the Baby the frozen breastmilk in the bottle (at least) once a day to let it get acquainted with it. This way it will accept - and not reject-  the bottle during a growth spurt.But remember: you have to pump. You should try do it while he/she is being bottle fed, just to be "in sync" with your baby's feeding times.

YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE THE BOTTLE IF YOU CANNOT PUMP TO MAKE UP FOR IT.

At first, you will probably be dissapointed at the little amount that you are pumping, but it's one of the greatest feelings when you see it become more and more each day. It lets you actually SEE that you are producing your child's milk. This will make you feel much more confident and relaxed about being able to nurse your baby :-)

Something else that will help put your mind at ease, is to have a baby scale on which you can monitor your baby's weight gain.

So, lets make a list of the things you will need and preferrably already have ready when you bring your child home.

Must-haves:

Breast Pump - one that pumps both breasts at the same time will cut the time you spend on pumping in half

Breastmilk Bags - to store and freeze breastmilk

Bottles

Nipples for bottles -  the kind that are shaped like a breast's nipple

Nursing Pillow - to support your arm(s) while nursing

Nursing Cover - so that you may breastfeed in public without exposing yourself to everyone

What would be nice to have:

Rocking Chair and Ottoman - you and Baby will spend A LOT of time nursing..so, you MUST be comfortable!

Baby scale - to monitor baby's weight gain and put your mind at ease

CHECK MY "MUST-HAVES!" PAGE FOR THE ITEMS I HAVE AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND RECOMMEND!

WHO you should contact if you are experiencing difficulties:

Lactation Consultant - your OB/GYN or Pediatrician should be able to provide you with the name and contact info of one

I wish you much success!

Being a stay-at-home-mom, now that little Zoey has joined us, certainly does not help our finances, as you can imagine..Even though Josh makes what you would call "good money"..

So, I try to save money where we can.And it's easily done at grocery and retail stores!

AT THE GROCERY STORE

Here is what I've done to cut the cost ..and I can only recommend that you do the same - or at least come up with another plan that works for you and your financial situation..

Every weekend, I :

A) get online to check the sales at my grocery store(s), and even the drug stores.

There you can usually create a printable shopping list, by clicking on the items you need.

 B)  I then  prepare a weekly Dinner Plan according to the items that are on sale at the stores.It is after I have done this, that I will add additionally needed items to my grocery list.

By knowing exactly what I will need for breakfast,lunch and dinner for an entire week, I am avoiding buying things that are not necessary (and might eventually end in the trash can).

C) I go to

http://print.coupons.com/CouponWeb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10

and

http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO

to print coupons that I can redeem at the store.

We average a  minimum  monthly savings of $ 50.00 by using coupons! (that's 2-4 trips to the store)

Combine them with purchasing a sale item, or better yet: a buy one get one free deal, and you save even more!

So, now that you have a little extra cash, you can spend it on other things! Such as much needed school clothes for the big kids..or new clothes for the ever growing baby. And maybe, if hubby was nice, he can get a new video game ;-)

BUYING CLOTHES, ETC:

You will love these websites if you like to buy clothes, shoes jewelery,electronics,etc.!

You can save at KOHL's, JC Penney, Carter's, Overstock and many other retail stores.

Just print the coupons and take them to the store or apply at the online check out.

Be aware that sometimes the clerks/cashier's have never seen these coupons.

(Check to see if the coupons are limited to online purchases or can be used in store as well.)

IF you need to, ask for the supervisor and they will always honor these coupons. I've never had problems - other than the  people behind me in line, huffing and puffing.. ;-)

http://coupon-codes-online.blogspot.com/

http://www.retailmenot.com/

Obviously you have to put a little time and effort into this..

But I'd much rather spend time than money! ;-)

 Shop smart, and you'll save smart!

PS: for those of you expecting a Baby - BREASTFEED!

It will save you a lot of money not having to buy expensive formula..plus , it offers many other benefits. but that's another blog entry! ;-)