The Taming of the Boobs

Immediately after having my son, my chest grew to the point where neither myself nor my husband would have recognized my breasts had they not been attached to me.  Yes, they were large, but also full and firm. (Ready to nourish my newborn, not for you hubby.)  I needed support and I needed it fast.

I sent my Mom-in-law to Target to buy a nursing bra.  She came back with a few nursing camisoles that had scrawny shelf bras.  When I tried them on I was terribly uncomfortable.  It felt like there was too much pressure around the rib band and not enough support.  I ended up not wearing a bra half the time, which limited me to the house.  How did I manage to overlook such an important part of the Mommy experience?!?

Since then, I have learned so much!  According to several studies found in this article:  Brasserie-Wikipedia, 80-85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size.  This is not just limited to pregnant and nursing moms, but it seems that if we can't get it right when our breasts are not undergoing massive changes, then we're probably not correctly sizing ourselves when they are fluctuating with our milk production.

At Soft and Cozy Baby, we offer free bra fittings with a certified Bravado specialist.  Bravado bras are designed to provide support, grow with you for comfort, and last throughout your time of nursing and beyond.  They also come in a variety of designs and we encourage you to try on several so that you can find a great fit AND a style that makes you feel beautiful!

By giving yourself the gift of a great nursing bra, a healthy breastfeeding practice can be established. You will be feeling and looking great, but even more importantly, your baby will be getting the best nourishment that you can offer.  That's something to feel amazing about!

For more information and support on breastfeeding, you can check out the Resource Library on the Bravado website, come to our monthly Breastfeeding Class with the wonderful lactation consultant Katy Linda,  or please join us each Thursday at noon for our Mom's Breastfeeding Circle.  We hope to see you there soon.

Happy Mothering!
the Soft and Cozy Momma

Time for Teething!

After being woken up last night at 3am due to my son's painful teething, I was willing to try almost anything to help my little man.  Normally his amber necklace is enough, but his molars really seemed to be bothering him.  I totally understood why as I looked into his mouth to see swollen gums through which the teeth are trying to erupt.  I would be crying out in pain too!

Fortunately, I remembered that I had brought home a sample of Punkin Butt's Teething Oil.  Grabbing the little vial, I ran upstairs to wash my hands and then put a couple of drops on my pointer finger.  The oil smelled nice, reminding me of warm apple cider.  My son must have smelled it as well because he stretched his neck out and put my finger in his mouth.

I worked slowly, massaging the gums and adding more oil as needed.  It probably took me about two minutes to get the four corners of his mouth where the molars are protruding and the surrounding swollen areas.  The relief was immediate and my 18 month old was soon back to sleep.  I will definitely be purchasing a larger bottle to have on hand throughout this teething period.

The oil helped in reducing my son's pain quickly and that was the most important thing to me at 3am, but looking at the ingredients this morning, I became an even bigger fan.  Punkin Butt uses all natural oils in this blend including chamomile, clove, and peppermint essential oils.  These oils are professionally mixed and diluted to provide right amount of numbing and anti-inflammatory agents for babies.

My little guy slept through the rest of the night waking up at his usual time of 7am.  He played for about an hour before he started sticking his whole hand in his mouth again, drooling everywhere, and showing all the irritable signs of teething pain.  I was pretty impressed that the teething oil lasted for five hours, although I'm not sure if those results are typical.  We shall see as I'm positive that I'll be massaging my son's gums throughout the day. :)

Happy Mothering!
from the Soft and Cozy Momma

Soft and Cozy Baby Blog: Reboot!

Soft and Cozy Baby would like to announce the reboot of our blog!  In addition to providing you with reviews of products, exclusive information about sales, and the upcoming offerings of classes, we would like to address real issues from Baltimore Moms, Dads, and caregivers.  Feel free to post comments and questions as we are happy to share our knowledge.

With this blog, we are able to supply you with a searchable list of topics that matter to your family.  We will try to cover a variety of topics including finding the right nursing bra, what kind of diapers work well for overnight, and how to calm an irritable, teething child.  As always, our excellent customer service is available for you in the store, but this will hopefully be a resource for those times when we're closed or you just can't make it out to see us.

Like most parents, we might not have all the answers, but we promise to help you research if there is something that you'd like to know about (Baby related, of course.  I can't help you sell an old car).  

Thanks for reading and we hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Mothering!

from the Soft and Cozy Momma