Does Mommy Love It?

I find it hard to express myself fashionably while pregnant.  Either the maternity clothes I usually find are printed with too many designs or the price for classy apparel is atrocious.  However, I discovered a line that is simple enough for this unornamented dresser.  Peek-a-boo maternity and nursing collection is simple yet flattering to the body.

I have Peek-a-boo’s black tank top.  Their tops are awesome because each top can easily be transitioned from maternity to nursing.  My favorite feature to this top is that you cannot tell that it’s a nursing top.  There is also a cute little duck inside the garment that is only revealed while nursing.  This is a great reminder for the mom as to the last side she nursed on.  The side stitching helps hide my less favorable spots on my body that have grown through my pregnancy. Who wouldn’t love a top that does that?

Peek-a-boo is definitely one of my favorite maternity/nursing lines.  They carry all the basic pieces you would need throughout pregnancy and nursing.  Most of all, the pieces are durable enough to get you through each of these phases.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. Peek-a-boo provided the top, and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.

1 Comment | In: Ages- Pregnancy, Breast Feeding, Clothing, Maternity, Uncategorized | tags: Maternity, nursing, Peek-a-boo. | #

One of the toughest challenges for me while pregnant was abstaining from alcohol for a whole nine months!  I love wine but still limit my intake because I am still nursing my 9 month old daughter.  So imagine how pleased I was when I found Milkscreen, the home test for alcohol in breast milk.

From their website:  The AAP says an occasional alcoholic drink probably will not hurt baby, but a mother who chooses to have a drink should wait at least two hours before breastfeeding. Because everyone metabolizes alcohol differently, women may want more precise information about how their own bodies are processing alcohol, and how much is getting into their breast milk. Milkscreen is the only test that lets a woman know if there is alcohol in her breast milk.

I found this product very easy to use.  Packages are available in 3, 8, or 20 disposable strips per box.  It takes all of two minutes to detect for alcohol in breast milk… Letting you know pronto if you can still nurse your baby or if there’s a need to ‘pump and dump’.  If you do indulge in the occasional drink, do yourself and baby a favor and invest in a pack of Milkscreen.

Win a free 8-pack of Milkscreen, courtesy of UpSpring Baby! To enter, simply visit their site and leave a comment on this post.  For additional entries:

1) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? then leave a comment stating you did so.

2) Twitter about the contest and leave us a hyperlink to the tweet!

3) If you haven’t, please join our FACEBOOK GROUP!

4) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment with the permalink to this post.

5) Grab our button and put it on your sidebar and comment with a link to your blog.

6) Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to COPY us on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)! Then comment stating you did so.

This contest ends August 13th, 2009 Midnight EST.

Click here for contest rules at DoesMommyLoveIt.com!

No Comments | In: Breast Feeding, Safety | tags: alcohol, baby, breast milk, Milkscreen, testing, Upspring baby. | #

Anytime I have a question about anything related to my child, I go to this site, www.keepkidshealthy.com.  It literally is a “pediatrician’s guide to your children’s health and safety.”  This is the “guru” site for anything related to your kid’s health and safety.  I love how on top of the page, there are tabs for different age groups.  This is a handy option for moms!  This site really emphasizes on the kid as a “whole” being and the better you take care of the health of your child, the safer he/she will be.  The navigation on this site is simple and makes finding answers to your questions really quickly.  Keepkidshealthy.com covers everything in full depth.  I had a question about “feeding solids” to my 5 month old at the time and went onto this site and found deep discussion on how to do it, how much to feed, how to begin, what you can feed, and etc.  It was so thoroughly explained that it built my confidence to start solids.  Also, this website has every topic covered relating to kids.  To name a few:  Immunizations, Feeding, Sickness, Safety, Nutrition, and Tips.  This is a “must have” site for all moms!

1 Comment | In: Ages- Elementary, Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Breast Feeding, Cleaning, Feeding, Food, Safety, Website Wednesday, Websites | tags: healthy, keepkidshealthy.com, Kids, nutrition, website. | #

Are you sick of trying to weed through the information of what is BPA free and what is not when you are buying feeding supplies for your children? I know I am. Sometimes it gets pretty confusing, especially when some of our favorite brands make some products with safe plastic and others with toxic plastic!

Fortunately, we received a comment on a post from Alicia Voorhies, owner of the The Soft Landing. I clicked to check it out and found a great store! They carry everything from pacifiers to sippy cups, plates, to toothbrushes and more!

Alicia Voorhies, the founder, is a retired RN that specialized in developmental disabilities. She came across this passion in her own pursuit to find non-toxic care products. Her mission is,

“We’ve accepted helping concerned parents to raise healthy children in the most natural way possible as our responsibility. We just know you’ll benefit from our research and personal experience! Whether you’re looking for Bisphenol-a free bottles and sippy cups or lead free bibs, we’ve got you covered from start to finish. Dive in and discover how making a few key changes in the products you use can give your baby the best health advantage possible.”

Related to the store, there is a Soft Landing Blog. This is an excellent resource for people just learning about toxins in plastic and how to live without it! Some of the most popular posts are:

• Which Nuby Bottles, Sippys, Teethers and Utensils Are Really BPA Free?
• BPA and Phthalate Free Pacifier Guide
• BPA and PVC Free Plastic Baby Bottle Comparison Chart
• BPA and Phthalate Free Baby Teether Guide and
• Safer Kids Cup and Dish Guide

Definitely do your self a favor and check out the helpful posts and guide so that you can make more informed decisions about the plastics used to feed your children!

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the Zaida Baby Post for a chance to win the Zaida Baby Keepsake Book! Contest ends SEPTEMBER 13TH AT MIDNIGHT EST.

6 Comments | In: Ages- Elementary, Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Bottle Feeding, Breast Feeding, Feeding, Green, Websites | tags: BPA free, The Soft Landing, website. | #

There is no perfect bottle out there, but the MAM Ulti-vent wide mouth transition bottles come close. All MAM bottles and nipples are constructed of Bisphenol-A free agents. The bottle features a fun color variety for boys and girls and has a unique design with an easy-to-read scale for measuring and wide mouth for easy filling. I find that the best thing about these bottles is that it has a new one-piece MAM valve, which assures an air-free flow. Hence, producing a happier baby with less spit up and gas. This is great because the BPA free bottles out there don’t provide a valve system to prevent colic. Also, due to the wide mouth of the bottle, it fits other bottle brand nipples of wide mouth bottles. The interchangeability is great! Did I also mention that it’s way affordable? For $12.99 you get three packs of five or nine ounce bottles each with a No.1 slow flow nipple and cap. There was one thing that did make me skeptical about this bottle. It has a removable base (maybe highly leak causing) that is part of the valve, but as long as it is screwed on correctly and tightly, you will have no problem with leaking. If it’s not, it will cause major leakage.

Check out these other bottle reviews:
Dr. Browns
Soothie
Green to Grow

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the Zaida Baby Post for a chance to win the Zaida Baby Keepsake Book! Contest ends SEPTEMBER 13TH AT MIDNIGHT EST.

No Comments | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Bottle Feeding, Breast Feeding, Feeding, Green | tags: bottles, BPA free, Feeding, MAM, Ulti-vent. | #

Dr. Brown’s bottles are known for their ability to reduce ear infections and gas for your sweet little one. It’s unique airflow system makes it possible for a baby to swallow less air. This is by far the biggest pro to owning these bottles. In the past there have been plenty of cons to these bottles, but they have already solved two of the biggest complaints.

Problem- Neck to narrow to successfully pour formula powder in with out making a mess. Solution- Dr. Brown’s introduced the wide mouthed bottle. Unfortunately I believe this is only made in the original polycarbonate plastic that contains BPA.

Problem- Not BPA free. Solution- They have now started making both Glass bottles and polypropylene bottles that do not contain BPA. This is only available in the original narrow bottle shape.

Problem- Difficult and time consuming to wash. Each bottle contains many part to wash including a narrow tube with a brush, this part is difficult to clean. No Solution.

Problem- Leaks. No Solution.

Dr. Brown’s bottles are now clearly labeled so that the consumer knows which material they are buying in the case that they are buying BPA free products.

Dr. Brown’s bottles are moderately expensive at around $13 on average for a 3-pack, $13 for a 2 pack of glass. In an ideal world they would discontinue making the polycarbonate, BPA containing bottle all together. But because they have provided a safe alternative we don’t reject it all together.

No Comments | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Bottle Feeding, Breast Feeding, Feeding | tags: Dr. Brown's Bottles. | #

Many new and veteran mothers are familiar with the hospital choice, medical grade silicone pacifier, Soothie. Now available at stores like Wal-Mart and Target parents are also finding it to be the best choice for breast feeding babies. Now the nipple shape preferred by so many babies is also available in a bottle by first years.

Soothie bottles are ideal for the breast-fed baby that occasionally gets a bottle. Because the transition reminds them of their pacifier, it is likely they will take it. It also can be purchased with a small canister that snaps onto the bottom of the bottle that can hold formula or a snack. The nipples are available in medium and fast flow.

The down-side to these bottles? They do nothing to prevent air from being swallowed. Many parents, (including myself) complain of baby gassiness when they use these bottles. For this reason,

EDIT (8.16.08): Unfortunatly these bottles have plastic that may contain BPA and for this reason we have to edit it’s current ranking to

1 Comment | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Bottle Feeding, Breast Feeding, Feeding, Uncategorized | tags: baby, bottles, soothie. | #

There’s definitely nothing subtle in the name Hooter Hider, as its function is exactly that: it hides your mammories as you nurse your baby. Besides doing what its name promises, this product comes in stylish patterns and wallpaper-like designs that will live up to its slogan, “nursing covers for chic mothers.” The Hooter Hider is reasonably priced at $35, and with its material being 100 percent cotton, you can throw it in with your laundry. The best part of the product is its patent rigid neckline, which allows you to see your baby’s face. Not to mention, it’s compact when folded and fits like charm in your diaper bag! Important to note, it is also known as Bebe au Lait for obvious marketing reasons, but I like to call it the Hooter Hider. I also would like to get a few more.

7 Comments | In: Ages- Pregnancy, Breast Feeding | tags: breat feeding, Hooter Hiders, nursing. | #