{for the love of breastfeeding!}

Learning to breastfeed a child is not as easy as I thought. We have the hang of things now, but not without bleeding, cracking and the occasional hickey. Not only does Mom have to figure out what to do, but baby has quite the learning curve as well. As crazy as its been, its also been the greatest experience of my life thus far. Giving of yourself to your child in this way and being able to have your body produce what your child needs to survive, feels amazing. It bonds you to your child. I love the feeling of being able to comfort Hannah when no one else can, in a way that only I can. It is hard but once you figure out the tips and tricks, its totally do-able. Here are a few things that make life for a nursing Mom a little easier (if you have pregnant friends, take notes)...

Lactation cookies! These are delish and really do help with milk production. Look for the recipe coming tomorrow! These make a great gift for a new mom. When you bring a meal, why not bring dessert? I like to bake up half the batch and freeze the other half in cookie sized balls for easy baking. Include the recipe so they can make more later.

A Camelbak bladder! Yep! In case you didn't know, nursing Mom's have to drink a butt load of water and I always seem to get thirsty while I'm feeding Little Lou. My husband and I came up with an idea that uses a Camelbak so I could drink hands free while nursing. Keep an eye out for a diy project of this nature! 

A cute diaper bag! When your nips hurt and you still feel fat and bloated, a girl needs to feel as cute as possible. Timi and Leslie diaper bags are sooo cute. I have two! I like them because they look like a cute purse but have all the functionality of a diaper bag. Heres a tip. They are a bit pricey but if you shop around you can get great deals. One of my bags I found on ebay for $60 (retails for $150!) and the other I found on Amazon warehouse deals for $50! (also retails at $150) So amazing!

A postpartum and nursing friendly workout plan! Mom's Into Fitness and Lindsay Brin are an amazing resource for new moms. She has dvds, free videos, downloads and books, all of which I recommend. She even has great prenatal workout dvds.

How about a cute nightlight for those late night feedings! I has this Circo LED mushroom night light and we love it. It charges during the day and we leave it on in our room at night. It is wireless so I can carry it with me to prevent stubbed toes in the dark :)

Need other gift ideas for new moms? How about..

+a comfy new pair of sweat pants

+cute new undies (but only if you are a close friend :)

+a potted plant to brighten up the house she will most likely be trapped inside for a few weeks

+meals, so she won't have to cook

+ a gift card for blockbuster and some snacks

+offer to run errands

And if you come to visit a new mom, always offer to do a load of dishes, laundry or some other chore! It is so helpful and frees mom up to do more important things, like showering her new little love with kisses. Cheesy but true :)

<3