Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Earth Mama Nipple Butter

Thanks to Delilah nursing like a newborn again due to being under the weather, I had to bust out my jar of Earth Mama Nipple Butter for the first time in...gosh, probably a year! In light of that fact, today's Featured Item is Earth Mama Nipple Butter!

When Delilah was born, the hospital sent me home with oodles of samples of lanolin. While I know that animals are not killed for lanolin, I still wasn't crazy about it being an animal based product. I went ahead and gave it try, and found it to be a bit sticky. Having to wipe it off prior to nursing Delilah was a pain (literally and figuratively). Even the softest cloth feels rough against sore, tender nipples that are new to nursing, and the frequency at which a newborn eats meant I was wiping off and reapplying sometimes two or three times within an hour. I was also sad to find that it effectively ruined my nursing tanks, leaving tell-tale and conspicuous grease spots that wouldn't wash out.

Delilah Nursing at 3 months
Photo by Nicole Aarstad
Enter Earth Mama Nipple Butter. First of all, it is certified vegan and contains no toxic ingredients or parabens. Do you know that that means? It means you don't have to wipe it off before nursing, since it is safe for both mamas and babies. Second, it is not sticky or greasy at all. It's just the right consistency (not too thick, not to thin) and glides on smoothly. It is extremely easy to apply and if it gets onto your clothes, it washes out easily. Most importantly, it works! I've been lucky enough to miss out on the joy of cracked nipples, but based on reviews, it works beautifully for cracks, too. What I can vouch for is its effectiveness at moisturizing and soothing sore, dry, tender nipples.

A little goes a long way, which explains why I still had half a jar sitting in my medicine cabinet after nearly 16 months of nursing. Knowing that it doesn't contain traditional (potentially harmful) preservatives, I wasn't sure what I'd find when I twisted that lid off, but was pleased to find that it looks as good and works as well as the day I bought it.

--This is an un-solicited review for which I received no compensation. 
The views and opinions expressed herein are my own. Your results may vary.   



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Baby-Be-Mine Belly Band

I'm stealing one last favorite from my former life as a pregnant lady.

One of the first items I ordered when I found out I was pregnant was the Belly Band from Baby-be-Mine. 
I cannot say enough good things about this product. At first, I used it to cover the fact that my jeans were un-buttoned, back when I could still get my pre-pregnancy jeans up over my hips. It remained useful well into the third trimester, when I used it to cover the not-so-lovely panel that maternity jeans are known for, when my shirt wasn't quite long enough to cover it. It simply looks like I'm wearing a snug tank top or tube top underneath whatever I'm wearing.

I ordered 4 of these, one each in black, white, cocoa, and stone. (Go for the 3 pack. Seriously.) The fabric is delightfully soft and easy to care for, requiring no special laundering. I've heard women complain of other types of belly bands being too short, or not staying up, but I've had no such problems with these.

After my daughter was born, I continued to use them until I could button my old jeans again. Let's be honest, for most women, our post-baby bellies, while appreciated and respected, are not something we love to show off to passers-by. As such, I still use them to this day, to keep my belly covered when I have to lift my shirt to nurse Delilah! These are a bit more expensive than some other belly bands out there, but with nearly two years of consistent use under their belt, they have held up remarkably well. I wouldn't be surprised if they last me through another pregnancy when the time comes!

--This is an un-solicited review for which I received no compensation. It was adapted from a review originally published here on my pregnancy blog.

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If you like this blog, and haven't already done so, please vote for 'Dear Delilah, Fine and Fair' on 
Babble's" Top 50 Mom Blogs. Thanks for your support!

The Snoogle


This is not your average body pillow! Having a Snoogle in your bed with you is like spooning someone and being spooned simultaneously (assuming you have a human spooning partner in your bed as well...otherwise, order two) but without that tricky arm conundrum, at least on the Snoogle side. In other words? Heaven.

Unlike regular body pillows, which are essentially just big pillows, the Snoogle's unique shape truly does provide the right kind of support right where the pregnant body needs it. It can be difficult to find comfortable sleeping positions with a big ol' baby belly, and this nifty pillow does the trick.


The photo above shows just a few of the super-comfy positions possible with The Snoogle. It can also be sort of swirled into a spiral for a comfy butt-nest for movie watching on the couch or reading in bed. It comes with an insert that shows all sorts of positions and uses for them, including using it for breastfeeding support after the babe arrives. 

I recommend buying an extra cover for it, since the covers are much easier to wash than the pillow itself. I have two covers on mine. 

Based on the way my husband used to snuggles into it once I get out of bed, it is also cozy for non-pregnant people, including men!

I have only one complaint about The Snoogle, and it is more a complaint about the mobility issues that develop later in pregnancy. With my husband on one side of me, and The Snoogle on the other, getting out of bed to pee 26 times per night was a bit more of a challenge. Hurling my pregnant body over this glorious pillow was a bit of work, but well worth it.


*This review was adapted from a review I originally published here on my pregnancy blog. This was an un-solicited review for which I received no compensation.

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If you like this blog, and haven't already done so, please vote for 'Dear Delilah, Fine and Fair' on 
Babble's" Top 50 Mom Blogs. Thanks for your support!