I've had a few requests to do a breastfeeding post, so here we are! I wasn't super sure what you guys wanted to know, so this is just a general overview of my experience so far.

Currently, I'm feeding Sophie from a bottle about half the time--she's just over 5 months now and very aware of her surroundings, which means she gets distracted really easily. She'll be latched on and eating really well, but Ender might flap his ears or Rob's phone will buzz and suddenly she's looking around to see what's going on. I used to watch Instagram Stories while feeding her but now I have to do it on mute or she'll want to watch, too. We started giving her a bottle of breastmilk pretty early--I think it was around 3 or 4 weeks (I've mentioned this in a previous post)--Rob would feed her at night so I could sleep for a few hours uninterrupted.

Pumping and bottle feeding takes a bit longer, but it's been kind of nice to see exactly how much milk she's getting. When you're just feeding from the breast it can be hard to guess. Basically what I do now is feed her first thing in the morning when it's still dark and quiet in our room, then pump during her first nap so I have a bottle ready to go. I always try to feed her from my breasts first and if she's too distracted we switch to a bottle, usually 6-8 ounces. After her last nap and right before bed she also gets a bottle, and then I pump again before I go to bed. Before I started giving her so many bottles I was pumping just 1-2 times a day, aiming to do it 3 times, but now that she gets at least two bottles a day I'm actually pumping 4 times, which feels like a lot. 

We also just started experimenting with solids, and by that I mean she ate like 1/16th of an avocado over two days. We're getting her a high chair soon and then we'll be able to get more into it--our pediatrician said we could start at 4 months but it seemed really soon so we're just trying it out very slowly until she's 6 months old. She wasn't super sure what to do with the avocado but once she got it in her mouth she was all about it. It was so fun.

Before I really start rambling too much I thought I'd hit you with a few bullet points instead:

What's Been Hard:

• I got mastitis in December and it sucked. I had a fever and my whole body ached and I kept getting chills followed by super intense sweats. I really thought I was getting the flu but then it'd just go away for a few hours and I'd feel okay again. I called my midwife and she got me in to see her and I took some antibiotics and felt better after a few days.
• For almost four months I couldn't get Sophie to latch without a nipple shield and man did it hurt. It was great being able to feed her and get her to latch easily with it, but the shield was not comfortable at all. I remember thinking there was something wrong with my left breast because I would literally be writhing in pain when she ate from that side. Once she was able to feed without the shield, the pain went away completely.
• I'm not sure if it was just my body trying to figure out how much milk I needed or clogged ducts or what, but when Sophie was 1-2 months old, there were some days where by 9PM it seemed like I just didn't have enough milk left. My boobs felt exhausted after nursing her all day and she was usually really fussy at night. After a while I think my supply caught up to her appetite, but it was rough for a while there--long hot showers seemed to help. Rob would take her and I'd give myself a half hour to relax and I was always able to feed her again after a little break.

What's Been Easy:

• I don't know if any of it is easy, but I guess I like breastfeeding because I can feed her whenever I need to no matter where we are. Pumping and having bottles was a game changer for us--one time we went to the mall and she was screaming when we got back to the car so we sat in the parking lot for like 25 minutes while I fed her and then we got stuck in traffic on the way home because it was way later than we had anticipated. Now if we're going out I throw a bottle in the diaper bag and I can feed her on the go. Makes life so much easier. 

Biggest Surprises: 

• My body makes milk! After my mom's breast cancer and my BRCA 2 gene mutation diagnosis, there was a part of me that wondered if I was going to be able to breastfeed at all.
• Breastfeeding makes you so incredibly hungry and thirsty.
• It can be weird and sometimes it's uncomfortable but I really enjoy it a lot--I guess I was prepared for the worst.
• Learning just how often you're topless when you're breastfeeding a baby, especially those first few weeks.

Breastfeeding Products I Love: 

• I've been taking these supplements (referral link--10% off for you!) for about a week and I really think they've made a difference. Honestly though I think I only got them because the packaging is really cute--I've been able to up my supply with extra pumping, more water, and plenty of snacks as well in the past.
• I absolutely LOVE this nursing top. It's so soft and so cute--I wear it all the time.
• I use these every single day--I pop them in the microwave together for 30 seconds and wear them over my pump flanges, especially at night.
• Sophie is big enough to not need a pillow for support, but it's still a lot easier to feed her using this guy.
• Nursing bras I love: this one for something pretty, this one for a little more support.

That's all for now! Let me know if you have more specific questions and I'll be happy to try to answer them. I'd also love to hear your experiences! This motherhood things feels a lot easier when we have chances to connect with each other and share our stories. As always, thanks for reading!

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We just got back from our first trip with Sophie and it was so great—we’ve done day trips to Sonoma and Santa Cruz before but this was our first time flying with her and her first time sleeping anywhere other than our house, so we were a little nervous to take the leap. I thought I'd share some thoughts here--although one trip with a baby makes me far from an expert, I thought we did a good job packing just the essentials and making things as easy as they possibly could be.

Overall it went really well and people were so nice, especially at the airport. I always worried that people would look at us like “oh no I hope that baby isn’t on my flight,” but I never do that myself so why would they? I always have to remind myself of that—if I’ve never had that thought before, why do I assume most people will? (I do this with my Pure Barre classes too--I used to be so nervous to make a mistake and then I thought okay have I ever been mad at an instructor for making a mistake when I'm working out?) No--generally people are nicer than that, and traveling with a baby is no different. One woman behind me in line even reached her hand out to help hold me up while I was wiggling out of my boots at security, and all the flight attendants on every flight were super excited to see Sophie and asked us to just let them know if we needed any help with anything.

Here are some thoughts I jotted down while we were traveling:

• I think I would have liked to have our DockATot for bed lounging and maybe even sleeping--I just wasn't sure how to pack it so I skipped it this time. The first night in Seattle she didn’t know what was going on and I ended up bringing her into bed with me, which I don’t feel super comfortable with. Luckily there was also a daybed so Rob slept there and we had the queen to ourselves.

• The travel crib we have was great but she wasn’t used to it so I’d maybe do a few test runs at home first. She definitely wasn't happy to be basically sleeping on the floor (the bassinet she sleeps in at home slides onto our bed, and I think she could tell the difference).

• We rented a studio apartment and will probably do one-bedrooms from now on because she didn’t sleep well the first night--there was too much light coming in through the windows and quite a bit of construction on the street. I think when we booked the flights we didn't have a bedtime routine yet so I didn't even think that she'd need a quiet, dark place to go to sleep. We ended up moving the crib to a walk-in closet which felt weird but she slept all night in there without waking up once. We have a white noise machine at home but used an app on our phones. She usually sleeps in a bassinet right beside me so I put the shirt I had worn all day on the floor next to the crib--I don't know if it worked but she didn't seem scared or upset so I think it might have helped.

• Naps were a struggle but she did sleep in the baby carrier so we were able to go out and do stuff. We didn’t bring a stroller and wearing her worked just fine. We will be using a travel stroller for our longer trip to Virginia and NC in May--I have my eye on this one. We brought the Boppy carrier and the Ergobaby carrier. I also packed a Solly baby wrap but we didn't end up using it.

• She's not quite ready for a high chair yet so we had to wear her or hold her at restaurants but I think by the time we go on our next trip she'll be sitting up better, which will make going out to eat a little easier.

• We did bed time baths in the tub with me—it was one less thing to pack and she loved splashing in the water. This is the tub we've been using (it's supposed to be great for travel) but she's pretty much outgrown it so I'm looking for something new.

• We definitely packed too many baby clothes for a weekend. I thought she'd spit up and need to change at least twice a day but I packed little baby bib bandanas like these and it saved her onesies. Bringing extra shirts for us was a win, though.

• We brought an 8-ounce bottle of milk on the plane and a little cooler with some frozen milk. You can bring milk and/or formula in a bottle through security (they just inspect it), and if it's frozen they don't even need to do anything with it. She drank the bottle at takeoff and then an hour later she got fussy so I nursed her and she fell asleep. We carried the Boppy pillow on and that was perfect for keeping her comfy while she was nursing/napping. I also packed my pump to use when we got there, so we were able to have bottles while we were out and about.

• Putting the car seat (we bought this one specifically for travel) in an Uber or Lyft was a little unnerving at first (not to mention letting a stranger drive) but we got the hang of it. We put it in a big carseat cover/bag and checked it when we got to the airport along with the travel crib.

• We stayed downtown so we could walk most places--Pike Place Market, to a bunch of coffee shops and restaurants, even to Capitol Hill for brunch one morning. We did want to go to a few other places that weren't walkable from our apartment so we used Zipcar (fsslolif is Rob's referral code if you want $25 off), which was really easy. It got a little more expensive than we anticipated because we kept having to add time on but I think it was worth it to not take the car seat in and out and also lug it around a brewery and pretty tiny restaurant for dinner later, especially in the rain. Our VA/NC trip is 10 days and not in huge cities so we'll be renting a car, which will be nice with the car seat.

Overall the trip went really smoothly and I'm so glad we did a test run for just a few days. I was so proud of Sophie for going with the flow and I'm really happy we got to see some family and friends and eat some great food while we were there.

I'll include my packing list below--I think it's the first time I didn't forget anything and really the DockATot was the only thing I might have brought if I could go back and do it again, although for only one night I don't think it would have been worth it since she slept great in her crib the next two days (and she's never slept in the DockATot overnight anyway).

Carry On (one diaper bag, one backpack, one tote bag for bottles/pump stuff):

• Diapers

• Wipes

• Pacifiers

• Extra set of clothes for baby and adults

• Burp cloths (2)

• Boppy baby carrier

• Nursing pillow

• Baby blanket (we definitely used this on the plane)

• Bottle of breastmilk

• 2-3 bags of frozen breastmilk

• Baby's birth certificate

Checked luggage (one suitcase, one travel crib, one car seat):

• Car seat and cover

• Ergo baby carrier

• Solly baby wrap (ended up not using)

• Travel crib

• Clothes for us and clothes for baby

• Sleep suit (we love this thing and have a very gently-used 6-9M one if anyone's interested in it you can send me an email!)

• Umbrellas (2)

• Baby bath and soap (didn't bring bath but would do it if she were smaller)

• Breast pump and storage bags

• 1 extra baby bottle (2 in total)

One final note: I felt weird going to restaurants after 5PM with Sophie--first of all when we're home we start our bedtime routine pretty close to 6PM, so going out to dinner isn't really our thing at this point. We got takeout one night and did an early dinner another, but on Saturday we really wanted to go to Delancey and it was packed so we didn't get seated until 5:45ish. We ordered right away and just went with it--she got fussy so we took her out of the carrier and she was happy to look around at people and have us talk to her. We often get stressed out about what might happen if she cries but again, people don't really care! And it's so simple but Rob and I always tell each other now that if she has a meltdown one of us will take her outside and the other will get the food to go. It's really as easy as that--just wanted to share because I know it can be scary taking your kid somewhere for fear that they'll make a scene. Most of the time she's just fine but it's nice to have a backup plan in place, no matter how simple.

That's all from me! Let me know your travel tips and if I missed anything or if you have any questions! I scoured the internet for baby travel stuff before we left so I'm hoping this post will be helpful to someone.

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The other day Nadine shared a "Day in the Life" post and I always love reading those, so I thought I'd share an updated version--my day-to-day life looks a lot different than it did in 2015! Sophie is 4 months old and our day already looks so different than it did just a few months ago!

7-8 AM Sophie wakes up (usually! sometimes it's before 7:00 but lately she's been sleeping longer which has been great) and I get her out of the bassinet and feed her in bed. Rob's alarm goes off at 8:00 and he lets Ender out of the crate and into the yard to pee, then all four of us usually hang out in bed for 20 minutes or so. One of us will make me a latte (Rob drinks coffee and eats breakfast at work) so I'll sip on that and Rob hangs out with Sophie before it's time for him to get ready. 

9-10 AM Rob is out the door around 9:00 and Sophie, Ender, and I move to the living room for some playtime. I usually put Sophie in her activity center and we hang out while I finish my coffee. By 9:30 or 10:00 it's usually time for a nap so I change her and we head back into our bedroom. I usually chat with my mom around 9:00 since it's lunchtime in Virginia.

10-11 AM Sophie is napping and I'll make myself some breakfast--usually oatmeal but sometimes eggs or a smoothie. Ender whines because he wants to go on a walk so I'll sometimes play in the yard with him for a few minutes, but usually during naps I try to get work done, either around the house or on the blog (not evident this week as this is my first post and it's Friday).

11 AM-12 PM Sophie usually wakes up right after an hour so I change her again and feed her and put her in this baby carrier and leash up Ender for a walk. I always want to walk for an hour but it's usually closer to 40 minutes. If we don't have plans I usually eat some lunch around 12:30.

12-2 PM Depending on the day, sometimes we'll go out to meet a friend for lunch or run some errands. Today I need to pick up a prescription and get some groceries for the weekend so this is when we'll do that. Her second nap is two hours after she wakes up, which usually is around 1:00. I'll let her fall asleep in the car but I'm really trying to be home for naps so she can sleep in the bassinet. I promised myself I wouldn't become a slave to her naps but hey, never say never. Life is a lot easier for all of us when she's well-rested, so it's worth it right now. 

3-4 PM Sophie is up and we do more playing after she eats again--tummy time in the nursery or more activity center chats. I'll read her a book or two and sometimes we'll just sit on the couch and chat. Ender snoozes on the couch most of the day (which is hard to believe if you've ever been over and witnessed how insane he can be when people are visiting).

4:30-5 PM I try to get Sophie down for a catnap until 5:00. Bedtime is supposed to be by 7:00 and it's a lot easier if she's only been awake for 2 hours--otherwise we start melting down around 5:30. I feed her at 5:00 so she isn't too sleepy to eat enough before bed, which seems to be working. 

5-6:30 PM Hopefully Rob is home (it depends on how busy he was at work and which shuttle he catches) and we all catch up before it's time to start our bedtime routine. Sophie and Ender are always super excited to see him and it's the sweetest.

6:30 - 7 PM Sophie gets a bath, eats again, and then we read a bedtime story. We slide her into her sleepsuit (she wears this at night and for all her naps) and put her in the bassinet. She chats to herself a little and falls asleep pretty soon after.

7-10 PM Rob and I eat dinner and veg out on the couch with whatever show we've been watching (lately it's Love on Netflix but we also crush some Bon Appétit videos on YouTube). I'll have a glass of wine sometimes and then pump at 9:00--on a perfect day I've already pumped twice during Sophie's naps but most of the time I forget or don't feel like sitting still while she's sleeping. I take a shower every night and try to be in bed by 10:00, which has been working lately, although sometimes it's closer to 11:00.

4 AM Oh did you think that was it? No, Sophie wakes me up around 4:00 every morning to eat. I change her diaper and feed her in bed and put her back down by 4:30, praying silently that she sleeps until 8:00, which lately she has been doing. Sometimes she's wide awake again at 5:45 or 6:00, and if that's the case I'll usually nurse her in bed until it's time for us to get up and do it all over again!

Thanks for reading! Next week I'm going to start teaching again (a couple Pure Barre classes once a week), so our schedule will be slightly altered, but I'm excited to get back in the studio and I think it'll be nice for Rob to have one evening alone with Sophie every week. I definitely miss working out every day but we’re planning to get a few things for our garage soon so I can work out during one of Sophie’s naps every afternoon.

I'm working on a baby sleep post right now, but let me know if you have any questions or post requests--I love writing what you guys want to read! 

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