Before I had kids, I had no idea about herbal remedies. I never looked at, thought about, or questioned product ingredients. Everything you find on shelves should be safe, right? Then when I found out I was pregnant, I got a long list of products to avoid. After some research out of curiosity, I began to wonder why I took them in the first place! When you are pregnant (and breastfeeding!) you still have normal ailments and then some. Luckily, there are safe, herbal tinctures, remedies, salves, and teas that can help you with common discomforts! WishGarden Herbs has a full line of herbal remedies for pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, babies, children, and adults. They just wrote a informative blog post about How to Increase Breast Milk Supply? With Herbs Of Course! I was sent some of their lactation herbal remedies, plus their Kick-It Allergy herbs for seasonal discomfort to review and I can’t wait to try more! My allergies have been horrible for the past year. I’ve hated taking traditional allergy medicine while breastfeeding, but I feel like I have to in order to avoid a sinus infection. So I thought I’d give Kick-It Allergy a try. It is awesome! After using 3 droppers full in water, you will shortly feel relief and back to balance. The Kick-It Allergy helps assist your lymph, eyes, nose, and throat naturally from seasonal discomfort. The herbal remedy is made with Yerba Santa leaf, Nettle leaf, Echinacea Purpurea aerials, and Orange peel which are safe while pregnant and breastfeeding! You can get Kick-It Allergy in 1, 2, and 4 oz. sizes for $12.99-$36.99. It is currently on sale for $9.74-$27.74! If you are having supply issues, Milk Rich is the product you need! This blend of nourishing herbs promotes healthy breast milk while supporting a healthy volume of milk. It is infused with safe galactagogues like Raspberry leaf, Goat’s Rue aerials, Fenugreek seed, Fennel seed, Nettle leaf, and Blessed Thistle aerials. Depending on your supply needs, you may only need 2-3 droppers full a day, but can take up to 12 a day. Little man is getting his first teeth and has been trying to go on a nursing strike, so it has been nice to have the Milk Rich to help make sure my supply doesn’t take a dive during this time! I have not felt super engorged by taking 3 droppers full a day and my supply has not dropped.Milk Rich is available in 1, 2, and 4 oz sizes for $12.99-$36.99 and is currently on sale for $9.74-$27.74! Goat’s Rue is a traditional lactation aid, that promotes healthy breasts and milk flow. Its galactagogue properties were first noted to effectively increased milk in goats. Now it is used to increase milk supply by nursing mothers as well as farmers for their livestock. Goat’s Rue is a milder version of the Milk Rich and something you can take daily and that will not cause engorgement. You can get Goat’s Rue in 1, 2, and 4 oz. sizes for $12.99-$36.99. It is currently on sale for $9.74-$27.74!
New Mother’s Nursing Balm is great for cracked and sore nipples. It is made with Calendula flower, Comfrey leaf, Comfrey root, Vitamin E in Olive oil, Coconut Oil, and Beeswax. It is a very soothing, oil based salve that doesn’t leave behind a greasy residue. The calendula and comfrey help fight infection while healing wounds, so this is great for nipple trauma! New Mother’s Nursing Balm is available in a 1 oz tub for $7.99, but it is currently on sale for $5.99!

Be sure to join WishGarden Herbs newsletter, FB page, Pinterest, or Twitter to stay up to date on sales, promos, and more!

 Sample Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are honest, accurate, and not encouraged anyway by monetary donations. A sample free of charge was received from said company, as stated within the editorial
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Join From Left to Write on August 8 as we discuss This Is Paradise. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

I’m stoked about World Breastfeeding Week this year. The theme is Close to Mothers- peer counseling. After going through what I have with both children, I think peer counseling is extremely important. With E, I had no idea what I was doing. I was a first time mom and no one I knew breastfed. So when the LC at the hospital told me to supplement because E lost weight, I did without question. 2 months later, our pediatrician never told me to stop supplementing, so my milk slowly began to dry up. By 3 1/2 months, our breastfeeding experience ended.

This time with KJ, I was educated. I knew what to expect. I met my lactation consultant 2 months before little man was even due to discuss what happened previously. I have large breasts, inverted nipples, and possible supply issues. So when little man was born, I was thrilled he latched right away. We had 2 good days of perfect breastfeeding until they stuck his heel for the blood test. I then allowed a bad latch feeding on both sides which led to cracked, bleeding nipples. (ouch is right!)

2 weeks later, I had mastitis from the improper latch feeding. Which led to more bad latches because it hurt so much. So I began pumping to give my nipples a break. This was risky since he wasn’t even a month old and I went to exclusively bottle feeding breast milk. After the mastitis cleared up and my nipples healed, I tried to put him back on the breast and he had a really bad latch, when he even would. I went back to my lactation consultant to find out he had a tongue tie. So I had to make the decision if I wanted to clip it. After a long debate, we went for it.

A week later, he was at the breast, happily breastfeeding and it has been easy breezy ever since. Now he’s teething, so I’m sort of anxious what is going to happen once he bites down that one time. But, I’m so proud of myself for making it to where I am. We are going on 8 1/2 months and we have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. I know if it wasn’t for my persistence, I would have given up after we left the hospital and it was excruciatingly painful.

But I had support from my friends, family, and amazing LC. I look forward to my new path so I can help other moms who are struggling with breastfeeding! If you want to join me for a week worth of celebrating, check out BabyElan {daily} where we will be holding reviews and giveaways all week for nursing moms!

Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Month!

This post was inspired by From Left to Write’s July book choice: The Execution of Noa P. Singleton, by Elizabeth L. Silver.

“Isn’t that what life is all about?” she shot back, as if she’d picked up a GED, BA, and master’s in philosophy in the course of a thirty second conversation. “I mean, if we change our routine, then we can sort of feel something again, right?”

I finally got through my first book club book since baby K was born in Nov. Which was a real feat considering he’s teething and I’m working 3 jobs. But, I am happy that I picked an easy first read. As I was reading, and nursing baby K, I read that paragraph above and it made me pause to start thinking about my life and the routine that we live in.

It’s so true that we get stuck in routines that make us feel sometimes like drones. We wake up, do the same things with little changes here and there and it’s ongoing. Along the way, I think I lost part of my goals in the routine of parenthood. Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade working from home to be with my babies for the world! But I know in 5 years when K goes to school I will want to find more meaning in my life to feel like an adult again.

I guess in reality, being a parent is one of the most adult things a person can do. But, I want to help people and make a difference in this world. I need a career outside of my domain. So, as I lay there nursing, thinking about all of the possibilities of things I could accomplish in this short life I decided I want to go back to school so I can become a lactation consultant. I need a break from the routine of my life encompassing my kids and what a great way to help people!

Sure, I’m creating a new routine. But one that will make me feel alive again. More whole and on my own. Funny how a book about an execution would lead me to here. Guess that’s what happens when you break routine!

This post was inspired by the novel The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver. Mere months before Noa’s execution, her victim’s mother changed her mind Noa’s sentence and vows to help stay the execution. Join From Left to Write on July 30 as we discuss The Execution of Noa P. Singleton. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

I try to avoid plastic as much as possible. Not only is it bad for the environment, I don’t like the thought of the nasty chemicals leaching into my products- especially when it comes to my children’s products. In a search for glass containers, I came across THinc. (Taylor House inc.) Skin who manufactures organic skin care for adults and babies (they have a baby line called BALM! Baby) stored in glass and aluminum containers! All of their products are made using Hawaiian oils and organic ingredients that are cruelty free. Most of the main ingredients come from Big Island Organic Farm.

THinc. Skin sent us a nice goody bag filled with lots of their products including their The Diaper Balm, Eucalyptus Rub, Juice Those Wipes, Pucker Up, Fresh Out of the Tub Shampoo & Body Wash, Teething Rub, and Bye-Bye Teething Hello Sleep. I have to say I am totally in love and hooked on a new company! Most of their products can be customized in case you and your child have sensitivities or allergies. Little man has begun teething and hasn’t been a happy camper. We traveled a lot over Spring Break/Easter and riding with a fussy teething baby  wasn’t much fun until I pulled out the Bye-Bye Teething Hello Sleep tincture! Baby K was soo much happier after he had a few drops! Then he fell asleep.  He has also been uncomfortable during some feedings and I used the tinctureand then he was much happier latching on. We also tried the Teething Rub and he didn’t like the taste as much as the tincture. I plan on using it with my daughter since she is about to lose her front teeth! The Bye-Bye Teething Hello Sleep is only $9.95 for a 2 oz. bottle and the Teething Rub is $4.99 for 1/2 oz or you can get theteething combo for $13.99. The Diaper Balm is AWESOME! It is even made with cloth diaper safe ingredients. It is made with healing ingredients like organic tea tree oil, calendula, and St John’s wort as well as a variety of nut oils. I love that the balm can not only be used for diaper rash, but for cracked heels, razor burn, dry hands, rashes, burns, boo boos, eczema, dry lips, cradle cap, bug bites, and more. We got to try it out for all of the above and it is now my go to balm. I love that the balm is smooth and free of chunks of waxes or butters. It has a mild nutty scent and it really nourishes your skin. Baby K has had a bad continuous diaper rash for 3 months due to food allergies. The Diaper Balm soothes his rash at each diaper change stopping it from going into a yeast infection. His Dr. was impressed at how well it has been working. You can get thebalm in a 2 oz. glass jar for $9.95! My poor babies have both caught the flu twice this year. They had both A and B. With both illnesses, they had coughs and stuffy noses that lasted 2 weeks after they were better. They both were able to breathe much better after using the Eucalyptus Rub! Lots of conventional products contain petrolatum which is a petroleum biproduct. Not something I want to rub on my baby’s nose or chest! THinc. Skin’s Eucalyptus Rub is made with nut oils and organic essential oils that open your sinuses safely. For younger babies, I suggest rubbing on their feet or behind their ears. The rubalso relieves motion sickness and nausea! You can get the 1.25 oz jar for $9.99. I love the super concentrated Fresh Out of the Tub Shampoo & Body Wash. You put several squirts into a foaming pump and add water and you’ve got enough soap for a month! This soap will last a long time! If you don’t have a foam pump, you can use the hand pump and squirt into a washcloth. This is a castile soap and not a detergent, so it is gentle for newborns and those with eczema. You can get the 9 oz bottle for $9.95! Juice Those Wipes is a homemade wipe solution for do it yourselfers! I love using washcloths instead of disposable wipes. If you cloth diaper, it’s easy to wash the cloths with your diapers. This not only saves money it cuts back on waste. You can add the wipe solution to a wipe warmer or container or put in a spray bottle. This formula is safe to use on faces, hands, cheeks, and of course baby bottoms. You can get a concentrated bottle (good for 24-48 batches) for only $13.95!  Pucker Up is an awesome lip balm that doesn’t leave your lips dry after application. The one thing I hate about most lip balms is that 30 minutes after you use some, you have to use it again or they become seriously chapped. Pucker Up is made with Hawaiian nut oils, candelilla wax, and other essential oils. They have the following flavors in 1/2 oz. aluminum tins for only $2.95:

THinc Skin also has a natural deodorant, body butter, sunscreen, bug spray, sanitizer, skin repair, soaps, mama belly butter, nipple soother, household cleaners, and raw essential oils and nut oils all in glass or aluminum containers!

Cookware Set includes:

10 Inch Fry Pan Skillet

• Curved side walls for easy access to turning food
• Patent Pending Cool Grip Handle
• Metal Spatula is recommended!
• Hard Anodized, Made From .080 Aluminum
• Exceptional Durability
• PTFE Free, Water-Based Release Coating: Gem-X2
• Fast Cooking, Easy Clean Up
• Heat Safe to 700 Degrees Fahrenheit

3 Quart Sauce Pan with Glass Lid

Versatile size for small and medium volumes
8 inches wide by 4.4 inches deep

• Rounded bottom edge for efficient stirring
• Cool Grip Handle never gets hot
• Hard Anodized Aluminum
• Exceptional Durability
• PTFE Free, Water-Based Release Coating: Gem-X2
• Fast Cooking, Easy Clean Up
• Heat Safe to 700 Degrees Fahrenheit

Small Oven Roaster

A perforated insert with nibs or feet that fits inside our 9 inch by 13 inch Quarter-Sheet pan.
Keeps foods from sitting in unwanted grease and oils and promotes a crispy baked product.

• Stick-Resistant Coating for Easy Cleaning
• Hard Anodized Medium Guage Aluminum
• Metal Utensil Safe

You will get $52.97 off the individual piece price and $10 off the normal price after April 30 with this offer. The set retails for $192.96 but is on sale for only $139.99!!

If you look really, really hard on ManPans, you may find an additional $10 off!

One of my favorite added features of the exhibit is the cute jokes published along the walkway. My daughter enjoyed reading them and thought they were hysterical.

 There are also fossil like imprints on the walkway, funny signs like don’t feed the dinosaurs, a real dig site where kids can find fossils, and a dinosaur souvenir shop to get lots of dino gear.

Every winter we take a trip to the beach. There’s something about being able to run around on the beach without worrying about other tourists. E loves rolling around in the sand making sand angels. The temps in NC are usually mild so when I saw it was going to be a 60 degree weekend, we decided to take a day/night trip to Wilmington.

Luckily hotels are rather cheap on the off season, so we were able to stay on the beach and get a fun kid room for E! She was thrilled to get to sleep in a bunk bed and the fact I allowed her to drink her YoKids Smoothie at the top.

Stonyfield now has YoKids Smoothies in Very Berry (Strawberry, Raspberry & Sweet Potato) and Strawbana (Strawberry, Banana & Carrot) that are super yumy. E has Yokids at least once or twice a day. She LOVES Stonyfield Yogurt. And I don’t mind her eating it so much because it is organic, made with real fruits and vegetables, and has no artificial ingredients or dyes.

While we were in Wilmington we stopped by Fort Fisher to see the aquarium. E enjoyed her Strawberry Smoothie before going in which tied her over until lunch.

The aquarium added a new touch tank where you can pet a live shark! Little man was enthralled by the fish, but decided to take a nap halfway through.

After the aquarium, we decided to head to the beach and enjoy our afternoon and then headed home. E is a terrible traveler. She gets bored super easy, so we play road games. I’ve been running out of ideas and luckily Stonyfield sent us “52 Fun Things to do in the Car” cards for on the go fun! If you travel with children, I highly recommend picking up a pack! They have some super cute ideas.

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I can’t believe it’s been 11 weeks since little man entered our lives! Time has flown by, way too fast. I wanted to write his birth story and include all of the amazing people who helped us along the way. But I wanted to first talk about what has gotten me through the first months. My placenta.

OK, I have to admit, when I first heard of placenta encapsulation I was grossed out. I mean, eating your placenta? Yuck. But I kept hearing how much it helped with postpartum depression. I knew this was going to be something I would battle since I did with E. So to me, it was worth researching.

Placentophagy (the practice of eating one’s placenta after birth) dates back to more than 2,000 years. The placenta is said to be very nutritious and the Chinese believe it helps achieve longevity. There are several debates about toxins remaining in the placenta. But when you compare modern medicine to placentophagy, I think there is less risk in taking placenta capsules.

Other things I learned about placentophagy are that it helps with milk production, helps the healing process, helps with post partum depression, and is full of vitamins and minerals.

A friend of mine recommended Jereka Hunt of Wombart to be my encapsulator. Jereka is a PBi Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist and owner of Wombart- serving Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and surrounding counties. ​Jereka talked me through the extremely easy process and all I had to do was bag and refrigerate my placenta after birth.

When I got to the hospital, CMC Pineville, I informed them immediately I was keeping my placenta. I made sure to tell every nurse and Dr. so they were aware of my plans. I brought a cooler filled with ice and gallon size ziplock bag just in case it didn’t fit in our room fridge. I had no issues what so ever with any of the staff and they were more than happy to bag it in a sterile bag for me. I was worried the staff might give me a hard time- but they all thought it was great and had wonderful things to say about it.

After having Keenan, my mom took the placenta home and kept it in the fridge until Jereka arrived the next morning. I hate I missed out on the cooking/encapsulating process, but it was also pretty cool that my placenta was encapsulated and ready for use before I even left the hospital.

Encapsulation happens in your home. Jereka brought all of her own equipment and even her own trash bags. My mom had a blast talking with her and learning all about encapsulation. Jereka came early in the morning and came back later that evening to finish the process! It was that fast and simple. Encapsulation can take 2 days depending on Wombmart’s schedule.

I had a c-section with Keenan and apparently my iron levels were very low after surgery. They wanted to put me on 350 mg prescription iron (which had red dye 40 and a bunch of other yucky preservatives) but when I told my OB I was taking placenta capsules, she said I could just take them and they would be enough!

Not only are placenta capsules high in iron they are filled with healing ingredients like:
*Gonadotrophin – the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone​
*Prolactin – promotes lactation ​​​​
​*Oxytocin – for pain and bonding; produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother and infant. In pharmaceutical form this is a very addictive drug because it promotes a feeling of connectedness with others and is often referred to as the “love” hormone
*Interferon – stimulates the immune system to protect against infection ​
*Thyroid Stimulating Hormone – boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events
*Cortisone – combats stress and unlocks stores of energy
*Prostaglandins – anti-inflammatory
*Hemoglobin – replenishes iron deficiency and anemia
*Gammaglobulin – immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections
*Urokinase Inhibiting Factor & Factor XIII – stops bleeding and enhances wound healing​

Since I needed more iron, I took 3 capsules 3X’s a day for 5 days. I then went down to 2 capsules twice a day- until I got mastitis. Which I then discontinued use of the placenta capsules until I was done with my antibiotics. The placenta capsules really helped get my milk supply back up once the infection was over! My LLC even raved about how great they work for breastfeeding ad supply issues.

When I was off the capsules during my mastitis, I became very emotional and was extremely overwhelmed. Once back on the capsules, I felt like my old self with higher energy. I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed the whole process of encapsulation. I loved working with Jereka and learning about placenta encapsulation. If you are in the Charlotte area and are thinking about placenta encapsulation, check out Wombmart online or on Facebook!

This month’s book club novel is The Expats by Chris Pavone. The book is about a former CIA agent Kate, who moves abroad with her family for her husband’s new job. While in Europe, Kate discovers her husband has secrets of his own. The book is filled with lots of twists and turns… at least what I’ve been able to read so far…

When I accepted the book club book, I thought I could do it all. Newborn & 6 year old, 4 jobs, planning a bday party, AND reading a book… no problem! I’m super mom- right?? OK, I was until both kids got really sick last week and E missed a lot of school- I read from the carpool line 🙂

The book began introducing Kate and her “situation.” Before Europe, Kate basically had a nanny all week and played with the kids on the weekends. She had previously wanted more time with her children.

“But now? Now it was every day after school, every evening, every night, every morning, and all weekend long. How was anyone supposed to amuse them, without spending her life lying on the floor, playing with Legos? Without the kids killing each other, or making an unbearable mess, or driving her crazy?” – The Expats

After reading that, I couldn’t help but wish that was my problem. I’d love to have nothing to do but worry about how to amuse my children! I went back to work 1 week after Keenan was born. Granted working from home is different than being in an office. But now I’m realizing how much I’m missing with baby K- even though I’m right here!

When E was 5 weeks old, I had her in Gymboree Music & Play. We had baby playgroups. We walked the mall with other new moms. We socialized constantly! I loved being a stay at home mom, always finding ways to amuse her. Now, with baby K, our “getting out” consists of picking up E from school or a trip to the grocery store. Baby K coos from my lap while I type- not from the mommy and me yoga class or from the stroller as we walk the park.

I would love to have the chance to live abroad while staying home with my children- work free. I know being a SAHM isn’t for all people. I love to work too and totally get it. But kids grow up so fast. That’s why it’s taken me 2 months to write baby K’s birth story- hopefully to come this week! It’s easy to let go pleasurable things like reading and writing- to go amuse your kids. So I’m going to end this post to go listen to my kiddo coo and hopefully my super mom powers come back for the next book club book I accept!

This post was inspired by the gripping mystery thriller novel The Expats by Chris Pavone. Kate Moore happily sheds her old life to become a stay-at-home mom when her husband takes a job in Europe. As she attempts to reinvent herself, she ends up chasing her evasive husband’s secrets. Join From Left to Write on Tuesday, January 22nd as we discuss The Expats. As a member, I received a copy of the book as inspiration for this post.