New Mama Self-Care Kit

A friend came to meet Mac soon after he was born. She brought a small toy for him, which was so sweet. She also brought a little bag of goodies for me - chocolate, lavender, Tuck’s wipes. The goods! I realized in that moment that this was not her first rodeo. She knew how much a new mom needs help with a little self-care. 

When you’re a new mom you spend so much time caring for your baby. For as much as I heard about self-care being important, I had no idea how impossible it would feel those first few weeks. Finding time to eat, sleep and shower feels hard. Anything beyond the essentials goes out the window in the beginning. 

There are a few things I am either glad I had on-hand, or wish I'd had, when Mac was born. Here's what I'd tell a mom with a newborn to order before the baby arrives:

A nursing nightgown // Criteria: comfortable, nursing friendly and one that makes you feel relatively cute. I got this one from Gap and have loved it so much. I, personally, would not want something expensive because milk tends to stain. But, you do you! :) 

Herban Essentials: Essential Oil Wipes // These wipes are dreamy. Sometimes, you just need a little something special for yourself. Wipe your body down, breathe them in, do whatever you want. Just keep them for yourself :) 

A good water bottle // If you're nursing, you'll want one with a straw. It makes it so much easier to drink. I would drain my 32 oz. Hydro Flask each time McCoy fed. Nursing makes you so thirsty!

Netflix or Hulu // I think I watched 25 episodes of Nashville the first few weeks. Nursin and Nashvillin. Find a good show and prepare to watch!

Protein packed snacks // I loved grabbing handfuls of cashews or eating these Protein Balls, which I made the week before Mac was born. It's nice to have easy, grab-and-go snacks on hand. Other options would be Purely Elizabeth granola, Kind bars, etc. Anything that requires minimal preparation and can fill you up a bit will do. 

Nursing bras // I got these Seamless Nursing Bras and they've worked so well. They have held up with daily wear and four months worth of washes.

A good shampoo, body wash and lotion // During those first few weeks, it can feel like a 6-minute shower is the only moment you get alone. Treat yourself to delicious smelling body wash and shampoo. Follow your shower up with a nice lather. 

Spare phone charger by the couch // I think this one is self-explanatory :) 

A soft blanket // My temperature was so irregular during those early days. I'd be SO hot in shorts and a tank and then suddenly freezing. It was essential to have a nice blanket nearby to snuggle up as needed. 

Meal delivery // My friend Jordan said they used Freshly, which delivered cooked, healthy meals to their house. Heat them up and go! We loved our Meal Train and I think this would have helped, too!

Good Begets Good

When McCoy was just an itty bitty newborn, my sisters told me over and over: sleep begets sleep. Every time he'd take an extra long nap, I'd repeat this mantra in my mind. 

Last week, I was listening to Jen Hatmaker's podcast and one of her guests said creativity begets creativity. It hit me in that moment that creativity and sleep are not the only self-fulfilling processes. The same goes for prayer, kindness, patience. I've noticed that in our marriage, sex begets sex. Communication begets communication. Saving money? Begets saving money. Speaking kindly begets speaking kindly. 

The more we practice positive habits, the better we become at living them out daily. Good begets good. 

Unfortunately, the same goes for bad. Anger, frustration and selfishness are equally as cyclical. The more we overspend? The easier it becomes to overspend. The more we nitpick our partners, the more easily it is to be frustrated, as opposed to practicing gratitude. The good in our lives breeds more good, just as the bad in our lives breeds more bad.

In the end, it's really just a choice: when we choose to be kind, patient, selfless, loving, they become daily practices.  

It's a super simple idea, but, when it comes to life changes, I've found it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Where do I start? How do I get where I want to go? How to we get back to who we were? It can feel impossible.

But the truth is, if we make small choices, over and over each day, we'll eventually find that we've changed our lives. 

Natural Skincare Routine

McCoy isn't the most snuggly baby in the world, but every now and then he presses his face against me and wants to stay there for a little while. And then I totally melt. :) 

Every time he does it, I feel so thankful that my skincare routine is pretty darn safe. I'd be so nervous if he was pulling away covered in scents or chemicals. Below is my current routine!

Night time:

TO WASH

I've shared Batty's Bath probably 10 times on here, buuuut I can't help myself. Her products are amazing. I found them a few years ago because she was recommended on EWG's Skin Deep. One order and I was sold for life!

Morning and night, I use her face wash. I've tried most of them and you can't go wrong. I definitely recommend taking her skin care quiz before selecting your products.

If I feel like I need to exfoliate, I used Goldfaden MD Doctor's Scrub. I recognize this is an expensive item, but I've had it for a full year and am not even halfway through. A little bit goes a very long way. Also, everything Goldfaden makes is gold. Aptly named!

TO MOISTURIZE

Nightly, I use Batty's Raw Radiance moisturizer for my face.

If I'm feeling really motivated, I'll follow it up with Goldfaden's Bright Eyes. Again, one year later and I'm not even halfway through the bottle. A dot does a lot. Like glue in elementary school.

On my lips, I use Primally Pure Grapefruit lip balm. 

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Day time:

TO MOISTURIZE

I use Batty's Raw Radiance (see above) mixed with a teeeeeny tiny bit of Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi serum. I am obsessed with this serum. I feel like it makes my skin lightly glowy and has really positive effects on how it looks - even after I've washed my face. 

FOR SUN PROTECTION

I use SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen. Full disclosure: It has a 3 on the EWG rating instead of a 1 or 2, which I try to avoid. But the product is just so incredible! It works like nothing I've experienced before. 

I follow both moisturizers with mascara and I'm ready to go for the day!

3-Month Baby Products

The thing about itty bitty babes is that they change so quickly. While we couldn't have imagined life without The Shusher (app!) a few weeks ago, we've since retired it. Now Mac is just a sound-machine-loving babe. :)

At three months, here are our favorite products. 

1. Woolino Baby Sleep Sack // We transitioned him from the swaddle to the sleep sack when he moved to his crib. He was kicking out of the swaddle so much that he had scrapes on the back of his legs. He loves this sleep sack! It's made for four-seasons and should last until he's two. It is worth every penny!

2. Motorola Baby Monitor // I never thought we'd transition him to his crib so soon, but he was ready by 9 weeks. When we did it, I cried standing over his empty bassinet in our room. Then I cried thinking about someday taking him to college and standing over his empty bed in his room. But, I digress. I use this monitor to stalk him while he sleeps :) The picture is so clear. I love it. 

3. Little Unicorn Crib Sheets // I absolutely love these sheets. They're so pretty, soft and wash well. We have a changing pad cover from them, too, and love it. It has pots on it. It's happy. 

4. bumGenius freetime diapers // I didn't start cloth diapers until Mac was sleeping through the night. As my sister said: when you aren't sleeping, there's no need to be doing extra laundry. We absolutely love them! They're so cute, easy to use and not a pain to wash. I think he's sleeping better at night in them, too. 

5. Qeepsake // This app is amazing. It texts you one question about your baby each day. You answer + add a photo. You can print it any time. It's a textable baby book! It is wonderful. I have the Emily Ley baby book, which I love. But it's so nice to have daily thoughts captured - the little things that you might not think to write down. It is such an easy way to watch them grow and change. I love scrolling through the old posts and can't wait to print it.

6. Culturelle Baby Calm Probiotic // McCoy had a tough tummy for a while there. We added a probiotic to his daily routine and it has helped so much. Honestly, he may have just grown out of that gassy phase, but, he also loves the taste of it and probiotics are good for us all :) 

7. Caterpillar & Friends Play Gym // Let me be honest: I almost didn't register for this because I wanted the much-more-muted Anthropologie version. It fit my home motif a bit more! But my sister convinced me to register for this and I'm so glad she did. McCoy LOVES it. He just laughs and smiles as he stares at it. It's his favorite time of day. Sure it's more colorful than I'd select for my living room, but it's worth it for how much he loves it. 

8. BOB Jogging Stroller // Absolutely love, love this stroller. 

9. BABYBJORN Bouncer // McCoy loves to play in this bouncer! It's the perfect activity to help stretch him when he's not ready for a nap yet, but getting sleepy. 

10. Netflix // :) You spend a lot more time at home once your baby has a bedtime. I'm thankful for good shows, a comfy couch and Halo Top ice cream!