My breastfeeding/pumping journey the 2nd time around was much more successful thanks to my doula, my breastfeeding friends, education courses, and these tools! I am a combo feeder so I pump and supplement. These tools I am sharing have been instrumental with ensuring I feel good and I can continue to pump a healthy supply for my daughter.

1. My breast friend: My doula recommended this pillow because I was complaining about neck and back pain while breastfeeding. Once I started using this pillow I received instant pain relief. I do not nurse much anymore but I still use this pillow when feeding my daughter a bottle https://a.co/d/iDgzhiI
2. Bottle sterilizer: I sterilize my daughter’s bottles and my pump parts daily. I love my Philips AVENT Microwave Steam Sterilizer because it is reusable and easy to use. https://a.co/d/0tI9H3a
3. Milk collection cups: These cups replaced my need for breast pads. I do not care for breast pads because they are not as absorbent as I would like. Also, I think they hold odor. The benefit of using collection cups is I can utilize the milk I collect throughout the day and I smell better. I am not constantly leaking through my bras and shirts with these cups https://a.co/d/8iPqUXV
4. Glass bottles: I prefer glass bottles (though I do have plastic AVENT bottles too) because glass has been known to be a less toxic material and they warm my daughter’s bottles more efficiently https://a.co/d/hXeEr6X
5. Bottle warmer/Food processor: Speaking of warming bottles, this baby food processor doubles as a bottle warmer. My son was formula fed so I never used the bottle warmer when he was an infant. However, my daughter takes 4 breast milk bottles a day so I use the warmer quite often. https://a.co/d/bJ2q4t4
6. Wearable Breast Pump: I absolutely love my Elvie Stride Hands-Free Wearable pump. I can pump on the go or while washing dishes or playing with the kids. I am not limited on where and when I can pump as long as my pump is charged and ready to go! https://a.co/d/5jNXqDW

Preparing for postpartum the first time around was a minefield. I had no idea what to expect nor did I know what was needed for recovery. As I have mentioned in previous post, my son, was a pandemic baby so the information and resources available my first round were limited. The good news about being a second time mom especially so soon after being a first time mom, is that I knew exactly what I needed to make my postpartum recovery more successful. Hopefully, if you are an expecting mother and reading this, this will help you. 

First off, the second time around I hired a doula. I think my experience with a doula deserves its own blog post because it was AMAZING so I will not ramble too much on this post. What I will say is that hiring a doula was worth the expense and thankfully, I was able to secure several doulas for a reasonable cost. My doulas were able to provide guidance, support, and resources that I did not have access to the first time. While I do have a village of supportive family and friends, my doulas were able to fill in the gaps. They provided customizable care when I needed. 

Next, I meal prepped this go around. This was a prudent decision because unlike my first time around, I knew this time I would need to provide for another little human, my firstborn.I cooked easy to make and freeze meals that I knew my son would eat like spaghetti, lasagna, and chili. Also, I picked these types of meals because not only do they freeze well but my doula mentioned warm meals were good for my breastmilk production. In addition to cooking freezable meals, I purchased canned soups, carton soups, frozen dinners from trader joes, and instant oatmeals for quick microwavable meals for us as well. I had enough meals prepped to cover at least 4 weeks of postpartum.

The third thing I took seriously this time around was breastfeeding and pumping eduction. I took 2 courses leading up my delivery of baby #2 because my first time around I had so much misinformation about breastfeeding and it led to a lack of supply. Unlike my first time, I have been producing enough milk to successfully combo feed. With the help of my doula, additional eduction, and the right tools my breastfeeding/pumping journey has been more successful.

Then, similar to baby #1, I started nesting around 32 weeks and thank God for that because baby girl came early. I began sorting through my son’s old clothes and items to see which things I could use for baby girl. I took stock of what I did not have and made it a priority to restock on those items. We needed a lot of bath time goodies

In addition to the above prep, I was sure to have all the right things at home and in the bathroom ready for use to help my body recover from labor and delivery. I put together a postpartum basket that include witch hazel foam and cooling wipes from my Frida mom kit, vaginal pads, medical pads, disposable underwear, Tylenol, and stool softeners. This prevented me from having to make a trip to the store after giving birth like I had to do with my first. Though, I did make a trip to store to pick up some stuff for my baby but this time I used my Target app and did a drive up order vs limping around the store. 

Finally, I squeezed in some much needed self care in the last hour of pregancy. I was extremely stressed my second pregnancy. I was living  with my parent and one of my siblings had moved back home a couple of months before I delivered and we were having a difficult time with the transition. This caused issues with my childcare and made for a very uncomfortable home life, keep in my mind I work from home. So, one day I took a Friday off and got my hair blowout, a pregnancy massage, and pedicure before picking my son up for daycare. Also, throughout my pregnancy this time, I worked out and I even took a serious of pregnancy yoga classes thanks to the help of my friend/sister who offered to watch my son why I took classes. 

All of my prep helped to ensure I was somewhat sane with the transition from a family of 2 to 3. I cannot imagine how chaotic my life would have been if I did not do this prep ahead of my second born’s arrival.