Postpartum & Newborn Essentials (After 2.5 Weeks)

I promise I’m not going to only post baby content now, but I thought it may be useful (because I would have found it useful while I was pregnant) to note all the things we’ve found have made the transition to life with a newborn easier. Cam is two and a half weeks old now, so we may find these things unnecessary or find new must-haves later on, but for now, these things have come in handy!

For Me

The list of things I’ve found useful is admittedly a lot shorter than I thought it would be - I bought a whole bunch of those FridaMom recovery products and then was lucky with my recovery to not really need any of them!

Auden Nursing Bras - these bras from Target are really comfortable and supportive, and I love that the breast pads are sewn in so they don’t get all jumbled and folded up inside the bra in the wash. I’m not breastfeeding, but I’m able to rig it to make it into a pumping bra to hold my pump flanges in place. I’m weaning off pumping now, but the lactation consultants said I would likely still leak for up to a year, so I’ll probably continue to wear these bras to catch the leaks.

Always Discreet Adult Diapers - speaking of leaks (yikes), once I got home from the hospital, I switched from wearing the mesh underwear & giant maxi pads to these. They’re actually quite comfortable (they don’t feel like a diaper) and aren’t noticeable even under yoga pants. Luckily I’m just now feeling like I don’t need them anymore and am planning on switching to just wearing period underwear to see how that goes. (Something I didn’t know when I got pregnant: you bleed for a while afterward, which makes sense when you haven’t had a period for 9 months.)

Frida Mom Upside-Down Peri Bottle - this is probably my number one for myself. The hospital gave me a bottle to spray myself off when I went to the bathroom so I wouldn’t mess up my stitches, but this one is just so much better and easier to aim and control. I bought two to keep one in each bathroom in my house.

For Baby

There are many more must-haves here - again, we may find some of these unnecessary as time goes on, but right now they’re really helping us out!

Yogasleep Portable White Noise Machine - this comes in clutch for helping Cam drift off to sleep. We have a Hatch Sound Machine in his room (which I’ll also say is a must-have, and I’m sure it will be even more so once he starts sleeping in his crib overnight), but we keep this small portable one clipped to his bassinet in our room and have an extra to keep in his Pack & Play where he usually naps during the day. The charge lasts really well on this, and we’re able to leave it going for him all night as long as we fully charge it during the day.

Fridababy 3-in-1 Nose, Ear, & Nail Picker - I’m not sure if this is a thing will all babies or just with Cam, but he has been getting some massive boogers stuck in his nose lately. This little tool has really come in handy to get them out for him when we can tell they’re making him uncomfortable or if they’re making him whistle when he breathes! We haven’t had to use the pieces for ears or nails yet, but even if this was just for the nose it would be on this list.

Fridababy NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator - before I became a mom I thought this was absolutely the most disgusting thing, but hey when your baby is snotty sometimes you just have to suck it out with your mouth. There’s a filter in this so you’re not going to actually suck boogers into your mouth, which is something I didn’t realize when I thought this was super gross. This works so much better than the bulb sucker we got from the hospital and is super quick to use. It works well in conjunction with the nose picker mentioned above.

Halo Sleepsack Swaddles - Cam loves to be swaddled when he takes a nap and it seems like these are one of his two favorites to be put into. I like these because they’re easy to get him into, and you have the option to wrap it with the baby’s hands by their face for self-soothing (I think this is why Cam likes it so much). I was too sore/busy recovering in the hospital to learn from the nurses how to wrap a swaddle blanket, and I would just be too nervous about him busting out and then sleeping with loose blankets, so I definitely recommend getting some kind of easy swaddle like this!

Love to Dream Swaddle Wrap UP - this is Cam’s other favorite swaddle, and we call it his batwing suit. This is even easier to get him into than the Halo swaddle since it just zips up and there’s no wrapping involved, and again, having his little hands by his face seems to help settle him really quickly. We got one of these as a baby shower gift, and then I bought a second one to have one available when the first one is in the wash. A few of my friends are having babies this year, and I’m probably going to get them one of these in addition to gifts from their registries.

Comfy Cubs Muslin Burp Cloths - we go through tons of burp cloths per day, so I highly recommend buying even more than you think you’ll need. These have been the best because they’re soft and absorbent, and they’re also huge compared to the other burp cloths we have. I find myself digging through our pile of burp cloths every time I need one to grab one of these.

Greensprouts Muslin Bibs - I just love anything made of this soft cotton muslin. We just started using these bibs on Cam while he’s eating because he is a spitter. There’s not much else to say, but I like these because they’re soft and they don’t bother Cam to have them on. They also close with just one snap - my mom gave me the tip to avoid bibs with velcro because if the baby falls asleep while wearing it, the sound of the velcro will startle them awake when you take it off!

Babybrezza Bottle Warmer - we don’t have too many gadgets for Cam, but this is one that we’d definitely get again if we were doing everything over. It’s just like a little water cooler that you can set to your preferred temperature (room temperature, body temperature, or warmer than body temperature) and it will keep the water at that temp all day/night. It’s perfect for middle of the night feedings when Cam wakes up hungry and crying because we don’t have to wait for anything to heat up before getting him his bottle of formula.

A Safe Sleep Space for every level/area of your living space - this isn’t a specific product (although I’ll link what we’re using), but we’ve set up places for Cam to safely nap in every area we spend time hanging out in in our house, so it’s been so easy to put him down where we can see him and never have to move anything around. He uses this bassinet when he sleeps in our room overnight (the rocking feature has been great for getting him back to sleep in the middle of the night fyi), a Graco Pack & Play in our first floor living room during the day, and then this Fisher Price Dome in our basement where we hang out in the evenings. And if you’re interested, he has this crib and this crib mattress in his nursery (he mostly only sleeps in his nursery right now if I’m in there pumping and home alone with him or if I’m doing chores around the house and want to check on him with the baby monitor).

I hope this was helpful and not too long-winded! I can also write updated posts on this as Cam gets older and the products we use for him change.

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Welcome Camden | Birth Story

As I reached the end of my pregnancy, I found myself reading lots of birth stories to try to prepare myself for any and all possibilities. I had never been to a hospital before for myself, so I was beyond nervous about the whole thing. I was deep down hoping I would need an induction, because I felt like I would have a little more control that way. Of course little Camden had other plans!

At my 38-week appointment, the doctor noted that I wasn’t dilated at all and said that at my 39-week appointment we would go ahead and schedule an induction for shortly after I hit 40 weeks. I was fully planning on having this baby late and needing an induction, just because that was how my mom’s pregnancies went with both my sister and with me.

I had decided to start my maternity leave at 39 weeks, and that first day off I had so much energy and got so much done. Then the next day was a total 180 - I was so tired that I laid on the couch and drifted in and out of sleep for most of the day, I had a terrible lower back ache that wouldn’t go away no matter how I positioned myself, and I had begun spotting. I started thinking maybe this was it, but I was convinced any signs of labor would fizzle out because, again, I thought I would go past my due date.

Then around 6pm I started feeling what felt like mild period cramps. Thinking they may be the start of contractions, I started timing them, remembering my doctor had told me to call the hospital once they were 5 minutes apart, lasted for 1 minute, and continued like this for 1 hour. At first they were about 9 minutes apart and lasted only 20-30 seconds, but over the course of the night they got closer to 7 minutes apart but still only lasted for about 30 seconds each. My husband was working late to try to wrap things up before he was on paternity leave, and I got more and more anxious being home by myself as the contractions got closer together.

The contractions continued at about 7 minutes apart for 30 seconds until my usual bedtime, so I tried to get some sleep. I woke up at 2am and the contractions had gotten much more painful and were lasting closer to a minute long, so I figured it was time to call the hospital. I ended up being on hold for over an hour because all of the on-call doctors were busy in the ER. Once I finally spoke to a doctor, he told me to take a hot shower and to head to the hospital if the shower didn’t slow down my contractions at all. But the shower did slow my contractions, and I was convinced labor was fizzling out. After about another hour they suddenly started coming about 4 minutes apart and lasted a minute each, so we packed up the car and headed to the hospital at 6am.

I got hooked up to the monitors to measure the baby’s heart rate and my contractions in the triage room, but after a few minutes they came in to say they weren’t picking up any contractions. They checked me to be sure and I was actually 5cm dilated and they rushed me into a delivery room.

I told them I wanted the epidural as soon as possible, so they took my blood to get tested and started the IV fluids. As that was happening the baby’s heart rate started dropping, so they turned me on my side. I was super uncomfortable and asked for a pillow to put between my legs, and just as the nurse gave it to me and left the room, I had another contraction and my water broke (weirdest feeling ever - truly felt like a water balloon popping inside of me). After that the contractions got so much more intense and seemed to be happening one on top of the other. The anesthesiologist finally came in to administer the epidural, and I was in so much pain that I was audibly groaning and crying with each contraction. I started panicking because as she was placing the epidural, it felt like my body was pushing - I told the nurse, and apparently they almost stopped giving me the epidural because of it. But they did finish giving it to me, and I felt relief pretty instantly. The doctor came and checked me again since I had said my body felt like pushing, and he said I was around 8.5cm already! They started making preparations for me to push since I had gone from 5-8.5cm so quickly, and suddenly it seemed like there were a million people in the room.

When it was time to start pushing, the doctor told me to push on every other contraction because the baby’s heart rate was still decelerating a lot every time I pushed. I think I pushed through only 3 or 4 contractions, and I’ve never put more effort into anything - I wanted to get him out as quickly as possible so he would be safe. The doctor ended up having to use the vacuum to get him out faster, and later I learned he had given me a partial episiotomy when I began tearing as well. At 9:17am on February 16 (when I was 39 weeks + 3 days), after only 3 hours in the hospital, Camden Edward Kelly was born! They took him over to clean him up and check on his head before giving him to me, so it was a couple minutes before I actually got to hold him. Once they handed him to me, I burst into tears and couldn’t believe he was real. He was 6lb 8oz, 20 inches long, and had a big cone head and bruise from the vacuum that luckily cleared up well. We are so happy and grateful for our beautiful baby boy! The past 12 days have been some of the hardest but happiest days of my life - I think I will write a post about my postpartum experience too once I’m a little further out.

Sephora VIB Fall Sale Recommendations

It’s that time of year again! The Sephora VIB Sale is coming at the end of this week, so you know I had to round up a few recent favorites in case you’re looking for recommendations. As always, please don’t feel pressured to shop just because there’s a sale - oftentimes the individual brand websites will have better welcome discounts/sales than the VIB sale, so if there’s just one thing you’re after, try checking there first!

Sale details are as follows:

VIB Rouge - 20% off 11/5 - 11/15 with code YAYHOLIDAY

VIB - 15% off 11/9 - 11/15 with code YAYHOLIDAY

Beauty Insider - 10% off 11/11 - 11/15 with code YAYHOLIDAY

I tried to keep this post a little more streamlined and focus more on some newer releases or at least some things that were new to me, but you can check out my posts from the Spring VIB Sale and last year’s Fall VIB Sale for more recommendations - I still stand by all those products mentioned!

Biossance Squalane + Elderberry Jelly Cleanser - I got this a couple months ago when I bought a backup of their 100% Squalane Oil (my favorite body oil during pregnancy!), and I instantly fell in love. I am usually sold whenever something has “jelly” in the name. This gentle cleanser removes light makeup when applied to dry skin and rinses cleanly without lathering too much or making the skin feel dry or tight. I’m definitely going to be getting a backup during the sale!

Youth to the People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm - Everyone has been raving about Youth to the People’s newest release lately, and for good reason. I love cleansing balms as a first cleanse to get all my makeup and sunscreen off, and this works so well to remove literally everything. It has more of a unique consistency at first, as it feels a bit dry and crumbly as you first take a bit from the jar, but it melts into a luxuriously plush oil that breaks everything down. When you add water it emulsifies into a milky cleanser and rinses away with no residue, and it leaves the skin feeling hydrated and supple.

Beautyblender Bounce Always On Radiant Skin Tint - I just mentioned how much I was loving this new skin tint in my “New Launches I’m Loving” post, so of course it needs a place on this list. This has been my go-to for everyday since I got it - it’s so easy to apply and blend, and it seems to really blur and smooth the skin. It has a great light-medium coverage that’s perfect for me, and instead of a tacky, dewy finish, it has a soft luminous quality while setting down on the skin.

Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer - But of course sometimes you want something super dewy, and that’s when you need Saie’s Slip Tint. It has light-just-slightly-verging-on-light/medium coverage (meaning, a little less than the beautyblender Skin Tint but more than my beloved bareMinerals Complexion Rescue), feels very smooth and hydrating on the skin, and again, is really dewy. I don’t find it to transfer if I touch my face, but it does transfer a bit into a mask. The finish is just so pretty and makes me look so hydrated and healthy that I don’t mind, though.

Rose Inc Softlight Clean Dewy Hydrating Concealer - I was so excited to try some of the new Rose Inc products when they launched recently, and my favorite thing I tried has to be the concealer. (For what it’s worth, I do also love the Brow Gel and Cream Blush). I’ve been using the concealer every day and love everything about it. A little goes a long way, so it has great coverage, but it’s also very natural-looking once blended in. It does feel quite hydrating, so it never looks cakey or dry on me, even on old blemishes or on my undereyes. It has the perfect dewy finish - not so dewy that it would call attention to texture, but just dewy enough to help me look luminous and awake.

Refy Brow Sculpt - If you’re looking for a brow gel that will give you a strong hold and a laminated brow look, then this is the one for you! This is a thicker and more paste=like than your usual brow gel, but it really provides a tremendous amount of hold. There is a double-sided brush/comb inside the cap to brush and manipulate your brows in any direction, and once the product sets, they’ll stay that way. I love the amount of control this gives, and while I do sometimes have to brush out some slight white residue, the all-day hold and feathery final look is worth it.

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX Huetopian Dream Eyeshadow Palette - I feel like I have to include a Pat McGrath palette every time there’s a new one out before a sale. I was on the fence about Huetopian Dream at first, since I already have the Divine Rose I Palette, but I absolutely love this one. Granted, my eczema did flare up soon after buying, so I haven’t worn it as much as I’d like, but it’s still so stunning and I think the color story would be a general crowd-pleaser. I love that it has some rosier shades, and then the pops of glitter are just beautiful. As always with these palettes, the formula can’t be beat!

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara - I’ve recently been looking to change up my everyday mascara, and this new one from Rare Beauty has really won me over. The brush grips every lash and fans them out for a really pretty fluttery look, and the formula doesn’t flake or smudge throughout the day. It gives good length and volume and holds a curl for me, and it’s just the perfect amount of drama for every day.

Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick & Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick - I got the Shaping Stick on a whim over the summer, and I was so happy with it I went back for the Blush Stick. These have a lovely creamy formula that just glides right on and blends easily, and they have attached brushes that are actually pretty good. The blush has a really lovely glowy finish, and the contour is a soft matte. My favorite thing about these are the shades - they’re just perfection! The Shaping Stick in Light is such a good shade to both add a little bit of warmth as well as definition to my face - the undertones are perfect. I have the Blush Stick in Pale Petal, and it’s the best soft pink flush as well. I have my eye on a couple of the other blush shades if they come back in stock for the sale!

Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss Lipstick Balm - I normally have tons of lip product favorites, but I’ve just been reaching for this one over and over since I got it over the summer. I’m all about comfortable, balmy lip products lately, and this is just that. It’s plush and nourishing, but I love that there’s more pigmentation than your usual tinted lip balm. I have the shade Pillow Talk, which is just perfection. In fact, I think it’s much more flattering on me than the matte lipstick version - the Happikiss Pillow Talk is just a touch deeper and rosier.

What’s on my list for the sale? I’ve been adding and subtracting things to/from my cart all week, so who knows what I’ll actually end up with. I’m definitely getting another jumbo size of the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask because my husband and I go through so much of it. My hair hasn’t been doing great in pregnancy so far, so I’m scared to think about what it would look like if I didn’t have this hair mask to try to help it once a week! I’m also really excited for the new Tower28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen, although I actually got too excited to wait for the sale and ordered it from Tower28’s website last weekend - I’ve heard great things from people with different skintypes, like Kelsey from RosalieRouge and Devan from Devsday, so I think it’ll be a big seller during the sale. I’m strongly considering the Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette since I’ve finally been able to wear eyeshadow again. It looks so perfect for everyday, although I’m not sure if the shades will end up pulling too warm on me! The last thing I’m eyeing is the Armani Lip Power Satin Lipstick in 504 Flirt - I saw Joanna Spicer use this patted into a lip balm in a Get Ready With Me on either Instagram or Tiktok and it looked like the perfect kind of flushed mauve shade I’ve been looking for.

Do we have any of the same favorites? What are you thinking of picking up in the sale?

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