Bags | Pump | Storage Bags | Coconut Oil | Pumping Bra | Nursing Cover | Burp Rag

Last week I talked about the amazing baby/everyday bag I use daily that I am able to toss my “pump bag” in and wanted to share what I stash in said pump bag!

I use two of the wet/dry bags that comes in the set from amazon.  One to tote all my “supplies” in and one to use for the pump pieces that I stash in the fridge between pumping sessions.  (Best information I found was that pump pieces that contact liquid can be put in the fridge between pumping sessions and just washed at the end of the day.)

I have used both the Medela Freestyle and Pump In Style and have been happy with both but find that the Freestyle is definitely the easiest for on the go with it’s rechargeable battery and light weight.

The large wet/dry bag has plenty of room for my other go-to supplies.  I keep storage bags (with a marker tucked in the bag for labeling) to store my daily supply.  Coconut oil was recommended to me buy a friend instead of lanolin oil and while at home I have a large Trader Joes container, I grabbed a smaller on the go container to keep in my bag.  Head phones are a must for those nursing room sessions so I can catch up on my Netflix shows.  I purchased the hands free pumping bra when I was pumping in the car, but it is also great to have for convince for double pumping.  This adorable nursing cover is perfect for sharing time in the pump room with other mom co-workers. And of course it never hurts to throw a burp rag in to have on hand!

What items do you tote around for pumping?

** PS – I also learned the hard way it is a great idea to keep a manual pump in the car for those times you get all the way to work or far from the house and realize you have forgotten one pump piece (or the whole thing).  This has definitely come in handy!!

Bag | Dr. Smith’s On-The-Go Diaper Cream Spray | Johnson & Johnson Face Wipes | Oxo Wipe Container | Fisher Price Coffee Cup | Wallet (similar) | Notebook | Pop Socket

For baby AB we do a little nursing, a little formula and a little pumping (and thank heavens her little stomach will take whatever we give it… ha).  So while on maternity leave when AB and I would head out the door I would tote along her diaper bag, my wallet, my pump bag and a cooler bag.  We live in a rural area so when we would go out it would usually be for a good chunk of time, so I found I usually did need everything I was carting along but man was it a bear.  When I went back to the office, I would leave each day with my work bag, lunch bag, pump bag and, if AB was going to the sitters, her diaper bag.

Then a coworker showed me her new “diaper” bag and I was obsessed!  It is definitely much more than a diaper bag and I snagged one for myself.   To be honest, I have always been a big bag person (Brandon use to loving refer to my purse as my “carry-on”) so there was no surprise when I loved it.

It’s the Skip Hop Grand Central Take-It-All Diaper Bag!  This thing holds it all!  It is my week day go-to and also perfect for outings with the family.  During the week, I use the large middle compartment to stash all my pump stuff (which I keep in these wet/dry bags) and on one side is my stuff (like my wallet, phone, sun glasses, little notebook) and the other, a few things for AB (small toy, diapers, wipes, formula).  I keep her side stocked so if we run some errands after work I still just need my one bag.  On the weekend when we are headed out I still have my wet/dry bags for my pump stuff, but can leave that in the car and lighten the bag up a bit.  I also use the middle compartment for days out of the house with the baby to stash some extras (burp rags, change of clothes and maybe a few more toys).

I snagged these wet/dry bags off amazon and for now I use the large bag for my pump supplies and the middle size for my pump parts so I can stash them in the fridge between pumps.   This has been a nice upgrade from the poor Ziploc I was washing out each night after work.   The small one is perfect to throw in my bag incase AB gets an outfit dirty or there is nowhere to throw away a diaper (#thereispeeinmypurse #momlife).  And these ones have held up great and I can see using them down the road for wet swimsuits after the beach or vacation hamper bags for little ones!

I may look like I am ready to move in any where I go, but I love this Mary Poppins-esque bag!  And to be honest, it would probably be a great weekender bag for those without a little one in tow.  There is no shame in rocking a baby bag sans baby.  I actually used one before I had Annabelle because I loved all the pockets.  What is your go to bag?

I am a bit of a planner so a big item on my to-do list before baby was to pack my hospital bag.  I asked around to friends and scoured pinterest for lists what I would need (and want on hand).  I thought I would share some of my “glad I packed” items to help anyone currently nesting and putting their bags together.  Now of course, you’ll want to pack your regular go to items that are in your over night bag when you are away as well.  But here are a few items I was happy made my list:

1.  Maternity Pajama Dress: While deciding what to pack in my bag, a friend mentioned that the nurses came in to check on her lady area after delivery and wearing pajama pants was a hassle.  I found this sleep dress and packed it in my bag, and it definitely came in handy.  With my unplanned c-section, I had a catheter, having the sleep dress gave me the option to change out of the hospital gown and into something a little more comfortable without interfering with the oh so lovely catheter.  It was also a perfect piece while figuring out breastfeeding and for skin-to-skin.  I could easily pull the top down to nurse and I could slip the baby in the shirt and pull it up over her to cover us so we weren’t exposed when people walked in.
2. Chapstick & Lotion: Everyone is right, the hospital has the driest air.  These were so nice to have on hand in my hospital bag.
3. Extension Cord: This was a suggestion from a friend’s husband.  He commented that you never know where the outlet will be and he was definitely right.  We packed an extension cord and I also ordered an extra long phone charger cable.  The outlet by the bed in our hospital room was a bit hard to reach behind the bed so the long cable allowed me to have the phone plugged in and easy for me to reach from bed.  The extension cord came in handy for my husband who had his phone plugged in across the room but wanted it reachable from his recliner beside my bed.  Between calling and texting friends and family and taking a billion pictures of your new baby, a charged phone is crucial!
4. Slippers: The hospital I delivered in would not allow patients out of bed without either shoes/slippers or the hospital issued grippy socks on.  I didn’t like the idea of walking around the maternity ward and in and out of the bathroom in grippy socks then climbing into the bed with them full of hospital germs so I was sure to have slippers on hand.  While I almost bought a pair of new slippers to pack in my hospital bag, I figured I probably wouldn’t want to keep the shoes that were all over the hospital floor so I brought my old pair to the hospital and treated myself to a new pair to have when I was home with the baby.
5. “Panties” …adult diapers.  Don’t let the lady in the commercial fool you, these “panties” won’t make you feel sexy but it will make you feel a little more… put together!  During most of my stay at the hospital I wore the mesh underwear and oversized pads (oh the whole situation is something they don’t warn you about) but switched in to the adult diapers “panties” at the end and then wore them at home for the first few days.  I felt more confident and it was so much more comfortable to wear out of the house than the oversized pad would be (especially for the babies first pediatrician appointment the first day we were home).

What are some items you were glad to have in your hospital bag or what do you plan to pack?

We have reached the third trimester!  I can’t believe how close we are to bringing our little one home (and then again, it feels so far away!).  As our due date looms near we figured it was time to start on baby girl’s room.

I scoured pinterest for a little inspiration and then began the online shopping spree.  I put together the big pieces we picked to show the design we are going with.  There are many more little pieces to come, but I love how far we have come.

Rug: I knew we wanted to stick with a neutral scheme for the wall and furniture so we can change things around as we want, so I thought a rug may be a great piece to add a pop of color to the room.  The bedroom is already carpeted, so the thin 6′ x 4′ rug was just enough!  I stumbled upon Society 6 and loved how you can search an idea, like floral watercolors, and search endless designs by various artists.

Crib: I had another crib in mind that was white with natural wood colored legs, but after talking with my sister and measuring out what the actual dimensions were (a crucial thing to do when online shopping) Brandon and I decided the crib would sit very low to the ground.  So I went back on the hunt and hit pottery barn during a great sale!

Rocker: Now this was one of the harder pieces to decide on.  In my mind I was dead set on a rocker but after searching (and searching… and searching) we came back to this glider Brandon and I had sat in at Babies r’ Us.  It was just so comfortable and I love the chairs with the high back.

Ottoman: A storage ottoman will fit perfectly in front of the glider.  Knowing I wouldn’t be able to match the linen color, I went with this great gray color.

Dresser: I have been in love with this Ikea dresser for awhile now and am hoping that Brandon will agree we need one of these for our room once he sees how great it is :).

Paint Color: The hardest decision!  There are so many “gray” options and knowing just how the shade will look in our house is near impossible.  I wanted to stick with a gray hue that leaned more blue than beige and now that the walls are painted, and we can see it in person, it is exactly what I was going for!!

Now the walls are painted and it’s time to start building the furniture!  And on to the search for curtains, shelves and some simple wall pieces begins!!

We have some big things over here!!

We were so excited to announce that we are expecting this August!!  I had to share the cute photos my youngest brother took to help make our announcement to our friends and family.

Brandon was excited to add the fireman theme in to the announcement so we used the trucks at Station 3 to tell our news!

Our due date is August 15 and everything so far has been amazing (*knock on wood).  I can’t wait to share all about this new adventure!!