Hi guys! Whew, it has been a busy week over here trying to balance mom time and work time. I have a feeling this will continue to be a challenge. :) In exciting news, though, we are finalizing a contract with a new nanny (after our original one bailed on us last minute – see Monday’s post if you missed it), and I actually like her more than our original nanny, so it seems like this is all working out for the best! It’s actually really serendipitous too because she has a part time nanny job with a family she has been with a long time and they will just need her on Wednesdays moving forward – which is the day I was hoping to take off from work and have Riese all to myself! So perfect! I think she’ll be starting in two weeks… and in the meantime my mom is willing to fill in, whew! :)
This Wednesday was my first day taking care of Riese all day solo. We had our PACE mom’s group in the morning and I definitely underestimated how long it takes to get out the door with her when it’s just me on my own – we were already running late anyway and then just as I was strapping her into her car seat, she pooped. Lol. Of course! Oh well. We made it, and we were only about 10 minutes late so I consider that a win right now. ;) After a rough start to the week, it was nice to connect in person with other women who are also juggling the emotions and logistics of being a new mom, and like last week, a small group of us braved going out to lunch together after the group with the babies in tow. This week we went to Silver Diner. Stroller party!
Riese actually did really well – I had fed and changed her during the PACE group meeting, so by the time we got to the restaurant she mostly slept and was pretty mellow. I had a really good kale, bacon, shrimp, feta, and farro (love that chew) salad for lunch – hit the spot although I wish it had been just a bit bigger.
Riese and I hung out at home for the afternoon and took a short walk with Freyja, too. On Wednesday evening, I had a girl’s night planned – Matt spent the night with Riese and I met my college friends Kathleen and Sarah for dinner at Ambar restaurant in Clarendon. We ordered a billion things and shared them – I only got a few photos but it was delicious, and as always it was so nice to have some quality time with two of my favorite ladies. <3
On Thursday morning Riese and I met with a lactation consultant! She’s already up nearly 1 pound from last week – wow! Guess all that cluster feeding (and occasionally topping her off with bottles of breastmilk) paid off! It was really helpful to meet with the lactation consultant – we worked on positioning to improve the shallow latch, did a weighted feed, and she noted that there is a bit of a tongue/lip tie, but she thinks we can improve the latch enough via a couple more sessions that we might not have to do a procedure to correct the tongue/lip tie. We will see! The intense afternoon and evening cluster feeding she was doing the past week has calmed down as of yesterday so maybe she was just going through a big growth spurt. Either way, in addition to working on the shallow latch I’ve also been working on increasing my supply – drinking mother’s milk tea, trying to pump more to stimulate production, and eating extra lactation-friendly snacks. I’ve started bringing snacks up to the bedroom again, too, so I have them in the middle of the night. I used to always do middle of the night snacks when we were up practically all night with her in the early days, but now that we’re sleeping a bit more I was getting lazy about it and didn’t want to walk downstairs even if I was hungry. So, I’ve been making sure I have snacks on the bedside table again! My mom made me some of these No Bake Peanut Butter Lactation Bites (cut into bars – easier than rolling into balls – pictured below) as well as these Blueberry Oatmeal Lactation Muffins (she used frozen wild blueberries per my request – so good in baked goods and extra nutritious) to help the cause. Both were delicious!
My mom came over to babysit yesterday evening so I could go meet an AnneTheRD nutrition client, but before she came over Riese and I took a nice long walk with Freyja. I tried out the Solly baby wrap for the first time – it’s on loan from a friend of a friend – and loved it! I wish I had tried it sooner – I was intimidated by the logistics of getting it wrapped and into place, but I just watched a video on their website and it was super easy. I have two other wraps to try as well (the Boba and the Moby), so we will see which one I like best! For those of you who have tried all of them (or other wraps) – any preference? I like that the wraps are a lot less bulky than my more structured carrier, although the structured carrier (the Boba 4G Carrier) is better when it’s really cold so I can put Riese in her snowsuit.
Riese was really into the wrap – she was able to look at the action as we walked which was nice (vs. the other carriers I’ve tried where her view is blocked by the carrier). She checked out the scenery for a long time before eventually conking out for the rest of the walk. I listened to a podcast while we walked – the Best of Both Worlds podcast about being a working mom. I listened to one about maternity leave and transitioning back to work (episode 18) – it was interesting! Thanks to my friend Kylie for giving me the heads up about that episode. :)
Last night for dinner, Matt enjoyed some Riese cuddles while I threw together a variation on my Pesto Baked Salmon with Veggies – a few of you mentioned sheet pan recipes involving fish and pesto and it reminded me of this old fave! It’s really easy – just toss veggies (I used tomato and zucchini) and fish (I used barramundi instead of salmon, just to mix it up) in a pan, put a hefty spoonful of pesto on each piece of fish, and bake for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
Et voila!
Served atop some quinoa. The fish pieces were massive so we have a little leftover, too, which is always nice!
Two other food highlights from this week – one was the return of my old fave tuna sandwich – it’s chunk light tuna mixed with avocado, dijon mustard, and sauerkraut. Such a good combo. Served with some carrots and a sleeping baby on the side.
And for dessert, I had half of one of these (giant – hence the half) cookies which I think are legit the best cookies I’ve EVER had. I’m obsessed – they are made locally in DC and they were sampling them at the grocery store last week and once I tried one I knew I had to get them. Perfect chewy texture and not too sweet!
As for fitness, I made it out for a class this morning! As always, it was tough timing/logistics-wise with feeding Riese (I ended up having to wake her up to feed her before leaving because otherwise I knew she’d want to eat right after I left and Matt would have to get up early and do a bottle feed), but I’m glad I made the push. Chelsea and I met up for Bodymass Gym’s 7 a.m. boot camp via ClassPass (<- just reactivated my account! that’s an affiliate link for $40 off). Felt good to move, as always!
Have a great weekend guys! And remember to check out my Easy Throw Together Super Bowl Snack ideas and Healthy Super Bowl Snack Recipes posts if you need some inspiration for Sunday!
Love the solly wrap. The videos are so helpful and there educator is amazing. I sent her pictures of my baby in the wrap when I felt like it wasn’t quite eighth and she gave me pointers. I would often wrap it on myself before we left the house to drive somewhere and then I could just pop baby in when we got there
That’s amazing that they give such personal support!! Smart idea to wrap it before leaving, too… totally going to do that!
Reise is so cute! How do you stand it? I made the salmon pesto recipe with chicken once and it was amazing–and so simple.
I’ll have to try it with chicken – I love pesto with chicken! And I agree that Riese is pretty adorable ;)
Glad to see things might be getting a little better and so happy you found a new nanny!
Thanks Kelli!
The solly is the easiest (I’ve tried all three) and the fabric is so lightweight that it’s perfect for layering if needed.
I really do like how lightweight it is!
If you are interested in additional breastfeeding support beyond the lactation consultant, Virginia Hospital Center has a great breastfeeding support group that meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays. My daughter is a little older than yours, and I have found the group to be super helpful!
I keep wanting to go to that but haven’t made it yet… must make it happen ASAP! Everyone keeps raving about it!
What an amazing turn of events with your nanny! How awesome is it that *most* things end up turning out better than we expected? Congrats on getting out to your fun group lunch and then to a fitness class! Those would make all the difference for me too. Your sheet pan meal looks perfect! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks Kori <3
Solly wrap!
I’ve always read your blog and followed along, but I have to say that lately your posts have been my favorite! I LOVE your new-mom perspective and honesty. I have two little ones (2.5 yr old son and 5 month old daughter) and I’m a full-time breastfeeding & working mom. It’s NOT easy! Logistically its hard to even figure out how to get out the door first thing in the morning to workout with having to nurse! You are one of the few bloggers I follow who has even touched on this challenge! Thanks for your honesty!
Thank you for letting me know you’re enjoying these posts, Robyn! It’s a tough balance, huh? We can do it!!
Totally agree! I have an almost 3 year old and 4 year old. It’s definitely a challenge no matter what. I enjoy your honesty too and I love that you’re not rushing it back into fitness constantly. You can tell you’re focused on your baby!
Thanks Tricia!
I think boba is better than moby but have heard solly is the best stretchy wrap. I prefer wovens though! So much more versatile (front, hip and back carries) and long lasting (well into toddlerhood compared to just about 15lbs when stretchies get uncomfy)
babywearing for life!
What do you mean by wovens? Clearly I have to try these too! :)
Woven wraps are like stretchy wraps but they are woven, not knit, and have little to not stretch. They come in all sorts of lengths with which you can do different styles of carries. Loads easier to use on the go bc you dont have to worry about dragging the long tails on the ground. Stretchy wraps only come in one size: super long! (Equal to about 8 in woven, most people use 6 and smaller. 5, 4 and 3 are my faves)
plus back carries are amazing once baby is bigger and can sit unassisted which are not possible with stretchy wrap bc its too dangerous.
Didymos, yaro, fidella, oscha are some common brands of machine woven that are affordable but you could also get a handwoven, which are super luxe and almost art piece like. I would start with machine woven. Look up wrap you in love on youtube to see lots of what you can do.
A shorter length would be nice! I’m definitely going to look into those. Thank you!
Lovvvvved the Solly! The fabric is perfect – so stretchy & yet supportive. The Boba and Moby are both thicker & Moby has less stretch. I literally cried when my daughter got too big for the Solly. I love my soft structured carrier too but always felt like the Solly was the perfect level of support and SO comfy for both of us.
It really is comfy!
Hey, that’s my podcast :). (With my cohost Laura Vanderkam). Glad you liked it!! More back to work posts coming up as I head back in March – agh!
Wait, really?! I don’t know why I didn’t realize that was you! Lol! I’d love more talk about entrepreneurial moms who work for themselves… it’s a particularly unique balance to strike I think!
Something you may wish to discuss with your lactation consultant, Anne, is fenugreek seed. I took it around the times that I had mastitis and my milk supply had tanked.
I’ll ask her about that… thank you!
Great news about the weight gain, lactation consultant meeting, and new nanny! Good news all around!! :D Hope she does not need a procedure and you guys can work around it :) Proud of you for getting through a super stressful week! <3
Thank you my friend!
Nice to see it all coming together. Congrats on the new nanny, too. Big step forward! And loved the picture of you and Riese in the wrap. Happy baby!
Thank you!
Love your blog – I read it every week as I also have a newborn around Riese’s age and live in the MD/DC/VA area. Check with your lactation consultant to see if you can use a supplement like Fenugreek or Moringa to help boost your breast milk supply. My lactation consultant recommended both, so I’ve been taking Moringa and it helps some. Also – keep up the oatmeal. There’s something about oatmeal that boosts milk production, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a “lactation-based” product. I love Alyssa’s Healthy Vegan Bites and Alyssa’s Healthy Oatmeal Bites and they’re easy to take on the go.
I understand your frustration when it comes to Riese’s weight. My son is also under weight at 2 months and the pediatrician asked that we supplement with formula.
I need to start having oatmeal for breakfast again I think! Been on the savory train lately but maybe time to mix it up. :) Or to have it as a snack!
Could Riese be any cuter?! The sleeping picture is so sweet. You’re doing great, Anne!
Aw thank you! :)
I’m glad you’re seeing the lactation consultant for some help! My first baby (and I) had some of the same difficulties with breastfeeding and low weight gain. The LC I tried to consult brushed me off and we eventually switched to formula and even though I know it didn’t hurt him, I always regretted not trying harder. With my second baby we clicked at nursing immediately and I also found a different LC that was amazing and helped us work out the few kinks we had going. I ended up breastfeeding him and pumping at work for 11 months. Oh, and my oldest child (now 11) is still really low weight. The pediatrician says it’s just “him” to be a low weight child! I took fenugreek capsules to keep my supply high enough and they really helped. I didn’t need them until probably the 6 month mark? But they did help (warning: they make you smell like maple syrup!). But I would try these other things the LC has you doing before starting supplements other than real food.
In reference to you waking her up to nurse before you went to your class, look up dream feeding. I used to leave for work really early in the morning and needed to fully pump before doing so. I would “dream feed” my baby without actually waking him at like 4am before I would pump. You only have to wake or stimulate them enough to get them to nurse and then put them back in bed still asleep. This worked for us until I weaned him! And it was nice for my husband to know the baby was “topped off” for the morning when they got up and going.
That’s interesting about the dream feed – I’ll read more about that! Thank you!
I did a variation on that too! Was a vey popular strategy in mum PACE group:)
I’m so glad things are working out! You got this!
Solly is much better than Moby in my opinion. Moby doesn’t have much stretch so you really need to get the tightness right and I feel like it always stretches out a bit and was never as comfortable by the end. Solly is so much more forgiving and easy to use. I used wraps non-stop with my first two and already have been using the wrap a ton with My 2 week old. Riese is probably big enough to do legs out too if she doesn’t seem to like the newborn hold.
Solly is hands down my favors wrap. Wild bird is my fav sling. LIVE my Solly-I always reach for it. I often tie it in before leaving the house and then just pop babe in it when we get wherever we are going.
I haven’t tried any slings yet – what’s the benefit of those vs. a wrap?
MAny like them for itty bitty babes but I like them when babe gets a little bigger/sturdier. Just another option that’s comfy and my kids seem to like too. Like all of it’s its all so mama and babe dependent what works. I did lots of experimenting like you’re doing before I landed in my favorites. Here’s hoping my 4.5 mo old likes the same stuff my toddler did! (So far so good;))
Experimenting definitely seems to be the way to go!
Also careful w mithersmilk or anything w fenugreek. It can decrease supply. Best thing is to stay hydrated and nurse nurse nurse:)
How do you like the AirPods?
LOVE them. Really impressed with the quality — people I’m talking to say they can’t hear wind or anything either, which was a problem I had with the iphone cord headphones.
What a nice week! And Yes, exactly as I said, when one door closed, another better one opened. Hope everything goes super well with the new nanny! :)
Glad everything is working out for you. I just loves these post on motherhood. Your honestly is commendable. Riese is absolutely adorable and I love how alert she looks in the selfie of her in the wrap. Would love a post on all your favorite products this far and what things you really needed vs what you didn’t need. Always interested to hear other perspectives.
Thanks Stacey! I’ll try to do a products post soon… that’s a good idea!