breastfeeding – Sarah Bregel

There is nothing I love more than helping hook mamas up with awesome products while also introducing a wonderful business that is dedicated to supporting them. That’s why I’m reeeeeally excited about this giveaway.

I have long been wanting to do another giveaway, since The Mediocre Mama hit 2,000 followers ::mini wave in celebration::, but I’m even more excited because this giveaway happens to fall during World Breastfeeding Week, too. Woohoo!

Udderly Hot Mama is a clothing line specifically dedicated to nursing and pumping mamas. How cool is that? Now, way back when I was nursing (like 2 months ago… dammit, don’t get emo, don’t get emo!) I basically wore a nursing bra and a t-shirt or one of the same two nursing tank tops every day. It was… alright. But there were times when I definitely wanted to look a little more put together. I usually erred on the side of comfort, though, because comfort and easy access are crucial when your boobs are in high demand.

http://www.udderlyhotmama.com

The greater public doesn’t always do that much to support nursing mothers. The world we live in is just not that psyched on seeing women’s breasts doing what nature intended them to do. It’s not uncommon to hear about women getting kicked out of restaurants, pools, or literally have their babies dragged away from them… for nursing. WHAT? I know… but it’s true.

Even the boldest nursers sometimes feel conspicuous while breastfeeding. I tried my best to be bold the second time around. I nursed any damn place my baby needed to nurse and I didn’t use a cover or a towel or hide in a bathroom stall. I just nursed when my baby got hungry. But there were a handful of times I felt the stares. There were also times when I really wished my postpartum belly wasn’t hanging out because of a poor outfit choice.

Needless to say, when I come across a business that is actually working for the breastfeeding mother, to make her life easier and to help her in her breastfeeding journey, I get a little excited.

Also… I may or may not have gotten myself into a situation, once… or possibly twice, where I had to take my entire outfit off in order to nurse my baby (once I realized there was no possible way to get my boob out of there). It’s just what happens when you aren’t used to getting dressed up, get overly excited at the thought and totally space out on the whole, need-to-get-your-boob-out-in-a-hurry-situation- the exact reason why you never dress up in the first place.

The reason Udderly Hot Mama is so awesome and the subject of our World Breastfeeding Week giveaway is because the clothes are designed to make a mama comfortable, stylish and obviously, accessible to her little one. They’ve been featured in US weekly, Celebrity Parents, Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine and various news outlets. And in our opinion, they’re worthy of all the attention.

The front of every top easily pulls down so you can nurse your baby. But the coolest part of this clothing line has to be the undercover flap that lays on top of your breastbone and provides a little extra coverage so you don’t have to feel like your entire breast is exposed each time you nurse. The flap easily snaps off so you can remove it at any time, like perhaps if you don’t give a rats ass about extra coverage, or when you are done nursing altogether.

Here is the shirt we are giving away! Isn’t it cute? Read more about it on the site (and it’s hidden features!).

Now, listen closely because here are the rules.

All you have to do to enter is the following:

1. FOLLOW: Make sure you are following both Udderly Hot Mama and The Mediocre Mama on Facebook.

2. COMMENT AND TAG: Leave a comment on this blog, on the giveaway post on The Mediocre Mama’s Facebook page (or both) and TAG A BREASTFEEDING, PUMPING OR SOON TO BE BF-ING OR PUMPING PAL!

3. SHARE: Share the giveaway post via Facebook.

That’s it! 3 steps! 1, 2, 3! Don’t skip any! I can’t way to give this lovely clothing item to one deserving mama bear. Good luck everyone and Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

The winner will be chosen exactly 1 week from today on August 12th, at 12 PM and Udderly Hot Mama will hook you up ASAP.

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I guess I’ll sleep when I’m dead

January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 Sarah Bregel

MM readers, Apologies for being completely MIA here. Aside from reposting work from other sites on this blog, I haven’t actually written on here in forever. Don’t blame me. Blame THIS GUY. I know he’s cute but he’s trouble.

This baby is so sweet, guys. I love him to the ends of the earth. But at seven months old he’s still pretty much a nightmare sleeper. He’s up several times a night and usually has a hard time going back to sleep. If he sleeps with me, in my arm pit, he wants to suckle all night and I end up awake for hours. If he sleeps in the crib he’s up several times a night. His sister is usually up at least twice or three times for a potty or a snuggle, too. Being awake every single hour is taking it’s toll on me. I want desperately to nurse him till he’s a year old. I actually can’t imagine stopping now that we are seven months in. I think it would be very emotional. But every time I hear about how great someone’s baby sleeps who downs a big bottle before bed, I want to throw in the towel. However, I know I’m not quite ready.

Every night I hope the tide will turn and so far, it hasn’t. I have been telling myself for months now “this too shall pass.” But lately I feel like I’ve been waiting forever. I’ve been trying to hide my exhaustion. Trying to act normal. But at this point, I can barely even muster up the energy to fake it. For example, I’m still bra-less and it’s 3:30 and I smell like baby poop, not sure how. I’m sure it’s on me somewhere. There’s snow on the ground, but still. I also haven’t been showering… that much. Every time my husband goes on a work trip I completely fall apart. I called him sobbing yesterday. Like, hysterical, incoherent, ugly cry, sobbing into the phone. He’d been gone about five hours.

Yesterday I was so fed up, so sad, so defeated. I texted my doula (and friend). I told her I’d been crying all morning. The baby was finally asleep after hours of trying to get him down for a nap. But all I could do was sit and cry. I haven’t wanted to say it out loud, how bad his sleep has been, how hard it’s been on me. I’m so past “mombie.” I’m really feeling the strain of sleeping for less than four hours a night for months (which according to the book my doula/friend brought me, is really, extremely bad for your health). I just wanted to reach out to someone and I’m glad I did. So she came over, tried to help me get the baby to sleep (which of course didn’t work because she’s no longer lactating and the only way Tenny wants to sleep is latched the fuck on). But then she took Piper to play with her girls for the afternoon. I nursed the baby and rested with him. Then eased him into his crib and he stayed there for a short while at least.

Sometimes just having human contact, just having someone say you aren’t crazy, you aren’t doing everything wrong and… I’m sorry you’re going through this just helps so much. I’m also so thankful for the mothers of the world who have bared their souls to me and told me about their struggles, too. When the going gets tough, I need honesty more than anything. Honesty saves me. I think mothers really want honesty. Properly-timed honesty, but still. Thanks to everyone who has given me that over these past seven months. Your struggles don’t make you weak. Your ability to share and be honest and maybe help others makes you brave.

I promise to write more soon. XOXO

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Sorry about my absence…

June 17, 2014 Sarah Bregel

but THIS happened.

My son, Tener Day, was born on the evening of June 10, 2014 at home in a birthing pool full of love (and some other stuff).

Birth story coming soon! Time is not of the essence right now, as my breasts are currently in VERY high demand and I want to do the experience justice.

For now, here’s a few pics of the little milk-slurper.

Thanks to all who have given their support to our family during this time. All the love and meals sent our way have made the transition much easier than we (I) imagined!

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What Postpartum Moms Really Need

May 19, 2014 Sarah Bregel

When I became a parent at the ripe old age of 24, I was glad to kiss a difficult pregnancy goodbye and embrace the joys of new motherhood. But while the joys were many, so were the challenges. I thought I had been adequately prepared to reach a whole new level of sleeplessness, to feed someone from my own body more than I fed myself, to answer every beck and call and do it effortlessly.

Now the word “prepared” seems laughable to use in the context of becoming a parent — literally, becoming a whole new version of yourself, shedding your old skin and giving birth to the mother in you from the moment you give birth to your child. There is no way to prepare for motherhood and I wish I’d known that. But I also wish I’d known how to ask for help.

Continue reading at HuffPost…

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Why I’m definitely going to breastfeed in public

February 28, 2014 Sarah Bregel

A few years ago, I was sitting at brunch with my family of three. Our 1-year-old daughter sat chatting in the high chair while my husband and I enjoyed some much needed mimosas on a late Sunday morning. It was early spring but the sun was so hot that I had to run down the street to find some sunscreen in a nearby store so my strawberry blonde, blue-eyed bobbin wouldn’t fry.

After chatting with a group of baby-clad ladies at the table next to us, I offered them the bottle of lotion. Their babies were all smaller and newer than mine. Having never used sunscreen on their porcelain skin before, they hesitated, scanning the label for parabens, the same as I had done a few months earlier. We talked for a few minutes about babies and the band Phish (one of the babies shared their name with the lead singer and our daughter’s name is a song by the band). Then one by one each baby got fussy and all three mothers began to nurse.

Tag: breastfeeding

Giveaway: Introducing Udderly Hot Mama in honor of World Breastfeeding Week

I guess I’ll sleep when I’m dead

Sorry about my absence…

What Postpartum Moms Really Need

Why I’m definitely going to breastfeed in public

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