They are cute, cuddly, and look at the world with those wide eyes of wonder. They are happy to just play with their feet and sleep in your arms all day….

Then, soon enough, they turn into toddlers. Also cute. But so much more expensive! Before having my first daughter, I really didn’t think about how much parents can spend on their toddlers.

This time, my husband and I are preparing our family budget for those extra costs. We are budgeting for costs such as private preschool, toddler shoes (so many shoes!!), toddler furniture (slides, bookcases, swing sets!), and extra activities (you know, swim lessons, dance classes, museum memberships..etc). Knowing the expenses ahead, and cutting back on your family budget, will definitely help us financially for both our daughters’ futures. So, here are a few of things we have decided as a family to cut back on in 2017, in order to afford the same lifestyle for both our girls.

1. No more gym memberships.

   Those monthly charges for a gym in your family budget add up. Not to mention, gyms charge you even when you’re on vacation, and they lock you in for a long commitment. These days, there are so many workouts on Youtube that you can do for free from your home. I’ve started doing yoga classes daily from Youtube while my daughter naps, and I love it. My husband has decided on running for his free source of exercise. We found a track right by our house that he loves. We are now noticing the extra cash in our family budget- and feeling just as healthy as when we paid for gym memberships!

2. One vehicle between the two of us.

   I realize this family budget tip may not work for everyone, as many couples have jobs that require both people to work outside the home. But for our family, this has really helped us save. We have one family car that we share. My hours are flexible as a realtor, so I’m able to plan my days around my husband’s normal 9-5 work day. He drops our daughter at school in the morning on his way to the office and I walk to pick her up with the stroller in the afternoon (more free exercise!).

3. Booking vacations with airline miles, not dollars

   We decided this year that we would only do a family vacation if we had enough miles for all three of us to fly for free. Only paying the taxes on flights to Jamaica has saved our family budget a bundle! My husband gets most of his mileage through work trips, but you can also gain miles by simply signing up for a credit card with Delta (you don’t need to use it, just sign up!), and also, many grocery stores participate in mileage programs. The more you shop, the more miles you gain.

4. Downsizing our house.

   This was the biggest game changer when it came to our finances. When we were planning our second pregnancy six months ago, we decided that we would move from our 4 bedroom house to a 3 bedroom house. We cut our monthly mortgage in half by doing this. We decided that our daughters will share a bedroom when they are ready, and we will use the third bedroom as our home office. We thought a lot about this and decided there are so many benefits to our girls sharing a room. For example, they will be used to it when we go on vacation and they have to share. They’ll get used to hearing each other cry, be encouraged to share toys, and hopefully become best friends, in time.

I hope you enjoyed reading my budgeting tips! I’m interested to hear what other families are doing to make ends meet while still living the lifestyle you desire. What are your 2017 family goals?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post 4 Ways to Conquer your Family Budget for your Second Baby appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I hope everyone had nice Thanksgiving feasts!

As a pregnant mom, I definitely indulged!

In my previous blog, I wrote all about finding the right place for me and my baby to give birth and be cared for. My first trimester this time around was definitely a more stressful time. Not only am I keeping up with my 19 month old daughter, but I did much more research on insurance policies over here in the US.

That being said, getting into the second trimester has been wonderful!

I have more energy. I’ve found my birth center of choice. My daughter will begin a morning preschool program after Thanksgiving- and soon enough we all get to find out the gender of our new family addition!

This leads me to my blog topic for this week – Gender Reveal Parties!

During my first pregnancy in Sydney, Australia, I was really excited to do a Gender Reveal Party. I created Pinterest boards, with gorgeous photos and creative ideas on different reveals.

At our 20 week ultrasound, the technician put the gender in an envelope I provided. I was so excited! I hurried to a nearby bakery, and asked them about doing a “gender reveal” cake. To my surprise, they looked totally lost and confused. I went to a second bakery – same confused looks on their faces. I went to a third bakery – and once again, they had never heard of a gender reveal party. So they, too, couldn’t make a pink or blue surprise cake for me.

The fact didn’t occur to me that Gender Reveal parties hadn’t reached around world from the US. I asked around to some of my girlfriends who were Australian. They never heard of it, either. Next I surveyed a few of my local mom friends, and discovered several wanted to discover the gender at birth! However the majority of the mothers I spoke with simply found out the gender at their doctor’s.

I realized that culturally speaking, the need to celebrate a gender reveal is truly an American trait – and one that I love!

So, even though I couldn’t organize a big party in Sydney, I did make it a special surprise for my husband and I. I found a little shop that makes custom ornaments- they would write whatever you liked on them. It took some lengthy explaining, but eventually the artists understood and they made a beautiful ornament. Next, they wrapped up nicely, and we opened it together on Christmas day. I remember shouting, “It’s PINK! It’s PINK!” and getting so excited!

Got our idea for an ornament surprise from this picture on Pinterest!

Two years later, once again I am headed to the birth center for that special secret envelope.

However, this time around is so different! Not only do I not have to wait until the 20 week scan, but I have American friends jumping to throw me my gender reveal party! It really makes the second trimester so much fun when you get to plan a party with your friends. So, all my pinning on Pinterest will not go to waste!

More recently, I have seen some of my friends in Sydney doing gender reveal parties. Perhaps the idea is circulating the globe now. However I am still grateful that I am back in my home country for my second birth. I love how every detail is exciting for Americans. I love how creative and we are together, and that I can include my friends in this special time.

Whether you find out immediately or wait until the end, it’s definitely nice to have traditions and see what other countries and cultures do to celebrate. Now we are just waiting one more month to find out what Santa has in his gift bag for us! What do you think? Boy or Girl?

Find out in my next blog!

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Part 2- Pregnancy in the US vs Australia, and Gender Reveal Fun! appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

My husband and I found out a couple of weeks ago that I am going to give birth to our second child!

We are both so excited! Our kids will be almost exactly two years apart, give or take a week or two.

She’s very excited about becoming a big sis!

Our first daughter, Hannah, is18 months old. She was born in Sydney, Australia, where her dad and I met. Because I was a permanent resident in Australia, although not a citizen, my residency entitled me use of their amazing public healthcare for my first birth. I have to admit, at first the system confused me. There were no co-pays, no bills, and strangest of all, no doctors!

I met with the same midwife, Amy, monthly, and then later on weekly.

She checked the baby’s heart beat, measured my belly, and checked my blood pressure. I never had an internal exam throughout my pregnancy. In fact, I  paid more in parking bills than medical bills at the end of it all! I read up about water births and decided I wanted to try it.

Amy toured the birth center with me, where I saw the nice birth suite that I would be in. It boasted a rocking chair, a queen size bed, a shower, a dresser, a birthing ball, and a yoga mat. Best of all, the room had a large tub for the water birth. Amy also recommended an acupuncturist to me when I was 39 weeks. I went in, they put some needles in me, and 8 hours later, four of which I spent in labor, I sat in the tub with my newborn daughter. The whole process could not have been smoother – or cheaper!

In the birth suite at the public hospital in Sydney.

Ok, so how did we end up in Atlanta, Georgia?

We moved over to the US (my homeland) when our daughter was six weeks old. It was important to us to be close to family. My husband and I also had goals of buying our first home together. Flash forward 18 months -and we are in that first home and pregnant. Best of all, almost a family of four!

Now for the next step in our journey.

Time to figure out where I would like to give birth to our second child. I did some research and found the Atlanta Birthing Center. It seemed perfect. It is modern, they have several midwives, who have delivered over 1000 babies- each! Conveniently, it’s located 15 minutes from our house. I could not be happier after touring the facilities. Their birthing suites looked better than what I had in Sydney! At the end of the tour, we asked the midwives questions openly.

One of the first questions involved insurance.

An expecting mother raised her hand and simply asked, “Do you take insurance?” And the answer….NO. The Atlanta Birth Center does not take ANY insurance. I couldn’t believe it. At this point in time, they are not in network with any insurance providers. Therefore, you will pay out of your own pocket, a minimum of $5000 to have your baby there. There is a small discount if you pay at your first appointment, but that was not something my husband or I could afford to do. I was so shocked because I thought birth centers were more affordable than hospitals, not the other way around.

So, feeling defeated, I made my first appointment at the hospital, with an OB-GYN

My husband went with me to the appointment, which made me feel more at ease. Still, I knew deep down this was not what I wanted. Upon arrival we filled out paperwork after paperwork. We arrived half an hour early to our 10:00 appointment. So after we filled everything out, the doctor saw us immediately, which was great.

I was only 9.5 weeks pregnant at this point. Mainly, we wanted to find out an accurate due date. To my surprise, the ultrasound technician asked me to take off my bottoms-  she wanted to do an internal ultrasound. I obliged and we got to see our little baby wiggling around.

However, in the back of my mind, I wondered why we needed to do something so invasive. We had an external ultrasound at 9 weeks with my first daughter and we could see her just fine. After the ultrasound, we met the doctor who was very friendly. She asked if we had any questions. I asked about water births, and unfortunately, it wasn’t an option there. She explained to me that most patients give birth on the hospital bed with an epidural. Then, they gave me a shopping bag full of free prenatal vitamins, scheduled a 12 week ultrasound, and sent me on my way.

Over the next two weeks, I thought long and hard about my plans for my birth.

Why should I have to give up how I wanted to bring a child into the world because of cost? It didn’t seem fair and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt with changing my plan. It was actually keeping me up at night and creating unnecessary stress, which is never healthy.

I did more research, mostly through Facebook Mother’s Groups that I’m a member of, and I found Intown Midwifery. Their website states, “we firmly believe in a woman’s right to choose what works best for her during childbirth and support those desires, be it a natural birth, a medicated birth or a water birth.”

 I, of course, rung them straight away to find out if they took our insurance. What a relief to find out that they DO!! Woohoo! Not only do they accept our insurance, but they remained up front. They explained to me how many ultrasounds our insurance would cover, and talked at length with me about genetic testing. The receptionist expressed to me her surprise that the hospital had scheduled a second ultrasound at 12 weeks- because my insurance would most likely only cover two ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy! This means if we wanted to find out the gender, or if we happened to need one further along, we would have to pay out of pocket.

I was so happy to find a place that was upfront in informing me about all the hidden costs. Not only that, but they were very supportive of my birth plan.

I met with two of the midwives yesterday and I loved their demeanor and their kind nature

I’m so glad that we’ve found a place that supports our plans, although it took some time to find!

I’m sure there will be other differences between this pregnancy and birth, and my first. But as long as I have a happy, healthy baby in the end, that’s all that really matters. I hope this blog inspires other moms to do your research. You don’t have to give up on what you want and succumb to what you think you can afford, or to the “norm”.

You have options. Talk to other moms, listen to their stories, and do what works best for you and your baby – not what works best for the doctor, or the health insurance industry.

Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Pregnancy and Birth Care in the US vs Australia, Part 1 appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

With all the delicious dishes that we share together comes some not so great things too. I’m talking about extra calories, food comas, and even hangovers if your family celebrates with lots of wine like mine does! These three things are not so fabulous.

So, I am bringing to you a few Thanksgiving feast health tips you may want to do with your family this weekend to avoid the above three health enemies.

1. Start each day with a tall glass of lemon water. This small step makes all the difference. A 16 ounce glass of water with half a fresh lemon squeezed in each morning will help boost your metabolism and flush out any toxins from your system. This is great before and after drinking alcohol. Of course, it’s good to continue drinking water throughout the day, too. When drinking alcohol or soda at parties and holiday events where drinks are in abundance, many nutritionists recommend rotating water in between each alcoholic and/or sugary drink. This way you know you are keeping your body hydrated.
2. 
3. Get outside for a long walk with friends and family. It may be brisk outside, but bundle up and take a minimum 20 – 30 minute walk each day after your main meal. If you have your baby or your pet dog with you, even better! Walking not only burns calories, but aids with digestion as well which will help get rid of that “food coma” feeling.                                        
4. Skip the Desserts (when possible). On Thanksgiving itself, of course treat yourself. It’s a time for celebrating with pumpkin pie and ice cream. However, try to avoid seconds and leftovers when it comes to desserts the rest of the week. I used to always be tempted to wake up the morning after Thanksgiving and have leftover pie for breakfast. This is not a healthy choice, obviously! Not only are these desserts full of extra calories, but having them before bedtime can make it very difficult to fall asleep. If you’re feeling restless in bed on Thanksgiving night, it could be due to those sugary desserts, so definitely think twice about over indulging!                                                                                                                                   

Hope everyone stays happy and healthy this holiday season! Lots of love, Emily and Baby Hannah xoxo

Can’t wait to fill her belly up on her first Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble gobble!

**Thanks to FitnessForMommies.net and GoodMenProject.com for the photos on this post.**

Do you have any other healthy tips you’d like to share with us? Drop us a comment below! We would love to hear from you! 

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Post Thanksgiving Feast Health Tips appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Her first tutu!

Like many new mothers with daughters, I cannot wait for the day that I get to watch my little girl prance around in a tutu at her first dance recital. I’m sure I will be that mom in the front row taking thousands of photos. As for me personally, I am by no means a great dancer, but I do love music and I’ve always felt like when you’re dancing, you are getting a workout without realising it. You just let yourself move and before you know it, hours have gone by.  

However, these days I am not out dancing with my girlfriends on Friday nights like in my early twenties. I do dance around the house with my daughter on my hip occasionally, but it’s not quite the same. My love for dance led me to do some research about dance classes I could enrol in with my baby before she’s old enough to learn on her own.

A little googling and I found out about Babywearing Dance classes

How fun! I had to give it a try. So, this past Monday, I joined a group of other babywearing dance -loving moms at our local dance studio, Jitterbugs Performing Arts Center. And boy, did we dance! For just $15, I got an excellent leg, arm, butt, and cardio workout.

We started the class with some light ballet bar work to get warmed up. Everyone had a baby aged 3 months to 3 years either on their stomach or back. We began with plies, which are basically the French word for squats. We were definitely feeling warm after about 30 plies! Then, we warmed up our arms and it was time for our dance “routine.”

Photo from www.scarymommy.com

Our class instructor had us learn a quick dance to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” We did a little salsa, a little cha-cha, some hip-hop, and even some moves you might see at a wedding or bar mitzvah! It was really fun and also hilarious. All of our babies seemed to love it, too. At one point, my 7 month old daughter, Hannah, squealed at just the right time during the song “Spice Up Your Life!” and everyone started laughing. Now I know she likes the Spice Girls!

By the end of the class, we were all pooped, but I think we felt great because we accomplished more than we thought we could. We got some of our coordination and memory back,too. Dance is great for the memory, which for some reason moms seem to always be forgetting one thing behind! Am I right? I feel like I am always running back inside the house to fetch something!

Anyway, Babywearing Dance is my new obsession and I am so glad to see it growing throughout the US. If you don’t have a studio offering Babywearing Dance, you can always use Youtube as an instructor. There are loads of Babywearing Dance videos you can find on there! What did we do before YouTube? So, get dancing girls and have some fun shaking it with your baby!

We would love to hear from you so leave us a comment below! Have you ever practiced babywearing dance with your little one? What did you like the most about it?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Mommy and Me Fitness: Babywearing Dance classes appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Once Hannah learned to sit up, we moved up to Level 2 Play & Learn. Now, the real fun has begun! Not only does Hannah get her exercise, but I do as well. Going to Gymboree saves me going to my own gym that day because we do quite a bit of cardio and lifting throughout the 45 minute class. Below I’ve outlined a few of the moves and games we do each class, so you can see what I mean!

1. Airplane Rides:
   

   Photo courtesy of babble.com

   Place baby on your shins while holding your baby either by their waist, armpits, or hands depending on their stability. Then, gently move your legs up and down and side to side while keeping your abdominal muscles tight. This is an ab workout for you and baby at the same time!

2. Freeze Dance:
   

   Photo courtesy of LAparent.com

   This is a great activity for mom, baby, and older siblings. We dance around to music and freeze when the music pauses. It may seem silly dancing around on your own, but when you have a class full of other moms, dads, nannies, and babies there with you, it’s a lot more fun!

3. Baby Soccer Time:
   

   Photo courtesy of FloridaToday.com

   Baby Soccer Time has got to be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Parents hold their baby by the armpits and swing baby back and forth to kick the beach balls. It’s a nice arm workout and the babies love learning to kick!

To finish off the class, everyone scoops up their baby and forms a “Gymbo-Train”. We march around the circle and say good-bye with three big “Hip-hip hoorays!” and lift our babies up high to the center of the circle all together. To find out where your local Gymboree is, simply click here!

Hannah sure is one happy baby after a day at Gymboree with Mommy!

We love to hear from you! What is your favorite activity with your little one?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Mommy and Me Fitness at Gymboree appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

As Hannah did with breastfeeding, she also took to the bottle quickly, which we started when she was eight weeks old. We then started to gradually add formula at twelve weeks old and she took to that with no fuss as well. Now, at six months old, she is starting sippy cups and is so independent that it seems she has naturally outgrown nursing. I feel like I have given her all I can, and again, I feel so lucky that we had a great breastfeeding relationship from the start. So, since this is the end of my “breastfeeding era” (at least until next baby), I thought I would do a post about some of my favorite memories while nursing with my little Hannah-bear.

My Top 5 Breastfeeding Memories

1. Hannah is five weeks old here. My husband and I were headed out to dinner with friends for the first time since Hannah was born. She loved to eat so much, I ended up nursing her before dinner, during dinner, and as soon as we got home from dinner. It was exhausting, but it was a turning point that got us out of the house and made me realise that true friends will not care if you need to feed your baby.                                                                                                                                              
   

   Breastfeeding before a night out with friends

                                                                             

2. This has to be my favorite breastfeeding photo because it is hilarious and we had so much fun on the lake. I was really hesitant about posting this, but then I thought why the hell not? I absolutely loved breastfeeding outside in nature. I’ve nursed Hannah at pools, the beach, on park benches, and on this boat! There is something very refreshing about being outside, nursing, and NOT having to cover yourself up.                                                                                                    
   

   Breastfeeding while pumping on the lake!

                                                                                                                                    

3. Of course, as much as I love breastfeeding outside, it is also nice to do so in the comfort of your own home with your feet up on the couch, watching Netflix. And is there anything better than the cuddles you get after nursing? I don’t think so.                                                                                                                                                
   

   Home sweet home

                                                                                                                     

4. Finally, I have to include the very first time I breastfed Hannah in the hospital after our water birth. I had no clue what to do, but somehow baby Hannah did. Newborn babies are incredible. Together, with a little help from our midwife, we figured everything out and created a strong bond that I never knew I could have with another human being.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
   

   In our birthing suite <3

                                                                                                                                    

    I will always look back and cherish these memories with Hannah. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking back with me. As sad and sweet as it is to end this chapter, I look forward to bonding in different ways with Hannah. We are starting baby-led weaning this month and now that she is bigger, we are doing a lot more fitness activities together that I’ll be writing about in upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!

 We love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite memories while breastfeeding?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post My Top 4 Breastfeeding Memories appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

My Top 5 Stroller Walks around the World:

1. Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia: Hannah was born in Sydney, so this was the first park we took her through when she was just one week old. It is so beautiful and completely open and free to the public. You can stroll among the colorful tulips, roses, pansies, and gorgeous greenery and follow the path down to the famous Opera House.  
   

   Sydney’s Botanic Gardens with Hannah, 7 days old

2. Shelly Beach, Australia: When Hannah was not even two weeks old, my mom visited us from the US and we did this stunning walk along the beach together. It is paved, so perfect for strolling along. Shelly Beach is a protected marine reserve which has become popular with scuba divers, stand up paddleboarders, and snorkelers. Walking along you can see all sorts of wildlife and tiny stone sculptures line with path to the beach.
   

   Shelly Beach, Manly, Australia with Hannah at 12 days old.

   3. Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier, California: The Venice Beach boardwalk is world-famous and you’ve probably seen the Santa Monica pier in tons of movies. We did a quick trip through LA and spent a whole day walking along the beach and people watching.

   

   Santa Monica Pier with Hannah at 6 weeks old.

   4. Downtown Denver 16^th Street Mall, Denver, Colorado: This mile-long pedestrian promenade is lined with outdoor cafes, live music, flower baskets, and retail shops. I was surprised to find what a fantastic shopping destination Denver was, too. You can walk and shop ‘til you drop with your baby all day. Plus, free shuttles travel both directions the entire length of the mall from early morning to late at night, so if you need a break, you can just hop on one! Keep walking and you’ll hit this beautiful park to play in!

   

   Denver is known for its 300 days of sunshine each year!

   5. Boston Common, Massachusetts: This public park in downtown Boston is exquisitely manicured with pathways that wind through gardens and wrap around a huge Frog Pond. We strolled through the park for hours and laid out a picnic blanket and played with Hannah’s toys in the shade. There were lots of families walking around and even a horse carousel for older kids to go on.

   

   Touring Boston with Hannah at 5 months old.

   So, there you have it! My list of five amazing pram walks to add to your Stroller Walking Bucket List. I will share more beautiful walks I find in upcoming months. Just because winter’s coming, doesn’t mean you can’t keep walking! Enjoy fall, everyone!

We love to hear from you! Where is your favorite place to stroll with your baby?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post My Top 5 Favorite Stroller Walks Worldwide appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Before I get into my post about fitness this week, I want to wish everyone a Happy International Babywearing Week (October 4th – 10th)! I love this babywearing selfie I took of Hannah and me when she was just a couple weeks old. She just loved to be carried around when she was tiny. It was when she took her best naps!

Anyway, I must apologize for missing a week of blogging; we were in Boston on a family trip and then had some technical difficulties and well, Baby Hannah and I are back now!

So, this week I am writing about:

Post Pregnancy Fitness I wish I had done to prepare for being a Mom….

Throughout my pregnancy, I maintained what I thought would be a very healthy fitness routine to prepare to give birth for the first time. I read all about what you can and can’t do in the first, second, and third trimester. For the most part, this included a lot of swimming, walking, and yoga. These three activities were wonderful leading up to my labor. Swimming in the pool and ocean felt great as I felt so lightweight in the water. Walking was excellent for my circulation and a little bit of cardio while going uphill. Yoga was also fantastic with all those hip opening poses. However, I didn’t think once about how I could prepare my body for after the birth.

I truly had no idea how physically exhausting being a mom is. My daughter is now five and a half months old and by the end of each day I practically feel like I’ve done a Cross Fit workout. My back and shoulders are sore from lifting not only my little Hannah, but also lifting the stroller or carseat in and out of the car a couple times a day. My knees are tender from crawling around on the floor all day while we play. My legs are beat from carrying her up and down the stairs or picking up toys, bottles, laundry, and pacifiers while having her on my hip. It all adds up to become one major Mom workout by the time bedtime rolls around and I place Hannah in her crib for the final time.

I find myself thinking all the time now, why didn’t I prepare more for this before I had a baby? I was so concentrated on preparing for the birth that I didn’t look past the birth to what it would be like on my body afterwards. So, I have vowed that with my next baby, I will be more prepared by adding a few extra steps to my exercise routine. I have outlined three simple moves I wish I had done more of below.

• SQUATS – When I have my baby girl in my arms and I have to pick up anything off the floor, I can’t simply bend over and grab whatever it is, especially if I’m wearing her in a sling or a Moby wrap. Squatting has become something I do all the time that I wish I had done more throughout my pregnancy.
• STAIRS – If I had known how many times I would be running up and down the stairs to fetch things I left up in the nursery and bringing them down to the playroom, I would have done a lot more stairs. Stairs and step workouts also strengthen the muscles around the knees which would help a lot since I am always crawling around on my knees after Hannah now!
• ARM CIRCLES – These are great for building shoulder strength. Small 3-inch arm circles with your arms stretched outwards at shoulder height with lightweights in your hands get your muscles warmed up nicely. Your blood starts flowing and prepares your joints for lifting those heavy baby car seats, strollers, jumpers, and other fun stuff you buy!

Even though I didn’t do any of these exercises while I was pregnant, I am doing them now and it is helping me get stronger and to feel more mobile. The importance of Mobility is something I will write more about in the future.

I try to include Hannah as much as possible while I work out, too– she makes a great 15 pound weight! So, whether you’re doing these with or without your baby belly, I hope they help you prepare for “mom life”, which as we all know is the hardest, most fun job of all!

We would love to hear from you… What post pregnancy fitness routine did you wish you could have done to prepare you for life as a new momma?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Post Pregnancy Fitness: Preparing for Life with Baby appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

For me, it was very tempting to just put my feet up and do nothing during those first twelve to sixteen weeks of pregnancy. I remember waking up feeling dizzy and having food aversions, then forcing myself to hold down three meals a day while working full-time and concealing my pregnancy until the lucky twelve week mark. However, this is when my body needed extra calories and exercise to feel it’s best; it was making vital organs, a spine, and a brain (two or three brains if you have twins or triplets!). And boy, was it exhausting making a little tadpole turn into a real baby!

But as tough as it was to get motivated to workout, it was important to me that I maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes a safe fitness activity during pregnancy. One of the main activities that I enjoyed (and hopefully you will too) during my first trimester was prenatal yoga. Truthfully, aside from my husband, my yoga instructor was the first person I told I was pregnant because I wanted her advice on what I could do throughout the next nine months. She was very happy to help guide me and offered some great suggestions.

One of the aspects of yoga that my instructor helped me with is balance. Yoga is excellent from the beginning to the end of pregnancy as your body is distributing it’s constantly changing weight in all different places. Additionally, when I was feeling incredibly drained- emotionally or physically- balancing postures helped me focus on just being calm and still for a few moments each day in a world that is anything but. Whether you are simply standing tall in Mountain pose or doing a more advanced Dancer’s pose, regular balance practise will help maintain healthy and strong ankles, knees, and hips, along with creating correct posture.

I especially liked yoga in the first trimester because if I felt fatigued, I could do a resting pose such as Child’s Pose to take a break. Another alternative resting pose is to lay down on your back in Savasana (Corpse Pose). Later on as your belly grows, you can lay on your side with one leg on a bolster for support. Child’s Pose ended up being what helped me the most through my contractions when I was in labor!

Aside from gaining focus, strength, balance, and flexibility, yoga also helped me with my breathing. I’m sure throughout your pregnancy and labor, you’ll probably get sick of being told to “breathe through the pain,” but it truly does help. Deep breathing helps calm the nervous system and allows for total relaxation. By taking deep breaths through your nose, you are releasing tension and exhaling negative energy. Not to mention, focusing on breathing was a great distraction during labor.

I hope you will give a prenatal class a try as there are so many advantageous things you can learn. A prenatal yoga class can also be a great way to socialize with other new moms, and husbands or partners can join, too!

We’d love to hear from you! What is/was your favorite physical activity during pregnancy?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld

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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Pregnancy: Yoga and the First Trimester appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

As new parents, of course we were very nervous about doing such a big trip with a newborn. We did a lot of research on the best way to move with a six week old baby and how to protect them in the airports and on the planes from germs. After all, airplanes can be full of germs. There is no fresh air and you never know who could be sitting next to you on the plane or practically breathing down your neck in the customs line. Not to mention, complete strangers love crowding around a new baby and trying to sneak a peek! As wonderful as the attention is, it can be overwhelming and unhygienic.

Our babywearing and traveling experience…

The first month with Hannah flew by and before we knew it, she was six weeks old and our flights to Los Angeles were booked for the following day, just two days after she received her two month vaccines. We packed up our lives into two suitcases each, plus one for Hannah! The biggest piece we had with us was her stroller. However, the stroller served more as a shopping cart as we went through the airports. We loaded the stroller up with our laptops, carryon luggage, and diaper bag. Meanwhile, my husband wore Hannah in her Baby Bjorn carrier, allowing us to both be hands free to grab our passports and boarding passes easily.

She slept the entire way through the terminal and onto the plane as we boarded. She never cried. She loved to sleep on her dad’s chest from day one. It was her favorite naptime position. I also brought with me her Moby wrap which was excellent for keeping her tightly wrapped once we landed in LAX. Believe it or not, the 13 hour flight was a breeze. Hannah loved being held by me the whole time and being able to breastfeed whenever she wanted.

Shannon and I were so relieved once we got to California, but we knew our journey wasn’t over yet. The next day we flew five hours to the east coast and again we used our Bjorn through the airports which was excellent. Hannah felt safe because she knew we were right there with her. She could smell us, hear us, and feel us the whole time. This interaction and participation allows a baby to be exposed to our world and learn about it in a natural way.

Shannon and I have worn Hannah every day since she was born for a little bit each day, whether we’re cooking a meal, working from home (blogging!), vacuuming, gardening, or just going for a walk around the block. We continue to travel with her and have done four flights with her so far with another coming up in October when she is six months old.

On our most recent trip to Colorado, she faced outward in her carrier for the first time which she absolutely loooooved! We were able to take her hiking and she could see everything from up high at her dad’s height, getting a great view of the Rockies and taking it all in.

Now that Hannah is almost five months old, I bought a ring sling which has been great to take with me wherever we go. It fits nicely in the diaper bag and goes with almost any outfit, too! Not only is the sling a safe way to carry her, but it gives our backs a break as parents. Carriers are much more ergonomic.

At the moment, Hannah is wide awake and alert in her sling while I’m typing this up and reading it aloud to her. By listening closely to my voice, her speech and listening skills are improving. There are so many wonderful benefits and advantages to wearing your baby that I could go on and on. But I think the best part of all is having a cuddly baby with you while you experience life together wherever it takes you!

We’d love to hear from you! How has your babywearing and traveling experience been? 

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

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[col2][/col2]

[col3][/col3]

Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Babywearing and Traveling appeared first on Breastfeeding World.