Month of Mama

I have been on a spending spree but I am so happy with the items that I have purchased. This month of mama, I am going to tell you about the things I have recently bought and why I love them.

In addition to all the wonderful pumping stuff that I bought for my pumping life and returning to work and babywearing, I also got some things that are just for me. To protect and cherish my body. To emerge from pandemic quarantine work-from-home maternity leave and to celebrate my body as it is and not how I wish it were.

Hello Treacle - Diamond Boobs magnet. I was so sad to see that there are so few ways our culture celebrates breastfeeding milestones. There are more vendors in the UK that celebrate with gifts. The magnet quality was so-so, it was very thin but it came with this really cool card that says THANK YOU FOR BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC on one side and on the other side it says "By breastfeeding you are giving your child the best start in life. And by breastfeeding in public you're helping to normalize breastfeeding and encouraging other mothers to do the same. Keep the message going by passing this card onto the next mum you see breastfeeding in public. Have a wonderful day! #NormaliseBreastfeeding www.HelloTreacleStore.com"

MamaDearJewellery - Diamond Boobs keychain. I actually love this. I clipped it to my Sarah Wells pumping bag.

LiquidLoveStickers - I put two of these on my breast pump and the third one (Never quit on a bad day) is sitting right in front of me on my computer monitor so I can see it all the time. I love it so much.

Legendary Milk - Sticker pack. I used these stickers to decorate my Ceres Chill and my Think Sport water bottle. I shared some with my sister.

Studio Spirit Y Sol - Affirmation card deck. After my sister gave birth by c-section, I realized that I had a lot of unresolved feelings about my own birthing experience. I have been looking at these cards every day and meditating with the Calm app and trying to let go of the negative emotions and memories associated with how my son was born.

These are silly purchases I researched while doing middle-of-the-night (MOTN) feeds. Even around 2 years old, my son still wakes up in the middle of the night. Usually between 10-midnight and then again around 4-5am. If I can't go back to sleep, I do scroll a bit on my phone. Are these items essential to my health and well-being? No. But when I look at them, do I feel rewarded, recognized, valued, affirmed, and a sense of belonging? Yes. So in that way, they are taking care of my mental health.

Sometimes I do wonder how I'll look back on this time. It seems so important to me right now. But maybe when I've moved on to the next stage or season, I'll just be glad to be done with it.