We arrived to the hospital around 6:40am and as you can imagine Sophia was still groggy from being woken up out of her sleep. We were able to lay her DockATot Grand on the sofa seat inside the delivery room and have her lay there and relax. 

  

To our surprise, Sophia was so amazingly calm and relaxed the entire time I was in labor and delivery and I truly believe bringing the DockATot with us to the hospital helped transition her to be in a new environment where a lot was going on that she didn't understand. It gave her a sense of security and comfort while she played with her tablet and relax.

We did run into some minor complications after delivery which postponed us being moved into the recovery area and at this point it became too much for Sophia to stay with us so Anthony took her home and put her to bed while he waited for my sister to go stay the night with her. Having the DockATot Transport Bag was amazing for all this back and forth as it made it easier for Anthony to carry it on his shoulders while also carrying the diaper bag and Sophia. 

We already knew our love for the DockATot Grand but this experience really reconfirmed for us that it is the best baby product that has made the biggest impact for us in making our parenting lives easier. And the DockATot Transport Bag made the transportation more convenient during this whole experience.

Did you have your toddler or children involved in the labor and delivery process of their sibling?

Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@stormieariel) for live updates as it is easier to do a quick instastory or a post sharing my sweetnesses of motherhood.

Last time, I just used one of those small hospital tubs and I plan to use that again since it is free but I do have my eye on this diaper caddy from The Good Baby. It's made to be a portable diaper station but we personally use changing tables just because our floor is constantly a mess with our Labrador Retriever shedding constantly. Anyways, since I will be having a toddler running around I most likely won't be able to have a designated nursing area like I did when I nursed Sophia so my nursing station will most likely be more beneficial if it's portable and since The Good Baby caddy has handles it would make it easier to carry around the house from room to room while I'm trying to keep up with Sophia. But I just can't really justify buying it plus we do not have the money to spend on it if it isn't needed. I mean I rather spend $20 on going out to eat, haha. I will keep you updated if I decide it would be beneficial to buy it or not though but for now, I will go the free route.

So these are the items I like to keep nearby for when I am breastfeeding/pumping:

• Breast Pump and parts (your insurance should provide this)
• Breast pump bags
• DIY Pumping Bra
• Marker (to label the bags)
• Water
• Snacks
• Nipple cream (I plan to use coconut oil this time around as needed)
• Burp cloths (I use cloth diapers as burp cloths and for extra protection against leaky boobs) 
• Breast pads
• Milkies milk saver (this product is new to me but it is suppose to catch leaking milk from the opposite boob which I am excited about because no more wasted milk or having to pump while nursing)
• Nursing pillow

It may be beneficial to set these stations up before you actually go into labor that way they are already ready for when you come home from the hospital however if you are going to be using the hospital bins like I plan to then you can't really set up until afterwards.

If you found this post helpful or know someone who would, please share it! I have made this pinnable image below to make it easier to share and pin!!

More Bump Dates from this Pregnancy:

First Trimester

Second Trimester
28 Weeks
29 Weeks
30 Weeks
31 Weeks
32 Weeks
33 Weeks
34 Weeks
35 Weeks
36 Weeks
37 Weeks
38 Weeks

The post was created in partnership with Kindred Bravely but all thoughts and opinions are of my own.

In August, I shared my favorite breastfeeding essentials products that make breastfeeding easier on mom. Again, you don't actually need anything to breastfeed successfully besides milk making tissue in your breasts but those items I put together just make it easier during your breastfeeding journey. One of the items I touched on was, of course, a nursing bra but at that time I hadn't found the right everyday nursing bra. 

Therefore, I called to action on Instagram (be sure to follow me for day to day @stormieariel) for other nursing mommas to give me their suggestions and their favorite everyday nursing bra which landed me to Kindred Bravely. I was so excited when they agreed to work with me so I could review their nursing bras for you guys.

I was able to try out three of their products: the Simply Sublime Nursing Bra, the Marvella Maternity & Nursing Underwire Free T-shirt Bra and the Lucille Nursing Nightgown & Maternity Lingerie. For this post, I am going to focus on the t-shirt bra and the sublime bra. I will go into more detail about the nursing nightgown when I discuss sleep bras.

Yupp, that's right. I am making a series about nursing bras because I really do think they make the most difference for breastfeeding moms compared to any other nursing product and I wish I would have had the resources to point me in the right direction of brands and styles of nursing bras I needed so I didn't waste money experimenting.

Simply Sublime Nursing Bra

I would highly suggest buying this bra as a maternity bra once your regular bras are no longer comfortable to wear (typically happens in the third trimester but every women's body is different). The sublime bra is made out of stretchy material so it does not dig into your rib cage but in fact expands with it allowing comfort. The cup area also expands as your boobs fluctuate especially those first few months after birth when your milk production is evening out. This bra truly is perfect for everyday wear for when you are just lounging around the house and it has enough support that you can wear it out and about as well and still remain comfortable.

Marvella Maternity & Nursing Underwire Free T-shirt Bra

This bra is described as a buttery-soft racerback and buttery-soft is spot on. I was shocked at how luxurious this bra felt in my hand but even more so when I actually put it on and wore it. I also really love the plunging neckline allowing you to wear this bra with all types of tops while still being able to nurse your little one easily. The Marvella truly is perfect to wear out and about as it offers plenty of support but it is still comfortable enough to wear all day around the house as well.


So I must admit guys, it was hard figuring out how best to share these amazing bras with you without feeling overexposed and remaining modest especially sharing my bare belly. I mentioned in my 37 week pregnancy update that I was trying to embrace all these new stretch marks that this second pregnancy has brought on and while some days I still struggle with the sight of them, I am so glad I was brave enough to embrace this beautiful bump of mine and captured it on camera so I can always remember the miracle of life that is growing inside of me. What makes you brave?

This PinkBlush dress has the perfect amount of thickness to it that it isn't sheer but it isn't too thick that you are sweating crazy especially since I paired it with a utility vest. Again, by wearing a vest instead of a utility jacket, I still get to have a layered fall look but I am keeping my layers lightweight.