Thursday, April 24, 2014

Bellefit Prize Bundle GIVEAWAY


Hi ladies! Do I have a treat for you :) Bellefit has offered a sweet prize pack up for grabs to one lucky winner on the blog! Read on to find out how you can win!

Women’s bodies are built to bounce back from pregnancy and childbirth, but the reality is that it can be difficult to “bounce back” and return to pre-pregnancy shape without help. During pregnancy the body secretes hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and relaxin that remain in the body after childbirth for approximately six months. These hormones are our body’s way of loosening the abdominal muscles and they facilitate the stretching of the abdominal area by as much as 50%, while the baby grows. They also act to loosen the pelvic structure, joints and ligaments to prepare for childbirth.

The beauty behind Bellefit medical-grade postpartum support garments is that they provide a greater stability for the body after delivery. The compression garments work by drawing in stretched muscles to provide a 360° support structure around the torso, thus, reducing strain on ligaments and joints in the lower back, pelvis, and buttocks. Reducing stress in these areas enhances your body’s ability to return to its pre-pregnancy alignment, shape and to lose the post baby tummy faster. As shifted and constrained organs return to their pre-pregnancy locations during the first few weeks after c-section or natural childbirth, Bellefit girdles hold you in place allowing for movement with greater confidence. A Bellefit postpartum garment is an essential part of a comprehensive postpartum care and c-section recovery plan for both health and confidence.

There is more to Bellefit than just girdles though! From modal nursing pajamas, compression shape wear and even prenatal support, Bellefit provides you with maternity essentials that will help you through all of the stages of your pregnancy and recovery.




Here’s your chance to win an amazing Bellefit prize pack worth over $200!!!!
(1) Bellefit postpartum Corset $108.75
(1) Bellefit Modal nursing pajama $87.50
(1)  Bellefit nursing Bra $19.99
Total Value:  $216.94


Girdles:The concept of using a compression girdle garment designed to support postpartum recovery is not new, but modern versions are certainly seeing a resurgence as a safe option for women to recover from childbirth.
Women’s bodies are built to bounce back from pregnancy and childbirth, but the reality is that it can be difficult to “bounce back” without help. During pregnancy the body secretes hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and relaxin that remain in your body after childbirth for approximately six months. These hormones are our body’s way of loosening the pelvic structure, joints, ligaments and the abdominal muscles (stretching of the abdominal area by as much as 50%), to prepare for childbirth. A pregnant woman also maintains a blood volume one and a half times her normal levels. That is a lot of extra fluid!
In addition, you tend to retain water later in pregnancy – many pregnant women have experienced swollen ankles, feet, or hands. A common, but potentially dangerous condition, eclampsia, causes significant water retention and high blood pressure (you can read more about that here.)
Plus, most women who birth their babies in hospitals have an IV during labor and birth. An IV delivers fluids to the body and serves as vehicle for some medications that a woman may receive during childbirth, like Pitocin. Because the IV delivers extra fluids directly into a woman’s blood vessels, there is even more fluid for a woman to lose after a hospital birth!
After you’ve given birth your body is still “loose” and full of fluid, which is where a compression girdle comes in.

WHAT IS A GIRDLE, ANYWAY?
A girdle is a support garment worn by women under their clothes to smooth and shape their midsection.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Over time, the body will regulate itself: most new mothers experience frequent urination after having their babies. This is one way that the body handles the excess fluid. Another way is through sweating. Most new mothers will experience a few periods of intense sweating over the first week of recovery from childbirth. Again, the body is simply doing its job – using the systems it has to reduce fluid levels.

This process can sometimes take a lot longer than most moms expect. Wearing a compression garment, however, can speed the loss of this excess water. By compressing the abdominal tissues, excess fluid becomes available for transport through the blood to the kidneys, to be removed by the excretory system.
Compression also helps to return the internal organs to their proper places within the abdomen and give the abdominal muscles the support they need to snap back to their original shape. We call it “The Bellefit Effect.”

Women with diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles, also find relief and support using a compression garment, because the compression provided by a girdle or corset gives the abdominal muscles a chance to heal in their proper position, rather than healing incorrectly.

The compression garments work by drawing in stretched muscles to provide a 360° support structure around the torso, thus, reducing strain on ligaments and joints in the lower back, pelvis, and buttocks. Reducing stress in these areas enhances your body’s ability to return to its pre-pregnancy alignment, shape and to lose the post baby tummy faster. As shifted and constrained organs return to their pre-pregnancy locations during the first few weeks after c-section or natural childbirth, a girdle will hold you in place allowing for movement with greater confidence.

Think that a compression girdle my be right for you? There are types of girdles to address almost every need. C-Section with an hourglass figure? Natural birth with an inverted triangle shape? Check out our style and size selector to find out which one is right for you.

It’s optimal to begin wearing Bellefit right after birth; however, you will still see results if you begin to wear your girdle at any time during the first 6 months after the delivery. As always, consult with your physician to make sure a compression garment is right for you since every recovery process is so unique.

For a chance to win your Bellefit prize pack, follow the directions on the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!






General Condition for participants: In order to enter and win this Bellefit sponsored giveaway, please note that one (1) individual can only win a Bellefit giveaway prize package once (one time) within a period of three hundred and sixty five days (365) in any Bellefit giveaway and/or sweepstakes from any source.


Web links:






Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Hotmilk Maternity & Nursing Lingerie Review


Hi nursing mamas & mommies to be! I bring you Hotmilk Lingerie.
Hotmilk is not your average lingerie company as they offer the most empowering and sexy maternity & nursing lingerie around! This company was born when two women felt unhappy with the limited choices of cute maternity & nursing underwear around. Therefore, they decided to create their own! Let's face it-when you think of maternity or nursing lingerie, sexy typically does not come to mind. This is why I LOVE HOTMILK!




I had the chance to review the Luminous Nursing Bra, a maternity and nursing bra.
The first words that came out of my husband's mouth upon putting it on were "SEXY!" He loved it. The material on the bra is absolutely soft and it features a cute little diamond studded center between the cups which adds flair and a little fancy to your lingerie.

This bra is actually Hotmilk's best selling bra of all time and I could definitely see why!

The bra itself features:
  • Full B-H cup with A-frame support
  • Lace and Mesh Shell 
  • 100% Cotton lining for breathability
  • Wire-free
  • Wider bra straps on the larger cup sizes
  • 6 rows of hooks on the back adjuster to allow the bra to grow with you
You can pair this beautiful bra with a matching knicker! 


Overall, I was 100% satisfied with the bra. I nurse every two hours daily so the mechanics of the bra definitely has a high quality factor as well as great durability-not to mention how sexy it looks on, for a nursing bra! I recommend it to every mama out there; no matter if you are pregnant or nursing-it is perfect!


To view more of Hotmilk Lingerie's collection, visit their:

Main Site
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Disclaimer: I was given a nursing bra to test, at no cost. All opinions are my own.



5 Tips to Maintaining Weightloss


When it comes to losing weight, getting there is only half of the journey. The truth is, your journey should continue throughout your life-it is a lifestyle change, after all, right? Maintaining your goal weight is the other half of the big picture and can sometimes be even harder than getting to your goal weight in the first place. It takes willpower, determination, and motivation to stay at this level.You literally have to fight and work for it!

Here are 5 little tips to help you achieve your maintenance:

Plan your meals & cook them at home.
Planning has lots to do with maintaining weight loss. You don't want to go into a battle unprepared, right? You do not want to go into a craving battle unprepared either. I recommend meal prepping each week! It has been the  key to keeping me on track of my daily routine because at the end of the day, I know what I ate, how many calories I consumed, and I don't have to stress about what to make the next day. Here are my 5 steps to meal prepping to begin!

Drink lots of water.
We all have heard this tip a thousand times over, but most of us still refuse to abide by it. Personally, I get bored with the taste of water so I like to add fresh lemon juice and slices to my water pitcher. Water regulates the balance of body fluids and also helps you to regulate your calories. You drank lots of water to lose weight, right? Now, drink the water to keep the pounds from coming back on. Aim for at least half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you weight 120 lbs, aim for at least 60 oz. of water.

Follow a consistent exercise routine.
When maintaining weight loss, it is a great idea to stay consistent with your workouts. If you start doing too much, you'll end up burning more calories thus losing more weight. On the other side of the spectrum, if you do too little activity, you are more likely to gain-especially if your diet is staying the exact same (in this case, you'll have to change your diet to fit your altered workout plan). Stick with a good plan that involves at least 45 minutes of activity per day and get moving!

Be consistent in your diet, as well.
Always eat the same amount of meals daily-this keeps your body on track of a schedule which helps keep things more static. If you skip one meal one day and eat the same the next, I doubt it is going to throw you off altogether. But if you consistently keep skipping meals or eating 4 small meals one day and then 6 small meals the next, this will confuse your body and you are guaranteed to see those pounds shift-one way or the other. I am not saying to eat the same boring chicken with broccoli everyday; just stick with the foods that do your body justice and find new ways to create them and spice them up! Healthy never has to be boring.

Create a motivational board to stay inspired.
I love this idea. Creating a motivational or inspirational board always drives me. I would also suggest this idea when wanting to reach a weight loss or weight gain goal, not just for maintaining. Simply, make a collage of everything-people, things, quotes-that inspire you to reach your journey. 




The Truth About Labor... And the Delivery!



Hi ladies! So, wow! It has been 11 weeks since I gave birth. Time truly flies, as they tend to say. Grey is my first child and before I delivered him, I really did not know what to expect at the time. I was not scared-until it was go time. Ok ok, so I wasn't that scared-just anxious! There are things that nobody tells you that are associated with the labor & delivery process that I would like to share with you. I wish someone would have told me these things!

Contractions feel like you've been stuck in the belly with swords.
Not going to sugar coat it. It feels like you are literally being ripped apart from the inside! Some women can handle it, some can't. If you can't then do not feel bad for needing some relief-after all you want to enjoy this precious time, not hate it.

Epidurals do not affect baby... But IV pain meds do.
One of the biggest misconceptions I had about epi is that it would cross the placenta and affect my son. Lo and behold, my son was born eyes open and just as alert as can be-and 11 weeks later, he is still the same! Now, pain meds via IV such as Fentynl or Morphine, on the other hand, can and will affect your baby by making them sleepy and less responsive (most of the time.) It also may drop their heart rate. I did not get this due to this fact.

You might have a tummy, you might not.
Every woman wonders what she will look like upon giving birth. I will tell you the truth-there is no way to tell! I know some ladies who ran marathons and who had a mommy tummy for days after birth. If you have a tummy, give yourself a break-you carried a tiny human for almost 10 months and it takes some people just as long to lose it!

Your mind will go hazy.
I am not sure if God created this to erase any negative pains or emotions during labor and delivery, but I personally could not recall much. It might have been due to fatigue from being in labor for 22 hours and pushing for 2 hours without food and water. The key moment I remember the most was when they put Grey on my chest and he stopped crying when I said "Hey Greyson" and then he looked at me with one eye. It was the best feeling ever. However, I don't remember my husband cutting the cord and little things like that. I was pretty weary! This is a good reason to take pictures!

Epidurals are not THAT terrible.. But you might throw up and get a catheter.
Getting the epi did not hurt that bad-just a pinch. However, the patient controlled button that they gave me to press whenever I was in pain made me so sick, I did throw up twice. The epi also takes a while to wear off postpartum-I think my toes were numb for up to a month afterwards! This is normal. If you choose epi, you 98% of the time will get a catheter because you cannot stand up and go pee afterwards. It does not hurt! Why? Because of the epi! :)

Breaking your water is painless.
I unfortunately did not have my water break on its own. I did want that whole cool "Ooops my water broke" experience but it just was not in my cards. If you are scared that yours has to be broke, please know you cannot feel it! No nerves in the sac :) They will use a small little hook that looks like a knitting needle. Simple.

Your labor might last up to a day.. and pushing might take up to a few hours.
Just because I was in the best shape during pregnancy, I had this idea that I would be in labor for 2 hours and push my son out in 10 minutes. HAHA BOY WAS I SO WRONG! It honestly does not matter what shape you or your body is in. Every body reacts differently to labor. Just because yours lasts a while usually does not mean anything is wrong-babies come on their time! So be prepared for a long stay either way.

Eat before you go to the hospital.
When you go into labor at the hospital, they won't let you eat or drink anything due to a risk of having a C section if something were to happen. So...... when your contractions start at home or your water breaks, for God's sake EAT SOMETHING or you will be so pissed later.

Day two in the hospital is the hardest.
I had my baby at night and the next day went pretty well. It was not until day 2 that I felt like I was hit by a Mack truck. Also, the first night you and your husband gladly want to stay up with your new addition because you are just so darn excited. Let me tell you something... PLEASE SLEEP!!!! Because come night #2, you are going to feel so tired you will regret not taking a nap. As a new mama, you NEED that sleep. Do not feel guilty for asking the nurses to take your newborn to the nursery for a little while so you and dad can rest so you can fully enjoy your baby when you wakeup.

You will bleed like a stuck pig.. and your vagina hurts bad!
I probably bled through 3 bedsheets in the hospital. It was like the worst period I ever had. The smell was also very strange too. They will give you an ice pack to place onto your lady parts, but oh man, walking hurts a bit. You will have to take it slow. I remember showering the day after giving birth and I had to sit in a shower chair because it hurt so badly and my legs were still slightly numb.

It will hurt to pee and poop... and yes , hemorrhoids will happen.
Oh Lord. The first pee and poop after birth is nerve wracking! And pretty painful. Thank goodness, they give you a spray bottle in the hospital and some numbing spray. It will take time for it to heal, but those first couple of weeks, every bodily function might hurt some. Hemorrhoids usually do go away, but wiping will be a pain in the ass-literally.

You will have the worst separation anxiety when they take your baby away for procedures.
I had my son circumcised and when they took him away for that, I had never felt so scared, lonely, and quite terrified! You will feel this way, but know most of the procedures such as hearing tests, billirubin scans, or circs take up to 30 minutes. You will have your baby back in no time!

You will love your baby more than you will ever know :)
TRUTH :)









Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Guest Blogger Michelle Marie Fit on Working Out for a Fit & Happy Pregnancy!

Hi ladies! 

Hope you all day a lovely Easter holiday with your families. I have a special guest blogger here today to bring her knowledge, tips, and a workout for a fit & happy pregnant mama-to-be! Her name is Michelle Marie Valladares-Diaz and she is a personal trainer to the max; helping pregnant women everywhere stay in amazing shape!

Michelle also recently gave birth to her beautiful baby girl! Checkout what she has to say below!


Workout For A Fit & Happy Pregnancy

Pregnancy can go one of two ways........
You can either enjoy it to the max and be happy......... OR............  You can hate every minute of the long 10 months and be self conscious, cranky and miserable.
I don't know about you, but 10 months is a really long time to feel miserable and cranky.

It doesn't have to be miserable.  Actually, pregnancy can be quite enjoyable.  Well, let me put this in perspective and be realistic......

There are moments where you may not feel well, moments that you are uncomfortable (towards the end), you don't sleep as well towards the end, and well...... your body totally changes.  But these things have to happen.   What I mean is that even though all those things are happening, you can still find a way to be happy and enjoy your pregnancy.

And the chances of you enjoying your pregnancy and being happy throughout it will increase if you have a fit and healthy pregnancy.  Because not only will you gain less excess weight but exercising will make you release hormones that make you happy.  Its a win-win!  There you go, I bet you thought it was more complex, but its not.  After 2 pregnancies both of which were very different.  One easy one and one not so easy one, I can tell you that even in the harder pregnancy, exercise and eating healthy kept me sane and helped me enjoy my pregnancy even with the ups and downs I had.  I had placenta previa the entire second trimester, I fractured my big toe and ended up with pregnancy induced HypoThyroidism.... Ugh!  

But I pushed through it all and exercised and ate healthy, and even with the placenta previa during the 2nd trimester which I was not cleared to exercise, I only gained 20 lbs and lost all of it just weeks postpartum.  I did My Fit Mom-To-Be Workout Program.  Yes, the program that hundreds and hundreds of women are doing right now to stay healthy and fit during their pregnancy.  I did it too, not once but twice.  I did My Fit Mom-To-Be Workouts during both pregnancies and got amazing results as do all my Preggo's.

And by the way, exercise is not only good for you, its good for the baby as well. Check it out!


Here is a sample Pregnancy Workout for you to try. I promise, if you workout during your pregnancy, you will gain less excess weight, be happier, get in pre-pregnancy shape faster, have a faster delivery and have a smarter baby.
Its so worth it.  And if you are not sure how to put together safe and effective pregnancy workouts, don't fret.  MMF is here to coach you through your pregnancy.  Just try my Fit Mom-To-Be Workout Program and you will see how amazing you feel.

A1.  30 Reverse Lunges with Hip Flexions
A2.  30 Plie Squats
A3.  30 Stability Ball Hip Extensions
A4.  30 Stability Ball Leg Curls
A5.  15 The CATS
Rest 60-120 seconds and repeat 1 or 2 more times

There are so many benefits to exercising during pregnancy that I hope you really invest your time, effort and resources into it.  

Check out my post pregnancy body, I am 6 weeks out as of this post and feeling great and today, I am cleared to start exercising and I can't wait.  I know I will feel better and have more energy now.  Now ready to do my BeFit Moms Program.


Good luck my prego friend and I hope this inspires you to exercise and have a healthy and fit pregnancy.

You can follow Marie these ways:



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