baby redesigned: modern milk scottsdale
Announcing today: my new blog series Baby Redesigned! I am thrilled to have teamed up for this first feature with Modern Milk of Scottsdale.
The idea behind the Baby Redesigned series is that in this fast-paced world of momprenuers, there is just so much good stuff out there now that can help a mama out, it’s hard to keep up! I am about to be a third time mom, so you would think I had seen it all. But my new mama friends are always telling me about all sorts of new things I had never even heard of when my first was born nearly four years ago (tear) and some things that are even new since my baby girl was born only a little over a year ago! So, as I am hitting nesting stage early at 19 weeks and counting, I thought I would take some time to see what’s out there that I have been missing.
I came across Modern Milk when I was running around town with my kiddos. It is a brand new store that just opened up near where we live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They offer all types of classes and services for moms-to-be and new moms alike including breastfeeding classes and consultations, sleep classes, support groups, yoga and so much more! Check out their full schedule of classes (as well as some great deals if you go with a class package) here.
When we lived in LA and I was a first-time, deer-in-the-headlights, what-the-heck-did-I-just-get-myself-into kind of mom, I practically lived at a similar establishment near our house there. But Scottsdale, you guys have been missing out! Just having a place like this with experienced, knowledgeable people behind it and the wealth of valuable information and mom-to-mom bonding potential is a little slice of sanity for any mother out there. I am still friends with many of the moms I met in those first few raw months after my son was born. Finding other women who are at the same point in life as you are when you first become a mother (or become one a second or third or more time) is something I always recommend to my new mom friends, no matter where they live. And if you happen to live in the Scottsdale area, Modern Milk is the perfect place to make that connection and start forming those maternal bonds.
I was so impressed with the store’s physical layout and stunning and easy to use website, that I had to set up a meeting with Modern Milk owner and founder Stephanie Nguyen. Stephanie is a certified nurse practitioner (with experience in labor and delivery and postpartum care), lactation consultant, and mother of two little ones herself. Talk about a triple threat! And now, she is following her dream of helping and supporting mothers in the early phases of the journey of motherhood.
I asked Stephanie to show me around the store and highlight some of her favorite new products for mamas. We discussed how much is out there (it’s overwhelming) and how she chose what to carry in her store. Stephanie likes to support other local moms, so there are some fun items such as these baby flower headbands from Brinspiration Bowtique, turban headbands from Noxx and these cute little shoes from Braxdon Kicks mixed in with the necessities.
After touring the store and getting all of Shephanie’s favorites, here are some of my picks for things I wish I would have had the first time around! As Modern Milk is a breastfeeding support center, I thought it would be appropriate to keep this Baby Redesigned issue mostly breastfeeding related.
1.// 5 phases hybrid glass baby bottle // this safe, non-toxic glass baby bottle comes with an outer plastic sleeve to keep messes contained should the glass break.
2. //milk makers lactation cookies // When I was breastfeeding my baby girl, she had serious tummy issues, so I had to make my own (and that yummy recipe is here, if you’re in the same boat). But, how much easier would it be to just pick up a bag of these? They would last about a day in my house.
3.// cake lingerie nursing sports bra // after I had my son, I was determined to get back into shape as quickly as possible. But between feedings and naps, I found very little time left to do anything for myself. I eventually figured out I could squeeze in a run by putting him in the stroller and meeting friends at the park, but then what to do when he needed to feed there and I was all strapped into a sports bra? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty or comfortable. I often wondered, ‘why the heck has no on made a nursing sports bra yet?’ Prayers: answered!
4.// the sili company sili squeeze // ok so this is for when your kids get a bit older and are ready for solids. Anyone else have toddlers that are obsessed with those squeeze pouches? I often worry because the fruit based ones are very sugary (albeit natural sugars) and also the packaging is such a drag on the environment! I have been doing some research on reusable options, but nothing really impressed me until Stephanie showed me these. Easy to clean, dishwasher safe, and they won’t make a mess on the go because the child has to be sucking on it in order to get the food out! Win/win/win. And I took one home with me too.
5.// bebe au lait nursing pillow // as a lactation consultant, Stephanie recommends this nursing pillow because it has one firm foam side (for support) and one softer pillow side (for comfort or play, as baby gets older) and it has a waist strap so if you have to get up while nursing, you don’t have to fumble with it. My nursing pillow could definitely use an update!
6.// milkies milk trays // I was a professional pumping machine with my first two because I went back to work full time after each at 3 months. Let’s face it, pumping sucks, but what sucks even more is fumbling with bags that take up awkward space in your freezer and worse still – wasted milk. These brilliant sterile trays store your milk in perfect 1 ounce portions and easily fit into a bottle when they are ready to be warmed for baby. So your caregiver can easily give baby the right portions without having to do all the crazy math and labeling that I did for our daycare providers.
Ok now for the fun part: If you want to get any of these amazingly helpful items, or any of your other mommy/baby needed items, Modern Milk has generously offered a 15% off discount to my readers! Just head on over to their website, shop around, and enter code loved2015 at checkout to get the deal! If you shop in store, just mention the discount when you are checking out! [excludes breast pumps and rentals. other restrictions may apply. please contact Modern Milk for any further questions.]
