I have been making the very best of it in nursing gear and feeling more and more comfortable with a messy bun, leggings and duck boots as my daily go-to. But lo and behold, it’s time to go back to work. Mat leave is done. Sob.
So, I cut my hair. And scoured the internet for outfit inspo to return to the daily grind (and not the kind that involves scouring the floor for renegade cheerios and packing, repacking and schlepping a diaper bag all over the city). I tried to make my life easier by inviting myself to a party – a plan two weeks of outfits so you can get up at 5 am, get a one year old ready, get out the door on time and go be profesh… without having to think of what you’re wearing. It’s the weekly meal-prep of outfits.
Chop chop! First, I needed a fresh bang to start work and feel as cool as the new near-zero temperatures.
From Monday to Friday, I basically recreated these looks:
From Dress Design Queen
For the snow day… black sweatshirt and tee, with a toque and leather jacket.
From Always Judging: crisp oversized dress shirt with big gold chains (buttoned up, obvs). High waisted denim. Leopard print oxfords. Red lip.
Merrick’s Art : This blog has a great range of wearable inspiration and outfit ideas.
Crushed it. First week down. The funny thing is… I feel like I never left. Maybe some of that is dressing for something other than nursing. And dressing for myself was pretty key to feeling right at home in front of a class for the past five days. Can’t wait to keep this pretty ball rolling.
Real talk. It’s hard to pull it together she. Your day starts at 5 am.
I’ve been dreaming of a makeover for our basement playroom. Book shelves, reading corners, bunting, chalk paint, soft flooring, cozy cushions, art supplies and furniture in a tiny size are all on my vision board. Here we go! all images from Pinterest, the perfect place to collect your thoughts.
I love a quick jaunt out of town. Getting out of the house with baby is a must for this stir crazy new mom.
I headed to Niagara on the Lake, picturesquely snow-dusted and quaint, for four days – while my wife went to Montreal on location for a work shoot.
Travelling with little man is much easier with a solid place to land and since my parents retired in Niagara, it makes for an easy retreat … replete with breweries, trivia nights, great restaurants and all the charm of a turn of the century village – (plus nana and papa’s house has lots of great toys).
Falling asleep early with the moon over the snowy orchards is also pretty sweet. As is having a few extra sets of hands to make showering and brushing your hair possible.
Niagara on the lake, NOTL to the locals, makes for a nice relaxing staycation (with family). And just like that, our little babe is 15 weeks old. We played cards, ate half priced filet mignon burgers and beer tastings. It gave us both a chance to get dressed up to go out.
At Oast House Brewery a gentleman came up to tell us that my son was the best dressed person in the bar. In buffalo plaid, he matched the barkeep and was channeling Gaston (in style only) for an Uber-ironic nod to lumberjacks and small-batch-brewing hipster style.
Side note: If you ever wondered who goes to breweries and keeps them open on a weekday?…it’s a popular meetup spot for nursing Moms. No lie. Seriously… we were at Henderson’s Brewery in Toronto last week, in a snowstorm, on a Tuesday and it was FULL of mommies with babes in arms.
Cheers to another beautiful week with this little guy!
Planning our trip to Mexico with a two month old, was a great challenge for these new moms. It was a grand success. Check out the photos at the end. Drumroll…here is what we packed:
Infantino Carrier
Travel bassinet
wipes
diapers and swim diapers
formula (pre-mixed or concentrate)
birth certificate, parent letter and passport
breast pads/washable inserts
pump (we skipped this since I’m now producing enough milk on my own, with some formula top-ups)
carseat, base (or learn to safely install without the base), stroller attachment
changes of clothes for you
I’m investigating, in advance of travel, to see if our destination stocks the formula, diapers and other things we like for baby. If we can avoid taking a week’s supply, that will really save on space
Also, look up whether breast feeding in public is safe/legal/recommended in your destination
Sleep Sheep or white noise machine
medications (like Domperidone, for me)
vitamins for you and vitamin D for baby
coconut oil for sun protection for the babe
a UV protecting cover for the stroller. Jolly Jumper makes a great one and Milk Snob has a great cover that doubles as a nursing screen
Diaper cream and corn starch
Baby paper and some simple toys (we ended up getting some beautiful, colourful pompom garlands in a market, which he couldn’t take his eyes off. These now hang over his change table! But careful that he isn’t unsupervised, as with anything that involves string)
Nosefrida (for air travel and stuffiness)
Infant Tylenol
Gripe Water if you have a gassy baby
We upgraded our tickets and baby’s first trip was in Business Class.
First Class Flyer – extra leg room, wider seats and a bulkhead gave us ample room for him. No tears at all on either flight to and from Mexico! Bravo little traveller!This was the main entrance to the condos we called home for two weeks. Watching the sunrise. Three generations.A boy and his MamaThey see me Strollin’
Sun-protected
For Clothes, we knew we’d have access to in-suite laundry, so we packed:
Bibs
Layettes
Shorts and pants
Short-onesies/rompers (this was the majority of the outfits)
Pajamas – for the plane and at night with the A/C
Burp cloths and muslin wraps
Socks
A knit jacket/sweater for air conditioned spaces and the plane
Swimsuits/rashguard
Sunglasses
Hats
Copy of his birth certificate, immunization record, passport, health card
Swimming with baby was an amazing first.
We loved all the time with each other, with him and with our family. For the rest of the trip photos, scroll down, past the last of the items from our travel must-haves.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Fanny pack, a carry on for us, carry on Diaper bag, small purse, big suitcase x 2 (one for us and one for all the baby stuff), a small suitcase of diapers and formula.
We made a call to set up/confirm our travel insurance/health insurance, etc.
We arranged a cat and house sitter, and also opted to use the Park ‘N Fly valet service (plus detailing) so we came home to a happy cat, safe home and a clean car.
Adios, Mexico and Gracias for a great first vacay with our blossoming family.
Now, listen…Always time for a tasty snack.
Enamoured of pom poms
Stroller styles
Our little global traveller
Nautical vibes
Out at the Tuesday Market
Family photo at NickSan
Baby-wearing
Big Baby-sized Beer
Hot Mama, with our Milk Snob Stroller cover
Babiators. And a babe x2Hard to believe our little one is 11 weeks old!
What are your travel must-haves? Share your faves in the comments!
Travelling to Mexico … with a baby. The list looks very different from the usual. ‘Remember,’ says my mom, ‘It’s not a fashion show… people dress super casual in Nuevo Vallarta.’
Paring down will be key. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.
For the winter arrival at the airport, then to walk the streets in Mexico: brown ankle boots – pairs with jeans and dresses.
For tops and bottoms, everything has to go with everything and it needs to enable nursing. In addition to a few mix and match pieces, I’ll be bringing some dresses.
HM nursing top
Nursing bras from HM and I’ll also be bringing three nursing tanks (which are tops or layers) in black, white and grey
HM Nursing DressEasy nursing tank dress (HM)HM polka dot wrap dressKokette long cardigan and some stretch jeans
Anthropologie HatLight tank top with scalloped edge – HM
Orange hues tie the wardrobe together with blues and cream colours. Robe – Urban OutfittersSwim suit from Urban Outfitters – two bikinis and two one-pieces will be rounding out my suitcaseAerie one pieceAnthropologie wrap sweaterTank dress with nursing panel
Athleisure will feature heavily – like this combo from Aerie
Great one piece from AerieWhat vacation would be complete without some crop tops? I just gave birth two months ago and feel more empowered than ever to rock a bathing suit and live the mantra – a swimsuit body is any body with a swimsuit on it.
I am planning a post about what to wear while caring for and feeding an infant. Planning. Everything takes longer and best laid plans get complicated and deterred.
Then comes the holiday season. The holiday show must go on. And we made merry like it was no big deal. We are getting the hang of things.
Our son is now two months old and we are smitten. From tree-side selfies to family party snaps … I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Inspired by easy access to the boobs, these are the outfits that are in rotation right now – as a newly-nursing mama.
First up, ASOS; they have an amazing selection of basics, as well as nursing/maternity dresses and tops, so cute that they don’t even look like nursing specific garments.
ASOS DESIGN Maternity Nursing Cami With Clips 2 Pack SAVE C$52.60
Zara is a treasure trove of items that aren’t nursing specific, but sure do fit the bill.
I can’t wait to wear this in Mexico when we head off with our little one in tow.
Zara checked dress
Draped checked blouse, riding the plaid trend from fall into winter.
Zara dress
Oversized patchwork shirt – Zara
Bird satin tunic – Zara
The basics already in your closet can also find their way into nursing-friendly outfits.
I made a point of sectioning off my closet, moving conducive items to the front of drawers (I fold Marie Kondo style, like library books in my drawers, spine up), and in the closets I have a section just for items that ‘fit’ as nursing wear.
The penchant for sleepleisure is perfect for moms (or anyone, really). A cool relaxed pant and pajama-style top are easy, breezy, with full front access.
This screams chic, while maintaining the comfort needed to plunk down on the floor, change a quick diaper or feed a writing child.
From a site that boasts ‘sexy but modest’ clothing… this is definitely a wear-on-repeat idea. I have a Halston Heritage-inspired vintage silk dress, handed down from my mother, that looks pleasingly similar to this one! https://www.sexymodest.com/products/brigitte-button-down-maxi-dress
Rounding out the on-trend items on deck, we have a jumpsuit, onesie, or romper. I have a gorgeous crush velvet version in navy blue from Aerie/American Eagle. It’s surprisingly easy to wear and layered over a cropped t-shirt it actually functions like a nursing outfit, but also looks amazing and feels like a playsuit. Velvet is in demand this season, but has staying power since it keeps cropping up when the temperatures drop. https://www.stitchfix.com/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pinterestschedule
Basic, in the best possible way; buttons, waffle knit, loose and versatile. This even has snaps instead of buttons. I couldn’t ask for more. https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwgFpDHN6V/
What I like best about all these pieces is that many are items I already own. Others, I will be able to keep wearing them long after my little one has graduated to solids… which is, I think, a solid investment.
Here is my fall line-up of nursing-approved, affordable fall-into-winter items. I mostly haven’t purchased anything new (either for maternity or breast-feeding), but here are the five items I’ve added to my rotation.
Not really a fan of uniform dressing, but this tunic/dress is going to save my life. I made the mistake of going out for lunch at a nice place, once already, in a dress that required a whole half top/sleeve removal to allow feeding access. This Old Navy Swing Dress is cheap and cheerful (about $40 but with a bonus 40% off and free shipping).
I got it in three colours. Layered over pants, open over another top, or with leggings and over the knee boots, this is going to be a go-to piece for all my nursing days when I’m out of the house.
Next up, also from Old Navy, and also on sale (!) the Chambray utility onesie…
With summery shoes this will be perfect in Mexico when we head for a winter getaway, but also for fall with rolled cuffs, a slubby scarf and some lace up combat boots. Open to the waist with a tank, or with a contrasting, or embellished belt – this piece is pretty versatile. Today I wore it with a half-up topknot and this teddy bear coat from Chance and Fate. So comfy. Paired it with pineapple embroidered velvet slides… No big deal.
My goal is to buy as little ‘new’ stuff as possible – this might be it. As my sister-in-law (also breast feeding) said: “oh, yay… (not) another cross front top.” When maternity options are underwhelming, I’m going to try to be inspired by what’s already in my closet. Challenge accepted.
Let’s be honest; I had no idea how motherhood would impact my fashion choices… but it’s fair to say that unless we are expecting company (10 days into our journey with a newborn) I’m wearing the same thing he’s wearing: a diaper and no top.
So, here is a roundup of my favourite layering pieces for fall and the transition into winter!
The teddybear coat is definitely on trend, but I picked up one from Chance and Fate that is long and cozy, with just the right amount of cuddle. This color gray stands out from the rest of the sherpa coats we’re seeing this season. Mine is pretty much identical to the one pictured below:
I have an amaaaazing coat similar to this, which I got at a clothing swap for freeeeee. It’s still a go-to! I am also a fan of layering my easy leopard print blazer over plain black to take the ‘lounging at home’ look to a slightly elevated, ready-for-visitors level.
H&M Down Jacket ($199) Last but not least, I invested this season in a puffer coat; try this one in charcoal, or (like I did) try the H&M army green calf-length version for maximum protection from the elements. I love how airy-light it is, while also being roomy enough to zip baby into the front while he is in a carrier.
LOGG olive green long parka H&M
Speaking of baby, here is our little fox. Thanks for bearing with me while I make this transition into the busiest, craziest job I’ve ever had. xo
