Tag Archives: baby

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Diaper Bag Secrets

Have you ever wondered what exactly you should keep in your diaper bag? The list of items to throw in before heading out the door seems to be getting longer and longer. To avoid having to sit on the bag to get the zipper shut, we provided a go-to list of items to include in you diaper bag through parents.com.

Make your next house exit hassle-free by using the list below:

1. Diapers (who would have guessed?)
2. Small box of wipes
3. Fold-up changing pad
4. Diaper rash cream
5. Burp cloths
6. Set of clothes
7. Sun hat
8. Sunscreen
9. Bottle
10. Favorite thing (whether it’s a rattle, small plush toy, etc., what ever will help avoid the meltdown)

For the full list and inside details, check out the article on parents.com here.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell!

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New on Demand: Breast Feeding

It is 3:25 a.m. and I’m awake. Four years ago the only time I was up at this hour was to dance at Southside (a then fun night club).

Nowadays, I spend these hours cruising through Facebook, responding to the mass texts from my sisters, and brainstorming new business ideas while I check my six e-mail accounts. Rather than swiping right on Tinder, I’m clicking “interested” to childcare providers and recruiting new sitters and nannies. So really, not much has changed.

As my fellow first time mommy pal would put it, “This sleep deprivation thing is no joke, huh?”

I know we are in an on-demand world now; on-demand babysitting, car services, grocery shopping, etc., BUT on demand breast feeding?!

I had no idea what I was in for. As coached by the doctors and nurses where I delivered, my baby basically regulates his meals and is fully in charge. When he begins rooting or making this snap sound with his mouth – it’s go time. A cry is SOS.

I keep track of each feeding, well, I did at first, now I can’t remember where the note pad is half of the time.

This on demand stuff happens every two hours or so, except at night when he gives me about 3-4 hours of relief. It’s weird how no one told me about this when I was expecting.

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Written by our Founder & CEO, and new mom, Lindsay Bell!

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So Long Sleep

I can’t decide if I need a hug,
A large coffee,
Six shots of vodka, or
Two weeks of sleep.

Sincerely,
Every mom of a newborn

This sums up life with a newborn. You know the endless waking up through the night, the on-demand breast feeding, and the list goes on and on.

I’m up now and it’s 5:07 a.m. I went to bed around 1:30 a.m. My son is on an every 3-4 hour window feeding schedule at night, and during the day it’s between 2-5 hours (I know not consistent). By the time I’m done feeding I have time to check my e-mail, make a call, throw in dinner, and then it’s feeding time again!

Most moms are advised to sleep when the baby sleeps, but I have found that totally impossible. I have too much to do and I’m naturally not a good napper.

Thank goodness my lil guy sleeps between 3-4 hours at night, giving me about 7 hours of sleep in blocks of time typically between 11 p.m.-9 a.m.

My advice – have a solid routine-and don’t stray from it!

– Wake up and position yourself the same (use a boopy – it freed my arms to e-mail, read, etc. when feeding).
– Feed on one side, then burp.
– Feed on the other side, then burp.
– Change diaper.
– Swaddle (I love aden + anais).
– Sometimes if the baby is fussy he/she will need a top off (2-5 min of extra feeding).
– Soothe in your arms (we have a special dance).
– Place in same baby basset every night (try The Baby Box Company or Fisher-Price)

Note you can come up with any routine you want to, this just works for us!

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Written by our Founder & CEO, and new mom, Lindsay Bell!

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How to Be a Super Productive Mom

Are you looking to find ways to increase your productivity as a mom? Here are some words of wisdom from the most productive mom I know!

1. Wake up and get started right away.
Make your bed, put a load of laundry in, eat breakfast and watch the news (so you feel like you’re still part of society).

2. Entertain yourself during feedings.
Catch up on work e-mails, respond to texts, make calls that need to be done, or read any mommy books you’ve wanted to complete.

3. Exercise.
Walk around the apartment, take the stairs, do exercises holding your baby while you soothe him/her, or sign up for a mommy and me class.

4. Get outside.
Go for a walk outside by yourself towards the end of each day to run errands, call family/friends, etc.

5. If you are working from home…
Prioritize your to-do list, cross things off once complete.

6. Spend time with your hubby. 
It’ll make you feel better that your relationship stays strong too, especially with all your attention going to the baby. Schedule a date night, make your husband dinner, tell him you love him, and give him a kiss tonight.

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Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell!

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Elegant Personalized Baby Blankets

Greetings, all!

We’re bringing you a product review on a baby blanket that is quickly becoming one of our favorites. Elegant Personalized Baby Blankets set out to find the highest quality baby blankets they could at the most affordable price. What’s even better, personalization and gift wrapping are FREE!

Adding to the impressive list of reviewers (People, USA Today, Pregnancy & Newborn, and O: The Oprah Magazine), is Bell Family’s Founder and CEO, Lindsay Bell. Lindsay recently reviewed one of these elegant blankets, and shared her thoughts below.

Just in time for my baby’s arrival, the personalized Classic Dream Blanket from Elegant Personalized Baby Blankets was on my doorstep. And good thing, because one item I didn’t purchase for the baby was a tummy time blanket.

I was already a fan of aden + anais, as I have an assortment of their bibs, and this blanket confirmed my fan status even more. This natural, gentle muslin blanket is colorful, comes in a variety of modern prints, and was the last thing I needed to complete my first baby collection of items.

The part of it that made the blanket extra special was my son’s initials sewn into the corner of the blanket, in my husbands favorite color – blue. This was the first time I saw my sons initials and that was really special to me.

These Dream Blankets™ are sold in over 65 countries and in some of the finest stores. The four-layers of 100% cotton muslin are easy to wash, too. Just pop into the wash on cold and then you can even throw it in the drier (thank goodness with how much I’ll be washing it)!

If you don’t have a little one of your own, purchase for your next friend’s baby shower. I’m sure they will love the personalized touch just as much as I did. Visit the Elegant Personalized Baby Blankets website today – you’ll love it!

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Written by our Founder & CEO, and new mom, Lindsay Bell!

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Flying with a Baby Survival Guide

Greetings, all!

We all know we have given side-eye to the crying baby sitting next to us on a plane at some point in our travel adventures. Most of us plug in our head phones or have a glass of wine to cope, but that’s when it’s not our responsibility. Suddenly, life has thrown you a curve ball, and you are now the mom, sitter, or nanny with the crying baby on your lap. How do you cope?

We found a great article through Travel + Leisure that provides a survival guide on how to handle a crying baby through all of your travel adventures. Take a read, and find side-eye no longer in your vocabulary.

Fly in the morning, not afternoon
To avoid the fussy (4-6pm) time for babies

Window seat works best
Something to lean on, no one will run into you, and your baby won’t be distracted by everyone walking past you

Keep bottles, pacifiers, and toys handy
Classic tools to help babies during take-off and landing with those popping ears

For the full article on Travel + Leisure click here.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell!

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WWW – Returning to Work After Baby

New Parent? Thinking about returning to work?

The decision to return to your career part or full-time is one that can be beneficial to both you and your family.  Many women struggle to “have it all” and balance work and family life simultaneously.  While many are aware of the sacrifices working mothers and their families must make, there are a lot of benefits too.  After reading Lynn Berger’s book “How to Land, Create, or Negotiate the Part-Time Job of Your Dreams” I’ve outlined some important points she made below:

Ms. Berger is an experienced career coach and counselor
Ms. Berger is an experienced career coach and counselor

The Benefits of Returning to Work:

  • -It will keep your skill level/resume current
  • -It will be much easier to switch to full-time later if you have already been working
  • -Extra income for your family
  • -Social interaction and validation outside of your home
  • -Studies have shown a positive association between the number of roles a woman occupies and her psychological well-being- if one role is overwhelming, you may feel successful in another area of your life
  • -Feelings of self-worth and accomplishment- may help improve spousal relationships
  • -Positive role model for your children- they see their parent as successful/hardworking

How to Make it Work for Your Family:

  • -Consult your spouse and work out a family budget- outline what your salary will be, how much time you will allot for childcare, etc.
  • -Make sure your career options match your current priorities- you want to be at a job you feel benefits you, and is worth giving up family time
  • -Be diligent in searching for the right job with the right benefits for you and your family
  • -Communicate with your partner about any concerns they may have in your returning to the workforce
  • -Prepare for a shift in responsibilities in your home- you may need to divide home/childcare differently
  • -Take quality time-even if you are not spending as much time with your children, make sure when you are with them you are focused on them
  • -Lower your expectations- understand that your family will have to make adjustments with a busier schedule.  You may not be able to go to everything

Find the Right Nanny

Ms. Berger does a great job of presenting options and offering support to parents making the leap. BFC is here to also support you and your family in this transition. There is no need to feel guilt about returning to work when you know your child(ren) are left with a quality caregiver that can provide for all of your family’s needs.  Our nannies are available part and full-time and in addition to childcare can provide light housekeeping, cooking and laundry.

–Lindsey Garibaldi is our in-house operations intern and full time student at Fordham University majoring in communications. In her free time she loves spending time with family, friends & children.