5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

GIVEAWAY + 5 Maternity & Newborn Essentials

As promised, today I am sharing part 2 to my maternity and newborn essentials post and giveaway (there are still a few weeks left to enter that giveaway!!). Today I am giving away even more prizes and sharing with you all 5 things that I think are essential to maternity life and transitioning to having a newborn.

Transitional Maternity Clothes

As you come to the end of your pregnancy you are going to want some clothes that will fit you during the last months of pregnancy and transition to your postpartum wardrobe. Pink Blush Maternity is the only shop I have come across that shows you what each piece of clothing looks like on a pregnant model and a non-pregnant model. This was so convenient for me while I was shopping. I was able to envision each piece of clothing with and without a bump. You would think that with such versatile styles their selection would be small, but I spent hours shopping Pink Blush online and didn’t make it through half of their lovely collection. I got this chevron print chiffon dress, this tulle maternity maxi skirt and this beautiful peplum sweater. I felt like they were all perfect for fall. I am excited to wear them at the end of my pregnancy and during this fall season!

Transitioning from only child to older sibling by Rachael BurgessPreparing for both bottle and breastfeeding by Rachael Burgess

Dock-A-Tot

A Dock-A-Tot is basically a lightweight, conveniently sized baby bed that you can carry with you anywhere! It is such a hassle to constantly be moving the bassinet or the swing or the pack-n-play to whatever part of the house you are in. The Dock-A-Tot is the perfect place to let your babe cozy up anywhere in the house. It is small enough you can even bring it with you to the park, on a picnic or to a playdate. I got this one and can’t wait to use it for babe. The other thing I love about it is the cover comes off SUPER easy for washing. Zoey already spilled a cup of applesauce in it, the cover unzipped, went in the wash and look as good as new.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess 5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Nursery Decor

I think it is so important to make your new babies space special. The nursery is somewhere you will spend a lot of time changing diapers, rocking, feeding and playing. Choosing a few staple decor items can really set the tone in your nursery and make it a more peaceful inviting environment. I love these cloud shelves and reading basket by Z Create Design. Everything from Z Create Design is uniquely hand crafted and will add to that magical yet minimalistic vibe which suits the nursery so well.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Equally as darling in the nursery is a plush rocker from Rock-A-Bye Rockers. They have the most darling variety of dragons, unicorns, trucks, boats and butterflies you can imagine. There is something to suit every nursery theme. Because they are plush they are suited for kids to start using from a young age. I would feel totally comfortable letting my six month old crawl and climb on them. They also all play educational songs about counting, letters, shapes and colors. Zoey is actually learning her alphabet while rocking to her hearts content! I got this one for Zoey, this one for baby boy and this one for them to share.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Nursing Bra & Pumping Equipment

A nursing bra is vital to your transition to motherhood! I am waiting to shop for my main selection of nursing bras till after I have the baby. Right after I had Zoey my milk came in and my boobs about tripled in size, so I don’t want to get too many yet. However the first few weeks at home you will want something supportive and flexible that you can wear in bed and around the house. The Cotton Candy Bra by Cake Maternity is the perfect bra for day one of nursing. It is comfortable enough to sleep in, provides extra support needed as your breasts change size and it is adjustable so it will likely fit you even after your milk comes in. It also provides great back support which was vital for me! Cake Maternity has every type of nursing bra under the sun so I will definitely be back to shop there after baby, but I am really happy with the Cotton Candy as I think it is one I will be wearing throughout the entire time I nurse this baby boy.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Pumping equipment is another nursing essential. When your milk first comes in and hasn’t regulated to what your baby needs the oversupply can be extremely uncomfortable. Being able to relieve a little of that extra pressure by pumping is so important. I endured so much pain because I wasn’t ready with a pump when my milk came in and took awhile to make a decision on what to get. I ended up with a messy hand pump that barely did the job and was awkward to use.

This time I plan to use an electric pump in combination with my Freemie collection cups. The Freemie collection cups are shaped similarly to your breast so you can wear them discreetly under your bra and pump anywhere you happen to be completely hands free! They also are designed to be clean and easy to use, you can avoid the dripping and mess that happens when you just use a regular pump. Even if you plan to exclusively breastfeed chances are pretty high you will need to pump at some point. You may have to go to a doctors appointment and leave baby at home or attend a work conference or you may even just need a break and want daddy to be able to take over feeding for the day (or night).

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

There were quite a few days at the beginning that my breasts were so sore that it was too painful to nurse. Those days I would pump, which took just as long as feeding, and then bottle feed after. I am really excited that with Freemie I will be able to pump while I am at my desk working or doing something else productive rather than doubling my feeding time. Oh and I forgot to mention they are surprisingly SUPER comfortable to wear!

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

An Endless Supply of Onesies, Blankets and Feeding Gear

Speaking of feeding, babies are messy! You can never have enough burp cloths, bibs and changing pads. I can’t tell you how many times we though Zoey was done pooping or puking or peeing only to be surprised by a fresh batch of delight. You will go through these things like hot cakes, especially in the beginning. I love Babysprouts & Co. for my changing and feeding gear, there is something so special about the handmade style and unique prints that you can’t find anywhere else.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Blankets are just as important and will most likely get dirty just as fast. Over at Bizy Belle you will find the most beautiful hand made blankets. The prints are out of this world adorable and each blanket is lovingly handmade for your babe. Most babies will eventually grow attached to one blanket or another, choosing a beautifully unique blanket from Bizy Belle is the perfect way to make sure that your babies most cherished blanket isn’t just any old tacky blanket.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

You will also need an endless supply of is onesies! Since onesies are worn right next to the skin/diaper they are in the danger zone and get dirty fast. If you have a good supply of onesies you can let your baby wear an outfit once or twice and just wash the onesie underneath. I love the onesies at I Spot You! They have the cutest graphics. I got this one, this one and this one and can’t wait to take some of my very first newborn pictures with my baby in them. Zoey loves them too and is convinced they are hers… She somehow squeezed her almost three year old body into a newborn one in the second picture below. Ha ha and then she told me, “See mom, it is not too tiny, it is mine!!”

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

A little nighty is another baby clothing essential. Newborns usually love the feeling of being swaddled up tight, it is familiar and comforting since it is similar to being in the womb. For bed time a few babe nighties instead of regular sleepers are great to have on hand. They also make diaper changing a breeze. I am obsessed with the print on these beautiful nighties from Jake’N’Beth. They also come with little mitts which will prevent your newborn from scratching their face. You wouldn’t believe how fast Zoey started scratching her face after we brought her home from the hospital, babies have little to no hand eye coordination and little mitts like the ones at Jake’N’Beth can save your tiny babe a little unneeded pain as they get used to being in their own skin.

5 Maternity and Nursing Essentials by Rachael Burgess

Giveaway

I am so excited to once again give three lucky mama’s or moms-to-be some great maternity and newborn essentials. We have over $500 worth of prizes below! Just use the form to enter for a chance to win. A winner will be selected in exactly one month from today (10/1/2016). I can’t help but wonder if by then I will have a new baby in my arms!

First Prize (ARV $275)

Second Prize (ARV $125)

Third Prize (ARV $40)

Dock-A-Tot Deluxe $75 Gift Card To Pink Blush Maternity $20 Gift Card To Babysprouts & Co.
Rock-A-Bye Rocker $20 Gift Card To I Spot You Bizy Belle Burp Clothes
Freemie Collection Cups Jake’N’Beth Nighty Set (pink or gray deer print)

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

150 Responses

  1. Yay! 🙂 I received an email today saying I won!
    My Instagram name is devonroephotography
    And I am following you and all of the sponsors. I double checked.
    What do we do now?
    Thanks!

  2. Omg, such adorable things! This is my 5th baby, due this winter. He/she was a bit of a surprise after thinking we were done and offloading all the baby and maternity gear! Feels a bit like starting over. Lol. Would love the any of these items, though the clothes would be handy. I am in love w the rock-a-bye rocker! Sooo sweet. Thanks for taking the time to write this blog and offer an amazing set of giveaways!

  3. That dock a tot would be perfect for Addison or Ralph! As a first time mom whose family will have her baby more than her, this is going to come in handy for travel.

  4. I love love love the nursery furniture because I love interior decoration but I need the nursing bra and some maternity clothes. The other day I sat on my computer and searched Amazon for maternity clothes and found nothing I liked. I am so excited to be finally pregnant again with my rainbow baby! (I miscarried last August) This will be my first!

  5. First time mommy here due in March – I’ve researched a number of these products and would love to win this bundle for our baby!

  6. I love everything included, this is such a fantastic list of essentials for a new baby! I am the most excited about the Dock a Tot, this is a brilliant invention and I wish I had it with my first two babies! 🙂

  7. I love Pink Blush and would love Prize #2, I am so glad I found this blog and can’t wait to read and learn more!

  8. I would love prize #2, I love pink blush, and the baby clothes from I Spot You and Jake N Beth are simply adorable! All though I have heard amazing things about dock a tot too!

  9. Thanks so much for all the information! I would love to win the freemee cups or any of the give aways! Thanks again for all the info. ..I will be bookmarking your blog!

  10. I love the cloud shelves and coordinating reading basket by Z Create Designs. They are unique and adorable

  11. I love the outfits; they’re so cute! And I’ve heard only good things about the freemie. I’d be so practical as I start working again full time in 2 weeks and my baby is exclusively BF!

  12. This is amazing!! I hate, hate shopping for bras, especially nursing bras. The dock-a-tot sounds great- especially now that I’ll have a toddler running around when this next baby arrives. It’ll be easy to transport. And I agree- pink blush is the best!!! 👌🏼

  13. Wonderful prizes!! Thanks for the chance!! Wanted a dock since my newest (3rd) baby came along! I still think she’d love it!

  14. I would love to win the first prize I’ve heard so many good things about the dockatot would love to try one out due October

  15. I would love to win any of the prizes but especially the First Prize! I have been a breastfeeding mom for 2 years and I am now tandem nursing my newborn and toddler. I have ALWAYS wanted a Freemie but could never afford one!

    Thank you for the chance!!

  16. Whoops, someone my first comment got in the wrong place (as a reply to someone else’s post). Please delete that first comment.

  17. It’s all very adorable and being pregnant with my third child, my clothes have seen better days. My only thing is that it’s slightly different in Canada what with the charges over the border and all. 🙂

  18. All the prizes look so wonderful. I love the blankets from Bizy Belle and the idea of something unique as a favourite blankie.

  19. An Endless Supply of Onesies, Blankets and Feeding Gear would be awesome to win thanks so much for amazing opportunity I’m having my first baby so any of the prizes would be really handy so thanks so much again for opportunity:)

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