This review was performed and written by DDL contributor Kristen.

I was given the opportunity to review the MoBoleez Hat, which is a great alternative to a nursing cover.  It is a stylish hat with an extremely wide brim that can be worn by the baby while breastfeeding and it will discreetly cover all that someone could want to cover while nursing.

When I discovered this product I thought it was an extremely amazing idea.  Why had I never thought of this?  Luckily, someone else did and I was able to try it out with my baby.  As I have mentioned in other reviews, I was extremely determined to exclusively nurse my baby this time around but needed to get over the whole “nursing in public” thing.  I was never comfortable with the idea of using a typical nursing cover because I felt like it was like you were wearing a big sign that told everyone you were breastfeeding.  Alternatives like the MoBoleez Hat has helped me to make it much easier and more comfortable for me to nurse in public with my baby.

The MoBoleez Hat is made of all natural cotton/bamboo fabric, which is nice.  It is a lightweight hat, which is great for the summer months or if you live in a hot climate.  The fabrics in the couture collection are made of cotton and a little bit of spandex material.  It is easy to use obviously…just put it on your baby’s head and you are good to go!  It does come in 2 sizes, 0-6 months and 6-12 months.  They were offering a preemie size as well, but it has been discontinued (they still have some available though).

Tropical Tiles Design

I really loved using the MoBoleez Hat with my daughter.  It is easy to use, lightweight and I can toss it into my diaper bag and it doesn’t even get wrinkled!  I think it’s an amazing idea for someone who wants an alternative to a traditional nursing cover and yet it provides just as much coverage, without being so obvious as a nursing accessory.  In fact, I have used it a few times as a sun hat and when nursing, I have had people come up and compliment me on Suriah’s cute hat (I was reviewing the couture “tropical tiles” hat).

Kristen, Suriah (in Beco), Emerson (in stroller), Me, and Fletcher (in Boba)

I do have a few suggestions though.  I would LOVE to see more designs.  The classic collection has illustrations on them and are cutesy, but cutesy isn’t my thing.  I would like either plain colored hats or simple designs that are more adult-like.  The couture collection has a few nice designs but there are so many nice fabrics out there, I would love to see them offer some different designs.  Also, I was reviewing the 0-6 month size hat.  My daughter has a slightly smaller than average head circumference (30^th percentile) and at 5 months, I feel the hat is a little too small for her head.  It fits because it is a nice stretchy material, but I would like to see a chin strap or something so that the hat doesn’t slide its way off her head.  Also, as a modest person, I think the chin strap might be a good idea to assure me that the hat won’t fall off and expose my boob to the public’s eyes!  I LOVE how wide the brim of the hat is and it really makes the difference with coverage, but I would like to see it have a little more structure to it.  It’s pretty floppy, which is nice in that it molds well to the curves of your breast to keep things covered well, but if the wind blows hard in just the right way…it might jeopardize your coverage.  Also, if it had a little more structure to it, I would be able to use it more as a sun hat as well and it would be the best darn sun hat out there, in addition to being a fantastic nursing cover.

All in all though, even with the slight adjustments I would like to see, I think the MoBoleez Hat is a great product and as of right now, it is my favorite nursing cover.  With it being so hot lately, I haven’t wanted to cover up by wearing layers and some of the other nursing cover alternatives I have require more preparation to cover up.  The MoBoleez Hat is easy and it protects my baby from the sun AND it’s cute.  I can’t think of another nursing cover that does all that as well as the MoBoleez Hat!

If you would like to get your own Moboleez you can find them on DDL Affiliate, Amazon.com or Moboleez.com.
Moboleez Nursing Hats- Amazon.com

Kristen was sent a product sample for the purposes of this review.  All opinions are 100% her own.

This post was written by Kristen, DDL contributor.

I love milk.  I also happen to love ice cream…and cheese.  A LOT.  I typically would drink 2 gallons of milk a week, just myself.

Why am I telling you this?  Because 3 months ago, I was told by my daughter’s pediatrician that in order to keep breastfeeding my 5 day old baby, Suriah, I would need to cut all dairy, eggs, soy, nuts and seafood out of my diet.

I had no idea what was left to eat!!!

It really wasn’t a laughing matter though.  At only 4 days old, I was changing Suriah’s poopy diaper, only to discover that it wasn’t poopy…it was blood. I calmly called the on call doctor, who told me to save the diaper and bring her in the next day.  (How I managed to not rush her to the ER is beyond me!).  Before I was able to bring her in the next day, she had about 5 more blood-filled-diapers.  At the doctor’s office it was confirmed that it was in fact blood (I had been hoping I was wrong of course) and that because Suriah appeared otherwise healthy, it was most likely due to a severe allergy.  Whatever she was allergic to was actually causing her intestines to bleed.

After consulting with a pediatric gastroenterologist, it was decided that if I wanted to continue to breastfeed, I would need to seriously change my diet.  And if I chose to not breastfeed, then Suriah would need to be placed on a very expensive, prescription-only formula that is just amino acids.  Her pediatrician told me that it was healthiest for Suriah to get breastmilk and advised that changing my diet was the best thing for her if I could really stick to it.  Breastfeeding my first child didn’t work out as I had hoped because she needed to be supplemented with formula and other problems led to me drying up at 5 months, so before Suriah was born, I was determined to exclusively breastfeed her.  I had been planning and preparing and mentally working on the idea of breastfeeding in public…and then I was told that I needed to change my diet so drastically that I honestly didn’t even know what I would be able to eat anymore.  Oh…and did I mention that I already had a weird diet?  Yeah, I haven’t eaten red meat in about 20 years and I don’t eat any meat off the bone.  I’m really not a big meat eater.

Image from Babble

Lets sum that all up…

*pretty much no meat

*no soy

*no dairy

*no eggs

*no nuts

*no seafood

What the heck is left?!?!

When I got home, I realized that even my bread had milk in it! Giving up dairy was going to be the hardest sacrifice, especially when I realized that dairy was hidden in a lot of other things as well.  But I was dedicated.  It definitely tested my dedication to breastfeeding.  In fact, I had a few friends tell me that they would just switch over to the formula…that it wasn’t worth it to sacrifice so much just to breastfeed.  Even my own family was not supportive of me breastfeeding at this point.  But I did have some friends who supported me and also helped me figure out some things I could eat.  And the fact that the special formula cost $50 for a 14oz can was also a huge motivator to continue to breastfeed as well.  Plus, I had some serious issues with her latch and went through a tough time getting adjusted to breastfeeding…there was some serious cracking and bleeding nipples going on!  I called La Leche League and visited a lactation consultant…and continued to try to figure out what I could eat.

At 8 weeks, Suriah’s pediatrician allowed me to try to work something back into my diet.  She didn’t want me to choose dairy, so we started with soy, as that gave me many more options of what I could add into my diet.  Over the course of the next few weeks, I had to take soy out of my diet again, but then was able to work it back in.  Now that Suriah is 3.5 months old, I am happily also able to eat nuts and seafood as well.  It seems that her severe reaction was most likely caused by a protein allergy to dairy and eggs.  Right now I am not sure how long I will have to go without dairy or eggs, but it’s possible that she may have the allergy forever because her reaction was so severe.

Having to sacrifice so much in my diet, especially some of the things I love most (I consider myself an ice cream and cheese connoisseur), has definitely made breastfeeding much harder…but it’s also made it more rewarding, and as an added bonus, I feel really proud of myself for being able to exclusively breastfeed my daughter for over 3 months and to watch her thrive and grow because of my milk.  Breastfeeding isn’t easy.  It’s hard in so many ways, especially when it doesn’t go as smoothly as you plan, but it’s worth it.  It’s worth not having a big glass of milk with my oreos, or milk in my cereal, some smoked gouda cheese or some of the Guinness ice cream at the new ice cream shop in town (who wouldn’t want to try that!?!?!)…because I know that I am giving my daughter the best nourishment I can, regardless of the sacrifice I have to make everyday.  I love exclusively breastfeeding more than I ever thought I would…but I also can’t wait to try some of that Guinness ice cream some day!

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

When I returned home after having a c-section with my second baby I was looking forward to enjoying a shower in my own home.  I had received the Cherub Shower Hug to review and was pretty excited to get to try it out, as my milk had come in that morning and my nipples were sore and cracked already due to latching problems.  As I was about to hop in the shower, I was faced with a major dilemma…whether to use the Shower Hug to cover my c-section staples, or use it to cover my sore nipples and engorged breasts!!!

I ended up using it to cover my nipples but did also use it to cover my c-section incision at a later shower.  Something so simple has turned out to be pretty useful.  The Shower Hug is a soft velour fabric that Velcro’s together to make a snug fit.  It has many uses, such as protecting nipples or an incision in the shower, or using it as post partum support around your belly.  The fabric is great, as it sucks up the warmth of the water and keeps gentle pressure on your breasts, which really helps with engorgement.  The only thing I had difficulty with is that the Velcro is so good that it can be hard to un-velcro and readjust.  I just adjusted it once and then I slip into the Shower Hug by stepping into it and pulling it up.  It can sag at times when really wet, but I think I could probably make it tighter to alleviate that problem.

In addition to the Shower Hug, I also used the burp cloth and wash cloth (which is free after a $50 purchase), and I absolutely LOVE both of them!  The fabric for both is the same as the Shower Hug and is so soft against my baby’s face and body.  The wash cloth is my favorite one to use now because of how soft it is and how absorbent it is holding the soapy water to wash my newborn baby and my 1 year old.  So, in addition to the Shower Hug being a nice product for new moms, the burp cloth and wash cloth make it even more worth spending the money because not only can you treat yourself (or another new mom) but you can also treat your baby as well!

Win your own Shower Hug!!!

The Shower Hug brings therapeutic relief that is long lasting, by providing support and relief when and where it is needed most. Not only is it a miracle find for breastfeeding mothers, it is also of great comfort and relief for those who are recovering from mastectomy, augmentation, reduction, reconstruction and lifts. The Hug is made it of the softest, most luxurious knit terry velour to provide expectant and new moms with gentle bust line support and to soothe sensitive nipples and breasts associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding. Proudly Made in the USA by Moms for Moms!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit ShowerHug.com and tell me something your learned about the brand/ product. Leave a comment.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Enter to win a Shower Hug from @KimRosas http://n8xrg.th8.us #bfing Ends 4/9” Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Follow Shower Hug on Twitter. Leave a comment.

Become a fan of Shower Hug on Facebook.  Leave a comment.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have my New Baby Event button on your blog you get 3 extra entries.Leave a comment for each one!

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 9. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US only!***

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

I leak….a lot.  Since having my second child, I have been trying different breast pads out to see what works best and also isn’t gonna cost an arm and a leg.  I have tried cotton reusable pads…and hated them.  I also have used many different kinds of disposable pads, which get the job done a lot better, but I am going through boxes of them which in turn is money flying right out the window…and it’s also creating a whole lot of waste.

I heard about the Lanacare Wool Breast Pads and figured I needed to give them a try.  I was kind of skeptical at first since I hated the cotton reusables so much and also because I have very sensitive skin and a child with extreme allergies, so I was nervous how both of us would react to them.  I was also hesitant because I had never had to deal with washing wool before and I knew there was something “different” about it…and well, I kinda suck at domestic chores like laundry and was nervous I wouldn’t be able to care for them properly.  That particular fear was quickly eased when I received my package and was able to read about the care of the breast pads, which was very easy, and I also read that the breast pads sort of self clean because of the lanolin in them.

I noticed when I first received them was that they were much larger in diameter than most breast pads I have used (These pads do come in different sizes and there are also specific pads for those that have a heavy or strong let down).  This is actually a really positive thing, because they are not noticeable under clothing at all…even when I was wearing just a tank top.  After a nursing session, I did need to readjust them so there weren’t any noticeable wrinkles though.

I have been using the Lanacare wool breast pads continuously since I received them, switching out one set for another, to let them dry, and I have been very impressed at how well they absorb leaks.  I have never felt “wet” but I did leak 2 times in one day.  I think it was possible that they weren’t completely dry and therefore not as absorbent that day but I didn’t have any other problems before or after that with leaking and just made sure to air them out overnight.  They are really comfortable to wear and aren’t irritating to the skin at all, like I would has suspected from wool.  They are very soft and neither myself or my daughter have had any reactions to them.  I have noticed that my nipples don’t get as raw as they were before when I was using cotton or disposable pads.  I was confused at first on whether I could use lanolin ointment on my nipples to help keep them moisturized, and because I couldn’t figure it out right away, I didn’t use any.  During this time, my nipples didn’t get raw or dry at all, which I attribute to the wool breast pads.  I later found out that I can use lanolin ointment while using these breast pads, but haven’t had to be as consistent with it because I don’t have as much of an issue with my nipples getting raw.

The Lanacare wool breast pads are more expensive compared to other reusable breast pads but in my opinion, they are definitely worth the money!  They start at 21.00 and go up to 31.00 depending on the size.  I can’t think of a reason why I would go back to using cotton or disposable pads now that I have these.

To order you can visit Danish Woolen Delight for these and other wool products.

This review was performed and written by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

From the website: The Glamourmom® Nursing Bra Tank was born in 2000 about two months after I began nursing my first daughter. I had desperately searched for a nursing top  that provided full support, easy access to my breasts and discretion for my post-partum belly, which I could then wear beneath my pre-pregnancy shirts as my shape returned,. Finding nothing, out of frustration I designed what did not yet exist on the market, a tank top with a built-in nursing bra. I just loved it, and so did many new mothers around the world.

The Glamourmom Nursing tank top has quickly become a staple of my wardrobe.  In fact, I may need more of them! I had the opportunity to review the full bust style nursing tank top (which is available up to a size J cup).  It is great because there is an actual built in bra that allows you to adjust the tightness under your bust, just like a normal bra.  Also, you can adjust the straps, which helps to make it more supportive than most tank tops with built in bras and the full bust style also has a wider strap for extra comfort and support.  The hook closure is really easy to clasp and unclasp one handed, which is a plus.  The tank top itself is longer than most, which was great because I could use it right after I gave birth and still had a belly and I knew it was still going to cover my belly.

I have used this Glamourmom Nursing tank top many times in the few weeks that I have had my daughter and have been happy with the quality of the material, the design of the built in bra and ease of the top for nursing.  When you unclasp to nurse, there is still a little fabric on either side of your breast, which provides you with a little more coverage if you are nursing in public.  This is great but I wish the opening was a little larger, as I need to sometimes reposition my boob so the nipple is sticking out and my daughter can latch.  In my experience with this tank, it seems that if you are bordering one size and another, I would recommend choosing the larger size, as I was bordering sizes and chose the smaller size and found that it was too small.  The one thing that I also noticed is that the full bust style tanks have rouching between the breasts (the other nursing tanks do not have the rouching), which makes it more cute if you are wearing it alone.  I was worried about the rouching showing though because I mainly use this tank for layering underneath something else.  I have found that you really don’t notice the rouching under other clothes though so it’s not much of an issue.

Overall I would definitely recommend the Glamourmom Nursing Tanks and think that the Full Bust style is a great tank and provides good support to those with larger breasts (mine are a 36D before pregnancy and probably a 38D or 38DD while nursing).  I don’t feel like I’m unsupported, and I am someone who always likes my girls to be supported so that’s says a lot.  However, you do sort of end up with a slight uni-boob look, although it’s not as pronounced as I have seen with other nursing tanks.  So…great top for nursing, good design and quality and totally worth the money because you will find that it will definitely become a staple of your wardrobe as well!

Glamourmom has provided a free Nursing Bra Full Bust
Long Top for the purposes of this review.

Glamourmom is letting one lucky DDL reader choose a nursing tank of regular length in their size and choice of color! Closed

- Adjustable, spaghetti-style shoulder straps
- Stylish clasps sit flush to the fabric for a non-bulky look
- Designed to be worn underneath or on its own
- Available in sizes S-XL

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Glamourmom.com and tell me your favorite style of top besides the regular length or full bust tank top.  Make sure to check the limited stock for colors of the month!

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “You need a Glamourmom nursing tank in your nursing wardrobe!  Win one from @KimRosas. http://go76z.th8.us #bfing” Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have my New Baby Event button on your blog you get 3 extra entries.Leave a comment for each one!

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 5. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US and Canada***

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

Milkies Milk Saver is a silicone cup that collects your breast milk on your non-nursing side.  When I first heard about it, I honestly thought it was a little strange but interesting.  I know that I leak a lot but didn’t ever think about collecting the milk from the non-nursing side while I breastfed.  Even once I read about it, I questioned how much I would actually collect while breastfeeding.

When I got the Milk Saver, I made sure to try it out while I was at home.  It does say on the website that you can slip it easily in your bra and it will be unnoticeable, but I wasn’t so sure.  After positioning it, I did find that it was mostly unnoticeable, but you could see the edge just a bit.  I am not sure if it is something that I would try to do out in public anyway, but it was easy to use for when I am nursing at home.

After using it the first time, I was totally surprised at how much milk was collected in there!  It seemed to be about an ounce.  I couldn’t believe that I was essentially wasting that much milk on my non-nursing side when I breastfed!  I was pretty excited that I collected that much and after my daughter was done nursing, I went to go put her down in her swing so I could empty out my Milk Saver into a storage bag.  Well, when I bent over to put my baby down, all the milk spilled out of the top of the Milk Saver and onto my baby and the swing!  Haha.  So, I learned the hard way to take the Milk Saver out of my bra, and rest it in the case it came with, which also doubles as a stand.  Fantastic idea!

Since then I have continued to collect milk with the Milkies Milk Saver, yielding different amounts each time.  However, I can easily get a few ounces a day.  It’s amazing to me that all this milk was getting wasted each day.  This product would be great for mom’s who need or want to store milk for future use.  I have no particular reason for “needing” to save my milk since I am currently a SAHM, but now that I know how much I can collect in one day, which would otherwise go wasted into a breastpad, I make sure to grab my Milkies Milk Saver so I can collect whatever I can for future use.

If you aren’t lucky enough to win one, you can find Milkies on their website or on Amazon.com.  They run 25-30.00 for a set.

One DDL Reader will reader a Milkies Milksaver! closed

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Mymilkies.com to learn more about this innovative product.  Come back to tell me something you learned about the product or the company.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Tired of wasting breastmilk?  Win a Milkies Milksaver from @KimRosas.  http://786iw.th8.us #breastfeeding”  Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have the New Baby Event button on your blog you get (3) extra entries. Leave 3 separate comments.

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 1. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.  The reviewer was not compensated for this review however she was sent a Milkies Milksaver free of charge.  Please note that companies are in charge of sending the item to the winner once they are notified.

***Open to US and Canada***

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

I wore my older daughter a lot and I knew I would be wearing my new daughter as much, if not more than my first. I hadn’t tried a lot of different carriers originally but knew I wanted to experiment more this time around. I was given the opportunity to review the Sleepy Wrap baby carrier and was pretty excited about it.

It is similar to other fabric wraps in that it is one really long piece of fabric that you wrap around your body in different ways to achieve different ways of holding your baby. This can be a little daunting for the babywearing newbie, but they do give good illustrated instructions to help you out and once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to figure out the different wraps or positioning. The fabric is super comfy (I was trying out the organic style) and stretchy, which is good and not so good. It’s good because it’s really nice to be able to make the wrap tight and have your baby all snug and secure in there, but it’s not so good because I found that after wearing my daughter for a while, she started to sag a little lower. I think that this is something that people will learn through trial and error and the wrap probably just needs to be tied really tightly. There probably will be a period of adjustment though where it’s a little too tight in the beginning but once they sag a little, it will be a perfect fit. It is definitely comfortable to wear for long periods of time though as long as you initially tie it tight enough to not end up with lots of sag from their weight. Because of the stretchy nature of the fabric, I don’t think I would intend to use this wrap for a heavier kid, although it does evenly distribute the weight of the child well.

There are many great advantages of the Sleepy Wrap though. It’s nice because it’s essentially a “one-size-fits-all” kind of wrap because it’s a long piece of fabric and you can custom fit it to your body. If you are tiny, you will end up with a lot of extra fabric but it can easily be tied so it’s not in your way. I was also able to nurse my daughter while she was in the Sleepy Wrap. It was pretty discreet but it takes a bit of finesse to be able for me to do it. I think with practice it would be easy to nurse discreetly using it. The fabric is lightweight and comfortable for both myself and my baby but any wrap style carrier may not be ideal for someone in hotter climates due to the amount of fabric wrapped around you.

My daughter loved being in the carrier and often fell asleep quickly when I was wearing her in it. Because it was so comfortable, I was able to wear her for long periods of time…while cleaning my house, playing with my other daughter or just relaxing on the couch (which didn’t happen as often as I would like! haha).

To view the many sizes, shapes, ages, of babies being wrapped snuggly in a Sleepy Wrap I highly recommend visiting the Sleepy Wrap Photo Gallery.

Sleepy Wrap is giving one lucky DDL reader an Organic Sleepy Wrap in either Khaki or Natural. Closed

Mandatory Entry:

Become a fan of Sleepy Wrap on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did.

-and/or-

Go to Sleepywrap.com and let me know something you learned about babywearing safety. Leave a comment.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Snuggle your baby close in a @sleepywrap.  Enter to win from @KimRosas http://odexy.th8.us #babywearing.”  Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Follow @SleepyWrap on Twitter.  Leave a comment.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have the New Baby Event button on your blog you get (3) extra entries. Leave 3 separate comments.

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on March 29. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US and Canada***

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

It isn’t too often that you find a product that is unbelievably cute…but is also very useful as well.  The Cozy Cocoon is a product that is both.  The cozy cocoon is made of stretchy cotton and is used to swaddle a baby, without straps, snaps or Velcro.  You scrunch it up like a sock and slip it over the baby, starting at the feet.  It keeps them swaddled nice and tight.

About Cozy Cocoon:

Photo taken from cozycocoon.com

More than just a product, the Cozy Cocoon® is an idea, which is that by swaddling our newborns with comfort and beauty, we encourage healthy development of the senses and we nurture the child’s adjustment out of the womb and into the world. By this means, Cozy Cocoon® supports parents in building a strong foundation for the child’s developing sense of self in the world. When babies are tucked into the Cozy Cocoon® there is no jerking, startling movement, and no skin-irritating synthetic fabrics to startle them out of their dreamy reverie and into the rollicking world. Our softly-colored, natural organic fabric into which baby is completely tucked and held, is the most natural progression from out of the womb and into the arms of the caregiver. The idea of the Cozy Cocoon rests on the wisdom of ancient and indigenous cultures that finds a unique expression in our own time, not based on replication of old ideas, but by recognizing that in our modern times we need modern solutions to the most basic and beautiful of life’s experiences ~ bringing new life into the world.

Kristen's Daughter wearing a Cozy Cocoon in the hospital.

I started using the Cozy Cocoon on my newborn daughter when she was only 2 days old.  I got so many comments from the nurses at the hospital and also from friends who visited about how adorable she looked in it and many people asked what it was.  It did take a time or two to be able to master getting it up and over her, but was easy for both myself and her father, who notoriously hates swaddling because of all the wrapping and Velcro usually involved.  Using the Cozy Cocoon, you don’t need to worry about zippers or Velcro rubbing on your baby’s sensitive skin and you also don’t need to worry about the blanket coming unraveled because you didn’t wrap it tight enough or correctly.  The Cozy Cocoon is very useful because it keeps the baby calm and unable to have the “startle” reflex and I imagine it would also be very comforting to babies with colic as well.  The only downfall with some of the styles are that when you need to change a diaper (which is often with a newborn), you need to take it off completely.  There are some styles that are open at the bottom however, so that makes diaper changes really easy.

In addition to the cotton and organic swaddlers, Cozy Cocoon also offers couture swaddlers, which are adorable and are great to use for those prime photo opportunities.  Even if you don’t chose one of the couture styles, I find that every time I put one of the Cozy Cocoons on my daughter, I am reaching for my camera shortly after because I just can’t resist the photo op!

You can find Cozy Cocoon on Amazon.com (My Aff. Link)

I am very excited to share my next post with you.  Out of every product imaginable out there for new moms, I believe this one should make it to every one of them.  Kristen (DDL Contributor) and I both wrote reviews about My Brest Friend because we love it so much.  At the end of this post there is a giveaway as well!

About My Brest Friend:

My Brest Friend’s patented, wrap-around design has made fans in over 20 countries where it is sold, as well as being used in hundreds of NIC units and birthing hospitals. It is the #1 choice of lactation consultants, is sold by La Leche League, and consistently earns raves among nursing mothers, many of whom tell us our pillow has helped them achieve longer holding and feeding cycles with their babies. My Brest Friend has helped over 1,000,000 moms breastfeed their babies. Our stylish new prints and fabrics make My BrestFriend the perfect item to register for or give as a gift.

Kristen’s Story

The Brest Friend pillow has been a great aid in the success of breastfeeding my second daughter.  It is a wrap around style pillow that has a clip closure to hold the pillow on to you, even when you are standing.  It is adjustable so it should fit people of all sizes.  This is a great feature of the pillow because it means you can be mobile and breastfeeding and have the support of the pillow so your arm doesn’t get as tired.  The Brest Friend Pillow is nice because it is made of a sturdy foam with a cover over it.  The foam is molded to have areas to help position the baby’s head better, which is sometimes helpful and sometimes kind of weird.  I noticed that you really need to position the baby right in order to make the molded head rests useful.

I really enjoy using it when I breastfeed my daughter and it makes working at the computer easier because I can rest the pillow on my desk and still have at least one hand for typing.  It also has a pocket, which you can put a remote control, water, tube of lanolin or whatever else in there.  One thing that is a little frustrating is that sometimes I wont buckle the pillow around me but then need it to be, or other times I do buckle it around me but it gets in the way of things.  Of course, that is mostly my own fault and it is a nice option to have.  Washing the cover for it is easy; however it took some work to get it back on there correctly.  I think with practice I would get better at figuring it out though.

The Brest Friend pillow is better than other breastfeeding pillows that I have used with my first baby.  The molded foam and the ability to clip it around your body make it more useful and helps to position the baby better than other pillows, which makes breastfeeding a more pleasant experience.

Kim’s Story

I also wanted to share my own experience with the My Brest Friend pillow.  Like most moms I received a Boppy pillow at my baby shower so I never felt the need to research breastfeeding pillows.  In fact, I always assumed I would use a Boppy because that was what I saw at the stores.  I had seen the My Brest Friend once at Babies ‘R Us, but frankly I thought the name was a little funny and never gave it a second look.

Fast forward to after having my son, and having extreme latch troubles.  I used a shield for many weeks, and went back and forth between stacks of pillows on my lap and the boppy.  My tiny newborn baby kept falling into the hole of the Boppy, and it had no support for me.  I finally did a little research on My Brest Friend after hearing the buzz about it online.  Once I read the customer testimonials I knew I had to have one.

I found an AMAZING deal from an online store that was closing their doors forever.  I saved over half and bought both the regular pillow and the travel one.

In a few days the pillow arrived.  The baby and I had been working at breastfeeding for about 5 weeks and just weaned from the shield.  His latching was on and off, sometimes he got it and sometimes my nipples wanted to separate from my body.  I immediately unboxed it and used it for the next session.

My first thought was “Ahhh….. lumbar support, where have you been all my life?!?!”  The difference for my back, which still had to hunch over with the Boppy, was feeling amazing.  I honestly started keeping the pillow on because it felt better than regular sitting.  When my husband came home I chattered on about the pillow and how it was the best investment I had ever made!  And it was.

The pocket was used quite a bit because I nursed my son on the couch for every session, even in the middle of the night.  I kept my remote inside and a burp cloth.

The bump for the baby’s head did work well for me and aided his latching.  I noticed an improvement after we started using the pillow, and I credit proper positioning from the pillow for that.

My only qualm with the pillow was having to put the cover back on after washing it.  My son spit up like a maniac, and the pillow was often drenched.  I dreaded washing it because I knew it would be a 20 minute ordeal involving cursing to get the cover back on due to the unique shape and the foam, which is not slick.  The foam works against sliding the cover on.

Even with that issue, the My Brest Friend Pillow is a product I insist new moms get. I regret not having it from day one, as it may have helped our latch out and saved me a few weeks of excruciating pain.  My time with My Brest Friend is looked back on fondly, and I will be using it again for “shrimpy” in October 2010!

When planning The New Baby Event I knew I wanted to feature My Brest Friend.  I could write a review based on my own pillow, and Kristen shared her experience as well.  I wrote to them asking that they sponsor a giveaway.  Well…. they did!  If you aren’t lucky enough to win one you can also find them on Amazon.comand shop with my aff link.

My Brest Friend is giving one VERY lucky DDL reader a GREEN Deluxe My Brest Friend pillow!!!! CLOSED

New! Deluxe My Brest Friend Pillow

All the benefits of our original pillow, plus:

• Extra soft baby-plush fabric
• Double-featured strap with Velcro and silent-release buckle for easy, one-hand use
• Slipcover stays fresh through dozens of washes

Mandatory Entry:

Visit MyBrestFriend.com and tell me a fact you learned about the pillow.  The story of the pillow is great, I hope you will read it!

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Enter to win the best product for new moms, a My Brest Friend nursing pillow, from @KimRosas http://zcp99.th8.us”  Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have my New Baby Event button on your blog you get 3 extra entries.Leave a comment for each one!

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

Giveaway ends on March 25. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US and Canada***

Neither reviewer was sent a product or received any compensation.

This review is part of the New Baby Event and has been performed and written by DDL contributor Kristen.

I love quirky outfits for my daughters…things that are colorful and stand out.  Itzy Bitzy Zutano clothes are right up my alley.  The outfit came with pants, long sleeved body wrap shirt and matching hat.  It was funky and really well made.  I have had my daughter wear it many, many times because it’s just that cute and it has held up well in the wash.  The colors have retained their brightness, even with my lack of separating my laundry and lack of domestic prowess when it comes to all things laundry-esque.  The outfit was also really easy to dress my daughter in.  They really take design into account when creating the styles and they also take into consideration that preemies or other small weight babies may have tubes or other medical devices so there are many “easy access” points in the design of the clothing.

This line of newborn clothes comes in so many cute and funky patterns and fits newborns weighing 4-8 pounds.  The outfit my daughter wore was perfect sized for her and would fit a newborn really well (unless you have a larger newborn, in which case Zutano does make a 0-3 month size).  Being that I deliver babies that are on the smaller side of normal, it has been a struggle to find cute clothes that actually FIT when they are born.  The Itzy Bitzy line is perfect for parents of smaller newborns or preemies who want to dress their babies in style.

About Zutano Itzy Ritzy:

Itzy Bitzy is Zutano’s premier line of newborn and preemie clothing. This adorable and very special collection has been meticulously designed to fit brand new babies in their first days of life. With two available sizes that fit both 4-8 pounds and 9-13 pounds, Itzy Bitzy is very versatile and flexible.

As part of our New Baby Event Zutano would like one reader to win a 75.00 Gift Card to their Itzy Bitzy Boutique.  *** Gift card only applies to 0-3 Month Sizes.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Zutano’s Itzy Bitzy Boutique and come back telling me your favorite pattern or outfit and if you would use a Gift Card for yourself or to buy a gift.  Leave a comment.

***if you have won a gift card from Zutano within the past 6 months
you are not eligible.***

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Zutano and @KimRosas are giving away a 75.00 GC to the Itzy Bitzy Boutique for adorable newborn clothes. http://ohqox.th8.us”  Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

Giveaway ends on March 22. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US and Canada***

The reviewer was not compensated for this review, however the outfit sent was kept free of charge.