Working Moms

Expecting Mamas – wondering what to pack in your hospital bag? Look no further. We’ve put together our faves so you’ll be prepared to welcome your little one.

Childbirth is incredible and amazing. Growing and delivering a human being is an experience like no other.  What we’ve noticed though, is that most people forget to mention the less glamorous, but very REAL parts of childbirth. Our list covers the comfort basics and also some nice to haves for your recovery after labor and delivery.

Below are items that we like to consider comfort basics.

• Lip balm – a little happiness for your dry, chapped lips
• Flip flops or comfy socks – for walking around the hospital room and hallways
• Nightgown – even better if it has a nursing bra built in especially if you want to try breastfeeding
• Nursing top and maternity leggings or pajama pants – yes, you’ll still need maternity clothes post birth
• Large water bottle with a straw – it’s important to drink a lot and often
• Toiletries kit – toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash and a hairbrush
• Outfit for bringing baby home – if it is winter be sure to pack blankets or a jacket as well
• Cell Phone fully charged with your favorite music – labor can be long so it is nice to have some comfort music
• Phone chargers – bring phone chargers, backup batteries, whatever you might need to keep your electronics in working order. You won’t want to miss a photo op of the baby!

The hospital may give you some of these items, but we’ve heard from a lot of women and hospital supplies vary quite a bit. It is better to be prepared – plus, you’ll definitely need these things when you return home so be sure to stock up!

• Breast pads – Whether you’re breastfeeding or not, chances are you’ll have some milk coming in and will be a leaky mess. The hospital may give you some, but if you like to be prepared you might want to have some on hand. Medela makes nice disposable ones.
• Nipple Cream – this works wonders to keep your nipples from getting to cracked (and hopefully prevents bleeding). Lovely, isn’t it?
• Witch Hazel Pads – helps with those pesky and painful hemorrhoids
• Brief TransitionsTM Disposable Postpartum Mesh Underwear – of course, these have to get a mention. Stretchy, comfortable and life-altering (for me at least) during recovery. Your hospital might give you some (of varying quality) so be sure to pick up more from yours truly! 
• Squirt Bottle – The squirt bottle will be used to clean all of your privates. Yes, you will be leaking and bleeding and all that good stuff. Warm water in your squirt bottle will make you feel better – not as good as your first shower though! Either take yours from the hospital (it will otherwise go in the garbage) or get one to have on hand at home.
• Extra large, heavy pads – yes, things get ugly after childbirth. Pads will help to collect the mess. You’ll get these at the hospital, but it is important to have some ready and waiting for you at home as well.

The mesh underwear needs another brief mention.

If you don’t know our story, part of how Brief Transitions came to be is that I ran out of these precious things at home. I couldn’t find any to purchase and I would have given my right arm to be able to buy some (not my baby though, don’t worry).  I ended up buying granny panties and cut the elastic so I wouldn’t have too much pressure on my incision. Now, some women wear them for a short time and are ok with that, but I wore them until they wore out or got too gross and I had no other choice but to throw them away. After I had my daughter I wanted to be able to provide these essential postpartum mesh underwear to other new moms. On a road to recovery, it is the small things that get you through and that is what the mesh undies mean to me.

So if you aren’t pregnant right now, but your BFF is and you want to be an incredible friend – get her some of these undies – STAT! You might even win the best/most unique gift at her shower! 😉

Have any other essentials that you recommend? Let us know in the comments below!

Brief Transitions has had quite the year!! Thank you to everyone for your incredible support.

In 2018, we partnered with some AMAZING women-owned businesses such as Mombox, Mommy Totes, and Sunflower Motherhood. They are all doing an incredible job helping to support new mothers and their recovery postpartum!

I started Brief Transitions out of my own need for more underwear after the birth of my first daughter. As we just celebrated her 5th birthday last week, looking back on this whole journey has me amazed.

It took a few years before Brief Transition came to be since we all know that this doesn’t happen overnight. The journey of recovering from an emergency C-section, getting comfortable speaking about my recovery openly, being annoyed enough at the lack of supplies to take action and bring something to market to serve other moms – have all brought me incredible growth and strength. In hindsight, I also believe it has made me a much better mother to both of my girls (don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments of trying to practice patience 😉 )

I am humbled by the amount of support that has come in 2018 as well. Being featured on Like A Boss Girls – 5 Women Revolutionizing the Personal Care Industry was an incredible moment for me. I look up to so many people and I can only hope that even one person is inspired by my story enough to take action for their own life.

I have some exciting things coming up in 2019 (hint, hint, new and improved product for you!! YESS!) I look forward to serving more mothers in 2019! And for any expecting moms reading this – hang in there…the best is yet to come!

xoxo
Mary

Today I’m writing about my 5 top biz tips for new entrepreneurs to rock 2018. As I reflect on 2017 so many things come to mind – celebrating my younger daughter’s first birthday, starting a business selling postpartum mesh underwear, meeting a network of AMAZING women entrepreneurs and learning a crazy amount of new things. I am so beyond grateful for all of the new experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met!

Along with those projects, 2017 was also about family. I spent time working with my dad on launching the WindoShelf for indoor gardening – a vision that he had, designed and executed for years while most people thought he was crazy (even us as times, I’ll admit). I also cheered on my mom as she followed her passion and became the owner of Sara’s Bridal Boutique. 2017 was definitely a big year!

From all of those experiences I wanted to share my 5 Top Tips for New Entrepreneurs. Here goes!

• Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe. I believe in this SO strongly. Your open mindedness and willingness to have new experiences makes such a difference in your mental state and the opportunities that come your way. I met SO MANY incredible women in a local mom entrepreneurs group and I am so thankful for that. The journey of entrepreneurship is challenging and will test your strength. The best way to get through those times is to have people around that lift you up.
• Don’t Overspend. It is tempting (and necessary at times!) to spend money on your business. There are SO many resources out there – especially for new entrepreneurs. Be mindful of where you spend your money and what you are investing in. It’s easy to lose it all quickly in monthly subscriptions or the latest tools. Decide where you spend your money by asking yourself what you intention is and how this expense will get you to where you want to go. I am continuously critical of how I spend/invest my money and I think that is part of what has allowed me to get to the next level in my business.
• Practice Self Care. I feel like there are a lot of buzzwords for entrepreneurs around mindfulness, self-care, etc. They became buzzwords because of realities – fast paced environments, technology always at our fingertips and pressure of keeping up with the Jones’ (perfect Insta pics, anyone?). Taking time out and time off from your business is essential. Break away and take a break. Come back refreshed and rejuvenated. Your biz will thank you for it and so will your family.
• Plan Your Time. The times that I felt the most lost were the times that I strayed from my plans. It is easy to get lost if you get sidetracked. Getting sidetracked can quickly turn into overwhelm. This isn’t about big picture plans/goals. I’m talking about straying from the daily tasks. Consistency is key so planning out and executing against your plans will keep you on track and moving towards your bigger goals. As the year went on I got better about planning my time. I still get sidetracked – doesn’t everyone?! – but I’m able to identify it earlier and set myself back on track much more quickly than when I first started out.
• Keep Learning. Part of running a successful business is being able to grow and change with the times. I was able to grow exponentially this year by leveraging all of the information I consumed. Learning from mentors, coaches, peers, and experts by reading articles, listening to podcasts and attending conferences are all great ways to grow. Finding your favorite way to consume information and fitting it into your schedule will help you stick to your plan and grow at the same time!

With those learnings, I’d like to add a special note to my husband – who probably won’t even read this because he’s not on social media – thank you for all of your support, for believing in me, for calmly dealing with my stressful moments and for being an amazing father to our two girls. Without you, I would not be where I am today. May we have many more years on this crazy journey together.

Happy New Year, Friends! Here’s to a great 2018!

Have a top biz tip from 2017 that you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments!

On the blog today, are 5 top tips for pumping breast milk at work. Going back to work after having a baby can be a pretty crazy and stressful time for new moms. Add breastfeeding and pumping to the mix and it makes it even crazier.

I’m not a fan of mom judgment and all of that nonsense. Don’t women have enough to deal with? We’re running a household, caring for children, being a wife, mother, sister, friend…the list goes on and on. We need to support each other as best as we can, and to me that means not spreading mom guilt. I mention that because people have very different opinions on breastfeeding and formula. I’m in the camp of fed is best. What if someone can’t breastfeed? She might have had an illness, no milk came in, or she just wasn’t up for it at a time when so many other things in her life were changing (let’s face it – breastfeeding can be pretty damn hard). Who are we to judge?

I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with both of my girls until they were 5 months old. After a few visits to pediatricians and lactation consultants, we learned that my first daughter wouldn’t transfer milk while breastfeeding. She was latching, but for some reason wasn’t strong enough to pull the milk out correctly. Knowing that a lot of my friends breastfed their children and feeling the stress of wanting to do what was “best” for my baby, I made the decision to pump exclusively. This meant being strapped to a pump for quite a large portion of the day. As my daughter grew, she needed more milk so I needed to increase my supply by pumping more often. I have so many videos from when she was young where I can hear the whirring of the pump in the background. Anyone that has pumped before knows what I’m talking about.

Photo Credit: Laura Legg Photography

Looking back, I realize this was a way for me to keep my focus on something that I could control during such a turning point in my life. I do feel happy and proud that I was able to pump and provide her breastmilk for 6 months. Looking back, however, I see that I put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself and likely missed some fun moments with her as a result (being strapped to the pump and all that…).

I did pump for about a month after I went back to work. My job provided me with a mother’s room, which included a comfortable chair and a small refrigerator to store the milk. I’ve heard about quite a range of places that mothers have had to pump in – either at work or when they are out. Depending on your state the employer requirements for providing a room to pump in may vary. Also, some jobs have a little more flexibility for making a schedule that fits your baby’s needs. It may be a little more difficult with a job such as nursing or teaching. Another option is to supplement with formula when you’re away from the baby.

Here are my top tips for going back to work while breastfeeding/pumping:

1. Keep all of your pump parts in a bag and pack them the night before. \Anything to save me time in the morning helped tremendously. Packing my pump parts the night before allowed me to grab my bag and go in the morning.
2. Grab an ice pack in the morning to put in your bag – especially if you don’t have a refrigerator available to you at your office. This will keep the milk cold during the day until you can get back home to use or properly store the milk.
3. Keep extra pump parts in your desk, otherwise, be ready to go to the baby store. The day will come when you forget a piece of your pump parts. For me, I always forgot the little white membranes. A small piece, but the pump doesn’t work at all without it. I eventually kept a small pack of extras in my desk so that if I forgot to put them back on my pump after cleaning it I still had some extras to use.
4. Set a schedule. If you have an office job, block your calendar for the times that you plan to pump. That way you can keep your supply consistent by pumping at the same time every day.
5. Store the pump bottles in a Ziploc bag. While you’re at work you most likely won’t have time to wash your pump parts. Keep them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator. This will keep the leftover milk that is in the bottles cold and you can use the same parts for your next pumping session.

As with pretty much all areas of motherhood, remember to do what works best for you and your family. There’s no right or wrong way to go about this. If you’re trying to do something that is extremely stressful, it could decrease your milk supply and also be hard on the baby. Babies are very aware of their surroundings and their mother’s feelings so if you are stressed, they will be stressed too.

Here are some other great resources about going back to work when pumping:

https://www.workingmother.com/game-changing-pumping-hacks-for-working-moms#page-4

http://redtri.com/bump-baby/new-moms-survival-guide-for-going-back-to-work/

http://www.workpumprepeat.com/

Did you go back to work after having a child? How was your transition? Share your tips in the comments below!



When I found out that I was pregnant, each phase brought new joys as well as challenges and believe it or not one of these joys was postpartum underwear. After my daughter was born, going back to work was one of those challenging times. For any working mothers out there, I hope you can relate to this new blog series: Working Moms.

If you’re not a mother yet or don’t plan on becoming one, you may still learn a thing or two by reading this section. At the very least, it might give you a little more insight into what new moms are juggling when they go back to work. Who knows – you might have one of them as a coworker at some point and wouldn’t it be great to have a glimpse of where they are coming from?

It’s complicated and tough to be a working mother, but it’s also great. I honestly believe that. There are endless decisions to make, and you need to do what works best for you and your family.

While I love my children, I also enjoy going to work. It gets me out of the house and I get to talk with other adults. I went back to work when my daughter was 5 months old. I was lucky enough to spend time with her during those early months and I’m so glad I did. If you have the opportunity to do that I highly recommend it. I know that this isn’t the case for most working women and I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity.

As I adjusted to my new normal of being a working mother, I thought about my recovery struggles, adjusting to constantly changing routines, what I’ve learned so far and how I could help other women. I found it was the small things that got me through – including the comfortable, postpartum underwear. Those postpartum underwear were so special to me – they were helpful in a time that I needed it most. I had a few extra pairs from the hospital and when they ran out I couldn’t find more. As I thought of ways to help other moms I decided that making these postpartum underwear more readily available would be a way to provide a small comfort during a significant time in a woman’s life.

This series is going to cover a range of topics including pregnancy while working, going back to work with a newborn and tips from moms. I would love for you to share your tips with us as well.

Welcome to the blog. I hope you enjoy it!