by Sarah Jividen | Nov 18, 2018 | Nurse Gifts, Nurse Life, Nurse Scrubs & Accessories
Here are the best holiday gifts for pregnant nurses! These gifts are perfect for both baby showers and holiday gifts. We all know that nurses are amazing caregivers by nature. Why not celebrate with a gift that reflects all of her many talents? Give your pregnant nurse mama friend something that reflects both motherhood and her dedication to helping others as a nurse.
*Post contains affiliate links.
Best Holiday Gifts For Pregnant Nurses:
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Clothing For The Pregnant Nurse
The saying is true: when a nurse becomes a mom, nothing scares her anymore. By then, you have seen everything imaginable and then some. That’s just one of the reasons that nursing is such a great career for mothers.
The nurse mom is going to need something cozy and comfortable to wear while spending time with her new bundle of joy. These great gifts provide comfort while also reminding the nurse mom that she is capable of so many great things.
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Coffee Or Tea Mugs
Once a nurse becomes a mother, sleep becomes even more scarce. In fact, it’s a little like working the day shift and the night shift every single day! There is a very good chance that she will be drinking more coffee than ever before. These gifts will not only help her enjoy a warm beverage but are also a reminder of the incredible courage that she possesses.
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Children’s Books
Children’s books are a thoughtful gift for any expecting mother. These books can help children understand what mom does at work all day. There is nothing better than opening communication with a child by sharing their mother’s experiences as a nurse.
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Nurse Mom Gear For Work
Many nurse moms eventually go back to work after maternity leave ends. It can be a challenging time for mothers who are concerned with being gone from their babies for 12-hour shifts. These gifts are a reminder that nurse moms have many jobs, both in the workplace and at home.
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Additional recommended reading:
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by Sarah Jividen | Jul 11, 2018 | Breast Feeding, Nurse Life, Nurse Mom Life, The-Motherhood, Working Mom
(This post about pumping essentials contains affiliate links. You can find my disclosure policy here.)
So you have made it through the first few months of breastfeeding a newborn. Congratulations! You are doing a great job, MamaMama!
But now a new change is looming on the horizon: your maternity leave is slowly creeping to an end. And you are wondering how you are going to continue providing your dear baby with their primary source of nutrition, breast milk.
And, like me, there is probably a big question going through your head right about now:
What pumping essentials do I nee when I go back to work?
I had so many concerns about being a “pumping mom,” and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how I was going to make it happen without a ton of stress. But I knew I needed to be prepared. I am a registered nurse, and I work hectic twelve-hour shifts. Like most pumping moms who work, I don’t have time not to be prepared.
I am happy to share that I have been successfully pumping as an ER nurse in a very busy level 1 trauma center for the last four months. And I still can’t believe how well it is going! Sure, there have been a few minor hiccups along the way (like forgetting my breast pump at home, whoops!). But overall, the experience has been way better then I would have thought.
I now know that I will be able to continue pumping breast milk for my baby for as long as I desire. I want other working moms to know that they can do this too. (Read more about what I have learned about pumping at work as a nurse).
![Pumping essentials for pumping at work](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Circular-Focus-476x1024.jpg)
Pumping essentials for pumping at work
Top 9 pumping essentials you need when you go back to work:
This pumping essential is the highest on the list, for obvious reasons. Without it, you have no way to access your milk! I am using the Medela Freestyle portable pump because it is the one that my insurance covered, and it works great. You want to make sure that you have a double pump so you can pump both breasts at once to save time.
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Check with your insurance to see if they cover a portable breast pump before you buy one. I live in California, and my insurance gave me a breast pump free of charge!
(Just a note, the different brands do not work interchangeably with each other. So you want to make sure you find one brand you like and stick with it! Otherwise, you will end up with a bunch of parts that don’t work with one another. You don’t need your back to work pumping supply list to be any longer then it already is!)
You will need breast milk collection storage bottles to store your milk until you get home from work. I use the Medela bottles because I already use the Medela pump, but there are several other brands you can use as well. Just make sure the ones you are using are made without BPA (it’s a safer plastic that helps retain breast milk’s beneficial properties).
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I also like the Medela screw-on lids better than some other brands because they are leakproof. (I tried a different brand and had an issue with leakage all over my packed lunch!). You can wash them in the sink, and they are also dishwasher safe.
I like this nursing bra accessory because it makes it possible to double pump without having to hold the pumps with both hands. Once you start pumping, you will find that having to keep the pumps in place is annoying and makes it difficult to do anything else. This pumping essential will just make your life easier!
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This ingenious contraption can hook on to almost any nursing bra and make it a hands-free pumping bra as well! That way, you can still do other things like check email or scroll through your phone. Because let’s be honest, pumping can be pretty dull after a while!
After you pump, you need to make sure you have a place to store your breast milk until you get home. I always pack a lunch for work, so I just use my insulated lunch bag to store my milk. You can use any insulated storage bag.
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Engorgement is no joke. There have been a few times at work when I wasn’t able to pump on schedule, and I ended up leaking through my scrubs (you could barely see it but still!). As a result of that embarrassing experience, I started wearing nursing pads when I was at work.
I use reusable nursing pads made of bamboo because I have read that many disposable pads contain absorbent chemicals that come in direct contact with your skin. They also run the risk of trapping moisture, especially if you are leaking. This can increase the risk of mastitis, a very painful bacterial infection that will make you sick and can be dangerous if untreated. Disposable pads can also be expensive over time if you are frequently using them. I have 12 reusable nursing pads, and I run them through the washer and dryer with all my other clothes.
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The beautiful thing about pumping is that you can store your breast milk in the freezer! So even if you have a surplus of milk, you can put it away for later use. These little breast milk storage baggies are great because you can write the date on the top section, so you know how long they have been in the freezer.
Place them in the refrigerator for 12 hours before you need them to thaw them out. Or place them in a bowl of hot water for quicker use. These are on the high list of absolute must-have items to pump at work that you will need: I have used over 200 of them already!
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My freezer got a little overloaded with breast milk within the first few months that I was back at work, and this milk storage organizer helped me to keep things more organized. It also helped me keep the milk organized by date, so I make sure to use the oldest milk first.
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Your baby is going to need a way to drink your breast milk when you are not there, right? I tried so many different brands of bottles for our baby (there are so many!), but I finally settled on Dr. Brown’s newborn bottle feeding set. Different brands are NOT able to be used interchangeably with one another, so its a good idea to find a brand you like and stick with it. Otherwise, you end up spending a bunch of money on bottles and parts you don’t even need.
In the beginning, your baby will only need the 4-ounce bottles because they won’t be drinking as much milk. But as they grow, you need to switch to the 8 oz size. My son is six months and can take an entire 8 oz bottle in one feeding very easily.
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The Dr. Brown’s bottles have a blue vent system that is supposed to remove excess air bubbles from the milk. This supposedly helps reduce feeding problems like colic, spit-up, burping, and gas. Our daughter struggled with pretty severe colic and constant spit-up and switching to Dr. Brown’s bottles helped the situation tremendously. She still had some issues, but they were noticeably much better!
Take it one day at a time, Mama.
You may get overwhelmed, but you too can do this!
I hope these pumping essentials help to make your return to work much easier on you. There are a lot of products on the market, and it can be overwhelming for a mom who is preparing to go back to work from maternity leave. So, make it easier on yourself and have a plan in place before you go back to work (read more about how I pump at work as a registered nurse who works 12-hour shifts).
After successfully pumping at work with two babies, I have whittled down my list to include the things that have helped me the most. I hope this helps to guide you in the right direction to find what works for you too!
It is your legal right to continue to provide breast milk for your children and pump while you are at work. Do not let anyone tell you differently or make you feel guilty about it. Only you know what is right for you and your babies.
Good luck, Mama! Let me know how it goes as a pumping mom in the workplace, and please reach out to me if you have any questions. I would be happy to help you!
Additional recommended reading:
by Sarah Jividen | Jun 5, 2018 | Breast Feeding, Nurse Life, Nurse Mom Life, The-Motherhood, Working Mom
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure page here.
Are you wondering how to pump at work as a nurse who works long 12-hour shifts?
When I went back to work after my son was born, I was so nervous about when, where, and how to pump at work as a nurse who works long 12-hour shifts. I just couldn’t figure out how I was going to successfully make it happen when our RN workloads are already so intensive!
But, I am happy to report that I have been successfully pumping as an ER nurse in a hectic level 1 trauma center for the last two months. And to my surprise, it’s working! And I now know that I will be able to keep breastfeeding and pumping for my child for as long as I desire.
I am so relieved that I am still able to breastfeed and pump for my son as a busy nurse who works long 12-hour shifts. I want other nurses to know that they, too, can do this! That is why I am so excited to share what I have learned during my pumping journey at my hospital.
Additional recommended reading: Must-Have Items To Pump At Work
Nurse Moms, you can do this. Please read on to learn about how to pump at work as a nurse. If I can do it with my circumstances, you can too.
![How To Pump At Work As A Nurse When You Work 12 Hour Shifts How To Pump At Work As A Nurse When You Work 12 Hour Shifts](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/11-Reasons-Being-A-Working-Mom-Makes-Sense-526x1024.jpg)
How To Pump At Work As A Nurse When You Work 12 Hour Shifts
How To Pump At Work As A Nurse Who Works 12 Hour Shifts:
#1. Communicate with your charge nurse/administration that you will be pumping while at work.
Hospital administrators are not psychic and have no idea what your pumping needs are if you do not tell them about it. They may have no children or have ever breastfed, so this may be new for them. Discuss the frequency that you will need to pump and discuss a location that works for you. Ideally, it should be somewhere private on the unit like an unused office or empty patient room.
#2. Talk to the charge nurses before each shift, so they know in advance.
Figuring out how to pump at work as a nurse takes some pre-planning on your part. It is not a good idea to wait until things get busy to ask for a place to pump. Charge nurses have a lot to balance, too, so work with them and come up with a plan before all hell breaks loose on the unit!
#3. Have a pumping schedule in mind.
In a perfect world, pumping every three hours would be ideal. But that may not be possible for a busy hospital nurse with a crazy workload. Figure out a flexible “working” plan such as:
- 6:45 (before shift starts)
- 10 am
- 1 pm, or 2 pm (lunch break)
- 4 pm
- 7:30 pm (after shift ends)
It is almost impossible to follow any schedule exactly, but planning at least gives you a guideline.
#4. If you can afford it (and your workplace allows), try starting with two 12 hour shifts a week instead of 3.
I was nervous about being able to pump for three shifts a week successfully, so I decided to start with two. I am so glad I did. It has made pumping at work seem less stressful and more attainable. As a bonus, I get to spend a little extra time with my son as well. Once my son starts eating more solid food and is breastfeeding less, I will go back to working three.
#5. Work every other day.
Continually pumping away from your baby day after day might affect your breast milk supply. Talk to your administration about working every other day so you can breastfeed at home on the days in-between.
#6. Find out if your hospital has a designated pumping station.
At my workplace, and we have a pumping room for breastfeeding nurses that is located on the 5th floor. It is not ideal for me to go there during my shift because I work in the ER on the first floor, but sometimes I can make it there during my lunch break or before/after a shift. They have comfortable chairs with curtains so I can pump comfortably with privacy. They also have Medula breast pumps available for use.
#7. Find co-workers who you know will cover your patients for you when you need to pump.
One of the many reasons nurses don’t pump during their shifts is that they are concerned about their patient’s safety while they are gone. Hopefully, you have a trusted charge nurse or another co-worker you know can keep an eye on your patients so you can pump. Remember, it is your legal right to pump while at work, so no matter what your workplace needs to find someone to cover you. So far, I have been fortunate to have many other nurses that I trust to cover for me when I ask them.
This option isn’t for everyone, but it works for me! I can have complete control of my schedule, so I don’t end up working back-to-back shifts or night shifts while I am breastfeeding. It has also offered me a better work-life balance as a working mom.
#9. Be flexible, but stand up for your right to pump!
Due to the unpredictability of being a busy RN, you will need to be somewhat flexible when it comes to pumping during a 12-hour shift. But if you are not reasonably accommodated, you need to say so. It is your legal right to pump at work. Ultimately, you are the person responsible for making sure that your pumping needs are met while you are at work.
Essential Items to pump at work as a nurse:
This device is the highest on the must-have items to pump at work list, for obvious reasons. Without it, you have no way to access your milk! You want to make sure that you have a double pump so you can pump both breasts at once to save time.
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I like this nursing bra accessory because it makes it possible to double pump without having to hold the pumps with both hands. Once you start pumping, you will find that having to keep the pumps in place is annoying and makes it difficult to do anything else.
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After you pump, you need to make sure you have a place to store your breast milk until you get home. I always pack a lunch for work, so I just use my insulated lunch bag to store my milk. You can use any insulated storage bag.
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Engorgement is no joke. There have been a few times at work when I wasn’t able to pump on schedule, and I ended up leaking through my scrubs (you could barely see it but still!). As a result of that embarrassing experience, I started wearing nursing pads when I was at work.![](https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B077QY25BK&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=mothernurse0b-20)
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Additional recommended reading:
by Sarah Jividen | Dec 21, 2017 | Pregnancy, The-Motherhood
I’m officially in the “nesting phase” of pregnancy.
The American Pregnancy Organization describes nesting as when pregnant women feel the “overwhelming desire to get your home ready for your new baby.”
That is exactly me in a nutshell right about now.
![Bird making a nest](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Nesting-photo-2-300x225.jpeg)
I am “nesting” just like this mama bird trying to get her home organized for her babies
I had my 30 week appointment a few days ago. Our little man is measuring at 32 weeks and is already weighing in at a hefty 4lbs 7oz. That’s already more then our daughter Zoe weighed at birth and she was 7 weeks early! So it already looks like I’m going to have a big baby boy.
Aside from feeling like a blimp I would say everything is pretty great. I am still able to work without restrictions (I do however have to wear compression stockings to get through 12 hour ER shifts).
So now I’m embracing my new nesting phase.
Just in the past week I have really gotten down to business:
My house has never been so clean and organized.
Our house never really gets super messy, but I have been feeling the urge to clean and organize much more then usual. For example, before 7:30am this morning I had already vacuumed the house, finished a load of laundry and organized the kitchen cupboards.
Don’t get me wrong, I like a clean house. But I am way more into cleaning and organizing this week then I have been in a really long time.
I organized all my to-do lists on Trello
I am 99% paperless and hate having lists floating around my house. If it isn’t able to be easily accessed on my phone then I might as well not even have it. Especially now that I am a mom. Paper lists just aren’t practical anymore.
Recently I discovered an amazing app called Trello and it has revolutionized my organization and planning skills. Trello basically allows me to organize and prioritizes my to-do lists and projects using boards, lists and cards. It’s all on my phone and easy to access.
I easily organized my personal boards by: grocery lists, random to-do lists, house projects, new baby to do-lists, and blog to do list. Each list can be broken down into separate cards and you can make notes on each one.
For example, my blog board is separated into 3 separate topics: mom, nurse and website to-do. I can further organize my mom board into additional topics : baby/kid, mom, pregnancy, health, environmental. Then each of those is broken down with individual “cards” that I can add specific tasks to.
It sounds confusing but it is seriously the best for people who like to be organized and efficient. It has really helped enhance my “nesting” abilities.
I am purging anything I dont’ use or need.
I am really trying to minimize the stuff in our house. If it is not serving a purpose of bringing me joy in some way, it is leaving the Jividen household.
This week’s priority was my closet. If I haven’t worn it in a year, it got tossed. In fact, I have never owned so few clothes in my life. And it actually feels really good. Everything I have now I actually wear (or will wear as soon as I’m not a pregnant mama anymore).
Next stop: the garage! That will be a much bigger task.
I organized my kid’s closet.
Our kids are going to share a room for the foreseeable future (wish me luck on this one). Fortunately, the room has a nice sized walk-in closet with plenty of room for both kid’s wardrobes and storage.
Each child now has there own very organized side of the closet, split right down the middle. I even organized all their clothing by size and season. Nesting win.
In preparation for baby #2 I boxed up all of our daughter’s outgrown baby clothes into large bins, and they are ready for delivery to my other soon-to-be mama friends. They surely must also be in nesting mode and organizing like crazy like I am.
I had a 2nd crib delivered tonight.
Thank god for Amazon Prime. What in the world did mom’s do before it existed?
I am only 2.5 weeks away for the time I gave birth to Zoe at 33 weeks and 7 weeks prematurely. So I really don’t see this as jumping the gun at all because babies really can show up at any time.
Zoe may be a little confused as to why she has 2 cribs in her room now, but that’s OK. It will give her time to get used to it before another small human comes in.
We are buying a new car this weekend.
A Subaru Outback to be exact. After about a year of research into what the safest automobile is for small children, the Subaru Outback keeps coming back as the clear winner. I had one once before when I lived in Denver and they really are dependable and safe cars.
We will be donating my husbands car this weekend too.
My Christmas decorations are ready to be put up.
![Little Zoe smiling](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Zoe-smiling-240x300.jpg)
My nesting list includes decorating for Christmas as soon as it is socially acceptable. How can I resist when this little face is so excited about decorations?
This one has been HUGE for me this week. In my nesting frenzy, I am so excited to get ready for the holidays. Especially now that our 2 year old daughter is so ecstatic about special events and decorations. It just makes it so much more fun for me.
Seriously, if it wasn’t considered inappropriate I would have starting putting up our tree tonight (3 weeks before Thanksgiving). I just ordered a new, much larger tree since we have the space for it now and it was just delivered this afternoon.
On my Trello app I have already listed which new tree decorations I will be purchasing this week. I am so excited to get them and decorate that I can barely wait.
I’m not sure where this burst of extra energy is coming from.
But I’m going with it until the baby tells me I’m tired again. It’s not like I have any extra time or anything. I’m still working almost 40 hours a week as an emergency room nurse and I have a very energetic toddler at home.
I have read that there is an evolutionary component to the nesting phase that women have during there pregnancies. Apparently there have been several studies done on this maternal phenomenon. I experienced the same thing during my first pregnancy with my daughter. Only I had way more time to do it!
Whatever it is that is giving my ever-growing body an extra kick, Ill take it. I’m sure it won’t be long until I’m too big to even want to do a lot of these things. Until then, I will continue nesting away!
Sarah, Mother Nurse Love
by Sarah Jividen | Dec 21, 2017 | Pregnancy, The-Motherhood
Feeling your baby move can be one of the most exciting parts of a pregnancy. Its nice to have some confirmation that there is actually a tiny human in there!
But did you know that counting your baby’s kicks can help make sure they are healthy and possibly even prevent a tragedy?
There is strong evidence that counting fetal movements can reduce perinatal mortality in pregnancy.
Doing kick counts actually saved our baby girl’s life. If I hadn’t done them I wouldn’t have suspected that there was something terribly wrong and I wouldn’t have gone into the hospital.
When do moms start feeling fetal movements?
According to the American Pregnancy Organization you should start to feel some fetal movement between 18-25 weeks into pregnancy. For first-time moms, it may occur closer to 25 weeks, and for second or third-time moms, it may occur closer to 18 weeks or even a little earlier.
Why are fetal kick counts important?
![Sarah and little Zoe](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SarahFamily-125-e1513833074445-234x300.jpg)
Our daughter was not moving as much while doing fetal kick counts during my first pregnancy. Intervention at that time was life saving.
Doctors only see moms every two to four weeks. According to Dr. Diep Nguyen, a Los Angeles OB/GYN “fetal movement is the best indicator of pregnancy health and is the best yardstick in between those times. If the baby is not growing well, it probably will slow down its activity way before it will stop moving all together.”
My own OB/GYN has expressed the same information to me. Especially ever since my placental abruption during my first pregnancy at 33 weeks.
Now that I am due in January with our baby boy, there is a part of me that is afraid that some sort of catastrophe could happen again. But I am doing daily kick counts and I am reassured that our baby boy is kicking quite frequently. If for some reason he slows down or stops I know to go right to the hospital to have things checked out.
When will I feel the most movement?
Moms generally find that the baby is most active between the hours of 9pm and 1am due to declining blood sugar levels. You my also feel more fetal movement after meals or eating sugary foods.
I have always felt that it is easier to feel the baby move when I lay down and pay closer attention. It is also a nice time for baby bonding and just getting some well-deserved mommy rest. When I am busy and moving around a lot it is harder to pay attention to what is going on inside my uterus.
How should kick counts been done?
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that you time how long it takes you to feel 10 kicks, flutters, swishes, or rolls. Ideally, you want to feel at least 10 movements within 2 hours. You will likely feel 10 movements in less time than that.
How to do kick counts:
1. Lay on your left side.
2. Count how many minutes it takes for you to feel 10 fetal movements (once you get to ten you can stop counting).
3. Do this once a day around the same time. I do it right before bedtime when my daughter is already asleep so I am not interrupted.
Charting fetal kick counts
![Fetal kick count app](https://mothernurselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/fetal-app-180x300.png)
There are dozens of kick count apps to choose from, but this is the one I use.
You can use a calendar chart to document how many minutes it takes for you to feel 10 fetal movements. If your baby does not move at least 10 times in 2 hours or there is a sudden decrease in movement, you should contact your doctor right away.
There are dozens of fetal kick count apps available to make this even easier.
Having an app makes it so much easier. You can just set the time that you want to start doing kick counts and then tap on the phone each time you feel a kick. When you get to 10 kicks, the app tells you that you are done and records the total amount of time it took. The app also records the history of all your kick counting sessions so it is easy to review and see if there have been any decreases in activity.
Kick counting is an easy way to monitor baby’s well being in the womb.
Timely intervention after a mother complained of decreased fetal movements and the baby was found to be compromised on further evaluation has helped save many babies. I know from first hand experience that doing fetal kick counts can help divert a catastrophic event. It is always better to be safe then sorry!
Happy (and safe) pregnancy and thank you for reading!
Sarah, Mother Nurse Love