Baby Archives - Simplistic Chic

10 Ways to Support Pregnant Loved Ones During COVID-19

• By candicess

By Guest Contributor, Emily Graham

Pregnancy is difficult enough at the best of times — but during a pandemic — expectant mothers are faced with additional challenges and concerns surrounding the health and safety of themselves and their babies. And if your partner, friend, spouse, or daughter is expecting, she’ll need your love and support as she navigates the remainder of her pregnancy. These 10 resources will help you give her the support she needs!

3 Ways to Offer Support

These three resources will help you to be the supportive friend, spouse, partner, or parent your pregnant loved one needs during this exciting but challenging time in her life.

Organize a drive-by baby shower for your expectant loved one, or combine the party with a virtual event.
Help your pregnant loved one with her grocery shopping each week, or have groceries shipped directly to her home with services from Instacart, Walmart Grocery, or Shipt.
Share these 17 resources with your expectant loved one to help her with everything from tracking the latest coronavirus information, connecting with other parents in a safe online setting, and finding virtual prenatal classes.

Gift Ideas for Moms-to-Be

Help your expectant loved one to prepare for the arrival of her new baby with these great gift ideas.

Purchase a subscription box to boost your pregnant loved one’s well-being during the pandemic.
Give your expectant loved one the Lucille Maternity and Nursing Nightgown from Kindred Bravely, a comfortable and pretty lingerie piece for pregnant or postpartum mothers.
Choose from 29 thoughtful gift options for mothers-to-be, including a baby monitor, pregnancy journal, and foot massager.

Additional Resources

These additional resources will help to keep your expectant or postpartum loved one safe and healthy throughout her pregnancy.

If you have a loved one who is pregnant during these times, there are so many ways to support her and ensure that she’s cared for physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether you help with her grocery shopping or host a drive-by baby shower with friends and family members, your support will mean more to her than you can imagine.

Have any other ideas? Tell us below!

*Featured image via Unsplash.com

Baby, Wellness

Black Breastfeeding Week

• By candicess

This week (August 25th-31st) has been #blackbreastfeedingweek and I could not let it go by without sharing my own experience.⠀My journey with Benjamin was a joyful and tiring 7 months long. After going back to work, my supply gradually went down and I was sooo sad.

Breastfeeding and pumping around the clock was tough, but I could tell how much he loved it and I wanted to keep going but….

My body said otherwise and I was just grateful for the 7 month journey.

Why do we need a Black Breastfeeding Week, you might be wondering? Here are 5 important reasons:⠀

1️⃣ High Black Infant Mortality Rate.black infant mortality rate is greatly contributed to by babies being too small, too sick or born too soon. The CDC estimates that increasing the rate of breastfeeding among black women could decrease the black infant mortality rate by 50%⠀

2️⃣ High Rate Of Diet-Related Disease.Many of the health conditions that plague the black community are ones that breastfeeding has been shown to prevent; such as SIDS and childhood obesity.⠀

3️⃣ Lack of Diversity in Lactation Field.There is a lack of diversity amongst breastfeeding professionals which feeds into the incorrect idea that black women don’t breastfeed. And it also leads to a cultural divide.⠀

4️⃣ Unique Cultural Barriers Among Black Women.The history of breastfeeding in the Black community has a lot of trauma which also feeds into the culture of breastfeeding while black today. Black women who were enslaved were often forced to breastfeed their slave owners children while their own babies starved.⠀

5️⃣ Desert-like Conditions in Communities.Food deserts mean that women do not have access to healthy food that supports breastfeeding.⠀Stats and facts courtesy of www.blackbreastfeedingweek.org and the CDC.

What was your breastfeeding journey like? What resources or tips did you wish you had?

Baby, Wellness

Skin Care: Natural Laundry Detergent

• By candicess

Hey loves! I know it’s been a minute or two since I have posted. Mommy life, work life, and wife life were taking up every second of my 24 hours, and to be honest I was having a difficult time finding the energy to log on and post. At the end of the day, even my fingers were exhausted but, here I am!

Today I’m sharing my top picks for natural laundry detergent.

Books All About Money Your Kids Will Love

• By candicess

Summer is here, (virtual) school is out, and you and the kiddos could use some downtime and relaxation. While you take time out to reset and have some quality family time, this is your reminder that summer break is also a great time to continue to teach your kids about the value of money and how to make it work for them. You may think they are too young or will not understand, but the sooner these financial lessons are learned, the better chance our little ones have of not making the same money mistakes we did.

Here are some fun, educational books all about financial lessons your children will love to read!

1. The Berenstain Bears: Dollars and Sense

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

A classic Berenstain Bears story that teaches young children about money and how to be responsible. how to save, count, keep track of money, and behave responsibly.

Age Range: 3-7 years

2. Little Critter: Just Saving My Money

by Mercer Mayer

When Little Critter has his eyes on a new skateboard, Dad tells him that he will have to save his own money to buy it. This book teaches children all about saving with a goal in mind.

Age Range: 3-7 years

3. Lily Learns About Wants and Needs

By Lisa Bullard

This is an excellent financial literacy book for young children. Financial lessons were simplified using daily life situations that kids often encounter. The illustrations and supporting texts help kids understand real-life examples and triggers thoughts on how to make smart money decisions.

Age Range: 5-8 years

4. Finance 101 For Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford To Miss

By Walter Andal

This book gives older children a more comprehensive breakdown about finance and economics. Using easy-to-understand language and interesting illustrations, the book gives important lessons on the different ways to handle money responsibly.

Age Range: 9-12 years

Which tools and resources have you been using or would like to start using to teach your little ones about money?