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www.thehipmom.com BREASTFEEDING AND WORK It’s time to head back to work, and as a new mom you’re faced with the challenge of working while continuing to breastfeed. A recent study showed that 29% of new mothers stopped breastfeeding due to work-related problems, such as no place to pump or store milk or fear that pumping causes negative views by co-workers. Wondering what to do? Dr. James Sears, a pediatrician and co-author of the “Baby Book,” offers five tips to ensure a smooth ride while transitioning to a working and breastfeeding mom. Five ways to make the change: 1. Use a quality electric breast pump. “Look for a pump where you can control speed and suction, which can enhance milk flow by mimicking your baby’s natural sucking pattern,” says Sears. Rather than manual pumping, the electric breast pump provides a better supply of the mother’s milk. 2. Start pumping early. Freeze and preserve milk about a month before returning to work. The best way to freeze breast milk is in plastic storage bags, such as Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bags. 3. Pump while at work. “It’s best to pump every three hours you’ll be away from your baby, and not to skip pumping sessions,” says Sears. 4. Make sure milk is stored correctly. When at work, store milk in a clean and secure place with the date and amount labeled. Depending on the temperature, breast milk can last around 10 hours at room temperature, 24 hours when covered with ice packs, eight days in the refrigerator or four months in the freezer. 5. To keep and increase milk supply, breastfeed your baby regularly. – Ashley Eliot THE ART OF PLAYING HOSTESS The old rules of entertaining (white table cloths, full-course meals) don’t always apply. Yet hosting a small group does require attention to detail. Try these ideas. THE GUEST LIST For good chitchat, consider inviting an interesting person you’ve just met rather than including only friends or family who know each other. Avoid just singles or couples – the key is to mix it up. When throwing an adults-only gathering, be clear, but not offensive on the invitation. There can’t be different rules for different people. Either children are invited or they are not. If you do choose to include children for a Saturday night party, hire a babysitter or two to watch them in a nearby room. Entertaining tips • The most important thing you can do as hostess is spend time with your guests. Instead of shuffling back and forth to the kitchen, just put everything on the table at once, and let guests serve themselves at a pace they – and you – can enjoy. • If people are going to eat standing up, make sure everything is bite-sized so no one has to balance a plate, fork and knife. • When you don’t have platters the right size to hold everything, get creative. Use candy dishes, vases and cutting boards as makeshift serving solutions. THANKING YOUR HOSTESS For the gal that loves to entertain: the “Hostess Diary” provides classic bits of advice, space for menu planning and spots to hold memories and lists. By Stella Kim. Illustrations by Fuko, Kawamura. $16.95; chroniclebooks.com MAINTAIN HEALTHY SKIN As the temperature drops As we make the transition to winter, it’s necessary to get our skin rebalanced and place a greater emphasis on moisturizing. As humidity drops and the indoor heat kicks on, our skin has a harder time of retaining water and moisturizing itself. Simply put: Skin needs more hydration in cooler temps. Easy as 1,2,3: 1. This month, get rid of dead skin with a professional peel, mask or facial. Keep up with weekly at-home exfoliating to help allow for the absorption of extra moisture. 2. Switch to a heavier, more emollient daily moisturizer. 3. Consider adding a night cream to your beauty routine for the winter months. HIPMOM PICKS: 1. Firm & tone: Avalon Organics Ultimate Moisture Cream contains hyaluronic acid for cellular renewal of dry skin and antioxidants like white tea and licorice root to hold moisture in your skin for longer periods of time. $15.95; avalonorganics.com 2. Repair while you sleep: The mineral-rich Icelandic glacial water and cylindrica root in skyn ICELAND Oxygen Infusion Night Cream helps restore dry stressed-out skin and is lightweight so it absorbs easily. $75; skyniceland.com 3. Add radiance: Origins Youthtopia is laden with rhodiola, a new plant discovery from Russia that provides skin with a rich reserve of energy, allowing skin to reinforce its natural moisture barrier. $47.50; origins.com GET FIT, STAY FASHIONABLE With the change of season comes a change in workout clothes. It’s getting chilly outside, treat yourself to cool workout pieces to keep you stylish and warm. Tips for heading outside: • Dress in several layers instead of wearing one bulky garment for warmth. • Start with a base layer made up of lightweight synthetic or silk underwear. • Next layer on an insulator to help retain body heat. Good choices include clothing made of synthetic pile fleece or wool. • The final layer should be breathable wind- and water-resistant garments. • The goal is to keep the body warm and minimize sweating to avoid shivering • Cover your head. Heat loss from the head and neck may be as much as 50% of the total heat being lost by your body. • Drink up. Dehydration affects your body’s ability to regulate body heat and increases the risk of frostbite. Check out isisforwomen.com for stylish, technical clothing suggestions. Day to night dressing just takes a few details. The right shoes and jewelry can elevate whatever you’re wearing. Replace last fall’s oversized beads with fun chunky rings and long, loose-layered necklaces. Target has a collection, with prices right around $8; target.com Tweed platform, peep-toe pumps give instant stature and work both day and night with skirts, dresses and trousers. Splurge on Stuart Weitzman’s “Expump” in charcoal twinkle tweed, $275; stuartweitzman.com. You’ll wear to every event from now until New Year’s. STYLE WATCH – SALVAGE THE HEM Premium designer brands come in one standard length: long. If you are of average height, the trick to tailored jeans without losing the signature stitching of the hem is to have your tailor shorten it and then reattach the original hem with matching thread. SOLUTION OF THE MONTH: Shopping for jeans. The right pair can literally change your bottom half. What to know before you go: • For adding curves and lift to your tush, choose jeans with flap pockets or slightly higher back pockets. • If you’ve wide hips, try a mid-rise jean that is slightly on the lower side in order to fit around the widest part without creating love handles. Also, good for this body type is a straight leg or a trouser leg, which falls down from the hips to create a longer-looking leg line. • To create more curves, jeans with horizontal distress lines across the front will widen hips. Beware: This season’s coveted cigarette and skinny jeans are meant for those with boyish frames because the slender cut at the calves emphasizes the hips and behind. If you’ve got thicker limbs, straight-leg jeans help give the leg a uniform width. Boot-cut jeans serve to highlight the thickness of the thigh in relation to the knee. Fit tip: Denim stretches, so if you can stick two fingers in the waistband, they’re probably just right. Even on your fat days, don’t buy one size up. |
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