While my two experiences with breastfeeding have been very different, one thing was common to both experiences: sore nipples in those first few days of nursing. This time around, I found a combination of working on my daughter’s latch and applying Motherlove’s Nipple Cream
and cooling gel pads after each nursing session to be an extremely effective solution to this problem.

You can read my full review of Motherlove’s Nipple Cream here, but what I liked best about this cream is that it is made from 100% organic ingredients, so I felt comfortable applying it to my nipples, and it’s safe for ingestion, so I never worried about washing it off before nursing.

What are some of your favorite natural products for healing sore nipples from breastfeeding?

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Here’s a unique gift idea: This Tree of Life iridescent pendant necklace is made in the USA from disarmed and recycled nuclear weapon systems. And 20% of the profits from the necklace go to nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders and the Peace Corps.

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If you haven’t gone shopping yet, I hope you’ll check out my latest About.com article, which lists some great eco-friendly gift ideas for Mom. Might as well show your love for Mother Earth, too, right?

We’ll be keeping our Mother’s Day celebrations fairly low-key around here (unless my dear husband has something in the works that I’m unaware of). It would be hard to top last year anyway, since I found out I was pregnant just days before Mother’s Day. That was definitely the best Mother’s Day gift I ever received and a wonderful present to share with our moms as well.

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Photo © The Natural Baby Co. LLC

When we first started using cloth diapers, all-in-one diapers were definitely my favorite. Because they have a waterproof cover and an absorbent interior, they are the easiest cloth diapers to use. That also makes them a popular choice for people who aren’t familiar with cloth diapers or are intimidated by them.

The main downsides of all-in-0ne diapers are that you can only use them once, which makes them generally more expensive than other cloth diapering systems, and, depending on the brand you use, they can also take longer to dry than other cloth diapers.

If you’re looking for all-in-one diapers that feature eco-friendly or organic materials, I’ve outlined some of my top picks in my latest About.com article.

Photo © Motherlove

Because of my history, my second pregnancy was considered high-risk, which meant I not only sought the care of an obstetrician, but maternal fetal medicine specialists as well. It also meant I chose to give birth in a local hospital, rather than at home or in a birthing center, where my chances for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) would have been much higher.

The hospital where I delivered had a 90% rate of repeat c-sections, so I sensed that the odds were against me having a vaginal birth at all, let alone an unmedicated one. But thanks to the support of my husband, the guidance of our doula, the willingness of our doctor and — perhaps most of all — my personal determination, I got the natural childbirth that I wanted to experience.

When my elation over this achievement died down, I still faced a short road to recovery. Recovering from an unmedicated vaginal birth is clearly easier than recovering from a medicated one or a c-section, but it isn’t an easy or pleasant experience. My birth had left me with a second-degree tear and some awful hemorrhoids that left me very uncomfortable, to say the least.

One thing that I found tremendously helpful during this time was a sitz bath, which I started doing while I was in the hospital and continued for a week or so at home afterward as well. The sitz bath helped me recover not just physically but mentally as well, as it gave me some much-needed time to myself during my recovery.

At home, I started using Motherlove’s Sitz Bath Concentrate in my baths, which I found to be much more soothing than water alone. You can read my full review of this product here, but suffice it to say that it was a welcome addition to my post-partum care.

What are some of your favorite natural post-partum products?

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I was particularly excited about this opportunity because we have several different toys from Haba and I’ve found all of their wooden toys to be of exceptional quality. The Color Buttons Pegging Game is no exception. You can read my full review of this toy here.

If you’re not familiar with Haba, this company has been making toys since 1938 and is well-known for its dedication to quality. As a mom, one of the things that I like best about this company is its commitment to sustainability and safety. To make their wooden toys, for example, they use timber from sustainably managed, local forests and use solvent-free, water-based stains.

Do you have a favorite Haba product?

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Our little guy loves doing things in our yard, particularly anything that has to do with dirt, so I’ve thought about planting something. It’s still a little early in the season to plant our vegetable garden, especially with the whacky weather we’ve been having recently, so we’d probably opt for some other types of plants instead.

It’s also time to restock our bird feeder with seeds, and I’d love to make a simple bird feeder with him and finally hang the birdhouse he decorated last year outside. Another possibility: He loves to be read to, so I may pick up some eco-friendly books from the library.

Have you thought about what you’ll be doing to celebrate this year? If you need some ideas for family activities, please check out my latest article on About.com.

Welcome to the Honor the Earth Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and Brittleby’s Corner. Members of the Green Moms Network are excited to bring you great prizes to celebrate Earth Day, all valued at $25+ . After entering my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs listed under the Rafflecopter form to enter more great Honor the Earth giveaways.

I’m pleased to be giving away a $25 credit to GreenDeals and Go Green Marketplace as part of this giveaway hop. If you haven’t checked out these sites yet, they are great places to shop for eco-friendly products. Personally, I love the GreenDeals site, which offers products and coupons from eco-friendly businesses. New deals launch weekly and run for 7-10 days or until they’re sold out.

Whether you’re interested in the giveaway or not, please register with GreenDeals and Go Green Marketplace. If you use the code “journey5″ when you register, you’ll get a $5 credit toward your first purchase.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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These dresses are made from sustainable bamboo viscose, which is incredibly soft and helps keep baby dry thanks to its wicking properties. They maintain their shape and vibrant colors even after multiple washes and require only short drying times.

Please note: Amazon.com’s prices change frequently. These are the discounts I found, but they do not necessarily reflect the current prices.

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Photo © Lifefactory

With my history of kidney stones, I am a bit of a fanatic about drinking water. I try to drink a gallon of water a day. And one of the easiest ways I’ve found to accomplish that goal is to have a trusty water bottle by my side as much as humanly possible.

Because I also prefer to use eco-friendly products, I also tend toward water bottles made from stainless steel and glass.

As a busy mom and a writer for About.com, I’ve tried several different bottles over the years. My latest bottle is the Lifefactory 16 oz. Flip Cap glass bottle.

Although the capacity is a little small for me, it has a lot of great features that make it a great option if you’re in the market for a new water bottle. You can read my full review of this bottle here.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Our Natural Journey at no cost to you. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.